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Cubs Claim Franmil Reyes From Guardians

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2022 at 2:20pm CDT

2:20pm: The Cubs have announced the claim.

2:10pm: The Cubs are “adding” slugger Franmil Reyes, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Reyes had been designated for assignment by the Guardians on Saturday. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Cubs have presumably claimed Reyes off waivers. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Reyes has indeed been claimed off waivers. The Cubs had a couple of vacancies on their 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move won’t be required in that regard.

Reyes, 27, has an impressive track record as a power hitter, though he’s enduring an unfortunate swoon here in 2022. He debuted with the Padres in 2018 and then went to Cleveland in a three-team trade in 2019 that involved six other players. From his debut through the end of the 2021 campaign, he hit 92 home runs and walked in 9% of his plate appearances. His 29.5% strikeout rate was definitely on the high side, but he still managed to hit .260/.325/.503, production that was 19% above league average by measure of wRC+.

This season has been a complete nightmare by comparison, however. Reyes has struck out in 37.1% of his plate appearances, walked in only 5% of them and hit just nine homers. His overall batting line for the campaign sits at a paltry .213/.254/.350, wRC+ of 69. Cleveland has been using him as a designated hitter, ultimately deciding it could no longer withstand that meager output from a lineup spot that’s supposed to deliver more potency. He was optioned to the minors last week and designated for assignment a few days after that.

For a rebuilding Cubs team, it’s a logical move to take a chance on Reyes and hope that he bounces back to his previous form. He’s making $4.55MM this year, leaving around $1.5MM left to be paid out over the remainder of the campaign. He can be retained for two more seasons via arbitration and likely won’t require a huge raise due to his poor showing this year. The Cubs don’t have a dedicated designated hitter, with impending free agent Willson Contreras getting most of the time there. If Reyes successfully bounces back in any way, he could take over DH duties. He is capable of playing corner outfield, though has only trotted onto the grass for 26 total games in the past three years.

There are reasons to be optimistic Reyes could turn things around. Despite the strikeout woes and general struggles this year, he’s still in the 92nd percentile among MLB hitters when it comes to barrel percentage, 93rd in average exit velocity, 88th in hard hit percentage and 86th in max exit velocity. If he can cut down on the strikeouts even a little bit, he’s still crushing the ball with enough power that he could be a useful pickup, either sticking with the Cubs or being traded in the future.

Dodgers Claim Rylan Bannon From Orioles

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2022 at 2:20pm CDT

The Dodgers have claimed infielder Rylan Bannon off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both clubs. It had not been publicly reported that Bannon had been designated for assignment, but the O’s evidently tried to pass him through waivers with the Dodgers intercepting them.

More to come.

Latest On Kevin Kiermaier

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2022 at 12:15pm CDT

Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier underwent season-ending hip surgery last month, and the outfielder took to Twitter to send a video updating on his recovery and thank fans for the support this week (video link). Within, Kiermaier indicated that the hip issues which ultimately required the surgery have plagued him for the past year and a half. The Rays described the surgery as a procedure to address an impingement and repair a torn labrum, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Of course, for many Rays fans, the broader question is whether Kiermaier will suit up in Tampa Bay or with another club next year. Unsurprisingly, both Topkin and Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote this weekend that the Rays are planning to pay the $2.5MM buyout on Kiermaier’s $13MM club option rather than commit to that weighty guarantee. That was obvious from the moment Kiermaier underwent surgery; it was worth wondering whether the low-payroll Rays would’ve picked up that option even in the event of a generally healthy and productive season.

Kiermaier didn’t address the contract specifically but made sure to mention his fondness for the Tampa area, the Rays organization, the community and the fans who’ve reached out to offer him support as he’s gone through this latest injury. Whether he’ll return to the Rays next year is likely dependent on how several of the organization’s younger options play over the next few months.

Randy Arozarena and Manuel Margot — on the shelf himself due to a knee injury — seem likely to return regardless. Arozarena has not yet even reached arbitration (though could do so as a Super Two player this winter) and thus remains quite affordable. Margot inked a two-year extension spanning the 2023-24 seasons (plus a 2025 team option) not long before Opening Day. Elsewhere on the roster, the Rays have the just-acquired Jose Siri and top prospect Josh Lowe, both of whom have struggled against big league pitching this season. Siri could fill a similar backup role to that of the since-traded Brett Phillips, whereas Lowe entered the season widely viewed as a potential long-term option in the outfield.

From a financial perspective, there ought to be room on the books for Kiermaier, particularly if he’s signing at a reduced rate. The Rays only have about $22MM in guaranteed salary on next year’s ledger, although that does not include a massive arbitration class featuring Tyler Glasnow, Ji-Man Choi, Ryan Yarbrough, Yandy Diaz, Andrew Kittredge, Francisco Mejia, Yonny Chirinos, Jeffrey Springs, Nick Anderson, Jalen Beeks, Harold Ramirez, Pete Fairbanks, JT Chargois, Colin Poche, Ryan Thompson and perhaps, depending on the Super Two cutoff, both Arozarena and Jason Adam. Not all of that group will be tendered a contract — Yarbrough, for instance, could be cut loose or traded elsewhere — but it has the potential to be a pricey group by the Rays’ standards, especially if Arozarena indeed reaches arbitration eligibility.

The 32-year-old Kiermaier has spent parts of ten seasons in the Majors, batting a combined .248/.308/.407 with some of the best glovework of any player in the Majors, regardless of position. The fearless manner in which Kiermaier patrols the outfield (and, presumably, the artificial surface on which he plays half his games) has taken its toll on his body over the years and regularly left Kiermaier sidelined for lengthy stints on the injured list.

Dating back to 2016 (and excluding the shortened 2020 season), Kiermaier has averaged 86 games played per year, missing time along the way with a fractured left hand, a fractured right hip, a torn ligament in his right thumb, a damaged ligament in his other thumb, a sprained left wrist and now this most recent left hip surgery. Even in spite of that huge list of injuries, Kiermaier has the fourth-most Defensive Runs Saved of the 5511 players who’ve stepped onto a Major League field in that span.

Orioles Notes: Santander, Vavra, Odor, Farm System

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2022 at 10:34am CDT

The Orioles have been getting right fielder Anthony Santander some practice at first base and could play him on the infield at least occasionally down the stretch, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters this weekend (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubtako). That shift could be accompanied by other changes in the infield, which began yesterday with Rougned Odor moving to third base in deference to 25-year-old Terrin Vavra, who received his first big league start at second base.

Santander, 27, has never played a Major League game at first base but did get some minor league work there several years ago. He generally rates as an above-average defender in right field, per both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, although his ratings have slipped this season. With several young outfielders rising through the system including MLB-ready Kyle Stowers and fast-rising 2021 top pick Colton Cowser, it’s of extra note that Santander could reacclimate to another spot on the diamond. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins are generally locked into outfield spots, so shifting Santander around certainly makes some sense.

Of course, even moderately enhancing Santander’s defensive versatility will also potentially make him a bit more appealing on the offseason trade market. The switch-hitting Santander drew some interest this summer, as he’s done for the past couple seasons, but the O’s hung onto him and for now can continue to enjoy his .255/.334/.452 output. Santander is on pace to set new career-highs in plate appearances, home runs and doubles this season, provided he remains healthy down the stretch. He’s also trimmed his strikeout rate from 23.1% last season to 18.6% this season and upped his walk rate from 5.3% to a career-best 8.2%.

Santander is earning $3.15MM this season and remains under club control through the 2024 campaign via arbitration. He’s already been through that process twice as a Super Two player and will be due another pair of raises before hitting the open market just after his 30th birthday in the 2024-25 offseason.

As for the move of Odor to the hot corner, it’s only sensible to get as long a look as Vavra as possible down the stretch in 2022. Second base is Vavra’s primary (and best) position, and after he hit .312/.425/.444 through 229 minor league plate appearances this season (mostly in Triple-A), he appears ready for a look in the big leagues. However, the O’s also have fellow infield prospect Jordan Westburg knocking on the door of the big leagues, if not late in 2022 then likely early in the 2023 season. Westburg, who landed 98th on Baseball America’s latest top 100 rankings, has posted a combined .255/.332/.470 slash between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He’s seen his walk rate cut in half jumping from Double-A to Triple-A and perhaps has some strikeout issues to sort through (26.1% this year), but given his general proximity to the big leagues, taking a proactive look at Vavra makes sense.

It seems fair to question just how much longer the veteran Odor will factor into the plans at all, given that the longtime Rangers infielder has posted just a .193/.257/.365 batting line in 331 plate appearances this year. The lefty-swinging Odor has actually posted worse results against right-handers than against southpaws and turned in below-average defensive grades at second base (-5 DRS, -2.9 UZR, -5 OAA).

From a broader perspective, veterans of the Odor ilk will have a more difficult time finding opportunity in Baltimore at all before too long. Despite graduating former No. 1 overall prospect Adley Rutschman to the Major League roster, the O’s still have baseball’s best all-round farm system, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel opined in today’s updated rankings of the game’s 30 minor league systems. Some of that is due to another No. 1 overall pick being added to the system this season, but it’s also due largely to the rise of shortstop prospect Gunnar Henderson, whom Baseball America tabs as its new No. 1 overall farmhand in another just-released set of rankings.

Henderson, like Westburg, has split the 2022 season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing at a combined .304/.429/.556 clip with 17 home runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 16 steals (in 19 tries), a huge 16.7% walk rate and a 20.8% strikeout rate. With 205 Triple-A plate appearances already under his belt, it’s at least feasible that he could also be an option late in the season — and, if not, then certainly early in 2023. However things pan out in the short-term, the looming presence of Henderson, Westburg, Vavra and others figures to directly impact Odor, Ramon Urias, Jorge Mateo and other infield options before too long.

Twins Release Tyler Duffey

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2022 at 9:00am CDT

Aug. 8: The Twins have released Duffey, per the transaction log at MLB.com.

Aug. 5: The Twins have designated right-handed reliever Tyler Duffey for assignment, as first reported by Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). Right-hander Cole Sands is being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take Duffey’s spot on the roster (and, seemingly, in the bullpen for now). Minnesota has yet to formally announce the move.

Duffey, a fifth-round pick by the Twins back in 2012, has had an up-and-down career in Minnesota. Debuting as a starter back in 2015, he quickly looked as though he could hold that role down for the foreseeable future, pitching to a 3.10 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates as a rookie that year. However, Duffey was clobbered for a ghastly 6.33 ERA in 133 innings the following year and moved to the bullpen in 2017.

It took some time, but by the 2019 season, Duffey had become an indispensable member of the Twins’ bullpen. He logged 57 2/3 innings of 2.50 ERA ball and punched out a whopping 34.5% of his opponents against a 5.9% walk rate that season. From July 28 through Sept. 25 in 2019, Duffey went 26 straight appearances without allowing a run — a total of 23 2/3 innings during which he posted a scintillating 40-to-5 K/BB ratio. He followed that year with an even better showing in the shortened 2020 season (1.88 ERA in 24 innings), and while his numbers took a step back in 2021 they were still quite solid (3.18 ERA, 3.49 FIP in 62 1/3 innings).

All in all, from 2019-21, Duffey logged 144 innings with a 2.69 ERA (3.16 FIP), a 29.8% strikeout rate, an 8.2% walk rate and a 44.4% ground-ball rate. By and large, he was an effective late-inning reliever on whom the Twins relied with regularity.

This season, however, has been another story entirely. Duffey owns a 4.91 ERA and has already yielded eight home runs in just 44 innings of work (1.64 HR/9). The fastball that averaged 94 mph in 2019 is now averaging 92.3 mph, and he’s seen his strikeout rate plummet to 21.1% while his 8.1% walk rate is more than two percentage points higher than it was during that 2019 peak.

Much as he did in 2019, Duffey had an impressive run this summer when he rattled off 15 2/3 shutout innings with a 12-to-3 K/BB ratio from June 17 through July 23, but that hot streak has been bookended by nightmarish bouts of home runs yielded in leverage spots. Duffey has yielded multiple runs in 20% of his appearances this season (eight of 40), including five different outings where he’s been tagged for three runs. Since that promising run from mid-June through late July, Duffey has yielded seven runs on six hits (two homers) and four walks with three strikeouts in a total of 4 1/3 innings.

Minnesota’s bullpen has been the team’s greatest flaw this season, and Duffey’s wild inconsistency has played a significant part in that Achilles heel. He’s earning $3.8MM in his final season of club control before free agency, meaning any club who claimed him — he can’t be traded now that the deadline has passed — would be on the hook for the remaining $1.28MM on this year’s salary. Because of that, he’ll likely go unclaimed, and even if the Twins attempt to outright him to Triple-A St. Paul, he can reject the assignment and retain the rights to that salary, as is his right as a player with five-plus years of MLB service time.

As for the 25-year-old Sands, he’s been rocked for 16 runs in 16 1/3 Major League innings during this season’s debut, but he has a better minor league track record. Like Duffey, he’s a former fifth-round pick (Florida State University, 2018) with a history of solid minor league performances. While it’s true that Sands has been hit hard in St. Paul this season (5.59 ERA in 48 1/3 frames), he posted a brilliant 2.46 ERA through 80 1/3 Double-A frames last year and also notched a sub-3.00 ERA in his first full pro season with the Twins back in 2019.

Sands has worked primarily as a starter in his career, so it’ll be intriguing to see if, similar to Duffey earlier in his career, Sands’ stuff will play up in the ’pen and allow him to seize a role there moving forward. Alternatively, he could simply operate in a long relief role until lefty Jovani Moran returns from the injured list and then head back to St. Paul where he’d continue working as a starter and serve as rotation depth both this year and next.

Pirates Release Yoshi Tsutsugo

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2022 at 6:50am CDT

Aug. 8: The Pirates released Tsutsugo over the weekend, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com.

Aug. 3: The Pirates have designated first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo for assignment and recalled infielder Tucupita Marcano to take his spot on the roster, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Tsutsugo, 30, returned to the Bucs on a one-year deal after a big finish down the stretch with them in 2021. The former NPB slugger wasn’t able to replicate the production he gave Pittsburgh last August and September, however, limping to a .171/.249/.229 slash with just two homers and four doubles in 193 plate appearances this season. As the Pirates increasingly turn the roster over to younger talents who they hope will comprise their next competitive core, however, Tsutsugo increasingly looked as though his time with the team was dwindling.

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the only options for the Bucs now are to place Tsutsugo on outright waivers or release waivers. Given that he’s still owed about $1.4MM of this season’s $4MM salary, he’ll assuredly go unclaimed on waivers either way.

The 22-year-old Marcano, acquired from the Padres alongside Jack Suwinski in last year’s Adam Frazier trade, will get another opportunity to establish himself at the game’s top level. He’s hit just .229/.280/.357 with the Pirates this year, but that’s been in just 78 plate appearances. Marcano is sitting on a .319/.417/.475 slash that he’s put together between Double-A and Triple-A while appearing at four defensive positions (second base, shortstop, third base, left field).

Braves Option Ian Anderson

By Darragh McDonald | August 7, 2022 at 11:01pm CDT

The Braves announced a series of roster moves today, recalling right-hander Huascar Ynoa and catcher Chadwick Tromp. To create room on the active roster, they’ve optioned righty Ian Anderson and outfielder Guillermo Heredia.

The most noteworthy of these moves is the demotion of Anderson, who has been entrenched in the rotation for quite some time. First called up to the big leagues in August of 2020, he made six starts in the shortened season and registered a 1.95 ERA. That was impressive enough for Anderson to earn a spot in the club’s postseason rotation, as he made four more starts in the playoffs with a 0.96 ERA, as Atlanta reached the NLCS.

Last year, Anderson seemingly proved he wasn’t a short-season fluke by pitching well over a full campaign. Though he did make one trip to the IL, Anderson made 24 starts in 2021 with a 3.58 ERA, then made four more postseason starts with a 1.59 ERA, helping Atlanta win the World Series.

The 24-year-old has taken a step back here in 2022, however, currently sporting a 5.11 ERA on the year. His 29.7% strikeout rate in 2020 fell to 23.2% last year and is down to 19.8% here this year. His 11.3% walk rate is also a career high and his 47.4% ground ball rate a career low. It’s possible there’s some bad luck involved, as his .318 BABIP on the year is much higher than in past seasons, but there’s also a lot of blue on his Statcast page, with batters clearly making some good contact against him. With the emergence of rookie Spencer Strider and the acquisition of Jake Odorizzi, it seems Anderson’s struggles have bumped him from the front five. He’ll join the Gwinnett Stripers and try to get things back on track.

The move isn’t likely to have a huge impact on Anderson from a service time perspective, at least in the short term. He came into this season with one year and 94 days of service time and has added around 120 more days here in 2022. Even if he were to spend the rest of the season in the minors, he’d finish the campaign somewhere around 2.025. That would still put him on track to reach arbitration for the first time after 2023 and free agency after 2026, though future optional assignments could also alter that timeline.

The recall of Tromp was required due to a leg injury sustained last night by Travis D’Arnaud. Although X-rays were negative, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, D’Arnaud will likely be unavailable for a few days. That leaves William Contreras as the primary catcher, with Tromp stepping in as the backup.

Yankees Notes: Skubal, Peraza, Dietrich

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 9:59pm CDT

The Yankees had interest in the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal prior to the deadline, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Given how aggressively the Yankees were looking for pitching help, it isn’t surprising that they at least checked in on a talented and controllable arm like Skubal, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Skubal ended up not being dealt anywhere, as while the Tigers were open to offers for “just about everyone” in the wake of a massively disappointing season, it would’ve naturally taken a huge trade package to obtain a pitcher that still looks like a significant part of Detroit’s present and future.

As poorly as 2022 has gone for the Tigers, they aren’t likely to abandon their plans to contend and immediately re-enter another rebuild phase, especially not with a lot of money already committed to such players as Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. Since Skubal’s strong performance has been one of the few bright spots of Detroit’s season, moving Skubal might be just about the last thing the Tigers would do, so the Yankees’ pursuits might be limited to just monitoring the situation should plans change. Of course, New York landed a big arm at the deadline anyway in Frankie Montas.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 8:56pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat

Injury Notes: Brantley, Glasnow, Lucchesi, Pillar

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 6:08pm CDT

Astros GM James Click has “no update” on the status of Michael Brantley, who has now missed close to six weeks due to right shoulder discomfort. In an interview with team radio broadcaster Robert Ford (hat tip to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle), Click said that “with every passing day, you have to kind of take an honest look at” whether or not Brantley’s 2022 season could be over, though the Astros are still hopeful that Brantley can eventually return.

Brantley himself told Rome and other reporters earlier this week that he hadn’t started swinging, and was “day by day” with “no timetable” about when he could start resuming baseball activities. Considering the 35-year-old’s lengthy history of shoulder surgeries, there isn’t much Brantley or the Astros can do but wait and see if his discomfort lessens, since trying to force the issue could make things worse. Houston has missed Brantley’s bat in the lineup, and this injury uncertainty also casts a shadow over Brantley’s free agent market this winter. The veteran is in the final two months of his two-year, $32MM deal with the Astros.

More updates on other injury situations from around baseball…

Almost exactly one year ago, Tyler Glasnow underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2021 season and putting his participation in doubt for the 2022 campaign. However, Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Glasnow is “fully healthy” and said “the chance is not zero” that Glasnow could help the Rays before the year is out. Considering that Glasnow is still at least a couple of weeks away from throwing to live hitters, mid-September might be the earlier he can return, and even then would likely be limited to bullpen work.
Joey Lucchesi is another TJ patient who could factor into the 2022 season, as Mets manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that “if [Lucchesi] can continue down the path he’s on, he’s going to be an option for us.” Lucchesi underwent his surgery in late June 2021, and he has been working out at the Mets’ spring facility in Florida. The left-hander posted some solid numbers as a starter for the Padres and Mets over his four Major League seasons, but would also probably return as a reliever, given that he’d need less time to build up his arm for relief innings than starter’s innings. Since New York in thin on left-handed relievers, Lucchesi or David Peterson could add some balance to the bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason.
Kevin Pillar’s season was thought to be over when he underwent shoulder surgery in June, but the Dodgers outfielder was recently cleared to start baseball activities. “I would definitely call it best case scenario,” Pillar told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, and his aim is to at least give the Dodgers something to think about when building their late-season roster and their playoff rosters. “It’s trying to get myself healthy, prove that I’m healthy, get some games under belt and put myself in position where…I’m available,” Pillar said. The veteran outfielder signed a minor league deal with L.A. in March and appeared in only four games with the Dodgers before suffering a fractured left shoulder.

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