Angels Sign Adam Eaton
The Angels announced the signing of veteran outfielder Adam Eaton to a major league contract. To create 40-man roster space, left-hander Dillon Peters has been designated for assignment.
Eaton signed a one-year, $8MM deal with the White Sox over the offseason. He’d generally been a solid performer over his previous four seasons with the Nationals, but it was still a bit of a curious decision given Eaton’s underwhelming 2020 campaign. The left-handed hitter slashed just .226/.285/.384 across 176 plate appearances with Washington last season.
Obviously, the White Sox front office expected he’d be able to bounce back offensively, but that hasn’t yet proven to be the case. While Eaton got off to a strong start to his (second) White Sox tenure, he tailed off rather quickly and has ultimately managed similarly disappointing results as he did last year. He took 219 trips to the dish with Chicago this season, managing just a .201/.298/.344 line with five home runs. Eaton has punched out in a career-worst 25.1% of his plate appearances, his first season with a strikeout percentage higher than the league average. That’s a concerning development for a player whose peak seasons were built upon his ability to put the ball in play to all fields and hit for high batting averages.
The Sox designated Eaton for assignment and granted him his unconditional release earlier this week. They’ll remain on the hook for the bulk of his salary, with the Angels paying Eaton only the league minimum from here on out (just less than $250K after prorating). It’s a no-risk roll of the dice for an Angels team that has had something of a revolving door in right field over the course of the year.
Taylor Ward has played quite well of late and likely has the inside track to the job. Left fielder Justin Upton is currently on the injured list, though, and Eaton’s lefty bat can offer a complement to the series of right-handed hitters (Ward, Upton, Phil Gosselin, Juan Lagares) the club has on hand as corner outfield options. Eaton has a more respectable .235/.316/.404 line against right-handed pitching over the past two seasons, so there’s reason to think he could still offer some value in a platoon role.
Peters hasn’t appeared in the majors this year, spending the campaign at Triple-A Salt Lake. The 28-year-old has tossed 41 1/3 frames of 4.35 ERA ball in that hitter-friendly environment. Peters’ strikeout and walk numbers in Triple-A (26.8% and 7.3%, respectively) are quite strong, but he’s also given up an alarming twelve home runs in eight starts. He has seen big league action with the Marlins and Angels between 2017-20, tossing 132 2/3 innings of 5.83 ERA/5.22 SIERA ball. The Angels will have a week to trade Peters or expose him to waivers.
Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com was first to report Eaton’s deal was a major league contract.
MLB Places Trevor Bauer On Administrative Leave
July 14: MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to extend Bauer’s administrative leave period through July 27, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
July 8: Major League Baseball and the union have agreed to extend Bauer’s leave by another seven days, the league announced.
July 2: Major League Baseball announced in a press release that Bauer has been placed on administrative leave:
MLB’s investigation into the allegations made against Trevor Bauer is ongoing. While no determination in the case has been made, we have made the decision to place Mr. Bauer on seven-day administrative leave effective immediately. MLB continues to collect information in our ongoing investigation concurrent with the Pasadena Police Department’s active criminal investigation. We will comment further at the appropriate time.
Placement on administrative leave is not a disciplinary action, and — as MLB’s statement acknowledges — does not reflect any finding of the league’s investigation. Players placed on administrative leave continue to be paid and to accumulate Major League service time. This is the most common step for the league to take while players are investigated under the league’s domestic violence policy.
MLB has unilateral authority to place players accused of a violation of the policy on seven-day administrative leave. Any further administrative leave placements, which would take effect in seven-day increments, have to be consented to by the MLB Players Association.*
June 30: The particulars of the 67-page ex parte restraining order are chronicled by Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic. Bauer and his representatives will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations during a formal hearing scheduled for July 23. Readers are warned that the piece contains many graphic and disturbing allegations.
June 29, 9:45pm: A spokesperson for the Pasadena Police Department confirmed they’re investigating the allegation against Bauer, Janes relays.
8:28 pm: Dodgers star Trevor Bauer is being investigated by the Pasadena Police Department after a woman accused him of assault, reports TMZ Sports. The alleged victim was granted a temporary ex parte restraining order today, according to TMZ.
Bauer’s agent Jon Fetterolf released a statement denying the allegations (relayed by Jeff Passan of ESPN). Fetterolf claims Bauer and the alleged victim had a pair of consensual sexual encounters and called the allegations contained in the restraining order “baseless.” TMZ reports that Bauer is cooperating with authorities and that the case is likely to be sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney to determine whether charges are warranted.
Under the terms of the joint MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, Major League Baseball has the authority to issue discipline regardless of whether criminal charges are ultimately filed. MLB is aware of and looking into the matter, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.
*An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the administrative leave window can be extended at the discretion of commissioner Rob Manfred. The post has been updated to reflect that any extensions of the administrative leave period beyond the initial seven days must be agreed upon with the MLB Players Association. MLBTR regrets the error.
Latest On Danny Duffy
While the Royals began the year well, their performance has dropped off precipitously over the past couple months. They’ll come out of the All-Star Break a dismal 36-53, sitting in last place in the AL Central. Despite making some efforts last offseason to compete, the Royals have fallen flat.
With a postseason berth obviously out of the question, Kansas City would seem to be an obvious seller. However, the bulk of the roster is either controllable next season or performing badly enough to mute potential trade chatter (i.e. Jorge Soler, Greg Holland and Wade Davis). As a franchise, the Royals have shied away from a full-scale teardown and rebuild, so it might be a relatively quiet deadline season in K.C.
The Royals do have one impending free agent having a strong season, though: Danny Duffy. That’d generally make him a straightforward trade candidate, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that some rival executives do indeed expect the 32-year-old to change uniforms in the coming weeks. Certainly, Duffy’s 2.53 ERA/4.09 SIERA across 57 innings suggest he’d be an upgrade for most or all contenders’ rotations.
Duffy’s situation, though, could make a trade more difficult to pull off than appears at first glance. A flexor strain in his forearm knocked him out of action for more than a month earlier in the year. Duffy returned in late June, and he’s progressively building his workload at the major league level rather than embarking on a rehab assignment. He’s only once worked more than four innings since being activated, topping out at five frames and 77 pitches on July 8 against the Indians. There’s still a little more than two weeks before the deadline for him to continue to build back up, but some clubs might still harbor concerns about Duffy’s ability to shoulder a regular starter’s workload in the second half.
There’s also the personal implications to consider. Duffy’s a career-long Royal who hasn’t been shy about voicing his affinity for the organization in the past. He also exceeded ten years of major league service time last month. Players with ten years of MLB service, the past five of which have come with their current team, are entitled to full no-trade protection. If Duffy is completely set on finishing the year in Kansas City, he can block any deal. Sherman hears that Duffy, a California native, would prefer to be dealt to a West Coast club if he’s moved; that could suggest he’d be willing to waive his no-trade rights to facilitate the right deal, but it’s not entirely clear whether he’d need some type of concession to do so or whether he’d only approve a trade that involved a West Coast destination.
Duffy’s impending free agency adds another factor to the situation. A midseason trade wouldn’t foreclose the Royals from pursuing Duffy as a free agent this winter. Indeed, the organization has shown a proclivity for bringing back players — Holland, Davis, Mike Minor, Ervin Santana and Jarrod Dyson among them — who were one-time Royals who had since gone elsewhere. A trade could allow Kansas City to recoup some prospect value and give Duffy an opportunity to play in a 2021 pennant race without preventing the sides from reuniting in 2022.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the demand from contenders will be sufficient to make that kind of deal worthwhile. It’s also still an open question whether Duffy’s amenable to a midseason move, making his trade candidacy more complicated than is normal for impending free agents having productive seasons for non-contending teams.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Mets Plan To Activate J.D. Davis This Weekend
After spending more than two months on the injured list, third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis will be activated by the Mets in advance of Friday’s game, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). He’s on the 60-day injured list, so a corresponding move will be required.
Davis, 28, will bring plenty of offensive punch back to the Mets lineup and presumably slot back into the mix at the hot corner and in the corner outfield mix. He was out to a massive .390/.479/.610 start through 48 plate appearances. Since being acquired by the Mets in the 2018-19 offseason, Davis has posted an outstanding .295/.377/.491 batting line and swatted 30 long balls in 730 plate appearances.
Glovework is an issue with regard to Davis, who made three errors in his first 13 games at third base this season and carries an overall career mark of -21 Defensive Runs Saved there in just 864 innings. The Mets have been connected to potential third-base upgrades even with Davis on the mend, and he has ample experience in left field plus a bit at first base, so it’s possible he could bounce around the diamond or find a more permanent home at another position. Utilityman Jonathan Villar has been spending considerable time at third base in Davis’ absence, but he’s not exactly a premium defensive option himself.
Wherever he ends up playing, Davis showed on his minor league rehab assignment that he looks plenty ready to return to the big leagues. He logged 13 games with the Mets’ top affiliate in Syracuse and posted a .306/.457/.667 batting line with three home runs and four doubles in 46 plate appearances. Given that the Mets rank 23rd in the Majors in runs scored and 24th in wRC+ over the past month, Davis’ bat will be a welcome addition to the batting order.
D-backs Outright Nick Heath
Outfielder Nick Heath, whom the Diamondbacks designated for assignment earlier in the week, has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Reno, according to the club. Arizona originally acquired Heath from the Royals earlier this year in a trade that sent minor league righty Eduardo Herrera to the Kansas City organization.
Heath, 27, draws 70 and 80 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale for his pure speed, but he struggled considerably at the plate with the Diamondbacks in a limited sample this year and with the Royals in 2020. Through 57 plate appearances in the Majors, Heath carries only a .146/.255/.188 line with a 36.8 percent strikeout rate.
Things have gone a bit better for Heath in Triple-A, where he’s posted a .289/.385/.434 line in 91 plate appearances this year. The extraordinarily hitter-friendly environments in Triple-A, however, render that production about four percent better than league-average, by measure of wRC+. That matches Heath’s output in 97 Triple-A plate appearances with the Royals back in 2019. Overall, Heath is a career .268/.351/.366 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons. He’s only hit 15 minor league home runs, but his 17 triples and 167 steals (in 208 attempts — an 80.3 percent success rate) highlight his impressive speed.
Mariners Release Shane Carle
The Mariners have released right-hander Shane Carle from his minor league contract, as was first indicated on the Triple-A Transactions log at MLB.com. He’s once again a free agent and can sign with any club.
Carle’s stay with the M’s proved quite brief, as he signed there not even two weeks ago. He tossed a pair of shutout frames for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma before being sent back out to the market. That came on the heels of a nice run with the Reds’ top affiliate in Louisville, where Carle held opponents to six runs in 15 2/3 frames. All told, the 29-year-old has pitched to a 3.06 ERA in 17 2/3 innings while striking out 19.7 percent of his opponents against a 6.6 percent walk rate.
It’s been a couple years since we’ve seen Carle in the Majors. He was a solid member of the Atlanta bullpen in 2018, tossing 63 1/3 innings with a 2.86 earned run average, although there was reason to be skeptical of that number. Carle’s 16.6 percent strikeout rate and 10.4 percent walk rate were both markedly worse than the league average, and he benefited from a low homer-to-flyball rate (4.2 percent) as well as some good fortune on balls in play (.258). Carle generally limited hard contact well in ’18, but it’s difficult to maintain that level of run prevention with sub-par strikeout and walk percentages — particularly in the absence of an elite ground-ball rate.
Carle’s 2019 season represented a notable step back, as he yielded 10 runs in 9 1/3 MLB frames while also pitching to a 5.62 ERA through 40 innings of Triple-A ball between the Braves and Rangers organizations. That shaky showing in 2019 notwithstanding, Carle has pitched well enough with a pair of Triple-A affiliates in 2021 that he could well draw interest from a third organization looking to stockpile some depth.
Cardinals Notes: Hudson, Reyes, Hicks
The Cardinals have been without right-hander Dakota Hudson all season after the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery late last September, but the 26-year-old revealed on Instagram last night that he’s progressed to facing live hitters (hat tip: Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, on Twitter). Hudson is working out at the team’s Spring Training facility, per Jones, who adds that there’s a “slim but real chance” he could return to the team late in the 2021 season.
That’d make for one of the quicker Tommy John returns we’ve seen in recent years. Hudson had has operation on Sept. 28, 2020, and we’ve increasingly seen pitchers take closer to 14 months to return. Of course, even if Hudson were to return, he likely wouldn’t be an option for the Cardinals until the final few weeks of the season. Any innings from Hudson would be a bonus, and it’s worth noting that we don’t know what type of role he’d have if he indeed made it back. It’s feasible the Cards would want to limit his pitch counts, so fans shouldn’t bank on Hudson stepping in and salvaging what’s been an injury-decimated starting staff.
A few more notes on the Cardinals’ pitching staff…
- Alex Reyes has stepped up as an All-Star closer for the Cards in 2021, delivering on the potential that has long made him one of the game’s most prized pitching prospects. However, the right-hander tells Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he’d still like the opportunity to pitch out of the rotation in 2022. The 26-year-old Reyes has pitched to a minuscule 1.52 ERA and gone 20-for-20 in save chances this season, although his sky-high 18.2 percent walk rate still leaves plenty of room for improvement. This year’s 41 1/3 innings are also the most Reyes has thrown in a single season since 2016, as injuries have decimated the early phases of his career. Reyes totaled just 87 innings combined from 2017-20. The Cardinals control him via arbitration through 2023.
- Manager Mike Shildt cast some doubt on Jordan Hicks‘ recovery timeline in his latest update on the injured righty (via Zachary Silver of MLB.com). Hicks only recently resumed playing catch, and a full return to baseball activities isn’t particularly close, it seems. Silver notes that Schildt indicated that it “remains to be seen” whether Hicks will make it back to the roster in 2021 at all. Hicks hit the injured list in early May with inflammation in his elbow, but additional testing led to an injection that shut him down entirely for a period of six weeks. The 24-year-old, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and opted out of the 2020 season for health concerns (diabetes), has thrown 10 innings in 2021. He’s allowed six runs on five hits and 10 walks with 10 strikeouts. Like Reyes, he’s controllable through the 2023 campaign.
Looking For A Match In A Jonathan Schoop Trade
After a 7-3 loss to the Twins on May 7, the Tigers were a dismal 9-24, and Jonathan Schoop was hitting only .185/.217/.250 through his first 115 plate appearances of the 2021 season. Since that date, however, things have greatly improved for both player and team. Detroit has quietly gone 31-27 over the last two-plus months, while Schoop’s revived bat has been a big part of that success — the veteran infielder has hit .320/.368/.567 with 14 homers over his last 253 PA.
While the AL Central is far from a strong division, the Tigers’ surge can probably be seen more as a positive step forward for a rebuilding team than it is a hint of a surprise second-half playoff push. Fangraphs still gives the Tigers a zero percent chance of reaching the postseason, and the club is both 11.5 games out of a wild card berth and 15 games behind the first-place White Sox. As solid as Detroit has been since that May 7 nadir, this is still a team that looks like it will be selling at the trade deadline, and an impending free agent like Schoop stands out as a likely candidate to be moved.
Schoop has spent the last two seasons in the Motor City on a pair of one-year free agent contracts, and delivered some solidly above-average offense. The 29-year-old has hit .277/.322/.469 with 24 homers over 545 PA and 131 games in a Tigers uniform, good for a 113 wRC+ and 118 OPS+. While the right-handed hitting Schoop has been solid against righty pitching, he has been particularly productive against left-handers this year, with an .880 OPS in 98 PA against southpaws.
Looking at the Statcast numbers, Schoop has a subpar .322 xwOBA, lower than his .337 wOBA. While he is making more hard contact than last year, Schoop’s hard-hit percentage is still exactly middle of the pack in the 50th percentile. Schoop has improved his strikeout rate (at least in comparison to the rest of the league) over his two years in Detroit, though he still isn’t walking much, as his lackluster 5.7% walk rate in 2021 actually represents a career high over a full season.
A second baseman for much of his nine-year MLB career, Schoop has actually been more of a regular at first baseman this year, as the Tigers have given youngster Willi Castro most of the playing time at the keystone. This new position will only increase Schoop’s trade value to potential suitors, as an interested team could deploy Schoop at either first or second base depending on the need, or shuttle him between the two positions based on matchups. Schoop also has shortstop experience but hasn’t played the position since 2018.
Cash-wise, Schoop would be a pretty inexpensive addition for small-market teams, or bigger-payroll clubs looking to avoid a luxury tax bill. His one-year deal is worth $4.5MM, so only around $1.6MM of that salary would still be owed to Schoop by July 30.
Injuries, long winning/losing streaks, and other swaps could drastically shake up this list in the coming days, but at the moment, let’s examine which teams might be the best fits for a Schoop deal between now and the trade deadline.
The Other Rebuilders
We can safely rule out the Diamondbacks, Royals, Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Rockies, Twins, and Marlins, since their attention will be focused on moving their own trade chips prior to the deadline.
On The Fringe
The Cubs, Cardinals, and Nationals are all under .500 and — according to Fangraphs — have less than a five percent chance at the playoffs. Barring a big hot streak in the next two weeks, none of this trio will have much use for a rental player like Schoop, and could be selling players of their own. (Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has already hinted that his team is more inclined to act as deadline sellers.)
The Braves are only slightly ahead with a 7.7% chance at a postseason berth, and Atlanta also has a losing record of 44-45. Both the Nats and Braves might wait until pretty close to the last minute to sell since they’re still within striking distance in the NL East, though Ronald Acuna Jr.‘s season-ending ACL tear might realistically close the book on Atlanta’s chances. Schoop is something of an imperfect fit anyway in Atlanta, as Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies have first and second base covered.
The Mariners are being given only a three percent chance at the playoffs, which perhaps seems a little slim considering Seattle is 48-43 and only 3.5 games back of a wild card slot (and seven games behind the Astros for the AL West lead). Those low odds could speak more to the strength of the Astros and Athletics than a reflection of the Mariners’ talent, and if Seattle is still in the hunt by July 30, it wouldn’t be surprising to see aggressive GM Jerry Dipoto make an addition or two in an attempt to keep the Mariners’ postseason drought from reaching 20 seasons. Schoop would be a nice upgrade for an M’s team that hasn’t gotten much from the second base position all year.
The Angels are behind the Mariners in the standings but are given a higher shot (14.5%) at the playoffs. That might reflect the quality of the lineup reinforcements coming the Angels’ way, as Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Justin Upton should all be back from the injured list prior to the deadline. Jared Walsh and David Fletcher have first and second base covered for Los Angeles, though Walsh could potentially be moved back into right field duty in the event of a Schoop trade. In all likelihood, however, the Angels are probably more likely to seek out pitching at the deadline rather than another right-handed hitter.
The Tigers and Indians aren’t frequent trade partners, and it remains to be seen whether Cleveland will be more apt to buy or sell at the deadline given all of its pitching injuries. The Tribe have acted as both buyers and sellers at the deadline in recent years, however, and despite their struggles, they play in a weak division, have a 45-42 record, and sit 4.5 games out of a wild card berth. Fangraphs only gives the Tribe a seven percent chance at the postseason, however, and the club has a very tough upcoming schedule, starting the second half with 10 games against the A’s, Astros, and Rays. Beyond these factors, the Indians might also prefer to just stand pat with their current options at first and second base — powerful rookie Bobby Bradley has shown a lot of pop, while Cesar Hernandez has mostly gotten on track after a brutal April.
Not Great Fits
The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros are also teams with an abundance of right-handed hitting bats, filled first base/second base positions, and a greater need for pitching. On paper, Toronto could get really creative and try Schoop (or even Semien) at third base, but that seems pretty far-fetched. Now that Luke Voit is back from the IL, the Yankees are hopeful their first base issues have been solved, and DJ LeMahieu can now take over at second base.
The Reds likewise have Joey Votto and Jonathan India at first and second base, but given the team’s penchant for shaking up its infield alignment, Cincinnati can’t be entirely ruled out. A scenario exists where Schoop is acquired, India is moved to third base and Eugenio Suarez is again moved to shortstop. In all probability, this one is also a longshot, unless Mike Moustakas‘ injury absence stretches even longer and the Reds feel the need for more infield help.
The Brewers love multi-positional players, and Schoop could provide help at second base (in the event of another Kolten Wong injury) or at first base, as Daniel Vogelbach and Travis Shaw are both injured and Keston Hiura has largely had a brutal season apart from the last couple of weeks. However, the Brewers already acquired Schoop back in 2018, as part of a deadline day trade with the Orioles. Schoop struggled so badly over 46 games with the Brew Crew that the team non-tendered him after the season, so a reunion between the two sides seems unlikely.
Though Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt, and Tommy La Stella are on the injured list, the Giants already have a decent amount of infield depth even with this trio out of action. Longoria and La Stella should both be back relatively soon while Belt is expected back at some point, even if his timeline is still uncertain. Unless there’s a rehab setback somewhere, Schoop doesn’t look like a priority for San Francisco.
Slightly Better Fits
The Mets are known to be exploring more third base options, but the team could address the issue from within by acquiring Schoop to play second base and then moving Jeff McNeil into the third base mix.
The Rays and Dodgers each have an abundance of infielders, but neither team is shy about acquiring multi-positional depth, and might also prefer Schoop over less-experienced roster options. Schoop could serve as a right-handed hitting complement to lefty swingers Ji-Man Choi and Brandon Lowe at first base and second base in Tampa, while L.A. could see Schoop’s addition as a way of freeing Chris Taylor to be deployed all over the diamond.
Sticking with the NL West, Schoop might be a better match with the Padres, who have left-handed hitters at first and second base in Eric Hosmer and Jake Cronenworth. Schoop would very likely see more time at first base in this scenario, as Hosmer has struggled after a strong 2020 season.
The Phillies might have an infield opening with Alec Bohm sidelined by a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, and Bohm has also struggled in his first full MLB season. Jean Segura could be moved back to third base and Schoop installed at second, if Bohm needs a while to recover or if the Phils simply want to reduce his playing time for a more reliable veteran in Schoop. The long history between Tigers GM Al Avila and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski could also help facilitate trade talks.
The Best Fits On Contending Teams?
No team has gotten less (by bWAR) from the first base position than the Red Sox, and Boston’s options have been further thinned since Marwin Gonzalez may begin the second half on the injured list. Boston would probably prefer a left-handed addition to the lineup, but trading for Schoop is a simple way for the Sox to immediately upgrade what is pretty much the only real weak point in their lineup, and Schoop also provides some additional depth for Christian Arroyo at second base.
Matt Olson obviously has first base more than accounted for in the Oakland lineup, but the Athletics could use Schoop as part of their second base or designated hitter mix. The A’s have gotten some nice results from the Jed Lowrie/Tony Kemp second base platoon, though Lowrie is always something of an injury risk and Kemp also gets a lot of playing time in the outfield. Chad Pinder will be gone until well into August due to a hamstring injury, and Mitch Moreland simply hasn’t hit much this season as Oakland’s primary DH. Schoop’s remaining salary is also manageable enough to fit into the Athletics’ limited budget.
The White Sox have had a vacancy at second base since Nick Madrigal was lost to a season-ending hamstring injury, and Schoop could also spell Jose Abreu at first base and see some time at DH. While super-utilityman Leury Garcia has been a bright spot filling in at second, Schoop is a more proven option for a team that has serious postseason aspirations. Chicago has already been linked to the likes of Trevor Story, Adam Frazier, and Eduardo Escobar in trade rumors, so the Sox clearly view the infield as a priority. One obstacle — the Tigers and White Sox almost never make trades, with just a single swap between the two clubs since 1989.
Marlins Activate Jorge Guzman
The Marlins have activated right-hander Jorge Guzman from the 60-day injured list, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com was among those to relay. He has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Miami already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, which is now full.
Guzman, a hard-throwing pitching prospect, made his MLB debut with Miami last season. He began this year with Jacksonville, making four appearances before going down with elbow inflammation. A starting pitcher for much of his minor league career, he’d been working out of the bullpen with the Jumbo Shrimp this season. That’s generally been the expected outcome for the 25-year-old. Entering the year, Baseball America ranked Guzman the #22 prospect in the organization, writing that he could be a productive reliever if he develops adequate control.
Additionally, the Marlins outrighted a pair of hurlers who had recently been designated for assignment: lefty Shawn Morimando and righty Preston Guilmet. Both pitchers made one-day cameos on the roster last weekend. Morimando tossed five innings of scoreless relief, while Guilmet was designated without having made an appearance. Both pitchers have been outrighted before, giving them the right to elect free agency in lieu of assignment to Jacksonville.