Zack Greinke Trade Rumors: Diamondbacks SP 'Definitely Available' at Deadline
Jul 27, 2019
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly looking to sell ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline, and many of their top players may be on the block.
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi on Saturday, starting pitcher Zack Greinke is among the players who are "definitely available."
Morosi also mentioned starter Robbie Ray, relievers Archie Bradley, Greg Holland and Andrew Chafin and outfielders David Peralta and Jarrod Dyson as those who could potentially be the on the move.
At the age of 35, Greinke is enjoying another spectacular season and is on pace to put up his best numbers since 2015, when he posted a 1.66 ERA and finished second in the National League Cy Young award voting.
In 22 starts this season, Greinke is 10-4 with a 2.87 ERA, an NL-leading 0.94 WHIP and 128 strikeouts over 141 innings. He was named an All-Star for the third consecutive year and the sixth time during his 16-year career.
Along with his strong pitching, Greinke is a five-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger award winner. He may be in line for another Silver Slugger this season, as he is hitting .271 with three home runs and eight RBI, which gives him added value should an NL team trade for him.
The biggest obstacle standing between Greinke and a move elsewhere is likely his contract. It has three years remaining and is set to make him $32 million in both 2020 and 2021. Greinke also has a limited no-trade clause with a list that includes 15 teams.
Greinke could drop off at any time given his age, meaning his contract could be an albatross in 2020 or 2021. Because of that, the D-Backs would likely be forced to retain some salary to trade him.
Another area of concern is Greinke's playoff resume. He has never pitched in the World Series, and his3-4 record and 4.03 ERA over 11 career postseason starts are somewhat pedestrian.
Arizona is 3.5 games out of a wild-card spot in the NL at 52-52, which puts it in a tough position. If it wants to get the most it can out of a Greinke trade, though, moving him now may be the best course of action.
Heyman noted the Diamondbacks, who are 3.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race, have not yet determined whether they will buy or sell at the deadline.
Ray is 9-6 with a 3.95 ERA, a 1.309 WHIP and a .227 average against in 22 starts in 2019. Although he has walked a National League-high 58 batters, he has also struck out 162 batters in 123 innings. His 11.9 strikeouts per nine inningsranksfifth in the majors, and he has struck out 12.0 batters per nine innings since the start of the 2017 season.
He is just two years removed from an All-Star campaign that saw him go 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA with a career-high-tying 218 punchouts.
Although Ray's overall numbers may not be on the same level as they were in 2017, he has proven to be a quality middle-of-the-rotation arm. Not only that, the 27-year-old is making a modest $6 million this season and is under club control through 2020.
Should Arizona make the left-hander available, he figures to be one of the top arms on the market.
Of the teams mentioned by Heyman, New York (66-36) and Houston (66-38) each own sizable leads of eight-plus games in their respective divisions, while Milwaukee sits two games back in both the NL Central and the wild-card race.
While the Yankees are 9.5 games clear of the field in the AL East, starting pitching has been a concern. PerESPN.com, New York's rotation ranks 17th in the majors with a 4.64 ERA. Of note, James Paxton and C.C. Sabathia have missed time this year because of injury, while Luis Severino has been sidelined the entire season since suffering an injury during spring training.
And recent results may have Brian Cashman and Co. exploring the market for help.
Let's take a peek at the #Yankees recent starting pitching...
7/21 Paxton: 7 R (4 ER) 7/22 Sabathia: 7 R (6 ER) 7/23 German: 8 ER 7/24 Happ: 6 ER 7/25 Tanaka: 7 ER (so far) pic.twitter.com/DFwip82koH
MLB Draft 2019: Teams with Best Overall Results and Grades
Jun 6, 2019
The MLB draft concluded Wednesday, with all 40 rounds now officially completed.
Some teams made great strides in improving their farm system, while others took some risks they hope will pay off.
Either way, it will not be for another couple years until we can really gauge the true winners or losers of this year's draft, but we can do our best with the information at hand.
MLB Draft 2019: Teams with Best Overall Results and Grades
The Diamondbacks had seven of the draft's first 75 picks and took full advantage of that, stocking their farm system with seven of the top-100 draft prospects ranked by MLB.com.
Their top pick, Corbin Carroll, is a 5'9" 175-pound high school outfielder from Washington State, who was ranked the 15th best prospect by MLB.
He hit .450 with 22 home runs and 101 RBI in his high school career and has drawn comparisons to other undersized lefty hitters, such as Jacoby Ellsbury and Andrew Benintendi.
From there, the Diamondbacks honed in on pitching, adding a mix of high school and college arms.
The two arms with the most upside may be Blake Walston, a 17-year-old hard-throwing left-hander who can dial it up to 93 mph and has a nasty curveball, and 18-year-old right-hand pitcher Brennan Malone, who can touch 96 mph on the gun.
The Diamondbacks have the most bonus pool money to use of any team in the draft and that will surely help them lock up some of these young studs.
Biggest Gamble: New York Mets
The Mets managed to score two prospects ranked in MLB Pipeline's top 20, drafting high school third baseman Brett Baty in the first round and nabbing high school pitcher Matthew Allan, ranked the 13th best prospect by MLB.com, in the third round.
There is a reason Allan fell, though. There are concerns he will not sign and instead move forward with his commitment to play at the University of Florida. He is believed to be asking for a signing bonus in the $4 million range and the pick the Mets took him with is valued at $667,900.
The Mets have roughly $8.2 million of bonus money to spend and focused on drafting college seniors—who have little negotiating leverage—so they can go all-in on Allan, Baty and second-round pick, right-hand pitcher Josh Wolf, which Mets VP of international and amateur scouting Tommy Tanous fully expects them to do:
Tommy Tanous: “You throw Matthew Allan with Brett Baty and Josh Wolf, and I can’t remember starting the draft with the Mets, or any other team I’ve been with, better than that.” #mets
If the Mets can somehow pull off signing Allan in addition to Baty and Wolf, that would be the biggest steal of the draft.
Under-the-radar: Miami Marlins
Don't look now, but the Miami Marlins might be building something here.
Miami has been focusing on restocking its farm system since trading away some of its bigger stars over the last 14 months and may have had the best draft, at least Jim Bowden of MLB Network thought so:
#Marlins had the best draft of all 30 teams. Special mention to Tigers, DBacks, Rays and Yankees (if they sign the signability picks).
The Marlins decided to go heavy on position players. They selected three college power lefty bats in JJ Bleday, Kameron Misner and Evan Edwards.
Bleday, the fourth overall pick, was the NCAA home run leader and someone Ken Griffey Jr. described as "a whole lot stronger than I was." High school shortstop Nasim Nunez, who was taken in the second round, may be the best defensive infielder in the whole draft.
The Marlins continued to focus on college bats on Day 2 and turned their attention to pitching the following day. They may not be quite there yet, but they definitely took the necessary steps toward building a strong farm system.
Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke Diagnosed with Abdominal Injury, Will Undergo MRI
May 15, 2019
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 15: Zack Greinke #21 of the Arizona Diamondbacks leaves the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth inning with head athletic trainer Ryan DiPanfilo at Chase Field on May 15, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
Greinke picked up the win while leading his team to a 11-1 victory, throwing 7.2 innings of shutout baseball while holding the Pirates to just four hits. He threw 95 pitches before being removed.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo noted that the injury occurred on Greinke's final pitch, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
After posting a 4.37 ERA in his first season with the Diamondbacks in 2016, Greinke looked more like his old self over the past two seasons. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2017 after posting a 3.20 ERA with 215 strikeouts in 202.1 innings.
Greinke tied his career high with 33 starts in 2018, finishing with a 3.21 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 207.2 innings. The five-time All-Star is being tasked with carrying Arizona's rotation this season after Patrick Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals.
This season has been a strong one for Greinke thus far with a 6-1 record, a 2.78ERA and 62 strikeouts in 64.2 innings through 10 starts.
Losing Greinke is a huge blow to Arizona's already-light pitching depth. Taijuan Walker is still recovering after having Tommy John surgery last April.
Robbie Ray has a high ceiling with at least 11.3 strikeout per nine innings in each of the past three seasons, but he had injury woes last year after missing two months with an oblique injury.
The Diamondbacks lost a lot of power in the lineup after A.J. Pollock signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Paul Goldschmidt was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. They've survived it to this point with a 24-20 record, but losing Greinke will make it difficult to keep pace in the NL West.
Adam Jones Has Padres Fan Ejected, Says Fans Are a 'Little More Brazen'
Apr 4, 2019
Arizona Diamondbacks' Adam Jones warms up during batting practice prior to a baseball game in San Diego, Monday, April 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
"These fans in sports, man, they're starting to get a little more brazen. I've said it many times, and obviously I've had altercations with fans. My biggest thing is, keep the banter polite—we suck, I struck out, the team's not good. Keep it light, keep it smart. There's kids in the stadium. But the second you start cussing me out like I'm a little kid, that's a no-no.
"On the street, they'd never do that. In the ballpark when you've paid your admission, there's no need for all that stuff. The second I hear somebody cussing us out, you're gone. I could care less that they're gone. That's just how it is. I made a nice play, and just hearing the B-word, F-word, that's not baseball talk. So … he gone."
Jones, who is from San Diego, said he noticed the fan in the fifth inning. He spoke to security about the inappropriate language being used and had them remove the fan, who has not been publicly identified.
"Last night, we had some people being real ignorant above our dugout," Jones said. "I told them, 'I'm from San Diego. Watch what you say to me. I'm from here. That means all my boys is here. So, be aware.'"
In 2017, Jones was the subject of racial slurs and had peanuts thrown at him during a game at Fenway Park. The Red Sox apologized to Jones, who was then a member of the Baltimore Orioles, for the incident.
"A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me," Jonestold reportersat the time. "I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. Thanks. Pretty awesome."
A fanthrewa banana at him in San Francisco in 2013; the fanlater apologizedand said it was not meant as an act of racial aggression toward Jones.
Diamondbacks' Steven Souza Jr. to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on ACL Injury
Mar 26, 2019
Arizona Diamondbacks' Steven Souza Jr. in action against the Chicago White Sox in a spring training baseball game Monday, March 25, 2019, in Phoenix, Ariz. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced that outfielder Steven Souza Jr. will have season-ending surgery after suffering freak injuries during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday:
Souza suffered the injuries after scoring on a Ketel Marte double, per Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic. The 29-year-old came in standing but appeared to skid across home plate with his left leg. He then fell to the ground in pain.
Torey Lovullo announces Steven Souza Jr. will undergo season-ending surgery to repair an ACL tear, LCL tear, partial PCL tear, and posterior lateral capsule tear in his left knee.
This is a devastating blow for Souza and the Diamondbacks.
The ex-Washington National and Tampa Bay Ray was coming off an injury-plagued 2018 season that limited him to just five home runs and 29 RBI in 72 games.
However, he was slated as the team's starting right fielder entering this season and could have returned to the form exhibited in his last healthy campaign, when he smacked 30 homers, earned a career-high .810 OPS and stole 16 bags in 2017.
Hopefully, Souza will be back in time for the 2020 season and can display the pop he's shown in the bigs.
Tuesday's spring training lineup perhaps offered insight as to how the Diamondbacks will replace him:
Lovullo told reporters Tuesday that newly signed outfielder Adam Jones could start in right while Ketel Marte finds a home in center.
The 33-year-old Jones, who has played in the big leagues for 13 years, had 15 home runs and 63 RBI for the Baltimore Orioles last season. The 25-year-old Marte had 14 homers and 12 triples in 2018 and has largely played middle infield during his career.
The Diamondbacks are in clear rebuilding mode after they traded franchise player Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals and are currently projected byTeam Rankings to finish with a 76-86 record.
Arizona could certainly beat that prediction, but the loss of Souza makes it more difficult to keep up with other teams offensively.
Adam Jones, Diamondbacks Agree to 1-Year Contract Worth Reported $3M
Mar 10, 2019
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 15: Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles rounds the bases against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 15, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
USA Today'sBob Nightengale reported Sunday that Jones' contract is worth $3 million guaranteed with up to $2 million in incentives, while ESPN's Buster Olney reported the San Francisco Giants were among other teams who were interested.
This comes on the heels of Jones completing the then-largest contract in Orioles history, at six years and $85.5 million.
Jones put together another solid season in 2018, hitting .281/.313/.419with 15 home runs, 35doubles and 63 RBI in 145games for the Orioles.
Despite having played stellar defense throughout his career, FanGraphs ranked the 33-year-old as the fourth-worst defensive outfielder (-12.0 UZR)in all of baseball in defensive runs saved.
Having played 10-plus years with Baltimore, Jones finds himself among the statistical leaders in a number of categories. He ranksfifth in franchise history in hits and home runs and sixth in RBI. He also won four Gold Gloves as well as a Silver Slugger. Not to mention the fact he has won six Heart and Hustle awards during that span.
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Not only has he been a star, but he has also done a tremendous job of making himself available for his team. He averaged 147 games per season in his Orioles career.
Jones' name came up at the trade deadline last season, with the Philadelphia Phillies showing the most interest. While it appeared as though the two teams had a deal in place, the veteran invoked his 10-and-5 rights to block the trade. The 13th-year outfielder made it clear to reporters that he had earned the right to make whatever decision he wanted:
He would later tell Sara Perlman of MASN Sports (around the two-minute mark) that he did so in order to "maintain my stock" as he approached free agency, knowing the Phillies would have moved him to right field and had him platoon. He would go on to finish out the campaign in Baltimore.
Jones follow up on that decision by hitting .279 with three home runs, three doubles and 11 RBI in 23 August appearances.
Jones was once one of the top all-around players in the game, and while his numbers may be slightly declining as he has aged, he's still plenty productive to help a team win games moving forward. The Diamondbacks are hoping a change of scenery can help the veteran regain some of his prime form.
He should become the starting centerfielder, pushing Ketel Marte into a utility role, as Rosenthal noted.
Manager Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks Agree to Contract Extension
Jan 29, 2019
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 11: Manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks back to the dugout after changing pitchers in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 11, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the new deal will keep him under contract through the 2021 season.
Lovullo has spent the past two seasons as manager of the Diamondbacks, totaling a 175-149 regular-season record. He led the squad to the National League Division Series in 2017.
"Torey's leadership and ability to connect with people, specifically our players and coaches, provides the foundation for the culture we continue to cultivate and grow in Arizona," general manager Mike Hazen said in a statement. "This is an exciting day for Torey, his family and the D-Backs."
Lovullo was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2017 after helping the Diamondbacks win 24 more games than they did the year before.
The 53-year-old was heading into the final year of his contract, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The Diamondbacks won the NL Wild Card Game in 2017 but haven't won a playoff series since 2007.
Wilmer Flores, Diamondbacks Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Contract
Jan 16, 2019
New York Mets' Wilmer Flores rounds third base after hitting a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Nick Kingham during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, July 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Per ESPN.com's Jeff Passan, Flores' deal with the Diamondbacks will be for one year with a team option for 2020.
Flores will join the Diamondbacks after spending the past six seasons with the New York Mets. The 27-year-old tied his career high with a .319 on-base percentage in 2018 and has hit at least 11 homers in each of the previous four seasons, when he's averaged 119 games played.
In addition to his hitting prowess, Flores brings defensive versatility to Arizona. He has played all four infield positions throughout his career with above-average UZR totals at first base (2.0) and second base (0.9), perFanGraphs. Last season the Venezuelan played 83 of his 126 games at first.
The Diamondbacks appear to be entering a rebuild after trading Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals and with A.J. Pollock still a free agent.
Adding Flores gives Arizona manager Torey Lovullo insurance in case shortstop Nick Ahmed, who hit .234 last season, struggles again, or third baseman Jake Lamb misses significant time after playing just 56 games due to a shoulder injury thatrequired surgeryin August.
