Indians, Wilson Ramos Agree To Minor League Contract
The Indians and Wilson Ramos are in agreement on a minor league contract, Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base reports (via Twitter). Presumably, the Octagon client will head to Triple-A Columbus once the deal is formally announced.
Ramos, 34, inked a one-year deal worth $2MM with the Tigers over the winter and opened the season as their primary catcher, but his production crumbled after a hot start to the year. The former All-Star homered in six of his first nine games with the Tigers, batting .281/.343/.875 through his first 37 plate appearances with the club. He wasn’t able to sustain anywhere near that level of offensive output, however, and over his next 91 plate appearances the veteran slugger managed only a .170/.198/.216 batting line.
Ramos made two trips to the injured list due to back strains during his short time with the Tigers organization. He was designated for assignment upon being reinstated from his second IL stint, and he was released five days later after clearing waivers.
For several years, Ramos was regarded as one of the better-hitting catchers in the game. His peak performance, from 2016-18, saw him post a combined .298/.343/.483 slash in 1163 plate appearances. That offensive ability helped to balance out a dwindling defensive reputation, but in recent years, the downturn in his glovework has become more glaring as his offense has also begun to deteriorate. Ramos was a roughly league-average hitter in two seasons with the Mets but began to lose playing time to the defensively superior Tomas Nido. Over the past three seasons, Ramos carries just a 16 percent caught-stealing rate, sub-par framing metrics and an overall -16 mark in Defensive Runs Saved.
Ramos’ early surge in 2021 offered a glimpse of life in his bat, and he’s only a couple years removed from a .288/.351/.416 showing as the Mets’ primary catcher. The Indians are currently relying on the defensively strong but offensively challenged combination of Austin Hedges and Rene Rivera behind the plate; Ramos brings something of the opposite skill set to their depth chart, although it’s been a couple years since we’ve seen sustained production from him at the plate. Roberto Perez, the Indians’ starter behind the dish, has been out since early May after undergoing surgery to repair a broken finger, but he’s been working through a minor league rehab assignment and could return in the coming days.
Diamondbacks Trade Tim Locastro To Yankees
The Yankees and Diamondbacks announced an agreement on a trade sending outfielder Tim Locastro from Arizona to New York in exchange for minor league right-hander Keegan Curtis.
Locastro, 28, is one of the fastest players in the Majors and gives the Yankees a potential outfield option, though he’s in the midst of a rough year at the plate. After slashing .290/.395/.464 in 82 plate appearances with the D-backs in 2020, Locastro is hitting just .178/.271/.220 in 133 trips to the plate so far in 2021.
Overall, the fleet-footed Locastro a career .234/.339/.324 hitter who has gone 31-for-34 in stolen base attempts. Locastro strikes out at a below-average clip but doesn’t walk as much as one might expect; rather, the source of his OBP is a penchant for getting plunked (as explored at length and in entertaining fashion in one of the many indispensable videos at Foolish Baseball). For a player with Locastro’s speed, getting to first base by any means necessary is particularly valuable, as he’s always a threat to swipe a base.
It’s not the impact move most Yankees fans would hope to see with the their first move of deadline season, but Locastro gives the club a strong glove and some needed depth. Aaron Hicks has already been lost for the season, and fellow outfielder Clint Frazier is now undergoing testing after exiting last night’s game due to dizziness. Locastro can still be optioned for the remainder of the 2021 season and is controllable through the 2024 campaign via arbitration.
For the D-backs, Locastro figures to be the first of several players traded between now and July 30. They’ve been MLB’s worst club by a wide margin and are generally expected to be willing to listen on veteran players as they look to restock the farm system.
The 25-year-old Curtis, while not regarded as one of the Yankees’ top prospects, does give the Snakes an interesting arm to add to the upper levels of their system. Since being selected in the 22nd round of the 2018 draft, Curtis has tallied 65 2/3 innings out of the bullpen and pitched to a 3.29 ERA across three levels in the Yankees’ minor league ranks. He’s currently at the Double-A level, where he’s posted a 3.94 ERA while punching out 27 of the 69 batters he’s faced (39.1 percent) against seven walks (10.1 percent).
Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported the terms of the agreement.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/1/21
Today’s minor moves from around the game:
- The Reds announced that outfielder Scott Heineman has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. He’ll remain in the organization as non-roster depth. Cincinnati acquired Heineman from the Rangers over the winter, but he struggled in a brief look at the major league level before they designated him for assignment this week. The 28-year-old has a .172/.249/.325 line across 173 career MLB plate appearances, but he owns a much stronger .302/.368/.458 mark in parts of three Triple-A seasons.
- The Yankees announced they’ve acquired outfield prospect Aldenis Sanchez from the Rays. The move completes the teams’ June 17 trade that sent first baseman Mike Ford to Tampa Bay. Sanchez, 22, joined the Rays out of the Dominican Republic during the 2016-17 international signing period. He has yet to make it beyond rookie ball. Sanchez never appeared on a Rays system ranking at Baseball America; in March 2020, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs called the right-handed hitter a “speedy (prospect) with some contact skills.”
Angels Move Dylan Bundy To Bullpen
The Angels are moving right-hander Dylan Bundy to the bullpen, manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Sam Blum of the Athletic). Southpaw José Suarez will assume a permanent spot in the starting rotation.
It’s the continuation of what has proven to be a difficult year for Bundy. He seemed to have turned a corner upon being traded from the Orioles to Los Angeles entering 2020, spinning 65 2/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball during his debut season with the Angels. Things have gone completely south in 2021, though. The 28-year-old has been tagged for a 6.58 ERA in 67 frames this season. Bundy actually got off to a good start with three consecutive quality starts to begin the campaign, but he’s managed just a 7.88 ERA in twelve appearances since, with opposing hitters teeing off for a .297/.360/.568 slash line in that time.
In fairness to Bundy, the underlying numbers suggest he’s pitched a bit better than his bottom line run prevention would suggest. His 21.5% strikeout rate is disappointing, a below-average mark that’s nearly six percentage points below his 27% clip from last season. But it’s not disastrously low, and Bundy’s 10.8% swinging strike rate is serviceable. He’s always been a quality strike-thrower, and that hasn’t gone away either. Bundy’s only walking 7.2% of opponents, right in line with his career pace and better than league-average. Those strikeout and walk numbers contribute to a more respectable 4.30 SIERA.
The biggest issue for Bundy this season, as it was during his time in Baltimore, has been the long ball. He’s allowed a staggering fifteen home runs (2.01 HR/9). Among pitchers with 50-plus innings, only Matt Shoemaker (2.14 HR/9) has coughed up homers at a higher rate. Unsurprisingly, a glance at Bundy’s Statcast page confirms he’s given up plenty of hard contact.
That all makes for an interesting decision for teams this winter. Bundy’s slated to hit free agency for the first time this offseason. Obviously, this isn’t the platform year he’d desired, but his arsenal hasn’t evaporated. His four-seam fastball and slider velocity are actually up a tick relative to last season, as are Bundy’s spin rates. (His spin has dropped over the past month, coinciding with the league’s foreign substance crackdown, but Bundy’s slump predated reports of imminent enforcement of the ban on sticky stuff). The results simply haven’t been there this season, but we’re only a year removed from Bundy finding plenty of success with this level of raw stuff.
The Angels already bumped José Quintana to the bullpen a couple weeks ago, so Bundy’s the second member of the season-opening rotation to move into relief. That mostly reflects Quintana’s and Bundy’s down years, but it’s also a testament to the strong work of their eventual replacements, Patrick Sandoval and Suarez.
Sandoval has a 3.44 ERA/4.00 FIP across seven starts this year. Suarez was knocked around as a starter back in 2019, but he’s earned his way back into the rotation with quality work as a multi-inning reliever this year. The 23-year-old has tossed 27 1/3 innings over nine relief appearances, pitching to a 1.98 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates (23.9% and 8.3%, respectively).
MLB Announces All-Star Starters
Major League Baseball announced the starting lineups for the 2021 All-Star Game this evening. The starting lineups are determined by fan vote. This year’s All-Star Game will take place in Coors Field on Tuesday, July 13. The starting pitchers and reserves will be announced at a later date.
National League
- Catcher: Buster Posey, Giants (7th selection)
- First Base: Freddie Freeman, Braves (5th selection)
- Second Base: Adam Frazier, Pirates (1st selection)
- Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (6th selection)
- Shortstop: Fernando Tatís Jr., Padres (1st selection)
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (2nd selection)
- Outfield: Nick Castellanos, Reds (1st selection)
- Outfield: Jesse Winker, Reds (1st selection)
American League
- Catcher: Salvador Pérez, Royals (7th selection)
- First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (1st selection)
- Second Base: Marcus Semien, Blue Jays (1st selection)
- Third Base: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (1st selection)
- Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (3rd selection)
- Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels (9th selection)*
- Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees (3rd selection)
- Outfield: Teoscar Hernández, Blue Jays (1st selection)
- Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels (1st selection)
*On the 60-day injured list
Giants Place Mike Tauchman On Injured List
The Giants announced they’ve placed outfielder Mike Tauchman on the 10-day injured list due to a right knee sprain. To replace him on the active roster, San Francisco reinstated fellow outfielder Jaylin Davis from the 60-day IL. A 40-man roster spot for Davis’ activation was opened when right-hander Gregory Santos was suspended for performance-enhancing drugs earlier this week.
Tauchman is only expected to miss 10-14 days, as his sprain is relatively minor, the team told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Upon his return, the 30-year-old will need to perform better than he has in recent weeks. The Giants acquired Tauchman from the Yankees in April, but the left-handed hitter has only managed a .180/.292/.295 line in 161 plate appearances in black and orange. Tauchman is out of minor league option years, so the Giants will need to continue to keep him on the active roster once he returns from the IL or make him available to other clubs.
The activation is a nice birthday present for Davis, who turns 27 years old today. He’ll be making his season debut once he gets into a game. Davis has been sidelined all year by right knee tendinitis. The powerful right-handed hitter hasn’t done much over 59 major league plate appearances to date, but he’s mashed at a .329/.412/.709 clip in 357 trips to the dish at Triple-A.
The Giants also provided an update on injured first baseman Brandon Belt. He’ll attempt to rehab from the right knee inflammation that sent him to the IL last week (via Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic). Surgery, which would’ve sidelined Belt for eight-to-twelve weeks, had been on the table, but there’s a realistic chance for the 33-year-old to return without going under the knife. There’s no timetable for his return, but Baggarly notes he’ll be “definitiely” be back in less than two months if all goes well.
Health Notes: Bader, Calhoun, Canha, Peterson
The Cardinals activated center fielder Harrison Bader from the 10-day injured list today and optioned fellow outfielder Lars Nootbaar to Triple-A Memphis in his place. Bader missed a little more than a month with a right rib hairline fracture. Before the injury, the 27-year-old had slumped to a .219/.301/.411 mark over his first 83 plate appearances. Bader’s a quality baserunner and defender, through, and his return will allow the Cards to shift Dylan Carlson back into the corner outfield role for which he’s better suited.
In other health news:
- Kole Calhoun might have suffered a setback in his recovery from left hamstring surgery. The Diamondbacks outfielder’s minor league rehab assignment was recently halted, as he was sent back to Phoenix to undergo an MRI after feeling something in the hamstring while attempting to dodge a hit-by-pitch, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. It’s been something of a lost season for the veteran, who has been limited to 51 plate appearances by injuries. If healthy, Calhoun would be an obvious trade candidate for the last-place Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old hit a strong .292/.333/.479 in 2020 and is in the final guaranteed season of his two-year, $16MM contract with the organization. Calhoun’s deal comes with a $9MM club option (or a $2MM buyout) for 2022.
- Athletics outfielder Mark Canha is unlikely to return to the club before the All-Star Break, manager Bob Melvin tells reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Canha, who landed on the injured list with left hip tendinitis last week, recently underwent platelet-rich plasma injections in both hips. A somewhat prompt return from the 32-year-old would be a huge boon for the A’s, who trail the Astros by half a game in the AL West. An ever-underrated contributor, Canha is hitting .255/.375/.450 with 11 homers in 325 plate appearances this year.
- Mets left-hander David Peterson departed his start last night with discomfort in his right side. Manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Laura Albanese of Newsday) that Peterson continued to experience side tightness today and will be sent for further evaluation. Rojas added the 25-year-old is unlikely to make his next scheduled start. Peterson has struggled to follow up on last year’s promising rookie campaign, pitching to a 5.40 ERA/4.23 SIERA through 66 2/3 innings this season.
Cardinals Release Tyler Heineman
The Cardinals announced they’ve released catcher Tyler Heineman from the minor league deal he signed over the winter. (St. Louis also confirmed their previously-reported agreement with left-hander T.J. McFarland). Heineman’s contract allowed him to elect free agency if a major league opportunity opened up elsewhere, notes Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (Twitter link). It’s not yet clear if that was the impetus for his release.
Heineman only picked up 77 plate appearances with Triple-A Memphis this season, hitting .254/.325/.313 without any home runs. The 30-year-old has typically been more productive at the minors’ highest level, evidenced by his career .284/.351/.422 line over parts of six Triple-A seasons.
That generally solid minor league work has earned Heineman brief looks in the big leagues in each of the past two years. He suited up for the 2019 Marlins and 2020 Giants, totaling 62 plate appearances.
Athletics Unlikely To Pursue Trevor Story
The Athletics are unlikely to pursue Rockies star shortstop Trevor Story in advance of the July 30 trade deadline, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Instead, Passan suggests Oakland could look to add “an impact bat” in the outfield.
Strictly from an on-field perspective, a Story pursuit would make a lot of sense for the A’s, who trail the Astros by half a game in the AL West. Oakland shortstops (almost exclusively Elvis Andrus) have hit just .229/.272/.306 (62 wRC+) across 309 trips to the plate this season. Andrus has been better over the past couple months after an absolutely horrible April, but he’s still put up a below-average .265/.305/.352 mark since May 1. Story’s having a down season (.259/.332/.446) by his lofty standards, but even his disappointing year is far better than Andrus’ performance so far. And Story was one of the best shortstops in the sport from 2018-20, during which time he hit .292/.355/.554.
The bigger obstacle to the A’s landing Story always seemed to be finances. The two-time All-Star is making $17.5MM this season, his final year before free agency. A team that acquires Story at the deadline would owe him around $6.1MM for the stretch run, assuming the Rockies don’t pay down any of the deal to ensure a better trade return. For a player of Story’s caliber, that’s more than reasonable, but it’s also a higher amount than the low-payroll A’s seemed likely to take on midseason.
Nevertheless, reports emerged last month suggesting Oakland could be a player for Story’s services. If they’re indeed out of the running, that removes one of the few contenders with an obvious hole at shortstop. All six current division leaders (Red Sox, White Sox, Astros, Mets, Brewers and Giants) already have answers at the position, as do the Blue Jays, Mariners, Nationals, Phillies, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers and Padres. The Rays have a glut of highly-regarded infield prospects at or near the big league level, and they don’t seem particularly likely to assume Story’s salary either. It’s debatable whether the Angels, Cardinals or Reds are close enough to contention to acquire an impending free agent.
As Passan notes, that leaves the Indians and Yankees as the cleanest fits for Story. Whether Cleveland’s ownership would greenlight a significant midseason acquisition of salary is an open question, though. New York, meanwhile, spent the entire offseason maneuvering their way just below the first luxury tax threshold. Owner Hal Steinbrenner suggested this morning he’d consider going over that mark, but it remains to be seen whether that’s the case and/or whether the team is even close enough to contention a month from now to make that kind of acquisition worthwhile.
Lack of obvious fits notwithstanding, the Rockies still seem likely to eventually find a landing spot for Story. One of the shortstop-needy clubs on the fringes could yet play their way into definitive contention. Clubs without an obvious roster fit could come up with a creative way of working him into the fold- perhaps by moving Story or their incumbent shortstop over to second or third base for a few months.
The Rockies could recoup draft pick compensation via a qualifying offer if they hang onto Story all year, but it’s probable they find a more valuable prospect package in a trade in the coming weeks. It’s possible that offer will wind up coming from a team that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to actually “need” a shortstop.
Pirates Place Colin Moran On Injured List With Wrist Fracture
Pirates first baseman Colin Moran is going on the 10-day injured list after suffering a small fracture in his left wrist/hand area, manager Derek Shelton told reporters (including Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Outfielder Jared Oliva has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take his spot on the active roster.
Moran suffered the injury when he was struck by a Kyle Freeland pitch on Monday. Sheldon didn’t provide any sort of timetable on his return, although even a minor fracture seems to have the potential to be rather bothersome. This will be Moran’s second IL stint of the season, as he also missed a little less than a month earlier this year with a left groin injury.
It’s particularly notable with the trade deadline less than a month away. The rebuilding Pirates are certain to listen to offers on veteran players, and a healthy Moran could draw some interest from contenders. The 28-year-old has hit a solid .280/.345/.414 with four homers across 174 plate appearances this season.
It’s not clear whether Moran will be able to make it onto the field before July 30, or whether he’ll immediately settle back in at the plate. Hand injuries can sometimes linger, particularly impacting a hitter’s power upside. Players on the IL can still be traded (the Marlins traded injured outfielder Corey Dickerson earlier this week, in fact), but there’s no urgency for the Pirates to move Moran if his value is at a low point. He’s on an affordable $2.8MM deal this season and controllable via arbitration through 2023.