Adam Wainwright Leaves Start Due To Hamstring Tightness
Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright left Sunday night’s start after 4 1/3 innings due to an injury later diagnosed by the team as tightness in his left hamstring. The injury occurred when Wainwright was running the bases after doubling in the previous inning, as per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links). Manager Mike Shildt told Goold and other media that Wainwright will miss at least one start, and the veteran righty will go to St. Louis on Monday for further tests to determine the severity of the injury.
Wainwright ended up allowing three runs to the Cubs during his abbreviated start on Sunday, giving the 37-year-old a 4.46 ERA, 7.77 K/9, and 48.8% grounder rate over 70 2/3 frames this season. He has already far surpassed the 40 1/3 innings he tossed in an injury-marred 2018 season, and while his one-year contract to return to the Cards carried a number of incentives related to relief pitching, Wainwright has been deployed solely out of the rotation.
Never a particularly hard-thrower, Wainwright’s 89.5mph average fastball velocity this season is a new career low, and his 42.1% hard-hit ball rate is far and away the highest of his 14 MLB seasons. Still, all that hard contact hasn’t hurt Wainwright to any huge extent, as his .327 xwOBA is actually lower than his .333 wOBA.
All told, Wainwright is on pace for a decent bounce-back season, though his overall unspectacular numbers are par for the course within a Cards rotation that has been pretty average across the board. If an IL stint is required, all eyes will turn to top pitching prospect Alex Reyes as a potential fill-in candidate, as Reyes is reportedly close to a return to the big leagues even though his Triple-A numbers this season leave a lot to be desired.
Genesis Cabrera or Daniel Ponce de Leon could also make spot starts, or the Cardinals could experiment with bullpen games or an opener. A decision will have to be made quickly, however, as the Cards are in the midst of a tough stretch of schedule that sees them play 18 games in as many days.
West Notes: Leake, D’Backs, M’s, Hampton, Padres, Alvarez
Some rumblings out of both the AL and NL West divisions…
- The Mariners and Diamondbacks discussed a potential trade earlier this week that would’ve sent Mike Leake to Arizona, though in the words of FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link), these negotiations “never got serious.” As we heard on Thursday, Leake was never contacted about the trade, which would’ve been a necessary step since Leake has a no-trade clause in his contract. Given that the M’s have shown a willingness to eat money in trades of their veteran players, Leake could have been (and perhaps even still is) a particularly attractive option to a D’Backs team that doesn’t have a ton of payroll room. In Leake’s case, Seattle would also be sharing the financial burden with the Cardinals. As per the terms of the trade that brought Leake to the Mariners from the Cardinals, St. Louis was responsible for $9MM of the $36MM owed to Leake over the 2019-20 seasons.
- In the words of one Padres official, there is still an “outside chance” that the club could ink 23rd-round draft pick Maurice Hampton, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, despite Hampton’s commitment to play both baseball and football at LSU. Hampton reportedly wanted a $2.75MM bonus to begin his pro baseball career, and while the team believes this asking price may have dropped, it still represented a hefty enough demand that Hampton fell to the 23rd round despite a consensus top-50 prospect ranking in the eyes of draft evaluators. Since Hampton was taken beyond the top ten rounds, any contract he signs worth more than $100K would see that excess money subtracted from San Diego’s $10,758,900 draft pool, leaving the Padres with less money to sign their other picks. However, the team has been trying to create extra financial space within their pool — the Padres took four college seniors (who have less negotiating leverage) with their picks in the seventh thru tenth rounds, and saved almost $543K when sixth overall pick CJ Abrams agreed to a below-slot bonus.
- Yordan Alvarez enjoyed a dream debut in the majors today, going 1-for-3 with a walk and his first MLB home run, a two-run blast that proved to be the winning score in Houston’s 4-0 win over Baltimore. The young Astros slugger is considered one of the game’s most promising young bats, though there is far from a consensus on his overall value as a prospect, The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan writes (subscription required). Alvarez is largely seen as a bat-only player, with limited defensive value as a left fielder or first baseman despite some solid athleticism for a man of his size (6’5″, 225 pounds). “Any projection of Alvarez’s future value will take a hit by an evaluator who doesn’t believe he can stick in left,” Kaplan writes, and he speaks to several writers from sites such as Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, Fangraphs, and MLB.com about why Alvarez received a pretty wide range of rankings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/9/19
The latest minor moves from around the baseball world…
- The Mets have outrighted Aaron Altherr to Triple-A, as per MLB.com’s official transactions page. Altherr was designated for assignment earlier this week, the third different time this season that Altherr has entered DFA limbo. This was the first time that Altherr’s designation, however, hadn’t resulted in a change of teams, after he went from the Phillies to the Giants, and then from San Francisco to New York on waiver claims. Now that Altherr seems to be settled at Triple-A for the time being, he can focus on getting his bat on track after posting just a .245 OPS over 42 big league plate appearances this season.
- The Lotte Giants of South Korea’s KBO League have released right-hander Jake Thompson and claimed righty Brock Dykxhoorn off waivers from the SK Wyverns. (Hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net) Thompson was a second-round draft pick for the Phillies in 2012 and was considered a top-100 prospect in all of baseball prior to both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, though he posted only a 4.87 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 1.33 K/BB rate over 116 1/3 innings for the Phils from 2016-18. After a brief stint in Milwaukee’s farm system last year, Thompson signed with Lotte last winter and posted a 4.74 ERA over 62 2/3 frames for the KBO side. Dykxhoorn is also in his first year in South Korean baseball, after delivering a 4.37 ERA over 490 1/3 innings in the Astros’ minor league system after Houston made him a sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Yankees Have Shown Interest In Stroman, Bumgarner
7:56pm: “The Yankees might not be enamored enough with Bumgarner to pay the necessary price,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand writes. The potential return of Severino could also impact the Yankees’ deadline plans, though as one executive points out, it wouldn’t be surprising if Severino has some rust after his long layoff, so the Yankees might not have enough time before the deadline to evaluate if they can rely on him to be the rotation help they need.
11:28am: The Yankees are known to be looking into starting pitching options, and their explorations have included two of the arms most likely to be moved before the July 31st trade deadline. According to the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff, the Yankees have been in touch with the Blue Jays about right-hander Marcus Stroman, and have also had scouts watching Madison Bumgarner‘s outings for the Giants.
Virtually every aspect of the Yankees’ roster has been hit hard with injuries this season, with the rotation being no exception. Luis Severino has yet to pitch this season and won’t be back until after the All-Star break, while James Paxton, C.C. Sabathia, and (just today) Domingo German have all spent time on the injured list. Between these issues and some struggles at the back of their bullpen, Davidoff figures that the Yankees will prioritize pitching upgrades as the deadline approaches.
To this end, New York has undoubtedly done some preliminary evaluation (whether it’s scouting or direct conversations with rival front offices) about many pitchers beyond just Stroman and Bumgarner. It remains to be seen if the Yankees’ inquiries represent due diligence or a genuinely strong interest, though these two pitchers naturally stand out due to their high-profile nature, and each would come with some interesting factors to consider before any deal is completed.
Stroman has bounced back nicely this season following an injury-plagued down year in 2018, and isn’t a rental piece, as he is under team control through the 2020 season. While he’ll be in line for an arbitration raise on his $7.4MM salary for this season, Stroman will still bring a ton of value to any rotation if he keeps pitching at his current level. If Stroman did end up in the pinstripes, this extra year of control would make him a natural candidate to replace the retiring Sabathia in next season’s rotation, and thus the Yankees would have one less item to address on their offseason to-do list.
That said, Toronto will demand a big return for Stroman’s services. MLBTR’s Connor Byrne recently explored the Stroman trade market, with the Yankees cited as one of a whopping 22 teams who could be plausible fits for the right-hander — Stroman’s extra year of control makes him a target even for clubs like the White Sox, Diamondbacks, or Reds, who might not be contenders this season but are looking ahead to 2020.
Though the Blue Jays and Yankees are division rivals, the two teams combined for a high-profile pitching swap last summer when J.A. Happ was dealt to New York for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney. Since Happ was a pending free agent at the time of that trade, and is over eight and a half years older than Stroman, the Jays figure to ask for quite a bit more from the Yankees in trade talks this summer.
Bumgarner’s situation is quite a bit different, as the former World Series MVP is a pure rental, headed to free agency after the season. Many of the same teams looking to acquire Stroman will also be in the hunt for Bumgarner (as Connor outlined in another post), though even with only two-plus months and potential postseason innings on offer, the Giants are likely to aim high in their trade demands. With so many of their other high-priced veterans struggling, battling injuries, or limited by full or partial no-trade clauses, Bumgarner represents San Francisco’s best chance of adding some solid prospects as the team looks to get younger.
Bumgarner himself has some no-trade protection, with the ability to block trades to eight teams. The Yankees are one of the teams on that list, though this doesn’t mean that the southpaw would necessarily reject a potential trade to the Bronx, but rather that Bumgarner was simply giving himself some extra leverage (perhaps in the form of a cash bonus to waive his clause) in the event that a trade offer emerged from one of those eight clubs.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Will Smith, Keuchel, Cardinals, Yankees
Click here to read the transcript of Sunday night’s baseball chat, moderated by MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk
White Sox To Select Odrisamer Despaigne’s Contract
The White Sox will select the contract of veteran right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne from Triple-A prior to tomorrow’s game, according to Francys Romero of Las Mayores (Twitter link). Another move is forthcoming to create space for Despaigne on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters.
Despaigne is lined up to start Chicago’s game against Washington on Monday, as the 32-year-old is set to get his first taste of Major League action in the 2019 season. Despaigne joined the White Sox in mid-May on a minor league contract, just days after opting out of another minors deal with the Reds signed last winter. Over 59 1/3 combined inning for both clubs’ Triple-A affiliates, Despaigne has produced some pretty solid numbers — a 3.34 ERA, 8.5 K/9, and 2.8 K/BB rate.
The White Sox were already thin on MLB-caliber pitching talent to begin the season, and they’ve seen that depth further stretched due to injuries; Carlos Rodon was lost to season-ending Tommy John surgery and Dylan Covey hit the 10-day injured list just earlier today with shoulder inflammation. Despite a breakout performance from Lucas Giolito, the Sox rotation as a whole still ranks at or near the bottom in most cumulative starting pitching categories.
With this in mind, there’s plenty of opportunity for Despaigne to win himself some regular work, and try to firmly establish himself as a starter in his sixth big league season. Despaigne has a career 4.94 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 1.76 K/BB rate over 349 2/3 career frames in the majors, spending time with the Angels, Marlins, Orioles, and Padres since 2014.
Health Notes: Reds, Wood, Cedeno, Diaz, Fletcher
On Saturday, Reds southpaw Alex Wood threw a bullpen session for the first time since April, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Wood has been dealing with lower back spasms since he was acquired in the same trade that sent Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati, and setbacks suffered in March and April led to the lefty being shut down for about a month. While there is no timetable for his return to an MLB field and his Reds debut, it’s promising that Wood is once again throwing and feeling well enough to move forward with his recovery. As Sheldon notes, Wood will still need to build up a foundation before he can return to the field, a process that likely includes several more bullpen sessions followed by facing live hitters, and finally a minor-league rehab assignment. Barring any further setbacks, completing those steps will allow Wood to join a Reds team that has actually fielded one of the National League’s best pitching staffs. To be sure, Wood, who has some experiencing working out of a bullpen role with the Dodgers, would represent a luxury for the last-place Reds even if there is not a spot for him in the starting rotation.
- Cubs left-hander Xavier Cedeno, out since May 21 with left wrist inflammation, will begin a rehab assignment today with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Cedeno, who also began the season on the injured list, has managed just two innings for the Cubs, largely functioning as a lefty specialist. While he’s yet to allow a run, the 32-year-old has walked three batters and has struck out just one. Cedeno was signed by the Cubs last winter to a one-year deal worth up to $900k.
- Astros shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who is currently rehabbing from a left hamstring strain, has suffered a setback, according to Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. It’s unknown how long the setback will keep Diaz, who hasn’t played since May 26, on the shelf, but with Carlos Correa out of the lineup, the Astros would like to get Diaz healthy sooner than later. By and large, it’s been Myles Straw and Jack Mayfield seeing the most action at short with both Diaz and Correa sidelined, and while they have filled in capably, neither can match Diaz’s above-average .831 OPS.
- The Angels‘ David Fletcher was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game today due to left shoulder soreness, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. However, he adds that manager Brad Ausmus said that a stint on the injured list looks unlikely at this time. It’s good to hear for an Angels team that has had to endure injuries to other infielders Zack Cozart and Andrelton Simmons, especially considering that Fletcher has arguably been the team’s second-best player this season.
Braves Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Shea Langeliers
The Braves have agreed to terms with their first-round (ninth overall) selection Shea Langeliers and will pay the 21-year-old catcher a $4MM bonus, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. The deal allows Atlanta to save a notable chunk of funds in its overall draft pool, as the ninth overall pick carries a recommended slot price of $4,949,100.
Baseball America, MLB.com, ESPN’s Keith Law, and Fangraphs all placed Langeliers in the upper tier of this year’s draft class, as the catcher was rated between 9th (BA) and 14th (Fangraphs) overall in all four outlets’ respective prospect rankings.
The Baylor product is lauded first and foremost for his stellar defense behind the plate, including a strong, accurate throwing arm and elite pop times, a combination that allowed him to cut down 70 percent of prospective basestealers in his sophomore season, per MLB.com. While his bat lags behind top catcher Adley Rutschman, his offense took a step forward this year and many scouts believe his defense alone could carry him to be an average regular at the Major League level. Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs describe Langeliers as featuring budding power, though he favors a contact over power approach at the plate.
The Braves’ farm system is already one of the deepest in baseball, ripe with young pitchers who figure to contribute in some fashion at the highest level. In Langeliers, the Braves now have a catcher who looks as if he offers the defensive tools to assist those pitchers not only in the minor leagues, but also as they advance through the ranks and graduate to the Majors. If Langeliers pans out, his career could coincide with a staff that consists of the likes of Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, and others.
It bears mentioning that Langeliers was selected with the compensation pick the Braves received for failing to sign last year’s first round choice, Carter Stewart.
Royals Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Bobby Witt Jr.
The Royals have agreed to a full slot deal with their first-round selection Bobby Witt Jr., per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The 18-year-old, who was chosen second overall, will receive a $7,789,900 bonus to sign with the Royals.
Witt, often touted as the second-best player in his class and the top high-school prospect in the class, is regarded as a “potential five-tool shortstop,” per MLB.com. Hailing from Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas, Witt’s father played 16 years in the big leagues, and the junior Witt is said to possess a strong arm and defensive instincts that should allow him to stick at shortstop and provide potentially plus defense. His offensive profile is fueled by impressive power that could make him a 20-20 player in the future, but there are some concerns about his ability to hit for average stemming from the swing-and-miss in his game.
With his signing, Witt slides into a crop of impressive young infielders for the rebuilding Royals, joining Adalberto Mondesi, Nicky Lopez, and Hunter Dozier as some of the promising youngsters for Kansas City. While general manager Dayton Moore likely views Mondesi, who has turned heads with his play since the second half of last season, as a building block and shortstop of the future, that is not in consideration when drafting a talent like Witt, who plays the same position. Witt strengthens a mediocre Royals farm system that looks to be on the rise following the addition of Witt and the strength of last year’s draft class, headlined by Brady Singer.
Nathan Eovaldi Suffers Setback
Nathan Eovaldi has suffered a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery, tweets Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Eovaldi is experiencing bicep soreness that caused his latest bullpen session to be pushed back.
Eovaldi had been on track to make a mid-June return to the Boston rotation after being tagged with a four-to-six-week recovery timetable from his April 22 elbow surgery. Abraham had previously reported that Eovaldi might return as early as June 15th, though it now seems unlikely that he will be able to meet that target date. At this juncture, it’s unclear just how long the latest setback will keep Eovaldi out of action, but there is undoubtedly some cause for concern for the Red Sox, who have struggled to find a stable replacement for Eovaldi in his absence.
It is perhaps notable that it’s a bicep issue rather than an elbow complication, since the surgery was needed to remove loose bodies in Eovaldi’s elbow. Whether that is a good or bad sign is subject to speculation, but this latest development is certainly frustrating for the Red Sox, who invested heavily in Eovaldi, rewarding his late-season heroics with a four-year, $68MM contract last winter.
His club has yet to see any real return on that investment, as the right-hander has been able to make just four starts this season and has posted a 6.00 ERA in that time. To be sure, it’s premature to draw conclusions from just four games, and Eovaldi has plenty of time to make good on the lucrative contract he earned. Nonetheless, the third-place Red Sox could use the fireballing righty sooner than later, and his extensive injury history is not particularly inspiring at present.