The 2017 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[koz-man]

The Mariners, desperate to keep their sinking wild-card hopes alive after losing four in a row to drop 3 back of the Twins, acquired Mike Leake from the Cardinals. Leake has a 8.88 ERA in August and the Cardinals are basically dumping the remaining three years of Leake's contract.

[mr. leisure]

The Mariners, desperate to keep their sinking wild-card hopes alive after losing four in a row to drop 3 back of the Twins, acquired Mike Leake from the Cardinals. Leake has a 8.88 ERA in August and the Cardinals are basically dumping the remaining three years of Leake's contract.

tSeattle has too many pitching starters on the DL .

[Andy117]

The Mariners, desperate to keep their sinking wild-card hopes alive after losing four in a row to drop 3 back of the Twins, acquired Mike Leake from the Cardinals. Leake has a 8.88 ERA in August and the Cardinals are basically dumping the remaining three years of Leake's contract.

That's an ugly contract.

[Cross]

Smart by cardinals, dumb move Seattle.

[EmpireMaker]

IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

• [*=left]ATL: C Tyler Flowers (wrist contusion) placed on 10-Day DL; C David Freitas had contract purchased from minors; RP Jason Hursh recalled from minors as 26th man for double-header; RP Enrique Burgos designated for assignment. | Braves Depth Chart
  • [*=left]Kurt Suzuki was the catcher and batted 5th in game 1 of Wednesday’s double-header.
    [*=left]Freitas was the catcher and batted 8th in game 2 of Wednesday’s double-header.
  
  

• [*=left]CLE: SP Ryan Merritt recalled from minors; RP Dan Otero placed on Paternity Leave List; RP Shawn Armstrong recalled from minors as 26th man for double-header. | Indians Depth Chart

• LAD: 1B Cody Bellinger activated from 10-Day DL; C Kyle Farmer optioned to minors. | Dodgers Depth Chart
  • Bellinger played 1B and batted 4th in Wednesday’s game.
  
  

• NYY: SP Jordan Montgomery recalled from minors as 26th man for double-header. | Yankees Depth Chart

• SEA: SP Mike Leake and approximately $17MM acquired from St. Louis Cardinals for SS Rayder Ascanio. | Mariners Depth Chart
  • Leake is expected to join the team on Friday and make his Mariners’ debut over the weekend.
  
  

[Related: MLB Lineup Tracker | MLB Disabled List Tracker | MLB Rotation Depth Tracker ]

—

FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

• ATL: RP Ian Krol and RP Luke Jackson are expected to be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. | Braves Depth Chart

• BOS: 2B Dustin Pedroia will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. | Red Sox Depth Chart

• CHC: SP Jon Lester will be activated from 10-Day DL on Saturday September 2nd, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. | Cubs Depth Chart

• CLE: SP Josh Tomlin will be activated from 10-Day DL on Sunday September 3rd, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. | Indians Depth Chart

• KCR: OF Jarrod Dyson will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. | Indians Depth Chart

• [*=left]LAD: SP Clayton Kershaw will be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to the team. | Dodgers Depth Chart

• [*=left]LAD: OF Andre Ethier will be activated from 60-Day DL, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com; SP Brock Stewart will be recalled from minors on Saturday September 2nd, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. | Dodgers Depth Chart

• [*=left]LAD: SP Alex Wood will be activated from 10-Day DL on Sunday September 3rd, according to Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. | Dodgers Depth Chart

• [*=left]MIL: C Andrew Susac and RP/SP Brent Suter will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.| Brewers Depth Chart

• [*=left]MIL: SP Brandon Woodruff will be recalled from minors on Saturday September 2nd, according to the team. | Brewers Depth Chart

• [*=left]NYM: SP Matt Harvey will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Friday September 1st, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. | Mets Depth Chart

• [*=left]STL: SP Jack Flaherty will have contract purchased from minors on Friday September 1st, according to the team. | Cardinals Depth Chart

[Chi_archie]

The Mariners, desperate to keep their sinking wild-card hopes alive after losing four in a row to drop 3 back of the Twins, acquired Mike Leake from the Cardinals. Leake has a 8.88 ERA in August and the Cardinals are basically dumping the remaining three years of Leake's contract.

Mike leake went right from draft to majors

[mr. leisure]

CLE. RP Dan Otero placed on Paternity Leave List;

OK

[yisman]

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-ange...183332129.html
The Angels have reportedly struck a deal with the Detroit Tigers to acquire Upton, a 30-year-old outfielder who is a four-time All-Star and would bolster the Anaheim outside alongside Mike Trout. Upton has 28 homers and 94 RBIs this season while hitting .279/.362/.542. Thursday is the final day that MLB teams can complete waiver trades and have the players available to play in the postseason.
While this is mostly a salary dump for the rebuilding Tigers, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN says they’ll be getting pitcher Grayson Long from the Angels and potentially more.
In a related move, the Angels then traded outfielder Cameron Maybin — who has played 45 games in left field this year and is hitting .235 — to the Houston Astros. He would have been displaced by Upton joining the Angels.

[yisman]

more trades coming

[koz-man]

The Angels announced the acquisition of Justin Upton. In the second half of the season, Upton has the second-highest OPS in the majors at 1.013. The highest? His new teammate Mike Trout at 1.039.

[yisman]

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/mlb-trade-rumors-tigers-ace-justin-verlander-rejects-trade-to-astros-prospects/122i0g77h9yfx1lnzgkyoo7mom

[EmpireMaker]

Cubs picked up some speed.
The Cubs announced to reporters just before tonight’s deadline for postseason roster eligibility that they’ve acquired outfielder Leonys Martin and cash from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash (Twitter link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times).
The addition of Martin will give the Cubs a fleet-footed reserve outfielder to serve as a pinch-runner and/or late-inning defensive upgrade, at the very least, over the season’s final month. While such players aren’t rostered throughout the bulk of the regular season, the month of September is its own animal; rosters expand to 40 beginning Sept. 1, allowing teams the luxury of having this type of highly specialized player on board.
Of course, Martin isn’t that far removed from being regarded in considerably better fashion. He logged a .247/.306/.378 batting line with 15 homers and 24 steals as Seattle’s primary center fielder in 2016. While that line checks in below the league average, Martin’s glove and baserunning prowess still allowed him to check in at 2.2 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs. And from 2013-14, Martin contributed more than six total WAR thanks largely to his speed and defense.
While those heights appear likely to be squarely in the past for Martin, he’s posted a strong .307/.348/.494 batting line with 11 homers and 25 steals in 87 Triple-A contests this season. He’s earning $4.85MM this year after avoiding arbitration last offseason, but the inclusion of cash from the Mariners surely indicates that they’re picking up the majority of the tab on that salary. Martin seems a likely candidate to join the Cubs’ big league roster in the very near future, where he’ll look to improve on the dismal .174/.221/.287 slash he’s posted through 122 plate appearances in the Majors this year.

[mr. leisure]

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news...x1lnzgkyoo7mom

Looks like they worked it out . Verlander is traded to the Astros .

[yisman]

Astros got fleeced. Wow.

Two top prospects for Verlander?

[Cross]

Cubs needed a speed guy, another great pick up Theo.

[koz-man]

More from Eduardo Nunez on Sabathia:

"He's, like, 36 years old now. He wants respect. People know he was on the DL for the knee, so he don't want people to bunt. Like I say, it's not my problem. It's my game. I don't have any power. If I had to bunt four times, I will bunt. It's not my fault. What do you want me to do?

[BigSpoon]

More from Eduardo Nunez on Sabathia:

"He's, like, 36 years old now. He wants respect. People know he was on the DL for the knee, so he don't want people to bunt. Like I say, it's not my problem. It's my game. I don't have any power. If I had to bunt four times, I will bunt. It's not my fault. What do you want me to do?

No bunting allowed: pitcher is too fat, old and gimpy. Seriously though, CC should shut the hell up. Jim Abbott back in the day got bunted on and he only had one hand.

[EmpireMaker]

A flare-up of the elbow neuritis that sent him to the disabled list earlier this year will keep Tigers righty Michael Fulmer from making at least his next two starts, MLB.com’s Jason Beck is among those to report. Fulmer will take a trip to see Dr. James Andrews for further evaluation.
While the appointment with Andrews may open some eyes at first glance, it’s important to emphasize that there’s still no indication that Fulmer — one of the game’s best young starting pitchers — is dealing with any structural damage in his elbow. His prior DL stint was for the nerve issue alone and he returned quickly. While Fulmer has not been at his best since coming back, he’s also throwing as hard as ever and evidently hasn’t shown signs of any new injury.
That’s not to say there isn’t a possibility that the condition might require further action. While manager Brad Ausmus says the elbow hasn’t hampered Fulmer much while pitching, issues with tingling and numbness are still lingering.
“So, it’s more about the tipping point of being ready for next year should something more have to be done,” Ausmus said of the decision to send Fulmer in to see Andrews now.
That statement seems to imply that a surgical procedure and/or more intensive rehabilitation plan may be under consideration. The club will wait to decide whether or not Fulmer will attempt to return this season, but with the Tigers embarking upon a rebuild, the obvious focus is on his long-term health.

[BarkingToad]

Cardinals very fortunate to unload useless Mike Leake.

[koz-man]

It was a smallish crowd on hand for the first game of today's Astros-Mets doubleheader, the first major sporting event in Houston since Hurricane Harvey. The announced attendance was 30,319 but the actual turnstile count was probably less than half that. Call it was an odd twist of fate that New York started Matt Harvey. It was nothing but a coincidence, though Houston manager A.J. Hinch did joke, "I'm sort of weirded out about stuff like that."

[Chi_archie]

More from Eduardo Nunez on Sabathia:

"He's, like, 36 years old now. He wants respect. People know he was on the DL for the knee, so he don't want people to bunt. Like I say, it's not my problem. It's my game. I don't have any power. If I had to bunt four times, I will bunt. It's not my fault. What do you want me to do?

Awesome

[yisman]

Texas sold LA a lemon in Yu Darvish

[stevenash]

Dodgers are on the verge of losing both ends of a double header to the Padres.
Two months ago Dodger nut huggers were telling us they were better than the 1927 Yankees.

Only sounds I'm bearing out of Dodger town these days are crickets.

[EmpireMaker]

The Padres fired hitting coach Alan Zinter on Friday, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Zinter lasted less than two seasons in the position, having taken the job in November 2015. The Padres’ offense ranked toward the bottom of the majors during Zinter’s run, but he didn’t exactly have a world of proven talent at his disposal. Manager Andy Green explained to Lin that he’s seeking a “different voice” for the role. Meanwhile, GM A.J. Preller told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that the Padres will begin searching for a successor immediately, but he indicated there’s no rush to hire a replacement (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the National League:

• [*=left]The Brewers’ rotation was rife with question marks entering the season, but it now appears the surprise contenders have at least three legitimate building blocks in Jimmy Nelson, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel observes. The emergence of that cost-controlled trio has been especially important to a team that’s not able to spend big on free agents, and Haudricourt points out that the Brewers may even have a couple more promising young starters on hand (Brandon Woodruff and Josh Hader). It’s possible they’ll go into 2018 with those five comprising their rotation, Haudricourt notes.
  [*=left]Rockies outfielder David Dahl is resigned to the fact that he won’t be able to contribute this year, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. Dahl hasn’t appeared in a major league game this season, and he hasn’t played in a minor league contest since July 31, thanks to the rib injury he suffered during spring training. Now, Dahl doesn’t expect to swing a bat again until December, according to Saunders. “The thing I really need is rest, to let it heal completely, because every time I would start swinging, I would start feeling it again,” said the 23-year-old Dahl, who excited the Rockies last season with a .315/.359/.500 batting line in a 237-plate appearance rookie campaign.
  [*=left]A partial UCL tear in Wei-Yin Chen’s left elbow has kept him from taking the mound since May 1, but he’ll return to the Marlins in the coming days, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. While Chen will finish 2017 as a reliever, the Marlins expect to slot him back into their rotation next season. After this fall’s World Series, Chen will be able to opt out of the remaining three years and $52MM left on the five-year, $80MM contract he signed with the Fish in January 2016. That’s obviously not going to happen, though, as the ex-Oriole has struggled with injuries and turned in mediocre results during his two years in Miami.

[koz-man]

The Dodgers have lost 7 of 8 after getting swept by the Padres on Saturday night. Yu Darvish was roughed up in a 3-inning start, the shortest one of his career. Hopes of a 116-win season seem to have gone by the wayside, but the Dodgers should still beat the franchise record for wins in a season.

[BarkingToad]

Pretty bad when Darvish can't handle the Padres.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Padres are a very young team but they fight until the end

sweeping Dodgers in doubleheader one of the season highlights

[Chi_archie]

The Dodgers have lost 7 of 8 after getting swept by the Padres on Saturday night. Yu Darvish was roughed up in a 3-inning start, the shortest one of his career. Hopes of a 116-win season seem to have gone by the wayside, but the Dodgers should still beat the franchise record for wins in a season.

Purging system of losing now

[Cross]

Padres greater than dodgers, I love it.

[stevenash]

Padres greater than dodgers, I love it.

I have on the SD game feed on right now, it's 4-2 San Diego, and the Padres TV booth is whooping it up, having a grand old time.
They amuse me.
Even if LA pulls the game out it's still embarrassing to be slapped around by the Pads.
I'm happy for poster Peavy, I suffered with the Royals a long time, nice when your team that hasn't done squat since 1984 shows some life and plays hard even in defeat which is a great character trait.

[stevenash]

That was a very nice DP turned by Solarte, did you see the smile on his face, he was pumped.
When he was with the Yankees I got to see him play more, he always had game, there was no room for him in NY, he'll be a star in SD.

[EmpireMaker]

Trade deadline? What trade deadline? Though arranging deals during the August waiver period is more complicated the swinging deals prior to July 31, that didn’t stop teams from perhaps the single busiest August ever in terms of notable trades. Several major names that didn’t switch uniforms on or before July 31 ended up going to new teams last month, promising big repercussions during pennant races and into October (or beyond, given how many notable non-rental players were dealt).
We’re only looking at trades here, not straight waiver claims — such as the last-minute moves by the Astros to add Cameron Maybin and the Phillies to nab Juan Nicasio. Here are the most significant swaps of August 2017 (in alphabetical order, by category):
Rentals
Mariners acquire Andrew Albers from Braves for cash (link): Picked up as inexpensive pitching depth, Albers has three wins and a 3.43 ERA over four starts (21 IP) for the M’s.
Mariners acquire Yonder Alonso from Athletics for Boog Powell (link): The Mariners addressed a big need at first base by acquiring Alonso, who has provided solid production since the deal. Powell has also played well in regular action for the A’s, giving Oakland another potential outfield candidate as the club looks toward 2018.
Indians acquire Jay Bruce from Mets for Ryder Ryan (link): With Michael Brantley still on the DL and Lonnie Chisenhall just back in action, the Tribe added a big power bat to right field, and Bruce has continued his hot hitting since the deal.
Astros acquire Tyler Clippard from White Sox for cash or PTBNL (link): Thought to be focusing on left-handed relievers in trade talks, Houston instead added a righty in the veteran Clippard.
Red Sox acquire Rajai Davis from Athletics for Rafael Rincones (link): Jackie Bradley’s injury likely inspired the Sox to add some extra outfield depth in Davis, a respected veteran who brings speed and postseason experience to the roster.
Rangers acquire Miguel Gonzalez from White Sox for Ti’Quan Forbes (link): Texas gained some rotation depth while the White Sox parted ways with yet another veteran player.
Dodgers acquire Curtis Granderson from Mets for Jacob Rhame (link): The Mets’ fire sale continued as Granderson was sent to L.A. Joc Pederson’s struggles and demotion created an opening for a left-handed outfielder, and Granderson has seen significant playing time on the stacked Dodgers roster.
Angels acquire Brandon Phillips from Braves for Tony Sanchez (link): Second base has long been a problem area for the Angels, and the team hopes Phillips can be the answer for at least the next month as the team pushes for a wild card berth.
Brewers acquire Neil Walker from Mets for PTBNL (link): Walker has done nothing but rake since coming to Milwaukee, giving the surprising Brewers the boost they needed at second base in the wake of Jonathan Villar’s disappointing season.
Future Contract Rights
Athletics acquire Chris Hatcher from Dodgers for international pool money (link):
Oakland gets a change-of-scenery candidate for the bullpen, though the $500K acquired by the Dodgers could lead to a bigger headline. Every little bit of international pool money is important to a team that has designs on landing Shohei Otani this offseason.
Blue Jays acquire Tom Koehler from Marlins for Osman Gutierrez (link): Koehler had made one start in four appearances for Toronto and may be called on to eat some more innings as the Jays play out the string.
Mariners acquire Mike Leake from Cardinals for Rayder Ascanio & international pool money (link): Perhaps the most surprising trade of the month saw the Cards part ways with Leake less than two years after signing him to a five-year, $80MM free agent deal. (St. Louis will send $17MM to Seattle as part of the trade.) The Cards now have extra flexibility with both their payroll and the rotation, while the M’s pick up a durable long-term arm.
Cubs acquire Leonys Martin from Mariners for cash or a PTBNL (link): The Cubs added some speed and versatile outfield defense for September and, potentially, the postseason roster.
Pirates acquire Sean Rodriguez from Braves for Connor Joe (link): The popular veteran hit a walkoff homer in his first game back in a Pittsburgh uniform and seen time at six different positions so far as one of the Pirates’ top utility options.
Angels acquire Justin Upton from Tigers for Grayson Long (link): The Angels added a much-needed lineup upgrade to bolster their AL wild card chase. Upton could be a rental if he opts out of the remaining four years/$88.5MM on his contract, though if not, the Halos will have added another expensive long-term asset to join Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.
Astros acquire Justin Verlander and a PTBNL from Tigers for Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron and Jake Rogers (link): The month’s biggest blockbuster went down just minutes before the August 31 deadline, as the Astros made a late move to bolster their rotation with the former AL Cy Young Award winner. Verlander’s vesting option for the 2020 season was also waived as part of the deal, and the Tigers sent just over $17.35MM to help facilitate the $60.66MM owed to Verlander through the end of the 2019 season.

[yisman]

No bunting allowed: pitcher is too fat, old and gimpy. Seriously though, CC should shut the hell up. Jim Abbott back in the day got bunted on and he only had one hand.

bunting is part of the game

CC should shut up and retire

he can blame his knee but the reality is he eats too damn much

[EmpireMaker]

• It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Royals dealt Kelvin Herrera this winter, as the closer is in line for a big salary bump in his last year of arbitration eligibility. Rosenthal estimates Herrera will earn something in the $7.5-$8MM range in 2018, up from the $5.325MM Herrera earned this season. Brandon Maurer or Ryan Buchter could take over as Kansas City’s closer if Herrera is dealt. Herrera drew some trade buzz earlier this season as one of the many bullpen options the Nationals were exploring, and surely he would garner interest this offseason, even if Herrera hasn’t quite been as dominant this season as in recent years. This all assumes, of course, that Herrera’s current forearm issue doesn’t prove to be anything serious. With Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer all potential leaving K.C. in free agency this winter, a Herrera trade could further portend the start of a rebuild for the Royals.
• The Angels were one of Justin Upton’s targets when he was a free agent two winters ago, and he has a home in Arizona, which could facilitate remaining on the west coast if he doesn’t opt out of his contract. Ultimately, Upton’s September performance will decide whether or not he chooses to stick with the Angels or opt out of the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his deal. In an MLBTR poll from Thursday, just under 56% of respondents feel Upton will indeed opt out and look for a bigger deal this winter.
• Reports have suggested that Justin Verlander was initially hesitant to waive his no-trade clause and join the Astros, as he would’ve preferred to instead be dealt to the Cubs or Dodgers. As Rosenthal notes, “there’s no guarantee” either Chicago or L.A. would have looked to acquire Verlander in the offseason, so the former Cy Young Award winner decided to join a contender now rather than stay with the rebuilding Tigers. Rosenthal also points out the interesting fact that Minute Maid Park has been the most depressed run-scoring environment of any ballpark in the league since the start of the 2016 season, belying its hitter-friendly reputation.

[Cross]

Sabathia needs to shut his fat ass up.