2018 Amateur Draft Signings: 6/21/18
We’ll use this post to cover the day’s notable draft deals. The rankings referenced come courtesy of Fangraphs, MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law; Fangraphs and MLB.com scouting reports are available to the public free of charge, while the others require subscriptions.
- The Red Sox announced a variety of signings, including that of second-rounder Nick Decker. A New Jersey high-school outfielder who was slated to attend the University of Maryland, Decker will instead take home a $1.25MM bonus to join the Boston organization, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). That payday lands just north of the $1,010,500 allocation for the 64th overall pick. Decker drew a variety of grades entering the draft, with Fangraphs placing him just on the cusp of its top fifty. While the jury is out on Decker’s pure hitting ability, scouts love his present-day physical ability and big power at the plate.
Anthopoulos On Braves’ Deadline Approach
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos had an interesting chat with David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an appearance on the latter’s Truth, Lies & Sacrifice Flies Podcast. It’s essential listening for Braves fans, but we’ll highlight a few notes of broader consequence here.
On the subject of the upcoming trade deadline, Anthopoulos emphasized that the team is focused less on salary — though that’s certainly still a factor — than on carefully managing its “prospect capital.” As he explained it, particularly with amateur penalties slowing the farm intake and an ongoing need for affordable MLB depth, the front office will be calculated in dispensing with its young talent in trades.
“There hasn’t been a baseball opportunity that money has stopped us from doing it,” Anthopoulos said. While that statement was made generally, it seems to have particular importance in reference to the division-rival Nationals’ recent acquisition of late-inning reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Royals.
While he did not really discuss the matter directly, Anthopoulos suggested that the organization knew what it would have taken to land Herrera. Obviously, the Braves decided not to pay it. With over a month left until the deadline and limited flexibility to make additions, it seems the Atlanta brain trust decided to save its chips.
That certainly seems to be a sensible approach for an organization in the Braves’ position. Beyond the ever-present potential for injuries, a team with so many inexperienced performers arguably faces greater uncertainty from the core of its roster. With only so much willingness to part with long-term assets for short-term gains, it stands to reason that the Braves (like most teams) want to gather as much information as possible before making any significant moves.
That’s not to say that there’s any indication that the Braves won’t seek to capitalize on their excellent start to the current season. Anthopoulos says he has reminded himself not to “lose sight of … what’s happening before your eyes” when weighing moves, noting that the team has already shifted its thinking to put the focus on winning games now.
Anthopoulos also emphasized multiple times that he believes the financial assets will be there when they are called for. As he put it: “I believe we will have those dollars available when we think there’s a really impactful move to make.”
There’s plenty more to unpack from this interview, so you’ll want to listen for yourself. Anthopoulos discussed his approach to his first offseason with the Braves as well as the performances of Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis. He also gave notable thoughts on the team’s still-uncertain future plans at third base, acknowledging some incoming skepticism about Johan Camargo (as well as newfound cause for optimism) and assessing the status of hot corner prospect Austin Riley.
Nexen Heroes Sign Eric Hacker, Release Esmil Rogers
Korea’s Nexen Heroes have announced that they signed right-hander Eric Hacker, as Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News reports (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, on Twitter). Hacker receives a $300K contract.
The move was made after righty Esmil Rogers went down with a broken finger. By releasing him, the club opened another spot for a foreign player. The Korea Baseball Organization allows its member teams to carry three apiece.
Hacker, 35, saw action in parts of three MLB seasons before plying his trade on the other side of the Pacific. He hasn’t looked back since, turning in a strong, five-year run with the NC Dinos.
In 586 2/3 innings over more than a hundred starts, Hacker has worked to a 3.52 ERA in the notoriously hitter-friendly KBO. Last year, he tossed 160 1/3 innings of 3.42 ERA ball, but he had not been pitching competitively thus far in 2018.
As for Rogers, he enjoyed a more significant major-league career in advance of his own move to Korea. But he never found consistent success in seven seasons in the bigs, posting a lifetime 5.59 earned run average.
Rogers previously worked in the KBO in 2016 but returned to North America least year. He threw well in seven late-season Triple-A starts in the Nationals organization, paving the way for a contract with Nexen. Through 13 starts this year, Roges had thrown 83 frames of 3.80 ERA ball with 65 strikeouts and 16 walks.
If you’re interested in catching up on any of the other familiar names currently playing in Korea, take a look at this handy page from MyKBOstats.com.
Jay Bruce Diagnosed With Hip Strain
Though the Mets tried to avoid it, they finally were forced to place outfielder Jay Bruce on the 10-day DL. It turns out that he was dealing with more than just soreness; Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to tweet that imaging revealed a strain in Bruce’s right hip.
Skipper Mickey Callaway did not reveal much about the severity of the injury, though he said “there’s definitely something there.” It seems reasonable to anticipate that the Mets will now give Bruce whatever time he needs for things to clear up.
Notably, the veteran outfielder has not just been feeling pain in his hip. In fact, he has dealt with an ongoing bout of plantar fasciitis and also has had some lower back issues of late, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com recently tweeted.
Bruce, 31, is among the players whose early performances have been less than encouraging for New York. Through 236 plate appearances, he carries a meager .212/.292/.321 batting line.
At this stage of the season, given how things have gone for the Mets, the injury itself is probably less concerning than Bruce’s overall struggles. Perhaps the multiple maladies have contributed to his woes at the plate, though, in which case this respite may offer a much-needed reset.
Bruce’s three-year, $39MM contract has only just begun, so he never seemed to be a likely mid-season trade candidate. If he can turn things around in the second half, though, it’ll certainly improve the team’s future roster flexibility. In the meantime, Bruce’s absence will also allow the Mets to give some extra opportunities to youngster Dominic Smith, who’s hoping to show more in his second attempt at the majors.
Dombrowski On Red Sox’ Deadline Plans
As the summer trade period begins to take shape, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his team’s plans with Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. The full interview is essential reading for Boston fans, but we’ll discuss a few key elements here.
One major topic was the team’s potential need for infield help. There have been a variety of suggestions from outside the organization, mostly focused on the struggles of third baseman Rafael Devers and the injury issues clouding the picture at second base.
Regarding the hot corner, Dombrowski says that the organization is “not looking for a third baseman.” To the contrary, he indicated, the Sox are more than content with their existing situation. “We love him,” Dombrowski said of Devers, a still-youthful player who struggled out of the gates this year but has shown more pop thus far in the month of June.
Still, Devers has come up in a variety of outlets as a speculative trade piece. Of course, there’s no indication from any reports that he has specifically been discussed in any talks to this point. And it’s even less clear that the Sox would be willing to consider dealing him. Certainly, Dombrowski indicated that’s unlikely.
Perhaps the likelier route, if the Boston organization does seek to improve in the infield, is to look for a quality veteran that can contribute at second or third — much as the team did last year. While the hope was to avoid that necessity this time around, Eduardo Nunez has not performed and Dustin Pedroia‘s health is an ongoing question mark. It’s only fair to note, though, that Brock Holt has been hitting as well as ever.
For now, Dombrowski indicated, the team is planning to wait and see how things shake out with Pedroia. There’s still no clear expectation for when he’ll be ready to return, but certainly the Sox will want to give him every chance to do so before settling on an approach. Likewise, Dombrowski notes that there are a few potential “internal fixes” to any pitching needs currently residing on the DL.
The general viewpoint that Dombrowski expressed was one in which there’s still quite a lot to take in and assess. That’s a reflexive position to take for a MLB executive, perhaps, though it’s also a valid one in this case. As he notes, the club is playing quite well, and its problem areas may look somewhat different in five weeks than they do today.
All that being said, there’s a fascinating dynamic lurking in the background, as Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston writes. Contending teams are always looking to get better at the deadline, but the current AL East alignment could portend a veritable arms race between the Sox and rival Yankees. Taking the division is not only a prize in and of itself, but represents a major advantage in the postseason due to the Wild Card play-in format.
So, can the Boston organization keep pace with their familiar foes from New York, not only in the standings but in the deadline acquisition game? That remains to be seen, but Dombrowski says there’s little reason to fear that his club’s relatively under-stocked farm system will prove a hindrance to mid-season trades. While he tells Mastrodonato that he’s not yet committed to making “big additions,” Dombrowski adds that he has “no question that if we want to make a move, we have the type of players that can help us do that.”
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Hand, Iglesias, Machado, Realmuto
Click here to view the transcript for MLBTR Chat With Jason Martinez: June 20, 2018
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/20/18
We’ll use this post to track the latest minor moves …
- The Angels announced yesterday that righty Oliver Drake was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. Drake received multiple opportunities this year, seeing action with three clubs, but ended up being designated for assignment by each of them when he simply could not produce results to match his generally promising peripheral numbers. All said, in 19 2/3 innings to open the 2018 campaign, he has allowed 18 earned runs on 29 hits while recording 23 strikeouts and ten walks. Certainly, Drake has been unlucky to carry a 59.1% strand rate and surrender a .450 batting average on balls in play on only a 32.3% hard contact rate. But it’s a bottom-line business at the end of the day, and he will now have to await another opportunity in the upper minors.
Brian Anderson, Brandon Nimmo Hire CAA Sports
A pair of increasingly promising young NL East players have hired CAA Sports to represent them. Marlins third baseman/corner outfielder Brian Anderson and Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo are each now repped by CAA, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).
Anderson, 25, has made the most of his opportunities in Miami. Indeed, he has been a breakout performer thus far for the Fish, turning in 316 plate appearances of .294/.373/.423 hitting on the season.
Though Anderson has never shown a ton of power — he has four this year and has never hit more than 22 in a full professional season — he’s succeeding thus far with a lofty batting average and solid walk rate. The same general profile worked for his predecessor, Martin Prado, who similarly showed the ability to play multiple positions at the game’s highest level.
All things considered, it looks like the Fish have found a solid piece who’ll help them for years. Anderson has carried a hefty .363 batting average on balls in play this year, but Statcast actually thinks he has been a bit unlucky overall based upon his quality of contact (.347 wOBA vs. .368 xwOBA).
It’s conceivable that the Marlins could come calling at some point about a long-term contract arrangement, though perhaps there isn’t a ton of upside for the club with a player who may not possess an immense ceiling (in terms of productivity and arbitration earning power). Since this is Anderson’s first full season in the majors, his reps likely won’t be negotiating any playing contracts for some time. He won’t qualify for arbitration until 2021 and free agency three years after that.
The situation isn’t all that different for Nimmo, though his breakout has been all the more compelling. He had already shown well last year in his second partial season in the bigs, but has been off to a torrid start in 2018. Over 215 plate appearances this year, he boasts a .287/.409/.596 batting line with a dozen home runs and seven steals.
That output dwarfs the typical counting numbers that Nimmo produced over his time in the minors, when he was noted more for his ability to get on base than to produce power and swipe bags. He’s still walking at a 12.6% clip this season, too, so the OBP figures to remain a big part of his value even if he cools a bit. Statcast does see some good fortune in Nimmo’s recent past, as he owns a .423 wOBA but only a .382 xwOBA.
Due to his prior service time, Nimmo is in a different service class than Anderson. Nimmo came into the year with 1.042 years on his ticker, so he won’t be a Super Two but is on track to reach arbitration (2020) and free agency (2023) one season before Anderson can.
These agency relationships are now reflected in MLBTR’s agency database. A tip of the cap to Robert Murray of Fan Rag for noting on Twitter that both players had moved to CAA, as we had overlooked Sherman’s report yesterday.
Trade Chatter: Machado, Tepera, Braves, Padres
The Diamondbacks have once again checked in with the Orioles on Manny Machado, primarily as a matter of due diligence, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com. There’s little surprise there, given that the Snakes were oft-linked to Machado in the offseason and were reportedly one of the more interested parties in obtaining his services. Beyond that, Arizona has received limited offensive contributions from both the third base (.216/.313/.394) and shortstop (.232/.296/.442) positions so far in 2018. The D-backs are currently hanging onto a 1.5 game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West, and adding someone of Machado’s caliber would be reminiscent of last season’s J.D. Martinez acquisition, though Machado has more defensive value even with poor ratings at shortstop so far in 2018.
More trade talk from around the league…
- Morosi also tweets that Blue Jays righty Ryan Tepera is generating trade interest. It stands to reason that virtually every player of even modest value on Toronto’s roster will draw inquiries, of course, considering that the team is 16 games out of first place in the AL East and is facing a similarly bleak outlook in the Wild Card standings. Morosi notes Tepera’s career-best K/9 rate in 2018, though in this instance, that hardly seems like a reason to expect his value to increase; Tepera’s 9.5 K/9 mark is only nominally higher than last year’s 9.4 K/9, and his overall 26.8 strikeout percentage compares favorably to last year’s 25.4 percent mark. Tepera has made modest gains across the board in terms of fastball velocity (95.3 mph), swinging-strike rate (13.9 percent) and chase rate (34.2 percent), but his greater appeal is simply one of club control. He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and controlled cheaply through the 2021 season. Tepera will turn 31 this winter, which won’t enhance his appeal, but he’s a hard-thrower with a 3.27 ERA and 137 strikeouts against 51 walks in his past 132 MLB innings.
- The Braves didn’t make a strong effort to acquire Kelvin Herrera before he was traded to the division-rival Nationals, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While the Atlanta front office liked Herrera’s arm very much, O’Brien notes that assuming his remaining $4.4MM salary (which the Nats were willing to do) would’ve burned through the majority of the funds the team has available to upgrade via trade this summer. That would seem to suggest that the Braves may struggle to land any big-budget players as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. Certainly, given the team’s place atop the NL East standings, they’ll look to improve to whatever extent possible, but it appears that finances will be a fairly notable factor in any moves the team does make.
- There’s a widespread expectation that the Padres will sell some pieces this summer, but Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription link) takes a deeper look at a factor that could push the Friars into activity: the Rule 5 Draft. San Diego has more than a dozen prospects who’ll be Rule 5 eligible this offseason, Lin observes, which could create further motivation to open some spots on the 40-man by moving assets that are controlled beyond the 2018 season. Brad Hand, Kirby Yates and Craig Stammen all fit that bill and have all already drawn trade interest, Lin writes, and the Padres could also shop outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Travis Jankowski to other clubs as well. Lin speaks with general manager A.J. Preller at length about the upcoming roster crunch in a thorough look at some of the decisions the club will face in the not-too-distant future.
Franchy Cordero Considering Elbow Surgery
Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero has been diagnosed with a bone spur in his right elbow following an MRI, tweets AJ Cassavell of MLB.com Cordero is currently mulling whether to attempt a rest/rehab route or to undergo surgery that would keep him out for a substantial period of time. Dennis Lin of The Athletic pegs the rehab timeline for Cordero at 12 weeks, which would cover the vast majority of the remaining season (Twitter link).
Cordero originally landed on the disabled list in late May due to a strained right forearm, but his rehab assignment was recently shut down after he felt some discomfort in his elbow while swinging a bat during a minor league plate appearance.
[Related: San Diego Padres depth chart]
The 23-year-old Cordero is hitting .237/.307/.439 with seven homers in 154 plate appearances so far in 2018. He’s one of several intriguing but still-unproven outfield options on the Padres’ roster, joining Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes in that regard. San Diego also has Wil Myers locked into a corner outfield spot following the offseason signing of Eric Hosmer, while fleet-footed Travis Jankowski provides an older but more defensively sound option than the other outfielders on the roster (with the exception of Margot).
Considering the fact that the surgical route has the potential to put Cordero out for the remainder of the season, there’s little harm in waiting to see if rest will make the injury tolerable enough to play through until the offseason. After all, given the team’s uncertain mix of outfielders, the final months of the season could represent a proving grounds for Cordero, who possesses exceptional power but has, to this point in his career, been far too strikeout prone. If, even after a substantial period of rest, the discomfort in Cordero’s elbow proves to be too much, delaying the surgery wouldn’t figure to have any impact on his readiness for the 2019 campaign.