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Archives for March 2021

COVID Notes: 3/20/21

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The latest on coronavirus-related situations around baseball…

  • Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull is away from camp due to COVID-19 protocols, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery), though Hinch specified that Turnbull himself hadn’t done anything in violation of rules.  Turnbull was a candidate to pitch for the Tigers on Opening Day, though it isn’t known how much time he may miss, or whether his readiness for one of the season’s first few games could be in question.  Now entering his fourth MLB season, Turnbull is coming off a 2020 campaign that saw him post a 3.97 ERA and 50.0% grounder rate over 56 2/3 innings, allowing only two home runs.  Advanced metrics weren’t as impressed, as Turnbull had a 5.00 SIERA and several below-average Statcast numbers.

Mark Shapiro Discusses Blue Jays’ Potential Return To Toronto, Vaccines, Playing In Buffalo

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Blue Jays team president/CEO Mark Shapiro discussed several topics during a wide-ranging interview with Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic (subscription required), including an update on the team’s plans to hopefully play games in Toronto during the 2021 season.  Shapiro feels “we have significant positive and objective momentum that would lead us to make a more formal ask sometime in the next month” about setting a somewhat more concrete date for later in the summer about when the Jays could return to the Rogers Centre.

Naturally, much is still up in the air in regards to these plans depending on the state of the pandemic.  Shapiro doesn’t “have a potential target date” for when the Jays might again play in their home city, but he has more optimism that more significant discussions could occur now that vaccinations are taking place.  Most notably, he also stated that the team has “fairly good information that the vaccine will be accessible to our players and other major-league teams in the next two to three weeks or month.”

“So that if by the end of April or early May all of our players or the bulk of our players and staff are vaccinated and other teams are as well and Toronto is a safe place…the risks start to be mitigated.  I would say that when we start to have that material progress that we see the vaccinations actually happening, we will start to formalize an ask.”

This doesn’t cover the possibility of when fans may be able to attend games at Rogers Centre, as Shapiro said “One [step] is just to get back.  And the second step will be to get back with some measure of fans.”  The city of Toronto has barred all public events until July 1 (Canada Day), and while the Jays could conceivably play empty-stadium games at Rogers Centre before that date, Shapiro acknowledged that in all likelihood, “we can’t come back to Toronto before July 1, unless something changes dramatically.”

The Blue Jays are slated to play regular-season home games in Dunedin through May 2, with homestands scheduled from May 14-24 and June 1-6.  It’s probably safe to assume the Jays will remain Florida-bound at least through May, as Shapiro said that “Obviously, we’re probably going to be in Dunedin a little longer than we’ve communicated,” but “playing here [in Dunedin] past early June is going to probably be a challenge, just weather-wise.”

Buffalo remains the probable next stop for the Blue Jays.  Buffalo’s Sahlen Field already had something of an overhaul last summer in order to make the park Major League-ready, and Shapiro said that the team is currently working with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons for more stadium upgrades in preparation for games in 2021.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/20/21

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The latest minor moves from around the sport…

  • The Giants signed left-hander Phil Pfeifer to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to the team’s big league camp. (Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report the news.)  The Braves released Pfeifer earlier this week, more than two weeks after outrighting him to Triple-A.  The southpaw has a 3.58 ERA and 27.26K% over 297 career innings in the minors, mostly working as a reliever and mostly pitching in the Braves organization.  The Dodgers originally selected Pfeifer in the third round of the 2015 draft, back when current Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was working as the Dodgers’ GM.

Bullpen Notes: Pomeranz, Clippard, Scrubb, Braves

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Drew Pomeranz has been sidelined due to tightness in his left forearm, but testing revealed no structural problems.  (MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell was among those to report the news.)  The Padres southpaw hasn’t pitched since March 9 but the team is hoping Pomeranz can return to action in the coming week.  Pomeranz has dealt with his share of injury problems in the past — including a 10-day IL stint due to a shoulder strain last season — but not the sort of forearm/elbow issues that can sometimes be an ominous precursor to Tommy John surgery.

Fortunately, it seems as though Pomeranz and the Padres have avoided the worst, though it isn’t yet known if Pomeranz’s absence from spring games could require some extra ramp-up time via an injured-list stint at the beginning of the season.  The left-hander’s first season in San Diego was a dominant one, as Pomeranz posted a 1.45 ERA/3.11 SIERA and a whopping 39.7K% over 18 2/3 innings in the regular season, and then four scoreless innings over five games during San Diego’s postseason run.

More from the relief pitching beat…

  • Tyler Clippard didn’t retire any of seven batters faced during yesterday’s outing, and the Diamondbacks said the veteran reliever was suffering from right shoulder discomfort.  “He just felt the discomfort as the inning was building,” manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters, adding that more will be known about Clippard’s condition after examinations from team trainers.  Clippard signed a one-year deal worth $2.25MM in guaranteed money last month, and is expected to work as a setup man behind Joakim Soria or perhaps grab some save opportunities himself.  [UPDATE: Clippard is getting an MRI on his shoulder, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan tweets.]
  • Andre Scrubb was removed from the Astros’ Grapefruit League game yesterday due to right shoulder soreness.  Catcher Martin Maldonado summoned a trainer to the mound to check on Scrubb, and manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome) that Maldonado “noticed a change in his velocity.”  More will be known about Scrubb’s condition after medical tests are taken, though even a brief injury setback could hurt his chances of winning a job on the Astros’ Opening Day roster.  The righty made his MLB debut last season and posted a 1.90 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with Houston, but had a lot of control issues, recording almost as many walks (20) as strikeouts (24).
  • After some notable bullpen departures in the offseason, the Braves might yet need to add some relief pitching at the trade deadline, though “We’re going to need some good stories there to have a deep group,” president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  With Shane Greene still unsigned and Darren O’Day and Mark Melancon now pitching elsewhere, others “all get elevated now into more important roles, so now everybody moves up a little bit.”  Namely, A.J. Minter, Chris Martin, Tyler Matzek, and (perhaps most importantly) prospective closer Will Smith will all be asked to match or better their 2020 numbers.  The Braves have some other interesting relief names on hand, but Anthopoulos said “we need some of these other young guys to take a step” in order to have a satisfactory amount of depth.

Rays Sign Andrew Kittredge To New Minors Contract

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The Rays have re-signed right-hander Andrew Kittredge to a new minor league deal, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link).  Kittredge originally signed a minors contract with the Rays back in December, but chose to enact a March 15th opt-out clause contained in that prior deal.  Topkin writes that this latest contract has another opt-out date “at end of camp” if Kittredge hasn’t been added to Tampa’s MLB roster.

Such procedural moves are pretty common this time of year, and we could see several such re-signings in the lead-up to Opening Day as various players reach their opt-out dates.  Given that Kittredge’s opt-out wasn’t even made public back on March 15, it seems likely that there was never much chance of him actually leaving the organization, and that the two sides wanted to give each other more time.

A veteran of four big league seasons (all with Tampa Bay), Kittredge has a 3.90 ERA/3.48 SIERA, 50.6% ground-ball rate, and an above-average 25.3K% over 57 2/3 innings since the start of the 2019 season.  The 31-year-old has mostly worked as a reliever, but also made a few “starts” as an opener with the Rays.  A UCL sprain limited Kittredge to only eight innings in 2020, and he elected to become a free agent after the Rays put him on waivers after the season.

NL East Health Notes: Soroka, Phillies, Nats, D. Smith

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Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Fox Sports South that right-hander Mike Soroka could make his season debut in mid-April, David O’Brien of The Athletic relays. Soroka got through his third simulated game of the spring without any issues Friday. The 23-year-old remains on the comeback trail from a torn right Achilles that limited him to three starts last season. Before that, Soroka burst on the scene with 174 2/3 innings of 2.68 ERA pitching in 2019.

More from the National League East:

  • Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto played a sim game Friday and could make his Grapefruit League debut next week, manager Joe Girardi announced (via Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer). The star has been on the mend from a fractured right thumb. Girardi added that outfielder Adam Haseley is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a groin strain. Haseley, who went down March 5, hasn’t officially been ruled out for Opening Day.
  • Sticking with the Phillies, righty Vince Velasquez has an oblique injury, Girardi told Matt Gelb of The Athletic and other reporters. The severity is unknown, but oblique injuries often lead to absences that last for multiple weeks. It could be another shot to Philly’s staff, which has also seen Zach Eflin and Spencer Howard deal with injuries this spring. Velasquez could be their fifth starter to open 2021 if Eflin and Howar aren’t ready to go. In the event all three are shelved, though, it might open the door for veteran minor league addition Ivan Nova to claim a job.
  • Nationals center fielder Victor Robles exited Friday’s game with back tightness, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. It doesn’t seem particularly serious, but the Nats will know more Saturday. Meanwhile, it was an encouraging day for righty Stephen Strasburg, who got through a 74-pitch sim game without any problems, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. A calf injury has slowed Strasburg this spring, after the former World Series MVP missed almost all of 2020 – the first season of a seven-year, $245MM contract – with carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Mets slugger Dominic Smith informed Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that he could return to Grapefruit League action as early as Sunday. Smith, the favorite to start in left field for the Mets, has been dealing with a right wrist issue that has sidelined him for the past couple of the days. He posted back-to-back excellent seasons at the plate from 2019-20, during which he combined for a .299/.366/.571 line with 21 home runs in 396 PA.

AL Notes: Odorizzi, Yankees, Twins, Red Sox

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The latest on a few American League clubs…

  • The Astros’ regular season will begin on the road from April 1-6, and recently signed right-hander Jake Odorizzi told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle) that it’s “reasonable to expect” he won’t be available during that stretch. However, Odorizzi could make his debut with the team sometime in its April 8-14 homestand. Odorizzi inked a two-year, $23.5MM guarantee with the Astros, but he’s a bit behind schedule after sitting on the free-agent market until earlier this month.
  • First baseman Mike Ford and infielder Thairo Estrada were among the players the Yankees optioned Friday. The Ford move could be good news for first baseman/outfielder Jay Bruce, a minor league signing who looks more and more likely to earn a season-opening roster spot. Ford’s career began auspiciously in 2019, during which he showed off serious power while limiting strikeouts, but he stumbled to a horrendous .135/.226/.270 line with just two home runs in 84 plate appearances last year. Estrada, who also debuted in 2019, has spent time in both the infield and outfield. He batted a weak .167/.231/.229 over 52 PA in 2020.
  • The Twins optioned southpaw Devin Smeltzer and righty Shaun Anderson, ruling them out for the Opening Day roster, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune relays. Both pitchers had been competing to earn spots in Minnesota’s staff. Smeltzer made 18 appearances (seven starts) with the Twins from 2019-20 and registered a 4.57 ERA with a below-average strikeout rate (19.3 percent) and an above-average walk rate (6.2 percent) in 65 innings. Anderson, whom the Twins acquired in a trade with the Giants during the offseason, could only muster a 5.17 ERA/5.26 SIERA over 111 1/3 frames in the previous two years.
  • Righty Garrett Whitlock has emerged as a lock to make the Red Sox bullpen, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Whitlock – whom the Red Sox took from the Yankees in last December’s Rule 5 Draft – has starred so far this spring, having allowed one earned run while striking out 12 over nine innings. The 24-year-old has also put up stellar numbers in the minors, where he owns a 2.41 ERA in 205 1/3 innings, but hasn’t pitched professionally since he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2019. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranked Whitley as Boston’s No. 30 prospect in January.

Cubs Option Kyle Ryan

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The Cubs have optioned lefty Kyle Ryan to Triple-A Iowa, the team announced amid a series of roster moves Friday.

Ryan, 29, leads all Cubs relievers in total appearances (91) and innings pitched (76 2/3) dating back to the 2019 season, but he missed the beginning of camp while on the Covid-19 related injured list and has yet to get into an official Spring Training game. He’ll build up with the minor league side of camp and at the team’s alternate training site to begin the season, but based on his usage over the past couple of seasons, he should get another look in the big leagues once he’s ready to go.

While the 2020 season was a struggle for Ryan — 5.17 ERA and five homers allowed in 15 2/3 innings — he was one of the Cubs’ most effective bullpen members in 2019. He racked up 61 innings that season, pitching to a 3.54 ERA with a 22.4 percent strikeout rate, an 11.2 percent walk rate and a whopping 58.2 percent ground-ball rate. That showing was enough that, in spite of his 2020 struggles, the Cubs tendered Ryan a contract this winter and agreed to a one-year, $800K deal with him. Ryan’s contract is a split contract, meaning he’ll earn at that $800K rate in the Majors but a $250K rate in the minors.

As Ryan builds back up, his absence could open the door for Brad Wieck or non-roster southpaw Rex Brothers to make the team as a second lefty in David Ross’ bullpen. (Former Phillies lefty Adam Morgan signed a minors deal with the Cubs, too, but is still mending from flexor surgery.) At present, Andrew Chafin is the lone left-handed lock for a bullpen job.

The Cubs also optioned James Norwood and Justin Steele today, and they reassigned five non-roster veterans to minor league camp: Joe Biagini, Jose Lobaton, Michael Hermosillo, Nick Martini and Ian Miller.

Jimmy Cordero Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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White Sox right-handed reliever Jimmy Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The procedure was successful, though Cordero won’t pitch this year.

The hard-throwing Cordero, who appeared in the majors with the Nationals and Blue Jays from 2018-19, joined the White Sox as a waiver claim from the Mariners in the latter of those two seasons. He has since given the White Sox 62 2/3 innings of 4.16 ERA/3.95 SIERA pitching with a 55.1 percent groundball rate. Cordero struggled to keep runs off the board last year, when he logged a 6.07 ERA over 26 2/3 frames, but his peripherals indicated that he deserved better results.

While Cordero did lead the White Sox with 30 appearances in 2020, the 29-year-old was not a sure bet to earn a season-opening roster spot this spring, James Fegan of The Athletic notes. Chicago’s Cordero-less bullpen still boasts the likes of Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, Matt Foster, Garrett Crochet, Codi Heuer and Michael Kopech.

Brewers Sign Zack Godley To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers have signed right-hander Zack Godley to a minor league contract, Steve Adams of MLBTR reports. The non-roster invitee’s deal comes with an $800K base salary in the bigs, $800K more in incentives and a mid-May opt-out date.

Godley, who will turn 31 next month, was an effective starter at times for the Diamondbacks from 2015-18. At his best, he combined for 333 1/3 innings of 4.10 ERA pitching with a 51.6 percent groundball rate and a 24.7 percent strikeout rate during the final two of those four seasons. Unfortunately, Godley’s career has taken a major turn for the worse since then. In 120 2/3 frames since 2019, Godley has recorded a 6.49 ERA – last among 139 pitchers who have thrown 120-plus frames dating back to then – with below-average strikeout and walk percentages of 17.8 and 10.2, respectively.

After Godley opened 2019 with a rough few months, the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment. While Godley then found a new team  in the Blue Jays, they let him go after the season. Godley landed with the Red Sox last year, but a flexor issue limited him to 28 2/3 innings of 8.16 ERA ball. Godley dealt with a velocity drop then, as his fastball went from the low 90s to the high 80s, but he threw for about 12 teams a couple weeks ago and his velo returned to normal.

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