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NL Deadline Chatter: Nats, Hand, Cards, Cozart, Cubs, Mets

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The Nationals are “scouring [the] market” for a starter, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). We have heard varying suggestions on this front, as the Nats deal with the loss of Joe Ross and newfound uncertainty regarding Stephen Strasburg. While the latest signs on Stras are positive, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post argues that the club ought to going after a front-line starter regardless. Beyond the possibility of augmenting the club’s staff for an anticipated postseason appearance this year, the possibility of adding an arm for 2018 and perhaps beyond would seem to hold appeal, perhaps adding to the justification for making a move.

Here’s more deadline chatter from the National League:

  • Padres chairman Ron Fowler suggested today in a radio appearance on The Mighty 1090 that he doesn’t really expect the team to end up dealing lefty Brad Hand (h/t Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “Other things being equal right now, I don’t see us moving him, because we value him more than what’s being offered and we think he could be part of the team for the foreseeable future,” Fowler stated. That said, he acknowledged the team remains open to working out a deal, calling it “a very fluid situation.”
  • Though it’s still unclear just what course the Cardinals will take at the deadline, the club is now “expected to listen to offers” on outfielders Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. While the Cards do now have quite a few options in the corner outfield, both of these players seem to fall in a curious spot in the potential market. There just isn’t much deadline demand in the corner outfield to drive up prices, and the Cards would surely be valuing their lengthy control rights in exploring potential deals. While there’d surely be interest, neither really looks to be a likely deadline mover from the outside. Of course, St. Louis also has some shorter-term assets that might be of interest — Lance Lynn, Seung-hwan Oh, and Trevor Rosenthal chief among them — and Morosi does note that the Dodgers and Nationals had scouts at the club’s latest game last night. Whether the Cardinals will really punt on the present season when the division is still in reach, though, is hardly clear at this point.
  • The Reds held shortstop Zack Cozart out of the lineup today as he continues to deal with quad issues, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. It seems the hope is that this is more a rest day than the precursor to a DL stint, but it’s not the best news regardless. Cozart has been great this year, but the quad problem further dents his value in a market that doesn’t seem to have much appetite for shortstops.
  • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says there’s nothing close to completion at this point for his team, as Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio of Sirius XM tweets. The team is unsurprisingly still looking at pitching, with the rotation and relief corps both being susceptible of improvement.
  • The Cubs are among the teams to have asked the Mets about righty Seth Lugo, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). But there’s simply no indication at present that New York will seriously entertain offers on Lugo, as Crasnick and Newsday’s Marc Carig (Twitter link) note. That makes sense given the multitude of pitching injuries the organization has experienced as well as its intentions of competing again in 2018.
  • Some interest has begun to develop in Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The veteran obviously is very much available, and would conceivably fit quite a few teams as a lefty-hitting outfielder who can still handle some time in center field. On the other hand, he has been hurt and cold at the plate of late, and is playing on a hefty $15MM salary this year.

Cardinals Place Dexter Fowler On DL, Promote Harrison Bader

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The Cardinals have announced that center fielder Dexter Fowler will go on the 10-day DL with a wrist strain. His spot on the active roster will be taken by outfield prospect Harrison Bader, who earns his first MLB promotion, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested was in the works.

It’s not known at present how serious an injury it is for Fowler, who as Goold notes has dealt with a few maladies of late. The veteran is obviously a key cog for St. Louis; his loss comes as the club weighs its trade deadline options with a four-game deficit in the NL Central.

Prior indications were that Bader would only be recalled if he would be presented with a relatively extended opportunity for playing time. Just how long of a run he’ll receive will surely depend upon Fowler’s progress and Bader’s play. The new addition could conceivably claim playing time even once Fowler returns, though the Cards will surely continue to allow Tommy Pham to receive regular time and also have other options including Randal Grichuk, Jose Martinez, and Stephen Piscotty (who’s working back from the DL at present).

Entering the year, Bader was seen as a consensus top-ten organizational prospect. He stands at sixth among Cards’ youngsters in MLB.com’s most recent ranking. A former third-round draft pick, Bader has turned in a quality effort at Triple-A thus far, slashing.297/.354/.517 with 19 home runs.

To open a 40-man spot, the Cards have released outfielder Chad Huffman. The 32-year-old had received a brief MLB call-up earlier this year but spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .247/.386/.437 batting line in 215 trips to the plate.

Cardinals Notes: Piscotty, Lynn

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  • Goold also notes that Cardinals righty Lance Lynn has been the “topic of ongoing discussions with other teams” and points out that both Lynn and minor league right-hander Luke Weaver are lined up to start on Tuesday of this week. While there have been no indications that a deal involving Lynn is especially close to fruition, Weaver would be able to step into his spot on usual rest if the Cards do line up a Lynn trade in short order.
  • Stephen Piscotty’s groin injury, originally hoped to require only a minimal 10-day stay on the disabled list, will now keep the outfielder sidelined for a longer period of time, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals will reevaluate Piscotty on their upcoming homestand in search of a new timetable for his return to the field. It’s been a disappointing season for Piscotty, who has slashed just .236/.348/.371 in the first season of a six-year, $33.5MM contract extension.
  • Goold also notes that Cardinals righty Lance Lynn has been the “topic of ongoing discussions with other teams” and points out that both Lynn and minor league right-hander Luke Weaver are lined up to start on Tuesday of this week. While there have been no indications that a deal involving Lynn is especially close to fruition, Weaver would be able to step into his spot on usual rest if the Cards do line up a Lynn trade in short order.

Cardinals' Plans For Lance Lynn Uncertain

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Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently met with starting pitcher Lance Lynn to discuss Lynn’s future with the team, which is “fluid,” Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. The Rockies, Royals and perhaps Astros could have interest in Lynn, so a trade is possible, particularly if the 47-49 Cardinals fall further out of the playoff race. But they could also keep him and make a run at the playoffs. Lynn has played with the Cardinals throughout his six-year career. This season, he has a 3.30 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 114 innings. He’s eligible for free agency next winter. Here’s more from the NL Central.

John Mozeliak Frustrated With Cardinals' Players

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  • Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is frustrated with his team’s “attitude and culture” and might look to make changes to improve those things, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes. The Cardinals are now 47-49, and their exact plans for the deadline aren’t quite clear. They were linked, and then un-linked, to J.D. Martinez before he the Diamondbacks acquired him, and they recently dealt Marco Gonzales to Seattle. “I feel like I don’t have that silver bullet to say, ’Hey if we go do this, we will be greatly improved,'” says Mozeliak, who also bluntly expressed frustration with the way the Cardinals’ players have performed. “I feel like I’m not going to make excuses for people or players. Everybody points the finger upstairs to try and find the solution or the move. Well, maybe 25 [players] need to look in the mirror.”

Mariners Acquire Marco Gonzales From Cardinals For Tyler O’Neill

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The Mariners have acquired left-hander Marco Gonzales from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league outfielder Tyler O’Neill, as per a Mariners press release.

[Related: updated Cardinals and Mariners depth charts at Roster Resource]

[Related: MLBTR’s Cardinals news and rumors page on Facebook]

The 25-year-old Gonzales is only just making his way back from a pair of injury-plagued seasons.  Gonzales missed a good chunk of 2015 due to shoulder problems and then all of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery.  The southpaw posted a 2.90 ERA, 3.35 K/BB rate and 7.5 K/9 over 11 starts and 68 1/3 IP at the Triple-A level this season, and Gonzales made it back to the big leagues for one start this season, a 3 1/3-inning outing on June 13.

St. Louis drafted Gonzales 19th overall in 2013 and both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus ranked him as one of the top 52 prospects in the sport prior to the 2015 season.  BA ranked him as the #1 prospect in the Cardinals’ farm system that year, giving particular praise to Gonzales’ outstanding changeup.  The Cardinals thought enough of Gonzales that they promoted him to the majors barely a year after drafting him, and the lefty even made the Cards’ postseason roster in 2014, not allowing a run in five of his six outings in the playoffs.

Seattle was known to be looking for young pitching, and while Gonzales doesn’t project as an immediate upgrade for the current M’s rotation, he still possesses quite a bit of upside.  Beyond his potential on the mound, Gonzales also offers over six remaining years of team control; he isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2020 season, and won’t be a free agent until after 2023.  With Drew Smyly scheduled to miss most or all of 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery and Hisashi Iwakuma and Yovani Gallardo both questionable to have their club options exercised for next season, Gonzales projects to be an important rotation piece for the 2018 Mariners.

In acquiring Gonzales, the M’s gave up a well-regarded young player in O’Neill, who was comfortably positioned within preseason top-1oo prospect lists from MLB.com (36th), Baseball America (38th), Baseball Prospectus (53rd).  Power is O’Neill’s calling card, as he has 89 homers over 1794 minor league plate appearances, including 19 this season at the Triple-A level.  O’Neill got off to something of a slow start in his first taste of Triple-A action, though he has recovered to post a .244/.328/.479 slash line through 396 PA.  He has cut down on his strikeouts over the last two seasons, though he still gets more than his share of whiffs, with 108 strikeouts this season.  O’Neill’s plate discipline and average corner outfield defense are also works in progress, though the 22-year-old Canadian has so much raw power and overall hitting potential that the Cardinals are surely willing to tolerate some growing pains.

O’Neill joins several other interesting young outfielders in the St. Louis farm system, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale speculates that the Cards could now look to move an outfielder from their MLB roster in the offseason.  This could imply that Randal Grichuk or Stephen Piscotty could become trade chips, though the Cardinals would be selling low on either player in the wake of lackluster 2017 seasons.

Cardinals Add Grichuk, Kelly, Duke To 25-Man Roster; Designate Eric Fryer

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The Cardinals announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s game.  Outfielder Randal Grichuk and lefty Zach Duke were both activated from the 10-day and 60-day DL, respectively, while catcher Carson Kelly was recalled from Triple-A.  Righty Sam Tuivailala and outfielder Magneuris Sierra were optioned to Triple-A last night to open up two roster spots, and catcher Eric Fryer was designated for assignment today in another corresponding move.

[Related: MLBTR’s Cardinals News & Rumors page on Facebook]

Fryer signed a minor league deal with St. Louis this winter and has hit .155/.277/.197 over 83 PA serving as Yadier Molina’s backup.  This is Fryer’s second stint with the Cards, having originally joined the club on another minors deal in the 2015-16 offseason and then spending part of last season with the Pirates after being claimed off waivers.

Kelly, a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball, will replace Fryer in the backup catcher role.  Kelly made his big league debut last year, a 14-plate appearance cup of coffee that saw him appear in 10 games for the Cardinals.  The 23-year-old Kelly has only added to his lofty prospect status by hitting well in his first full season at Triple-A, batting .283/.375/.459 over 280 PA.

With Molina freshly signed to an extension though the 2020 season and Kelly seemingly ready for an extended look in the big leagues, it is possible that this callup could be Kelly’s audition for teams interested in a trade for the young catcher.  He would certainly be a major trade chip for a Cards team that may be looking to land some controllable but established MLB talent for 2018, or even still make a run at the NL Central.

Grichuk returns after a brief stay on the disabled list due to a back strain.  He’ll add depth to a Cardinals outfield that is still missing Stephen Piscotty, though Grichuk is still looking for consistency during a disappointing 2017 season that has included a minor league demotion.  Grichuk has continued to struggle since returning from the minors, and is batting just .215/.270/.408 in 241 PA.

Remarkably, Duke is back in action after undergoing Tommy John surgery just over nine months ago, far outpacing the procedure’s usual recovery timeline of 12-15 months.  Duke has posted strong numbers as a reliever for the Cards, Brewers, White Sox and Reds over the last four seasons, and he’ll join Brett Cecil, Kevin Siegrist and Tyler Lyons as left-handed options out of the St. Louis bullpen.  With this much lefty depth on hand, the Cards could potentially shop one of their southpaws to needy teams at the deadline.

Royals Monitoring Lance Lynn

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  • USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Royals are closely monitoring Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn to see if St. Louis makes him available between now and the deadline. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported earlier today that the Royals are looking around for not one but two rental starters to try to make one last run with their current core, and as a free agent at season’s end, Lynn would fit that mold. If the Royals are indeed watching, they probably didn’t mind what they saw today when Lynn tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Mets, though he did allow his 21st homer of the season, which is already far and away a career-high.

Cardinals Not Likely To Pursue J.D. Martinez

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  • If Gray is the top starter who’s likely to be dealt, the best position player on the market is probably Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez. The Cardinals were said previously to have looked into the high-powered slugger, but Nightengale says they won’t spend big on a rental of his ilk. Rather, he says, the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks are the three clubs that have “shown the most interest” in Martinez. We’ve also heard of a few other organizations poking around on the righty slugger, so there seems to be no shortage of interest.

Cardinals Among Teams With Most Interest In J.D. Martinez

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  • The Cardinals, Dodgers and Royals seem to be leading the chase for Tigers contract-year slugger J.D. Martinez, according to Cafardo. As AL Central rivals of the Tigers, the Royals are especially familiar with Martinez, who has slashed .298/.379/.602 with 14 home runs in 219 plate appearances this year. The $11.75MM right fielder would significantly boost a below-average Kansas City offense that has received awful production from longtime franchise cornerstone Alex Gordon in left field. Meanwhile, with Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk on the disabled list, the Cardinals are shorthanded in the outfield. Winners of 40 of their past 51 games, the 62-29 Dodgers seemingly aren’t lacking for quality players anywhere, but picking up Martinez would make them all the formidable as they vie for a World Series.

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