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Archives for June 2022

Outrights: Marinan, Zabala

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A couple of players recently made it through the waiver wire unclaimed and will not be changing organizations…

  • The Reds announced that right-hander James Marinan cleared waivers and has been outrighted to High-A Dayton. He was just added to the club’s 40-man roster last November, ahead of the Rule 5 draft that ended up getting canceled by the lockout. Despite having never pitched above High-A, the Reds evidently thought he was worth rostering based on his high strikeout numbers. However, he’s had a poor showing so far this year, putting up an ERA of 7.71 through 32 2/3 innings for Dayton. The long ball has been a particular problem for him, as he’s already allowed 10 homers in that sample. He’ll stick with Dayton and try to get into a better groove, though without occupying a 40-man roster spot.
  • The Marlins announced that right-hander Aneurys Zabala has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Double-A Pensacola. Zabala made a very brief appearance on the club’s 40-man roster, being designated for assignment just a couple of days after his selection. He was selected to take the spot of Garrett Cooper, who went on the COVID IL but returned just two days later, bumping Zabala right back off. During that brief cameo, Zabala was able to face three batters in his lone appearance, allowing a double before recording a fly out and a strikeout. He’s thrown 8 2/3 innings in the minors this year with an unsightly 10.38 ERA. His impressive 27.1% strikeout rate has been largely offset by his matching 27.1% walk rate.

Mets To Select Tommy Hunter

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The Mets will soon be adding veteran reliever Tommy Hunter to their roster, according to Michael Mayer of Metsmerized. A specific date of his promotion hasn’t been specified yet.

The 35-year-old Hunter is a veteran who, once he gets into a game, will have pitched in each MLB season since 2008. He was largely a starter in his first few seasons but transitioned to bullpen duties full-time for the 2013 season. From that year to the present, he’s logged 402 MLB innings with a 3.18 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 45.9% ground ball rate.

He was with the Mets last year, but pitched just eight innings before going on the injured list due to a back issue. He was later traded to the Rays for financial reasons but never made it back to the field, having undergone back surgery. After eventually returning to health, he held a showcase for teams in April and then returned to the Mets’ organization on a minor league deal.

Pitching for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets this year, Hunter has thrown 13 2/3 innings over eight appearances. His 4.61 ERA maybe doesn’t excite, though the peripherals paint a rosier picture. His 23% strikeout rate and 1.6% walk rate are being undercut somewhat by a .318 BABIP and 56.3% strand rate.

Hunter isn’t currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move will be necessary when his contract is selected.

Yankees Place Luis Severino On COVID IL

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9:05pm: Boone tells reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) that Severino has tested negative and will travel with the team to Toronto for this weekend’s series.

3:34pm: Severino has not tested positive for COVID, Boone told reporters (including Lindsey Adler of the Athletic). He’d experienced viral symptoms overnight but has improved today.

2:26pm: The Yankees have placed starter Luis Severino on the COVID-19 injured list, meaning he won’t start tonight’s ballgame against the Rays as scheduled. That assignment will go to Clarke Schmidt, while right-hander Ryan Weber has been selected onto the big league roster in Severino’s place.

Severino has pitched brilliantly in 11 turns through the rotation. He owns a 2.80 ERA across 61 innings, striking out an excellent 28.7% of batters faced while walking a mere 6.1% of opponents. It’s been a welcome development to see him back in that role after he was limited to seven MLB appearances between 2019-21. The two-time All-Star missed the bulk of the 2019 season battling lat and shoulder troubles, then he underwent Tommy John surgery in February 2020. Groin and shoulder issues cropped up during last season’s rehab process, keeping him from getting back on a major league mound until September.

Once healthy, Severino more or less picked up where he’d left off as one of the game’s top starters. He’s been part of arguably the league’s best starting staff, as the Yankees top quintet all have an ERA of 3.33 or better. Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon and Severino have combined to start 60 of the club’s 62 ballgames, but they’ll perhaps have to dip into their depth to cover a Severino absence.

The club did not specify whether Severino has tested positive for the virus or is being scratched due to symptoms or exposure. Players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence under the 2022 health and safety protocols, although it’s possible to return sooner if the player subsequently tests negative twice and gains clearance from a trio of medical professionals (one each appointed by the league and MLBPA, as well as the team physician). Players who experience viral symptoms but don’t test positive can return as soon as their symptoms abate.

Weber, 31, is headed to the majors for an eighth consecutive season. He’s worked as a swing player for virtually his entire career, starting 16 of his 63 appearances. A control artist who generates plenty of ground-balls, Weber doesn’t throw particularly hard or miss many bats. He’s nevertheless caught the attention of various clubs as a depth arm based on his ability to work multiple innings. Assuming he makes it into a game with the Yankees, Weber will have suited up for six different teams at the major league level.

The Florida native had cups of coffee with each of the Mariners, Red Sox and Brewers last year. He tallied a combined 9 2/3 innings of 13-run ball, bringing his career ERA up to 5.28. Weber signed a minor league deal with New York this past offseason and has spent the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, working to a 2.95 mark through eight outings (four starts). He’s walked just one of the 89 batters he’s faced in the minors this year and will offer a long relief possibility for manager Aaron Boone.

Cardinals Place Yadier Molina On IL With Knee Soreness

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The Cardinals are planning to place catcher Yadier Molina on the injured list tomorrow, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic. Molina has been battling knee soreness this year and will be sidelined for “at least a few weeks.” Catching prospect Ivan Herrera will be recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Molina, 39, is a career-long Cardinal, having been drafted by the team in the year 2000. In August of last year, he and the team agreed to a one-year, $10MM extension, with Molina announcing the next day that 2022 would be his final season. It hasn’t exactly been the dream season that he and the club likely hoped for, as he has slumped to a .213/.225/.294 batting line on the campaign so far. That amounts to a wRC+ of just 47, though it seems quite likely that the knee issues are having an impact on that, as Woo reports that he’s been dealing with this soreness all year.

According to the report, Molina received multiple cortisone shots last weekend to try and quell the soreness. While the club wanted a 48-hour grace period to let the shots take effect, Molina evidently lobbied his way out of the confines of that timetable. He then caught games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, though apparently the issue hasn’t abated enough for him to continue playing.

With Molina on the shelf, the Cardinals will now turn to a couple of other options for catching duties, both of which come with unknowns. Andrew Knizner has formed the other part of the club’s catching tandem this year, though hasn’t impressed much, producing a .198/.283/.257 line, 63 wRC+. Woo spoke to Cardinals manager Oli Marmol about Knizner’s disappointing results so far, despite getting more playing time with Molina’s knee issues. “When you’re backing up Yadi in the previous years, that’s tough,” Marmol said. “Now that (Knizner) is actually in there three times a week, four times a week, the expectations are no longer ‘trying to find my timing.’ You’re getting a real opportunity, so the expectations are different. He knows that. Now, he’s just got to get going.”

Joining Knizner on the roster will be Herrera, who is considered by many to be one of the top 100 prospects in baseball by FanGraphs, Keith Law of The Athletic and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. He was briefly called up to the big leagues earlier this year when Molina went on the bereavement list, but got into just one game and didn’t make a plate appearance. Apart from that, he’s spent the year in Triple-A, putting up an impressive .291/.388/.436 line for a 125 wRC+. He’ll now get a proper chance to see if he can carry his skills over to the majors, though it’s quite common for prospects to struggle in their first tastes of major league action, even the highly-regarded ones.

This situation now presents a big unknown for the Cardinals that will need to be resolved in the coming weeks. The club is currently atop the NL Central division standings with a 37-28 record, though it’s far from a secure perch. They are just a game and a half ahead of a Brewers team that is one game behind the Giants for the final Wild Card spot, coming into tonight. With the trade deadline now just six weeks away, the Cards will have to decide if their in-house options are sufficient enough to carry them through the final few months of the season. Of course, much of that will depend on how Molina’s knees recover and how Knizner and Herrera fare over the next stretch of play, though if none of that trio seem capable of taking the job, it’s possible the Cards will have to look for outside help.

Rangers Activate Jose Leclerc From Injured List

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The Rangers announced they’ve reinstated reliever José Leclerc from the 60-day injured list. He’ll be active for tonight’s contest in Detroit, potentially setting him up for his first big league appearance in two years. Texas also activated reliever Brett Martin and outfielder Steele Walker from the COVID-19 IL. Walker and left-hander Kolby Allard have been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to free active roster space. Tyson Miller, who’d been brought up as a designated COVID substitute, was taken off the 40-man roster and returned to the minors after two appearances.

Leclerc’s return is the biggest development for the Rangers, as it marks the end of a 15-month rehab process. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery just before Opening Day last year, costing him a season and a half worth of action. That came on the heels of a 2020 campaign in which he was limited to two appearances because of a shoulder strain, meaning he hasn’t seen extended action since 2019.

Before the health concerns threw his career off track, Leclerc looked as if he might emerge as one of the sport’s better late-inning arms. He’s shown swing-and-miss stuff throughout his career, but he was particularly effective in 2018. Leclerc posted a 1.56 ERA in 57 2/3 innings that season, striking out an elite 38.1% of opponents with a personal-low 11.2% walk rate. The following offseason, Texas signed him to a $14.75MM guarantee to buy out a pair of potential free agent seasons.

Leclerc’s control regressed in the first year of the deal, and he pitched to an underwhelming 4.33 ERA through 68 2/3 innings. Injuries have cost him the next two and a half seasons, but he’ll finally step back into the bullpen for skipper Chris Woodward. He tossed nine innings over as many appearances on a minor league rehab stint before returning to the MLB roster.

The 2022 season is the final guaranteed year of the aforementioned extension. Leclerc is making $5.25MM, and the club holds successive options for the next two seasons. They’ll have to decide on a $6MM option or a $750K buyout at the end of this year, making the next few months particularly critical for Leclerc’s long-term earning potential.

Mariners Claim Drew Ellis From D-Backs

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The Mariners announced they’ve claimed third baseman Drew Ellis off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. Outfielder Mitch Haniger has moved from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

A former second-round pick, Ellis is a career .248/.352/.455 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons. He’s had brief looks at the big league level in each of the past two years but struggled mightily, mustering a .134/.268/.207 line in 34 games. Ellis has spent the bulk of this season with the D-Backs top affiliate in Reno, where he’d posted a .217/.369/.399 mark in 179 trips to the plate. He walked in a massive 18.4% of his plate appearances with the Aces, but he’s run slightly elevated strikeout totals for much of his career.

The D-Backs designated Ellis for assignment over the weekend, eventually ending his tenure in the organization. The M’s will take the opportunity add a right-handed bat to the upper minors. Ellis is in his second minor league option year, so the team can bounce him between Seattle and Tacoma through the end of next season if they keep him on the 40-man roster.

Haniger’s IL transfer is a formality. He’s been out since April 30 due to a right high ankle sprain. The 60-day window is backdated to his original placement, meaning he’ll first be eligible to return at the end of this month. Haniger isn’t likely to be ready by then anyhow, as his recovery was always expected to linger into July.

Rockies Select Sean Bouchard

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The Rockies announced they’ve selected first baseman/corner outfielder Sean Bouchard onto the big league roster. Infielder Garrett Hampson is going on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move. Colorado also announced that reliever Julian Fernández, who’d been designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bouchard, 26, heads to the big leagues for the first time after spending five-plus seasons in the minors. A ninth-round pick out of UCLA in the 2017 draft, he’s a career .279/.352/.490 hitter as a professional. That includes a massive .338/.430/.683 line with 11 home runs across 165 trips to the dish in Albuquerque this season, his first at the minors’ top level. Playing in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in pro ball no doubt aided those numbers, but they’re still eye-opening enough the Colorado front office will give him a look against big league arms.

Fernández has never previously been outrighted and doesn’t have three-plus years of MLB service time. He’ll thus remain in the system and try to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old has spent this entire season on optional assignment with the Isotopes, where he’s struggled to a 9.47 ERA across 19 innings. Home runs have been particularly problematic, as he’s already given up eight longballs on the year.

The 26-year-old righty appeared in his first six major league games with the Rox last year. He averaged a blistering 99 MPH on his fastball, but he gave up a pair of homers in 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and walks apiece. A former Rule 5 draftee of the Giants, Fernández didn’t pitch in a game between 2018-20 due to elbow injuries that eventually necessitated Tommy John surgery and the pandemic cancelation of the 2020 minor league season.

Braves Designate Jacob Webb For Assignment, Reinstate Collin McHugh

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The Braves have reinstated Collin McHugh from the COVID injured list and designated reliever Jacob Webb for assignment, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter).

Webb spent the past three seasons in Atlanta’s bullpen, making two postseason appearances en route to winning a ring last season. He was selected off waivers by the Diamondbacks in April before Atlanta purchased his contract back last week. Webb made six appearances in Triple-A with Arizona, posting a 10.12 ERA in a small-sample 5 1/3 innings. He has not appeared in the Majors this season.

McHugh should be a key cog for the Braves as they try to make up ground in the NL East. The 34-year-old has appeared in 21 games this season with a 3.42 ERA/2.21 FIP across 23 2/3 innings. He’s in the first year of a two-year guaranteed deal with a team option for 2024.

Cubs Select Adrian Sampson, Designate Eric Stout For Assignment

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The Cubs have selected the contract for Adrian Sampson, bringing the right-hander back to the active roster. To create roster space, the Cubs designated Eric Stout for assignment, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter).

Sampson knows what it’s like to be DFA’ed, having been designated himself already by the Cubs this year after tossing just one inning and yielding two unearned runs. The Cubs lost him on waivers to the Mariners, who designated and released him before he appeared in a game. The Cubs then re-signed Sampson and put him in Triple-A. He now returns to the Cubs active roster, where a slew of injuries to their starting rotation has left them short-handed.

The Cubs are amid a nine-game losing streak and looking for anyone who might be able to record more innings pitched than runs allowed, which they have been unable to find during this unfortunate slide. Sampson made five starts and five relief appearances for the Cubs just last season, posting a 2.80 ERA/3.14 FIP over 35 1/3 innings.

Stout, 29, was only just added to the active roster two days ago when Sean Newcomb was designated for assignment. Stout made two appearances, tossing 3 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six.

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