ASTROS ADD MCCANN
Astros receive: Brian McCann and cash considerations
Yankees receive: RHP Albert Abreu & RHP Jorge Guzman
1 – The Yankees are sending $5.5 million of the $17 million due McCann each of the next two seasons to the Astros (that’s $11 million in total to the team in Houston over two years).
2 – McCann seems likely to split time behind the plate with Evan Gattis with early word being that the team is thinking McCann will be behind the dish about 100-110 times. He will obviously serve as designated hitter quite frequently when he’s not catching.
3 – I wrote about McCann and his skills in Free Agency is Coming.
4 – Abreu is a solid 21 year old prospect who was recently ranked as the 7th best prospect in the Houston system.
REDDICK SIGNS WITH ‘STROS
Josh Reddick has agreed to a four-year deal with the Astros at a reported $52 million. A previous Gold Glove winner, Reddick is a 29 year outfielder who hit .281 with 10 homers in 115 injury filled games in ‘16. It seems likely that he will fill the role of the departed Colby Rasmus, that of a lefty hitting outfielder who is a support piece, nothing more. Reddick will likely play right field which means that George Springer will move on to center field (the Astros previously added Nori Aoki to the outfield who I wrote about in Maybin to Angels & Other Contract Musings).
My take – Reddick just isn’t good. He has the talent to go 15/10, but he has just one season of 15 homers in four seasons, and though he hit a career best .281 last season the previous four seasons he failed to hit .265 three times. He also owns a .316 OBP, a league average number, and that .747 career OPS doesn’t do anything for you. Always hurt is he as well having failed to reach 400 at-bats in three of the last four seasons.
STARTING PITCHER ROLES
The Astros starting pitching staff, as it currently sits, would seemingly be the following:
Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Lance McCullers, Mike Fiers and the recently signed Charlie Morton
*For more on McCullers see Around the Horn.
Behind that five-some is Joe Musgrove and Brad Peacock for some depth, but those two may not be next up if something happens to the top-5 as Chris Devenski and Michael Feliz are better arms who might find themselves in the rotation at some point. "That's a debate that we have almost every day," general manager Jeff Luhnow said, "and it's different for the two players," when speaking of Devenski and Feliz.
Devenski was a special performer last season posting a 1.61 ERA in 83.2 innings of relief. Overall, he struck out 104 batters with just 20 walks over 108.1 frames leading to a HOF worthy 5.20 K/BB ratio. He also allowed just four homers despite a 0.82 GB/FB (thank you 3.5 HR/FB ratio). "Devenski was such an important part of our bullpen that it's hard to think about him not in that role," Luhnow said. "But at the same time, starting pitching's hard to find and I think he can do it.”
Feliz is a 23 year old righty who went 8-1 with a 4.43 ERA over 47 outings covering 65 innings. He also punched out 95 batters leading to a superb 13.15 K/9 ratio and 4.32 K/BB ratio. The homer was an issue for him, 10 allowed, but he still posted a WHIP of 1.18 that speaks more to the skills than the ERA.
Would have to think that Devenski is closer to the rotation than Feliz at this point.
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.