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MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Boston Searches for a Boss, Kim Ng and Surgery for Brandon Woodruff

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What is one team you anticipate will aggressively attempt to contend this season but believe should focus on rebuilding, and one club you expect to act passively during the offseason but think should make a more concerted effort to contend? (15:45)
  • The Pirates’ competitive window should start to open in 2024 but they badly need to address 1B and SP this winter. I’ve talked myself into Ty France (if Dipoto feels the need to upgrade there) and Patrick Sandoval (if the Angels decide to blow it up) as being great fits. Do you like those options or have any other names that could wind up in Pittsburgh? (20:00)
  • To me it seems to be very futile to have great success in the 162 game grind, win your division (by a large margin often) and lose to a lesser team. I get it that baseball is all about who’s hot at the moment but when the best all get upset in the beginning of the playoffs it does give one pause. There surely should be more advantage/reward for regular season achievements. (22:25)

Check out our past episodes!

  • The Mets’ Front Office, TJ for Alcantara and the D-Backs Extend Their GM – listen here
  • Mariners To Spend? Tigers To Contend? And Managerial Vacancies – listen here​
  • Free Agent Pitching Dark Horses, Padres To Cut Payroll, and If The Angels Should Rebuild — listen here

Twins Inquiring On Teoscar Hernandez, Ty France

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According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Twins are among the teams that have checked in with the Mariners regarding outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and infielder Ty France in their search for a right-handed bat.

Adding some right-handed thump to the lineup is a sensible choice for Minnesota. The Twins’ collective 82 wRC+ against southpaws this season is better than only the Rockies in MLB, so an additional righty bat to go along with Donovan Solano against left-handed pitching could provide a boost to their lineup, particularly with Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis on the injured list. While both Hernandez (93 wRC+) and France (98 wRC+) are having down seasons relative to their career norms, both players are still crushing left-handed pitching this year, with wRC+ figures of 142 and 129, respectively.

As a rental, Hernandez figures to be the cheaper bat in terms of acquisition cost, though he’d join an already-crowded outfield mix in Minnesota that already features Joey Gallo, Michael A. Taylor, Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner, to say nothing of the possibility that Byron Buxton gets healthy enough to return to center field at some point this season. What’s more, Hernandez leads the majors in strikeouts this season, and adding another whiff-prone bat to a lineup that already includes Gallo further muddies the fit between Minnesota and the 30-year-old slugger.

That could leave France as the cleaner fit in Minnesota, where he would provide the Twins with a long term, right-handed complement to Alex Kirilloff at first base that they’ve been searching for since the offseason. While France also has experience at second and third base in his career, given the club’s abundant options at the position (including Solano, Kyle Farmer, Edouard Julien, and Jorge Polanco) it seems likely France’s playing time would primarily come at his natural position of first base.

Mariners Willing To Listen To Trade Offers On Ty France, Teoscar Hernández

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The Mariners are listening to offers on certain players on their roster, with Bob Nightengale of USA Today listing Ty France, Teoscar Hernández and Paul Sewald among those being discussed. Their openness on Sewald was reported last week.

The fact that the Mariners are listening to offers isn’t necessarily a shock, as most front offices these days take the approach that no one on the roster is untouchable and it’s worth hearing out all offers as a way to gauge the market. But the Mariners are in a position where dealing major league players might not be an outlandish thought.

Their 54-51 record is solid, but has them in fourth place in a strong American League West. The teams above them in the division have already been some of the most aggressive this week, with the Rangers recently acquiring Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton while the Angels grabbed Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk. The Astros haven’t been quite so bold but did get Kendall Graveman from the White Sox, in addition to welcoming Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez back from the injured list.

The Mariners aren’t totally buried, currently sitting 5.5 games back in the division and 4.5 in the Wild Card race. FanGraphs still gives them a 16.9% chance of making the playoffs while Baseball Prospectus puts them at 15.2%. But since their position isn’t strong enough to be firm buyers, they might have to at least consider some selling, something that president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently admitted.

Listening on Hernández is understandable, as he’s an impending free agent. This summer’s market is generally considered to be light on impact bats, which could lead to the M’s receiving notable offers that help them in the future. But they would have to weigh those offers against hurting their chances here in 2023.

Acquired from the Blue Jays in the offseason, Hernández isn’t having his best season. His .238/.288/.408 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 93, or seven percent below league average. But he hit .283/.333/.519 with the Jays from 2020 to 2022 for a 132 wRC+. The M’s were undoubtedly hoping for something more when they gave up Erik Swanson and Adam Macko for Hernández, especially considering his $14MM salary, but perhaps they can still recoup something before the deadline. Despite his diminished production, perhaps some club is willing to bank on his track record, especially with the aforementioned market conditions.

France would be a very different situation, as he can still be retained via arbitration for two more seasons beyond this one. Like Hernández, he’s having a down year relative to his own previous production, having hit .285/.355/.443 from 2020 to 2022 for a 128 wRC+ but just .253/.324/.367 this year for a 100 wRC+. That means that trading him now would be selling low and also punting on a player who could still help in the seasons to come. He’s making $4.1MM this year and will be due raises in the next two years before reaching free agency after 2025.

The Mariners have received a tremendous showing from Mike Ford recently, who was added to their roster at the start of June and has hit 11 home runs since then, serving primarily as the club’s designated hitter. His .238/.302/.540 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 131. He comes with three further seasons of arbitration control, so perhaps the M’s might have some willingness to cash in France and try to put Ford at first base, but that would be a risky path. Ford’s breakout this year has come in just 139 plate appearances while he’s continued to strike out at a 35.3% clip and see 30.6% of his fly balls clear the fence. Since he hit .201/.301/.387 in 468 plate appearances prior to this year, he seems ripe for some regression.

The M’s might have to make some difficult decisions between now and the deadline, given the spot they’re in. They’re not totally out of it but would have to leapfrog teams like the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox before they’re even on the edge of a playoff spot. They could decide to make some moves that help them next year, though it might involve further limiting their chances here in 2023. It might also require them to sell low on players like Hernández and France. But the trade market was already light on impact bats, even before the Cubs pulled Cody Bellinger off the market. It’s understandable why the M’s might want to assess their options and see what a light selloff can do for them, but it would surely be a tough pill to swallow after they made the postseason last year for the first time since 2001.

Mariners Place Julio Rodriguez, Dylan Moore On 10-Day IL; Ty France To Undergo MRI

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The Mariners placed outfielder Julio Rodriguez (right wrist contusion) and utilityman Dylan Moore (back spasms) on the 10-day injured list.  Jarred Kelenic has been called up from Triple-A, and first baseman/outfielder Jack Larsen’s contract has been selected from Double-A.  To make room for Larsen on the 40-man roster, left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been designated for assignment.

Last night’s 5-4 win over the Astros was a costly victory for the Mariners, as Rodriguez, Moore, and Sam Haggerty (due to a cut on his forehead) all had to leave the game, making Seattle’s late-inning triumph all the more improbable.  If that wasn’t enough, Ty France is also set to undergo an MRI, as his bothersome left wrist injury again flared up late in the game.

Rodriguez’s injury drew the most immediate concern after the star rookie was hit on the right hand while swinging, though x-rays were negative.  Rodriguez is still sore enough that he won’t be able to swing for the next 4-5 days, manager Scott Servais told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, and thus the IL stint was necessary to both keep the Mariners from being undermanned and to give Rodriguez time to get healthy.

There’s no easy way to replace Rodriguez, who has quickly cemented himself as both the present and future of Seattle baseball.  The outfielder is the heavy favorite to capture AL Rookie Of The Year honors, unless this IL stint lingers or impacts Rodriguez’s production once he does return.  Likewise, France also made the AL All-Star team this year and has basically done nothing but hit since the M’s acquired him from the Padres at the 2020 trade deadline.

Rodriguez and France are the Mariners’ two team leaders in fWAR, so losing at least one and potentially both to injury just prior to the trade deadline leaves Seattle’s front office in a tight spot.  President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto implied that after the Luis Castillo trade, the M’s could be done with any huge moves, and were relying on Mitch Haniger’s return to boost the offense rather than rely on any outside pieces.  The Mariners still have over 52 hours to monitor and evaluate Rodriguez and France before the 5pm CT deadline on August 2, but if there’s any uncertainty, the aggressive Dipoto might opt to swing at least a depth trade for the lineup just in case.

Moore has been a valuable player in his own right, posting a 116 wRC+ (from five homers and a .197/.350/.367 slash line in 185 PA) and playing at least one game at seven different positions around the diamond this season.  Abraham Toro will have to pick up some of the utility slack in the interim, though Toro has mostly played only second and third base during his two seasons with the Mariners.  Back spasms might not sideline Moore for much beyond the 10-day minimum, yet Dipoto could also explore adding a multi-position player to help fill Moore’s shoes in the short term.

Kelenic will get another opportunity to establish himself in the majors after struggling badly in first 473 plate appearances in the Show.  Kelenic has hit .173/.256/.338 as a big leaguer, with an ungainly 30% strikeout rate.  That swing-and-miss has crept into Kelenic’s work in the minors, as though he is hitting well at Triple-A, his strikeout rate over 252 PA for Tacoma this season is 23.8%, considerably up from 15.4% in 143 Triple-A PA in 2021.

Larsen went undrafted in 2017, but after inking a deal with the Mariners shortly after the amateur draft, the UC San Diego product is now on the verge of his Major League debut without so much as a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level.  The 27-year-old has played all three outfield positions and a handful of games as a first baseman, though Larsen hasn’t played any center field this year.  At the plate, Larsen has hit .266/.371/.444 in 564 career PA in Double-A ball.  Neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rate Larsen as one of the 30 best prospects in Seattle’s farm system.

Misiewicz has been a regular in the Mariners’ bullpen for the last three seasons, but he was optioned to Triple-A in June after posting a 4.61 ERA and only a 14% strikeout rate in 13 2/3 innings this season.  The M’s are known to be looking for bullpen help before the deadline, and left-handed relief could be a particular need, as Misiewicz’s struggles further lessened a pen already thin on southpaws.  It isn’t out of the question that Misiewicz could be claimed on DFA waivers, given how other clubs are constantly on the hunt for left-handed relief.

List Of All-Star Roster Replacements

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7:25PM: Freddie Freeman is also joining the NL roster, as the league announced that the Dodgers first baseman is replacing Starling Marte.

4:04PM: The league announced that the Cardinals’ Miles Mikolas has now been added to the NL roster, taking the spot of Brewers righty Corbin Burnes.

July 17, 1:15PM: The Mariners have announced that Ty France will be joining the festivities as well. MLB later announced the addition as well, noting that he is replacing Mike Trout. With Trout not taking part, Byron Buxton will move into the starting center fielder role for the American League.

10:05AM: MLB has announced three more additions, with one of them being the previously reported addition of Williams. The other two are closers: Liam Hendriks of the White Sox and Jordan Romano of the Blue Jays. Those three will replace Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Max Fried.

July 16, 11:01PM: Brewers reliever Devin Williams has also been named to the NL roster, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).

7:11:PM: Four replacements were announced to the All-Star rosters, taking the spots of four other players who won’t be part of the Midsummer Classic.  Dodgers left-hander Tyler Anderson, Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, and Braves third baseman Austin Riley will be joining the National League’s team, while Blue Jays second baseman Santiago Espinal has been named to the American League’s roster.

Espinal is replacing Jose Altuve, who was hit in the knee by a pitch on Thursday.  Altuve sat out Friday’s action and is back in the Astros lineup tonight as the DH, but even though he is well enough to play, Altuve and the Astros will use the All-Star break to get the second baseman fully back to 100 percent.  Altuve had been voted in as the AL’s starter at second baseman, but now the Guardians’ Andres Gimenez take over as the starter for Tuesday’s game.

Jazz Chisholm was voted as the NL’s starting second baseman, but the Marlins standout will also be missing the game due to his lower back injury.  Chisholm has been on the 10-day injured list since June 28, but he has been working out at the Marlins’ spring camp, and taking part in baseball activities.  There isn’t a set timeline for Chisholm’s return, but the team is hopeful Chisholm can be activated for the start of the second half.  With Chisholm out, Jeff McNeil becomes the NL’s new starter at the keystone, while Cronenworth will take over the backup infield role.

Giants lefty Carlos Rodon is also battling injury, opening the door for Anderson to receive the first All-Star nod of his seven-year career.  Rodon has both a blister and a split nail on the middle finger of his throwing hand, and told  Henry Schulman and other reporters that he is skipping the ASG in order to give the injury time to properly heal.  There isn’t yet any indication that Rodon might require a visit to the injured list, and since Rodon last pitched on Thursday, he’ll receive at least a full week off between starts.

Riley was perhaps the most prominent omission from the original All-Star roster, given how the Braves slugger has posted some huge numbers over the first half.  However, as it often the case with “snubs,” the situation sorted itself out once other players started to drop out.  Riley will be taking the place of Nolan Arenado, as the Cardinals third baseman will use the break to rest a lingering back problem.

Mariners Place Ty France On 10-Day IL With Flexor Strain

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3:47PM: The Mariners have officially announced France’s IL placement, which is retroactive to June 24.  Infielder Drew Ellis was called up from Triple-A to take France’s spot on the active roster.

8:45AM: Mariners first baseman Ty France tells Daniel Kramer of MLB.com that he has a Grade 2 flexor strain in his left arm and will be placed on the 10-day injured list.

France was playing first base on Thursday when Sheldon Neuse hit a ground ball that resulted in a close play at the bag. As France reached for the throw, he and Neuse made contact, with Neuse’s body appearing to bend France’s wrist back. France dropped to the ground in obvious pain and left the game.

Losing France will undoubtedly be a blow to the Mariners, as he has been the club’s best hitter over the past two years. Acquired from the Padres in a seven-player deal at the 2020 deadline, France hit .291/.368/.445 last year. That resulted in a 129 wRC+, the highest such mark among qualified Mariners on the year. This season, he’s taken his game to an even higher level, as he’s currently hitting .316/.390/.476, which gives him a 157 wRC+. That’s easily the best mark among qualified hitters on the team and the 11th-best in all of baseball this year.

Subtracting that kind of production would hurt any lineup, but the Mariners will face a particular challenge, given the lack of obvious options to step up and take his place. France has started all but three of Seattle’s game at first base this year, with Abraham Toro getting one and Dylan Moore getting the other two. Toro is having a miserable season, currently sitting on a line of .167/.217/.307. He’s also the team’s utility infielder, being used to give the occasional off-day to players like Adam Frazier and Eugenio Suarez, making him ill-suited to take over everyday action at first. Moore is hitting .170/.342/.330 in a part-time role. Despite the low batting average, his 14.2% walk rate is helping him to a wRC+ of 107, though that might be harder to maintain with full-time at-bats. Evan White, who once seemed like the club’s first baseman of the future, is currently on the 60-day IL. Kramer recently noted that he’s not close to a return and won’t be able to fill in.

Despite an aggressive offseason and high expectations coming into the season, the Mariners are in a tight spot right now. Their 33-39 record places them six games out of a playoff spot as of today. The trade deadline is just over a month away, making the next batch of games very important for teams to determine how aggressive they want to be as the August 2 deadline approaches. The Mariners will now have to navigate at least ten days of that stretch without their best bat.

Dipoto: Mariners Not Willing To Supplant J.P. Crawford At Shortstop

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Mariners’ president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to reporters during this week’s GM meetings, offering a lot of insight into how the team plans to operate this offseason. While Dipoto delivered coy equivocations like “It’s incumbent on us to go add where we can add and improve where we can improve,” he did draw some lines in the sand that may dictate the Mariners’ involvement in certain markets this winter.

One such line in the sand, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, was Dipoto’s proclamation that J.P. Crawford will remain the team’s starting shortstop going into next season. Dipoto had already gone on record about the team’s desire to supplement their core with versatile free agents, which notably meant surrounding building blocks like Crawford with talent instead of outright replacing them.

While it won’t register as much of a surprise that a team wants to keep its Gold Glove-capable shortstop entrenched at the position, it is notable at this point to mention which contenders may turn their nose up at the star shortstops on this year’s market. Even if the Mariners dabble in the shortstop market this summer however, Dipoto made it clear that any free agent will be asked to move off the position in deference to Crawford.

There was another line Seattle’s top decision maker has indicated his team is unwilling to cross: no trades of top prospects. “There’s no scenario where we will move the top prospects in our system, the guys who are prominent in our system” stated Dipoto, per Corey Brock of the Athletic.  Seattle has been in prospect accumulation mode for a few seasons now, launching their farm system into the number two spot on MLB Pipeline’s most recent league wide ranking. It’s hard to fault the famously trade-happy Dipoto for taking a more measured approach with his prospect capital this offseason— after all, top prospects like Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby can save the team millions of dollars if they prove Major League-ready next year.

As far as free agents are concerned, Dipoto expects to be more engaged in that part of the player-accumulation process than he has in the past. Brock recites some previously speculated free agent targets that fit the versatile player mold Seattle is aiming for, like Kris Bryant and Marcus Semien, while also throwing less heralded utility man Leury Garcia’s name into the mix. Additionally, the team will look to add multiple starters to the rotation this winter, with Brock speculating Jon Gray, Marcus Stroman, and Anthony DeSclafani as potential fits.

Divish, meanwhile, reported some updates on the existing roster, which will help inform the team (and its fans) which free agents are worth pursuing. Notably, Ty France has been told he will be the team’s starting first baseman next season. Recovering first baseman and previous Gold Glove winner Evan White has been tasked with getting some reps in left field to increase his positional versatility, though the team will continue to view him as a first base-first option. Dipoto all but confirmed that the current catching triumvirate Tom Murphy, Cal Raleigh, and Luis Torrens (plus Jose Godoy) will stick into next season as well.

To top it all off, Dipoto also offered some news on a few of the team’s most foundational pieces. Kyle Lewis, for instance, continues to recover from knee surgery and is questionable for Spring Training. Fellow outfielder Jarred Kelenic is healthy, but can perhaps attribute some of his debut season underperformance to playing center field. Dipoto acknowledged that the 22-year-old Kelenic is not an optimal fit in center field but will likely continue to see playing time there next season due to market scarcity at the position and existing organizational depth. In one last piece of positive health news, Justin Dunn has also been cleared for a normal offseason and is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

West Notes: Angels, Adell, Mariners, France, Diamondbacks, Widener

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Angels manager Joe Maddon spoke with his GM Perry Minasian about potentially turning to top prospect Jo Adell in the wake of Mike Trout’s injury, per Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (via Twitter). Ultimately, the Angels feel Adell needs more development time and that takes precedence to the team’s need in the short-term. Adell has hit .246/.319/.631 in Triple-A, but his strikeout rate remains disconcertingly high at 36.1 percent. Elsewhere out west…

  • Ty France could be back as early as tomorrow for the Mariners, per Corey Brock of the Athletic (via Twitter). Left wrist inflammation sent France to the injured list in the middle of May. France has walked at a career-best 10.5 percent rate in 153 plate appearances this season, but his numbers have otherwise been a touch down from last year. Still, despite a .278 BABIP and .137 ISO, both of which should rebound at least a touch, France has still been five percent better than average with the bat. If he’s not back on Tuesday, the Mariners regardless expect him to return at some point in their series against Oakland.
  • Taylor Widener was removed from his start today with right groin discomfort, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Widener had just been activated from the injured list after a groin injury, so this is certainly an unwelcome development for the right-hander. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings before handing the ball to the bullpen. The bullpen did a nice job keeping the Diamondbacks in the game, but they ultimately lost 4-3 to the Rockies, their eighth straight loss.

Mariners Place Evan White, Ty France On 10-Day IL

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The Mariners announced that they have placed first baseman Evan White (strained left hip flexor) and infielder Ty France (left wrist inflammation) on the 10-day injured list. They recalled infielders Donovan Walton and Jack Mayfield in corresponding moves.

White struggled as a rookie in 2020 after signing a six-year, $24MM contract, and his offensive production has gotten even worse this season. Although White has slashed his strikeout rate by almost 12 percent since last year, he has still only mustered a .144/.202/.237 line with two home runs in 104 plate appearances. The 25-year-old’s wRC+ (29) ranks last in the majors among hitters who have amassed 100-plus PA, and though White’s .241 expected weighted on-base average paints a better picture than his .200 real wOBA, it’s still a dreary figure.

When White hasn’t started at first base this year, the Mariners have turned to France and Jose Marmolejos. They’re now also without France, who has been mired in a slump this month after a highly productive April. However, France still owns an above-average line of .229/.333/.366 (108 wRC+) with three home runs in 153 trips to the plate, and he has been versatile. Most of his work has come at designated hitter, but along with lining up there and at first base, he has logged 15 starts at second and another at third.

AL West Notes: Correa, France, Athletics

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Astros shortstop Carlos Correa projects as one of the top free agents on next year’s market, though both he and the team have made clear that they hope to hammer out an extension before he reaches the market. Correa told reporters today that those talks have yet to begin, noting that the finger injury to Framber Valdez and the front office’s subsequent negotiations with free agents may have delayed the beginning of talks (Twitter link, with video, via Mark Berman of FOX 26). Correa was understanding of that and remains motivated to talk contract, though as is often the case with extension candidates, he placed a firm Opening Day deadline on any talks for a new deal. Houston GM James Click said in late February that the Astros “want to have some conversations” with Correa’s camp to see if the two sides can align on a deal to keep him long term.

Astros fans may also be interested to hear skipper Dusty Baker talk of Correa as a potential leadoff candidate in 2021. Correa hit leadoff today and told reporters he’s excited for the possibility of taking on that challenge (video link via Berman). Leadoff duties have traditionally been George Springer’s department in Houston, of course, but his departure creates a vacancy atop the lineup.

More from the division…

  • Ty France may not have a set position with the Mariners, but the team plans to get him 500-plus plate appearances in 2020, writes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. As Divish notes, Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto tried to pry France away from the Padres on multiple occasions before successfully landing him as part of the Austin Nola trade last summer. Manager Scott Servais spoke glowingly of France’s work so far this spring, and Divish suggests that France could get semi-regular work at designated hitter while also seeing occasional starts at third base, second base and first base to keep the Mariners’ infielders fresh. France is 8-for-13 with a pair of doubles, three homers, a walk and no strikeouts this spring. He batted .305/.368/.468 in 155 big league plate appearances last year and is a career .372/.454/.713 hitter in 458 Triple-A plate appearances (albeit in a supercharged Pacific Coast League offensive environment).
  • The Athletics will continue to build up southpaw Cole Irvin as a starting pitcher in camp, writes Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland acquired the lefty from the Phillies in exchange for cash over the winter, and although the bulk of his work in the Majors has come out of the ’pen, the A’s plan to continue building him up to serve as a possible depth option behind their current rotation. Only three of Irvin’s 19 Major League appearances with the Phils were starts, but 41 of his 43 career appearances in Triple-A came out of the rotation. The 27-year-old carries a 3.07 ERA at that level, and while his 18.8 percent strikeout rate is a good ways shy of average, his 4.7 percent walk rate is excellent.
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