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Diamondbacks Acquire Two Players From Blue Jays To Complete Joakim Soria Trade

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The Diamondbacks announced they’ve acquired two minor league players — catcher J.J. D’Orazio and left-hander Yaifer Perdomo — from the Blue Jays. The move completes the teams’ deadline day deal that sent veteran reliever Joakim Soria to Toronto.

Arizona picks up a pair of low-level developmental prospects. Entering the season, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked the 19-year-old D’Orazio the #26 prospect in the Jays’ system, praising his frame and bat-to-ball skills. Perdomo has never appeared on an organizational ranking at either FanGraphs or Baseball America. The 20-year-old posted gaudy strikeout totals with the Jays’ Florida Complex League affiliate this season though. Both D’Orazio and Perdomo were recently bumped up to Low-A.

Soria hasn’t yet had much of an opportunity to make an impact for his new club. The 37-year-old went down with inflammation in his right middle finger on August 4 and missed three weeks. He’s tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the Jays and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Red Sox Select John Schreiber, Jack Lopez

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The Red Sox announced they’ve selected right-hander John Schreiber and infielder Jack López to the big league roster. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, has been placed on the injured list. Infielder Yairo Muñoz has also landed on the COVID IL after testing positive today, bringing Boston up to seven positive tests. Additionally, reliever Ryan Brasier has been activated from the 60-day IL to make his season debut, while utilityman Danny Santana is back from the 10-day IL.

It’s the continuation of a virus-forced roster churn for the Red Sox. Schreiber will step into the big league bullpen for the first time this season after being outrighted off the 40-man roster during Spring Training. The 27-year-old has 28 2/3 innings of MLB experience, all coming between 2019-20 with the Tigers. Schreiber managed above-average strikeout and walk rates in that brief look, but he was tagged for a few too many home runs en route to a 6.28 ERA.

After clearing waivers, Schreiber was assigned to Triple-A Worcester. While Schreiber has had trouble keeping the ball in the yard in the majors, that hasn’t been the case at the minors’ top level, where he’s served up just three homers all year. He’s posted a 3.10 ERA with Worcester, showing the ability to work multiple innings when necessary.

López is up for his first big league opportunity. A longtime Royals farmhand, the versatile infielder also saw some time in the Braves’ organization but has spent this season in the Boston system. He’s spent the bulk of the season with Worcester, hitting .260/.321/.378 over 218 plate appearances. López is getting the start tonight at second base, where he’ll likely team with Santana and Jonathan Araúz to cover the middle infield with Bogaerts and Muñoz unavailable.

Brasier has been a reliable member of the Red Sox relief corps over the past couple seasons. He’s been held back by injury for the entire year. After suffering a calf strain early in the season, Brasier was struck in the head by a comebacker in June during his rehab. He has worked his way back to full strength and could be a key high-leverage option right away for the Red Sox with Matt Barnes, Hirokazu Sawamura and Josh Taylor all unavailable for virus-related reasons.

Blue Jays Promote Nate Pearson, Bryan Baker

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The Blue Jays announced they have recalled righty Nate Pearson and selected the contract of right-hander Bryan Baker. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported the moves last night. No corresponding transactions were necessary, as active rosters are expanding from 26 to 28 players today. Toronto created the vacancy on the 40-man roster required to promote Baker yesterday when they designated Brad Hand for assignment.

Pearson is one of the sport’s top prospects, with evaluators long suggesting his power arsenal could make him a top-of-the-rotation starter. The 25-year-old has gotten a few looks at the big league level over the past couple seasons but hasn’t yet had a real opportunity to fulfill his immense promise because of health issues. Pearson has had a couple stints on the injured list this year, limiting him to just one big league outing and twelve appearances (six starts) with Triple-A Buffalo.

Since returning from the minor league IL in the middle of August, Pearson has worked exclusively in relief, never facing more than five hitters in an outing. That’ll surely be the role he plays for Toronto down the stretch, with the hope that he can aid a bullpen that has struggled collectively for much of the season. Difficulty locking down late leads is perhaps the biggest reason the Jays enter the final month-plus of the season needing to erase a four and a half game deficit in the American League Wild Card standings. Presumably, the Jays will again look to lengthen Pearson back out as a starter next spring.

Baker will also step into the bullpen, as he’s exclusively a reliever. It’s the first major league call for the 26-year-old, who joined the pro ranks as a Rockies’ draftee in 2016 out of the University of North Florida. The Jays acquired Baker in August 2018 to complete the deal that sent reliever Seung-hwan Oh to Colorado.

Assigned to Buffalo to begin the year, Baker has spent the entire season to date with the Jays’ top affiliate. Over 34 innings, he’s posted a 1.32 ERA while striking out a strong 28.2% of opponents. Baker’s 11.3% walk rate is a bit high, but he’ll earn a big league look with his swing-and-miss numbers in the minors. The Jays would have had to add Baker to the 40-man roster this winter to keep him from selection in the Rule 5 draft, and they’ll make that call a bit ahead of schedule in hopes of finding a reliable middle innings option for manager Charlie Montoyo down the stretch.

Angels Select Oliver Ortega

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The Angels announced they’ve selected the contract of reliever Oliver Ortega. Infielder Luis Rengifo has also been recalled to take the two additional active roster spots as part of September expansion. To create space for Ortega on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles transferred lefty Patrick Sandoval from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Ortega is in line to make his big league debut. The 24-year-old has split this season between Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake, working to a 5.48 ERA over 42 2/3 innings. That has come with far more impressive peripherals, though, as Ortega has punched out a huge 31.6% of batters faced against a fine 9.3% walk rate. Ortega, who entered the season as Baseball America’s #10 prospect in the system, would have been eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not added to the 40-man roster this winter. The front office will give him a month-long look to gauge his likelihood of being a season-opening bullpen option in 2022.

Sandoval’s IL transfer is a procedural move. The Angels have already ruled him out for the rest of the season due to a stress fracture in his back.

Phillies Select Cam Bedrosian, Ramon Rosso

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The Phillies announced they’ve selected the contracts of relievers Cam Bedrosian and Ramón Rosso. They will take the two additional active roster spots available to teams as part of September expansion. To create space on the 40-man roster, first baseman Rhys Hoskins has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list and shortstop Didi Gregorius has been placed on the restricted list.

Bedrosian is back in the majors with his third club of the season. He began the year with the Reds but struggled mightily, leading to his release. He performed far better upon making it back to the majors with the A’s but was squeezed off the roster nonetheless. Between the two teams, Bedrosian has a 5.52 ERA over 14 2/3 innings with disappointing strikeout and walk rates (21.1% and 14.1%, respectively).

That said, Bedrosian was one of the game’s more reliable relievers for much of his time with the Angels before this season. And he’s pitched quite well since latching on with Philadelphia via minor league deal in June. Over twenty innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Bedrosian has a 2.25 ERA with league average strikeout and walk rates. That’ll earn him another look at the big league level — ironically with the same club with which Bedrosian’s father Steve won the 1987 NL Cy Young award.

Rosso is back after being passed through outright waivers in May. The 25-year-old has worked eleven big league innings over the past couple seasons. He’s spent much of the year with Lehigh Valley, pitching to a 4.50 ERA with underwhelming strikeout and walk numbers over 28 innings.

Hoskins’ IL transfer is entirely procedural. He is out for the season after it was revealed he’d require abdominal surgery last week. Gregorius, meanwhile, is in his native Curacao due to the birth of his child. He has been on the paternity list for the past three days but will apparently need more time away from the club.

Additionally, the Phils announced that reliever Seranthony Domínguez has been reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia’s on-time closer, Dominguez hasn’t pitched since 2019 on account of Tommy John surgery. He began a minor league rehab assignment in early August and his 30-day allotted window was closing. Domínguez’s control hasn’t been there during his rehab looks, though, so he’ll get some more minor league time to try to iron things out. The right-hander has a 3.27 ERA over 82 2/3 big league innings.

Kenta Maeda Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Twins ace Kenta Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery today, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press and Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). The operation involved the placement of an internal brace in Maeda’s elbow that apparently has a chance to expedite the recovery timeline. While Tommy John rehabilitation typically takes around fourteen months, Baldelli suggested Maeda could return in between nine and twelve months time. A more definitive timetable will be apparent a few months from now.

It’s not a particularly surprising development, as Baldelli acknowledged that a Tommy John procedure was a possibility when he announced that Maeda would be going under the knife last week. Nevertheless, it’s unquestionably disappointing for a Minnesota team that — even in a best-case scenario — will have to navigate at least half the season without their top pitcher.

Even if everything progresses well, it seems unlikely Maeda will be able to return before next season’s All-Star Break. A nine-month shutdown would keep the right-hander from throwing until early June. He’ll need at least a few weeks to build up arm strength once he’s cleared to begin throwing and will have to embark upon a lengthy minor league rehab assignment.

Losing Maeda makes the Twins’ attempt to compete in 2022 all the more difficult. While Minnesota was widely expected to contend for the American League Central entering this season, the team started dreadfully and played their way out of the playoff picture almost immediately. They enter play tonight 58-74, placing them at the bottom of the division with a -100 run differential.

The rotation has been perhaps the biggest reason for that massive underperformance. Offseason pickups Matt Shoemaker and J.A. Happ didn’t pan out. Maeda and Michael Pineda both dealt with injuries. José Berríos was great but was shipped off to the Blue Jays at the deadline. That leaves Minnesota relying on an unproven starting staff for the stretch run with plenty of opportunity for the younger arms to earn a spot in next year’s season-opening rotation.

Only Bailey Ober appears to have locked down one of those spots thanks to a strong rookie year. Prospect Joe Ryan — acquired from the Rays in the Nelson Cruz trade — is making his big league debut tonight. Griffin Jax and Randy Dobnak have generally disappointed this season, and the Twins are also giving looks to soft-tossing journeyman Andrew Albers and reliever-turned-starter John Gant. Pineda, who is currently on the injured list, will be a free agent at season’s end. Prospect Jordan Balazovic might get his first MLB call at some point over the next couple weeks.

Rebuilding that rotation will be the top priority for the Twins’ front office this winter. Minnesota will have plenty of payroll space over the offseason but virtually no certainty in the starting staff. They figure to be very active players in a free agent market that’ll features Kevin Gausman, Marcus Stroman, Robbie Ray and Carlos Rodón at the top of the class and also includes notables like Anthony DeSclafani, Zack Greinke, Corey Kluber, Justin Verlander, and Alex Wood. With much of a quality position player group still in place, the rotation was likely the big-ticket issue for the Twins even before Maeda’s injury.

Missing a substantial chunk of time will come at a pretty significant financial cost for Maeda. The 33-year-old’s contract is heavily incentive-laden due to concerns the Dodgers’ front office had about the results of his physical. Maeda is guaranteed just $3MM annually (with additional $150K roster bonuses each season) through 2023. He unlocks a $1MM bonus for reaching his fifteenth and twentieth starts of each season, with additional incentives available based on starts.

Maeda also picks up $250K for reaching ninety innings each year, with additional $250K increments locked in for each ten innings accrued thereafter — maxing out at 200 frames. Until a more definite timetable is revealed, it’s impossible to know precisely how much Maeda will lose because of the surgery. It at least seems as if he’ll miss out on the majority of his earning upside in 2022 as a result of today’s operation.

Pirates Select Shelby Miller

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SEPTEMBER 1: The Pirates announced that Miller has officially been selected to the big league roster as part of September roster expansion.

AUGUST 31: Pittsburgh has added Miller to the taxi squad, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). He has not yet been added to the active or 40-man rosters.

AUGUST 30: The Pirates are planning to select Shelby Miller to the big league club, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The Bucs already have a vacancy on the 40-man roster after releasing Gregory Polanco over the weekend.

It’ll be Miller’s second big league stint this year, as he made three appearances for the Cubs in April. The 30-year-old was rocked for seven runs in just two innings with Chicago before landing on the injured list with a lower back strain. Rather than bring him back to the active roster upon his return to health, the Cubs designated Miller for assignment and released him.

Miller latched on with Pittsburgh on a minor league deal in late June. Assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, he has been excellent, albeit in limited work. While he’s allowed seven runs in fourteen innings, Miller has struck out 22 of the 56 batters he’s faced while issuing just three walks. The right-hander has also induced grounders on more than half the balls put in play against him and surrendered just one home run while racking up swinging strikes at a huge 16.8% clip.

That strong showing will earn the former All-Star another look down the stretch. Obviously, one shouldn’t expect a return to Miller’s peak form at this point in his career, but it’s not inconceivable he could reinvent himself as a quality bullpen arm.

Miller will be a free agent at the end of the season. There’s little long-term upside for the rebuilding Pirates, but there’s also no harm in giving him a look over the final few weeks of the year. At the very least, Miller can shoulder some innings in a bullpen that ranks in the top third of the league in innings pitched (495 2/3) but is among the bottom ten in ERA (4.59) and strikeout/walk rate differential (12 percentage points). If Miller proves able to carry over his strong Triple-A form to the big league level, the Pirates could consider pursuing a reunion this offseason.

Athletics Select Khris Davis

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Khris Davis is officially back in Oakland. The A’s announced Wednesday that they’ve selected his contract from Triple-A Las Vegas and recalled catcher Austin Allen as well, filling the two new spots on their expanded September roster.

Davis, 33, was traded from Oakland to Texas alongside catcher Jonah Heim and righty Dane Acker over the winter in a financially driven swap that brought veteran shortstop Elvis Andrus, catcher Aramis Garcia and cash back to the A’s. He lasted just 22 games and 61 plate appearances with the Rangers, however, as the struggles that plagued Davis with the 2019-20 A’s only worsened in Arlington. The Rangers released him on June 13.

The A’s brought Davis back to the organization on a minor league deal in early August, and he responded by absolutely decimating Triple-A pitching over a 16-game stretch. In 68 plate appearances with Vegas, Davis batted .333/.382/.921 with 10 home runs, three doubles and a pair of triples. He struck out just 13 times in that stretch (19.1 percent).

It’s obviously a small sample against inferior pitching in a wildly hitter-friendly setting, but Davis did everything the A’s could have hoped for (and then some) during his trial run back in Triple-A. That monstrous output in Vegas will earn him a look back in the big leagues, offering him an audition for any interested parties in the offseason, when he’ll be a free agent. If he’s back to his former self, Davis can provide the A’s a big power boost as they look to close a one-game deficit in the American League Wild Card standings and a five-game gap in the American League West.

The 27-year-old Allen has been up and down with the A’s a bit over the past two seasons since coming over in the trade that sent Jurickson Profar to the Padres. He’s had only six plate appearances this season but has enjoyed a highly productive season of his own in Triple-A, batting .321/.356/.592 (126 wRC+) with 20 long balls and 15 doubles on the season.

Rockies Place Jon Gray On Injured List, Select Julian Fernandez

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The Rockies announced Wednesday that they’ve placed right-hander Jon Gray on the 10-day injured list due to tightness in his right forearm. Colorado also selected the contract of right-hander Julian Fernandez and recalled righties Antonio Santos and Justin Lawrence from Triple-A Albuquerque as rosters expand to 28 players.

Forearm tightness is ominous for any pitcher and is particularly alarming given the manner in which Gray’s performance has dropped in recent weeks. A bright spot in the Rockies’ rotation for much of the season, Gray has compiled just 22 innings in his past five appearances and been rocked for a 6.55 earned run average in that time. There’s been no drop in his velocity, but the results alone are enough for concern when combined with an injury.

Gray is a free agent at season’s end, which prompted broad-reaching expectations that the Rockies would move him at the trade deadline. That didn’t happen, however, and the Rockies have voiced hope that they can keep Gray beyond the current season. The interest is mutual, as Gray has said he enjoys playing in Denver and would welcome a contract extension. The Rockies are currently expected to issue Gray a qualifying offer, which would be for one year in the $18-19MM range, but any arm injury of note could impact both the potential for a QO and the potential for a long-term deal.

Fernandez, 25, will be making his Major League debut when he first pitches in a game. The righty was originally signed by the Rockies out of the Dominican Republic and has had a rather unusual journey to the big leagues. The Rockies lost Fernandez to the division-rival Giants in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but he suffered a ligament injury in his pitching elbow that spring and required Tommy John surgery. The Giants carried him all through that 2018 season but removed him from the roster in November 2018 — at which point the Marlins claimed Fernandez. He spent much of the 2019 season continuing his rehab before suffering a setback that shut him down. Miami returned him to the Rockies in October 2019, nearly two years after he’d been selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Because of those injuries and the lack of a minor league season in 2020, the 2021 campaign marks the first time since 2017 that Fernandez has pitched in an actual game. Finally healthy, the right-hander had a nice showing in Double-A before an even more impressive run in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. He’s pitched to a combined 2.53 ERA in 42 2/3 innings this season, including a sterling 0.64 mark in Triple-A, where he’s fanned a third of his opponents against just a 7.4 percent walk rate.

White Sox Designate Jake Lamb For Assignment, Place Tim Anderson On Injured List

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The White Sox announced a series of roster moves Wednesday in conjunction with September roster expansion (from 26 to 28 players). Infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb has been designated for assignment, with shortstop Tim Anderson landing on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 29) with a strained left hamstring. The White Sox have also reinstated Billy Hamilton from the injured list, recalled infielder/outfielder Gavin Sheets and righty Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte, and (as previously covered here) selected the contract of utilityman Romy Gonzalez from Charlotte.

Lamb, 30, was an All-Star with the Diamondbacks in 2017 and slugged 59 round-trippers as their everyday third baseman from 2016-17. Shoulder injuries, which culminated in surgery to repair his rotator cuff, derailed his 2018-20 seasons, however. He had a nice showing with the A’s late in 2020 but hasn’t been the same player since those shoulder troubles arose.

That’s largely been the case so far in 2021, too. Lamb missed a bit more than a month with strained quadriceps earlier this summer, but even when healthy he’s been a somewhat seldom-used bench option, appearing in 43 games and tallying 131 trips to the plate. Lamb’s current .212/.321/.389 line in that time is an improvement over recent seasons but nowhere near the .248/.345/.498 pace at which he hit during that brief peak in Arizona. He’ll be placed on outright waivers or released in the coming days.

Anderson, 28, has missed the White Sox’ last three games with what the team described as general soreness in his legs, but it now appears there’s a more accurate diagnosis of what has been hobbling him. The Sox didn’t provide a timeline for his return, but they’ve had the American League Central locked down for months now, so they can afford to be cautious with his recovery. The 2019 AL batting champ is in the midst of another strong season, hitting .302/.331/.458 with 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases.

Hamilton, Sheets and Foster have all been with the Sox at various points in the 2021 season. Hamilton has had a pair of IL stints and hasn’t produced at the plate, but his speed and glovework in the outfield remain elite. Sheets hit just .225 with a .293 OBP when he was promoted for his big league debut earlier this summer, but he also ripped six homers and five doubles in 99 plate appearances — good for a .483 slugging percentage. Foster has been hit hard this season, evidenced by a 5.67 ERA in 33 1/3 innings, but he posted a 2.20 ERA with outstanding K-BB numbers through 28 2/3 frames in 2020.

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