Josh Harrison Granted His Release By Phillies
The Phillies announced Tuesday evening that veteran infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison requested and was granted his release. He’s now a free agent and can sign with any club.
Harrison, 32, was a fixture in the Pirates’ lineup from 2014-17, hitting a combined .290/.331/.428 with 37 homer and 59 steals in 2063 plate appearances. He bounced all over the diamond, lining up at third base, second base, shortstop and both outfield corners. The versatile Harrison twice made the All-Star team in that stretch and was even rewarded by the Bucs with a four-year, $27.3MM extension back in 2015.
Things began to go downhill for Harrison in 2018, when he sustained his second fractured hand in as many months of play. Harrison broke his left hand and missed the final month of the 2017 season, and he broke the same hand early in 2018 when he was hit by a Jose Urena fastball. Upon returning, Harrison slumped to a .250/.293/.363 line. His 2019 option was bought out by the Pirates, and he lingered in free agency for much of the winter before signing a one-year, $2MM deal with the Tigers. Hamstring issues limited him in Detroit, and his time with the Tigers resulted in a career-worst .175/.218/.263 slash in just 140 plate appearances.
With the Phillies, Harrison had been vying for a utility job, although he was part of a crowded competition. The Phillies also inked veterans Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin, Ronald Torreyes and T.J. Rivera to minor league contracts with invitations to camp. Of that bunch, Walker has already been informed he’ll make the Opening Day roster. Forsythe was released earlier this week, and Rivera was cut loose in late May. Gosselin and Torreyes remain with the team in hopes of securing an Opening Day roster spot.
Tigers Release Hector Santiago
The Tigers announced that they have given left-hander Hector Santiago his unconditional release. Meanwhile, southpaw Tarik Skubal has been cleared to rejoin the Tigers’ 60-man player pool and been reassigned to their alternate training site, and righty Zack Hess has been removed from their player pool.
Santiago, 32, joined the Tigers on a minor league deal last offseason after mostly working as a reliever in 2019 and combining for 33 2/3 innings of 6.68 ERA/5.89 FIP ball with the White Sox and Mets. That continued a multiyear run of subpar production in the majors for Santiago, who served primarily as a starter earlier in his career and generated solid results for for the White Sox and Angels. During his peak from 2011-15, Santiago notched a 3.55 ERA/4.54 FIP with 8.25 K/9 and 4.00 BB/9 over 532 2/3 innings.
The Tigers didn’t say why they placed Skubal on the injured list when they made the move July 10. Regardless, it’s encouraging to see one of baseball’s top pitching prospects on his way back. The 23-year-old Skubal, who ranks as MLB.com‘s 46th-best farmhand, was dominant in his first taste of Double-A action in 2019 with a 2.13 ERA/1.26 FIP and 17.43 K/9 against 3.63 BB/9 across 42 1/3 frames.
Brewers Place Ray Black On IL Due To Strained Rotator Cuff
The Brewers announced Tuesday that they’ve placed right-hander Ray Black on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right rotator cuff. Milwaukee also formally announced the previously reported additions of Logan Morrison and Justin Grimm to its 40-man roster. There’s no word from the club on Black’s timeline for recovery, although any shoulder issues are of extra concern in a shortened, 60-game season.
Black, 30, has long been an intriguing arm given his triple-digit fastball and gaudy minor league strikeout totals (career 16.7 K/9), but injuries have hobbled him throughout his career. Milwaukee acquired him alongside Drew Pomeranz in the trade that sent Mauricio Dubon to San Francisco last summer, and he went on to pitch 14 innings of relief out of the Brewers’ pen (eight runs on 10 hits and eight walks with 13 strikeouts).
Black has just 39 1/3 innings under his belt at the MLB level and hasn’t yet found consistent success. That said, he’s also out of minor league options, which made him quite likely to land on the club’s big league roster to open the season. A pitcher who averages better than 98 mph on his heater and has a 98th percentile spin rate on the pitch was never likely to make it through waivers, after all, even if he doesn’t have a track record of success in the Majors. Now, there’s no telling exactly when he’ll be a realistic option for manager Craig Counsell.
If he’s able to make it back this season, Black would likely join a relief corps that includes Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, David Phelps, Brent Suter, Alex Claudio and Grimm. Others who could factor in, particularly early in the year when rosters are expanded, include J.P. Feyereisen, Bobby Wahl and non-roster veteran Shelby Miller.
Blue Jays Place Breyvic Valera On Restricted List
The Blue Jays have placed utility player Breyvic Valera on the restricted list, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet was among those to report. Valera has had difficulty getting out of his native Venezuela, Nicholson-Smith adds.
The 28-year-old Valera just joined the Blue Jays on July 2 as a waiver pickup from San Diego, though he did see a bit of action with Toronto last season in a previous stint. Valera has been quite popular around the league, in fact, having played for four other MLB teams besides the Blue Jays. The switch-hitter has only totaled 138 plate appearances in the majors, though, and has mustered a mere .223/.294/.298 line with one home run. Valera has been much better at the Triple-A level, where he owns a .302/.374/.442 mark with 31 homers in 1,550 PA.
Between his success in the minors and his ability to line up all over the field, it’s not hard to see why so many teams have taken a chance on Valera. The hope for the Blue Jays is that Valera will turn into a valuable major leaguer in their uniform, but it’s up in the air whether he’ll play for the club again.
Athletics Place A.J. Puk On Injured List
JULY 21: Puk had a cortisone injection and will miss “at least” two weeks, Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News tweets.
JULY 20: Prized southpaw A.J. Puk is headed to the injured list, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report via Twitter. He’s said to be dealing with a shoulder malady.
While the seriousness remains unknown at this point, this certainly constitutes sub-optimal news for the A’s. Puk is scheduled for a visit with baseball surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. That’s a bit of an ominous development, though it’s hardly proof of a major injury.
For the time being, righty Daniel Mengden is expected to step into the rotation. The A’s already had to dip into their rotation depth to fill in for southpaw Jesus Luzardo, who’s on his way back but will be spelled for the time being by Chris Bassitt.
Puk made it all the way back from Tommy John surgery last year and seemed primed for his first full MLB campaign in 2020. Then came some shoulder problems this spring. While it had seemed that Puk was on the mend, something obviously hasn’t fully healed up. He and the A’s will anxiously await further word on his outlook.
Yankees Option Jordan Montgomery, Select Contracts Of Avilan, Iannetta, Hale
In a surprising move, the Yankees announced Tuesday that they’ve optioned lefty Jordan Montgomery to the team’s alternate site in Scranton. The Yanks also selected the contracts of non-roster veterans Luis Avilan, Chris Iannetta and David Hale.
New York also announced that non-roster righty Dan Otero has been placed on the restricted list. Meanwhile, each of Matt Duffy, Estevan Florial, Deivi Garcia, Zack Granite, Erik Kratz, Brooks Kriske, Tyler Lyons, Nick Nelson, Clarke Schmidt, Nick Tropeano, Miguel Yajure and Tony Zych has been reassigned to the team’s alternate site.
Montgomery, 27, seemed like a lock for a rotation spot to begin the season. It seems likely that he’ll be called back to the big leagues in short order, but it seems that the Yankees will roll out Gerrit Cole, James Paxton and a either Mike King or a bullpen game in their first three contests. Manager Aaron Boone indicated as much today an added that J.A. Happ is expected to start the fourth game (Twitter link via WFAN’s Sweeny Murti), so Montgomery may not join the club until its second trip through the rotation. An off-day should allow Cole to start the team’s fifth game.
Avilan, 31, has a strong big league track record but stumbled to a 5.06 ERA and 4.96 FIP in 32 frames with the Mets last year. That forced him to settle for a minor league deal over the winter, but Avilan has a career 3.28 ERA and 3.41 FIP with averages of 8.1 strikeouts, 3.5 walks and 0.5 home runs per nine innings pitched. He’s held opposing lefties to a putrid .203/.280/.283 slash since his 2012 MLB debut and has held righties in check reasonably well: .259/.340/.374.
The 37-year-old Iannetta gives the Yankees a third catcher behind Gary Sanchez and Kyle Higashioka early in the season when rosters are expanded to 30 players. The 14-year veteran hasn’t hit particularly well in recent seasons but has a long track record of quality on-base percentages thanks to a gaudy 13.5 percent walk rate in his career. Iannetta posted a .254/.354/.511 slash in 316 plate appearances as recently as 2017, but his two-year reunion with his original club, the Rockies, didn’t go well; in 524 plate appearances over the past two seasons in Colorado, Iannetta hit .223/.335/.395 (85 OPS+, 80 wRC+).
Hale’s boomerang act with the Yankees is well-documented by this point. He’s signed a ridiculous five minor league contracts with the Yankees since Jan. 2018 and, despite being jettisoned from the roster so many times, fared quite well. Hale has racked up 48 1/3 innings across his scattered stints in the Bronx and, amid constant roster uncertainty, pitched to a strong 2.98 ERA with a 29-to-8 K/BB ratio. He’s plenty capable of working in multi-inning stints, which should prove particularly valuable early in the year as the club both manages workloads and apparently tinkers with the occasional opener/bullpen game.
Braves Sign Jhoulys Chacin
The Braves announced that they’ve signed right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to a one-year, Major League contract. The 32-year-old Chacin, who was cut loose by the Twins recently, also spent part of the 2016 season with Atlanta. Chacin is represented by Rep 1 Baseball.
Chacin stumbled through the worst season of his career in 2019, recording a 6.01 ERA and serving up an average of 2.2 homers per nine innings pitched. The long ball has never been an Achilles heel for Chacin, though, and he’s only a year removed from a strong showing in Milwaukee (3.50 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 in 192 2/3 innings). In fact, from 2013-18, Chacin notched a 3.96 ERA/4.02 FIP in 804 1/3 innings.
In recent weeks, the Braves have seen veteran Felix Hernandez opt out of the 2020 season, while it’s become increasingly clear that Cole Hamels won’t be ready for the season opener. Hamels has been plagued by shoulder and triceps issues since the original Spring Training, and while he’s on a throwing program, he’s also likely to begin the year on the injured list.
Youngsters Mike Soroka and Max Fried project to lead the Atlanta rotation, with inconsistent-but-clearly-talented names like Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb to follow. Kyle Wright might’ve been the favorite for the fifth spot, but Chacin gives the Braves a viable alternative with a good bit of big league success if they’d prefer to add some experience to the starting staff. If not, he can join Josh Tomlin as another multi-inning relief option on which manager Brian Snitker can lean.
Rays Trade Dylan Covey To Red Sox
The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired right-hander Dylan Covey from the Rays. Covey is not on the 40-man roster but has been added to Boston’s 60-man player pool. In a corresponding move, left-hander Bobby Poyner was dropped from the 60-man pool but will remain in the organization, the club further announced.
It’s a straight depth pickup for the Red Sox, who since last season ended lost Chris Sale to Tommy John surgery, traded David Price to the Dodgers and seen March signee Collin McHugh opt out of the 2020 season. Meanwhile, expected Opening Day starter Eduardo Rodriguez is currently working back from a bout with the coronavirus, which he said made him “feel 100 years old” and question whether he’d be ready to open the season. With so much uncertainty on the staff, the Sox have brought in both Zack Godley and Covey to add some options.
Covey, 28, has pitched 250 1/3 innings in the big leagues but has never cemented himself as a consistent contributor. He got out to a sharp start with the ChiSox in 2018, tossing 40 1/3 innings with a 2.90 ERA and a 35-to-16 K/BB ratio, but his results quickly went south and haven’t rebounded since despite several opportunities. All told, he has a career 6.54 ERA and 5.56 FIP in the big leagues.
That said, there’s still clearly some intrigue surrounding the righty. Covey was a first-round pick of the Brewers back in 2011 but didn’t sign, and he went in the fourth round to the A’s three years later. The Sox stuck with him for three years before cutting ties, and Covey lasted all of 12 days as a free agent this offseason before the Rays scooped him up. His deal with the Rays also contained a clause that allowed him to opt out if a 40-man opportunity arose with another club, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (hence today’s move), so it seems the Red Sox could soon select Covey to the big league roster.
Reds Return Rule 5 Pick Mark Payton To Athletics
4:03pm: Payton has indeed been added to the Athletics’ player pool, the team announced.
3:02pm: The Reds have returned Rule 5 pick Mark Payton to the Athletics, per a club announcement. The 28-year-old outfielder was not claimed by another club on waivers. It’s not yet clear if he’ll be part of Oakland’s 60-man player pool.
Last season was Payton’s first in the Oakland organization, and he made an impression with a gaudy .334/.400/.653 batting line in 447 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Payton bashed a career-best 30 home runs last year, albeit in an extremely hitter-friendly setting amid a leaguewide home run surge. (The Triple-A ball was the same as the MLB ball last year.) That said, Payton also altered his swing and hit fly-balls at a career-high rate in 2019, so the uptick in power wasn’t solely attributable to the league context.
Unfortunately for Payton, the Reds added multiple high-profile outfielders to a group that already included Nick Senzel, Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino and Phil Ervin. Cincinnati signed both Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama this winter, leaving Payton as a long-shot to make the club — even with an expanded roster. That crammed outfield already led to a DFA for Scott Schebler and Payton’s return to the A’s, but outfielder Travis Jankowski has been told he’ll make the Reds’ Opening Day roster, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.
Mike King Makes Yankees’ Opening Day Roster; Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt Assigned To Scranton
Right-hander Mike King has made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, manager Aaron Boone told reporters this afternoon (Twitter link via the New York Times’ James Wagner). Top pitching prospects Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt, meanwhile, will open the season on the alternate roster in Scranton.
A stress reaction in King’s elbow limited him to just 48 innings in 2019, but he impressed the organization enough to make a brief MLB debut in September and to crack the Opening Day roster in ’20. The 25-year-old King, acquired in the trade that sent Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper to the Marlins, posted a sub-2.00 ERA in 161 1/3 innings in his last full season back in 2018. He logged a 4.18 ERA with a 28-to-6 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 frames in a very hitter-friendly Triple-A setting last year.
King isn’t as highly regarded a prospect as either Garcia or Schmidt, but he’s further along in his development and considered to be much more polished. Garcia did pitch 40 innings in Triple-A last year, but he’s also four years younger than King. He could very well still make his MLB debut at some point in 2020. Schmidt, too, has a chance at cracking the roster at some point, although the 24-year-old has only pitched 19 innings above the Class-A Advanced level. Both Schmidt and Garcia were ranked among the game’s 100 best prospects according to each of Baseball America, MLB.com and The Athletic prior to the season.
With Masahiro Tanaka working his way back from a concussion and Luis Severino out for the year due to Tommy John surgery, King could get a chance to start a game or two early in the season. However, Tanaka also tossed a 20-pitch bullpen session this afternoon (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch), and he could be back in the fold for the Yankees at month’s end.