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Matt Bush (Elbow) & Austin Bibens-Dirkx (Knee) Undergo Surgery

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The Rangers announced today that two of their pitchers have undergone surgery, as MLB.com’s TR Sullivan was among those to tweet. Reliever Matt Bush had a procedure to address a partial UCL tear, while fellow righty Austin Bibens-Dirkx received work to his knee, the details of which remain to be provided.

Clearly, the news is especially concerning with regard to Bush, who had already been ruled out for the remainder of the season. It’s not clear whether he experienced a more recent change in conditions that precipitated the procedure or whether it was simply called for after his rehab efforts were halted.

Though he did not require Tommy John surgery, the Texas organization anticipates going without Bush for at least half of the 2019 season. It’s not certain just what was performed, though it could be that he received “primary repair” surgery.

Things had not gone well for Bush when he was on the mound this year. The 32-year-old posted a 4.70 ERA in his 23 innings, with just 7.4 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9, with declines in his fastball velocity and swinging-strike rate.

As for Bibens-Dirkx, he had helped the Rangers fill innings over the course of the season after re-signing on a minors deal in the winter. He was bumped from the rotation after an abysmal outing in mid-July but has been an occasional relief presence since that time. All told, Bibens-Dirkx carries a 6.20 ERA in 45 innings on the season, with 33 strikeouts against 14 walks.

Rays Recall Austin Meadows

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The Rays have recalled young outfielder Austin Meadows to the MLB roster, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported. Also joining the club are righties Austin Pruitt and Chih-Wei Hu as well as southpaw Hoby Milner.

Among these new additions to the active roster, the 23-year-old Meadows is the most interesting. That’s due not only to his top-prospect status and his recent acquisition — in a swap that also brought Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz to Tampa Bay in exchange for Chris Archer — but also his strong offensive output this season.

Before the swap, of course, Meadows had impressed in a 165-plate appearance debut in the majors. Though his success was predicated in no small part upon a .345 BABIP, it was hard not to like the .292/.327/.468 line (with five homers and four steals) he produced against major-league pitching.

At the same time, though, Meadows had continued his less-than-stirring work at the highest level of the minors, so it was fair to wonder whether that was simply a mirage. The longtime top-100 prospect had hovered in the .700 OPS range in three attempts at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Since arriving in the Rays organization, however, Meadows has thrived. It’s only a 26-game sample, but he laid waste to the International League pitching over 106 plate appearances, slashing .344/.396/.771 with ten home runs.

Whether or not that showing ought to elevate expectations for Meadows is perhaps debatable, but it certainly increase the excitement of his promotion. Of course, he’s not likely to receive a long look just yet. But with Carlos Gomez set to hit the open market at season’s end, it’s possible that Meadows could be in the mix to crack the roster as part of the corner outfield rotation in 2019.

As ever, service-time considerations must be noted as well. Meadows was on the Pittsburgh active roster for 59 days already and will now add another dozen to his tally. That means he could well top a full year of MLB service next season even if he’s held down to open the year.

 

NL Notes: Pence, Tebow, Wheeler, Ryu

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It seems Giants outfielder Hunter Pence has yet to fully resolve his future. As Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, the veteran suggests he’s focused on appreciating the remainder of the 2018 season — the final campaign under his current contract. The 35-year-old indicates that he’s not yet sure of his outlook for 2019, but does tell Schulman that he “want[s] to play next year.” It certainly has not been Pence’s finest effort on the field, however, putting his future in doubt even if he prefers to give it another go. After struggling last year, Pence has fallen even further. Through 213 plate appearances, he owns only a .215/.254/.315 slash with three home runs. With his rough 2017 as a backdrop, it’s questionable at best that he’ll receive MLB offers this coming offseason.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The Mets anticipate that Tim Tebow will be back for a third season with the organization in 2019, as Tim Healey of Newsday reports. The former NFL QB has been sidelined since the middle of the summer owing to a broken hamate bone, but otherwise ended things on a high note with a strong run at the plate. Of course, his overall line — .273/.336/.399 with six home runs and 103 strikeouts in 298 plate appearances — was not overly impressive for a 31-year-old corner outfielder at Double-A. But it’s actually quite the accomplishment given how things appeared at the outset of the experiment, and it’ll be interesting to see how Tebow performs next year at Triple-A. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t want to continue,” said assistant GM John Ricco.
  • Mets righty Zack Wheeler has had an incredibly exciting bounceback campaign, so much so that it may need to end early due to his accumulation of innings. As Aaron Bracy of the Associated Press writes (via Newsday), the club is considering putting Wheeler on ice the rest of the way rather than having him take back to the mound. Manager Mickey Callaway says it’s a matter of the Mets “want[ing] to make sure we’re taking care of the player.” Wheeler is now 99 innings past the 86 1/3 he compiled in 2017, a season in which he was still not at full health. With nothing left for Wheeler to prove or for the team to accomplish in the 2018 season, it stands to reason that caution is warranted. Wheeler, after all, now looks to be a key piece — or trade asset — after working to a 3.31 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
  • The Dodgers have their own pitching comeback tale of sorts, as southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu has been impressive when he has been available. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports, the veteran hurler says he’s not taking anything for granted after several injury-riddled campaigns. Indeed, even after making 24 starts last year, he was unable to participate in the postseason. Through 70 1/3 frames over 13 outings in 2018, however, the lefty owns an excellent 2.18 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9. He just throttled the Rockies in a key divisional tilt and now looks to be an important part of the late-season L.A. pitching mix. It’s opportune timing both for the team and the player. Ryu is slated to enter free agency this winter, where he’ll be a risky but intriguing option.

10 Relievers Lining Up Big First-Time Arbitration Salaries

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We’ve already done this for position players and starters, so let’s check in on the relief arms. In this context, as MLBTR arb guru Matt Swartz teaches, we’re looking for innings, ERA, and saves or (to a lesser extent) holds. Swartz also frequently cites strikeouts as a factor in analyzing comparables.

Now, to be sure, the “opener” concept and/or other contemporary baseball phenomena may one day lead to some changes in how reliever salaries are determined. For now, though, the traditional numbers still play in the arbitration process. Here are ten relievers who can anticipate nice first-time arb salaries after turning in strong 2018 showings.

  • Matt Barnes, Red Sox: Though he doesn’t own an overly dominant ERA (3.39), Barnes has made the most of his 58 1/3 frames for purposes of arbitration-worthy counting stats. He has not only recorded an impressive (and quite surprising) 92 strikeouts, but has picked up 25 holds while serving in a set-up capacity for the league’s best regular season team.
  • Carl Edwards Jr., Cubs (possible Super Two): With 1.134 years of service, Edwards is in the grey area for S2 eligibility, but well within the plausible zone to make it. He’s also one of the best candidates on this list. Despite some trouble with consistency, and an unhealthy volume of walks, Edwards has racked up 21 holds and 64 strikeouts over 49 innings of 2.39 ERA pitching.
  • Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks: Bradley hasn’t followed up on his dominating 2017 season, but he was still leaned on by the Arizona ballclub in the late innings. He has accumulated 66 2/3 frames of 3.65 ERA ball while recording a league-leading 33 holds.
  • Taylor Rogers, Twins (likely Super Two): It has been a breakout campaign for Rogers, who is through 64 1/3 innings with a nice 2.80 ERA. Though he has only picked up a pair of saves, he has 16 holds and has retired 72 opposing batters on strikes.
  • Scott Oberg, Rockies: Through 54 frames this year, Oberg carries a sparkling 2.17 ERA. All that despite pitching much of the time at Coors Field. With solid tallies of 13 holds and 50 strikeouts also bolstering his case, it has been a strong year all things considered.
  • Chaz Roe, Rays: True, his 3.54 ERA in 48 1/3 innings doesn’t jump off the page. But Roe has picked up 27 holds, the seventh highest tally in baseball this year.
  • Ryan Tepera, Blue Jays: He’s now up to seven saves and 16 holds, so Tepera has some useful numbers to dangle before a panel if his case makes it to a hearing. Otherwise, he carries a pedestrian 3.84 ERA in 61 innings.
  • Mychal Givens, Orioles: True, he’s only carrying a 4.39 ERA. But Givens is likely to exceed seventy innings and has also accumulated 7 saves and 15 holds, so he’ll still be paid.
  • Heath Hembree, Red Sox: With a 4.15 ERA in 56 1/3 innings, Hembree doesn’t seem like much of a candidate. But he has recorded 73 strikeouts and is one of only 22 pitchers to have reached twenty holds, so he’ll likely be another beneficiary of some of the ballclub’s overall success.
  • Kyle Barraclough, Marlins: He has failed to capitalize on the opportunity to rack up a big number of saves, losing his closing job and sitting on 53 innings of 4.42 ERA ball. But the hard-throwing hurler has still reached double-digit saves (10) and picked up seven holds as well.
  • Honorable Mention: Edwin Diaz had 1.121 days of service entering the season, giving him a very outside chance at Super Two eligibility. That seems unlikely, but if he does qualify, his monster season will result in a handsome reward. Ryan Buchter of the A’s has a case with 15 holds and a 3.12 ERA, but the southpaw has only thrown 34 2/3 innings. Dodgers righty Erik Goeddell has a sub-3.00 ERA, but is also under forty frames and hasn’t worked the late innings. And though he has 11 saves, Phillies reliever Hector Neris carries an ugly 5.52 ERA in just 44 frames.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/19/18

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post …

  • The Brewers have announced a series of moves involving non-40-man players, as Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Righty Preston Gainey is back in the organization after inking a minors deal. An 11th-round pick in 2012, the 27-year-old Gainey is presently working back from Tommy John surgery but will perhaps be nearing readiness by the time camp rolls around. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee organization released two other right-handed hurlers. Cody Martin, not to be confused with the former MLB pitcher by the same name (as I originally did), was cut loose after missing all of the 2018 campaign due to injury. (Hat tip for the correction to Jim Goulart of Brewerfan.net.) Likewise, 22-year-old Daniel Missaki was cut loose amidst ongoing health problems.  McCalvy notes that Missaki — who came to the org as part of the 2015 Adam Lind swap — has yet to return to game action after undergoing a second Tommy John procedure in advance of the 2016 campaign.

Adam Jones Discusses Vetoed Trade, Free Agency

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It’s been widely reported that Adam Jones exercised his 10-and-5 rights to veto a trade that would’ve sent him from Baltimore to the Phillies shortly before the non-waiver trade deadline, and Jones publicly confirmed as much in an interview with Sara Perlman of MASNsports.com on Facebook Live today (video link). Asked about the decision to do so, Jones gave a thoughtful and elaborate response:

“It just wasn’t right for me. I was playing center field at the time, and they wanted me to go play right field and platoon. That was the situation there, and it’s understandable. That’s how their roster was constructed, and that’s National League ball — double-switch and all that kind of stuff. … It wasn’t the right move for me, especially going into free agency. I’m not going into free agency looking like I’m [Nolan] Arenado, [Manny] Machado or [Bryce] Harper — obviously not — but I want to continue to create and maintain my stock. Going there to platoon, obviously in a good environment, a winning environment, would’ve hurt me in the long run. If I was 36, 37, a little older and toward the end of it all, of course — that would’ve been a very ideal and smart move, because it’d make sense. … I wish the Phillies the best, because I believe they have a really good team.”

Jones went on to discuss his upcoming foray into free agency — the first time at any point in his career that he’ll hit the open market. While he stated at multiple times that his preference is to play center field, he ultimately acknowledged, “Whoever wants me to run around [in the outfield] for them, whether it’s center, right, left, I could care less. I just want to play.”

The defensive alignment may or may not prove to be a deciding factor for Jones, but it’ll be a definite factor in which clubs opt to pursue the 33-year-old and in the types of offers he receives. Defensive metrics have been harsh on Jones’ work in center field for the past few seasons, and his right-field work hasn’t generated favorable reviews, either (-7 Defensive Runs Saved, -2.6 Ultimate Zone Rating in 210 innings). Jones notes that changing positions midseason has been more difficult than having a full offseason and Spring Training to get used to the different angles and reads that come with the move, though, and voices confidence that he could adjust in 2019 and beyond if need be.

Asked about his priorities in free agency, Jones said he “for sure” wants to sign with a winning club that can provide the “opportunity to play for something special.” That would seem to take the rebuilding Orioles largely out of the picture, making it increasingly likely that the O’s will go with a youthful outfield mix into 2019. While they club could add a veteran bridge at some point, prospects like Cedric Mullins and DJ Stewart figure to have ample opportunity to win playing time for themselves next year.

As for Jones himself, he’ll head into free agency at a difficult time. While he was a star-caliber player from 2012-15, his 2018 season hasn’t approached those heights. He’s hitting .285/.316/.427 thus far, giving him a roughly league-average batting line while trying to adapt to a new outfield slot. There’s some reason for optimism that his offense can rebound, as his strikeout rate is a career-low 15.1 percent after tonight’s game, and his exit velocity in 2018 is actually considerably higher than it was in 2017 (86.6 mph vs. 88 mph). Similarly, Statcast credits Jones with a 2.5 percent increase in his hard-contact rate.

But Jones will also be older than many of his free-agent peers — he’ll turn 34 next August — and he’ll hit free agency at a time when corner bats have struggled to generate significant interest both in trades and in free agency. Corner outfielders with shakier defensive reputations simply haven’t commanded significant investments unless they come with elite bats, which isn’t the case for Jones. He’ll also be part of a crowded group of outfielders, with Bryce Harper, A.J. Pollock, Michael Brantley, Andrew McCutchen and Nick Markakis among the names hitting free agency.

On top of that, free agency in general was a brutal reality check for many players last season, as the market yielded very few contracts that would’ve aligned with historically-based expectations. Among the second tier of outfielders last winter, veterans like Jon Jay ($3MM) and Carlos Gonzalez ($5MM) each settled for fairly disappointing one-year deals, though Jay Bruce still managed to get a contract that generally aligned with expectations (three years, $39MM). The very fact that multiple clubs tried to trade for Jones this past July is indicative that he’ll surely generate interest — but it probably won’t be at the price point most would’ve expected a few years ago.

Rhys Hoskins Hires Scott Boras

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Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins has enlisted agent Scott Boras to represent him moving forward, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter).

It’s a high-profile addition for the Boras Corporation, as Hoskins has quickly emerged as one of the game’s top home run hitters since debuting last August. Through 817 career plate appearances, Hoskins is a .253/.368/.529 hitter with 49 home runs and 41 doubles already under his belt.

The Phils have been playing Hoskins in left field this season following the signing of Carlos Santana to a three-year contract this offseason, though defensive ratings have been unkind, to say the least. Defensive Runs Saved pegs Hoskins at a whopping -25, while Ultimate Zone Rating (-11.5) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average (-18) are similarly bearish on the former first baseman’s glovework at his new position.

Hoskins won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2020 season, and he won’t reach free agency until the completion of the 2023 campaign. The move to the Boras Corporation is of particular note for Phils fans, though, given the rarity of multi-year extensions for Boras clients prior to reaching free agency. While there are some notable exceptions (Jered Weaver, Carlos Gonzalez, and Carlos Gomez among them), Boras clients typically don’t sign away free-agent seasons in advance.

MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on upwards of 3,000 Major League and Minor League players, has been updated to reflect Hoskins’ switch. If you see any errors or omissions within the database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Angels Select Contract Of Sherman Johnson

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The Angels announced that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Sherman Johnson and transferred right-hander Nick Tropeano to the 60-day DL in order to clear a roster spot. The Halos also activated left-hander Tyler Skaggs from the disabled list.

Johnson, 28, will be making his big league debut the first time he takes the field. A 14th-round pick back in 2012, he’s spent his entire career in the Angels’ minor league ranks to this point. Johnson hit poorly in 20 games of Double-A duty this season but was quite productive in 46 games of Triple-A work, hitting at a .277/.359/.459 clip with four homers, seven doubles and four triples in 171 trips to the plate. He’s a career .251/.363/.389 hitter in parts of seven minor league campaigns and has walked nearly as often as he’s struck out to this point of his career (14.3 percent walk rate, 18.1 percent strikeout rate).

Johnson’s promotion is likely in part due to hamstring strain for 24-year-old David Fletcher — an injury that could prove to be a season-ender for the promising young infielder. Johnson can fill in virtually anywhere on the diamond, as he’s appeared at every position except catcher and center field this season (including three innings on the mound in Triple-A).

Trevor Story Cleared Of Structural Damage In Elbow

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7:10pm: Despite that ominous report from Rosenthal, manager Bud Black tells reporters that Story’s MRI did not show any structural damage, and his ulnar collateral ligament is intact (Twitter link via Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller). In fact, Black adds that he hopes to have Story back in the lineup in “a few days.”

1:59pm: There’s nothing official yet, and perhaps the details are still unknown even to team and player, but the initial indication is not terribly promising. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, via Twitter, Story is “facing potential UCL damage in [his] right elbow.”

In the worst case, of course, a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament can require Tommy John surgery, though there’s no indication to this point whether that will even be considered. Story’s outlook will be better than that of a pitcher, regardless of the final diagnosis, but even a strain could require enough rest to knock him out for the rest of the season and most, if not all, of the postseason.

8:16am: The Rockies are awaiting further word on shortstop Trevor Story, who exited last night’s contest with what the team described as elbow soreness. Story is slated to undergo further examination and testing today, as Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports (Twitter links).

It’s a worrying situation for a Colorado club that went on to drop the first of a critical three-game set to the Dodgers, thereby surrendering the top spot in the NL West. Even a brief absence from Story could be of great significance; as Dan Symborski of Fangraphs observed on Twitter, the outcome of this series has a massive impact on the probabilities of which team will win the division.

Story, 25, has turned in an outstanding season after a sophomore slump in 2017. Through 623 plate appearances, he’s carrying a .288/.343/.550 slash with 33 home runs. He still strikes out a lot and doesn’t draw many walks, but Story has pared back on the swing-and-miss (26.2% K rate; 11.5% swinging strike rate) as against his prior seasons, even while increasing his swing and chase rates.

While his glovework hasn’t graded as brilliantly this year as last, Story also combines with third bagger Nolan Arenado to form a gifted defensive pairing. Story is even expanding his repertoire a bit this year, swiping 26 bags after not reaching double-digits in either of his first two MLB campaigns.

In sum, the Rockies don’t have much hope of replacing Story’s productivity for any stretch he ends up missing. At this stage of the season, there’s little to do but call upon the next man up and hope for the best. Of course, Story has played almost every inning at short this season, so it’s not entirely clear how the club will fill in. Ian Desmond spent much of his career there and has shifted to short twice already this season. Otherwise, Pat Valaika and Garrett Hampson are the only active players who’ve appeared at the position in 2018.

Clearly, then, a swift return would be most welcome. Story says he experienced pain while throwing and swinging after diving for a ball early in the game, which sounds a bit ominous. But Black suggests there’s at least some cause for optimism after the initial look from the team’s training staff. Of course, he also acknowledged “some apprehension” while waiting for imaging results — an understandable position with so much at stake.

Cubs Shut Down Brandon Morrow

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The Cubs have shut down Brandon Morrow for the remainder of the 2018 season, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced to reporters Tuesday (Twitter link via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune). Morrow has been out since mid July due to a biceps injury.

Signed to a two-year, $21MM contract on the heels of a resurgent 2017 campaign, Morrow was nothing short of excellent for the Cubs when healthy enough to take the field. In 30 2/3 innings, he racked up 22 saves and posted a 1.47 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.59 HR/9 and a career-best 51.9 percent ground-ball rate.

With Morrow out, right-hander Pedro Strop has gotten the majority of the Cubs’ save opportunities, although Strop himself has recently been hobbled by a hamstring injury and isn’t expected to return until the postseason. Right-handers Steve Cishek and Jesse Chavez have each found their way into save opportunities late in the year, and it seems likely that manager Joe Maddon will go with a matchup-based committee approach down the stretch.

Gonzales tweeted earlier in the day that right-hander Allen Webster could be a candidate to come up to the Majors if Morrow is unable to return. The top prospect-turned-journeyman hasn’t been in the Majors since 2015 but has been excellent since debuting for the organization this summer — albeit in a small sample of work. Through 17 innings, he’s pitched to a 2.65 ERA with an outstanding 24-to-3 K/BB ratio, one homer allowed and a ground-ball rate near 60 percent.

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