July 14, 2016

The Stash List

15th Edition, 2016

by J.J. Jansons

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For a refresher on the four types of players that are eligible for inclusion on this list, please see the first edition of the year to find out why players like A.J. Pollock, Michael Brantley, Yu Darvish, and Zack Greinke are not listed below.

Last week’s Stash List can be found here.

The Graduates: (3) Trea Turner, (7) Hyun-jin Ryu, (24) Josh Bell

With Ryan Zimmerman hitting the disabled list on July 8th for roughly the 703rd time over the last few seasons, the Nationals summoned INF/OF Trea Turner (along with OF Michael Taylor) from Triple-A Syracuse. Turner owners everywhere rejoiced and then toothpick aficionado Dusty Baker said that he likely won’t use Turner in the outfield with Taylor also now back in the fold, despite the fact that Turner started more games in center field (four) than he did on the dirt (three) this month prior to his call-up. Turner got the start at second base on July 10th against the Mets (going 0-for-4 at the plate), and the keystone (with Daniel Murphy sliding over to first) appears to be his best chance at playing time while Zimmerman is on the disabled list.

LHP Hyun-jin Ryu returned to the Dodger Stadium mound for the first time since the 2014 NLDS on July 7th against the Padres. Ryu made 89 pitches (55 strikes), failing to get out of the fifth inning while allowing six earned runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking two. Ryu’s fastball averaged 90.2 MPH in the outing, after which he reported nothing more than “normal soreness” on his surgically repaired left shoulder. Ryu is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Nationals on July 20th.

1B Josh Bell was recalled to give the Pirates an extra bat off the bench prior to the All-Star break, and he promptly announced his presence by smashing a pinch-hit grand slam off of Adam Warren for his first major-league home run. The plan was for Bell to return to Triple-A Indianapolis after the All-Star break, but he’s yet to be sent down, and he could remain with the club while they await word on whether or not Jung-ho Kang will be placed on “administrative leave.”

Apoplectic Clayton Kershaw trade value appraiser Craig Goldstein and Mike Gianella had more on Bell’s ability to make a fantasy impact this season in his call-up feature.

The Dropouts: (None)

Now, onto the 15th Edition of The Stash:

1) Alex Bregman, SS/3B, Houston Astros (Last week: 1)

Bregman’s work over his last three games at Triple-A Fresno, in which he’s only hit one home run among his four hits, has caused his slugging percentage to dip all the way down to .889 in his first eight games at the level. Bregman fell just a longball away from hitting for the cycle in Sunday’s Futures Game, and while it appeared that he could be summoned to help the big-league squad as soon as this weekend, Houston skipper A.J. Hinch refuted those reports, only offering that Bregman “could help the team down the stretch.” Apparently Hinch only believes in helping fantasy owners seeking saves, not those awaiting prospect call-ups.

2) Michael Conforto, OF, New York Mets (Last week: 2)

The Pacific Coast League is a lovely place to hit this time of the year (not that the rest of the year is particularly rough), and Conforto is certainly enjoying hitting in Vegas, as he’s slugging .580 (including three home runs) in 13 games. If Yoenis Cespedes’ injured quadriceps lands him on the disabled list, Conforto could return quickly from his Las Vegas exile.

3) Yulieski Gourriel, 2B/3B, Free Agent (Last week: 4)

4) Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Last week: 5)

Glasnow made his major league debut in road start against the Cardinals on June 7th and was charged with four earned runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Glasnow punched out five and--more importantly for him--walked just two. After the game, the team sent him back down to Triple-A Indianapolis, choosing to have an extra bat (Josh Bell) on the bench prior to the All-Star break. Gerrit Cole made his second rehab start on Sunday and appears close to rejoining the Pirate rotation, but GM Neil Huntington recently tagged Glasnow as “certainly a viable candidate” to fill a rotation spot over the season’s second half.

5) Adam Ottavino, RHP, Colorado Rockies (Last week: 14)

Ottavino has yet to be scored upon in three appearances (2 IP) since his return from Tommy John surgery. After a seven appearance scoreless streak in mid-June, Not Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez) has allowed runs in four of his last seven appearances. As was mentioned in last week’s Stash, Rox manager Walt Weiss said in regards to Ottavino’s return that it “won’t be long before he’s pitching in very high-leverage situations,” and I don’t think it’s going to take very many more uneven outings from Estevez for Walt Weiss to make a move and install his former Proven Closer (™) in the second half.

6) Joey Gallo, 1B/3B/OF, Texas Rangers (Last week: 6)

7) Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Los Angeles Angels (Last week: 8)

Skaggs was scheduled to throw 90 pitches in his July 7th outing for Triple-A Salt Lake, but exited after making 73 pitches due to fatigue. Skaggs allowed one run (courtesy of a Hunter Renfroe homer) on four hits, striking out three without walking a batter in his five inning of work. After the outing, Skaggs was given a few days of extra rest and is listed as today’s starter for Salt Lake at Omaha.

8) Sergio Romo, RHP, San Francisco Giants (Last week: 15)

Romo has made three scoreless appearances (2.1 IP), since returning from his forearm injury on July 4th, and since his return, RHP Cory Gearrin (who had been handling quite a bit of the late-inning duties in the Giants bullpen) was placed on the disabled list with a strained shoulder. If Santiago Casilla’s struggles (6.30 ERA in June) continue for much longer, Bruce Bochy will likely turn to his former closer (Romo) ahead of Hunter Strickland with Gearrin out of the picture for the time being.

9) Andrew Benintendi, OF, Boston Red Sox (Last week: 9)

Benintendi went 0-for-3 at the plate in Sunday’s Futures Game, and our own Wilson Karaman was on the scene to offer a few thoughts, as well as a look at the rest of the U.S. Futures Team.

Benintendi will return to Double-A Portland, where he’s hit for a .313 AVG with three home runs and as many walks as strikeouts over his last 10 games.

10) Jose Berrios, RHP, Minnesota Twins (Last week: 10)

11) Luis Severino, RHP, New York Yankees (Last week: 11)

12) Alex Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (Last week: 12)

Reyes wowed at the Futures Game, where his average fastball velocity was 98.5 MPH over his 1 2/3 innings of work. Reyes punched out four in his outing and those four strikeouts came against Andrew Benintendi, Clint Frazier, Hunter Renfroe and Dansby Swanson. I don’t think the Cards are going to be able to resist the temptation to deploy Reyes in their bullpen for very much longer, but after his suspension he’s only thrown 41 1/3 innings on the year (in addition to his extended spring training innings while on suspension), after pitching 116 1/3 innings last season between the minors and the Arizona Fall League.

13) Alex Cobb, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays (Last week: 16)

Cobb made 27 pitches in his second rehab start back from last May’s Tommy John surgery at High-A Port Charlotte on Monday and looks to be about a month away from returning to the rotation in Tampa.

14) Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees (Last week: 13)

Judge was forced to miss the Triple-A All-Star game after suffering a “mild PCL strain and bone bruise” of his left knee, which will likely keep him out of action for three or four weeks.

15) Dansby Swanson, SS, Atlanta Braves (Last week: 17)

16) Ozhaino Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves (Last week: 18)

Albies, who doesn’t turn 20 until January, is hitting for a .426/.492/.630 clip in his last 13 games at Double-A Mississippi, running his seasonal line to a borderline absurd .399/.466/.559 in 36 games at the level.

Per the great @gondeee, in 233 professional games, Albies, a career .320/.386/.423 hitter, has yet to face a pitcher younger than him.

17) Jose De Leon, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Last week: Next 10)

De Leon, who turns 24 next month, pitched a season-high 6 1/3 innings in his last start on July 6th at home against Triple-A Colorado Springs, his seventh outing of the year. De Leon struck out nine while walking three and allowed two earned runs, and he’s now punched out 44 batters in 29 2/3 innings this season, good for a 36.7 percent rate.

18) Zack Wheeler, RHP, New York Mets (Last week: 19)

Wheeler has yet to resume throwing from a mound, and the team has stopped issuing a timetable for his return, with Logan Verrett stepping in to take the place of Matt Harvey for the time being. Good times in Flushing these days for “Generation KO’d.”

Over at BP Mets, Seth Rubin had a look at what to expect when Wheeler does return to the Met rotation.

19) Joe Musgrove, RHP, Houston Astros (Last week: 20)

20) Nick Williams, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (Last week: 21)

Nick Williams 2016 Walk Watch: One walk (in four games) since last week’s list.

Williams is hitting for a .250 AVG with one home run and three RBI in his last 10 games, with one walk and six strikeouts in 44 at-bats.

21) Hunter Renfroe, OF, San Diego Padres (Last week: 22)

22) Mike Clevinger, RHP, Cleveland Indians (Last week: 23)

23) Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners (Last week: Not eligible, MLB)

24) Austin Hedges, C, San Diego Padres (Last week: Next 10)

Hedges has just been murdering PCL pitching to the point where I can’t simply just dismiss him any longer. The Padres will almost assuredly make every attempt to move Derek Norris at the deadline, which should ensure another big league trial for Hedges. He’s slugging .809 with 16 home runs in 38 games this season, both of which obviously are flat out ridiculous, but perhaps the 23-year old has rediscovered some of the power he showed in 2012 the Midwest League, where he hit 10 home runs in 96 games.

25) Mike Minor, LHP, Kansas City Royals (Last week: 25)

Fellow former Brave Kris Medlen suffered a right shoulder strain in his most recent rehab outing on July 5th and will be shut down for two more weeks. GM Dayton Moore ‘remains hopeful’ that Minor can rejoin the team at some point this season, but the lefthander hasn’t made a rehab appearance since May 30th at Triple-A Omaha.

The Next 10 (in alphabetical order):

Arismendy Alcantara, 2B/OF, Oakland Athletics
Homer Bailey, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Ben Gamel, OF, New York Yankees
Ryon Healy, 1B/3B, Oakland Athletics
Trey Mancini, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Dillon Overton, LHP, Oakland Athletics (Last week: NR)
Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees
Robert Stephenson, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Jake Thompson, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (Last week: NR)
Austin Voth, RHP, Washington Nationals

J.J. Jansons is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @jansons_jj
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