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AL Notes: Astros, Alburquerque, ERod, Tazawa, Castro

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Astros GM Jeff Luhnow addressed a variety of issues today with Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. He suggested that the club’s first base mix may not be fully resolved this spring, with the organization remaining open to making changes over the course of the season. He made clear that Houston won’t just be relying on metrics in reaching its decisions, but is paying close attention to how the various contenders look against advanced competition this spring.

  • Meanwhile, Luhnow said, the Astros’ back-of-the-rotation competition may result in some bullpen time for one of Doug Fister, Scott Feldman, or Mike Fiers. But he emphasized that he expects “all three guys are going to end up making a lot of starts for us this year.”
  • The Angels are hoping that reliever Al Alburquerque will be able to bounce back after a tough 2015, and improved health is one reason for optimism, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Albuquerque says that he was hobbled for all of the spring and much of the regular season last year after contracting the Chikungunya virus over the winter. His fastball velocity steadily increased over the course of the year, and Albuquerque says he feels “much better” in camp.
  • The Red Sox now seem all but certain to go without young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to open the year, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Though the swelling is down in his right knee, Rodriguez still hasn’t returned to the bump and manager John Farrell says there’s “still no time frame or date to get him on the mound yet.” With the club obviously exercising caution, and a full ramp-up still needed, it would appear to be surprising if he’s able to join the 25-man roster on Opening Day.
  • In other Red Sox pitching news, Boston is hoping that the decision to shut down reliever Junichi Tazawa late last year will help him regain his form in 2015, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. Generally a highly reliable pen arm, Tazawa seemingly hit a wall late last year. Now, pitching coach Carl Willis says he sees improved “late action to his pitches,” cleaner mechanics, and better location. The 29-year-old’s ability to bounce back will not only be important to the club, but will also determine his market standing when he qualifies for free agency after the season.
  • Reversing its prior stance, the Yankees don’t intend to prepare Starlin Castro to spend any further time at third base this spring, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. He’ll instead focus on settling in at second base and preparing to serve as the reserve shortstop, says manager Joe Girardi. As King notes, that could open up some additional opportunity for Rob Refsnyder to make the team as a utility piece.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/14/15

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Padres announced several roster moves, including the selection of right-hander Jay Jackson and infielder Cody Decker’s contracts from Triple-A.  Right-hander Casey Kelly and southpaw Robbie Erlin were also recalled from Triple-A, while Yonder Alonso was placed on the 60-day DL with a lower back strain.  Jackson and Decker are both reaching the bigs for the first time after long pro careers.  Jackson was a ninth-round pick for the Cubs in the 2008 draft and cracked Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list (at #98) prior to the 2010 season.  The righty has a 4.31 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.63 K/BB rate over 857 2/3 IP in the minors with the Cubs, Marlins, Pirates, Brewers and Padres.  Decker, a 22nd-round pick in 2009, has 154 homers and a .265/.348/.524 slash line over 2929 career PA in San Diego’s farm system.
  • The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Chase d’Arnaud from Triple-A.  In a corresponding move, second baseman Cesar Hernandez was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a dislocated left thumb.  D’Arnaud joined the Phillies on a minor league deal last winter and has hit .268/.317/.354 over 540 PA for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, playing mostly third and short over his 120 games.  D’Arnaud (the older brother of Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud) debuted in the Show by playing in 48 games for the Pirates in 2011 but has only appeared in 16 MLB contests since, and hasn’t recorded an official plate appearance since 2012.
  • The Astros have selected the contract of infielder Matt Duffy from Triple-A.  Duffy fills the 40-man roster spot left by Scott Feldman, who was moved to the 60-day DL due to his season-ending shoulder injury.  Not to be confused with the Giants infielder of the same name, this Matt Duffy was Houston’s 20th-round pick in the 2011 draft and is reaching the majors for the first time in five pro seasons.  Duffy hit .294/.366/.484 with 30 homers and 104 RBI in 557 Triple-A plate appearances this year and was named the Pacific Coast League’s MVP.

Scott Feldman Out For Season With Sprained Shoulder

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The Astros have shut down righty Scott Feldman for the rest of the season, per a club announcement. Rather than trying to work back for the playoffs, the 32-year-old will “immediately begin a rehabilitation protocol that will extend through the offseason” in hopes that he’ll be ready to go for 2016.

Feldman left his last start, on September 1st, with shoulder discomfort. Initial reports were not terribly alarming, but the veteran struggled in a throwing session. It would seem that the team and the player were unable to identify a workable way for him to safely return this fall.

While this obviously represents disappointing news for all involved, Feldman’s contributions to the surprising ’Stros won’t be forgotten. Since signing the three-year, $30MM deal that brought him to Houston before the 2014 season, Feldman has racked up 288 2/3 innings of 3.80 ERA pitching. While hardly dominant, that was just the kind of steady rotation work that the Astros sought when they signed him.

Things have changed quite a bit over Feldman’s tenure, of course. Most recently, the so-far-successful call-ups of youngsters Lance McCullers and Vincent Velasquez, in addition to trades for Scott Kazmir and Mike Fiers, have both deepened and raised the ceiling of the rotation.

Houston will, it appears, focus on getting Feldman healthy for the final year of his contract. He figures to play an important stabilizing role on the 2016 club, especially if the team decides to rely heavily on its younger pitchers rather than pursuing veterans on the open market.

Injury Notes: Harvey, Stanton, Pedroia, Aoki, Susac, Sanchez, Feldman

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The still-brewing shutdown controversy between Matt Harvey and the Mets still has an uncertain conclusion, but there are plenty of incremental updates to share. Noted Tommy John expert Neal ElAttrache, who is said to have consulted with agent Scott Boras on Harvey, spoke about the matter with Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. He explained that there could be a reasonable path for Harvey to throw in the postseason by “spacing out his starts and keeping his arm live, using him if necessary in September to keep him competitive and save some bullets for the postseason.” But ElAttrache also noted that even 180 innings pitched “does start to raise some flags, because now he’s in no man’s land” in comparison to past pitchers recovering from a TJ procedure. Boras, meanwhile, said that both the team and the player want him to continue throwing, and that his concern “is that the medical experts are involved in the process of determining what Matt Harvey can do.”

Here’s more on Harvey and some other injury situations around the game:

  • It remains unclear where things will go from here, but one Mets official indicated to ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin that the team strongly expects to utilize its righty in October (Twitter link). Mike Puma of the New York Post adds on Twitter that Harvey “didn’t anticipate the backlash” and “might have a few second thoughts about his comments” from yesterday. Meanwhile, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Insider link) are among those who have suggested that the current situation could — and, perhaps, should — provide impetus for the team to trade Harvey over the coming winter.
  • Marlins star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton acknowledges that there’s a chance he won’t return this year, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Stanton, who is still trying to work back from a broken hamate bone, is still holding out hopes of a return, and at worst should certainly be at full speed next spring.
  • Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, meanwhile, could play as soon as Tuesday, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. The veteran second baseman has been working back from a hamstring injury.
  • Giants outfielder Nori Aoki is dealing with recurring concussion symptoms that could jeopardize his season, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. The 33-year-old, who owns a .287/.353/.380 slash and 14 steals over 392 plate appearances on the year, has struggled to remain healthy and productive in the second half. He can be controlled through a $5.5MM club option next year, which looks to be an appealing price tag so long as he is able to recover from the injury.
  • The Giants are also going to be without promising young catcher Andrew Susac the rest of the way, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). Susac, 25, has suffered ligament damage to his wrist which will also cost him a chance to play winter ball, though it seems he should be ready for Spring Training. It’s another blow to San Francisco’s depth as the club struggles to remain in the hunt down the stretch. Susac has seen his name come up as an acquisition target for other clubs, particularly given the presence of Buster Posey behind the dish for the Giants. The injury could take him out of such consideration for at least some time, though the team’s level of interest in dealing him has never been clear. Fellow backstop Jackson Williams has had his contract purchased, with Susac hitting the 60-day DL to clear 40-man space.
  • Fellow Giants backstop Hector Sanchez may also be out of action until 2016, as Shea tweets. The 25-year-old Sanchez has an injured ankle and hamstring.
  • The outlook for Astros righty Scott Feldman “doesn’t seem good,” according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The 32-year-old is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, and while a recent MRI revealed no structural damage, it seems that his throwing session yesterday did not go well. Fortunately for Houston, the club has a variety of rotation options to fill in, though it certainly hurts to lose another solid arm. Houston has Feldman under contract for one more season after this one at a $8MM salary.

Alex Presley Clears Outright Waivers

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JULY 24: Presley has cleared outright waivers, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Though he can decline an assignment to Triple-A, he already accepted an outright once earlier in the season to avoid sacrificing the remainder of his $1MM salary.

JULY 18: The Astros have designated outfielder Alex Presley for assignment, the Astros announced via Twitter. In a corresponding move, Scott Feldman has been activated from the disabled list and will start tonight.

Presley, 29, was recalled by the Astros in early July. He had three hits and five strikeouts in 13 plate appearances. At Triple-A, the left-handed outfielder hit .308/.345/.392. Presley has split his career between the Astros and Pirates, compiling 1,105 major league plate appearances across parts of seven seasons. Per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Tweet), Houston may find a suitor for Presley. The Orioles are among the teams with interest.

Feldman is returning from a right-knee injury that has sidelined him for a chunk of the 2015 season. He’s made 10 starts with a 4.80 ERA, 5.55 K/9, and 2.10 BB/9. His return will help Houston manage prospect Vincent Velasquez’s innings. He was optioned to Double-A 10 days ago despite a solid debut. Brett Oberholtzer was also optioned to Triple-A prior to the All Star Break.

Scott Feldman To Miss Six Weeks Following Knee Surgery

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Astros right-hander Scott Feldman will be out for “approximately six weeks” following arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the team announced on Friday. The 32-year-old injured his knee while fielding a grounder in his most recent start. Right-hander Michael Feliz, one of the organization’s most highly regarded pitching prospects, has been promoted from Double-A to take Feldman’s spot on the roster.

Rotation depth was already an area that many expect the Astros to address on the trade market this summer, based on previous comments from GM Jeff Luhnow and from some struggles at the back end of the rotation. While a glance at Feldman’s ERA might not inspire much confidence, he’s pitched significantly better since a disastrous second start of the season. Overall, he has worked to a 4.47 ERA (3.42 FIP, 3.62 xFIP) in 48 1/3 innings over a stretch of eight starts.

Feldman has served as a nice veteran complement to the less experienced Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh. To this point in the season, Keuchel has looked the part of a bona fide ace yet again. And while McHugh hasn’t repeated last season’s breakout numbers, he’s enjoyed solid peripheral stats and is still sporting a relatively serviceable 4.24 ERA.

The question for the Astros is who will fill in the rotation behind Keuchel, McHugh and Feldman. So far, Roberto Hernandez has soaked up 54 2/3 innings, though he’s done so with a 4.77 ERA and peripherals that suggest he’ll continue to produce at that clip. Lance McCullers has stepped into the rotation and impressed over a pair of starts, but he’s largely unproven and hasn’t thrown more than 104 innings in a pro season since being selected 41st overall back in 2012. The Astros have also cycled through Asher Wojciechowski, Sam Deduno, Brad Peacock and Brett Oberholtzer at the back of the rotation with little success to show. (The latter three of that quartet are now each on the disabled list, as well.)

A wide variety of pitching options figures to be available this summer, if the Astros elect to go that route. Cole Hamels represents a long-term, top-of-the-rotation option, whereas teammate Aaron Harang would be a reliable, low-cost rental. Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza’s names have both been mentioned as trade candidates as well, although neither veteran is performing at the moment. Scott Kazmir and Johnny Cueto represent potentially more impactful rental players that would, of course, come with a higher price tag, in terms of prospects.

Scott Feldman, Bartolo Colon Clear Waivers

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Right-handers Bartolo Colon and Scott Feldman have cleared revocable waivers and are now eligible to be traded to any team, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Feldman, 31, is in the first season of a front-loaded three-year, $30MM contract. He’s earning $12MM in 2014 before earning $10MM in 2015 and $8MM in 2016, making his contract slightly more desirable to interested parties. He’s owed roughly $2.36MM through the end of the current season, bringing the total that he is owed to about $20.36MM. Though he missed a brief period with biceps tendinitis, Feldman has been reasonably healthy and effective in his inaugural season with the Astros. The former Ranger has posted a 4.37 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate.

Colon, who is 10 years older than Feldman, has posted better numbers despite his age, and he is the more affordable of the two pitchers. The former AL Cy Young winner signed a two-year, $20MM contract with the Mets in the offseason that pays him $9MM in 2014 and $11MM in 2015. Colon is owed $1.77MM for the remainder of the season, bringing his total commitment to $12.77MM. His first season with the Mets has gone well, as he’s pitched to a 3.82 ERA with 7.0 K/9, 1.2 BB/9 and  38.7 percent ground-ball rate in 167 1/3 innings. Colon is currently in the Dominican Republic to attend the funeral of his mother.

The team most commonly associated with the starting pitching market at this time is the Angels, who have lost both Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs to season-ending surgery this month (Skaggs’ Tommy John surgery will sideline him for 2015 as well). However, the Dodgers also have a need in the rotation due to injuries, and some have speculated that the Pirates could benefit from a rotation upgrade as well.

AL West Notes: Angels, Holland, Telis, Feldman

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The Angels have watched the Athletics add Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester — and now Geovany Soto — to an already-strong club, but they don’t feel a compulsion to make similar moves, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes. “You have to make sure you tend your own garden,” says Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. “Don’t worry about what they’re doing. Do what you know will help our team get better.” The Angels will be without Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs for the rest of the season, but Dipoto points out that acquiring a starter to replace someone like Richards is different from acquiring a backup catcher, as the Athletics did today. The Angels did recently add Gordon Beckham in a trade with the White Sox. Here’s more from the AL West.

  • Derek Holland has missed all of this season due to a knee injury, but he’s excited to return to the Rangers in the near future, writes Christian Corona of MLB.com. “There’s no doubt I’m ready. That’s for sure. It’s just now, are they ready for me to come back?” says Holland. “I’ll take whatever they give me. I’m happy to be playing after what I’ve been through.” Holland has recently had back spasms, which could be a complicating factor, although he now says his back isn’t bothering him. Either way, his return will surely be a day of relief for the Rangers, whose season has been destroyed by injuries to Holland, Prince Fielder, Jurickson Profar, Matt Harrison, Martin Perez, Alexi Ogando and numerous others.
  • With Soto’s departure, the Rangers promoted rookie Tomas Telis, and giving them a preview of what the position might look like for them in 2015, ESPN Dallas’ Calvin Watkins writes. Telis will back up Robinson Chirinos for now, and the Rangers will decide which of them will start next season. “[Telis has] really taken a step forward with his game,” says GM Jon Daniels. “I want to take a look at both those guys.” Top prospect Jorge Alfaro still looks like the Rangers’ catcher of the future, but for now, he’s at Double-A Frisco.
  • Scott Feldman isn’t concerned that the Astros placed him on revocable waivers, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle writes. “I don’t think it’s something to worry about,” Feldman says. “It’s part of the game. If they put me on waivers and somebody wants me it will probably be a win-win.” Feldman adds that he’s also happy to stay with the Astros. Feldman is in the first season of a three-year, $30MM contract, so it’s unclear whether someone will claim him. If they want to, they’ll have to do it by tomorrow. The Angels and Tigers might be possibilities, as Peter Gammons noted earlier today.

Placed On Revocable Waivers: Sunday

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Bartolo Colon is reportedly on revocable waivers at the moment (his waiver period expires tomorrow), but he is of course just one of many names to be in that situation. We’ll keep track of the players that are reported to be on revocable waivers today in this post…

  • Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons reports that the Astros placed Scott Feldman and Chad Qualls on revocable waivers yesterday, meaning their waiver periods will expire tomorrow (Twitter link). The Angels and Tigers will both monitor the situation, he notes, referring to Anaheim’s need for rotation help and Detroit’s bullpen needs. Feldman is owed roughly $22.4MM through 2016 as part of a front-loaded three-year, $30MM pact. He’s posted a 4.37 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate this season. His salary commitment, like Cahill, gives him a realistic chance of falling to the Angels, in my view.
  • Qualls has been excellent out of the Houston bullpen, notching a 3.07 ERA with 7.8 K/9, 1.0 BB/9 and a 56.7 percent ground-ball rate in 44 innings this year. He’s owed about $3.78MM through 2015 on his current contract. That sum includes the remainder of this season’s $2.7MM salary, next year’s $3MM guarantee and the $250K buyout on a $3.5MM option for the 2016 season.

Earlier Updates

  • The Diamondbacks appear to be putting a large chunk of their roster through waivers this weekend, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Trevor Cahill, Oliver Perez, Cliff Pennington, Addison Reed and Brad Ziegler are all on revocable waivers. At first glance, Cahill would appear to be a sure thing to clear, given his $12MM salary in 2015 and the fact that he already cleared outright waivers earlier this year after struggling. However, Cahill has a 3.43 ERA in 42 innings since returning from Triple-A, and it’s fair to speculate about an injury-ravaged team like the Angels placing a claim with the hopes that he can sustain the turnaround. Cahill is guaranteed about $13.7MM through the end of the 2015 season, but his contract also contains a pair of reasonable club options (reasonable, of course, assuming he is effective). His team can exercise a $13MM option ($300K buyout) for 2016 and a $13.5MM option ($500K buyout) for 2017.
  • As Rosenthal notes, virtually every reliever being placed on waivers is being claimed. Even non-contending clubs could look to claim any of Arizona’s three relief arms known to be on waivers, as each is controlled beyond 2014. Perez will probably generate the most interest given his strong results and the modest $2.8MM remaining on his deal. Reed’s save totals will inflate his price tag in arbitration, while the D’Backs have reportedly shown no interest in parting with Ziegler all summer.
  • Teams may be wary of claiming Pennington, who is owed $639K through season’s end, due to his injury troubles in 2014 and his history of modest offensive contributions. He’s arb-eligible following the season, but he’s a non-tender candidate after earning $3.25MM this season.

For a more complete explanation of how revocable trade waivers and August trades work, check out MLBTR’s August Trades primer. You can also check out MLBTR’s list of players that have cleared revocable waivers to see who is eligible to be traded to any team.

AL West Notes: Angels, Feldman, A’s, Cano

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The Angels have had a run of terrible luck in the second half, losing both Tyler Skaggs (Tommy John surgery) and Garrett Richards (torn left patellar tendon) for the remainder of the 2014 season (Skaggs will miss most or all of 2015 as well). Following the news of Richards’ diagnosis yesterday, GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters he would be on the lookout for further pitching help. As quoted by MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (Twitter links): “Between now and Sept. 1, we’ll try to be as open as we can be. And after Sept. 1, hopefully what we’re missing in Garrett Richards we’re able to somewhat make up for in volume and depth.”

Here’s the latest on Anaheim’s search for pitching and other Angels-related matters…

  • The Angels have been connected to Bartolo Colon in the wake of these injuries, but Peter Gammons reports (Twitter links) that he’s heard Astros right-hander Scott Feldman’s name in connection with the Halos as well. However, neither right-hander had been put on waivers as of earlier this morning, and Gammons notes that it might be difficult for the Angels to land a pitcher on waivers because, as one baseball source explained to him, the Orioles and Yankees “are claiming everyone.”
  • Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times looks at the diverse background of educations in the Athletics’ front office and how those varying personalities fuel the team’s analytical approaches. Baxter spoke with assistant GMs David Forst and Farhan Zaidi for the piece, with Zaidi noting: “It cultivates a lot of debate in our office, just having diverse educational backgrounds and having people that aren’t necessarily guys who have spent their whole careers in the industry … As a group we are less prone to just let assumptions stand and let opinions go unopposed.”
  • Robinson Cano is hitting .329/.397/.469 and has been worth five-plus wins above replacement this season, but Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes that his on-field work isn’t the only way he contributes to the Mariners. Divish spoke with skipper Lloyd McClendon and outfielder Dustin Ackley about Cano’s positive and relaxed personality and the impact that his demeanor has on the team.
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