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The New York Mets are reportedly looking at Cuban free agent Yulieski Gourriel, 32, as a possible addition to their injury-plagued infield.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported the news Monday.

Continue for updates.

Gourriel Puts Photo of Himself at Dodgers Game on Instagram

Tuesday, June 21

Gourriel Looks Like Ideal Fit for Mets

Monday, June 20

Per MLB.com’s injury report, New York has two infielders—first baseman Lucas Duda and third baseman David Wright—on the disabled list.

The Mets expect Duda back by early July, and he plays a position that is not too pertinent to Gourriel. However, the Cuban could be the perfect solution for the team at the hot corner.

Wright, 33, has an uncertain future after undergoing season-ending neck surgery earlier this month. The Mets are also struggling mightily on offense, ranking third-worst in the National League in scoring. In addition, the team has scored four or more runs in a game in just four of its last 10 games, losing six times in that span.

For Industriales in the Cuban National Series last season, Gourriel hit .500 with 15 homers and 51 RBI. He may have posted these gaudy numbers against weaker competition, but it’s apparent that Gourriel is a talented hitter.

His 2015 statistics weren’t his most impressive, but he has been consistent. Since joining the CNS as a 17-year-old, Gourriel has hit above .300 in 13 of his 15 seasons.

According to the New York Daily News‘ John Harper, one former Mets player, whom Harper said he could not name because of his connection with the team, made a strong case for signing Gourriel with Wright out long term:

This Cuban player [Gourriel] comes out of nowhere for them just when they need a third baseman, the player said.They won’t have to give up anything to get him, so just go sign him. That way you’ve still got something in the bank if you need to make a trade for more offense.

And I saw where [Yoenis] Cespedes said he was best friends with this guy when they were in Cuba together. So you never know, if [Gourriel] is on the team, maybe he gives them a better chance of keeping Cespedes too. I know that might be a reach, but it can’t hurt.

Harper also spoke with a scout who gave some input on what it would cost to sign Gourriel and the risks associated with that:

It’s more of an issue when a guy is listed at 32, one scout said. It’s not like someone who says he’s 22 and turns out to be 24 or 25. At 32 an extra year or two matters a lot more. You have to see if the athleticism is still there.

Even if he looks good in a workout, I wouldn’t give him more than two years The cost would depend on how many clubs get involved, but based on what some of the other (Cuban defectors) have gotten, it figures to be $10-$11 million a year, depending on the length.

The Mets have the pitching staff to return to the World Series. They are second, behind the Chicago Cubs, in the NL in team ERA, but they are floating around .500 at 36-32 because of an anemic offense. 

Going after Gourriel makes sense, even if it takes a three-year contract offer. Who knows how long this promising window of stellar pitching will last, so the Mets need to capitalize on it while they can.

Team statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. 

Individual statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Philadelphia Phillies locked up Mickey Moniak on Monday after taking the outfielder first overall in the 2016 MLB draft on June 9. 

MLB.com’s Jim Callis was among the first to report the news, and he provided contract details:

Moniak had been committed to UCLA before the draft, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. However, his deal with the Phillies ensures that he will forgo college baseball and work toward joining the big club as soon as next season.  

Moniak took a pay cut of roughly $3 million, which Zolecki said will go toward signing some of the team’s other prospects:

He is expected to start Friday with the club’s Gulf Coast League team, per Philly.com’s Matt Breen. The league consists of young draft picks and international players. 

With no clear-cut favorite to go No. 1 overall in the draft, Philadelphia’s amateur scouting director, Johnny Almaraz, believes the Phillies signed the best player available, per Zolecki.

I think you’ll have a Gold Glove center fielder who will hit in the middle of the lineup and be a leader on the team.

[…]

He was No. 1 on my list — he was the best player in the country. There was no projection with Mickey Moniak. He possesses the ability that a lot of college players don’t possess. He can run. He can throw. He can hit. His abilities are superior, and that’s why we took him.

Almaraz also said he expects Moniak to hit between 15 and 22 home runs a season.

These projections seem valid, as Moniak is a complete player who could develop into a stalwart at the top of the Phillies’ batting order. MLB.com provided a profile of Moniak’s skills:

Moniak will be a welcome addition to a Philadelphia team that has been putrid offensively.

The team ranks last in the National League in scoring this season after finishing with the third-fewest runs scored in 2015.

Philadelphia has a nice young core to build around moving forward. Outfielders Tyler Goeddel, 23, and Odubel Herrera, 24, are already significant contributors for the squad, with Herrera leading the team with a .302 batting average. Third baseman Maikel Franco, 23, leads the team in home runs with 11 and RBI with 33.

Add in Moniak and a couple of high picks in the next few seasons, and the Phillies could become a contender in the National League East in the near future.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

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New York Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores suffered a hand contusion Thursday after being hit with a pitch by Minnesota Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco. However, he’s ready to return.

Continue for updates.

Flores Active vs. Braves

Saturday, June 18

Flores was active against Atlanta on Saturday.

Flores a Capable Option in Mets’ Struggling Offense

Flores has been on fire as of late. Before Thursday’s game, Newsday‘s Marc Carig provided a look at the 24-year-old’s numbers:

Flores was struggling to even come close to his numbers last season, when he hit 16 home runs and 59 RBI while batting .263. He is currently hitting .250 with two homers and only nine RBI, so Flores still may not match his 2015 statistics, but at least he is starting to show some life at the plate.

New York ranks second-to-last in the National League with 240 runs scored, so it needs all the firepower it can get offensively. Getting Flores back without missing any time may not provide a major boost offensively, but he’s a step in the right direction.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

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The identity of the person who threw an aluminum beer bottle at Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was revealed Monday.

According to the police, 21-year-old Sidney Smith, a student at the University of Delaware, turned himself in last week and confessed, per Chris Palmer of Philly.com.

He was cited for disorderly conduct, and authorities did not disclose what caused Smith to come clean.

After grounding out in his only at-bat to end a 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 4, Howard was walking back to the dugout when the object was launched toward him and landed at his side. Howard yelled into the crowd, but Smith bolted out of Citizens Bank Park before security could apprehend him.

A witness to the incident said Smith moved down to the front row of his section and tossed the bottle, per Palmer.

“He just chucked his beer and turned around and got out of there as fast as he could,” Dennis Gabert, the witness, said. 

Deadspin posted an image of the suspect on Twitter:

Police believe the man in the photo to be Smith, according to Palmer.

Howard commented on the issue the following day, per the Associated Press (via Fox 29 in Philadelphia).

“I’ve done too much in this town to have that kind of stuff,” he said. “If you want to yell out…that’s whatever. But when you start throwing stuff, that’s when stuff gets personal.”

The 36-year-old slugger is struggling this season. Through 53 games, he is hitting .150 with nine home runs and 20 RBI. Howard, who is making $25 million in 2016, has struck out 56 times.

Fans may be frustrated with Howard, but throwing debris on the field is uncalled for. Hopefully, the public backlash from the incident discourages other fans from engaging in similar behavior. 

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

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The 2016 MLB draft concluded Saturday, and every team hopes its scouting paid off in the form of an impact prospect.

The draft was a three-day process. The first and second rounds took place Thursday. Rounds 3 through 10 unfolded on Friday, and Saturday saw the fourth round through 40th round come to an end.

There was no surefire top prospect in the 2016 draft pool, but there was depth at all positions. This means that numerous players picked in later rounds could wind up becoming solid contributors one day in the majors.

Here is a look at the grades for each team, as well as a breakdown of several value picks that look to be destined for the sport’s highest level.

Sleepers

Bryan Reynolds, Pick No. 59 to San Francisco

The San Francisco Giants had to wait until midway through the second round to make their first pick, and they nailed it with Vanderbilt outfielder Bryan Reynolds.

Reynolds, a 6’4″ junior, is athletic and a strong hitter. As a freshman, he led the national champions in batting average and was named a freshman All-American. In 2015, he was second on the team in batting average, and this season, he hit .330 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI, per Vanderbilt athletics.

According to MLB.com‘s Chris Haft, the Giants feel they got a steal by taking a player who could have landed in the first round.

“We did feel that he was a guy who more than likely would be gone before we selected,” Giants scouting director John Barr said.

The pick received praise from ESPN’s Keith Law and D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers:

Reynolds looks like a great bet to become an MLB leadoff hitter. He joins a franchise with a pedigree for developing top prospects such as Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey. Expect Reynolds to become an everyday player in the next three years.

Connor Jones, No. 70 to St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals had a phenomenal draft, as they snagged studs like Delvin Perez in the first round and a strong pitching arm in Connor Jones in the third round.

Jones anchored a strong Virginia pitching staff during the past two seasons. He threw 115.2 innings in 2015 before tossing 103.2 frames last season. This year, he went 11-1 while only allowing 27 earned runs, per Virginia athletics.

He has a strong arm with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, but he also has a few other pitches. Here is a look at his profile, courtesy of MLB.com.

Jones is a first-round talent who fell to the Cardinals because other teams valued potential over a collegiate veteran. D1Baseball’s Aaron Fitt commended St. Louis’ pick:

As a college player with plenty of innings under his belt, Jones may find himself in the majors soon. Whether he can develop into a consistent starter is unknown, but he will have a long career as a reliever at the very least.

Mike Shawaryn, No. 148 to Boston

Mike Shawaryn entered this season as a player primed to go on Day 1 of the MLB draft, but an uneven junior season lowered his stock. Still, Boston picked up a potential starter in the fifth round.

Shawaryn finished this season at 6-4 after making 15 starts. He was Maryland’s Friday starter for most of the season, as he pitched 99 innings and allowed 35 runs. He holds the school record for wins, strikeouts and innings pitched, per Maryland athletics. 

He rebounded at the end of the season, as he was excellent in the Big Ten tournament. Maryland athletics provided a look at his impressive 16-strikeout performance against Indiana:

He also received some props from the Boston coaching staff, according to MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

“He can pitch; he’s got some deception and some pitchability, and at times his stuff has been really good,” Red Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Rikard said. “He’s been a real solid performer, and we’ve seen a lot of him. We believe in his makeup and look forward to getting him going.”

If Shawaryn can maintain his form from earlier in his career and at the end of last season, Boston will have another quality pitching prospect to pair with 2016 first-rounder Jason Groome. 

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Add Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta to the list of National League pitchers who want to participate in the Home Run Derby. 

Arrieta joined San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner as star hurlers hoping to show off their swing, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“If [Bumgarner]’s in it, I need to be in it,” Arrieta said. “He can hit the ball a long way, but I can too.”

He also mentioned that taking part in the event would be a greater thrill than some of his pitching accomplishments, per ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers:

Arrieta displayed his power when he launched this bomb off Arizona’s Shelby Miller on April 10, courtesy of MLB.com:

The jack came on Arrieta‘s first plate appearance of the season.

For his career, he has three home runs and 13 RBI in 169 plate at-bats.

Bumgarner told ESPN’s Buster Olney this week that he wants to be in the Derby. However, Giants manager Bruce Bochy would not let that happen, per Olney.

“No, to be serious, I couldn’t let him do it,” Bochy said. “We couldn’t let him do it. 

“And [Bumgarner], he’s convinced he could win it,” the manager continued. “I think he would wear himself down in the first round; he’d try to hit it so hard.”

Bumgarner noted that suffering an injury in the competition would not be an issue, as the team let him ride a horse when he carried the team’s World Series banner before San Francisco’s home opener last April, per Olney.

“I mean, they had me ride a horse on the field, so if they trust me with something like that with 40-some-thousand people going crazy and I can’t do baseball activities, that’s a little bit different,” Bumgarner said. “We’ll talk about it for sure. I’m not trying to say that this is a done deal or anything like that.”

In 401 career at-bats, the 26-year-old has 13 dingers and 45 RBI. Two of his homers have come off Clayton Kershaw, including this one from last year, courtesy of MLB.com:

According to former MLB player and Fox Sports Midwest’s Rick Ankiel, Bumgarner could win the competition:

Arrieta or Bumgarner would be a fun addition to an event that could use a spark. If it came down to only one pitcher being allowed entry into the Derby, then MLB should choose Bumgarner. He has proved to be more of a threat at the plate.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

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The 2016 MLB draft kicked off Thursday with the Philadelphia Phillies having the first shot to add a potential franchise player.

The draft is a three-day process that started with the first and second rounds Thursday. Rounds 3 through 10 will take place Friday before the event concludes with Rounds 11 through 40 on Saturday. There are also lottery rounds after the first and second rounds. They are awarded to eligible teams that either have the smallest markets or smallest revenue pools, per MLB.com.

There is no bona fide top prospect in this year’s class, so the first day of the draft was unpredictable. Below are the Day 1 results, an updated order of the remaining selections and a breakdown of Thursday’s picks:

Notable Selections

Mickey Moniak to the Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies could have gone in a number of directions, but they chose to secure their outfield’s future with Mickey Moniak.

His selection made history, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

ESPN Stats & Info also mentioned that Moniak was the first outfielder to go No. 1 overall since Bryce Harper in 2010.

His draft stock rose dramatically since the start of last year, and MLB.com provided a look at the top pick:

Moniak may be the most complete player in the draft, but he is not exceptional at one particular aspect of the game. The Phillies are second to last in the National League in scoring this year, so they needed another position player to bolster their lineup.

He will be a great fit alongside Odubel Herrera in Philadelphia’s outfield, and Moniak should develop into a consistent contributor at the top of Philadelphia’s batting order.

Riley Pint to the Colorado Rockies

Riley Pint is a rare high school prospect with exceptional velocity.

According to Nick Groke of the Denver Post, Pint has been clocked at 102 mph, and he hit 96 mph as a 15-year-old. Pint has an explosive, generational arm.

ESPN’s Keith Law shared his thoughts on the youngster:

Control is an issue with any hard-throwing young pitcher, but Pint is only 18 years old. He will have ample time to work with the Colorado pitching staff to improve his pitch location while also developing some supporting pitches.

Another issue is the possibility of Tommy John surgery. Groke noted that high school pitchers who throw like Pint tend to end up needing the procedure. Yet the Rockies seem to be aware of this, per Groke.

“It’s a risk-reward type thing,” vice president of scouting Bill Schmidt said before the draft. “Tommy John surgery is a lot more common.”

Colorado also took Mike Nikorak in the first round of last year’s draft, who was a similar prospect to Pint. The team is gambling on the future of its pitching staff, but Pint has tremendous potential to become a bona fide ace by the time he reaches his mid-20s.

Jason Groome to the Boston Red Sox

Jason Groome entered the night as a contender to go No. 1 overall, but he fell all the way to the Red Sox at No. 12 in one of the first round’s biggest storylines.

Groome is a 6’6″ pitcher with a great fastball and nasty curveball, which Law commended:

The Red Sox lead the American League in scoring, and their rotation is solid with Rick Porcello, David Price and Steven Wright. Now the team has a dynamic prospect in the system.

There are no issues with Groome’s game, but whether he and the team can work out a contract could be an issue.

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan provided some context:

If the two sides can work out an agreement, Boston got a steal with Groome. He does not have an electric arm like Pint, but he is more polished and his secondary pitches are more advanced. Groome could become the future anchor of Boston’s rotation.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted. 

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The San Francisco Giants have internally discussed acquiring New York Yankees reliever Andrew Miller.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the news. 

Continue for updates.

Giants May Need to Deal Top Prospect

Saturday, June 4

In order to trade for Miller, the Giants could have to part with top pitching prospect Tyler Beede, according to Rosenthal.

Beede, 23, was the team’s first-round pick in 2014 out of Vanderbilt. With Double-A Richmond this season, Beede is 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 10 starts.

Miller has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the early part of this season. He is part of an explosive bullpen that features Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman, but USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale speculated on May 27 that if the Yankees are not contending by the Aug. 1 trade deadline, Miller may be gone.

New York general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged this, per Nightengale.

“If we’re in there, we’ll be trying to add,” Cashman said on May 26. “If we’re not good enough, then, it will be the opposite.

“[Betances, Chapman and Miller] are valuable, that’s why we have them.”

The Yankees are 25-29 and fourth in the American League East. They are also second-to-last in the AL with 203 runs scored. So while New York has a powerful bullpen, the team is not scoring enough runs to utilize it.

Miller would be a huge addition to the Giants bullpen. 

San Francisco is atop the National League West at 35-22 and sixth in the NL in runs scored. It is also fifth in team ERA. 

The team does not have an elite lineup or pitching staff, so adding Miller would help secure leads that could be given away from poor pitching or are insurmountable from an average offense.

Miller is in the second year of a four-year, $36 million deal, which is a relatively friendly contract for a top-notch reliever who can boost a World Series contender.

The Yankees need starting pitching, and the Giants need an anchor in the bullpen, so this trade would make a lot of sense for both sides.

Minor league statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. All other statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.

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Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion likes the idea of landing in Boston this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

Encarnacion’s contract expires at the end of the 2016 season.

Continue for updates.

Encarnacion, Bautista Looking at Boston

Thursday, June 2

Heyman reported that Encarnacion and teammate Jose Bautista have thought about playing for the Boston Red Sox.

“Both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion envision the Red Sox as a possible winter landing spot, provided David Ortiz really does go through with his plan to retire,” Heyman wrote.

Encarnacion, 33, is making $10 million this season, per Spotrac. Heyman believes he will be looking for a four-year deal, but Toronto may not agree to that request. The team has already offered him a two-year contract.

Bautista, 35, is also due for free agency this summer, although his contract demands are steep. According to TSN’s Rick Westhead, Bautista wants a five-year, $150 million deal.

Keeping both players—especially if Bautista receives his requested salary—seems unlikely. Toronto is currently two games out of a wild-card spot, so it is not like the team has a winning formula it cannot afford to break up. This makes it less feasible that the Blue Jays would give two contracts of at least four years to players well past their 30th birthdays.

Adding Encarnacion or Bautista would reinforce an already-scary Boston lineup. Take a look at their production with the Blue Jays.

The Red Sox lead the American League with 317 runs, well above the second-ranked Seattle Mariners with 262. The team is also collectively hitting .296, which easily leads MLB.

Boston is third in the AL with 70 home runs, so bringing in a player like Encarnacion, who has hit at least 34 jacks in the past four seasons, creates even more power in the middle of the lineup. This would seemingly replace Ortiz should he decide to retire.

Bautista could return, as he recently told Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci that wants to stay in Toronto.

“I love the city,” Bautista said (via SI Wire). “I’d be stupid to leave.”

The Blue Jays would likely choose Bautista over Encarnacion given his longevity with the team and greater duration of success. Thus, it is possible Encarnacion could leave and wind up with a team like Boston next season.

Team statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Player statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey appeared to break out of his slump Monday, as he threw a gem to defeat the Chicago White Sox 1-0.  

Harvey, who entered the afternoon at 3-7 in 10 starts with a dreadful 6.08 ERA, tossed seven innings of shutout ball while allowing just two hits. The victory pushed the Mets to 29-21, which is a half-game back of the National League East-leading Washington Nationals.

New York’s Twitter account highlighted Harvey’s strikeouts: 

CBS Sports’ Jonah Keri praised the beleaguered veteran:

The New York Post‘s Mike Puma noted that this was the first time Harvey made it past the sixth inning this season:

He also showed flashes of his old velocity, per ESPN’s Adam Rubin:

The game was scoreless until Neil Walker blasted a solo home run to left center field in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The White Sox have now lost seven straight.

Coming into the game, Harvey’s struggles were the major focus. After the 27-year-old’s rough outing against the Nationals on May 24, Newsday‘s David Lennon suggested the team should give him some time off to rediscover his game.

“Since the Mets still are trying to come up with a concrete plan for how to fix Matt Harvey, maybe a good start Wednesday would have been to hand him a notebook and pen,” Lennon wrote. “That way, as Steven Matz took apart the Nationals with surgical precision, Harvey might learn something from his seat in the dugout.“

However, Mets manager Terry Collins has stood by Harvey throughout this season and trusted his All-Star starter to break out sooner rather than later, per NJ.com’s Joe Giglio:

I believe as we continue, Matt’s going to get better. I think he’s going to bounce back,” Collins said. “A year ago, we were concerned that his velocity wasn’t there, his slider wasn’t there. Then by mid-summer he was back. I expect the same thing to happen again this year. I think in a few weeks we’ll look up and Matt Harvey will be back.

If Monday was any indication, Collins may be right. Harvey had full command once more and looked like a legitimate star.

New York already has aces in Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, so pitching depth isn’t a concern. Despite Harvey’s slump, the club is still third in the MLB in team ERA. If Harvey can get going, the Mets will challenge the Chicago Cubs‘ claim to having the strongest pitching staff in baseball.

Postgame Reaction

Collins reaffirmed his belief in Harvey following his team’s win, courtesy of New York’s Twitter account:

He went on to say that Harvey’s performance is promising for the Mets moving forward, according to ESPN.com’s Danny Knobler.

I think today is a first big step, Collins said. He feels good about the way it went. He feels good about the way he threw the ball. Now we’ve just got to build on it, and stay as positive as we can and have him repeat it. No matter what the results are, if he repeats this kind of performance with stuff, I think we’re on the right track.

Harvey appeared satisfied that the work he put in to reverse his struggles yielded positive results, per the Mets:

SportsCenter noted that it has been a while since Harvey carried his team to such a close win.

His teammates hope that Harvey’s performance will instill some confidence back into the ace, per Newsday‘s Anthony Rieber.

“It helps when you go out there and throw seven scoreless,” David Wright said, per Rieber. “You get a little of that cockiness back. That’s what we’ve been accustomed to seeing and kind of spoiled us the last few years.”

When he has his best stuff, Harvey is nearly impossible to beat. Other top pitchers, such as the Boston Red Sox’s David Price, were able to turn their seasons around after slow starts, and Harvey has the ability to do the same. 

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. 

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