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Jesse Winker

Central Notes: Twins, Lopez, Winker, Reds

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A pair of Twins pitchers are set to resume throwing tomorrow, according to statements from each via Twitter. Righty Trevor May, who is contributing at MLBTR while working back from Tommy John surgery, says he will begin his march back in earnest. That drew a reply from southpaw Hector Santiago, who says he’ll do the same; he has been out for nearly a month with what the team called upper thoracic back pain and discomfort. There’s no expectation that May will return during the 2017 season, as his procedure took place this March. But Santiago conceivably could. The 29-year-old has every incentive to do just that, as he’s slated to hit the market this fall and would surely like a chance to improve upon the subpar results he has produced during his time in Minnesota.

More from the game’s Central divisions…

  • While the Twins had some other possible trade chips to move, the team never came close to making any deals beyond those it completed, assistant GM Rob Antony tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). There was little in the way of rumors surrounding shorter-term assets like Ervin Santana, Brian Dozier or Eduardo Escobar prior to the deadline, so perhaps the team’s preference was simply to engage with other clubs on impending free agents such as Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler. Speculatively speaking, righty Matt Belisle could be a name to watch in August. He’s playing on an eminently affordable one-year, $2.05MM deal and rebounded from an awful month of May with a solid June and a scoreless 12 2/3 frames (with a 13-to-2 K/BB ratio) in July.
  • White Sox prospect Reynaldo Lopez, acquired in the offseason Adam Eaton trade, is forcing his way into the team’s big league plans, general manager Rick Hahn tells Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. “He’s forcing the issue,” said Hahn. “He’s had several starts in a row that have been very impressive.” Indeed, Lopez has turned in a 2.16 ERA with a 54-to-11 K/BB ratio in his past 41 2/3 innings. Hahn also offered praise for Lucas Giolito’s recent work, though those numbers are skewed by a pair of drubbings in an otherwise solid run of 11 starts. Lopez recently appeared on the latest installment of Jason Martinez’s “Knocking Down the Door” series here at MLBTR and seems to be nearing his first Major League look with the ChiSox.
  • Reds outfield prospect Jesse Winker, who was recalled from Triple-A this week, is in line for regular playing time in the Majors now, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). The Reds tabbed Winker with the 49th overall pick in the 2012 draft, and he’s been considered among the game’s top 100 or so prospects for much of the past three years. Winker had a cup of coffee earlier this season but returned to Triple-A in short order, where he ultimately put together a .314/.395/.408 showing. Wrist injuries have led to a power outage for Winker over the past two seasons, but he looks to be regaining some of the pop he showed from 2013-15, as he’s homered in consecutive games for the Reds (including tonight).
  • Buchanan also provides some updates on a trio of injured Reds players in a full column. Outfielder Scott Schebler, whose absence has helped create an opening for Winker, was diagnosed with a bruised rotator cuff following an MRI exam. He’s out for at least the next two to three weeks, per Buchanan. Injured righty Scott Feldman, meanwhile, threw a three-inning simulated game today, though the timeline on his return to the Majors isn’t yet clear. And second base prospect Dilson Herrera, who had a bone spur removed from his shoulder recently, will be cleared to begin throwing in three to four months. Buchanan’s column has more quotes and context from manager Bryan Price and Reds team doctor Timothy Kremchek, so Reds fans should take a look for more details.

Injury Notes: Alvarez, Nunez, Duffy, Smith, Freeman, Perez, Hatcher, Bailey

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Former All-Star righty Henderson Alvarez put on a showcase yesterday, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). There’s no word yet on how it went, though it’s certainly promising that he was able to take the mound at all. Alvarez, who only just turned 27, is said to be to full health. He last appeared in the majors early in the 2015 season, before a string of shoulder problems intervened. About half of the MLB clubs were represented at the showcase, per Heyman; it’s not surprising to hear of the interest given Alvarez’s young age and track record of success — including a sterling 2014 campaign in which he placed 12th in the NL Cy Young voting.

Here’s more on some injury situations from around the game:

  • Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez is heading to the 10-day DL with a hamstring injury, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. That placement opens space for Conor Gillaspie to return from his own stint on the disabled list. It doesn’t seem to be a major injury, as the club has given Nunez time to try to work through the issue, but clearly the hope will be that he can return sooner than later. Nunez seems like the most obvious trade piece on the San Francisco roster, and he’ll need to be in top form at the deadline to maximize his return.
  • Rays skipper Kevin Cash says that infielder Matt Duffy had a procedure to “remove a pea-sized calcium deposit” from his problematic left heel, as Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). The hope is that doctors have identified the cause of Duffy’s ongoing pain, which has lingered much longer than anticipated. Cash says he expects Duffy to return to action this summer, which could represent a nice boost.
  • There’s still no clarity on the status of Red Sox righty Carson Smith, who has been working back from Tommy John surgery. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell weren’t exactly brimming with confidence yesterday, as Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports. It has now been ten days since Smith last threw, and he’ll be evaluated by medical personnel before picking up a baseball again. At this point, there’s no clear timetable for Smith to make it back to the majors, though Farrell says the organization has “not closed the book in a sense on anything Carson can contribute this year.”
  • While his potential shift to third base has drawn all the headlines, it’s also notable that Braves slugger Freddie Freeman has made major strides in the healing process for his broken wrist. As David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links), Freeman says that doctors have seen dramatic improvement over the last week. While he says he can still feel some pain in the surgically repaired joint, he stressed that “it’s pain, it’s not hurt” at this stage.
  • Rangers lefty Martin Perez is headed to the 10-day DL with a fractured right thumb, per a club announcement. Fortunately, that’s his non-pitching hand, so it seems likely he won’t require an extended absence. (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the story on the injury, which was caused by a rogue hotel door.) Texas will also welcome back southpaw Cole Hamels, who is slated to take the MLB mound on Monday.
  • The Dodgers announced yesterday that righty Chris Hatcher will head to the 10-day DL with thoracic inflammation. The 32-year-old has struggled to a 4.66 ERA, with seven home runs clouding his stat sheet though he also carries a strong 10.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. He has been replaced on the active roster by fellow right-hander Ross Stripling.
  • And finally, the Reds have officially activated righty Homer Bailey. That move was expected at this point, but it’s still plenty notable. The high-priced righty has made just eight MLB starts since the beginning of the 2015 season, and will be trying to reestablish himself as a healthy and productive big leaguer. Young outfielder Jesse Winker was optioned to create roster space.

Reds Promote Jesse Winker

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The Reds announced on Friday that they have promoted top outfield prospect Jesse Winker from Triple-A Louisville and optioned right-hander Barrett Astin to Louisville to clear a 25-man roster spot.

The 23-year-old Winker, the No. 49 overall pick in the 2012 draft, has long been rated among the game’s Top 100 prospects. While a wrist injury led to some diminished power output in 2016, which may have caused his stock to slip a bit, he still entered the season rated as the game’s No. 49 overall prospect on the Top 100 list of ESPN’s Keith Law. (More recently Law rated him 40th among prospects that opened the season in the minors.) Over at MLB.com, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis ranked Winker as baseball’s No. 63 prospect.

Even with his power dip in 2016, Winker still posted a strong .303/.397/.384 batting line last year in Louisville. Winker’s plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills in Triple-A proved to be exceptional, as last season’s 59 walks matched his 59 strikeouts (both a 13.2 percent clip). In parts of six minor league seasons, Winker is a .296/.399/.454 hitter.

Law notes in his scouting report that Winker would likely have reached the Majors in 2016 were it not for the wrist injury. He further adds that Winker may not have the power to hit 20+ homers on an annual basis but could hit 10 to 15 per year with 30 to 35 doubles and an excellent on-base percentage. Callis and Mayo laud Winker’s bat and approach at the plate, noting that a below-average arm makes him best suited for left field, where he’ll be an otherwise acceptable defender.

The timing of the Reds’ promotion of Winker comes 12 days into the MLB season, meaning if he remains in the Majors from this point forth, he’d finish one day shy of a full year of service time. Of course, it’s far from clear that the Reds plan to keep Winker in the Majors through season’s end; to the contrary, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that this call-up for Winker may be a brief means of adding another bat while waiting until Sunday when they’ll need to add another starter.

While Winker may not be immediately thrust into a starter’s role, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he eventually does take on a larger role with the club at some point in 2017. He’s considered by most prospect analysts to be more or less big league ready, and while left field is currently locked up by Adam Duvall, the right field picture is less certain. Scott Schebler opened the season there, but he’s yet to solidify himself as an everyday Major Leaguer.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: Trade Bait

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The July trade deadline in Major League Baseball is less than two weeks away on the 31st. We don't exactly know who will be on the move, or how many trades will be completed, but we do know that a lot of minor league prospects will be changing uniforms within the next 13 days.

Below is a look at some of the prospects who could be on the move to new organizations looking to build for the future.

American League

Athletics: Oakland hasn't shied away from leaning on young players while in a playoff hunt and recent promotions for pitcher Sonny Gray and infielder/outfielder Grant Green could also serve a secondary purpose: showcasing. Gray, a right-handed hurler, was extremely successful in Triple-A and was lights-out during his one big league appearance before the All-Star break. He could develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter, or a high-leverage reliever. Green has played sparingly since his promotion but the former first round draft pick's versatility could be highly coveted.  

Indians: Cleveland has one of the top shortstop prospects in (untouchable) Francisco Lindor, which could make fellow infielder Dorssys Paulino expendable in the right deal. Just 18, his numbers don't look great but he's holding his own in Low-A ball at a young age and has shown signs of improvement in June and July.

Orioles: L.J.Hoes doesn't have a huge ceiling but the 23-year-old prospect can play all three outfield positions, as well as second and third base. Currently hitting .308/.405/.413 at Triple-A, he makes good contact and can run the bases well.

Rangers: It would probably take a very intriguing veteran player with more than one year of control but Texas' middle infield depth could allow the club to dangle shortstop Luis Sardinas on the trade market. The 20-year-old infielder is a slick defender with little-to-no power but the ability to hit for average and steal some bases.

Rays: Right-hander Alex Colome made three starts with Tampa Bay earlier this year and the organization's pitching depth could allow the right-hander to be offered in an attractive deal, but he's currently on the Triple-A disabled list with what has been called a "mild elbow strain." Second baseman Ryan Brett, 21, received a 50-game suspension last year, so that cloud is still hanging over his head, but the scrappy baseball player can really hit. He's currently batting .336/.392/.480 with 17 steals in 39High-A ball games.

Red Sox: Boston is in an enviable position with a fair amount of depth that can be used to help strengthen the big league product. The presence of top prospect Xander Bogaerts means that the club can comfortably move third base prospect Garin Cecchini or shortstop Deven Marrero, should the right deal come along, because Bogaerts could probably handle either position at the big league level. Cecchini swings a mean stick but he lacks the prototypical power that teams look for from the hot corner. Marrero's numbers have been respectable in 2013 but nothing to write home about. A team that really liked him in college, though, might be willing to bite. 

Tigers: The Tigers system is pretty thin, which could impact the organization's ability to make key moves via the trade market. Outfielder Danry Vasquez is highly projectable thanks to his frame and left-handed swing, both of which hint at future power. Just 19, he's aggressive but makes good contact given his limited experience.

Yankees: Catcher J.R. Murphy could be an attractive name on the trade market, if New York is willing to part with him knowing that Gary Sanchez is not that far behind. Murphy is an offensive-minded backstop who's improved his defensive game, especially with throwing out baserunners. 

National League

Braves: On the surface it seems like the Braves haven't really made the amateur draft a priority in recent years and that has hurt the organization's depth. The versatile Joey Terdoslavich's strong performance in Triple-A earned him a promotion to the big league level where he's possibly been showcased for a deal. The pop in his bat, along with his ability to switch hit and positional versatility could make him an intriguing trade target.

Cardinals: The Cardinals have some impressive middle infield depth and former first round draft pick Kolten Wong could become a casualty. The second baseman can hit, but converted third baseman Matt Carpenter has been nothing short of brilliant at the big league level. Any team that acquires Wong is getting a player who's very close to MLB ready.

Diamondbacks: If Arizona is looking to make a big splash at the trade deadline, the club has a lot of pitching depth to deal from, including (likely) untouchables Archie Bradley and Tyler Skaggs. It would take a special player coming over to Arizona to nab him, but lefty David Holmberg is an underrated talent that could help a lot of ball clubs. His ceiling is probably that of a No. 3 or 4 starter but he's been durable and isn't afraid to throw strikes.

Dodgers: Los Angeles is always rumored to have a lot of irons in the fire and the club is definitely looking to improve itself despite the massive payroll. Southpaw Onelki Garcia, signed out of Cuba in 2012, made just one appearances during the regular season last year. In 2013, he's been very good in Double-A thanks to his above-average fastball. He's mostly viewed as a future reliever but Garcia has made six starts. 

Pirates: To get value back, you often have to trade quality players. Pittsburgh has enjoyed breakouts over the past year in the form of infielder Alen Hanson, outfielder Gregory Polanco and pitcher Tyler Glasnow, among others, and that trio is probably safe at the trade deadline barring a blockbuster deal. However, pitcher Luis Heredia could perhaps be had at the right price. The right-hander is just 18 with three years of pro experience under his belt. He's a larger-framed pitcher and hasn't developed quite as hoped, suggesting a modest ceiling as a starter.  He's been passed on the depth chart by a number of guys like Jameson Taillon, Nick Kingham and Glasnow.

Reds: Outfielder Jesse Winker doesn't wow with his tools but he gets the most out of his abilities and is one of the safer bets in Cincinnati's system to have a big league career. The 19-year-old prospect has modest power and doesn't steal bases so he's going to have to hit for average to provide value as a hitter — along with his willingness to take a free pass.

Rockies: Colorado doesn't have much in the way of tradable commodities, but the organization could cash in on the lack of catching depth around the game — much like the Yankees — with Tom Murphy. The second-year catcher, who's now 22 years old, has inexplicably been left in Low-A ball all year long despite overpowering the younger competition. He's by no means a finished product and has holes in his game but an OPS over 1.000 is going to attract some suitors.

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