Puig was an elite star for a short period of time. Guy plays hard but takes MLB life for granted
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Pirates with a classic salary dump trade yesterday in dealing Liriano to the Jays. Had to give up 2 of their top 10 prospects though.
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Terry Collins reiterated that Jon Niese should "be ready" for a potential start down the road, but the plan is to use him out of the bullpen.
The Mets are committed to keeping Logan Verrett in the rotation, according to the manager. "We're kind of committed to what we have," Collins saidComment -
Puig is a cocky pile of poop.Comment -
You guys think TULO will sit out the Royals road tripComment -
You can eliminate over half the teams in baseball. He's not going to play in the midwest or anywhere other than a big city. He's a premadonna, un-coachable...he's a disaster. He's steadily gotten worse, not better. He was worth the headache when he was playing well. The book is out on him and he's unwilling to adapt or put in the work. Sad, when you wear a t-shirt that says you are on time...like that is something to be proud of.Comment -
The Dodges and A’s have officially struck a deal that will deliver Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to Los Angeles. In return, per reports, Oakland will pick up an appealing trio of young righties: Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes, and Jharel Cotton. With the move, the Dodgers have filled two evident needs even as they seek to overtake the Giants in a tightly-contested NL West. With Andre Ethier a question mark and Clayton Kershaw still facing his own uncertainties, now was the time to strike. The move may also help free the team to deal away talented but struggling outfielder Yasiel Puig, who has increasingly seen his name churn through the rumor mill.
[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics Depth Charts]
Los Angeles chose to fill its desire for a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder and an added starter in a single stroke, and did it without paying for future years of control. Both Reddick and Hill are set to reach the open market after the season — which they’ll now do without any threat of a qualifying offer hanging over their heads. Neither is an expensive piece, but the Dodgers will presumably take over the rest of the contracts; Reddick is playing on a $6.575MM deal, while Hill’s free agent contract promises him $6MM for the season, leaving just over $4.3MM combined on the tab.
There’s an argument to be made that the Dodgers pulled in the two best pure rental pieces on the market. Reddick, 29, has improved upon already-strong results in the prior two seasons, running out a .296/.368/.449 slash over 272 plate appearances on the year. Though he doesn’t generally deliver huge counting stats, Reddick is usually good for double-digit home run and (occasionally) steal tallies, and is playing at that kind of pace again this year.
Reddick did miss time earlier in the year with a broken thumb, though that was suffered on a hit-by-pitch and he seems fully recovered. It should be noted that, while Reddick comes with a solid pedigree with the glove, defensive metrics aren’t as enamored of his work in right as they once were.
As for Hill, the injury concerns are slightly more present. He recovered from a groin strain, but is currently on the disabled list after a finger blister failed to recover as hoped. It is believed to be a minor issue, but Hill isn’t immediately available for the Dodgers — which possibly leaves added space for the team to chase another arm.
There were indications late yesterday that the A’s could be looking into a late-breaking extension with Hill to avoid trading him at a reduced rate. Instead, the team managed to create a package arrangement to maximize his value. In addition to the minor injury questions at present, Hill has dealt with durability issues in the past. And most notably, he hadn’t been a useful pitcher for quite some time before his sudden breakout at the tail end of 2015 with the Red Sox.
Oakland clearly made out well on the calculated gamble to sign Hill over the winter. Over his 76 frames on the year, he carries a 2.25 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 to go with a 50% groundball rate. Hill has allowed just 55 hits and two home runs in that span. He has obviously been quite difficult to square up despite relying most heavily on just two pitches — a four-seam fastball and curve, with a slider and change also mixed in.
That duo didn’t come cheaply, of course. Montas, Holmes, and Cotton have all been considered quality young hurlers for quite some time. While it’s not entirely clear that any or all will stick as starters in the majors, they possess quality arms and gobs of control that should serve Oakland for many years to come.
As things stand at present, Holmes probably rates at the top of the group at present. A first-round pick from the 2014 draft, Holmes has shown some swing and miss stuff and currently owns a 4.02 ERA with 8.5 K/9 vs. 3.7 BB/9 over 105 1/3 frames at the High-A level. He sits within the recent mid-season top-100 prospect rankings of Baseball America (#60) and MLB.com (#82).
Montas may well be rated even higher — BA has him at 82nd — but he has been limited by a rib problem for much of the season. He came over in the three-team Todd Frazier deal over the winter after briefly reaching the majors last year, and was impressive in his 16 frames on the year, but remains a bit of an injury question.
As for Cotton, it had seemed he was knocking on the door after streaking up the ranks of the Dodgers’ farm last year. But he has put up only a 4.90 ERA in his first full run at Triple-A. Still, he has racked up 11.0 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 while allowing only 80 hits. Trouble is, 17 of those have gone for homers in the hitter-friendly PCL, but there’s good reason to believe that Cotton will be a major league contributor.Comment -
Top 2 NL rookies likely out the rest of the season.Comment -
Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel was placed on the bereavement list on Wednesday while the Cubs recalled reliever Justin Grimm to take his place. Hammel is still expected to make his next start on Tuesday.Comment -
Brewers and Padres are starting rookie shortstops called up during the past week.
Orlando Arcia made his major league debut Tuesday night for the Brewers, and Jose Rondon made his third start for the Padres.Comment -
The Mets will place outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on the 15-day DL, manager Terry Collins told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tonight (Twitter link). The star slugger has been playing through a quad issue, but hope that extended rest will help him get back to full capacity.
Cespedes appeared in tonight’s action, but felt added discomfort while at the plate, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter). He has been quite productive despite the lingering injury. The concern, it seems, was that the club would need to allot frequent rest and limit Cespedes’s exposure to center field just to manage the problem, which would ultimately fail to address it while leaving him at risk of exacerbating things.
It’s still a tough blow to a New York organization that fell to 55 and 52 with tonight’s loss, putting them 8.5 games out of the NL East. While the recent addition of Jay Bruce ought to help offset the loss of offensive productivity, the hope had been that he’d be adding to the middle of the lineup. Brandon Nimmo will return from Triple-A to round out the roster.Comment -
Clayton Kershaw now extended to the 60 day DL.Comment -
Jabari Blash hit his first MLB homer yesterday for SD
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Troy Tulowitzki will be back in the lineup today. Jays lucky they did not lose him for longerComment -
Twins game went over again today. That makes 6 in a row.Comment -
Sergio Romo was the WP for the Giants today - despite facing zero hitters. (Got one out on a CS.)
First to do that since Alan Embree - 7 years ago!Comment -
Aaron Sanchez will stay in the Blue Jays rotation with them going to a six-man roatation.Comment -
As had been widely expected, the Phillies will promote righty Jake Thompson to the big leagues for the first time, per Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice (Twitter link). He’ll make his debut start on Saturday.
The move is partially tied to Philly’s placement of fellow young righty Aaron Nola on the 15-day DL, which opened a rotation spot. But the real driver is Thompson’s performance. Over his 129 2/3 innings on the year in his first attempt at Triple-A, Thompson carries a 2.50 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.
While that strikeout rate isn’t all that compelling, Philadelphia obviously felt it was time to give him a shot at the game’s highest level. The Phils are quickly building a formidable young rotation, and the organization surely hopes not only to give Thompson his first taste of the majors, but also to get a sense of how ready he will be to shoulder a full starter’s load in 2017.
In years past, Thompson has seen his name in headlines this time of year for rather a different reason. After being shipped from the Tigers to the Rangers in 2014’s Joakim Soria deal, Thompson went to the Phils last summer as a piece of the Cole Hamels package. Thompson will again be looking for a new place to stay this August, but this time it’ll be with the same organization.
A second-round pick in the 2012 draft, Thompson has rated as a leaguewide, top-100 prospect entering each of the last two seasons. There are varying ways to characterize his potential, with some giving him a shot at harnessing his four-pitch mix to become a top-of-the-rotation presence and others viewing him more as a durable, solid piece who has a somewhat limited ceiling.
The Phillies will soon begin to get an idea of just what they have in Thompson, who was arguably the key piece in the Hamels swap. Philadelphia’s big league roster already features three very promising young hurlers in Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, and Vincent Velasquez, and Thompson will be bidding to take up a similar place in a new-look staff.Comment -
Good luck Jake ThompsonComment -
Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann's MRI results have returned clear, as others have also reported.
He is slated to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. Has to be a massive relief for Tigers and state of rotation considering they just got him back this week after he spent more than a month on the disabled list with a right neck strain.Comment -
Rockies blow 2 run lead in the ninth. terrible choke jobs latelyComment -
The non-waiver trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, and in the since last installment of MLBTR’s Top Trade Candidates, we’ve seen 20 of the players listed on the Top 50 list moved (including each of the top eight) as well as a few names that had originally just missed the cut (Hector Santiago, Joaquin Benoit) and a few that missed the list entirely (e.g. Brandon Guyer, Mike Montgomery, Scott Feldman). The end result drastically altered the top of the list.
- Derek Norris, C, Padres: The Padres still have Austin Hedges demolishing Triple-A El Paso, and with Christian Bethancourt also playing well this year, Norris doesn’t look like a future piece for the Friars. They could hope he rebuilds some value in August and look to move him this winter, but they were shopping him hard in late July and there’s no reason to think they won’t be motivated to move him in August whether he’s claimed or clears trade waivers.
- Adam Lind, 1B/DH, Mariners: Lind hasn’t hit in his lone season with Seattle, and the Mariners picked up another left-handed-hitting power bat for first base/DH in the form of Dan Vogelbach. GM Jerry Dipoto didn’t hesitate to move disappointing veterans (e.g. Benoit, Wade Miley, Joel Peralta), and the Mariners have Dae-ho Lee as insurance even if Vogelbach proves unready.
- Yasiel Puig, OF, Dodgers: We debated Puig’s placement on the list internally, but I left him with a high ranking not because I feel he’ll clear waivers, but rather because it’s easy to see a team like the Braves (who currently have pole position on the waiver wire) being genuinely motivated to get a deal worked out if they claim him. I can’t see many, if any teams passing on Puig, but in the off chance that he does clear waivers, he becomes even more likely to be dealt.
- Jim Johnson, RP, Braves: Johnson is cheap and has pitched well since returning from a DL stint on June 3 (1.69 ERA, 23-to-10 K/BB ratio, 55.6 percent ground-ball rate in 26 2/3 innings). The Braves explored deals for him prior to the non-waiver deadline, and a claiming team would probably give up a low-level prospect in order to add him to its bullpen for six or seven weeks (plus a potential postseason run).
- Danny Valencia, 3B/1B/OF, Athletics: Even after the trade of Josh Reddick, Valencia still isn’t getting regular playing time in Oakland. Ryon Healy is the top option at third base now, while Valencia jumps between both infield and outfield corner spots. He’s affordable, he’s mashing for the second straight year, and while he doesn’t have defensive value or a great clubhouse rep, Valencia’s bat makes him appealing to a number of teams.
- Kurt Suzuki, C, Twins: Interim GM Rob Antony told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he had some talks pertaining to Suzuki but nothing that compelled him to make a deal. Suzuki could easily be blocked if a team that doesn’t need a catcher claims him to stop him from reaching Cleveland (e.g. Seattle), but he can help a fringe contender if he gets there on waivers.
- Melky Cabrera, OF, White Sox: Cabrera isn’t challenging for any batting titles as he’s done in the past, but the switch-hitter is batting .297/.340/.455 with 20 homers dating back to June 1 of last season. He doesn’t provide any defensive value, but then again neither does Jay Bruce, who just netted the Reds a pair of nice prospects. Cabrera is priced the same in 2017 as Bruce ($13MM), and offers more OBP with less pop. He’s not as good of a hitter, but the difference between the two is a lot smaller than many realize when looking at the raw power numbers.
- Brian McCann, C, Yankees: McCann’s going to clear waivers by virtue of the $39.4MM left on his contract through 2018 (as of this writing), and at that point whether or not he’s moved will probably come down to how much money the Yankees are willing to eat to move him and clear a spot for Gary Sanchez to take the reins behind the plate.
- James Shields, SP, White Sox: Like McCann, Shields is all but a lock to clear waivers. He’s pitched well enough lately that the White Sox might not have to eat too much more of the $27MM he was owed upon their June acquisition of Shields. The peripherals on Shields are ugly, but a team in need of a back-of-the-rotation arm could consider him somewhat of a buy-low option if it believes that even his 2015 form can be rediscovered.
- Ervin Santana, SP, Twins: Minnesota doesn’t have an urge to move Santana — if they did, he’d be higher up on this list — and he’s pitched well enough that he could be claimed despite the $28MM he’s owed from 2017-18. Santana isn’t a steal, but he’s a fairly priced mid-rotation arm that could reportedly be obtained with a strong offer. Given the dearth of pitching on this year’s free agent class, a team could look to begin its offseason shopping this summer.
- Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies: I had Hellickson higher on this list originally, but if the Phillies didn’t find an offer to their liking in July, they’ll face a tougher time in finding a suitable offer in August. Hellickson is a lock to be claimed by an NL contender — likely the Pirates, Mets or Marlins — either to block him from other contenders or to try to work out a trade to help a beleaguered rotation. Perhaps a deal can be worked out in the allotted 47-hour window, but not trading Hellickson by the deadline suggests that the Phils are truly comfortable with the notion of a qualifying offer.
- Edinson Volquez, SP, Royals: Volquez has pitched poorly this summer and was absolutely shelled in his first post-deadline trade. If he rights the ship perhaps he’ll hold some appeal to other clubs, but he’s a pitcher with a reputation for inconsistency that is flirting with his third season of a 5.00 ERA or worse since 2011. That he’s owed $6.5MM through season’s end (including the buyout of a mutual option) doesn’t help his value.
- Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers: Braun’s contract will clear waivers. However, the Brewers want legitimate prospects in a trade, and any trading partner will almost certainly want some fairly significant financial relief. Whether GM David Stearns and another club can find that nexus in the next three weeks is the question. It didn’t happen in June or July and probably won’t in August, but the very fact that he’ll be available to any team after clearing waivers has landed him on the back half of this list.
- David Robertson, RP, White Sox: With another $28.5MM owed to him through 2018, Robertson is a near lock to clear waivers as well. He hasn’t pitched up to his standards this season, so it’s tough to see a club parting with premium talent based on his results from a dominant 2014 season — his last elite campaign.
- Ryan Madson, RP, Athletics: There’s $17.06MM remaining on Madson’s deal through 2018, and the peripherals here are ugly as well. He’s saved 22 games, but his deteriorating strikeout and walk rates and the complete disintegration of his ground-ball tendencies make even his fairly modest 3.74 ERA look like somewhat of a mirage.
- Brandon Kintzler, RP, Twins: He’s a useful reliever that isn’t earning anything substantial this year due to the fact that he signed a minor league pact in the offseason. Kintzler is controllable through 2017, and while he’s not as good as his 2.08 ERA would indicate, he’s allergic to walks and has an enormous 64.2 percent ground-ball rate. He’s not going to be viewed as a closer, but the money, ground-ball rate and control would make him an appealing middle-relief pickup for a claiming team.
- Jeanmar Gomez, RP, Phillies: The Phils apparently didn’t get an offer they liked in July and have hung onto Gomez despite a lackluster track record. He’s cheap enough and having a solid enough season that he’ll be claimed on the wire. He’s a similar case to that of Hellickson, though; if the Phillies didn’t get an offer they liked in the non-waiver period, will they get something more considerable when they can only negotiate with one team?
- Nick Markakis, OF, Braves: There’s still $24.3MM remaining on Markakis’ contract, and while he’s actually displayed some of the pop that had been missing from his bat over the past month, that’s too much for any team to claim him. He should clear and give the Braves will have an opportunity to discuss him with all 29 other teams.
- Daniel Hudson, RP, D-backs: The Diamondbacks said they weren’t interested in just giving Hudson away, and unless that’s changed since another brutal outing on Aug. 2, he’ll probably remain with the team. It’s tough to envision a club giving up anything of value for a reliever with an unthinkable 26 earned runs allowed in his past 9 2/3 innings, even if there’s plenty of upside to be had. (And there is with Hudson.)
- Zack Cozart, SS, Reds: It’s a stretch to list Cozart, as there’s no way he clears waivers, and the Reds aren’t actively seeking to move him. He’ll be claimed, and not necessarily by a contending club — Cozart is controllable through 2017 — so the only way he’ll be moved is if someone offers a legitimate package. If he had a chance at making it to the Mariners, who nearly acquired him on Monday, it would be likelier, but Cozart would have to clear every NL team and half of the AL as well — that’s an extreme long shot.
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Terrible contract.