John Danks

Braves Release John Danks

By charliewilmoth | March 20, 2017 at 2:20pm CDT

3:27pm: The Braves have officially announced the move.

2:20pm: MLBTR has learned that veteran lefty John Danks asked for and will be granted his release by the Braves. Danks is willing to sign elsewhere, but is not interested in pitching in the minors.

Danks reached a minor-league deal with Atlanta in December, then allowed seven runs while striking out seven and walking six over 9 2/3 innings of spring work. Even before those disappointing performances, Danks seemed unlikely to crack a Braves rotation that will feature Julio Teheran, Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia, R.A. Dickey and Mike Foltynewicz. The 31-year-old Danks pitched with the White Sox early in the 2016 season but did not pitch for another team after being released in May.

Danks has pitched over 1,500 innings and won 79 games over parts of ten seasons in the big leagues, all of them with the White Sox, and he stood out as a rotation workhorse from 2008 through 2011. He has, however, had a rough go since shoulder problems that resulted in surgery in 2012 — in the last five seasons, he has a 4.92 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 while dealing with an average fastball velocity that’s gradually slipped from 91.6 MPH to 87.1 MPH last year. He made $65MM over those five seasons thanks to a long-term deal he signed prior to the 2012 season, although that contract expired last fall.

Braves To Sign John Danks

By Jeff Todd | December 12, 2016 at 6:55pm CDT

The Braves have agreed to a minor-league deal with left John Danks, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Danks, 31, was said to be seeking a comeback opportunity. He’ll earn at a $1.5MM annual rate for any portion of the year he spends in the majors, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.

Though he pitched in 2016, Danks made his last appearance in May. He never joined another organization after being cut loose by the White Sox after his first four starts of the year. In that span, Danks lasted 22 1/3 innings and coughed up 18 earned runs on 28 hits with 16 strikeouts against 11 walks.

There was a time, of course, when Danks routinely logged around 200 innings of sub-4.00 ERA pitching annually. But those days are well in the past at this point; Danks did top 190 frames in 2014, but has allowed at least 4.7 earned runs per nine in every season dating back to 2012.

That 2012 season was a notable one for Danks and his former organization. He had signed a five-year, $65MM extension the winter before, but ended up making only nine starts before undergoing shoulder surgery. Needless to say, he hasn’t been the same since. And his fastball has never again averaged over ninety miles per hour.

Though the heater bottomed out last year at less than 88 mph, and Danks has shown little to suggest he can return to his form of yore, there’s little risk here for Atlanta. The ill-fated contract extension is now a thing of the past, and the Braves will be happy to add some depth with a minimal commitment. While the club already has added three rotation pieces this winter, and may still be looking for more, it’s a staff that certainly could end up in need of reinforcement at some point.

John Danks Hopes To Pitch In 2017

By Steve Adams | November 16, 2016 at 1:40pm CDT

Veteran left-hander John Danks is aiming for a comeback in 2017, tweets FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. The 31-year-old was released by the White Sox back in May after a woeful start to the season, but if he’s healthy, it’s easy enough to envision several clubs having interest on a low-cost deal.

Danks once looked to be a potential building block for the White Sox’ rotation, pitching to a 3.77 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 778 2/3 innings from 2008-11 (in Chicago’s homer-friendly home park, no less). However, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery early in the 2012 campaign, and the former No. 9 overall draft pick hasn’t looked the same since returning from that operation. Danks was at least able to eat up some innings from 2013-15, but he posted an ERA between 4.71 and 4.75 in each of those three seasons before turning in a 7.25 ERA in his first 22 1/3 innings in 2016.

Chicago was understandably reluctant to cut the cord on Danks even after his shoulder troubles led to deteriorated performance, as doing so would’ve meant biting the bullet and eating the remaining money on Danks’ five-year, $65MM contract extension, which he signed prior to the same 2012 season during which he underwent shoulder surgery. That pact came to an end this season, and the Sox cut ties with Danks (and Mat Latos shortly thereafter) as they looked to capitalize on a strong start to the season that ultimately proved unsustainable.

Whether Danks can return to his ways as even an effective innings eater remains to be seen, but there was some obvious cause for concern in 2016. Danks averaged just 87.1 mph on his heater in his limited action in 2016, which is more than two miles per hour below the 89.4 mph he averaged in 2015 and more than four miles per hour south of the 91.7 mph he averaged in his 2010-11 peak. Nearly a full season’s worth of rest may do his shoulder some good, and at 31 he’s still young enough to believe that a rebound can take place, but Danks will almost certainly have to earn a rotation spot come Spring Training.

White Sox Release John Danks

By Jeff Todd | May 13, 2016 at 1:06pm CDT

MAY 13: The White Sox announced today (Twitter link) that they have placed Danks on unconditional release waivers.

MAY 3: The White Sox are set to designate starter John Danks for assignment, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old left-hander is in the final season of a five-year, $65MM contract and is set to earn $15.75MM this season — a sum that the White Sox will simply eat in order to free up Danks’ spot on the roster. Chicago will have 10 days to trade or release Danks, though even if the team were to eat a considerable portion of the salary, it’s tough to imagine Danks drawing much interest at this point.

In 22 1/3 innings (four starts) this season, Danks has allowed 18 earned runs on 28 hits and 11 walks with 16 strikeouts and a career-worst 30.1 percent ground-ball rate. Danks’ fastball, which used to sit in the 91-92 mph range, is averaging just 87.1 mph this season. That’s simply the latest decline in velocity for Danks, whose career has never fully recovered from 2012 shoulder surgery.

Danks was a standout performer in the Chicago rotation in his early 20s, and the $65MM contract extension seemed like a justified cost following a four-year stretch that saw the former No. 9 overall pick throw 778 2/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball in one of Major League Baseball’s most hitter-friendly environments. Danks, though, would pitch just 53 2/3 innings in 2012, the first season covered by his extension. Since returning from the surgery, he’s worked to a combined 4.84 ERA in 538 2/3 innings.

General manager Rick Hahn is addressing the media as we speak and has announced that right-hander Erik Johnson will join Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Mat Latos in the Chicago rotation (via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, on Twitter). Hahn says that he informed Danks of the decision yesterday and called the decision a difficult one to make. While Danks’ production, of course, has dipped since that 2012 surgery, he’s been a member of the White Sox organization since late 2006, when he was acquired in a trade that sent right-hander Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. That lengthy tenure has made Danks a well-liked fixture in the Chicago clubhouse, and Nightengale tweets that Hahn acknowledged that the move will not be a popular one among the players. Hahn, however, insists that the move would have been made even if the 18-8 White Sox’ record were reversed.

The dismissal of Danks marks the second time in the past six weeks or so that the Sox have seen a respected veteran depart from the clubhouse. First baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche, of course, infamously elected to retire after White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams asked him to reduce the frequency with which his son accompanied him to the ball park. (LaRoche was said to have been promised unlimited access for his son as a contingent of signing with the Sox.) However, a club striving to win now, as the Sox are, is often forced into this type of decision. Johnson’s solid performance at Triple-A in both 2015 and in 2016 has played a role in the decision as well; the 26-year-old former Top 100 prospect has a 3.74 ERA in 21 2/3 innings this season and worked to an excellent 2.37 ERA in 132 2/3 innings with Charlotte last season.

AL Central Notes: Petricka, Danks, Castellanos, Pitching, Lindor

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | May 5, 2016 at 6:33pm CDT

The White Sox have placed right-hander Jake Petricka on the 15-day disabled list with a left hip impingement, the club announced. Petricka’s DL stint is retroactive to May 2, though there’s no immediate timetable for his return. The 27-year-old has battled control problems all season and is currently sporting a 4.50 ERA with eight walks against seven strikeouts in eight innings of work. Ugly as those numbers may be, a lengthy absence for Petricka would be no small blow to the Sox bullpen, as he’d previously worked to a very solid 3.24 ERA in 144 1/3 innings from 2013-15. Chicago announced that right-handers Tommy Kahnle and Erik Johnson have been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take the place of Petricka and left-hander John Danks, whose 10-year run with the Sox came to an end when the team designated him for assignment.

Here’s more from Chicago and the rest of the AL Central:

Speaking of Danks’ pending release, the veteran southpaw told reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, that he has no hard feelings toward the White Sox organization and is supportive of the team’s decision. “The way my April went and the way the team is playing, I can’t fault anybody with the decision they made,” said Danks. “It’s a win-now league, and I wasn’t helping the team win. You can’t go out there with four-fifths of a rotation. I totally understand that. It all starts with pitching.” Danks heaped praise onto the clubhouse environment and the camaraderie felt among the Sox players, wishing his former teammates luck and thanking the organization in a gracious exit. “I’m a Sox fan for sure,” he said.
Tigers GM Al Avila admits that third baseman Nick Castellanos, who is in his third big league season despite just recently turning 24, may have been rushed to the Major Leagues, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports in his latest notes column. “Nick got to the big leagues very quickly, being a high-school draft [pick],” Avila told Rosenthal. “… I don’t think he really, fully understood the game. He got there because of his ability and an organizational need we had at the big-league level. … He ended up completing his development at the major-league level.” Avila’s comments come on the heels of what many believe could be the beginning of a breakout campaign for Castellanos, who is hitting a robust .378/.385/.589 this year. Castellanos’ production, though, is being propped up to a large extent by a .455 average on balls in play. That number figures to regress substantially, which will in turn magnify an unflattering 23-to-3 K/BB ratio through his first 96 plate appearances. Nonetheless, Castellanos has seen notable gains in his line-drive rate, hard-contact rate and homer-to-flyball ratio, so while some of the huge upswing in production is smoke and mirrors, there does appear to be some legitimate growth as well. He’ll still need to improve his discipline and still rates as a poor defender at third, but there is indeed reason for some optimism surrounding the former top prospect.
The Tigers’ rotation costs more than five times that of the division-rival Indians’ rotation, observes MLive.com’s Chris Iott, who provides a breakdown of the cost of starting pitching throughout the AL Central. The significant sum that the team is spending isn’t lost on GM Al Avila, who implies to Iott that he’s focused on making that unit more cost-effective in the years to come. “It’s very important to develop your own pitching,” said Avila. “You can’t trade for a five-man rotation. You can’t sign five free agents. It’ll cost you an arm and a leg.” Those comments, some might say, run counter to the manner in which Avila acted this offseason when he signed Jordan Zimmerman (five years, $110MM) and Mike Pelfrey (two years, $16MM). However, Avila also revealed that he persistently received calls regarding prospects Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris this winter but was quick to turn away interested parties, believing each to be a key part of the organization’s future. “Those young pitchers are gold to us,” said Avila.
Over at Fangraphs, August Fagerstrom lays out the case that Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor is the best in all of baseball. Simply put, Lindor has been the more valuable contributor than fellow young star Carlos Correa since both debuted, with the former’s large advantage on defense more than making up for the latter’s slight offensive edge. Of course, that’s looking at what’s already happened, and it takes much more to assess what we ought to expect moving forward. Projections still prefer Correa’s bat, notes Fagerstrom, so one needs to buy into Lindor’s improvements at the plate and his ability to sustain a high BABIP in order to think he can keep pace with his peer from Houston (and other viable contenders for the crown).

AL Central Notes: White Sox, Danks, Lincecum, Pelfrey

By Steve Adams | May 3, 2016 at 8:47pm CDT

The White Sox are on the lookout for a left-handed bat and an addition to the starting rotation, reports Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago/670thescore.com (via Twitter). Per Levine, GM Rick Hahn and his staff have been “very active” to this point. Levine expands on that statement a bit toward the end of his latest column, noting that the Sox figure to look for a replacement for John Danks, who was designated for assignment earlier today, both internally and via trade. The Sox are turning to Erik Johnson to make Danks’ upcoming start, and the club has other internal options in the form of Miguel Gonzalez, Jacob Turner and Chris Beck. As for the search for bats, Levine writes that the Sox are “kicking the tires” on quality left-handed bats. Levine speculates that Carlos Gonzalez, who could be moved by this year’s Aug. 1 trade deadline, would make sense and could fit into the budget after the Sox saved $13MM with Adam LaRoche’s retirement. I’d add that lefties Jay Bruce and Nick Markakis both figure to be available in trades this summer, though neither is as strong a hitter as Gonzalez.

AL Central Links: Chernoff, Holaday, Twins, Danks, Royals

By Mark Polishuk | January 31, 2016 at 10:21pm CDT

Frank Thomas is rejoining the White Sox as a special consultant of business operations, the Hall-of-Famer told reporters (including CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes). Thomas had been working in an ambassador role with the Sox but took some time off to join Fox’s baseball broadcasts as an analyst; the Big Hurt will still continue his TV work in addition to working for the team. Here’s some more from around the AL Central…

The Indians may not be done making lineup additions, GM Mike Chernoff said in an interview today with Jim Duquette and Jeff Joyce of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter links). Giving up a draft pick for a signing wouldn’t be out of the question, Chernoff said, if the value balances out with the team’s long-term goals. Ian Desmond and Dexter Fowler are the only two everyday players remaining with draft pick compensation attached via the qualifying offer, and Cleveland would have to surrender their first-rounder (the 15th overall selection) to sign either, a substantial loss for a smaller-market club. I would guess that the Tribe would only sign Desmond or Fowler if either agreed to a low-cost one-year contract, so they could rebuild their free agent stock for the 2016-17 offseason and the Indians could then try to recoup a draft pick via their own qualifying offer.
With James McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia ahead of him on the Tigers’ catching depth chart, Bryan Holaday could be a spring trade candidate, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News writes. Holaday has seen limited action over his four Major League seasons, with 108 games and 282 plate appearances to his name since debuting in 2012. While the Tigers would undoubtedly like to keep Holaday as depth, he’s also out of options and likely couldn’t be kept at Triple-A without another team taking him on waivers.
During the TwinsFest fan event this weekend, Twins GM Terry Ryan answered questions about Joe Mauer, the team’s young players and the team’s ability to sign major long-term contracts, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
John Danks is approaching the 2016 season with an eye towards extending his career, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes. “I would say I’m more focused on this year, and my feeling is if I can put up a good year, then it won’t be my last year,” Danks said. “So I don’t want it to be my last year. I don’t want to plant that seed or anything. I’m a realist and understand that teams have to want me and for a team to want me, I’ve got to be good.” Since signing a five-year, $65MM extension with the White Sox following the 2011 season, Danks has battled injuries and struggled to the tune of a 4.82 ERA and 5.9 K/9 over 563 1/3 innings. The southpaw has at least been a durable innings-eater over the last two years, recording 371 1/3 IP since the start of the 2014 campaign. Even if Danks struggles in 2016, he’s only 30 years old, so I suspect he’d find a minor league deal next winter to continue his career.
The Royals internally project to lose money in 2016 unless they manage another deep playoff run, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes. The team is willing to spend outside its comfort zone in order to take another shot at a World Series, with Mellinger noting that baseball’s shared TV contracts and revenue-sharing policies have allowed the small-market Royals to get into a position to contend in the first place.

Latest On Marlins’ Starting Pitching Search

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2014 at 9:20pm CDT

9:17pm: The Marlins and White Sox have discussed a deal that would send Danks to Miami, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The 29-year-old lefty is owed $28.5MM over the next two seasons under an extension signed before the 2012 season.

A veteran of eight MLB campaigns, Danks owns a 4.40 ERA this year through 131 innings. He has posted 6.3 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9, with a 40.6% groundball rate. On the positive side, Danks has seemingly returned to health; on the other, his fastball velocity is down and ERA estimators suggest that he may be performing at a slightly worse clip than his earned run mark shows.

2:22pm: John Danks is another possibility for the Marlins, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford (on Twitter). He also hears that Lackey could be in play still.

2:10pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald hears that there’s “zero chance” of a trade that would send Lackey to the Marlins (Twitter link).

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports hears that the Marlins aren’t in on Lackey or Jon Lester at this time, as they prefer a younger starter with more control. They may prefer someone such as Tommy Milone or Wade Miley.

1:55pm: The Marlins and Red Sox are discussing a potential John Lackey trade, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Reports earlier today indicated that there’s a “very good chance” that Lackey gets traded in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, and the Marlins have long been known to be in the market for a starting pitcher. Lackey would likely be of particular appeal to the cost-conscious Marlins, given the league-minimum club option for next season his contract.

Of course, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported earlier today that Lackey would probably want to discuss an extension with a new team rather than play at the league minimum in 2015. Lackey has pitched well this season, posting a 3.60 ERA with a 116-to-32 K/BB ratio and a 46.9 percent ground-ball rate in 137 1/3 innings of work.

The Marlins have remained competitive in the NL East despite losing ace Jose Fernandez for the season due to Tommy John surgery. In his stead, the team has leaned on Henderson Alvarez, Nathan Eovaldi and Tom Koehler. Top prospect Andrew Heaney made a brief cameo but struggled before being optioned back to Triple-A.

AL East Notes: Yanks, Danks, O’s, Harvey, Rays

By Jeff Todd | July 30, 2014 at 5:28pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the AL East:

While Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears that the Yankees are still keeping communication open with the White Sox on starter John Danks, Joel Sherman of the New York Post says on Twitter that New York is not going after mid-level arms like Danks or Brett Anderson of the Rockies.
The Orioles have discussed moving starter Miguel Gonzalez as part of multiple hypothetical trades, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. That includes conversations with the Padres and the Phillies, says Cotillo.
Baltimore is considering Neal Cotts of the Rangers, among other lefties that can work against hitters of both sides, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). This meshes with an earlier report via ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Other possibilities, per Connolly, are Tony Sipp of the Astros, Andrew Miller of the Red Sox, and Oliver Perez of the Diamondbacks. The Orioles do not view the Phillies’ Antonio Bastardo as an option, says Connolly.
Rising Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey will be shut down for the rest of the season, executive VP Dan Duquette told reports including MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli (Twitter link). The prognosis looks good, however, as he does not have ligament damage but rather a flexor mass strain, according to Connolly (via Twitter). While the club seemed unlikely to use Harvey as a trade chip anyway, this likely removes him from contention for the time being.
The Rays are still willing to discuss not only David Price but also Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce, according to a tweet from Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.

AL Central Rumors: Miller, Gomes, Danks, Sox, Indians, Twins

By Steve Adams | July 29, 2014 at 9:53am CDT

The Royals are interested in Andrew Miller but aren’t currently pursuing Jonny Gomes, Major League sources tell Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Multiple reports have previously connected the Royals to Gomes, but it appears their interest has waned for the time being. Miller, of course, is being pursued by many teams due to his dominant numbers and relatively inexpensive salary. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end but could alter the composition of a bullpen and be a vital postseason piece. Miller tells Bradford that if he’s traded, he’ll harbor no hard feelings toward an organization with which he has “loved” his time. “I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to an end in the next couple of days, but if it does it won’t spoil it for me,” said Miller. “If it does I’m certainly not going to burn a bridge on the way out of town.” Earlier this morning, K.C. was also linked to John Lackey.

Here’s more from the AL Central…

Despite reported interest from the Yankees, the White Sox might have a difficult time moving John Danks, a source tells Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Anybody who throws 200 innings in the big leagues is worth his weight in gold,” the source said. “But I don’t think his weight is worth $30 million worth of gold.” Van Schouwen’s source feels that the Sox would let Danks go if he were to be claimed on waivers next month in order to free themselves of his remaining salary obligations.
As for Chicago’s other tradeable pieces, Van Schouwen notes that Adam Dunn, Gordon Beckham, Alejandro De Aza and Dayan Viciedo have limited markets due to contractual obligations (Dunn) or poor performance (the others). Alexei Ramirez would fetch a nice return, but the ChiSox don’t have an in-house replacement for the 32-year-old.
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer looks at the Indians’ current situation and feels that the team could sell some veterans without hurting their chances in the Wild Card hunt. Justin Masterson has underperformed, and Asdrubal Cabrera has been decent at best, but both have drawn trade interest, Hoynes reports. He suggests calling Oakland and San Francisco about Cabrera to peddle him as a second base option. Ultimately, the Indians could benefit from relying more on names like Jose Ramirez, Danny Salazar and Zach McAllister than their declining stars, Hoynes writes.
Glen Perkins made no effort to hide his feelings on whether or not the Twins should extend Kurt Suzuki when asked by Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press over the weekend: “That would be the ideal. I think everyone else would agree. Not even just pitchers. He’s fit in this clubhouse great, too, with everybody.” GM Terry Ryan told Berardino that he’s been happy with Suzuki’s contributions, though he acknowledged that Suzuki rates poorly in terms of pitch-framing. Berardino noted that the Orioles, Blue Jays and Giants had scouts in attendance at Twins games over the weekend.
In more Twins news, Ryan is sending assistant GM Rob Antony on the team’s current road trip to Kansas City and Chicago while he settles in with VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff and special adviser Wayne Krivsky to work out deadline deals, writes La Valle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Ryan acknowledged the team’s position as sellers, telling Neal: “As long as it stops in the near future, then it is worthwhile. … This isn’t what anyone signed up to do. Nobody wants to watch a club get into late July and be in a position where you don’t have a chance.” Neal lists several Twins trade candidates, including Suzuki, Josh Willingham, Brian Duensing and Casey Fien.

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