Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for July 2022

Yankees Sign Richard Rodriguez To Minor League Contract

By | at

The Yankees recently signed reliever Richard Rodríguez to a minor league contract, as first reported by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. According to the right-hander’s transactions log at MLB.com, he’s been assigned to the club’s Florida complex.

Rodríguez, 32, isn’t all that far removed from being one of the game’s better late-inning arms. He broke onto the big league scene with 69 1/3 frames of 2.47 ERA ball for the Pirates in 2018, kicking off a generally excellent three and a half year run in black and gold. He soaked up another 65 1/3 innings with a 3.72 ERA the following season before seemingly taking his game to another level in 2020. Rodríguez posted a 2.70 ERA through 24 contests during the shortened campaign, pushing his strikeout rate to an excellent 36.6% while only walking 5.4% of opponents.

That strong work both earned Rodríguez a closing role in Pittsburgh and made him one of the rebuilding club’s more interesting trade chips. His strikeouts plummeted during the first half of last season, though. Even as he continued to excel keeping runs off the board, the diminished swing-and-miss took its toll on his trade value. The Bucs flipped him to the Braves at last year’s deadline for Bryse Wilson and 2019 eighth-round pick Ricky DeVito.

Rodríguez made 27 appearances with Atlanta but only struck out nine batters in 26 innings. He allowed six home runs over that stretch and was a healthy scratch throughout the team’s World Series run. The Braves declined to tender him a contract at the end of the year, and Rodríguez hit free agency.

While he seemed a solid candidate for a buy-low big league deal, he lingered on the market until after the lockout. The reason became evident shortly after league business resumed, as he was hit in April with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The suspension was announced just before Opening Day but was the result of a failed test from before the December 2 lockout.

Now that the ban is up, he’ll have to pitch his way back to the big leagues. He’ll presumably spend some time at the complex building into game shape before reporting to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees could eventually turn to Rodríguez as a late-season bullpen option, but he won’t be eligible for postseason play in 2022 as a result of his suspension. He has four-plus years of big league service time and won’t have enough time this season to eclipse the five-year threshold, so he’d be controllable through 2024 if he earns an MLB look and impresses club brass.

Giants Acquire Tobias Myers From Guardians

By | at

The Giants announced they’ve acquired right-hander Tobias Myers from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations. Cleveland had designated him for assignment last week. Myers has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, while Anthony DeSclafani was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Myers has still yet to reach the majors, but he’s now been traded three times as a professional. Originally drafted by the Orioles in 2016, he was sent to the Rays at the following year’s trade deadline. Myers spent the next few seasons in the Tampa Bay system but was slated to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft last offseason were he not added to the 40-man roster. The Rays apparently weren’t prepared to do so, but they acquired low level outfield prospect Junior Caminero from the Guardians, who did select his contract.

The addition didn’t pan out as Cleveland had hoped, as Myers struggled badly over his couple months in the organization. He made 14 starts with Triple-A Columbus, allowing six earned runs per nine innings with a meager 14.1% strikeout rate and an elevated 11.6% walk percentage. The Guardians fairly quickly moved on, but the Giants will take a shot at getting him back on track.

Myers had quite strong strikeout and walk numbers during his final season in the Rays’ organization. Between the top two minor league levels in 2021, he struck out more than 30% of opponents against just a 5.8% walk rate. Myers’ fly-ball ways led to some home run issues and a solid but unspectacular 3.90 ERA, but he’s flashed enough upside against high-level hitters to catch the attention of the San Francisco front office. He’s only in his first of three minor league option years and is still 23 years old, so there’s plenty of developmental time if the Giants are willing to keep him on the 40-man roster for the long haul.

As for DeSclafani, his IL transfer was only a matter of time. The right-hander is soon to undergo surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right ankle. He’ll miss the rest of the season.

Outrights: Minaya, Bracho

By | at

We’ll start the morning off with a pair of outright assignments from around the league…

  • Twins righty Juan Minaya went unclaimed on outright waivers and has accepted an assignment to Triple-A St. Paul, tweets Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The 31-year-old Minaya has spent the past couple seasons in the Twins organization and was a solid member of their bullpen in 2021, pitching to a 2.48 ERA in 40 innings. A 12% walk rate and sky-high 83.5% left-on-base rate always made it unlikely that Minaya would sustain that level of output, however, and he’s struggled both in Triple-A and the Majors this year. Minaya carries a 5.91 ERA in 21 1/3 Triple-A frames this year and a 5.59 mark in 9 2/3 big league innings, though in his most recent Major League stint he did toss 3 1/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Minaya could have opted for free agency but seems comfortable in the Twins organization, as he’s now accepted multiple outrights there this season and returned on a minor league deal after being outrighted at the end of the 2021 season.
  • Right-hander Silvino Bracho went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett, the Braves announced. The 29-year-old righty, who opened the season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, has had an eventful week and a half. Selected to Boston’s big league roster on June 28, Bracho was designated for assignment two days later — before he ever appeared in a game. The Braves acquired him for cash that same night, and he tossed a shutout frame for Atlanta the very next day — just his second inning of big league work since 2018. Bracho was again designated for assignment just three days later, however, and as a player with more than three years of MLB service, he’ll now have the ability to reject this outright assignment if he wishes. Bracho saw frequent use in the D-backs’ bullpen from 2015-18 but also battled myriad injuries along the way and has made only two MLB appearances since. He’s had a nice season in Triple-A so far, logging a 3.16 ERA and a 36-to-4 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 innings with the WooSox.

Pavin Smith Suffers Wrist Fracture

By | at

Diamondbacks outfielder Pavin Smith suffered a nondisplaced fracture in his right wrist over the weekend, farm director Josh Barfield tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Smith, who also incurred some ligament damage in the area, suffered the injury diving for a fly ball with a game for Triple-A Reno. Barfield tells Piecoro the wrist will be immobilized for the next six weeks. The club is hoping he’ll be able to avoid surgery and return at some point this season, but the full extent of the damage and a treatment program will be known after he undergoes a CT scan.

It’s a brutal blow for Smith, who was just optioned on Saturday. He suffered the injury two days into the minor league stint, dealing a hit to his chances of earning another big league call in the near future. Because he suffered the injury in Triple-A, Smith lands on the minor league injured list and won’t receive big league pay or service time, at least for now. It’s possible the D-Backs eventually recall him and put him on the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot, but the club could elect to leave him in the minors for the duration of his recovery to avoid paying him at an MLB rate.

The seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft, Smith has suited up for the D-Backs in each of the past three seasons. He tallied 545 plate appearances last year, hitting .267/.328/.404 with 11 home runs and 27 doubles. It wasn’t an impact performance, but the left-hander showed solid contact skills and plate discipline and looked as if he could serve as a contributor in the long-term corner outfield mix.

His follow-up in 2022 has proven a disappointment, however. Smith has fanned in 26.1% of his 241 big league plate appearances, a clip nearly seven points higher than last season’s rate. He showed some more over-the-fence power, popping nine homers in 65 games, but the uptick in whiffs and a spike in his rate of infield fly balls led his batting average to crater. The 26-year-old hit .207 with a .290 on-base percentage before the Snakes optioned him.

Giants Place Evan Longoria On Injured List

By | at

The Giants have placed third baseman Evan Longoria on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, the club announced. Catcher Joey Bart was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take his place on the active roster.

Longoria lands on the shelf for the second time this year. The three-time All-Star missed the first month-plus of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn finger ligament late in Spring Training. He returned to play on May 11 and has started 35 of the club’s 48 games since his reinstatement. Longoria has continued to produce at the plate when healthy, as he carries a solid .242/.331/.462 line through 151 plate appearances. That’s obviously not at the level he showed at his peak with the Rays, but it’s a second straight season of decidedly above-average power production.

Manager Gabe Kapler has relied upon Longoria as his primary third baseman. They’ll presumably need to mix and match at the hot corner at least through the All-Star Break now, with Wilmer Flores, Tommy La Stella and recent call-up David Villar among the various infield options on the roster. (La Stella has played mostly designated hitter this year but is getting the nod at second base tonight against Arizona). The club hasn’t provided a specific timetable on Longoria’s return, but Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes he took part in pre-game activities today to gauge his availability for tonight’s game. Obviously, his body didn’t respond to that work as hoped, but that the Giants initially believed there was a chance he could avoid the IL seemingly suggests they’re not anticipating a long-term absence.

Longoria is in the final guaranteed season of the extension he originally signed a decade ago with Tampa Bay. The Giants hold a $13MM club option on his services for next year, but it remains to be seen if he’ll continue playing. In a reflective conversation with Slusser last week, the 36-year-old (37 in October) acknowledged he’s given some thought to the possibility of hanging up his spikes at the end of the year. Longoria certainly didn’t commit to retirement, saying he hasn’t yet “made up (his) mind” and has “really gone back and forth with (his) wife about this so many times.” He nevertheless acknowledged that a handful of injuries and being away from his family in recent years has taken both a physical and emotional toll.

That’ll presumably be sorted out a few months from now, but Longoria’s immediate focus will be on making his return to a San Francisco team that has scuffled of late. The Giants have dropped six in a row and eight of their last ten, falling to 40-39 in the process. They’re two games back of the Cardinals and Phillies in the race for the National League’s final Wild Card spot entering play tonight.

Avila: Tigers Have Not Had Recent Contact With Eduardo Rodriguez

By | at

Eduardo Rodríguez has been away from the Tigers for nearly a month, as the club placed the starter on the restricted list on June 13. Detroit announced at the time he was attending to personal matters, which Jon Heyman of the New York Post subsequently reported was a marital concern. There was no timetable for his return at the time, and it seemingly remains up in the air when he’ll be back with the club.

Speaking with reporters this afternoon, Detroit general manager Al Avila stated the team hasn’t heard from Rodríguez recently (link via Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic). “We reached out, but obviously he hasn’t reached out back. We’re just kind of waiting it out,” Avila said. “It is unusual, but we have no choice but to wait it out right now and see how it develops as we move forward.”

Manager A.J. Hinch offered a similar report last week. “From what I know, there’s been no movement whatsoever and no communication,” Hinch said at the time. “We know he’s safe, we know he’s home with his kids, we know he’s back in Florida, but it’s been pretty quiet.”

As part of an aggressive offseason, the Tigers added Rodríguez on a five-year, $77MM free agent contract last November. The deal also affords the southpaw an opportunity to opt-out following the 2023 campaign. He made eight starts over the season’s first couple months, working to a 4.38 ERA through 39 innings. Rodríguez landed on the injured list on May 22 with a ribcage strain; he’d been on a minor league rehab assignment working his way back from the injury at the time he stepped away from the club.

Players on the restricted list are not paid, so Rodríguez is forfeiting salary for any time he spends away from the team. Avila declined to answer when asked if the Tigers would look into the possibility of attempting to void his contract entirely. “I’m not going to get into that at this point. Obviously that’s a situation, it’s a private situation right now on his part. I won’t get into that.“

Rockies Designate Colton Welker For Assignment

By | at

The Rockies announced they’ve designated corner infielder Colton Welker for assignment. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for José Ureña, who has been selected onto the active roster. (The team first announced Ureña’s forthcoming promotion last night). Reliever Justin Lawrence was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to open space on the active roster.

A former fourth-round pick, Welker developed into one of the system’s more interesting prospects early in his pro career. Baseball America placed him among the organization’s top ten farmhands each season from 2018-21. That’s partially a reflection of Colorado’s generally shallow systems of late, but some evaluators suggested Welker could blossom into a bat-first regular at the hot corner. He posted strong numbers in the lower minors and consistently ran lower than average strikeout rates on his way up the ladder.

Welker has seen his stock fall considerably over the past two seasons. He was hit with an 80-game suspension in May 2021 after testing positive for a banned substance. That kept the Florida native to a 23-game stint in Albuquerque. Welker was called up to make his major league debut last September, but he scuffled during a 19-game cameo.

Optioned back to the Isotopes to open the 2022 season, Welker suited up just ten times and tallied 45 plate appearances. He got out to a fast start and seemed as if he’d be on the radar for another MLB look, but he landed on the minor league injured list on April 23. Six weeks later, he underwent shoulder surgery that ended his 2022 season.

Players on the minor league injured list still occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Colorado could’ve recalled Welker and placed him on the major league 60-day IL, but doing so would’ve required paying him at the prorated MLB minimum salary for the rest of the year (a bit under $350K). Colorado instead elected to take him off the 40-man roster and risk losing him to another club.

Injured players cannot be outrighted, so the Rockies will have a week to trade Welker or release him. The latter course of action is likely, at which point the league’s 29 other teams would have a chance to grab him off release waivers. That’s not unheard of — the Giants have added Luis González and Darien Núñez in similar situations, for instance — but it’s also possible he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed. In that event, Welker would be a free agent, and the Rockies could then look to bring him back on a minor league deal.

Blue Jays Designate Shaun Anderson For Assignment

By and | at

The Blue Jays have designated righty Shaun Anderson for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to fellow righty Matt Peacock, whose previously reported waiver claim has now been announced by the team.

Anderson’s stay on the 40-man roster lasted a bit less than two weeks, as he was initially selected in late June. He made a lone big league appearance, serving up two runs in a mop-up relief inning during a win over the Red Sox. The 27-year-old has otherwise spent the entire season with the Jays’ top affiliate in Buffalo, posting a 3.88 ERA through 48 2/3 innings. That’s solid run prevention, but Anderson has only struck out 20.1% of opposing hitters at the top minor league level.

While the former third-round pick has spent most of this season in the minors, Anderson has a fairly lengthy track record in the big leagues. He’s appeared in parts of four campaigns, with the majority of his work coming as a rookie with the 2019 Giants. He posted a 5.44 ERA through 96 innings that year, starting 16 of his 28 outings. Over the next few seasons, Anderson has worked exclusively in relief at the major league level, although he’s gotten six starts in Buffalo this year. Altogether, he owns a 5.84 ERA in 135 2/3 MLB frames split between five different teams (San Francisco, the Twins, Orioles, Padres and Jays).

Toronto will have a week to trade Anderson or place him on waivers. The Jays succeeded in passing him through waivers last fall after grabbing him from San Diego. That previous outright means Anderson would have the right to refuse another assignment in favor of minor league free agency if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Reds Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List With Shoulder Strain

By | at

2:54pm: Mahle tells reporters that an MRI revealed only irritation but no structural damage (Twitter thread via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Mahle said the issue is “not concerning at all” and that he plans to return shortly after the All-Star break.

1:28pm: The Reds announced Wednesday that right-hander Tyler Mahle has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain. The move is retroactive to Sunday. Righty Ian Gibaut, whom the Reds claimed off waivers this week, will take his spot on the active roster. Cincinnati also announced that catcher Chris Okey cleared waivers and will remain in the organization after being assigned outright to Triple-A Louisville.

Mahle, one of the more notable trade candidates in the National League, had been scheduled to start a game for the Reds tomorrow. The team has not yet provided a timetable on his potential return, but the earliest he’ll be able to return is just two weeks prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

The timing of the injury is brutal for the Reds, who have watched as Mahle has shaken off a poor start and rounded into form as next month’s deadline looms. After pitching to a grisly 7.01 ERA through six starts and walking 14 of the first 120 hitters he faced (11.7%), Mahle has rebounded to the tune of a 3.51 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 8.0% walk rate across his past 66 2/3 frames. Nearly one-third of the 26 runs he’s allowed dating back to May 8 came in one nightmare outing against the Cubs on May 24 (eight runs in four innings). Since that start, Mahle owns a 2.58 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate in 45 1/3 frames.

For much of the season — and for much of the offseason — it’s looked as though Mahle, teammate Luis Castillo and A’s ace Frankie Montas would be the three most coveted names on the trade market. All three are affordably controlled through the 2023 season and have made substantial strides in recent years to establish themselves as (at least) quality mid-rotation hurlers. Now, with Mahle on the injured list for a yet-to-be-determined period and Montas dealing with shoulder inflammation of his own, Castillo suddenly stands as the lone, healthy member of that heavily speculated-upon trio.

It’s still possible, of course, that Mahle makes a quick return from the IL, pitches well and that his medical records look sufficiently clean for a trade to come together. There’s little denying that a shoulder strain just three-plus weeks from the deadline, however, is going to give any number of would-be trade partners a fair bit of trepidation regarding the righty’s short- and long-term outlook. If the Reds are ultimately unable to move Mahle, they’d be able to try again this winter or at the 2023 deadline, health permitting. His value won’t be nearly as high at either juncture, however.

With Mahle shelved for at least the next couple weeks, an even broader focus will be placed on Castillo, who has been excellent since missing the first month of the season recovering from a spring shoulder injury. Utilityman Brandon Drury has become an oft-suggested trade candidate, but the Reds also have a series of other possible candidates. Outfielders Tyler Naquin and Tommy Pham and southpaw Mike Minor are among the other veterans the Reds could peddle in the weeks to come.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top