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Archives for May 2021

Royals Sign Alcides Escobar

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The Royals turned back the clock Tuesday, announcing that they’ve agreed to terms with veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar on a minor league deal. Escobar, the Royals’ everyday shortstop for their 2014-15 World Series teams, will head to Triple-A Omaha to begin the season.

Now 34 years old, Escobar was one of the key pieces Kansas City received in the 2010 trade that sent Zack Greinke to Milwaukee. Coming over alongside Lorenzo Cain, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, Escobar quickly established himself as a foundational piece for the Royals. He was never a huge contributor at the plate, but at his best he hit for a respectable average while racking up 30-plus steals per year and flashing Gold Glove-caliber leather.

Escobar has appeared in parts of eight seasons with the Royals in the past, batting a combined .259/.292/.344 in just over 5000 plate appearances. He spent the 2020 season with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, hitting .273/.312/.329 through 104 games.

Escobar is on hand as a depth piece right now, but with Adalberto Mondesi still sidelined and being no stranger to prolonged stints on the injured list, it makes sense to bring in some veteran depth. The Royals have already gotten a notable portion of the 2014-15 band back together, as they currently have Wade Davis, Greg Holland and Jarrod Dyson on the MLB roster alongside franchise cornerstones Salvador Perez and Danny Duffy.

Nicky Lopez has been handling shortstop work in Mondesi’s absence and has performed well in the early stages of the season, but he has a limited track record at the plat. If his bat steps back or if the Royals incur further injuries in the middle infield, it’s possible that Escobar will be brought back into the fold and given another reunion tour in front of the Kansas City faithful.

Brewers Sign Wade LeBlanc, Logan Forsythe

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The Brewers have signed left-hander Wade LeBlanc, infielder Logan Forsythe and catcher Christian Kelley to minor league contracts, per a team announcement. All three will open the season with their top minor league affiliate in Nashville.

LeBlanc, 36, began the season with the Orioles but was designated for assignment after six appearances. He spent the 2020 season with Baltimore as well, but the overall results weren’t pretty. The soft-tossing southpaw logged 29 frames with the Birds and was clobbered for 27 runs on 38 hits and nine walks with 19 strikeouts.

That said, LeBlanc has a pretty lengthy track record at the big league level and was particularly effective from 2014-18, when he tallied 321 2/3 innings of 3.92 ERA ball spread across stints with the Angels, Yankees, Pirates and Mariners. He notched a career-high 162 innings with the 2018 Mariners and turned in a very solid 3.72 ERA in that time.

Forsythe, 34, brings a solid track record of his own to the Brewers. He’s spent parts of 10 seasons in the Majors and is experienced at all four infield positions. His peak came with the 2015-16 Rays, when he slashed a combined .273/.347/.444 as the team’s primary second baseman. He’s struggled at the plate and bounced around the league in journeyman fashion since that time. Overall, Forsythe is a career .244/.326/.369 hitter. He’s a versatile right-handed bat who’ll give the Brewers a depth option with a similar skill set to that of 2020 utilityman Jedd Gyorko (albeit without as much success at the plate).

The 27-year-old Kelley has never appeared in the Majors. He’s spent his career to this point in the Pirates organization, topping out with a rough Triple-A showing in 2019. Kelley was an 11th-round pick by the Bucs back in 2015 and carries only a career .229/.311/.306 batting line as a professional. However, he’s regarded as a sound defender, rating as the best defensive catcher in Pittsburgh’s system from 2018-20, per Baseball America. He’ll give the Brewers some depth with both Omar Narvaez and Manny Pina on the injured list.

Cubs Announce Series Of Roster Moves

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The Cubs announced a series of roster moves Tuesday, placing righty Jake Arrieta, infielder Nico Hoerner and reliever Dan Winkler on the 10-day injured list. Arrieta is dealing with a right thumb abrasion, while Hoerner has a left forearm strain and Winkler is being slowed by tendinitis in his right triceps. In their absence, the Cubs have recalled lefty Kyle Ryan and right-hander Keegan Thompson. They’ve also selected the contract of infielder Ildemaro Vargas, filling their 40-man roster.

Arrieta, 35, has had a decent rebound effort with the Cubs thus far, making six starts and logging a 4.31 ERA through 31 1/3 frames out of the rotation. He signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal to return to the team with which he won a Cy Young Award in 2015 and a World Series ring in 2016. He’d been slated to take the mound tomorrow, but it appears the cut on his pitching thumb hasn’t healed to the point where he’s able to properly throw all of his offerings. Given the nature of the injury, it seems likely to be a short-term stay on the IL.

The 23-year-old is out to a brilliant start in 2021, slashing .389/.500/.556 with six doubles, three steals and eight walks against seven strikeouts through 44 trips to the plate. Hoerner collided with center fielder Ian Happ when chasing down a shallow fly-ball during Sunday’s game against the Reds, though it’s not clear if that play is the source of his current injury. Happ remains day-to-day after that incident, with manager David Ross telling reporters he’s been diagnosed with a rib contusion after getting kicked “pretty hard” by Hoerner in the process. Hoerner tells reporters he expects to be back from the IL when he’s first eligible (Twitter link via Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago).

Winkler, meanwhile, has held opponents to just one run on five hits in 10 1/3 innings. It’s a strong start in terms of bottom-line results, but the fact that he’s walked seven batters, plunked another and snapped off a wild pitch suggest that he’ll need to improve his control if he’s to maintain anything close to that output. To his credit, Winkler has also punched out a dozen of the 44 hitters he’s faced, but this marks a second straight year of questionable command in the Cubs’ bullpen for the 31-year-old Illinois native.

Ryan leads Cubs relievers in innings pitched over the past few seasons and will give Ross another lefty to work with for the time being. Thompson, who made his MLB debut when he tossed an inning earlier this year, is slated to start the second game of today’s twin bill against the Dodgers. He’s a 26-year-old back-of-the-rotation/swingman candidate who ranks 14th among Cubs farmhands at MLB.com, 23rd at FanGraphs and 28th at Baseball America. The Cubs’ rotation doesn’t have room for him when it’s at full strength, but he’ll likely be called upon for multiple spot starts in situations just as this throughout the year, when injuries pop up among the team’s top few starters.

Vargas has appeared in eight games with the Cubs dating back to a 2020 waiver claim from the Twins. He’s spent the bulk of his career with the D-backs, primarily in a utility role, and is a lifetime .252/.280/.388 hitter in 300 trips to the plate as a big leaguer. He’ll factor into the mix at second base and off the bench while Hoerner is sidelined.

Phillies Notes: Velasquez, Harper, Segura, Maton

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The Phillies held on to secure a nail-biting win over the Brewers last night, and they did so largely on the strength of a strong outing from enigmatic righty Vince Velasquez. The 28-year-old righty has been in and out of the rotation over the past several years, but Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia suggests that he’s put himself in line for another look after his recent stretch. The Phils haven’t gotten much out of their offseason investment in Matt Moore, and at least for the time being, Velasquez has pitched well enough that it’d be hard to justify putting him back in the ’pen even now that Moore is back from the IL. Manager Joe Girardi has yet to confirm who’ll take the ball when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up again this weekend, but if he wants to ride the hot hand, Velasquez has a 3.24 ERA and 19-to-8 K/BB ratio in his past 16 2/3 frames.

More on the Phils…

  • Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper is dealing with a left wrist problem, though manager Joe Girardi doesn’t expect him to go on the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweets. The issue cropped up last week, causing Harper to sit out the Phillies’ games on Friday and Saturday. Harper returned to their lineup Sunday, but he re-aggravated the injury then, and he wasn’t in Monday’s lineup as a result. The hope is that he’ll return in the next couple of days. The Phillies have used a combination of Matt Joyce, Roman Quinn and Odubel Herrera in right when Harper as been unavailable, but their numbers have left plenty to be desired. Harper, on the other hand, has slashed a tremendous .317/.446/.598 with six home runs and three stolen bases over 101 plate appearances.
  • Second baseman Jean Segura and utilityman Ronald Torreyes will embark on rehab assignments this week, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies have gone without Segura since he went on the 10-day IL with a strained right quad April 21, while Torreyes landed on the Covid IL on April 19. Rookie Nick Maton has emerged at the keystone during Segura’s absence with an impressive .327/.365/.429 showing in his first 52 major league trips to the plate. To keep Maton’s bat in the lineup when Segura returns, the Phillies could give him an opportunity in center field, Girardi said. Phillies center fielders — Quinn, Herrera, Adam Haseley (who’s away from the team for personal reasons) and Mickey Moniak — have combined for an astonishingly poor .105/.190/.189 line through 105 plate appearances in 2021.
  • More from Gelb, who reports in a full column that the Phillies removed Rafael Chaves as their director of pitching development in March and promoted Travis Hergert on an interim basis. Chaves remains with the organization, but his new role isn’t clear. Hergert has just one year of experience as a professional coach, having joined the Phillies prior to 2020 after a stint at North Iowa Area Community College. Hergert is a major advocate of Driveline Baseball’s training programs, according to Gelb, who reports that not everyone in the Phillies’ player development ranks is on board. Nevertheless, the Phillies are hopeful Hergert and pitching coach Caleb Cotham will work well together with a data-driven approach.

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Mets Fire Hitting Coaches Chili Davis, Tom Slater

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The Mets have fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater, Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to report. Minor league hitting coordinator Hugh Quattlebaum will take over for Davis, and farm director Kevin Howard will succeed Slater.

New York made this decision in the wake of a 6-5 loss to St. Louis that dropped the team to a disappointing 11-12. A mediocre offensive performance has played a role in the Mets’ slow start, as their hitters currently rank 17th in the majors in wRC+ (96). Prized offseason pickup Francisco Lindor, whom the Mets acquired from the Indians and then signed to a 10-year, $341MM extension, has slumped over the Mets’ first 23 games. Likewise, outfielder/first baseman Dominic Smith has fallen flat after an excellent showing in 2020, as has $40MM free-agent signing James McCann.

Of course, it’s debatable how much blame Davis and Slater deserve for the above players’ struggles. It’s also worth noting J.D. Davis (who went on the 10-day injured list Monday), Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso have all gotten off to great starts. Regardless, the Mets are taking their coaching staff in another direction in hopes of breaking a four-year playoff drought.

In Davis, the Mets are saying goodbye to a former big league slugger whom they hired before 2019, when Mickey Callaway – not Luis Rojas – was their manager. Prior to that, Davis worked as the hitting coach for the Cubs, who relieved him of duties after the 2018 campaign. Slater joined the Mets’ staff as their assistant hitting coach a year earlier than Davis.

Pirates Release Brian Goodwin

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The Pirates have released veteran outfielder Brian Goodwin, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to report. The 30-year-old Goodwin joined the Pirates back in February on a minor league contract. The deal included an opt-out clause for May, so it’s possible Goodwin exercised it before the Pirates decided to cut him loose.

Goodwin has experience at all three outfield positions, but the former National, Royal, Angel and Red was unable to work his way up to the majors with Pittsburgh. The Pirates have primarily relied on Bryan Reynolds, Dustin Fowler (whom they outrighted last week), Phillip Evans and Gregory Polanco in the grass this year, and they’ve given a few starts to recent waiver pickup Ka’ai Tom of late. Reynolds has been far and away the most effective member of that group, while Evans has put up league-average offense and Polanco has gotten off to a slow start.

Goodwin has logged average offense in his own right during his 1,124-plate appearance career, in which he has hit .250/.317/.455 (101 wRC+) with 42 home runs and 22 stolen bases. That history of respectable offensive production should help him latch on elsewhere sometime soon.

Health Notes: Ohtani, Mondesi, Graterol, Mikolas, D-backs,

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Right-hander Shohei Ohtani was supposed to take the mound for the Angels in their game against the Rays on Monday, but the team scratched him in favor of lefty Jose Quintana because of elbow soreness. Ohtani swas hit by pitch on Sunday, and manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that he’s now “too sore to throw.” However, there’s still a chance he’ll start sometime during this four-game set versus Tampa Bay. Even if that doesn’t happen, Ohtani feels well enough to hit, so the DH will continue making an offensive impact. Ohtani has only made three starts and pitched 13 2/3 innings this season, but he has overcome control problems (13 walks) to log a 3.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts and a 62.5 percent groundball percentage. He has complemented his pitching performance with a power-packed .270/.318/.620 line, eight homers and six stolen bases over 107 plate appearances as a hitter.

  • Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will start doing pregame work with the team this week and could begin a rehab assignment next week, per general manager Dayton Moore (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). The Royals have gone all season without Mondesi, the reigning stolen base champion who strained his right oblique during the spring. Despite Mondesi’s absence, the Royals entered Monday with a surprising 16-10 record – the best mark in the majors. Nicky Lopez has filled in capably for Mondesi during KC’s fast start.
  • Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol will undergo an MRI on his ailing right forearm Tuesday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The team placed Graterol on the IL last Thursday with forearm tightness – a rather ominous-sounding injury for someone who underwent Tommy John surgery in the past – and the 22-year-old hasn’t resumed throwing since then, according to Castillo. The Dodgers lost another of their promising young hurlers, righty starter Dustin May, to the dreaded TJ diagnosis on Monday.
  • Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas will make a rehab start with Triple-A Memphis this week, and he’ll “likely” go four innings, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat writes. Mikolas hasn’t pitched in the majors this year because of shoulder problems, after he sat out all of last season on account of flexor tendon surgery. His most recent MLB outing occurred Oct. 11, 2019.
  • The Diamondbacks have reinstated first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Tim Locastro from the IL, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. The club optioned outfielder Nick Heath and infielder Andrew Young in corresponding moves. The Diamondbacks have been without Walker since April 12 because of a right oblique strain, while Locastro suffered a dislocated finger April 17. Walker had a rough go early on with a .179/.250/.282 line and one homer in 44 trips to the plate. Locastro, meantime, took 58 PA last month and batted .269/.345/.327 with an HR and three steals.

Dodgers Mulling Roster Options

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9:01pm: Pazos might not receive a promotion after all. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers are still deciding on their options, Toribio tweets.

4:45pm: The Dodgers have selected the contract of left-hander James Pazos, Juan Toribio of MLB.com relays. He’ll replace fellow southpaw Mike Kickham, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment Monday.

Pazos, 29, joined the Dodgers on a minor league contract over the winter after spending the previous two seasons with the National League West rival Rockies. He ended up throwing only 15 2/3 innings with Colorado, including 5 1/3 last year. Pazos was beaten up over his small sample of work in 2020, when he surrendered 10 earned runs on 10 hits (three homers) and five walks. He also saw his average fastball velocity drop from 94 mph-plus to 92.1.

Prior to his recent struggles, Pazos looked as if he was on track to carve out a successful big league career. During a 103 2/3-inning stretch with the Mariners from 2017-18, Pazos pitched to a 3.39 ERA/3.61 SIERA with a 24.4 percent strikeout rate, an 8.6 percent walk rate and a grounder percentage of 48.1.

COVID Notes: 5/3/21

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The latest cronavirus updates from around the majors…

  • The Angels announced that they have placed right-hander Mike Mayers on the injured list and recalled lefty Patrick Sandoval. No reason was given for Mayers’ IL placement, but the team expects him to return in the next few days, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report. That information implies Mayers’ absence is related to COVID-19. The 29-year-old Mayers broke out as part of the Angels’ bullpen in 2020 and has continued his effectiveness this season with 14 1/3 innings of 2.51 ERA/3.63 SIERA pitching and 18 strikeouts against six walks.

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