Clint Frazier Discusses Minor League Status
Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier must be one of the most discussed minor leaguers in baseball. Some wonder why the 24-year-old, a former top prospect, isn’t on the Yankees. Others ask why the outfielder-laden Yankees haven’t traded him away for immediate pitching help over the past couple years. It doesn’t seem they’ve shown a lot of willingness to add Frazier to their roster or trade hm since sending him back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-June. Frazier has been stuck in the land of Dunder Mifflin for about two months with no clear end in sight, which he discussed with James Wagner of the New York Times in a piece that’s worth a full read.
Frazier held his own offensively earlier this season in the bigs, where he used what general manager Brian Cashman once called “legendary bat speed” to slash .283/.330/.513 (116 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 209 plate appearances. But that wasn’t enough to keep Frazier in New York. When the team acquired designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion from Seattle on June 15, it demoted Frazier. His defensive issues were among the primary reasons why (and it also helped that he has minor league options remaining).
Frazier had an embarrassing outing in right field, where he was filling in for the then-injured Aaron Judge, during a nationally televised loss to the Red Sox on June 3. That night wasn’t the lone dark hour for Frazier as a defender, though. Rather, Frazier has accounted for minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-8 Ultimate Zone Rating in 686 innings since he debuted in 2017.
Cashman, wanting Frazier to become less one-dimensional, was “brutally honest” in a phone call with the player a a few weeks after they sent him down, Frazier told Wagner. To help Frazier, the Yankees have deployed Scranton defensive coach Julio Bordon to work with him in the field. Manager Jay Bell appreciates Frazier’s diligence, informing Wagner, “I can’t tell you enough how impressed I’ve been with the way he’s gone about his work.”
Frazier does indeed seem committed to improving as a fielder, saying, “All my energy is going into being a defender because if I’m fortunate to get that call back, man, I want to be in the outfield and turn heads and people be like, ‘Wow, this guy has been working down there.’”
That may explain why Frazier’s minor league offensive numbers are significantly worse than they are in the majors this year. He has batted an underwhelming .250/.301/.469 (89 wRC+) with seven home runs in 173 trips to the plate. In Frazier’s estimation, though, it’s “crazy” that he’s not in the majors. “It’s one of those things where I know I’m not a finished product, but I don’t know if anyone is a finished product up there. I think I need to be tested against major league pitching and defense in the outfield in every aspect.”
Frazier, however, did admit: “I can’t be mad about my situation. Ultimately, I put myself here.”
Even with Encarnacion, first baseman Luke Voit and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton battling injuries, the Yankees haven’t recalled Frazier. There’s simply still no place for him in New York, which – despite its myriad injuries – is seemingly able to plug in anyone and get a big year from that player.
Veteran outfielder Brett Gardner has continued to get the job done, while fellow outfielders Mike Tauchman and Cameron Maybin have come from nowhere to enjoy magical campaigns. Judge and Aaron Hicks returned from early season injuries a while ago, too, and Mike Ford is logging time at DH/first. Frazier will have to continue waiting for his turn this year, then, and whether the Yankees will give him a real shot next season is difficult to determine. Judge, Stanton and Hicks will be back to start in the outfield, Encarnacion could return as DH, Tauchman won’t have an option remaining and the rock-solid Gardner could re-sign.
Giants Claim Kyle Barraclough
The Giants have claimed right-handed reliever Kyle Barraclough off waivers from the Nationals, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. He’ll head to Triple-A Sacramento. Meanwhile, infielder Tyler Austin has elected free agency after clearing waivers (Twitter links).
Barraclough was a failed offseason pickup for the Nationals, who acquired him with the expectation he’d help repair their bullpen. Instead, the 29-year-old recorded a 6.66 ERA/6.57 FIP with 10.52 K/9 against 4.21 BB/9 in 25 2/3 innings. The Nationals then designated him for assignment earlier this week.
Austin, 27, joined Barraclough in being designated this week. He struggled to a .187/.283/.403 line with eight home runs in 152 plate appearances this season before the Giants moved on from him.
Ryan Borucki Done For Season
Blue Jays left-hander Ryan Borucki has undergone surgery to clean up bone spurs in his elbow, Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. Borucki will avoid a Tommy John procedure, but his season is still over. He should be ready for spring training, per Mitchell.
Borucki’s a past Tommy John patient who will wind up sitting out almost all of this season because of elbow problems. The 25-year-old made his 2019 debut July 22 and then proceeded to make one more start before going back on the injured list with elbow inflammation. His year will wrap up with 10 runs (eight earned) allowed on 15 hits and six walks/six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
The hope coming into the season was that Borucki would continue developing into a legitimate building block for rebuilding Toronto. Borucki looked like one in 2018, his rookie year, as he amassed 97 2/3 innings of 3.87 ERA/3.80 FIP ball with 6.17 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9. He’s not on track to reach arbitration until after 2021, so there’s still plenty of time for a healthy Borucki to establish himself with the Blue Jays.
Mets Sign Joe Panik
1:10pm: Panik’s going to the Mets, Heyman tweets. They just have to clear a roster spot for him.
10:11am: The Mets are “expected to sign” second baseman Joe Panik, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Mike Anthony of MetsmerizedOnline.com first reported the news). Panik will first need to clear waivers, which will occur at 1 p.m. ET, but that looks like a formality. He should join the Mets for Friday night’s game, per Andy Martino of SNY.
It’ll go down as a short stay without a team for Panik, whom the Giants designated for assignment Tuesday and then subsequently released. Because no one will take on Panik via waivers, the Giants will have to pay him the balance of his $3.8MM salary. The Mets will be able to add him for a prorated league-minimum salary.
Panik, 28, was a quality producer as a Giant from 2014-17, but his production has cratered since the beginning of last season. He has slashed just .245/.308/.325 with seven home runs in 780 plate appearances going back to 2018, giving him the majors’ fourth-worst wRC+ (72) among hitters with at least 700 PA. Panik remains a bear to strike out (9.8 K rate, 9.3 BB percentage), but that wasn’t enough to keep him in San Francisco. When the Giants acquired fellow second basemen Scooter Gennett and Mauricio Dubon at last week’s trade deadline, it sealed Panik’s fate with the franchise.
Panik, a Yonkers native who attended St. John’s University, will now try to bounce back in the familiar surroundings of New York. The Mets have an opening at second now that Robinson Cano’s dealing with a hamstring tear. The Cano injury is one of the few things to go wrong of late for the hard-charging Mets, who’ve gone from laughingstocks to serious playoff contenders in a matter of weeks. Winners of 13 of 14, the Mets suddenly own a 59-56 record and sit a mere half-game back in a congested National League wild-card race.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tigers Release Josh Harrison, Sandy Baez
The Tigers have granted unconditional releases to infielder Josh Harrison and right-hander Sandy Baez, per a team announcement. The club also made the previously reported promotion of righty Edwin Jackson official.
This marks the end of a tough Tigers tenure for Harrison, a former Pirate who joined Detroit on a $2MM guarantee in free agency last winter. Harrison, who underwent surgery on a partially torn hamstring in June, hasn’t played since May 27. The 32-year-old was a capable hitter for most of his Pirates stint, but he only managed a .176/.219/.265 line with one home run in 146 plate appearances as a Tiger.
Baez, 25, was once a promising prospect. He topped out as Baseball America’s 13th-ranked Tigers farmhand after the 2016 season. He threw 15 1/3 innings with the Tigers from 2018-19, but only one of those frames came this year – a season in which he has dealt with injuries. Baez debuted at the Triple-A level this year and posted a 7.36 ERA with 7.36 K/9 and 5.73 BB/9 in 22 innings.
Yankees Acquire Joe Mantiply From Reds
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Joe Mantiply from the Reds for cash considerations, per an announcement from New York. Mantiply will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
This is the second deal we’ve seen this week in a new MLB landscape that no longer includes an August waiver deadline. Unsurprisingly, it’s a rather minor move – one that will deliver a player who wasn’t on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster to New York’s top minors team. It’ll be the second run with the Yankees for Mantiply, who pitched in Scranton in 2017.
Now 28, Mantiply entered the pros as a 27th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He briefly cracked Detroit’s roster in 2016, throwing 2 2/3 innings, but that’s the extent of his big league experience. Mantiply has fared nicely in Triple-A ball, though. He has amassed 117 1/3 innings of 2.99 ERA pitching with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during his time at the minors’ highest level.
Angels’ Billy Eppler On Upcoming Pitching Market
With the Angels hard up for starting help and Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole a pending free agent who hails from Southern California, they’ll be a speculative landing spot for the Cy Young candidate. Cole tossed a bit of fuel on the fire after dominating in Anaheim on July 17, saying (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times): “I grew up here, watched games when they still had bleachers. It’s a really unique park. Driving up the 57 today, seeing the Big A, it’s always cool. It’s always special. In an industry where you don’t always get to see your family as much as you would like, getting to hug your mom after the game is nice.”
As one of the game’s preeminent aces, the soon-to-be 29-year-old Cole is a solid bet to land a $200MM-plus contract in the coming months. However, as DiGiovanna points out, the Angels have never even handed out a $100MM deal to a pitcher. But that doesn’t mean the franchise that signed off on (ill-fated) contracts worth a combined $365MM to hitters Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton several years ago will shy away from a gargantuan outlay for a pitcher.
“We haven’t secured one, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t explored one,” general manager Billy Eppler told DiGiovanna on Wednesday. “There is not a philosophy or a directive in our organization to avoid sizable investments in pitching. The circumstances need to warrant such an investment.”
The Angels did think one starter, Patrick Corbin, was deserving of that type of investment last winter. They offered Corbin a little over $100MM, per DiGiovanna, though that still fell well short of the winning bid for the left-hander. The Nationals ended up securing Corbin on a six-year, $140MM guarantee, and he now looks as if he’ll help pitch them to the playoffs in his first season in D.C. The Angels took less risky routes, inking Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill to one-year commitments worth a combined $20MM. The phrase “no risk, no reward” applies in those two cases. The Angels released Harvey on July 23 after he tossed a dreadful 59 2/3 innings for the franchise. Cahill’s still a member of the Angels, but he’ll also go in the books as a failed signing. He lost his place in their rotation weeks ago and has logged a 6.28 ERA in 81 2/3 innings.
Thanks in part to the abysmal performances of Harvey and Cahill, the Angels are on track for their fifth straight non-playoff season. Their rotation has been a sore spot, ranking 28th in the majors in ERA (5.45) and 29th in FIP (29th). Heading into 2020, two-way star and 2018 Tommy John patient Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound, which will be an invaluable boost. Tragically, though, the Angels lost a key part of their staff and team last month when Tyler Skaggs passed away. Now, in all likelihood, Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning are the only surefire bets for next season’s rotation.
The Angels’ dearth of quality starters could lead them to free agency – not necessarily just to Cole – as “the market will have some pitching on it,” Eppler said. “I’m sure we’ll be sitting with [free agents] and seeing if something can be worked out.”
Cole may end up as the lone starter to break the nine-figure barrier during the offseason, but he won’t be the sole high-profile arm available. Lefties Madison Bumgarner (Giants), Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers), Cole Hamels (Cubs) and Dallas Keuchel (Braves), as well as righties Zack Wheeler (Mets), Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson (both Twins) could represent other options for the Angels. While Cole’s the ultimate prize, anyone from that group should be able to upgrade the Angels’ rotation and give them a better shot at a playoff berth in 2020.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Huntington, Hurdle, Padres, Mariners
As part of a mailbag covering the floundering Pirates, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (subscription link) focuses on team higher-ups whose jobs could be in jeopardy. Biertempfel writes it’s “more likely” the club will fire pitching coach Ray Searage and maybe bullpen coach Euclides Rojas than either GM Neal Huntington or manager Clint Hurdle, at least during the season. Searage’s ouster would mark the end of what has been an oft-praised Pirates stint, but this season has been a rough go for their pitching staff. How much blame he should take for that is up for debate. As for Huntington and Hurdle, their jobs for 2020 aren’t etched in stone, suggests Biertempfel, who reports owner Bob Nutting would be willing to eat their salaries and fire them “if he is convinced that there is no hope of improvement in 2020.” With that in mind, the onus could be on Huntington and Hurdle to explain why they should keep their positions.
- More from Biertempfel, who dismisses the possibility of outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall playing for the Pirates this season. Chisenhall remains at home in Bradenton, Fla., mending from left calf troubles, and there won’t be enough time for him to return to the majors this year. It seems the $2.75MM the Pirates gave Chisenhall last offseason will go down as a wasted investment. By the time this season ends, injuries will have kept the former Indian out of 375 of a possible 486 regular-season games dating back to 2017.
- After missing the first four-plus months of the season with a flexor strain, Padres left-handed reliever Jose Castillo finally made his 2019 debut on Thursday. It didn’t go well, however. Castillo exited with an injury to the middle finger on his throwing hand, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It’s fortunate that it isn’t another elbow problem for Castillo, though he still could end up heading back to the injured list because of this issue. The 23-year-old hasn’t gotten a chance to build on a superb rookie campaign in 2018, when he fired 38 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA/2.64 FIP ball with 12.21 K/9 against 2.82 BB/9.
- Rehabbing Mariners righty Felix Hernandez threw two innings at the Single-A level Thursday, after which he told Julian A. Lopez of the Modesto Bee he feels ready to return to the majors. The Mariners have other plans, though – they want Hernandez to make two rehab appearances with Triple-A Tacoma before he finally goes back to the Seattle. Shoulder woes have kept the pending free agent from the M’s staff since May 11 in what could be the final season of his storied tenure with the franchise.
Mets Interested In Joe Panik
FRIDAY: There’s “a strong chance” Panik will sign with the Mets when he clears waivers, Martino writes.
THURSDAY: The Mets have interest in Giants second baseman Joe Panik, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports. Panik was designated for assignment Tuesday and placed on release waivers yesterday, and he’ll officially enter into free agency at noon CT on Friday if he isn’t claimed by another team in the interim.
The Mets’ interest may hinge on whether or not Panik is actually on the open market. If Panik were to sign as a free agent, New York would only be responsible for paying him a prorated MLB minimum salary for the rest of the season (roughly $164K) and the Giants would have to cover the $956K still owed to Panik for the remainder of the one-year, $3.8MM contract he signed last offseason. If the Mets were to just claim Panik off waivers, they’d have to pay him the entire $1.12MM in remaining salary themselves.
As recently noted by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Mets are quite close to the luxury tax threshold of $206MM, as Roster Resource estimates New York’s luxury tax number at just under $203.38MM, counting the newly-signed Brad Brach‘s minimum salary. Since the team is loath to make any tax payments and player movement is more difficult now that the trade deadline has passed, the Mets are targeting players like Panik or Brach, who can potentially contribute while their former teams foot the bulk of the bill. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports that at least one other team besides the Mets has interest in Panik, though it isn’t known if this mystery team is willing to make a claim for Panik, or if they are also waiting for Panik to hit free agency.
Panik would provide New York with a short-term replacement for Robinson Cano at second base while Cano is on the injured list, though it’s a fair question to wonder how much Panik can produce in the wake of his recent performance. Aside from an All-Star season in 2015, Panik has been a below-average hitter for the rest of his career, including hitting only .245/.308/.325 over 780 plate appearances since the start of the 2018 campaign. As maligned as Cano’s 2019 season has been, Panik has actually been worse — Cano’s 0.4 fWAR is superior to Panik’s sub-replacement level -0.2 fWAR.
Still, at a minimum price, there’s little harm for the Mets in taking a flier on Panik if nothing else than an extra body in their infield mix. Panik would also add another left-handed bat to a largely right-handed Mets lineup, and his presence at second base would allow Jeff McNeil to remain largely in the outfield.
MLBTR Poll: J.D. Martinez’s Opt-Out Clause
The offseason could come sooner than expected for the reigning World Series champion Red Sox, whose playoff chances have dwindled in the year’s second half. Losers of nine of their past 11, the Red Sox sit a stunning 16 games behind the Yankees in the AL East and 5 1/2 back of a wild-card spot. The club has already lost more games in 2019 (56) than it did last regular season (54), and it still has 45 games to go.
Boston’s fall certainly hasn’t been the fault of designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who has been on another of his signature offensive rampages of late. After four straight multi-hit games, his line has climbed to .304/.379/.547 – one of its highest points of the season. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, these may be the final weeks with the club for Martinez. He’ll dive back into free agency if he opts out of his contract after the season, though he’s far from a lock to abandon his deal.
Returning to the open market – where the former Astro, Tiger and Diamondback joined the Red Sox on a five-year, $110MM contract back in February 2018 – would mean leaving a substantial amount of money on the table. However, while Martinez will still have another three years and $62.5MM left when this season concludes, he’s not ruling out another stab at free agency. Martinez said last month he plans to leave his future in the hands of famed agent Scott Boras.
Based on his production, Martinez has a case for more money than he stands to earn on his current deal. Martinez was one of the game’s greatest hitters in the handful of years preceding his Boston deal, and that hasn’t changed. Although Martinez’s numbers have markedly fallen off compared to where they were from 2017-18, that’s more a compliment to his output then than an indictment on what he has done this year. With 25 home runs in 479 plate appearances, Martinez is on pace for his third straight year with at least 30 HRs. His wRC+ (136) is tied with Anthony Rizzo and Josh Bell for 19th among qualified hitters, and his .408 expected weighted on-base average ranks quite a bit higher. Only fellow offensive luminaries Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Nelson Cruz, Christian Yelich, Anthony Rendon, Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge rank above Martinez in that department.
It’s fair to say Martinez remains an absolute force at the plate, then, and it would surely help his cause that he’d be a big fish in a fairly small free-agent pond. Aside from Rendon, a fellow Boras client and the lone pending free-agent position player who looks like a shoo-in for a $100MM-plus contract, Martinez would be the second-most appealing hitter available. Still, the soon-to-be 32-year-old and Boras might be leery of taking advantage of his opt-out. Free agency has been tough on even highly decorated 30-somethings in recent years, especially those who come with qualifying offers attached (just ask Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel).
Martinez didn’t receive a QO in his previous trip to free agency because it came after a midseason trade, but the Red Sox would no doubt saddle him with one during the upcoming winter. Plus, although he remains among the majors’ most formidable hitters, that’s essentially where all of Martinez’s on-field value comes from. Formerly a regular in the outfield, he’s easily on pace for his second straight season of fewer than 500 innings in the grass. That doesn’t mean Martinez’s offense won’t continue to make him immensely valuable going forward – former Red Sox DH David Ortiz and the aforementioned Cruz are two examples of offense-only players who’ve been tremendous even in the twilight of their careers. The lack of a real position still won’t do Martinez’s market any favors, though, especially considering there aren’t any near-term plans for the National League to implement the DH.
There’s no easy answer here for the Martinez-Boras tandem, who can either choose the bird-in-hand route or take a gamble on his bat leading him to even more cash than he’s due on his present pact. Without question, it’ll be one of the most interesting early offseason situations to watch. As of now, how do you expect it to play out?
(Poll link for app users)
What do you expect J.D. Martinez to do after the season?
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Keep his current deal 57% (4,166)
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Opt out 43% (3,148)
Total votes: 7,314