Baseball Daily Dose: Mariners Play Trumbo Card
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Follow @Baer_Bill and @Rotoworld_BB on Twitter.
The Mariners and Diamondbacks agreed on a trade on Wednesday evening. The Diamondbacks sent 1B/OF Mark Trumbo and pitcher Vidal Nuno to Seattle in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo, pitcher Dominic Leone, infielder Jack Reinheimer, and outfielder Gabby Guerrero. Trades of this magnitude typically don’t occur in early June, so the news took the baseball world by surprise.
The move, obviously, sets the Mariners up with additional power and pitching depth. Despite having Nelson Cruz – tied for the major league lead in home runs with 18 – in the lineup, the Mariners entered play Wednesday with a .395 slugging percentage, three points below the league average. Aside from Cruz, Kyle Seager and Seth Smith have been the only consistent contributors on the team. The Mariners also lost lefty James Paxton to the 15-day disabled list due to a strained tendon in a finger on his pitching hand. Nuno will effectively replace Paxton in the rotation.
The Diamondbacks get some much-needed catching depth in acquiring Castillo. Their starting catcher currently is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who performed so poorly that the Marlins released him earlier this season despite $15 million over two years remaining on his contract. Jordan Pacheco was serving as his backup despite not having caught regularly as a major leaguer. The D’Backs were hurting for catching help after losing Tuffy Gosewisch for the season with a torn ACL. The club also announced recently that prospect Peter O’Brien will serve as a full-time outfielder and will not be used as a catcher.
Of the players included, Trumbo is really the only one with fantasy relevance at the present moment. The move from Chase Field to Safeco Field will hurt his numbers. According to Statcorner.com, Chase Field has a right-handed park factor for home runs at 98 compared to Safeco’s 83. 100 is average. For comparison, Houston’s Minute Maid Park has a right-handed home run park factor of 122. One could say that Safeco Field is slightly more unfriendly to right-handed hitters than Minute Maid Park is friendly to them. The Mariners will likely have Trumbo spend time at first base and DH and will avoid using him in the outfield.
It remains to be seen exactly how the Mariners plan to configure their lineup. With the D’Backs, Trumbo had Ender Inciarte, A.J. Pollock, and Paul Goldschmidt batting in front of him, so he could see reduced RBI opportunities with lesser-skilled players in the on-base percentage department batting ahead of him in Seattle. All-in-all, this is a trade that does no favors to Trumbo’s fantasy value.
Trumbo’s ouster from Arizona is good news for Yasmany Tomas and Jake Lamb. Lamb, currently on the disabled list with a left foot injury, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Wednesday. Tomas has been playing third base regularly, but with Trumbo out, Tomas will likely shift to the outfield while Lamb takes over at third base. Tomas entered play Wednesday batting .320/.356/.398.
Editor’s Note: Play one-day fantasy baseball for cash! FanDuel is hosting a $75,000 league for Thursday’s MLB games. It’s just $5 to join and first place wins $7,500. Starts tonight at 7:05pm ET. Enter now!
Tanaka Dominates in Return
Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka returned from the disabled list on Wednesday, as he had been dealing with a strained right forearm and tendinitis in his right wrist. He pitched remarkably well, holding the Mariners to one run on three hits while walking none and striking out nine on 78 pitches over seven innings. With the way he was pitching, he likely could have gone eight or even nine innings, but one can understand manager Joe Girardi’s decision to err on the side of caution.
Tanaka will likely be limited to fewer than 100 pitches again in his next outing – a home start against the Nationals – but after that, he should be good to go as long as he’s effective. Needless to say, fantasy owners should be starting him for the foreseeable future as long as he’s healthy.
Tanaka excelled in 20 starts for the Yankees last season, finishing with a 2.77 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and a 141/21 K/BB ratio in 136 1/3 innings.
Editor’s Note: High school relationships are a lot like daily fantasy sports. They can be challenging, time-consuming, even confusing at times. And, occasionally, they can force you to make important (and sometimes uncomfortable) decisions on the fly. Seem like a stretch? It’s really not. Check out this RotoGrinders column “11 Days of Dating (And Other Mistakes)” by the legendary JM “JMtoWin” Tohline for tips on how you can build better FanDuel lineups this week, as only he can share them.
Marlon Byrd Suffers A Fractured Wrist
Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd was hit on the wrist by a Sean O’Sullivan offering in the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. Brennan Boesch replaced Byrd in left field for the bottom of the seventh. Byrd was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist and was placed on the disabled list Wednesday.
In Byrd’s absence, the Reds will likely utilize a combination of Boesch and Skip Schumaker in left field. As the Reds are 22-28, 11 games out of first place in the NL Central, the Reds may not feel any inclination to upgrade the position with a trade if Byrd misses an extended period of time.
The injury is also unfortunate for the Reds as Byrd figured to serve as a trade chip leading into the July 31 trade deadline. Byrd has been traded in each of the last three seasons. After a slow start, the 37-year-old was starting to heat up at the plate, batting .259/.366/.612 with eight home runs and 17 RBI in 101 plate appearances since May 2.
Josh Hamilton Out Four Weeks with Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
The Rangers received some unfortunate news on Wednesday, learning that outfielder Josh Hamilton will miss four weeks with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring. Hamilton was held out of Tuesday and Wednesday’s lineups. Hamilton has not exactly been a picture of good health over his nine-year career.
The Rangers had acquired Hamilton from the Angels in late April and promoted him to make his 2015 season debut on May 25. Hamilton performed well, homering twice in one game on May 29 against the Red Sox, and lacing a walk-off two-run double against the Red Sox on May 31.
Hamilton’s absence likely means Joey Gallo won’t be demoted to the minor leagues anytime soon. The 21-year-old homered again on Wednesday, giving him round-trippers in each of his first two major league ballgames.
National League Quick Hits: Stephen Strasburg (trapezius) played catch on flat ground without issue on Wednesday … Ruben Tejada committed a pair of errors playing third base in Wednesday’s loss against the Padres … Freddie Freeman homered twice in the Braves’ loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday … Giancarlo Stanton hit his 17th home run of the season as the Marlins beat the Cubs on Wednesday, leaving him one shy of tying Bryce Harper and Nelson Cruz for the major league lead … Phillies third base prospect Maikel Franco has homered in back-to-back ballgames … Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 17th save on Wednesday against the Brewers, putting him in a tie for the league lead … The Cubs placed outfielder Jorge Soler on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle on Wednesday … Francisco Liriano limited the Giants to one run in seven innings Wednesday as the Pirates wrapped up a series sweep, and have now won 11 of their last 13 games … Aroldis Chapman allowed a home run on Wednesday for the first time in 74 2/3 innings, which was the second-longest active streak … Brewers third baseman Hector Gomez tested negative for a concussion after diving head-first into the stands on Wednesday against the Cardinals … Yasiel Puig (hamstring) will start a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday … Giants starter Matt Cain (elbow) threw 42 pitches in an extended spring training game and reported feeling good afterward on Wednesday … Padres outfielder Wil Myers (wrist) had an “encouraging” round of batting practice on Wednesday, but is still at least two weeks away from returning … Yasmany Tomas went 3-for-5 in Wednesday’s win against the Braves … Rockies starter Jordan Lyles will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left big toe, ending his season.
American League Quick Hits: Brian McCann (foot) will undergo an MRI Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Mariners … Matt Moore (elbow) pitched 2 1/3 innings making his first rehab start with High-A Charlotte on Wednesday … The Orioles expect to activate catcher Matt Wieters (elbow) on Friday against the Indians … The Red Sox acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza and cash considerations from the Orioles for minor league pitcher Joe Gunkel … Mark Buehrle needed only 93 pitches to toss a shutout against the Nationals on Wednesday … Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went a combined 0-for-8 in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox … Royals catcher Salvador Perez was held out of Wednesday’s game against the Indians after taking a foul tip off of his mask on Tuesday … Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis (paternity leave) is expected to rejoin the Tigers on Friday … Corey Kluber took a complete game loss, allowing four runs in eight innings against the Royals on Wednesday … Jose Abreu returned to the White Sox lineup Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI … Astros pitching prospect Lance McCullers threw a complete game, allowing only one run in a win against the Orioles on Wednesday … Mike Trout hit his 14th home run of the season Wednesday against the Rays … Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has reportedly been playing with a sprained left pinkie finger … Robinson Cano went 0-for-4 in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, dropping his average to .244 … Sonny Gray continued to dominate, tossing eight shutout innings in a win against the Tigers, lowering his ERA to 1.65 in the process.
Follow @Baer_Bill and @Rotoworld_BB on Twitter.
The Mariners and Diamondbacks agreed on a trade on Wednesday evening. The Diamondbacks sent 1B/OF Mark Trumbo and pitcher Vidal Nuno to Seattle in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo, pitcher Dominic Leone, infielder Jack Reinheimer, and outfielder Gabby Guerrero. Trades of this magnitude typically don’t occur in early June, so the news took the baseball world by surprise.
The move, obviously, sets the Mariners up with additional power and pitching depth. Despite having Nelson Cruz – tied for the major league lead in home runs with 18 – in the lineup, the Mariners entered play Wednesday with a .395 slugging percentage, three points below the league average. Aside from Cruz, Kyle Seager and Seth Smith have been the only consistent contributors on the team. The Mariners also lost lefty James Paxton to the 15-day disabled list due to a strained tendon in a finger on his pitching hand. Nuno will effectively replace Paxton in the rotation.
The Diamondbacks get some much-needed catching depth in acquiring Castillo. Their starting catcher currently is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who performed so poorly that the Marlins released him earlier this season despite $15 million over two years remaining on his contract. Jordan Pacheco was serving as his backup despite not having caught regularly as a major leaguer. The D’Backs were hurting for catching help after losing Tuffy Gosewisch for the season with a torn ACL. The club also announced recently that prospect Peter O’Brien will serve as a full-time outfielder and will not be used as a catcher.
Of the players included, Trumbo is really the only one with fantasy relevance at the present moment. The move from Chase Field to Safeco Field will hurt his numbers. According to Statcorner.com, Chase Field has a right-handed park factor for home runs at 98 compared to Safeco’s 83. 100 is average. For comparison, Houston’s Minute Maid Park has a right-handed home run park factor of 122. One could say that Safeco Field is slightly more unfriendly to right-handed hitters than Minute Maid Park is friendly to them. The Mariners will likely have Trumbo spend time at first base and DH and will avoid using him in the outfield.
It remains to be seen exactly how the Mariners plan to configure their lineup. With the D’Backs, Trumbo had Ender Inciarte, A.J. Pollock, and Paul Goldschmidt batting in front of him, so he could see reduced RBI opportunities with lesser-skilled players in the on-base percentage department batting ahead of him in Seattle. All-in-all, this is a trade that does no favors to Trumbo’s fantasy value.
Trumbo’s ouster from Arizona is good news for Yasmany Tomas and Jake Lamb. Lamb, currently on the disabled list with a left foot injury, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Wednesday. Tomas has been playing third base regularly, but with Trumbo out, Tomas will likely shift to the outfield while Lamb takes over at third base. Tomas entered play Wednesday batting .320/.356/.398.
Editor’s Note: Play one-day fantasy baseball for cash! FanDuel is hosting a $75,000 league for Thursday’s MLB games. It’s just $5 to join and first place wins $7,500. Starts tonight at 7:05pm ET. Enter now!
Tanaka Dominates in Return
Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka returned from the disabled list on Wednesday, as he had been dealing with a strained right forearm and tendinitis in his right wrist. He pitched remarkably well, holding the Mariners to one run on three hits while walking none and striking out nine on 78 pitches over seven innings. With the way he was pitching, he likely could have gone eight or even nine innings, but one can understand manager Joe Girardi’s decision to err on the side of caution.
Tanaka will likely be limited to fewer than 100 pitches again in his next outing – a home start against the Nationals – but after that, he should be good to go as long as he’s effective. Needless to say, fantasy owners should be starting him for the foreseeable future as long as he’s healthy.
Tanaka excelled in 20 starts for the Yankees last season, finishing with a 2.77 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and a 141/21 K/BB ratio in 136 1/3 innings.
Editor’s Note: High school relationships are a lot like daily fantasy sports. They can be challenging, time-consuming, even confusing at times. And, occasionally, they can force you to make important (and sometimes uncomfortable) decisions on the fly. Seem like a stretch? It’s really not. Check out this RotoGrinders column “11 Days of Dating (And Other Mistakes)” by the legendary JM “JMtoWin” Tohline for tips on how you can build better FanDuel lineups this week, as only he can share them.
Marlon Byrd Suffers A Fractured Wrist
Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd was hit on the wrist by a Sean O’Sullivan offering in the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. Brennan Boesch replaced Byrd in left field for the bottom of the seventh. Byrd was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist and was placed on the disabled list Wednesday.
In Byrd’s absence, the Reds will likely utilize a combination of Boesch and Skip Schumaker in left field. As the Reds are 22-28, 11 games out of first place in the NL Central, the Reds may not feel any inclination to upgrade the position with a trade if Byrd misses an extended period of time.
The injury is also unfortunate for the Reds as Byrd figured to serve as a trade chip leading into the July 31 trade deadline. Byrd has been traded in each of the last three seasons. After a slow start, the 37-year-old was starting to heat up at the plate, batting .259/.366/.612 with eight home runs and 17 RBI in 101 plate appearances since May 2.
Josh Hamilton Out Four Weeks with Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
The Rangers received some unfortunate news on Wednesday, learning that outfielder Josh Hamilton will miss four weeks with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring. Hamilton was held out of Tuesday and Wednesday’s lineups. Hamilton has not exactly been a picture of good health over his nine-year career.
The Rangers had acquired Hamilton from the Angels in late April and promoted him to make his 2015 season debut on May 25. Hamilton performed well, homering twice in one game on May 29 against the Red Sox, and lacing a walk-off two-run double against the Red Sox on May 31.
Hamilton’s absence likely means Joey Gallo won’t be demoted to the minor leagues anytime soon. The 21-year-old homered again on Wednesday, giving him round-trippers in each of his first two major league ballgames.
National League Quick Hits: Stephen Strasburg (trapezius) played catch on flat ground without issue on Wednesday … Ruben Tejada committed a pair of errors playing third base in Wednesday’s loss against the Padres … Freddie Freeman homered twice in the Braves’ loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday … Giancarlo Stanton hit his 17th home run of the season as the Marlins beat the Cubs on Wednesday, leaving him one shy of tying Bryce Harper and Nelson Cruz for the major league lead … Phillies third base prospect Maikel Franco has homered in back-to-back ballgames … Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 17th save on Wednesday against the Brewers, putting him in a tie for the league lead … The Cubs placed outfielder Jorge Soler on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle on Wednesday … Francisco Liriano limited the Giants to one run in seven innings Wednesday as the Pirates wrapped up a series sweep, and have now won 11 of their last 13 games … Aroldis Chapman allowed a home run on Wednesday for the first time in 74 2/3 innings, which was the second-longest active streak … Brewers third baseman Hector Gomez tested negative for a concussion after diving head-first into the stands on Wednesday against the Cardinals … Yasiel Puig (hamstring) will start a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday … Giants starter Matt Cain (elbow) threw 42 pitches in an extended spring training game and reported feeling good afterward on Wednesday … Padres outfielder Wil Myers (wrist) had an “encouraging” round of batting practice on Wednesday, but is still at least two weeks away from returning … Yasmany Tomas went 3-for-5 in Wednesday’s win against the Braves … Rockies starter Jordan Lyles will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left big toe, ending his season.
American League Quick Hits: Brian McCann (foot) will undergo an MRI Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Mariners … Matt Moore (elbow) pitched 2 1/3 innings making his first rehab start with High-A Charlotte on Wednesday … The Orioles expect to activate catcher Matt Wieters (elbow) on Friday against the Indians … The Red Sox acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza and cash considerations from the Orioles for minor league pitcher Joe Gunkel … Mark Buehrle needed only 93 pitches to toss a shutout against the Nationals on Wednesday … Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went a combined 0-for-8 in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox … Royals catcher Salvador Perez was held out of Wednesday’s game against the Indians after taking a foul tip off of his mask on Tuesday … Tigers outfielder Rajai Davis (paternity leave) is expected to rejoin the Tigers on Friday … Corey Kluber took a complete game loss, allowing four runs in eight innings against the Royals on Wednesday … Jose Abreu returned to the White Sox lineup Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI … Astros pitching prospect Lance McCullers threw a complete game, allowing only one run in a win against the Orioles on Wednesday … Mike Trout hit his 14th home run of the season Wednesday against the Rays … Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has reportedly been playing with a sprained left pinkie finger … Robinson Cano went 0-for-4 in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, dropping his average to .244 … Sonny Gray continued to dominate, tossing eight shutout innings in a win against the Tigers, lowering his ERA to 1.65 in the process.
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