Archives for 2021

Justin Miller Elects Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | October 31, 2021 at 6:10pm CDT

Oct. 31: Miller has elected free agency, per the MLB.com transactions log. That was a foregone conclusion once he cleared waivers, as players with three-plus years of MLB service who are outrighted off the 40-man roster can become free agents at season’s end.

Oct. 28: The Cardinals have assigned Miller outright to Triple-A Memphis after he went unclaimed on waivers.

Oct. 25: The Cardinals are designating reliever Justin Miller for assignment, relays Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The move was necessary to create space on the 40-man roster for Jordan Hicks, who is being reinstated from the 60-day injured list in a procedural move. Players must be activated off the 60-day IL before the start of the offseason.

St. Louis added Miller off waivers from the Nationals in early July. The 34-year-old tossed 16 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with the Cards down the stretch. Miller threw strikes at a solid rate but only struck out 13.2% of opposing hitters with a meager 9.3% swinging strike rate. A fly-ball pitcher, Miller allowed five homers in 19 innings split between Washington and St. Louis, although only two of those came in a Cardinal uniform.

Miller didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 2020, but he appeared at the highest level in five of the six seasons from 2014-19. The right-hander posted big strikeout numbers with the 2015 Rockies and 2018 Nats, but he hasn’t been able to lock down a long-term bullpen role over the past few seasons due to inconsistent performance and injuries.

The Cardinals will place Miller on outright or release waivers in the coming days. Should he pass through unclaimed, he’d have the right to elect minor league free agency as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.

Albert Pujols Planning To Play In 2022

By Mark Polishuk | October 31, 2021 at 4:15pm CDT

Oct. 31: Pujols himself recently declared his intent to continue his playing career (link via ESPN). He notes that the decision to play in the Dominican Winter League for the first time is a matter of fulfilling a longstanding promise that he’d play there before retirement. However, Pujols emphasized that the timing of his DWL debut doesn’t mean his retirement is nigh.

“My time to retire hasn’t arrived yet,” said Pujols. “Why do I have to retire because someone tells me to? I’m going to do it on my terms and when I feel I can’t play anymore.”

Oct. 28: After 21 seasons in the majors, Albert Pujols isn’t quite done yet, as a source close to the veteran slugger tells Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register that Pujols “for sure” wants to play in 2022. Pujols is already planning to suit up in the Dominican Winter League for the first time, to further show his readiness for any interested big league clubs.

Pujols will be a free agent this offseason, as the ten-year, $240MM deal he signed with the Angels in his last trip to the open market is now up. The Angels paid handsomely for the superstar production of Pujols’ 11 seasons with the Cardinals, though his time in Anaheim was much less successful, as he batted only .256/.311/.447 over his 5053 plate appearances in a Halos uniform.

As his numbers declined, it seemed increasingly likely that Pujols would simply retire after his deal was up, though he found some level of a revival after joining the Dodgers. After the Angels surprisingly released Pujols back in May, the Dodgers signed him shortly thereafter, and he carved out a new niche for himself in a platoon role. While Pujols had only a .500 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2021, he was still very dangerous against southpaws, hitting lefties to the tune of a .294/.336/.603 slash line over 146 PA, with 13 home runs.

While 146 PA isn’t the largest of sample sizes, teams in need of some first base/DH depth could have interest in seeing what Pujols has left in the tank. Though Pujols was able to land with the Dodgers even without the benefit of an available designated hitter spot, soon the entire National League might have need for an extra bat, should the universal DH become part of the next collective bargaining agreement. For a relatively inexpensive one-year contract, teams could have a lefty-mashing veteran whose could also draw some extra fan attention, considering how Pujols continues to inch up the all-time lists in multiple categories. Pujols has 679 career home runs, and after he hit 17 in 2021, Fletcher suggests Pujols might be motivated to see if he can crack the 700-homer threshold.

The first base market is fungible enough that trying to predict a landing spot for Pujols is difficult, though the Cardinals stand out as the obvious sentimental choice. Paul Goldschmidt has first base now covered in St. Louis and the Cards’ lineup is already pretty right-handed as it is, but if there’s a DH spot to work with, more than nostalgia could be involved in bringing Pujols back for Yadier Molina’s last season (and could possibly also be Adam Wainwright’s last season).

Framber Valdez, Tucker Davidson To Start Game 5 Of World Series

By Mark Polishuk | October 31, 2021 at 1:02pm CDT

The Astros will turn to Framber Valdez to stave off elimination in tonight’s fifth game of the World Series, while the Braves will kick off a bullpen game with another rookie pitcher. The Braves announced this afternoon that left-hander Tucker Davidson will get the start (or, more accurately, serve as the opener) in what will be Davidson’s first career postseason appearance, and only his sixth career games at the Major League level. Davidson was added to the Braves’ World Series roster as an injury replacement after Charlie Morton suffered a fractured fibula during Game 1.

Davidson made one start for Atlanta in 2020 and then posted a 3.60 ERA over four starts and 20 innings this season, with his most recent MLB outing coming back on June 15 due to a forearm injury. In fact, Davidson has only pitched one game total since that June 15 start, tossing three innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on the final day of the minor league season (October 3).

Though Davidson is one of the better pitching prospects in Atlanta’s farm system, obviously it’s anyone’s guess as to what he’ll be able to deliver on the mound, even in what might amount to just an inning of work. That said, given how the rest of the Braves bullpen has stifled Houston’s lineup throughout the World Series, Davidson’s task is just to avoid disaster and then turn things over to his veteran teammates.

The Braves followed this same script in Game 4, as rookie Dylan Lee worked as the opener and pitched to four batters, recording one out and allowing a run on a hit and two walks. Kyle Wright then entered the game to bail Lee out, and Wright proceeded to toss 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball. A scoreless inning each from Chris Martin, Tyler Matzek, Luke Jackson, and Will Smith later, and Atlanta sealed a 3-2 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the Series.

Astros hitters have combined for a meager .206/.291/.298 slash line over the four games against the Braves, with only Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker showing any consistency at the plate. Starting the southpaw Davidson in Game 5 could be a preventative measure on Atlanta’s part against Houston moving the left-handed hitting Tucker up in the batting order, though the Braves have plenty of other left-handed options on their roster.

The lack of production from the usually-reliable lineup is the biggest issue facing the Astros, as their own pitchers have done a solid job of limiting Atlanta’s offense over the last three games, with only one victory to show for it. In Game 1, however, the Braves hit Valdez hard for five runs over two innings, setting up a 6-2 Atlanta win in the Series opener.

It has been a roller-coaster of a playoffs for Valdez, who has been very shaky outside of his eight-inning/one-run gem against the Red Sox in Game 5 of the ALCS. In Valdez’s other three starts this postseason, he has been torched for 11 runs over nine innings of work. With the season on the line for the Astros, manager Dusty Baker may have a relatively quick hook for Valdez at the first sign of trouble, as Houston will have every available arm at the ready to try and get the Series to a sixth game.

East Notes: Mancini, Rojas, Bendix

By Mark Polishuk | October 31, 2021 at 11:43am CDT

With Trey Mancini entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, there has been much discussion over whether the first baseman will remain with the Orioles or head elsewhere, either via trade or as a free agent next winter. It isn’t clear if the O’s are willing to sign any veteran player (even the beloved Mancini) to a long-term extension as they continue their rebuilding process, though MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski suggests that the team could split the difference by pursuing a shorter-term extension with Mancini. Inking Mancini to a deal of two or three years would be especially beneficial if the Orioles became competitive earlier than expected, and an extension wouldn’t necessarily mean that the team couldn’t still trade Mancini down the road. Indeed, teams might be more interested in acquiring Mancini if they knew they’d have him for more than just the 2022 season.

Of course, it isn’t known if Mancini himself would be open to such a shorter-term arrangement, though he has often said that he loves playing in Baltimore. Mancini turns 30 years old in March, so in the event of a short-term extension, he would be delaying his free agency until at least the start of his age-32 season. While a short-term deal would lock in some more money immediately, Mancini might prefer to bet on himself in 2022 and wait for a more lucrative, longer-term contract next winter. Mancini has earned $4.75MM in each of the last two seasons and is projected to earn $7.9MM in his final arb year, so he already banked some financial security throughout his career.

Jerry Remy Passes Away

By Mark Polishuk | October 31, 2021 at 9:54am CDT

Longtime Red Sox broadcaster and former player Jerry Remy passed away yesterday at age 68, as first reported by WCVB-TV Boston. Remy had been battling lung cancer for over a decade, and in August stepped away from his announcing duties for further treatment. Even during his most recent health issues, Remy made it to Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch prior to this year’s AL wild card game, a 6-2 Red Sox victory over the Yankees.

Remy has been the voice of Red Sox games on NESN since 1988, becoming a beloved figure in New England (in fact, fans even voted Remy as the ceremonial president of Red Sox Nation back in 2007). In addition to his broadcasting work, Remy has also authored several books on baseball, as well as five children’s books starring Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster as the main character.

A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, Remy broke into baseball as a player, spending his first three seasons with the Angels before the Red Sox acquired him in a December 1977 trade. Now playing for his local team, Remy reached the AL All-Star team in 1978, and went on to play seven seasons in Boston, becoming a fan favorite that extended into his work in the NESN booth. Remy played 1154 games during his 10 years in the big leagues, with knee injuries hampering his ability to stay on the field in the last half of his career.

We at MLBTR pass our condolences onto Remy’s family, loved ones, and many fans around the baseball world.

Mariners Tried To Trade For Kris Bryant, Bryan Reynolds

By Mark Polishuk | October 31, 2021 at 9:01am CDT

The Mariners’ trade deadline endeavors ended up focusing around pitching additions, yet the club also looked into acquiring a pair of top-tier bats. On a recent edition of the Talking Mariners podcast, 710 ESPN’s Shannon Drayer and James Osborn said Seattle tried to obtain Kris Bryant from the Cubs, with Drayer noting that the M’s “went in heavy on” their attempts to land the former NL MVP. Additionally, The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reports (on the Times’ Extra Innings podcast, with MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer as a guest) that tried to pry Bryan Reynolds away from the Pirates.

Bryant is perhaps the more intriguing name, considering that he’ll be available in the free agent market in a matter of days. As Drayer mentioned, Seattle’s interest in Bryant as a trade deadline rental doesn’t necessarily mean the club would also be open to making him a long-term free agent offer. Signing Bryant would be expensive, but GM Jerry Dipoto has said that the M’s have more payroll to spend this winter, and the club doesn’t have much salary on the books for forthcoming years.

Tying into another recent Dipoto comment, Bryant would also fit the Mariners’ preferred desire for “a player who is adaptable and willing to move around the field.” Bryant’s ability to play either corner infield position and all three outfield spots certainly qualifies, and his presence would allow the M’s to mix and match their current options at those positions.

Assuming Kyle Seager’s club option isn’t exercised, Ty France and Abraham Toro are penciled into the starting first base and third base spots, but landing Bryant would allow either player to fill Seattle’s vacancy at second base. The Mariners have Mitch Haniger, Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Jake Fraley set for outfield duty with top prospect Julio Rodriguez set to make his MLB debut, yet Haniger is the only experienced name in this group, and Lewis missed almost the entire 2021 season due to injury.

Since Dipoto has mainly built the Mariners’ roster via trades, however, Divish and Kramer believe the general manager is more likely to again focus on the trade market rather than free agency for any big-ticket additions. Signing Bryant or any of the top free-agent shortstops might not be as feasible for the M’s as picking up a notable trade target, and in fact, Divish predicts J.P. Crawford will be signed to a contract extension to further entrench him as the Mariners’ shortstop. (Drayer, for the record, believes Trevor Story would be willing to move to second or third base to accommodate, and “Story is somebody that [the Mariners] have liked for a long, long time.”)

Seattle could also use their financial flexibility to accommodate some deals, but of course, swinging a major trade that doesn’t involve absorbing a big contract would have another heavy cost in terms of surrendering prospects. In regards to Reynolds, Divish says the M’s have tried to acquire the outfielder on two different occasions, and in the most recent trade talks, the Pirates wanted Rodriguez in return. It seems highly unlikely that Seattle would part with Rodriguez (arguably the sport’s top prospect) in any deal, yet those are the kinds of asks that other teams would make for any premium talent.

Pittsburgh’s demand for Rodriguez also further illustrates the very high price tag the Pirates are putting on Reynolds, who was a popular trade target for many teams this summer. Reynolds is arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season, and that type of control combined with Reynolds’ outstanding performance in two of his three seasons makes him one of the most valuable trade chips in all of baseball. However, the Pirates have also indicated that they see Reynolds as a key member of their rebuild, and it isn’t likely Reynolds is dealt unless another team steps forward with a truly eye-popping offer, i.e. a Rodriguez-level prospect.

Padres Outright Five Players

By Darragh McDonald | October 30, 2021 at 11:00pm CDT

The Padres have outrighted five players off their 40-man roster after they went unclaimed on waivers, according to the transactions page at MLB.com. Catcher Webster Rivas, outfielder Brian O’Grady, infielder Ivan Castillo, right-hander Miguel Diaz and left-hander Daniel Camarena have all been removed from the roster. All five are now eligible to become free agents.

The 26-year-old Diaz has the most major league experience of the bunch, having thrown 108 2/3 innings for the Padres over four different seasons from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, he logged 42 innings with an ERA of 3.64, healthy 26.7% strikeout rate but a high walk rate of 11%.

Camarena, turning 29 next month, only got into six games this season but cemented himself a place in Slam Diego lore by hitting a grand slam off Max Scherzer in July. His ERA at the big league level was 9.64, but in a small sample size of just 9 1/3 innings. In 83 1/3 Triple-A innings, his ERA was a much more palatable 4.75, despite a low strikeout rate of 16.9%.

Rivas, 31, got 77 plate appearances for the Friars this year and slashed .221/.303/.338 for a wRC+ of 80. His Triple-A numbers were a smidge better, as he hit .252/.339/.393 for a wRC+ of 83 over 186 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old O’Grady got 61 MLB plate appearances with a palty line of .157/.267/.333, but his Triple-A numbers were much better. Over 329 plate appearances for the Chihuahuas this year, he hit .281/.366/.547 for a wRC+ of 120.

Castillo, 26, only got four MLB plate appearances this season. At Triple-A, he got to the plate 435 times and hit .287/.326/.366 for a wRC+ of 73.

When factoring in these outrights, as well as players heading into free agency and players coming off the 60-day IL, the 40-man roster will be sitting at 38 when the offseason begins, in the estimation of Jason Martinez and Roster Resource. But the Padres have club options on Pierce Johnson and Craig Stammen that could get that number back up to 40, as well as mutual options with Jake Marisnick and Mark Melancon.

Robert Suarez Could Become Free Agent This Winter

By Darragh McDonald | October 30, 2021 at 10:49pm CDT

This winter’s free agent class is already loaded with talent, and there could be one more intriguing player added into the mix. Right-hander Robert Suarez, the closer for the Hanshin Tigers, has a player option for 2022, according to an article from Yahoo! Japan relayed by Sung Min Kim, who has written for both FanGraphs and The Athletic. If Suarez were to decline it, the Venezuelan would become a free agent and would be able to sign with any team, either in Japan or elsewhere.

Suarez, who turns 31 in March, could garner plenty of interest around the baseball world based on his recent track record. He’s been playing in Nippon Professional Baseball since 2016 but has taken his game to another level over the past couple seasons. In 2020, he threw 52 1/3 innings with an ERA of 2.24, racking up 25 saves in the process. His strikeout rate was 24% and his walk rate was 9.1%. In 2021, he elevated his game even further, notching 42 saves over 62 1/3 innings, with an ERA of 1.16, a strikeout rate of 25.3% and excellent walk rate of 3.5%.

It was recently reported that Thyago Vieira, also pitching in NPB, is garnering interest from MLB clubs based on his recent run of success, but his numbers are a notch below Suarez’s. Vieira has an ERA of 3.04 over the past couple seasons, with a 26.9% strikeout rate and elevated 12.4% walk rate. Vieira does have an age advantage over Suarez, however, as he won’t turn 29 until July 1st, meaning Suarez is a little more than two years older. But it stands to reason that Suarez could attract as much interest as Vieira, if not more.

There are lots of high-leverage righty options available in free agency this offseason, from Raisel Iglesias to Kenley Jansen, Kendall Graveman, Ryan Tepera, Collin McHugh and many more. But there’s potential for some other interesting options on the other side of the Pacific.

Jason Castro Tests Positive For COVID-19; Garrett Stubbs Added To World Series Roster

By Darragh McDonald | October 30, 2021 at 6:04pm CDT

Major League Baseball announced that it has approved a roster substitution for the Houston Astros, with Jason Castro being removed from the World Series roster due to COVID-19 protocols. Fellow catcher Garrett Stubbs will take his place. Astros’ general manager James Click didn’t answer a question about whether Castro tested positive, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. However, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports that Castro has indeed tested positive.

This news comes with just over an hour to go before Houston is set to take on Atlanta in the fourth game of the series. This shouldn’t affect tonight’s lineup as Martin Maldonado was penciled into the catcher’s slot when that was announced earlier today.

When Jorge Soler tested positive during the NLDS, he had to quarantine for at least five days and couldn’t return until cleared as non-infectious by a four-person joint health and safety committee, consisting of two doctors, and one representative each from the league and the players’ union. Assuming the same protocols are in place now, that means Castro’s season is done. The seventh game of the series is scheduled for November 3rd, which is just four days away.

Maldonado has seen the bulk of the playing time behind the plate this season, garnering 41 plate appearances so far to Castro’s nine. But Castro has made those nine appearances count, as he had a single, a homer and two walks. As for Stubbs, he only made 38 plate appearances at the big league level this year. But in Triple-A, he got 146 appearances and hit .265/.418/.363.

Zack Greinke, Dylan Lee To Start Game 4 Of The World Series

By Mark Polishuk | October 30, 2021 at 2:12pm CDT

Both starting pitchers have now been announced for tonight’s Game 4 of the World Series, as the Braves have revealed that rookie left-hander Dylan Lee will get the ball to begin what is expected to be a bullpen game against the Astros. For Houston, manager Dusty Baker confirmed last night that Zack Greinke will start, with Greinke also likely in line for an abbreviated outing.

While both pitchers can probably be more accurately described as openers rather than true starters for tonight’s game, the Lee/Greinke matchup represents quite a contrast in experience. Greinke has 18 MLB seasons, 3110 regular-season innings, and 21 postseason appearances on his resume. On the other side of the equation, the 27-year-old Lee didn’t make his Major League debut until October 1, and he has thus far pitched a total of two regular-season innings and 2 2/3 postseason innings in his brief career in The Show.

Lee was included on Atlanta’s NLDS roster but didn’t see any action, and he wasn’t initially on the NLCS roster until Huascar Ynoa had to be replaced due to injury. Lee pitched two frames of relief in the Braves’ 11-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS, and he then pitched two-thirds of an inning against the Astros in Game 2 of the World Series.

Originally a tenth-round pick for the Marlins in the 2016 draft, Lee posted some solid numbers in his first four pro season, but Miami released him during Spring Training this year. The Braves inked Lee to a minor league deal, and he responded with some big numbers (1.54 ERA, 30.9% strikeout rate, and a tiny 3.4% walk rate) over 46 2/3 Triple-A innings.

Now, Lee finds himself on the hill in the Fall Classic, becoming the first pitcher to ever make his first Major League start in a Series game (as per the Elias Sports Bureau). Lee will face a probable top three of Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, and Alex Bregman, assuming the Astros stick with the same lineup they’ve deployed throughout the World Series.

Between injuries, two weeks on the COVID-related injured list, and a general lack of effectiveness late in the season, Greinke has been limited to two appearances during the playoffs. He tossed an inning of relief in Houston’s 12-6 loss to the White Sox in the ALDS, and then got the start against the Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS. Though the Astros won that game by a 9-2 margin, Greinke only faced nine batters over 1 1/3 innings, walking three batters and allowing a two-run homer to Xander Bogaerts.

These recent results notwithstanding, “if anybody knows how to pitch in a big game, it’s Greinke,” Baker told reporters yesterday. “We don’t know how long he’s going to go. Just give us as much quality as you can, and then we’ll turn it over to somebody else.” Cristian Javier is probably the likeliest candidate to toss bulk innings tonight, as the righty has worked beyond one innings in each of his four postseason outings this year, including 1 1/3 innings against Atlanta in Game 2.

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