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Jeremy Jeffress

Market Chatter: Brach, Jeffress, Rangers, Rockies, Adams, LoMo

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Here’s the latest chatter on the trade and free-agent markets to round out the evening:

  • While there has been some movement on the free-agent market for relievers now that the top three arms are off the board, there’s also some untapped potential on the trade side, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Orioles are “willing” to deal Brad Brach, who quietly turned in an excellent season and is projected by MLBTR to earn $2.9MM in his second pass at arbitration. And the Rangers are taking calls on some arms, with Jeremy Jeffress — a quality sinkerballer who has dealt with substance-abuse issues — said to be “in play,” among other hurlers. He, too, projects at a $2.9MM tab in his first season of arb eligibility.
  • The Rangers have held discussion with the Rockies about the latter organization’s potentially available outfielders, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s not entirely clear just who might be targeted, though certainly Charlie Blackmon would make for a high-quality and reasonably affordable fit — presumably, bumping Shin-Soo Choo to DH and perhaps moving Carlos Gomez to a corner. Carlos Gonzalez could also step into right for Choo, though he’s owed $20MM this year — which, from all indications, is more than Texas is looking to spend. Lining up may not be easy, though Colorado surely would have interest in some of the Rangers’ relievers.
  • With little apparent need for him given their present roster construction, the Cardinals are “listening” on first baseman Matt Adams, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Particularly with so many defensively limited, left-handed bats still floating around in free agency, it’s certainly hard to see Adams drawing an exciting return. The 28-year-old put up a slightly above-average .249/.309/.471 batting line last year and did pop 16 long balls, but was scarcely used against left-handed pitching. (While he actually hit well against southpaws last year, it came in a minimal sample; over his career, Adams owns a .212/.243/.352 batting line without the platoon advantage.) MLBTR projects Adams to earn $2.8MM in his second season of arbitration eligibility, so he may at least be somewhat cheaper than some of the other players who rival clubs will be considering.
  • One piece of that surplus of lefty bats, free-agent first baseman Logan Morrison, is starting to see his market heat up a bit, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). As Passan notes, Morrison did hit quite well for much of the year, though his putrid opening month and a half left the 29-year-old with an overall .238/.319/.414 batting line — which, much like his career production, sits right at the league average level. Like Adams, Morrison has traditionally been much better against right-handed pitching, though his splits aren’t nearly so dramatic.

Rangers Discussed Deal With Reds For Starting Pitching

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The Rangers and Reds have discussed a trade potentially involving either Anthony DeSclafani or Dan Straily, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets. Sullivan adds that another option for the Rangers as they attempt to address their rotation could be a reunion with free agent Colby Lewis. The Reds, meanwhile, are interested in reliever Jeremy Jeffress.

DeSclafani, it would seem, would be the more valuable of the two Reds trade chips. The 26-year-old righty posted a 3.28 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 123 1/3 solid innings in 2016, and with less than three years of service time, he could be a solid middle-of-the-rotation piece for years to come. The 28-year-old Straily, though, also had a surprisingly solid year after arriving in Cincinnati via a waiver claim, posting a 3.76 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 while eating 191 1/3 innings.

Lewis, now 37, posted a respectable 3.71 ERA in Texas in 2016, but with underwhelming peripherals (5.6 K/9, 2.2 BB/9). He also missed time to a strained lat.

The Reds’ interest in Jeffress is somewhat difficult to understand at first glance. The veteran Jeffress’ strong 2016 season and closing experience would make him somewhat of an odd fit as a luxury item for a rebuilding club, unless perhaps the Reds’ plan upon acquiring him would be to flip him to another team. The Reds could also potentially be thinking that Jeffress’ personal issues, including a recent DWI arrest, could reduce his price, although the Rangers have shown little reluctance in recent years in dealing with troubled players. The Rangers do, however, have significant relief depth.

Jeremy Jeffress Reinstated By Rangers

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TODAY, 6:18pm: Jeffress has been reinstated but will not be in uniform tonight, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. He’ll need to rebuild strength for at least a week on a throwing program, Grant adds, and it remains unclear whether and when he’ll actually take the hill for Texas.

3:57pm: Jeffress has rejoined the team, but the organization has not yet made clear whether he’ll be activated today, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports (Twitter links).

YESTERDAY: Right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who has been checked into an inpatient rehab clinic for nearly a month following a DWI arrest, is expected to rejoin the Rangers’ bullpen tomorrow, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

Jeffress, who turned 29 yesterday, was arrested late last month for driving with a reported blood-alcohol content of .115, and marijuana was reportedly found in the glove compartment of his car as well, although Jeffress was not charged with possession. Jeffress released a statement containing a lengthy and seemingly heartfelt apology at the time he entered the rehab clinic, and he’ll return to the club having spent between three and four weeks in treatment following his arrest.

The Rangers acquired Jeffress alongside Jonathan Lucroy in the trade that sent Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz and Ryan Cordell to the Brewers, and the former Milwaukee closer had settled into a setup in manager Jeff Banister’s bullpen before his arrest. In nine innings with Texas, Jeffress has a 4.00 ERA, and he’s pitched to a collective 2.52 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 59.3 percent ground-ball rate in 53 2/3 innings this season. The Rangers control him for another three years via arbitration.

Brewers Acquire Ryan Cordell To Complete Jonathan Lucroy Trade

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The Brewers announced on Monday that they have acquired minor league third baseman/outfielder Ryan Cordell from the Rangers as the player to be named later in the Jonathan Lucroy/Jeremy Jeffress deadline blockbuster. In total, then, the Brewers will acquire outfielder Lewis Brinson, right-hander Luis Ortiz and Cordell for the pair of Lucroy and Jeffress.

Ryan Cordell

The 24-year-old Cordell is rated as the Rangers’ No. 6 prospect, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo. Baseball America rated him as the team’s No. 9 prospect in their own midseason update (Brinson and Ortiz were ranked second and third, respectively, on that same list). Cordell has played exclusively in the outfield this season (seeing time at all three positions) but also has 300+ innings of experience at third base and saw some time at shortstop last season as well. He’s spent the entire year with Texas’ Double-A affiliate and batted .264/.319/.484 with 19 homers, 22 doubles, five triples and 12 stolen bases.

Baseball America noted in their write-up on him that he’s made strides in his plate discipline, chasing fewer out-of-zone pitches in his second trip through Double-A, and that bears out in his strikeout rate; Cordell walked in just 4.9 percent of his plate appearances in Double-A last season, compared to a woeful 30.2 percent strikeout rate. This year, however, he’s walked at a 7.1 percent clip and cut his strikeout rate to 21.8 percent. In MLB.com’s scouting report, Callis and Mayo write that Cordell has “some of the best all-around tools” in the Rangers minor league system and could eventually have average-or-better tools across the board. His best tool right now is his speed, but he also has the bat speed to hit for power as well.

MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy points out (via Twitter) that Cordell’s season ended this year due to an Aug. 2 knee injury, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the injury was sustained when Cordell crashed into the outfield wall. However, the Brewers clearly aren’t overly concerned about the long-term implications of that collision and will count on a full season from Cordell in 2017. Given his production and experience at the Double-A level, it’s not far-fetched to think that Cordell could either open the season with Triple-A Colorado Springs or, at the very least, be promoted to that level early in the 2017 campaign.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported that Cordell was the player to be named later (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pitcher Notes: Dodgers, Jeffress, T. Ross

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Superstar Clayton Kershaw, out since late June with a herniated disc in his back, could return to the Dodgers’ rotation as early as Friday, writes Jim Alexander of the Orange County Register. The left-hander struck out five batters in three innings of 34-pitch, one-hit ball in a rehab start at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, saying afterward, “I felt good. I was able to warm up and sit in between innings and everything, stuff that’s bothered me in the past.” Prior to suffering the injury, Kershaw recorded a 1.79 ERA in 121 innings and looked like a shoo-in for the National League Cy Young Award. With a 16.11 K/BB ratio, he was also on track to shatter the record of 11.63 the Twins’ Phil Hughes set in 2014. It’s possible not pitching for two-plus months has killed Kershaw’s Cy Young changes, but he’s still among the majors’ leaders in fWAR and RA9-WAR despite having amassed far fewer innings than his closest competitors. The 28-year-old could give voters plenty to think about at season’s end, then. In the meantime, he’s primed to come back and try to help the NL West-leading Dodgers make a run at a World Series.

More news on a few other pitchers:

  • Rangers reliever Jeremy Jeffress’ stay in rehab will likely last weeks, not months, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). If true, Jeffress – who was arrested and charged with DWI last month – will have an opportunity to return this season. Jeffress could even throw with a staff member at his rehab clinic, which contains a workout facility, says Rosenthal. With that in mind, it shouldn’t take him long to get back into game shape before rejoining the Rangers as they chase a championship.
  • The Padres aren’t optimistic right-hander Tyson Ross will play much of a role the rest of the season, but they’re not ready to shut him down, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The front-line starter has been on the shelf since Opening Day on account of shoulder inflammation. With the minor league regular season ending Monday, Ross won’t have a chance to embark on a rehab assignment. That means the 29-year-old is unlikely to serve as anything more than a short reliever if he does take the mound again for the Padres this season. Going forward, Ross won’t command much of a raise on his $9.625MM salary in his final year of arbitration eligibility, but a disastrous 2016 has likely caused significant damage to his once-high trade value.
  • While Kershaw’s rehab outing went swimmingly Saturday, the same wasn’t true for teammate Brett Anderson. The oft-injured southpaw, who’s on the DL with a blister in his left index finger, followed Kershaw at Rancho Cucamonga and lasted just two frames in what was supposed to be a five-inning appearance, according to Alexander. Anderson yielded six runs and nine hits to continue what has been a season to forget. Thanks to multiple injuries, Anderson has thrown a mere four innings for the Dodgers this season. In his limited work, he has surrendered 11 earned runs on 14 hits and three walks.

Jeremy Jeffress Enters Rehab, Will Not Be Suspended By MLB

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Rangers setup man Jeremy Jeffress has checked into an inpatient rehab clinic following last week’s DWI arrest but will not be suspended by Major League Baseball, reports Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. According to Passan, Jeffress will spend about a month in a Houston-area clinic, lending uncertainty as to whether he’ll rejoin the team for the remainder of the regular season. Even if he does not, a postseason return is still possible.

Jeffress was arrested last Friday for driving while intoxicated and reportedly had a blood-alcohol content of .115 at the time of the arrest. Police found marijuana in the car’s glove compartment, according to Passan’s report, but Jeffress denied that it was his and was ultimately not charged with possession. However, Jeffress has a history of marijuana usage, which resulted in a pair of suspensions while he was in the minor leagues. Jeffress attributed that use to self-medication for his epilepsy in a candid interview with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, during which the 28-year-old also spoke about his ongoing anxiety issues. Marijuana use typically does not result in suspensions for Major Leaguers, but FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets that Jeffress was asked to choose between a suspension and entering a treatment program, and he opted for the latter.

Via a press release from the Major League Baseball Players Association, Jeffress has issued the following statement:

“First, I would like to offer a sincere apology to the Texas Rangers, my teammates, my family, and to the fans for the incident that took place last Friday morning. Make no mistake, drinking and driving is wrong. I made a mistake that not only jeopardized my wellbeing, but the wellbeing of others, and I thank God that nobody was hurt because of my mistake. I have faced and overcome much adversity in my life, some of it self-inflicted, and I try very hard, every day, to be a positive influence in the lives of my family, friends, fans and, most importantly, my daughter, Jurnee.  Moving forward, I promise to do everything I can to live my life the right way, as I look to put this incident behind me.  I promise to do whatever it takes to get back on the field playing the game I love.  And I will begin this process by being away from the team while I get the help I need to overcome these difficult personal issues. I am also making a commitment to speak out against impaired driving for the rest of my life, as I hope others will learn from my mistake.  I also would like to thank the police department for their professionalism in handling the situation as well as they did.  Lastly, I ask that others respect my privacy during my absence, just as I ask for their forgiveness.  Thank you and God bless you all.”

The Rangers acquired Jeffress alongside Jonathan Lucroy in an Aug. 1 trade that sent Lewis Brinson. Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later to the Brewers. His absence will only further magnify what has been a shaky Rangers relief corps for much of the season. Of course, it’s worth noting that the group has performed better as a unit in the season’s second half, working to a 3.82 ERA that is markedly better than the collective 5.10 ERA posted by Texas relievers prior to the All-Star Game.

Latest On Rangers’ Jeremy Jeffress

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One day after his DWI arrest, the Rangers were set to reinstate reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the restricted list Saturday, but Major League Baseball blocked the move, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The league took action because it’s concerned that drugs may have been involved, per Grant, who adds that it’s awaiting the results of a blood test administered to Jeffress after his arrest.

Jeffress had a blood alcohol content of .115 at the time of the arrest, and police found a clear plastic bag with a “green leafy substance believed to be marijuana or a synthetic cannabinoid” in his car’s glove box, the arrest warrant states. Jeffress denied that the substance was his, but he was hit with multiple suspensions for marijuana usage during his minor league career. Notably, positive tests for marijuana do not result in suspensions in the majors.

In a recent interview with T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, Jeffress attributed his past marijuana dependence to epilepsy, which he has dealt with since his teenage years.

“I was self-medicating … doing it with marijuana. It would help, but at the same time, the rules and regulations of baseball wouldn’t allow it. I had to find out other ways to deal with it,” said Jeffress, who was one marijuana suspension away from a lifetime ban in the minors.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported in May that the Brewers helped Jeffress overcome his marijuana issues, but they traded the 28-year-old to the Rangers in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. Prior to his arrest, Jeffress tossed nine innings with Texas and allowed four earned runs on seven hits and five walks. He won’t return to the Rangers’ bullpen until the league consults with the players’ association and declares him eligible, according to Grant.

Rangers Place Jeremy Jeffress On Restricted List After DWI Arrest

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3:06pm: Club GM Jon Daniels says that Jeffress will go to the restricted list, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to report (Twitter links). That will likely only be a one-day placement, however, and is intended to ensure that the team has a full bullpen.

It appears that Jeffress was found to be intoxicated after drinking at a nightclub when he was stopped, with Chris Siron and Naheed Rajwani of the Dallas Morning News providing further detail on the charges. Though alcohol does not fall within the parameters of the Joint Drug Agreement, the league is investigating the matter, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

11:04am: Rangers reliever Jeremy Jeffress was arrested in Dallas overnight for DWI, reports Rebecca Lopez of WFAA 8 News in Dallas. Per Lopez, Dallas County Jail records show that Jeffress was booked at 5:13am. It’s unclear if he’ll face any sort of disciplinary action from the team or the league (though there’s little in the way precedent for league-mandated punishment following a DWI or DUI charge). The Rangers issued the following statement to WFAA: “The Texas Rangers are aware of the situation involving Jeremy Jeffress that took place early this morning. At this time, we are in the process of the gathering information and have no further comment.”

Details surrounding this incident remain unclear, though Jeffress has been disciplined for substance abuse in the past. Jeffress was suspended on multiple occasions in his minor league career for marijuana usage, though the last such suspension came all the way back in 2009. In a recent interview with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, Jeffress attributed that usage to treatment for epilepsy, which has plagued him since his teen years.

Texas acquired the 28-year-old Jeffress alongside catcher Jonathan Lucroy in the Aug. 1 trade that sent minor leaguers Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later to the Brewers. Jeffress has a 4.00 ERA in nine innings since the trade and a 2.52 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, a 58.9 percent ground-ball rate and 27 saves on the season as a whole. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and can be controlled by the Rangers through the 2019 season.

Bullpen Rumors: Street, Giants, Cashner, Brewers, Nationals, Robertson, Rosenthal

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With one potential relief pitching blockbuster in the works, let’s look around at some other news and rumors surrounding the bullpen market…

  • The Giants’ list of relief pitching targets includes Angels closer Huston Street, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman reports.  Street, who turns 33 in August, is enduring by far the worst season of his 12-year career — the veteran has as many walks (11) as strikeouts over his 19 2/3 innings pitched, and he missed a month due to an oblique strain.  His 5.03 K/9 would be a career low, while ERA indicators (5.69 FIP, 6.16 xFIP, 5.67 SIERA) show that Street is actually somewhat fortunate to “only” be posting a 5.03 ERA, though he also has a .358 BABIP.  With around $2.8MM still owed to Street this season and $9MM for 2017, the Angels would surely have to eat a big chunk of that contract to facilitate a deal given Street’s struggles.
  • Andrew Cashner has been cited as a possible Giants target, though interestingly, Schulman reports that San Francisco could explore converting the righty into a reliever.  I would guess that this scenario wouldn’t happen unless Matt Cain quickly rounds back into form.  The Padres are getting a lot of interest in Cashner and are certainly demanding a “starting pitcher” price tag for him, which the Giants likely wouldn’t be willing to pay unless they were totally committed to using Cashner in the rotation.
  • Brewers relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith are also Giants targets, with Schulman reporting that Milwaukee has been trying to include either reliever together with Jonathan Lucroy or Ryan Braun as part of a larger trade.  This tactic is of no interest to San Francisco since the Giants have no interest in Lucroy or Braun.
  • If the Nationals aren’t able to land Aroldis Chapman or Wade Davis, that won’t stop the team from searching for back-of-the-bullpen help, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman writes (Twitter links).  David Robertson will surely be a target if the White Sox shop him around, and Heyman figures the Cardinals’ Trevor Rosenthal will get a look.  Though St. Louis is no longer using Rosenthal as closer, Heyman isn’t sure the Cards would make him available.

Mets Interested In Jonathan Lucroy, Offering Travis D’Arnaud In Return

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The Mets are interested in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and current Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud seems to be part of any potential package the Amazins could send to Milwaukee, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.  The Brewers rejected a straight one-for-one offer of Lucroy for d’Arnaud, so as Ackert notes, the Mets’ ability to stay competitive in the race for Lucroy’s services will hinge on the caliber of prospect New York is willing to surrender along with d’Arnaud.  As of Sunday, no deal between the Mets and Brewers was imminent.

Lucroy has been speculatively linked to the Mets as a possible solution to their hitting woes, though the Mets were still thought to be looking at d’Arnaud as their catcher of the future.  In my recent examination of Lucroy’s trade market, I also dismissed the Mets as a possible candidate mostly due to d’Arnaud’s presence but also due to a lack of minor league depth.  While New York has some impressive prospects on hand (i.e. Dominic Smith, Amed Rosario, Gavin Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo), their system is rather thin overall.

For dealing d’Arnaud and years of a controllable top prospect, the Mets would land one of the top catchers in baseball in Lucroy.  Not only has Lucroy strongly bounced back after an injury-plagued 2015 season, he has re-established himself as one of the game’s top bargains.  Lucroy is in the final guaranteed year of a five-year, $11MM extension signed prior to his breakout 2012 season, and there is a team option on his services for only $5.25MM for 2017.  With payroll limitations still a lingering concern for the Mets, they could be particularly eager to obtain a top-tier talent at a low price.

It wasn’t too long ago that d’Arnaud was himself a sought-after commodity, as he and Noah Syndergaard headlined the trade package sent by the Blue Jays to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade in December 2012.  While d’Arnaud has looked good when healthy, he has been plagued by a wide array of injuries during his brief career, missing time due to varied injuries to his hand, foot, knee, back, elbow and (most recently) a rotator cuff strain that put him on the DL earlier this season.  Perhaps most troubling of all, d’Arnaud has also suffered at least three known concussions.  There has already been heavy speculation that d’Arnaud will have to be moved to first base for the sake of his health, so he doesn’t necessarily protect as a replacement for Lucroy behind the plate in Milwaukee.

Lucroy may not be the only Mets target on the Milwaukee roster, as the Amazins are known to be looking for relief help and have been linked to relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith.  Ackert reports that the Brewers were one of many teams recently scouting the Mets’ lower-level minor league clubs.  This is just my speculation, but New York may be more willing to part with a top prospect in the Smith/Rosario/Cecchini tier if both Lucroy and one of the relievers could be obtained in the same deal.

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