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Archives for August 2020

Diamondbacks Designate Ildemaro Vargas For Assignment

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The D-backs announced Thursday that they’ve designated infielder Ildemaro Vargas for assignment. The club also optioned righty Yoan Lopez to its alternate training site at Salt River Fields. The pair of moves drops Arizona’s roster from 30 to the newly requisite 28.

Vargas, 29, has a strong Triple-A track record at the plate and plenty of versatility, given that he’s a switch-hitter with more than 1000 innings of experience at each of shortstop, second base and third base. Vargas has also seen time at all three outfield spots and first base, though only a few games’ worth of innings at each slot.

However, despite that versatility, Vargas’ production from Triple-A hasn’t really carried over to the Majors. He’s a career .326/.371/.464 hitter at the top minor league level but has mustered just a .257/.287/.357 slash in the Majors. It’s true that he’s only had 137 plate appearances and never really gotten consistent playing time, but the D-backs clearly feel their other bench options to be superior.

Vargas’ case was surely hurt by the fact that his versatility isn’t exactly unique on a D-backs roster that is rife with Swiss army knives. Newly promoted Andy Young can play all over the infield, just as Vargas can, and top catching prospect Daulton Varsho is somewhat of an anomaly given his ability to capably handle catcher, center field and multiple infield positions. D-backs star Ketel Marte is quite obviously comfortable at second base or in the outfield, and third baseman Eduardo Escobar is no stranger to playing other infield spots as well.

Vargas, meanwhile, was out of minor league options and has only seen eight plate appearances this season in the Majors. Arizona hasn’t been able to find playing time for him, and carrying him as a seldom-used, out-of-options bench piece would’ve effectively reduced their roster size to 27 players. Arizona will have a week to trade Vargas, release him or place him on outright waivers. His Triple-A track record and versatility could get him a look in another organization.

 

Yankees Select Nick Tropeano

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The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Nick Tropeano from their alternate training site. He’ll go onto the 40-man roster and into the big league bullpen. Right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who had Tommy John surgery earlier this week, was moved to the 45-day IL to clear a 40-man spot for Tropeano.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Tropeano, a Long Island native who grew up a Yankee fan. The 29-year-old (30 later this month) has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, working to a combined 4.51 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.57 HR/9. Tropeano was at one point a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Astros and Angels organizations, but his career has been derailed by persistent arm injuries. The righty had Tommy John surgery with the Angels back in 2016 and has since battled shoulder and elbow troubles that have limited him to a combined 182 innings (between the minors and big leagues) across the 2017-19 seasons.

Tropeano was hit hard in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League least year, posting a 5.87 ERA in 79 2/3 frames. That’s a notoriously hitter-friendly setting in the first place, though, and the same changes to the ball composition that led to a record level of home runs hit in the Majors also impacted Triple-A. Prior to the 2019 season, Tropeano carried a career 3.67 ERA in 223 Triple-A frames.

Jordy Mercer Elects Free Agency After Outright

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The Tigers announced today that they have outrighted infielder Jordy Mercer. The veteran elected free agency after clearing waivers.

Mercer, who is closing in on his 34th birthday, hasn’t received many opportunities after being added to the active roster to open the season. He had made the club after inking a minor-league deal over the offseason.

Once a regular with the Pirates, Mercer joined the Detroit organization last year. After dealing with some injuries early, he ultimately turned in a productive .270/.310/.438 effort over 271 plate appearances. And defensive metrics were less than enthused with his glovework at shortstop.

Braves Activate Will Smith, Designate Scott Schebler

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The Braves have activated lefty Will Smith, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. He had not yet pitched this year due to a prior coronavirus infection.

Recently acquired outfielder Scott Schebler was designated for assignment to open 40-man and active roster space. The organization also optioned righty Chad Sobotka and catcher Alex Jackson to trim down to 28 men on the active roster.

Smith inked a three-year deal over the winter after serving as the Giants’ closer. He’ll likely function in a setup role in Atlanta, pitching in front of fellow former San Francisco 9th-inning man Mark Melancon.

Schebler, 29, recorded a lone plate appearance with the Braves before being cut loose. He logged a thirty homer campaign with the Reds, so power isn’t in short supply, but he has not been a consistent on-base threat and ran out of chances in Cincinnati.

Mariners Option Bryan Shaw, Jose Marmolejos

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The Mariners have optioned veteran righty Bryan Shaw and infielder/outfielder Jose Marmolejos, the club announced. Both will go to the team’s alternate training site.

It isn’t entirely clear whether Shaw has consented to the assignment. With more than five years of MLB service, he has the right instead to reject it in favor of free agency.

Shaw, 32, is still being paid by the Rockies under his free agent contract. He landed with the Seattle organization after being cut loose. After one initial scoreless appearance, the once-excellent setup man has surrendered three or more runs in each of his past three outings.

Indians Designate Christian Arroyo For Assignment

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The Indians announced today that they have designated infielder Christian Arroyo for assignment. That cleared one of two roster spots the club needs to trim its active roster down to 28 men.

To open another, the Indians optioned outfielders Greg Allen and Daniel Johnson while activating fellow outfielder Delino DeShields. He had been sidelined on the COVID-19 injured list.

Arroyo, 25, was a first-round pick of the Giants back in 2013, he cracked Top 100 prospect rankings from 2016-18. The Giants, though, flipped him to the Rays in the 2017 Evan Longoria deal, and he never got much of a look on a deep Rays roster. Tampa Bay traded him to Cleveland last summer in a deal that primarily netted international bonus money. Arroyo is a .215/.280/.342 hitter in 251 plate appearances spread over the past four seasons but has a career .298/.359/.487 slash in 418 Triple-A plate appearances. Arroyo has logged time at second base, third base and shortstop, so he has some versatility, but he’s also out of minor league options.

Poll: Big-Budget Long-Term Payrolls

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Looking at long-range payroll commitments, there’s a fairly sizable gap between the top-five spenders and the number six club (the Padres, at a total of $396MM). Here’s that top-five:

Rank Team Total
1 Angels $651.00
2 Yankees $612.00
3 Dodgers $533.36
4 Nationals $488.68
5 Phillies $488.50

That list isn’t remotely surprising. Some other deep-pocketed teams have pared back or simply not yet agreed to blockbuster extensions with existing stars. The handful of teams listed above have each recently agreed to monster contracts with one or more superstars.

Looking at a team’s future outlook involves quite a bit more than its contractual commitments. We’d want to consider controllable young talent, the prospect pool, and a wide variety of business factors in assessing which organization is best-situated for the long haul.

Here, though, we’ll just focus on the deals that are already locked in. First, I’ll re-list each of those five teams’ eexisting commitments. Then, you will vote for the one that you’d most prefer to have were you operating a large-budget franchise. (Click on the links to expand the image.)

The Angels feature two mid-prime superstars, including the greatest player of this generation.

The Yankees have an ace, a former MVP who could still return to his former glory, and a group of quality players.

The Dodgers had only limited future commitments until they struck a bold deal to keep one of the game’s best players.

The Nationals are all-in on high-grade rotation pieces.

The Phillies spent big to pluck high-end talent from division rivals.

Which is the best slate of contract commitments? (Poll link for app users; response order randomized.)

Nationals Designate Emilio Bonifacio

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The Nationals have designated veteran utilityman Emilio Bonifacio for assignment, the club announced. Righty James Bourque was also optioned down as the team trimmed its active roster as required.

Bonifacio, 35, hadn’t seen the majors in the past two seasons but drew the Nats’ attention as an offseason target. He seemed to have a bead on a utility role but ultimately saw little action, striking out twice in three plate appearances.

The Nationals ended up securing the services of Josh Harrison, who has been given more opportunities in the early going. And the team evidently still prefers not to give up on the out-of-options Wilmer Difo. That left Bonifacio on the chopping block.

Yankees Option Miguel Andujar

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The Yankees have optioned infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar to their alternate training site, per a club announcement. Fellow infielder Thairo Estrada and righty Nick Nelson were sent down with him.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see Andujar dropped, but he had struggled in limited opportunities thus far. The 25-year-old has reached base just one time in 14 plate appearances.

Andujar turned in a high-powered rookie season in 2018, but was knocked out early last year due to a shoulder injury. He entered the current campaign at full health, but was bypassed in the meantime by Gio Urshela, who has thus far maintained a shocking 2019 breakout.

The depth on hand left the Yanks looking for ways to get Andujar into the lineup. But there aren’t many more opportunities in an outfield that is fully loaded with healthy, productive hitters at the moment. And Andujar isn’t exactly a natural out in left field.

Just about any other club would’ve had a much longer leash. But the Yanks have a bevy of alternatives. Perhaps it’s best for all involved if Andujar gets some more time re-polishing his swing in camp.

It’s certainly fair to wonder what the future holds for Andujar in New York. Given the limits on trades this year, he could be an interesting chip to dangle. If he’s not able to re-take an active roster spot, he’ll finish the season shy of three full years of MLB service, which would mean waiting an extra season for arbitration and eventual free agency.

Hahn On White Sox’ Trade Deadline Strategy

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It may seem strange to say it, but we’re actually just entering the thick of trade deadline season, such as it is in 2020. White Sox GM discussed his approach to an unusual summer trade period yesterday (via 670 The Score).

First and foremost, Hahn highlighted the potentially misleading nature of the short sample every team will have gathered prior to the August 31st trade deadline. “A team may overachieve for a 60-game season,” he observed. “A guy can have a bad month or two bad months.”

Given that “challenge,” says Hahn, it’s all the more important “to understand the true talent level” of both a team’s players and its potential acquisition targets. That means scouting, yet another task rendered more difficult by the coronavirus situation. And that’s all before considering the difficulty of assessing potential trade chips, many of whom aren’t even playing competitively.

In spite of those hurdles, there obviously figures to be some trade activity. The White Sox may well be involved. But Hahn cautioned against expecting this particular organization to slam the pedal to the floor, even if its bounty of young talent is still performing well come late August.

“If we have an opportunity,” Hahn said of the possibility of chasing a title and/or striking a deal to enhance the chances thereof, “we will take that seriously and vet it seriously.” But he threw some rather chilly water on the idea of a real go-for-it move.

Hahn continued:

“But this has always has been about multiple championships. It’s always been about putting ourselves in this position every year. Being over-reactionary to a bad 30-game sample or something like that, maybe doing something rash would perhaps decrease our chances of attaining that goal. That is something we intend to avoid.”

It’s not especially surprising to hear that the White Sox are loath to sway with the breeze too much just now. The club spent on significant new veterans and on its own rising core last winter, all with the idea of putting together a roster that can compete for years to come. Whether it can do so in 2020 will depend primarily upon just how quickly that youthful bunch can produce at the MLB level.

The broader question is whether other teams will be similarly reserved. On the one hand, they’ll all be considering the same factors noted by Hahn. On the other, there will be enticing opportunities presented in the short-season format. Some non-competitive teams will surely be looking to move salary, especially if a spendy veteran has a nice first half of the truncated campaign. And teams will have a chance to capitalize on unexpectedly advantageous positions in the standings without having to sustain it over a full 162-game season.

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