MLB Rumors: Latest Buzz on Mike Clevinger Injury, J.T. Realmuto Contract

When the San Diego Padres acquired right-hander Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians, they believed the right-hander could be the final piece to their championship puzzle.

Multiple teams made a run at the 29-year-old ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline, but the Friars eventually won out. They sent Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, Austin Hedges and a slew of prospects to Cleveland in exchange for Clevinger and Greg Allen, giving the Padres the ace they needed to make a run in October. 

Indeed, Clevinger seemed like a good fit in San Diego early. He won his first start with his new club and, after a somewhat shaky second outing, blanked the San Francisco Giants in a complete-game shutout on Sept. 13.

But things took a turn for the worse.

Clevinger left his Sept. 23 start against the Los Angeles Angels after just one inning. It was later revealed he was dealing with biceps tightness, rendering his status uncertain heading into the postseason.

Although he was left off San Diego's roster in the Wild Card Round, he returned to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Once again, though, he was pulled after just one inning and a noticeable decline in velocity.

However, it seems Clevinger avoided a serious injury.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the player is expected to need "nothing more invasive than arthroscopic surgery" and should make a "full recovery" for the start of the 2021 season. 

This is good news for San Diego in the short term, though the long-term outlook paints a slightly different picture. 

Clevinger threw 200 innings for the first time in his career in 2018 but subsequently dealt with injuries that limited him to just 21 starts in 2019. He does not have a ton of mileage, but the right arm has had its share of issues in recent years.

That said, the Padres acquired him in part because he had value beyond 2020. The Jacksonville, Florida, native is still under team control for another two seasons, and San Diego is just coming into its own as a legitimate contender in the National League.

Clevinger can be dominant at his best. He showed as much in 2019, when he went 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 126 innings for the Cleveland Indians. 

The Padres will hope a minor operation and months of rehab will help Clevinger return to ace status.

J.T. Realmuto Seeking Huge Deal   

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto will be one of the top players on the market this winter, and he is looking to command a huge deal in free agency.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported the 29-year-old's asking price could be "in the $200 million range," which would break the previous record for guaranteed money—held by Joe Mauer at $184 million—by a player at his position.

It remains to be seen whether that money will come from the Phillies.

They are in transition after former general manager Matt Klentak stepped down. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Phillies owner John Middleton would prefer team president Andy MacPhail to retire early. 

Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper has been adamant the team re-sign Realmuto throughout the year. But the decision will ultimately come down to the team's new leadership, which is still in flux. Realmuto himself said in July there had been no progress on an extension.

Regardless, the Del City, Oklahoma, native will likely get the record-breaking money he reportedly desires.

Realmuto and Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal tied for the highest fWAR at the position in 2020, per FanGraphs, and Realmuto led all catchers in weighted runs created plus (wRC+) after hitting 11 homers with an .840 OPS.

In addition to consistently being one of the top hitting catchers, Realmuto is also one of the best defensive backstops in baseball. He is second in pitch-framing in 2020, per Baseball Savant, and has thrown out 36 percent of would-be base stealers for his career.

Catcher is a premium position. It is rare to find a guy who can be a perennial All-Star, yet that is exactly the kind of player Realmuto has been in his career.

The odds are pretty high he will make record-breaking money, considering teams like the New York Mets, Yankees and Washington Nationals could all make a play for him in free agency.

Whether the Phillies fully commit to re-signing Realmuto will be determined in the near future.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.