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Brandon Nimmo

Mets Sign Brad Brach

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The Mets have signed right-hander Brad Brach, as per the team’s Twitter feed.  Brandon Nimmo was shifted to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot, while left-hander Donnie Hart was optioned to Triple-A to create space on New York’s active roster.

After being released earlier this week by the Cubs, the Mets are hopeful that a change of scenery can turn around what has been easily the roughest full season of Brach’s career.  The righty has a 6.13 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 1.61 K/BB rate over 39 2/3 innings this season, with an ungainly 6.4 BB/9 and a career-high 37.4% hard-hit ball rate standing out as the biggest issues.  That said, Brach was perhaps a touch unlucky to post that big ERA, as his .375 BABIP and ERA predictors (4.13 FIP, 4.88 xFIP, 4.93 SIERA) could hint.

It’s worth noting that Brach also didn’t pitch well last season with the Orioles before a midseason trade to the Braves got him back on track, as Brach had a 1.52 ERA over 23 2/3 frames for Atlanta.  Overall, Brach has spent much of the decade as a solid-to-excellent relief arm for the Padres, Orioles, and Braves, posting a 3.05 ERA, 2.43 K/BB rate, and 9.4 K/9 over 449 innings from 2012-18.

Anything close to that performance would be a big help to a New York bullpen that has largely struggled this season, apart from a superlative year from Seth Lugo and some good work from southpaw Justin Wilson over his 21 innings with the club.  Edwin Diaz is ostensibly still the closer, though Lugo could potentially get more save opportunities down the stretch, so Brach could possibly step right into a setup role.

The Mets will only be paying Brach a prorated minimum salary for the remainder of the season, as the Cubs are covering the rest of the salary owed to Brach under the terms of his rather bonus-heavy one-year contract.  The deal also contains a dual option for 2020 — the Mets can either pay Brach $5MM or buy him out for $100K.  If the latter option occurs, Brach can enact a player option worth $1.35MM.

Though Brodie Van Wagenen has only been the Mets’ general manager for less than a year, the club had interest in Brach prior to the 2018 season, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.  A Brach-for-Matt Harvey deal was discussed between the Mets and Orioles, which creates an interesting what-if scenario for fans.

NL Injury Notes: Phillies, Mets, Dodgers

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When we last checked in on Phillies reliever David Robertson four weeks ago, he was hoping to return from a right flexor strain by the end of this month. That isn’t going to happen, though. While Robertson is advancing in his recovery, he’s not “progressing as fast as we all had hoped he would,” manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday (via Matt Gelb of The Athletic). This continues a Murphy’s Law season for Robertson, whose impressive production and durability helped him secure a a two-year, $23MM with the Phillies in free agency last winter. The 34-year-old hasn’t pitched since April 14, though, and in the seven appearances he logged toward the beginning of the season, Robertson gave up four earned runs on eight hits and six walks (with six strikeouts) in 6 2/3 innings. His lack of availability is among the reasons the Phillies could decide to add to their bullpen by Wednesday’s trade deadline.

  • The Mets have placed first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith on the injured list with a stress reaction in his left foot, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. It’s unclear how much time Smith will miss, but for now, outfielder Aaron Altherr is up from Triple-A Syracuse to take his place. In what has been an unpleasant season for the Mets, Smith has been a legitimate bright spot. After a couple seasons of subpar major league production, the former high-end prospect has slashed .278/.352/.506 with 10 home runs in 196 plate appearances this year.
  • In further unfortunate news for the Mets, injured outfielder Brandon Nimmo is “still a ways away from game action,” manager Mickey Callaway revealed Saturday (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Nimmo shouldn’t return for “at least several weeks,” DiComo writes. The 26-year-old hasn’t played in over two months because of a bulging disc in his neck. Before that, Nimmo struggled to follow up on what looked like a breakout 2018 showing. He hit .200/.344/.323 with three HRs in 161 PA prior to landing on the shelf.
  • The Dodgers are set to place utilityman Enrique Hernandez on the IL with a left hand issue, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. It hasn’t been a great year at the plate for Hernandez, who has hit .238/.309/.433 in 356 trips, but he has slugged 16 home runs on the season and been on a tear of late. Hernandez slashed .352/.417/.574 this month. His absence should primarily leave second base to Max Muncy.
  • Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff will begin a rehab assignment during the upcoming week, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Biceps tendinitis has kept Eickhoff out of action since June 16. He slumped to a 5.71 ERA/6.51 FIP over 58 1/3 innings as a starter and reliever before his IL stint.

Mets Notes: Trades, Nimmo, O’Rourke

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The latest on the Mets….

  • The Mets entered the day with a 44-51 record, they’re still only five games out of a wild card spot in the congested National League.  With this in mind, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman suggests that if the team isn’t going to really blow things up by dealing Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom, they might as well hang onto other veteran trade chips like Zack Wheeler, Todd Frazier, and Jason Vargas (none of whom are likely to generate much in the way of a return at the deadline, with Wheeler’s value in question due to injury) to try and contend down the stretch.  With so much parity in the NL, “why not just play this out, rather than performing a fan-angering salary dump for minimal prospect return?” Sherman asks.
  • Brandon Nimmo is able to resume some baseball activities after the Mets shut him down last month, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).  While Nimmo probably won’t start a rehab assignment “until August at the earliest,” it’s still a positive step forward given that Nimmo has been suffering from a bulging cervical disc in his neck.  It would seem like there’s at least some chance Nimmo gets back onto the field this season, though the Mets will obviously be careful with the outfielder given the delicate nature of the injury.
  • Ryan O’Rourke was designated for assignment by the Mets in late June, and learned about the move in unfortunate fashion, Syracuse.com’s Lindsay Kramer writes.  O’Rourke wasn’t told about the transaction by a coach or staff member, but rather via Twitter after a teammate showed him the news prior to a game.  The left-hander ended up remaining in the organization at Triple-A Syracuse after being outrighted off the 40-man roster in late June, though O’Rourke took advantage of his brief hiatus in a unique manner.  He ended up playing for Team Ireland in the qualifying rounds of the 2019 European Baseball Championship, appearing in two games for his grandfather’s home country.   “I was so happy. It was one of the better experiences in baseball of my entire life….I’m not representing myself, I’m representing my parents, my grandparents. I’m representing a country. I’ve never represented a country before when I played so it was really cool,” O’Rourke said.

Mets Shut Down Brandon Nimmo

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The Mets have shut down injured outfielder Brandon Nimmo from baseball activities for the next month, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. Nimmo has been on the injured list since May 21 with a bulging disc in his neck.

Nimmo received his second epidural Tuesday since going on the IL, per DiComo. At this point, the Mets aren’t considering surgery for the 26-year-old, according to manager Mickey Callaway. Nevertheless, the fact that Nimmo will miss significantly more time than he already has is unwelcome news for the Mets, who – at 34-38 – haven’t had much go their way this season.

Nimmo, whom the Mets chose 13th overall in 2011, was one of the majors’ prominent breakout players in 2018. He slashed .263/.404/.483 (149 wRC+) with 17 home runs and 4.5 fWAR across 535 plate appearances. Nimmo wasn’t nearly as effective this year before going on the IL, evidenced by a .200/.344/.323 line (89 wRC+), though that was only a 161-PA sample size.

Even considering Nimmo’s massive offensive decline this season, a healthy version would likely be the Mets’ best option in center field. Carlos Gomez and Juan Lagares have gotten all the playing time in center since Nimmo went down, but neither player has produced. They’re now drawing up plans to turn to right fielder Michael Conforto in center, Jeff McNeil in right and Dominic Smith in left, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. All three of those players have been among the Mets’ best hitters in 2019, but Conforto struggled mightily in center last season and Smith hasn’t shown he can handle the outfield on a consistent basis.

Health Notes: Zimmermann, Nimmo, Marlins, Smith, Wood, Dozier

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Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, currently on the mend after suffering a UCL sprain, looks to be nearing his return, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. On Thursday, Zimmermann threw 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo, coming away pleased with the 69 pitches he threw and declaring his readiness to rejoin the Major League rotation for his next start. Whether that will actually come to fruition is up to the Tigers’ brass, though manager Ron Gardenhire seemed hesitant to welcome back a pitcher whose limited workload could lead to more bullpen days, which the team is trying to avoid. Regardless, the 33-year-old’s return looks to be just around the corner, certainly a promising development for a team that has had to patch together a starting staff after withstanding injuries to four-fifths of its Opening Day rotation.

Here are the latest updates on other injuries from around baseball…

  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is going to consult more specialists about the bulging disc in his neck, tweets Tim Healey of Newsday. Nimmo has been sidelined with that same injury since May 20, and the latest is a troubling development for an organization that has been maligned for its handling of players’ injuries. At this time, there is still no timeline for when Nimmo might be cleared to return.
  • Marlins left-hander Caleb Smith has been cleared to begin a throwing program, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Smith landed on the 10-day IL on June 7 thanks to inflammation in his left hip, but it doesn’t appear that the injury will keep him out much longer, as Smith is on track to return in late June. The 27-year-old southpaw has quietly emerged as a promising starter for the Marlins, having struck out 82 batters in 62 innings of work. Over the last two seasons in Miami, Smith has posted an impressive 3.83 ERA in 143 1/3 innings.
  • Hunter Dozier will spend the next three days rehabbing with the Royals’ Double-A affiliate, according to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, who adds that Dozier will later join Triple-A Omaha after the birth of his child. The next step following that is to work his way back to the MLB club, which is good news for the Royals, who originally tabbed Dozier to return in late June. It looks like that timeline is still a realistic target for the third baseman, who has emerged as one of Kansas City’s few untouchable pieces and an All-Star candidate in the American League.
  • Another promising update for the Reds, with left-hander Alex Wood nearing a rehab assignment, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, who tweets that the southpaw has a live BP session on Tuesday, which could lead to a minor-league rehab stint if all goes well. Wood, 28, has been dealing with lower back soreness that has put his Reds debut on hold. However, it looks as if that time could come around the All-Star break for the former Dodger.

Checking In On Last Year’s Toughest Outs

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If you’re an offensive player in baseball, there is nothing more important than avoiding outs. Common sense indicates the more you get on base – whether with a hit, a walk or a hit by a pitch – the better your team’s chances are of scoring and ultimately winning. That’s why on-base percentage is more useful than batting average or slugging percentage, two other conventional stats that help define a hitter’s value.

Just six qualified hitters reached the .400-OBP mark in 2018.  The group included the best player in baseball, another potential Hall of Famer, each league’s MVP, an elite hitter who helped his team to a championship and a potential star in the making. Let’s take a look at how that six-man club is doing in 2019…

Mike Trout, Angels (2018 OBP: .460):

Here’s the “best player in baseball” mentioned above. The 27-year-old Trout has reached 45.5 percent of the time through 231 plate appearances, putting him right in line with last year’s league-best effort. He’s also on track for his fifth straight season with at least a .400 OBP. Trout was a .312 hitter in 2018 who walked 20.4 percent of the time. His average has noticeably dropped (to .283), but his walk rate is up a bit and opposing pitchers have helped Trout’s cause by already hitting him six times. He wore 10 pitches last year in 378 more PA.

Mookie Betts, Red Sox (2018 OBP: .438):

Betts got on base a bit less than Trout last season, but the Boston superstar led the sport in fWAR en route to AL MVP honors. While Betts hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, he has still avoided outs at a phenomenal clip (.400 in 255 trips to the plate). The 26-year-old has walked 14-plus percent of the time for the second consecutive season, but a 55-point decline in batting average (.346 to .291) and a 54-point BABIP drop (.368 to .314) have hurt his OBP. Plus, Betts isn’t on pace to match the eight HBPs he totaled in 2018, having picked up only two so far.

Joey Votto, Reds (2018 OBP: .417):

Votto’s the “potential Hall of Famer” named in the opening. The hitting savant has managed a remarkable .424 OBP dating back to his 2007 debut, in part because he has drawn nearly as many walks as strikeouts. However, that hasn’t been the case in 2019. Now in his age-35 season, Votto’s walk rate is at a pedestrian-by-his-standards 11.6 percent – down nearly 5 points from his career mark –  while his strikeouts have soared. Putting the ball in play less helps explain why Votto, a lifetime .309 hitter, has only mustered a .242 average this season. Worse, Statcast credits Votto with a .229 expected average, indicating a rebound may not be on the way. Despite his newfound woes, Votto has still put up an above-average .340 OBP in 215 PA this year, but it’s nothing to get excited about in the venerable first baseman’s case.

Brandon Nimmo, Mets (2018 OBP: .404):

Nimmo’s far and away the least accomplished member of this list, but that doesn’t take away that the 26-year-old was a stupendous offensive player in 2018. As only a .264 hitter, though, his high OBP came thanks in part to a league-leading 22 HBPs over 433 PA. Nimmo has not been a magnet for pitches this year, however, having taken three in 130 trips to the plate. He’s also batting a mere .200 and has seen his BABIP fall from .351 to .288. Nimmo is collecting walks at a terrific clip (16.1 percent), but his .344 OBP is still a 60-point drop-off from last season.

Christian Yelich, Brewers (2018 OBP: .402):

We arrive at the other MVP on this list. What’s Yelich, 26, doing for an encore? Well, he ranks third in the majors in OBP (.425), in part because his walk rate has climbed from 10.4 percent to 15.1. Yelich has also logged a .314 average even though his BABIP has sunk 87 points since last year.

J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (2018 OBP: .402):

Martinez, described above as “an elite hitter who helped his team to a championship,” has been closer to very good than great this season. A .375 BABIP/.330 average helped drive Martinez’s OBP last season, but he’s at .315/.298 in those categories through 219 PA this season. Consequently, the 31-year-old has “only” reached base 37.9 percent of the time. But Martinez is striking out a lot less, which bodes well, and Statcast puts his expected average at .321. Another .400-OBP season certainly isn’t out of the question for Martinez.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Injury Notes: Nimmo, Conforto, Lowrie

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The latest from Flushing Meadows . . .

  • Brandon Nimmo’s neck injury – initially described by the club as “stiff” and “inflamed” – is actually far graver, relays MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The 26-year-old is suffering from a bulging cervical disc that’s “pushing” on a nerve in his neck, and he’s also dealing with the aftermath of whiplash, presumably suffered during a collision with the center-field wall in an April 14 game vs. Atlanta. Nimmo is “relieved” to have been issued a firm diagnosis, though there’s currently no timetable for his return. It’s a been rough ’19 go for the Wyoming-born outfielder, who’s slumped to a .200/.344/.323 line over 161 plate appearances thus far. The former first-rounder has maintained his sky-high walk rates from the two seasons prior, though – his 16.1% mark currently ranks tenth among all MLB regulars – so the slow start could simply be a function of poor balls-in-play luck, or the vagaries of small-sample baseball at large.
  • DiComo also provides an update on the concussed Michael Conforto, he of the staunch .271/.406/.521 line thus far, who appears set to return before Sunday’s game against Detroit. It’s a huge sigh of relief for an organization in desperate need of some left-handed thump, and one that seemed unlikely to transpire so soon. Perhaps the league’s most underrated hitter, Conforto has followed up a sizzling second half last season with a top-20 wRC+ in the first two months thus far. He’s upped his walk rate to a career-best 16.7% (good for 6th in MLB) and slashed his K rate over 3%, to a quite respectable (and below league-average) 21.7%. The 26-year-old has had periodic issue with staying healthy, but a full season on the field at this pace should place the former first-rounder right in line with the league’s elite.
  • Infielder Jed Lowrie is still “a ways away,” per manager Mickey Callaway (h/t to the New York Post’s Mike Puma). The 35-year-old, who signed a two-year, $20MM pact with New York in the offseason, has long been beset by injuries of various type throughout his 12-year big-league career. Ailments cut short each of his 2009, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’15, and ’16 seasons, and there appears to be no concrete timetable for his return in ’19. Lowrie’s on the heels of back-to-back excellent seasons with Oakland, though the aging curve is especially cruel for second basemen, and doubly so when they’ve accumulated a host of lower-body maladies over the the course of a career.

Mets Designate Paul Sewald, Select Rajai Davis, Send Brandon Nimmo To 10-Day IL

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The Mets have announced a series of roster moves, including the placement of outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day IL due to a stiff neck (placement retroactive to May 21).  Veteran outfielder Rajai Davis will be coming up to replace Nimmo, as the Mets have selected his contract.  To create 40-man roster space for Davis, reliever Paul Sewald has been designated for assignment.

The 38-year-old Davis was one of several veteran players signed to minors deals by the Mets last winter, and he now joins Carlos Gomez and Adeiny Hechevarria as names from that list who have seen their contracts selected in the wake of multiple injuries on the Mets’ roster.  Davis will now suit up for his 14th MLB season and eighth different team to help New York fill its outfield void.

Davis has long been known more for his speed (415 career stolen bases) and fielding ability than his bat, though he hasn’t delivered an above-average season at the plate since 2015.  This includes a .224/.278/.281 slash line over 216 PA with the Indians last season, though Davis was still a threat when he did get on base, swiping 21 bags in 28 chances.

Sewald has a 5.18 ERA over 128 1/3 relief innings for the Mets since the start of the 2016 season, including an 3.86 mark in seven frames this season.  He misses a fair number of bats (career 9.2 K/9) for a pitcher whose average fastball sits around the 90mph threshold, though Sewald doesn’t generate many grounders, and has a career 1.2 HR/9.

After a breakout 2018 season that saw him hit .263/.404/.483 with 17 homers in 535 plate appearances, Nimmo had gotten off to a much slower start (.200/.344/.323) in his first 161 PA of the 2019 campaign.  The neck issue could be somewhat to blame for this performance, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes that Nimmo has been bothered by neck soreness since April.

Today’s moves leave the Mets with an outfield mix of Davis, Gomez, Juan Lagares, converted infielder J.D. Davis, and Jeff McNeil, though McNeil isn’t in today’s lineup due to hamstring tightness.  While McNeil told DiComo and other reporters that he expects to be back as soon as tomorrow, the lack of depth has left the Mets exploring their options.  Manager Mickey Callaway said today that the Mets could consider using Dominic Smith in the outfield again, as the erstwhile first baseman has been lobbying for more outfield work as a way of getting back into the lineup.  (SNY.tv’s Scott Thompson was among those to report the news).  Smith has hit well in limited time this season, as he has made only 48 PA due to Pete Alonso’s emergence as the everyday first baseman.

Michael Conforto also began some light baseball activities today as he continues his recovery from a concussion suffered last weekend.  There wasn’t yet any timetable on when Conforto could return, Callaway said.

NL East Notes: Herrera, Mets, Braves, Castro

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Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera left camp today with a wrap on his leg after aggravating a hamstring strain he’d suffered a few weeks ago in offseason workouts, writes Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Manager Gabe Kapler called the issue “mild,” and there doesn’t seem to be any immediate concern, though it’s obviously a situation worth monitoring. More broadly, though, Salisbury’s latest piece takes a look at Herrera’s future with the Phillies — particularly with the addition of Bryce Harper still very much on the table for the Phils. Herrera could potentially become a trade option in the event that the Phils land Harper, Salisbury notes, and even if it’s not Herrera, one of the Phillies’ incumbent outfielders would likely be forced out of the picture. Although Herrera only just turned 27, he’s been a fixture on the Phillies’ roster for the past four seasons. He’s guaranteed $24.5MM over the next three seasons as part of a $30.5MM contract extension that also contains a pair of club options.

Here’s more from the National League East…

  • Mets fans have become all too familiar with the injury bug in recent seasons, and unfortunately, the club is already dealing with at least one injury scare. As Tim Healey of Newsday writes, newly signed infielder Jed Lowrie is headed for an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his left knee. Lowrie describes the issue as soreness on the back side of his knee and says it first surfaced when getting up to full speed in running drills and when taking batting practice. Beyond Lowrie, outfielder Brandon Nimmo is experiencing some shoulder soreness but is confident that the issue is just a matter of early-spring soreness rather than an indication of anything serious.
  • The Braves will give top third base prospect Austin Riley some work in the outfield this spring, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That experiment isn’t indicative of a permanent position switch but instead would be a means of seeing if Riley can provide some value to this year’s MLB roster after the addition of Josh Donaldson firmly blocked Riley’s path to regular at-bats at the hot corner. As evidenced by his .294/.360/.522 slash line across three levels last year (including .282/.346/.464 in 374 Triple-A plate appearances), the soon-to-be 22-year-old Riley may not have much left to prove against minor league pitching. Donaldson’s addition already pushed versatile Johan Camargo from a starter back to a utility role, Cunningham notes, and the emergence of Riley as a viable MLB option would only further limit Camargo in 2019. Of course, that scenario wouldn’t necessarily play out early in the season, and if Riley does eventually prove ready, it’d only be a boon to the Braves’ roster to have that level of depth and talent in the dugout. The 25-year-old Camargo is sometimes overlooked by those who don’t follow the Braves closely, but he posted a very solid .272/.349/.457 slash with 19 home runs last season and is slated to get a few starts per week as a backup at third base, second base and shortstop.
  • The Marlins received limited trade interest in Starlin Castro at last summer’s trade deadline, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, but they’ll likely have more motivation to make a deal involving him this time around. Infield prospect Isan Diaz, acquired from the Brewers in last year’s Christian Yelich trade, reached Triple-A as a 22-year-old last season, and while he struggled there against older competition, he’ll have another several months to inch closer to MLB readiness. Diaz ranked 104th among MLB prospects on Fangraphs’ 2019 rankings and is slotted in seventh among Miami farmhands on MLB.com’s rankings (in addition to being their No. 10 overall second base prospect). Castro, meanwhile, is set to earn $12MM in his contract’s final guaranteed season ($11MM salary, $1MM buyout on next year’s $16MM team option). At that price, he’s not exactly a bargain but he isn’t grossly overpaid, either, considering last year’s .278/.329/.400 slash (101 wRC+, 107 OPS+). Fangraphs valued Castro at 2.3 wins above replacement, while Baseball-Reference was more bullish at 3.3 WAR.

NL Rumors: Realmuto, Mets, Marlins, Pads, Myers, Bucs, D-backs, Rendon

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The Mets’ ongoing pursuit of Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto has dominated headlines this week, and Tim Healey of Newsday sheds more light on the teams’ talks. While the Marlins are interested in all three of Amed Rosario, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto and reportedly want more than one of those players for Realmuto, it doesn’t seem that’s going to happen, per Healey. Rather, only one member of that trio – likely Nimmo or Conforto – would headline Miami’s return, according to Healey, who adds that the Marlins also like Mets infield prospects Andres Gimenez, Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos. All three of those players rank among the Mets’ top prospects, with MLB.com placing Gimenez first, Mauricio sixth and Vientos eighth.

  • Whether via trade or free agency, the Padres will “absolutely” acquire a third baseman this offseason, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com relays. Picking up hot corner help is the club’s No. 1 priority, Cassavell offers, as corner infielder/outfielder Wil Myers isn’t an ideal fit there, main 2018 starter Christian Villanueva immigrated to Japan and the Padres released Cory Spangenberg. But if Myers isn’t going to play third, it further calls into question what the Padres will do with him this offseason. San Diego is committed to Eric Hosmer at first base and has a host of of other outfielders, after all, and Myers has come up in recent trade speculation. However, despite Myers’ so-so production from 2017-18 and the remaining $64MM on his contract, it seems the Padres remain bullish on him. Indeed, they’re not going to trade Myers for anything but “the right offer,” Cassavell notes. His presence may make one or more of his fellow Padres outfielders expendable, though Cassavell suggests it’s no sure thing they’ll trade anyone from the group.
  • Having lost Jordy Mercer in free agency, the Pirates have spoken to the Diamondbacks about shortstop Nick Ahmed this week, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. The defensively adept Ahmed, 28, is coming off a career-best offensive season, albeit one in which he still hit just .234/.290/.411 (84 wRC+) in 564 plate appearances. He’s under control for two more years and will make a projected $3.1MM in 2019. That would be an affordable sum for Pittsburgh, but Berry explains that the team’s content to roll with in-house shortops Erik Gonzalez and Kevin Newman if it doesn’t land Ahmed or another veteran option.
  • It’s well-documented that the Nationals could lose one of their elite players, outfielder Bryce Harper, to free agency this year. And the team may be in a similar position 12 months from now if third baseman Anthony Rendon, who’s entering a contract year, doesn’t sign an extension. However, general manager Mike Rizzo is optimistic the Nationals will prevent Rendon from leaving, Jamal Collier of MLB.com writes. “I think Anthony wants to be here, I think he wants to be here long term,” Rizzo said. “And we want him here. Hopefully there’s a deal that transpires out of goodwill between the two sides.” According to agent Scott Boras (also Harper’s representative), Washington’s “very aware” of what it has in Rendon, who has “been in the top 10 players in the game in the last three or four years.” Boras is always one to talk up his clients, but he’s not exaggerating in Rendon’s case, as the 28-year-old ranks seventh among position players in fWAR (17.3) dating back to 2016.
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