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Archives for September 2020

Athletics To Activate J.B. Wendelken

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Athletics righty J.B. Wendelken will return from the injured list in time to be included on tomorrow’s postseason roster, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland placed the righty on the injured list over the weekend without specifying a reason. While the vague nature of his placement and his quick return suggest that he was very likely on the Covid-19 injured list, that doesn’t mean Wendelken ever tested positive. Players can be placed on the Covid-19 IL for experiencing symptoms or if they come into contact with someone who previously tested positive.

Wendelken, 27, has quietly emerged as a key member of the Oakland relief corps. He’s racked up 25 innings with a 1.80 ERA and 3.07 FIP in 2020, averaging 11.2 strikeouts, 4.0 walks and 0.72 homers per nine innings along the way. Dating back to the 2018 season, Wendelken has given the Athletics 74 1/3 innings with a 2.30 ERA, a 3.03 FIP and well north of a punchout per inning pitched. This year, Wendelken ranks well above average in fastball velocity, fastball spin, average exit velocity, opponents’ hard-hit rate and expected ERA, per Statcast.

A deep bullpen mix will be crucial against a formidable White Sox lineup that features multiple legitimate MVP candidates in Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson. That duo, plus the presence of Eloy Jimenez, make Wendelken all the more important, as he’s held opposing righties to a .205/.266/.319 slash in his career — including a .175/.226/.246 slash in 2020. Wendelken may well relish the chance to the White Sox, who traded him to Oakland in exchange for Brett Lawrie back in the 2015-16 offseason.

That’s not the only notable bit of pitching news for the A’s today. The club announced on Twitter that rookie left-hander Jesus Luzardo will get the nod to start Game 1 of this week’s Wild Card series against the ChiSox, with right-hander Chris Bassitt lined up to take the hill in Game 2. Bassitt, like Wendelken, will be in line to make his postseason debut against the team that traded him to the Athletics.

Injury Notes: Martin, Anderson, Castro, Gio

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A year after a Chris Martin oblique injury altered the course of the postseason for the Braves, Martin is now potentially hobbled once again. Atlanta announced yesterday that Martin exited the season finale with a potential groin injury. Manager Brian Snitker said after the game that Martin will be in for treatment today (link via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Snitker said the Braves hoped to get out in front of the issue and hope it to be minor, but for the time being it sounds as though Martin is considered day-to-day. Anything more serious would be a major blow to the Braves’ bullpen, as Martin has been excellent in the first of a two-year, $14MM deal. In 18 frames, the 34-year-old righty allowed just two runs on eight hits with a 20-to-3 K/BB ratio.

A few more health situations to monitor among the game’s 16 playoff clubs…

  • Brett Anderson was forced out of the Brewers’ finale yesterday because of a blister on his left index finger, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. He’d have been in line to start the third game of the Brewers’ Wild Card series, but that availability is now in question. “We’ll figure out how we’re going to line everything up over the next day or so, and we’ll go from there,” was all president of baseball ops David Stearns had to say on the status of the rotation after yesterday’s game, per McCalvy. Anderson, signed to a one-year, $5MM contract over the winter, was a steadying presence in the Milwaukee rotation. He missed time with another blister early on, but his overall 4.21 ERA and 4.38 FIP in 47 frames kept the Brewers in the majority of games he started. Anderson, as always, was a ground-ball machine with terrific control, inducing grounders on 57.7 percent of balls put in play against him and averaging just 1.9 walks per nine innings pitched. He’ll turn 33 this winter, and that performance should ensure that he gets another chance in a rotation somewhere — be it with the Brewers or with another club.
  • Padres catcher Jason Castro took a foul tip the face behind the plate in yesterday’s game and has been diagnosed with a sprained jaw, per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (Twitter link). The good news for Castro and the Friars is that the 33-year-old passed concussion protocols. The club is optimistic that he’ll be good to go when the Wild Card round begins on Wednesday. Castro’s role with the Padres might not be as large as the team envisioned when acquiring him from the Angels, as the club managed to pry Austin Nola away from the Mariners just a day after picking up Castro. The former Astros, Twins and Angels backstop has had just 30 plate appearances with his new club and batted .179/.233/.357 in the process. But Castro is a very well-regarded receiver with strong framing numbers, good patience at the plate and some pop in his bat. He hit .232/.332/.435 in 275 plate appearances with Minnesota last year.
  • White Sox lefty Gio Gonzalez exited yesterday’s game with soreness in his left shoulder and will be evaluated further today, tweets Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Initially signed as a veteran option for the back of the rotation that would allow the Sox to ease their young starters into the mix in 2020, Gonzalez has spent more time in the ’pen than as a starter. His last seven outings have come in relief, and although he has a 2.53 ERA in that time (three runs in 10 2/3 frames), Gonzalez has also issued nine free passes and hit two batters in that stretch. Between that shaky showing and this new bout of shoulder troubles, it’s far from certain that he’ll factor into Chicago’s postseason plans.

Previewing The 2020-21 Free Agent Class: First Basemen

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We already kicked off this year’s position-by-position breakdown of the upcoming free agent class with a look at the market’s catchers. Next up is a crop of first baseman that doesn’t feature many surefire answers for clubs hoping to bolster their production at the position.

Recent Regulars

As a qualifier, there’s no clear, healthy, starting-caliber first baseman coming off a strong season in this year’s class. Due to the lack of a defined “top of the market” option, the top tier on this breakdown will simply be the few guys who have received regular reps in recent years — even if they’re all rebound candidates for one reason or another at this point.

  • C.J. Cron (31): Cron mashed four quick taters to open the season before a knee injury required surgery and ended his campaign after just 13 games. From 2018-19 between the Rays and Twins, Cron batted .253/.317/.482 with 55 round-trippers in 1059 plate appearances. There’s obvious power here, and at his best, the right-handed-hitting Cron can flat-out decimate lefties while holding his own against righties. Knee surgery was a bad break, but he’s relatively young and could still be a starting first baseman if his recovery goes well.
  • Yuli Gurriel (37): Gurriel hit .298/.343/.541 through 612 plate appearances in 2019 and then faceplanted with a .232/.274/.384 slash through 230 trips to the plate in 2020. He’ll face questions about his poor 2020 season, his age and his ties to the Astros’ 2017 scandal in free agency this winter as he searches for a new club. Gurriel was a superstar in Cuba and quite productive in MLB up until the current campaign. He can also play some third base and second base, though he was exclusively a first baseman/designated hitter in 2020.
  • Jake Lamb (30): Shoulder injuries destroyed the end of Lamb’s career in Arizona, but he’s looked good since being released and latching on with the A’s. Lamb hit .267/.327/.556 with four homers in 49 Oakland plate appearances, although that showing still only boosted his overall 2020 line to .196/.283/.352. Lamb swatted 59 homers as the D-backs’ everyday third baseman in 2016-17 before his shoulder troubles set in. If he’s healthy, he’s young enough to reestablish himself as an everyday option at either corner infield spot. He’ll hope for a deep postseason run to continue his turnaround at the dish.
  • Justin Smoak (34): The switch-hitting Smoak was better than his low batting average made it seem at first glance in 2019, but his strikeout rate rose by 10 percent in a disastrous Brewers showing in 2020. Smoak went hitless in a brief three-game look with the Giants after being released. From 2017-19, the big slugger hit .243/.350/.470 for Toronto, but this year’s woeful .176/.250/.361 batting line won’t do him many favors in free agency.
  • Ryan Zimmerman (36): Zimmerman opted out of the 2020 season but made clear that he intends to play again in 2021. A persistent case of plantar fasciitis torpedoed his 2019 season and limited him to just 52 games, but Zimmerman mashed at a .289/.350/.542 clip in 899 plate appearances from 2017-18. It’s hard to envision “Mr. National” playing anywhere other than D.C. A low-cost Nationals reunion certainly makes sense.

Utility Players and Platoon Bats

  • Matt Adams (32): Adams has never been able to hit lefties well, but his output against righties cratered in this year’s small sample as well (.152/.188/.261 in 48 plate appearances). He could land another minor league deal as a bench bat.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera (35): Cabrera played a career-high 198 2/3 innings at first base this year, hitting .242/.305/.447 with eight dingers. He’s not a shortstop anymore, but the switch-hitter can still handle first, second and third base while providing average or better offense.
  • Derek Dietrich (31): Dietrich’s transformation into a three-true-outcomes slugger continued in 2020. He hit .197/.347/.459 and saw just over half of his 75 plate appearances end with a home run (eight), walk (nine) or strikeout (21). He can also play second base, third base and the outfield corners.
  • Brad Miller (31): Miller has experience at all four infield spots and in the outfield corners. He’s struggled with consistency, but he hit well in 2020 and owns a combined .247/.329/.468 line in 595 plate appearances dating back to 2018. He’s slugged 27 homers and doubles apiece in that time, tacking on four triples.
  • Logan Morrison (33): LoMo rode big Spring Training and Summer Camp performances to a spot on the Brewers’ roster, but he struggled immensely through nine games in the Majors. Morrison bashed 38 home runs with the 2017 Rays, but a torn labrum in his hip wrecked his 2018 season with the Twins. He has yet to bounce back.
  • Pablo Sandoval (34): The Panda revived his career with a quality 2018-19 showing in his return to the Giants, but the 2020 season was a disaster. The Braves rather stunningly added him to the roster in advance of the postseason, so perhaps he’ll get a late chance at showing some life. A minor league deal still seems likeliest.
  • Neil Walker (35): Walker beat out several other veterans to win a bench spot in Philadelphia, but he hit .231/.244/.308 before he was cut loose earlier this month. The switch-hitter can handle all four corner spots and second base but is sure to be viewed as a bench piece if he keeps playing.

Players with 2021 Options

  • Edwin Encarnacion, $12MM club option: Encarnacion was a lock for 30-plus homers from 2012-19 and belted 10 dingers in 2020 — maintaining a 30-homer pace. Unfortunately, he did so while batting just .157/.250/.377 on the whole. This year’s 29.8 percent strikeout rate was the worst of his career by a whopping seven percent. He’ll turn 38 in January.
  • Todd Frazier, $5.75MM club option with $1.5MM buyout: The 2020 season was the worst of Frazier’s career at the plate, as he followed up a solid 2019 output with a lowly .236/.302/.382 slash. Frazier can play either corner infield spot and will turn 35 in February.
  • Jedd Gyorko, $4.5MM club option with $1MM buyout: Gyorko, who turned 32 earlier this month, hit .248/.333/.504 with nine homers while logging more than 200 innings at first base. He can play all over the infield. His option would seem likely to be picked up in a normal winter, but the Brewers made some surprising option decisions a year ago, and with revenue losses throughout the league, perhaps they’ll feel that a similar skill set will be available more affordably elsewhere on the market. Many utility bats will be non-tendered or cut loose in the coming months.
  • Howie Kendrick, $6.5MM mutual option with $2.25MM buyout: The 37-year-old Kendrick hit just .275/.320/.385 in 100 plate appearances with the Nats this year and voiced uncertainty about his future this weekend. It’s hard to see the Nats paying that price with Zimmerman also eyeing a comeback.
  • Mitch Moreland, $3MM club option with $500K buyout: The 35-year-old raked with the Red Sox but saw his bat collapse upon a trade to the Padres, for whom he’s posted a dismal .203/.247/.362 slash in 73 plate appearances. It’s still a cheap price, and the Padres gave up some minor league talent to get Moreland, so perhaps he’s still in the 2021 plans.
  • Daniel Murphy, $12MM mutual option with $6MM buyout: Huge buyout notwithstanding, the Rox probably won’t have much to think about here. The 35-year-old Murphy hit .236/.275/.333 in 132 trips to the plate in 2020, bringing his Rockies total to .269/.316/.426. That’s 23 percent worse than league average after weighting for his home park, per wRC+ (77).
  • Anthony Rizzo, $14.5MM club option with $2MM buyout: It wasn’t a great season for Rizzo, whose .222 average was a career-low, but he kept getting on base and hitting for power. Rizzo popped up at a career-high rate and saw his exit velocity dip, but a correction on this year’s .218 BABIP still seems likely. It’d be a shock to see his option bought out, even coming off a down year at the plate.
  • Carlos Santana, $17.5MM club option with $500K buyout: Santana has never walked at a clip better than this year’s 18.4 percent in a full season, but his power dropped to a career-low as well (.150 ISO). The $17MM net value would be steep for the Indians even if Santana had posted a terrific year, but this year’s .199/.349/.350 slash simplifies the decision.
  • Eric Thames, $4MM mutual option with $1MM buyout: Thames mashed his way through a three-year stint with the Brewers in his return from a star turn in the KBO, but he hit just .203/.300/.317 in 140 plate appearances with the Nats this year. He’s likely to return to the market. His ability to play the outfield could help him a bit.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Doolittle, Mets, Nido, Betances

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Sean Doolittle is entering a winter with more contractual uncertainty than he’s ever faced in his career. Unlike most ballplayers who’ve been in the majors as long as he has, he’s never been a free agent before, and because of an early extension he signed with the A’s, he never even went through arbitration. Still, the 33-year-old southpaw is primarily focused on returning to Washington, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. Doolittle and his wife are entrenched in the D.C. community, and she wants to stay in Washington. Of course, Doolittle knows nothing is guaranteed in free agency, especially coming off the season he just had. Inconsistency and injury kept Doolittle from ever really looking like the guy that has been the rock of the Nats’ bullpen for years. He finished the season with a 5.87 ERA over just 11 contests, but a strong final few outings provided some hope that this season might be a blip on Doolittle’s return to health – and dominance. As a two-pitch pitcher without elite velocity, there’s not a lot of room for error in Doolittle’s arsenal. But when he’s on, he’s a guy a team can lean on in a postseason run. The Nationals know that. Whether or not GM Mike Rizzo is able to re-sign Doolittle will probably come down to price point. Everything else points to Doolittle staying in the city that’s become his home over the last 3 1/2 seasons.

  • Tomas Nido confirmed that complications from COVID-19 ended his season, tweets Newsday’s Tim Healey. Said Nido via instagram: “Unfortunately, my season was cut short after getting Covid and other related complications while trying to come back. Time to turn the page and prepare for a strong 2021.” Nido appeared in just 7 games for the Mets this season, his fourth straight of seeing time in the bigs. For his career, the 26-year-old backstop holds a .197/.234/.319 triple slash across 270 plate appearances. Veterans Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos handled most of the catching responsibilities for the Mets this season, but both could be free agents. The Mets hold $10MM team option for the 33-year-old Ramos and $6.25MM team option for the 36-year-old Chirinos. Ramos has a $1.25M buyout, while Chirinos’ buyout is for $1MM. Nido remains under team control – and he’s out of options – so he’ll either need to be a part of the catching picture for the Mets in 2021 or risk exposure to waivers.
  • Dellin Betances holds a $6MM player option for 2021 to remain with the Mets, and it’s unclear what direction he’s leaning as of now, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). As DiComo notes, the option comes with a $3MM buyout, so Betances’ decision really comes down to a $3MM question. Even after a season in which he made just 14 appearances for a 5.56 ERA/4.34 FIP across 11 1/3 innings with 7.9 K/9 to 7.1 BB/9, it’s reasonable to expect someone to bid that much for a reliever with high-end upside like Betances. Still, it’s now been two seasons since Betances was a dominant arm out of the pen, and as a New York native who’s spent his entire major-league career in New York, he may look for a way to remain with the Mets. Betances averaged 93.4 mph on his four-seamer this season, a far cry from his days as a 96-97 mph high-leverage arm with the Yankees.

 

MLB Finalizes 16-Team Playoff Bracket

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With a hectic final day of play in the books, the 2020 playoff field is officially set – which visual learners can view here from MLB Network. The defending World Series champion Nationals and their newly-crowned batting champion Juan Soto will watch from home.  The Mets and Phillies turned in disappointing seasons, while the Marlins stunned their NL East counterparts to enter the postseason as the #6 seed in the National League. The Braves weathered a line change in their starting rotation to win their third consecutive NL East title.

Elsewhere in the National League, Dodgers are the team to beat, while the Padres are the team to watch. The Rockies and Diamondbacks will face some hard questions in the offseason after disappointing years, while the Giants exceeded expectations but narrowly missed the postseason.

The Central makes up half the playoff field in the National League with everyone but the Pirates continuing into MLB’s second season. The Cubs took home their third division title in five seasons behind stellar years from Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks, but it was a difficult season for many of their core offensive players. They were also the only team in the majors to go the entire season without a single player testing positive for COVID-19, per NBC Sports Chicago and others. The Cardinals will be the #5 seed after playing two fewer games than the rest of the league, Trevor Bauer led the Reds back to the postseason by winning the NL ERA title (in a free agent year no less), and the Brewers backed into the NL’s #8 seed without ever being above .500 in 2020.

In the American League, small markets had themselves a year. The A’s took the AL West back from the defending AL champion Astros. Speaking of, Houston finished a tumultuous year without their ace Justin Verlander. Manager Dusty Baker will lead his fifth different team to the postseason, this one joining the Brewers as one of two under-.500 teams to reach the postseason. The Angels will reboot after firing their GM earlier today, while the Rangers and Mariners continue their rebuilds.

The Rays, meanwhile, won the AL East for the first time in a decade and they’re the top seed in the American League. The Yankees settle for second place and the Blue Jays arrive to the postseason a little earlier than expected as the AL’s #8 seed. The Red Sox took an expected step back, while the Orioles performed better than expected, staying in the playoff hunt for most of the season.

The Twins lost in extras today, but they nonetheless secured their second consecutive AL Central title. Shane Bieber put up a potentially MVP season to get the Indians back to the playoffs. The White Sox arrived in a major way led by Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu. Only a late season slide kept them from a division crown. They’ll head to Oakland as the #7 seed. The Tigers debuted a number of players they hope will be a part of their next competitive team, while the Royals said goodbye to a franchise icon in Alex Gordon’s final season.

It was a short and bizarre season, but the playoffs – while expanded – aren’t going to be all that different from most years. There will be neutral sites and a wild card round of 3-game series, and playoff bubbles, but once the field is pared down to eight, it’s more or less business as usual for the postseason. It should be an exciting month of October.

Here’s the final field of 16:

National League

(8) Brewers at (1) Dodgers

(5) Cardinals at (4) Padres

(6) Marlins at (3) Cubs

(7) Reds at (2) Braves

American League

(8) Blue Jays at (1) Rays

(5) Yankees at (4) Indians

(6) Astros at (3) Twins

(7) White Sox at (2) A’s

The playoffs begin on Tuesday, September 29.

Angels Fire Billy Eppler

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The Los Angeles Angels have fired General Manager Billy Eppler, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Eppler had one year remaining on his deal after the Angels gave him a one-year extension this past summer, notes The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.

The Angels announced the decision on Twitter with a statement from team president John Carpino: “The Angels Organization would like to thank Billy for his dedication and work ethic over the last five years. We wish him and his family all the best.”

Owner Arte Moreno signed a 40-year-old Eppler in October of 2015 from his executive role with the Yankees to be the 12th General Manager Angels’ history. Previous GM Jerry Dipoto had resigned in July amid tension with then-manager Mike Scioscia. The Angels failed to make the playoffs over Eppler’s five-year tenure, having last made the postseason in 2014. Over those five seasons from 2016 to 2020, the Angels went 332-375 for an overall .470 winning percentage. The team’s high-water mark during Eppler’s tenure was back-to-back 80-82 seasons in 2017 and 2018.

The organization made many positive strides in Eppler’s time — namely winning the bidding for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and signing all-time great Mike Trout to a long-term extension. He also steadily improved the organization’s farm system after years of ranking near the bottom of the league in that regard, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange-County Register. He brought Andrelton Simmons into the organization via trade and signed MVP-caliber third baseman Anthony Rendon to a free agent deal this past winter. The Angels also succeeded with under-the-radar success stories in recent seasons with the development of players like Tommy La Stella, Brian Goodwin, and Dylan Bundy.

With Trout already on the roster and big money committed to Albert Pujols, Eppler never got a clean slate in Los Angeles and had to do his best to rebuild the team on the fly. Still, five years of Trout’s prime without a playoff appearance colors his legacy with the club. Eppler’s Achilles heel would prove to be the building of a pitching staff worthy of contention. Since Eppler took over, Angels’ pitchers have accumulated the second-lowest fWAR in the majors (Marlins are last). A 4.49 team ERA ties with the Padres for 19th best over that span, while a 4.60 FIP ties with the Royals for the 24th-best mark overall. He made a number of trades that benefited the organization, but until the Bundy deal this past winter, it’s hard to find an impactful trade that brought pitching into the organization.

Rumors in recent weeks had suggested that Eppler was perhaps on the hot seat in Anaheim, and veteran baseball operations executive Dave Dombrowski was rumored as a potential replacement for Eppler before he’d even been formally let go. The Halos may consider other options in their search, but Dombrowksi’s name will surely be heavily linked to the now-official Angels vacancy in the days and weeks to come.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Scratched From Sunday’s Lineup

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Ronald Acuña Jr. was scratched from today’s lineup because of left wrist irritation, the team announced via Twitter. Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation for the Braves, but there’s no apparent reason to read anything more into this than what’s on the surface. With their playoff position locked, the Braves don’t gain much from playing Acuña today, especially if he’s anything less than 100%. There’s no reason to expect Acuña won’t be back in the lineup for their 3-game wild card playoff.

Acuna wanted to be in the lineup today, so the injury clearly isn’t all that limiting, but the Braves wanted to be cautious with their superstar, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). It is the same wrist that caused him some trouble in August. That said, the 22-year-old still managed to play in 46 games this season and post 2.0 rWAR with a triple slash of .250/.406/.581.

While Acuña’s wrist soreness will surely make some Braves fans a little nervous, there’s cause for optimism coming out of Atlanta as well. Ace Max Fried threw a bullpen session today, and as expected, he’d been given the green light for the playoffs, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Perhaps even more important than Acuña, Atlanta really needs a healthy Fried in order to make a deep run this postseason. He was their best starter by a wide margin this season, emerging from a muddled and hectic rotation to establish himself as an ace and Cy Young candidate.

In 11 starts this season, Fried went 7-0 with a sterling 2.25 ERA/3.10 FIP across 56 innings. His contributions amount to 2.9 rWAR, the fourth-highest mark among pitchers in the majors. The only concern for Fried is that he’s thrown just 6 innings across two starts since going on the injured list early in September. The Braves have held the division lead or some time now, so they’ve been able to be patient with their ace. Still, he’ll be watched closely as he prepares to start the opener of the postseason. As the #2 seed, the Braves will be playing in Atlanta, though their opponent has yet to be decided. Beyond Fried, none of the Braves potential starters (Ian Anderson, Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson) have more than a year of service time under their belts.

Starling Marté, Jose Ureña Exit Game With Injuries

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5:05 pm: Ureña has a non-displaced ulna fracture in his right forearm, per Jose Frisaro of MLB.com. Ureña will miss the postseason.

4:15 pm: The Miami Marlins are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2003. As the second-place team in the NL East, they can finish no worse than the #6 seed. As things stands right now, the Marlins appear headed to a first-round match-up with the Cubs, whom they famously eliminated in 2003 to reach the World Series.

The Marlins overcame a lot this season to rebound from a 105-loss year in 2019, but there are more roadblocks to come. Starling Marté left today’s ballgame after being hit by a pitch, an injury the team has announced as a left ear contusion caused by the jostling of his helmet after being hit. It’s not clear at this time if Marte will miss time in the playoffs. Jose Ureña also left the game early after taking a line drive off his hand, notes ESPN’s Marly Rivera.

Losing Marte at this juncture would be a major blow for a resilient Marlins team. Upon his arrival in Miami, he instantly became the most recognizable player on this Marlins squad. The 31-year-old owns a triple slash of .282/.339/.432 between the Diamondbacks and Marlins this season. The Marlins would lean on a trio of youngsters to replace Marte in center should be miss time. Monte Harrison, Lewis Brinson, and Magneuris Sierra are all capable for manning the grass in center, though none of the three have established themselves at the plate.

As for Ureña, his status is not yet known. The Marlins planned to use him as a reliever in the wild card round, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Ureña has a 6.00 ERA through 4 starts since returning from the injured list. We’ll keep you updated on the status of both Marlins players as updates trickle in.

Ryan Pressly Reaches Vesting Threshold For 2022 Option

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Ryan Pressly reached the vesting threshold for a $10MM option in 2022, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). For the option to fully vest, Pressly needs to appear in 60 games in both 2020 and 2021. This season’s appearances are prorated because of the shortened season, however, meaning he needed 23 appearances to reach the equivalent of 60 over a full year. Pressly’s one-inning outing on Friday night was his 23rd of the season.

Pressly has been a huge part of the Astros’ bullpen over their current run, which includes 4 consecutive postseason appearances and counting. Since joining Houston via trade from the Twins on July 27, 2018, Pressly has posted a 2.19 ERA/2.42 FIP across 104 appearances out of the Houston bullpen. He was particularly effective down the stretch after joining the Astros in 2018. His first 26 appearances resulted in a 0.77 ERA to finish out that 2018 season.

This season he stepped into a new role for Houston, serving as its closer for much of the year. The Astros lost Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski, Josh James, and Brad Peacock from their bullpen over the course of the season. Pressly has stepped in ably to record 12 saves in 16 opportunities while finishing 15 games. He’s thrown 21 innings in total with 12.43 K/9 to 3.00 BB/9.

The 31-year-old is on the books for $8.75MM next season. If he stays healthy, it’s certainly likely he’ll reach that 60 games threshold to lock in a $10MM salary for 2022. That said, any injury could deprive him of enough opportunities to hit that mark. He made just 55 appearances in 2019 for the Astros, though he twice spent time on the injured list, including missing a month from late August to late September. He has twice reached 60 appearances in a season prior to this year (2016, 2018).

The Astros books are pretty clear for 2022 as of right now. Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr., Osuna, Devenski, and Carlos Correa are all set to be free agents after the 2021 season. Only Jose Altuve ($29MM) and Alex Bregman ($13MM) are currently owed significant sums for 2022. Clearly, lots can change before then and at least a few of the Astros’ potential free agents are likely to sign back. Regardless, if Pressly continues to pitch as he has, $10MM would not be an exorbitant price to pay, nor would the contract be immovable should that be their preference.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/27/20

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With the final day of the 2020 regular season underway, a number of teams made a final roster move before the action kicked off. We’ll use this post to track some of those moves…

  • The Pirates placed catcher Jacob Stallings into the 7-day concussion protocol, the team announced. Andrew Susac was added to the active roster for today’s action. To make room on the 40-man roster, Keone Kela was moved to the 45-day injured list. Susac had been on the taxi squad. The 30-year-old backstop made appearances in the bigs for five consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2018 with the Giants, Brewers, and Orioles. He spent 2019 with the Royals Triple-A affiliate. Stallings, 30, misses the final day of the season after slashing .248/.326/.376 across 42 games and 143 plate appearances. Stallings was the Pirates’ primary catcher for the first time in his career this season, starting 40 of the team’s 60 games.
  • Joe Hudson has been recalled from the Mariners’ alternate training site for the final game of the season, per the Mariners’ PR department. Luis Torrens was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms. Hudson is making his third trip to the Mariners this season having one 3 for 17 in 9 games thus far. The 24-year-old catcher has started 16 games behind the plate for Seattle since coming over from the Padres at the deadline. Between both clubs, he slashed .257/.325/.371 across 78 plate appearances. It’s notable that Mariners’ manager Scott Servais noted that the offseason plan for Torrens will be to get strong enough to handle a full 162-game season, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns. The Mariners would like Torrens to add 8-10 pounds before next season.
  • The Cardinals activated outfielder Austin Dean before Sunday’s game, optioning Nabil Crismatt to the team’s alternate site, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 25-year-old Crismatt made 6 appearances out of the bullpen for the Cardinals this season with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings. This was the first taste of big-league action for the right-hander. Dean was acquired in the offseason from the Marlins, but he’s appeared in just 3 games for the Cardinals this season. The 26-year-old has been out since mid-September with a right elbow strain.

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