Rangers Release Khris Davis
The Rangers announced they’ve placed Khris Davis on unconditional release waivers. This was the expected outcome after the club designated Davis for assignment on Tuesday.
Texas acquired the designated hitter/corner outfielder from the A’s over the winter. While they surely hoped he’d rebound from back-to-back down seasons at the plate, the primary motivation for the trade was financial. The Rangers sent Elvis Andrus, owed $14MM in each of 2021 and 2022, to Oakland in exchange for Davis’ expiring $16.75MM contract and a pair of prospects. (Texas is paying down $13.5MM of Andrus’ contract over the next two years). The deal allowed the Rangers to assume more money in 2021, when they didn’t expect to contend anyhow, to shave nearly $7MM off their 2022 books.
Ultimately, the Rangers didn’t give Davis much of a leash. He began the year on the injured list and received just 61 plate appearances- putting up a poor .157/.262/.333 slash line- before Texas cut bait. It’s the third consecutive year of well below-average hitting for Davis, who was one of the game’s top power bats during his 2016-18 peak in Oakland.
Technically, teams will have 48 hours to put in a claim for Davis. That’s a moot point, as he’ll assuredly pass through waivers unclaimed. Any team that claimed Davis would assume the remainder of his salary. No team will do that, leaving the Rangers on the hook for the money.
Once he clears the wire, Davis will be free to sign with any team. A signing club would then only owe him the league minimum salary for any time he spends on the major league roster, which would be subtracted from Texas’ outlay. Given his lack of defensive value and recent offensive woes, it’s possible he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal once he hits the open market.
Angels Claim Jack Mayfield Off Waivers From Mariners
The Angels claimed Jack Mayfield off waivers from the Mariners, per announcements from both teams. Los Angeles has optioned Mayfield to Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no other move was necessary.
Seattle designated Mayfield for assignment earlier this week. The utilityman now heads back to Los Angeles, where he began the 2021 season. The Angels acquired Mayfield from the Braves in exchange for cash considerations back in February but designated him for assignment two months later. Seattle claimed the 30-year-old off waivers, but his stint in the Mariners organization comes to an end after just over a month.
Mayfield has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons, spending the entirety of his time in the AL West. He broke in with the Astros in 2019 and has seen the briefest of time with the Angels and Mariners this season. He’s done very little offensively at the highest level, hitting just .168/.195/.259 across career 150 plate appearances. Nevertheless, his combination of defensive versatility and roster flexibility (he has a pair of minor league option years remaining) has continued to generate interest from teams.
Pirates Outright Wilmer Difo
JUNE 13: Pittsburgh announced that Difo has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Indianapolis. Having previously been outrighted in his career, the 29-year-old had the right to elect free agency. He’s apparently accepted a minor league assignment, though, as he’s listed on the Triple-A club’s active roster.
JUNE 8: The Pirates have designated infielder/outfielder Wilmer Difo for assignment, per a team announcement. In other moves, Pittsburgh reinstated two players – right-hander Mitch Keller and outfielder/infielder Phillip Evans – from the injured list and optioned lefty Austin Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Formerly a member of the Nationals, Difo joined the Pirates on a minor league contract over the winter. The 29-year-old earned a major league spot at the beginning of April and has since hit .244//.287/.366 with a home run in 87 plate appearances, while receiving playing time at second base, third base and multiple outfield positions.
Defensive flexibility is nothing new for Difo, who debuted in the bigs in 2015, though the switch-hitter has not had a great deal of success offensively. His lifetime .247/.308/.349 line over 1,147 PA doesn’t look much different than his output this season.
COVID Notes: 6/13/21
The latest on coronavirus situations around the league:
Latest Updates
- Before this afternoon’s game against the Red Sox, the Blue Jays placed left-hander Steven Matz on the COVID-19 injured list, relays Scott Mitchell of TSN (Twitter link). Matz’s most recent test turned up an inconclusive result, leading to today’s IL placement, but the 30-year-old is not feeling any symptoms of the virus. He’ll undergo further testing. Reliever Jeremy Beasley has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his active roster spot for now.
Earlier Notes
- The Marlins are activating left-hander Trevor Rogers from the COVID-19 injured list, notes Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Rogers went on the IL yesterday but was always expected back in short order. Preston Guilmet, who was selected to the roster in his place, has been removed from the 40-man roster. Because Guilmet was selected to replace a player going on the COVID IL, he needn’t be exposed to waivers. He’ll be sent back to Triple-A Jacksonville without having appeared in an MLB game.
Reds Reinstate Aristides Aquino From Injured List
The Reds announced they’ve activated outfielder Aristides Aquino from the 60-day injured list. Fellow outfielder Mark Payton was optioned to Triple-A Louisville to create active roster space. To open a 40-man roster spot for Aquino, utilityman Nick Senzel was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.
Aquino fractured the hamate bone in his left hand in mid-April. The break required a surgical repair, and the 27-year-old ultimately wound up missing two months. Prior to the injury, Aquino had served as something of a designated pinch-hitter, coming off the bench in all ten of his appearances. With Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos having incredible seasons in the corner outfield, Aquino figures to assume that role once again.
The Reds are in a bit of a bind when it comes to Aquino. He burst onto the MLB scene in 2019, hitting a staggering 14 home runs in 115 plate appearances that August. Aquino really struggled over that season’s final month, though, and he didn’t perform at the start of 2020 either. Ultimately, he spent a good portion of last year at the alternate training site. He’s not a natural fit in center field, and with Winker, Castellanos and Joey Votto ahead of him on the depth chart at the bottom of the defensive spectrum, there’s not been much of an opportunity for manager David Bell to give Aquino everyday run.
Aquino is out of minor league option years, meaning the Reds can’t send him to Louisville without designating him for assignment. Given the promise he flashed as a rookie, Cincinnati hasn’t wanted to run the risk of losing him for little or no return on waivers or via a small trade. That dilemma will likely keep him on the Reds bench for now.
Senzel was placed on the injured list on May 21, retroactive to May 19. The transfer rules him out for 60 days from the time of his original IL placement- not today- so he won’t be eligible to return to the majors until mid-July. The 25-year-old, who has dealt with a barrage of health problems throughout his professional career, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee shortly after going on the IL.
The procedure originally came with a four-to-six week rest period. There’s no indication that’s meaningfully changed. He’ll surely need to go on a minor league rehab assignment before getting back to the big leagues. If he’d been tracking towards the latter end of his projected timeline anyhow, there’s little harm for the Reds in moving him to the 60-day IL and giving him an extra few days to rehab, particularly considering his injury history.
Latest On MLB’s Crackdown On Illegal Subtances
JUNE 13: Umpires will check starting pitchers at least twice per game and will examine relievers at least once during each contest, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. A position player will only be checked if umpires believe him to be altering the ball on his pitcher’s behalf. If the umpire finds illicit substances on the pitcher, his equipment will be confiscated and he will be ejected from the game, per Rosenthal.
JUNE 12: Within the next few days, Major League Baseball will send a memo to teams detailing the existing rules against the use of foreign substances on the baseball and how the league will plan to enforce these rules going forward, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. The official order to umpires is expected to come around June 21, since according to one league source, “It’d be great if we could get it cleaned up before they actually start enforcing the rule. The enforcement has not started yet because all parties involved want to give pitchers time to adjust.”
With so much focus and controversy surrounding the illegal-substance problem, there has already been some indication that this pressure might be having an impact on the field. (To name two high-profile examples, Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole have had recent drops in their spin rates.) It’s safe to assume that MLB would prefer to avoid the spectacle of suspending multiple pitchers or even one pitcher for doctoring baseballs, though the league is also planning to take a firm hand in the event of a rules violation. As another source tells Olney, “Nobody wants to see suspensions. But it’s going to happen if somebody is found with something.”
The most visible enforcement of the rule will come in the form of on-field checks, as umpires will make somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 checks per game looking for any foreign substances — essentially anything that be applied to a baseball, except rosin — on both pitchers and position players, with the idea that a position player could secretly sneak something to their teammate on the mound. As to how “visible” these checks will be to fans who aren’t in attendance at the ballpark, umpires will likely conduct their checks between innings, when there is already a natural break in the action.
Olney’s piece also contains the interesting (and perhaps ominous) detail that MLB and the players’ union haven’t had many direct communications about the foreign-substance situation. “Much like estranged spouses speaking through a mutual friend,” Olney notes that the league and the MLBPA have been discussing the issue using the umpires’ union as a go-between. In the wake of last year’s disputes over the abbreviated season and the lack of an agreement over a universal DH this past offseason, this is the latest note of discord between the league and the players, which certainly doesn’t bode well heading into Collective Bargaining Agreement talks this winter.
Red Sox Select Ryan Weber, Designate Brandon Brennan
The Red Sox announced they’re selecting the contract of right-hander Ryan Weber. Fellow righty Brandon Brennan has been designated for assignment to open active and 40-man roster space.
Weber makes his return to Boston, where he saw big league action in 2019-20. The sinkerballer pitched to a 4.73 ERA/4.89 FIP in 83 2/3 innings over that time. Weber doesn’t miss many bats, striking out a minuscule 15.3% of opponents with the Red Sox. He’s thrown plenty of strikes and kept the ball on the ground at an above-average clip, though. Weber was outrighted off the roster last offseason and began this year with Triple-A Worcester. He’s made seven appearances (six starts) with Worcester, managing a 4.63 ERA with a 22.4% strikeout rate and solid 6.8% walk rate.
The Sox claimed Brennan off waivers from the Mariners in early May. He spent his first month in the organization at Worcester, tossing 8 1/3 frames of two-run ball. Brennan struck out eleven against five walks at Triple-A, earning him a call-up yesterday. The 29-year-old worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in last night’s loss to the Blue Jays. Unfortunately for Brennan, his 42-pitch workload took him out of commission for the next day or two. The Red Sox ultimately decided to bring in a fresher arm in his place.
Boston will have a week to trade Brennan or place him on outright waivers. He still has all three minor league option years remaining, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another club bring him in. A former Rule 5 draftee, Brennan has a 4.21 ERA/4.61 SIERA over 57 2/3 MLB innings.
Luis Severino Headed For MRI Due To Groin Injury
JUNE 13: Severino will undergo an MRI this afternoon and go for further examination on Monday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
JUNE 12, 5:24PM: Early indications are that Severino has suffered a groin injury, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
JUNE 12, 4:57PM: Luis Severino‘s recovery from Tommy John surgery hit an apparent setback today, as the right-hander left his minor league rehab outing due to a lower-body injury. Reporter G.T. Julian Guilarte (Twitter link) has footage of the aftermath, as a clearly pained Severino had to be helped off the field.
While perhaps the only consolation is that Severino didn’t suffer another arm injury, it certainly looks like the right-hander will now have to work his way back from another serious-seeming problem. Since Severino wasn’t expected to be an option for the Yankees until at least the start of July and likely closer to the All-Star break, it is possible that his latest injury could threaten his entire season.
Such a scenario would make it essentially three lost seasons in a row for Severino. Shoulder and lat injuries limited him to 20 1/3 combined innings in the 2019 regular season and postseason, while the 2020 season was a total writeoff after Severino underwent Tommy John surgery in February of that year.
New York was eyeing Severino as a midseason rotation boost, adding depth to a starting five that has been generally solid thanks to Gerrit Cole, Domingo German, and Jordan Montgomery. Corey Kluber had also been pitching well before a rotator cuff injury sent him to the 60-day IL until at least late July, while Jameson Taillon has struggled — a nightmarish outing against the Phillies today boosted Taillon’s ERA to 5.74 over 53 1/3 innings. Michael King has been filling in for Kluber, and if Severino is unavailable, Deivi Garcia and Nick Nelson are now the top depth options if Taillon can’t get on track or if another injury surfaces.
Tigers Select Buck Farmer
The Tigers announced this morning they’ve selected the contract of Buck Farmer. Beau Burrows was optioned to Triple-A Toledo last night to clear active roster space. Jeimer Candelario was placed on the COVID-19 injured list yesterday while he goes through intake protocols after going on bereavement leave. That temporarily opens a 40-man roster spot for Farmer, but Detroit will need to make another 40-man move once Candelario clears the intake process.
Farmer returns to Detroit, where he’s logged big league action in every season since 2014. The right-hander was a durable and generally productive middle reliever from 2018-20, a stretch in which he tossed 158 1/3 innings of 3.92 ERA/4.20 FIP ball. His strikeout, walk and groundball rates were all just worse than league average, but his ability to soak up decent innings out of the bullpen made him a fairly valuable part of the Detroit pitching staff.
The 2021 season began in nightmarish fashion for the 30-year-old, though. In 10 2/3 frames, Farmer coughed up fifteen runs on as many hits, walking nine batters while striking out ten. Between his huge spike in walks and massive drop in grounders, the Tigers felt they could no longer keep him on the active roster. Detroit designated Farmer, who is out of minor league option years, for assignment and passed him through waivers last month. He’s since tossed 11 1/3 relief innings with Toledo, allowing five runs with a 7:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Since Farmer is out of options, the Tigers will need to carry him on the active roster from this point forward or again designate him for assignment.
Dodgers Place Max Muncy On 10-Day Injured List
JUNE 13: Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com) the Dodgers are hopeful Muncy will be able to return after a minimal 10-day IL stint, but cautioned that the team won’t rush him back before he’s ready.
JUNE 12: The Dodgers have placed infielder Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain, the team announced. Outfielder Luke Raley has been called up from Triple-A to fill Muncy’s spot on the active roster.
Muncy hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 12-1 win over the Rangers on Friday, but he was replaced at first base by Albert Pujols for the start of the second inning. The home run was Muncy’s team-leading 14th of the season, continuing an outstanding season that has seen Muncy hit .264/.418/.528 with a league-best 46 walks.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they’ll now be without this productive bat for at least the next 10 days, and potentially quite a few more if Muncy has suffered anything beyond a minimal strain. Muncy has also been bothered by a sore ankle in recent days, so it’s possible that even if his oblique problem is a minor one, the Dodgers might give Muncy beyond the 10-day minimum just to get him fully healed up and ready to go. Muncy was scheduled to undergo more tests on his oblique today but the team has yet to release any update on the severity of the injury or any sort of recovery timeline.
With Muncy out, Pujols and Matt Beaty could now serve as a righty/lefty platoon at first base. Beaty has been a productive part-timer in his three seasons with L.A., and Pujols moving into a semi-starting role for the World Series champions represents quite a turn-around for the future Hall-of-Famer over the last month. It seemed as if Pujols’ career might have been over after the Angels cut him loose in May, but since signing with the Dodgers, Pujols has hit .268/.317/.571 with five home runs over 60 PA.
If Muncy’s injury wasn’t enough, Cody Bellinger also left Friday’s game due to left hamstring tightness. Bellinger’s issue doesn’t seem to be as serious, since manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and other reporters that Bellinger could potentially be back in action by Sunday.