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MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Benintendi, Paxton, Pujols, Realmuto, Syndergaard

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(July 12th-July 13th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Billy Beane Says He Sees Athletics As Buyers

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It sounds as if the Athletics won’t shy away from improving their roster despite facing a challenging path to the postseason. President of baseball operations Billy Beane indicated he’s “preparing” to act as a buyer this summer in an interesting chat with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic (subscription link).

Clearly, the A’s front office will be realistic both about the odds of the postseason and the need to keep an eye on the future. As Beane says, the club will “have to be calculating and not go scorched earth” at the deadline, particularly given that it is still facing a big gap in the Wild Card race and a very tall order to challenge in the division.

That said, Beane made clear that he sees a chance to make this a season to remember. “The idea that we can sort of push off an opportunity because we think we’ll be better next year is just a bad approach from our standpoint,” he said. “We’ve got to do everything we can.”

While there are no promises that any additions will be made, and there are still a few weeks until the deadline, it’s clear there’s a sense of optimism in Oakland. The A’s entered play today twelve games over .500, after all, even while cobbling together a rotation that is missing many of its most promising young arms due to injury.

Unsurprisingly, Beane suggested the starting staff is the primary area he’ll target at the deadline. That certainly seems to be the clearest area for improvement on the roster, though it’ll at least be interesting to see just how bold the organization ends up being — and whether moves in other areas are at least contemplated.

Angels To Sign Junichi Tazawa

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The Angels have agreed to a minor-league deal with reliever Junichi Tazawa, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He’s set to work out at extended spring camp rather than immediately joining an affiliate.

Perhaps the Halos have some ideas for getting Tazawa back on track. He was once quite a useful reliever, though it has been a while since that could be said.

The 32-year-old limped through a stint with the Marlins, compiling 75 1/3 innings of 6.57 ERA ball before he was cut loose earlier this year. He ended up joining the Tigers on a minors pact but only made seven appearances at Triple-A before he was again released.

Latest On Scooter Gennett

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Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett made clear today that he does not anticipate being traded, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Rather, the first-time All-Star says he has been given indication that the team would prefer to make him a part of the long-term picture.

Indeed, Gennett’s comments seemingly suggest that there’s even some contemplation of a long-term arrangement. Sheldon writes that “no serious talks” have taken place to this point, but that “a line of communication has been opened.” Perhaps it’s possible that mid-season talks will be pursued in some earnest, but that’s not particularly clear at this time.

What is apparent is that Gennett believes he won’t be putting on a new uniform in the next few weeks. As he puts it:

“Just from the talks that I’ve had with the guys in control of all those things, I feel like they want me here. I feel like, just from what I’ve been told, they want me here for the long term. What I’m getting is [CEO Bob Castellini] wants me here for a while.”

That dovetails with what Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports hears — namely, that some “sources familiar with Reds [sic] are dubious that the team has any intent of dealing him.” The note regarding Castellini is particularly interesting, as his preferences are of obviously critical importance and have evidently come to bear directly in the recent past. Though GM Nick Krall certainly did not give anything away in his comments to Sheldon, he did emphasize how much the team values Gennett.

Gennett, of course, has thrived since landing in Cincinnati via waiver claim before the 2017 season. There was cause to doubt the sustainability of his output last year, but he has only boosted it thus far. Through 374 plate appearances this year, Gennett carries an outstanding .326/.372/.518 batting line with 15 home runs.

That being said, there’s still reason to believe some regression could be in store, as his .371 batting average on balls in play doesn’t seem sustainable. In particular, it’s tough to imagine Gennett will keep up his current pace against left-handed pitching while carrying only a 3.7% walk rate to go with a healthy .389 BABIP.

No matter precisely how one views the 28-year-old, there’s no question that he’s a valuable asset. For the Reds, both evident possibilities — trade or hold and try to extend — are surely tantalizing. Despite an injury-riddled year, infield prospect Nick Senzel still seems to be a key long-term asset, providing added impetus to the idea of making a move. Cashing in Gennett might help other areas — notably, a pitching staff that’s still in need of long-term pieces despite some promising signs of late. At the same time, a long-term deal with the Cincinnati native would no doubt prove popular with fans. With the team expressing growing confidence in its core group of talent and preparing to increase its MLB spending, perhaps Gennett will be worth more to this organization than any other.

Angels Place Albert Pujols On 10-Day DL

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The Angels announced today that first baseman/DH Albert Pujols will head to the 10-day disabled list with left knee inflammation. Outfielder Michael Hermosillo was sent out on optional assignment, with infielder Jose Fernandez and outfielder Jabari Blash coming up to the MLB roster.

Odds are that Pujols is just getting a little extra rest. Unless and until there’s any indication to the contrary, it seems fair to assume that the team is simply taking advantage of having an away series against a National League opponent followed by the All-Star break.

Certainly, there were no evident ill effects last night, when Pujols drove two balls out of the yard. He has been more useful with the bat this year than last, with a .251/.291/.432 slash line in 368 plate appearances, but the once-great hitter is still not showing signs of delivering anything approaching production commensurate with his massive contract.

Giants To Sign Peter Bourjos

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The Giants have agreed to a minors deal with outfielder Peter Bourjos, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). He’ll head to the team’s top affiliate.

Bourjos, 31, has been on and off the Braves’ MLB roster this year. He hasn’t hit much at all in limited opportunities. Neither has he done much more in recent campaigns. Since the start of 2014, Bourjos carries a .229/.286/.366 slash through 1,152 trips to the plate at the game’s highest level.

That said, the numbers have been much better this year at Triple-A, where Bourjos is a .277/.352/.511 hitter in 105 plate appearances. And the nine-year MLB veteran is much better known for his defense and baserunning. For the Giants, he’ll represent an insurance policy in center field.

Athletics Select Contract Of Jeremy Bleich

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The Athletics have selected the contract of lefty Jeremy Bleich, per a club announcement. To open a 40-man spot, the club shifted Andrew Triggs to the 60-day DL.

This move is ten years in the making for Bleich, a 2008 sandwich round pick who has never yet seen the majors. Persistence paid off for the Stanford product, who was selected by the Yankees and has also spent time in the Pirates, Phillies, and Dodgers organizations.

Now 31 years of age, the southpaw has turned in a solid showing this year at Triple-A. Through 39 innings in 27 outings, he owns a 3.00 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. While he has been tagged by right-handed hitters, Bleich has held opposing southpaws to a .200/.224/.291 slash.

Orioles Sign Sean Gilmartin

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The Orioles have signed lefty Sean Gilmartin, David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot reports on Twitter. He is joining the club’s top affiliate tonight.

Gilmartin last saw the majors early last year with the Mets, struggling in two outings after a rough 2016 effort. Of course, Gilmartin had a strong rookie campaign in 2015, when he threw 57 1/3 innings of 2.67 ERA ball as a Rule 5 pick.

After landing with the Cardinals, Gilmartin lost his 40-man spot. He had spent the current season at Triple-A Memphis before recently being released. In 46 1/3 innings over 24 outings, including six starts, he worked to a 4.66 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

Indians Designate Ryan Merritt

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The Indians have designated lefty Ryan Merritt for assignment, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports on Twitter. He had been on the 60-day disabled list owing to knee and arm issues.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona explained that, while Merritt is back at full health, he’s showing diminished velocity. The club evidently decided against activating the out-of-options hurler.

Merritt, 26, has only allowed six earned runs in 31 2/3 career MLB innings and gave the Indians a sparkling ALCS outing in 2016. Despite exhibiting impeccable control, though, Merritt only has managed 3.7 K/9 in the majors.

On a rehab assignment this year, Merritt took the ball for 26 innings over six starts at Triple-A. While he recorded a 20:1 K/BB ratio, he also coughed up 42 hits and six long balls en route to a 5.88 ERA.

Blue Jays Place Marco Estrada On 10-Day DL

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The Blue Jays announced today that righty Marco Estrada has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by outfielder Dwight Smith Jr.

Estrada is dealing with a glute strain that drove him from his most recent outing, on July 3rd. The club had held off on a DL placement, but has now made the move. Estrada’s placement is backdated as far as permissible, to July 10th, and the impact of the absence will be limited owing to the All-Star break.

There’s no real indication at this point that Estrada will be out for a lengthy stretch. But the news could impact his potential trade candidacy. If Estrada is able to return after the minimum required absence, though, it’s still possible he could make two or even three starts before the trade deadline.

Of course, as trade candidates go, the veteran righty likely isn’t a top priority for contenders. He’s carrying only a 4.72 ERA on the year, though as we recently examined, there are some reasons to believe that there will be some interest. Of course, his $13MM salary also makes him an obvious candidate to be dealt in the month of August, as he’d almost certainly clear waivers.

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