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AL East Notes: Hall, Springer, Franco, Ramirez, Stanton

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Orioles pitching prospect DL Hall made his Major League debut yesterday, allowing five runs over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-2 loss to the Rays.  The outing will act as a cup of coffee for Hall for the time being, as the Orioles will send him back to Triple-A today and transition him to relief pitching.  MASNSports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes that the O’s view Hall as an intriguing bullpen option for this season, as a live arm with the potential to work multiple innings in a game.

The move also allows for the Orioles to limit Hall’s innings.  With 81 1/3 total frames pitched in the majors and minors this season, Hall is already within sight of his career high of 94 1/3 innings pitched (in 2018 in A-ball).  Given Hall’s injury history and the fact that he tossed only 31 2/3 IP last year, Baltimore is trying to both manage Hall’s health and capitalize on his short-term potential to help the Orioles’ surprising postseason bid.

More from around the AL East…

  • There is optimism that George Springer will be able to exit the 10-day injured list when first eligible on August 15.  Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider told reporters (including The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath) that Springer won’t need a rehab assignment, and the outfielder is already hitting on the field and playing catch.  Springer has been bothered by a sore right elbow for most of the season, with the problem finally forcing him to the IL after he had to sit out five games in a seven-game stretch.
  • Wander Franco and Harold Ramirez are both scheduled to start minor league rehab assignments this week, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).  Ramirez is closer to a return, as the outfielder will start his assignment with Triple-A Durham today.  Ramirez fractured his right thumb after being hit by a pitch on July 17, interrupting an outstanding first season in Tampa that saw the 27-year-old hit .329/.379/.446 over 264 plate appearances.  Franco underwent hamate bone surgery in mid-July, so his planned work with the Rays’ Florida Coast League affiliate this week fits into the initial 5-8 week timeline given for his recovery.  Between the broken hamate bone and an earlier quad strain, Franco has been limited to 58 games in his sophomore season in the majors.
  • Giancarlo Stanton has been increasing his on-field activities, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera and other reporters that Stanton will hopefully be able to have “a full pregame workout” within the next day or two.  Once that step is established, the team can explore a rehab timeline for Stanton, who has been on the 10-day IL since July 24 due to left Achilles tendinitis.

Forecasting The 2022-23 Qualifying Offers: Position Players

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The qualifying offer has impacted the free agent market for the last 10 offseasons, but it wasn’t clear if there would be an eleventh as Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association engaged in labor talks last winter.  When the lockout was over and the new collective bargaining agreement was finally settled, one sticking point remained — the implementation of an international player draft.  If the union agreed to this draft, the league would have agreed to scrap the qualifying offer system altogether.

However, July’s deadline for a decision on an international draft came and went without any new agreement, and thus the status quo of the QO will remain for the 2022-23 free agent class.  As such, we can now look ahead and predict which players will or could receive qualifying offers from their teams at the end of the season.

A quick refresher on the QO rules.  The qualifying offer is a one-year contract with a salary figure determined by averaging the top 125 salaries of all MLB players.  Last year’s figure was $18.4MM, and it’s safe to estimate that this winter’s QO will be worth somewhere in the range of $18-19MM.  Any free agent is eligible to be issued a qualifying offer unless a) they have received one in past trips to free agency, or b) they haven’t spent the entire 2022 season with their current organization.  For instance, the Padres can’t issue Josh Bell a qualifying offer because Bell was only acquired at the trade deadline.

If a player accepts the qualifying offer, he returns to his current team on that one-year deal in the $18MM-$19MM range.  (The player can also negotiate a longer-term extension with his team after accepting that QO, as Jose Abreu did with the White Sox in November 2019.)  While some free agents have indeed taken the qualifying offer, the large majority reject the deal in search of a richer and lengthier contract.  If a player rejects a QO and signs elsewhere, their new team must give up at least one draft pick and possibly some international draft pool money, while their former team will get a compensatory draft pick in return.

With several prominent names in this year’s free agent market eligible for the QO, let’s look at some of the candidates, starting with position players.

Easy Calls: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox), Willson Contreras (Cubs), Aaron Judge (Yankees), Brandon Nimmo (Mets), Dansby Swanson (Braves), Trea Turner (Dodgers)

There isn’t much drama in any of these decisions, as these players are all obvious candidates to be issued qualifying offers that will be rejected.  Nimmo is perhaps the only name on this list that rates as a bit of a surprise, yet he has quietly posted strong numbers over his seven seasons in New York, including a quality 2022 campaign.  Most importantly, Nimmo has also stayed healthy, playing in 104 of the Mets’ 113 games — this is already the second-most games played for Nimmo in any season of what has been an injury-plagued career.

Arenado and Bogaerts aren’t guaranteed to be free agents, as either could pass on exercising opt-out clauses in their current deals.  However, Bogaerts is a virtual lock to opt out, and Arenado is having such a great season that he should be able to comfortably top the $144MM he is owed through from 2023-27.  Since Arenado has been vocal about how much he likes playing for the Cardinals, an extension is certainly possible before Arenado even hits the open market, with the Cards perhaps tacking another guaranteed year and more money onto the deal to prevent the third baseman from opting out.

Easy Contract-Option Calls: Tim Anderson (White Sox)

The White Sox hold club options on Anderson’s services for both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, with next year’s option being worth $12.5MM (with a $1MM buyout).  Though he could technically be a free agent, there is zero doubt the Sox will exercise Anderson’s 2023 option, so a qualifying offer is a moot point.

Borderline Cases: Mitch Haniger (Mariners), J.D. Martinez (Red Sox), Jurickson Profar (Padres), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees)

Rizzo’s two-year, $32MM free agent deal with the Yankees includes an opt-out clause after this season, and it would seem like the first baseman (who just turned 33 earlier this week) will indeed test the open market again.  Rizzo’s first full season in the Bronx has seen him hit .224/.342/.504 with 27 home runs, with the fifth-best wRC+ (139) of his distinguished career.  Rizzo’s age, home/road splits, and first base-only status will limit his market to some extent, and draft-pick compensation via the qualifying offer will also make other teams wary.  But, Rizzo was still able to land a multi-year pact last winter coming off a lesser platform year, so he should be able to match or better that pact again.  Rizzo has quickly become a clubhouse and fan favorite in New York, so this could be another situation where a player is convinced to pass on an opt-out due to a contract extension.

Haniger has appeared in only 15 games this season, due to both a high ankle sprain that required a trip to the 60-day injured list, as well as a two-week stint on the COVID-related injury list in April.  He has been on a tear since returning to action last week, but if his numbers settle down, then it seems likely that Seattle won’t issue a qualifying offer.  However, if Haniger continues to mash over the remainder of the season and returns to his 2021 form, the Mariners face an interesting decision.

A late-season hot streak could do enough for Haniger’s market that he might reject a qualifying offer, as since Haniger turns 32 in December, this could be his best shot at a lucrative multi-year deal.  On the flip side, he could still choose to accept the QO, knowing that his checkered injury history could work against him in free agency — Haniger can bank the one-year QO payday and then hope for a full and healthy 2023 season as a better platform for that longer-term deal.  From the Mariners’ perspective, paying around $19MM for Haniger could be seen as a worthwhile investment, especially since the team doesn’t know what to expect from Kyle Lewis and Jarred Kelenic heading into 2023.

Martinez turns 35 on August 21 and is still posting above-average (120 wRC+) numbers, hitting .281/.346/.443 with nine home runs over 422 plate appearances.  That still represents a significant power dropoff from Martinez’s norms, and he has been a DH-only player this season.  Even with the looming threat of losing Bogaerts from the Red Sox lineup, Boston might still pass on issuing a QO to Martinez out a concern that he might accept, since chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom seems to be looking for more flexibility with both the roster and the payroll.

Profar is another less-likely candidate to receive a qualifying offer, even if he is also playing well.  Between good offensive (119 wRC+, 12 homers, .254/.345/.416 over 467 PA) and defensive (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +1.8 UZR/150 in left field) numbers, Profar has been a 2.8 fWAR player in 107 games with San Diego this season, a nice bounce-back from an underwhelming 2021.  With a player option attached to his 2023 services, Profar can either earn $7.5MM next season or take the $1MM buyout and test the open market.

At the very least, it would seem like Profar will indeed opt out and try to secure a longer-term contract, but it would seem like a reach if the Padres issued a qualifying offer.  Profar will only be 30 on Opening Day, so he could accept the QO to lock in that one-year payday, and then be on track to test the market again at age 31.  Considering the Padres might exceed the luxury tax threshold for the second straight year and will face a lot of free agent decisions this winter, they probably won’t want to risk Profar being bumped into the $19MM salary range.  Profar could be another extension candidate, given president of baseball operations A.J. Preller’s belief in Profar’s ability dating back to their days in the Rangers organization.

Mets Re-Sign Travis Jankowski To Minor League Deal

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The Mets have re-signed outfielder Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal, reports Andy Martino of SNY.

Jankowski, 31, now returns to the organization where he began his season, as he and the Mets also agreed to a minor league deal in March. He made the team on Opening Day and spent six weeks on the active roster, largely serving as a bench outfielder. Since he has a better reputation for his speed and defense than for his bat, he was largely entering games for pinch running and defensive replacement duty.

Unfortunately, at the end of May, he required hand surgery that was expected to keep him out of action for 6-8 weeks. Jankowski returned on the low end of that spectrum, spending just over six weeks on the IL. A couple of weeks later, the Mets designated him for assignment, as their trade deadline acquisitions squeezed him from the roster. He was claimed off waivers by the Mariners, but got into just a single game before getting designated again. His second DFA of the year resulted in him clearing waivers and electing free agency.

The Mets don’t have an immediate need for an outfielder at the big league level, as they have Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Tyler Naquin and Mark Canha rotating through the playing time on the grass. However, there’s no harm in bringing aboard some depth to have on hand, should a need arise in the future. Jankowski has a .164/.281/.164 batting line on the year, between the Mets and Mariners. That’s not huge offensive production, but he has positive defensive metrics and three stolen bases in limited playing time this season.

Elvis Andrus Frustrated By Reduced Playing Time

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Elvis Andrus has been Oakland’s regular shortstop this season but has seen his playing time limited lately, with he and youngster Nick Allen starting alternate games over the past week. Andrus discussed the situation with Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle and didn’t seem to make an effort to hide his frustration.

“Everybody knows I’m an everyday player. So doing this, it’s not fun for me,” Andrus said. “Of course I’m upset, I’m pissed about it. But like I said, the best I can do is stay positive and wait for my turn and be ready whatever happens.”

Though his frustration is certainly understandable, this situation has sadly seemed inevitable for quite some time due to his contract. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at the situation in December, back when Oakland’s payroll-slashing moves were still just the stuff of rumor. 2022 is the final guaranteed year of the contract Andrus originally signed with the Rangers, though there is a $15MM club option for 2023. However, the club option would become a player option if two conditions are met. The first condition is if Andrus is traded during the life of the contract, which he already was, as the Rangers flipped him to the A’s in 2021. The second condition is Andrus accruing 550 plate appearances here in 2022.

Just a few days ago, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look at some vesting options around the league, including the Andrus situation, noting that the shortstop was on pace to get to 556 PAs and meet the threshold. Given that the A’s made great efforts to shamelessly shed as much payroll as possible recently, they obviously don’t want to pay $15MM to Andrus next year if they don’t have to.

Andrus is having arguably his best season since 2017, but he’s still hitting at a below-average rate. His .237/.298/.365 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 94, or 6% below league average. That’s a nice improvement, given that he hasn’t had a wRC+ above 76 in the previous four seasons. But it’s still not the production of someone who would get $15MM in free agency, especially considering he’s about to turn 34 years old.

For the cost-cutting Oakland organization, deliberately sabotaging Andrus’ playing time in order to avoid vesting the option would give him grounds for a grievance. However, they will likely stick to their story that it’s not about him and more about giving playing time for youngsters down the stretch, so that they can be evaluated for their future role as part of the rebuild. “Elvis and I spoke about how we proceed forward with getting Nick as many opportunities as possible, getting these younger players a chance to show what they can do for our future, for their future,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told Kawahara. “I don’t expect Elvis to be happy about it. But he’s a pro.”

As noted by Kawahara, the spotty playing time of late means that Andrus has already fallen off the pace of vesting his option. Coming into tonight’s game, he has 372 PAs, putting him on pace for 533, just 17 short of meeting the threshold. With his average-ish batting line and solid defense, he’s been worth 1.4 wins above replacement on the year, per FanGraphs. That puts him second among position players on the team, trailing only Sean Murphy, giving him a nice platform season to take into free agency.

Injury Notes: Colomé, Nance, Mets

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The Rockies announced that right-hander Alex Colomé has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right lateral epicondylitis. Fellow righty Justin Lawrence was recalled to take over Colomé’s spot on the active roster. (Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette was among those to relay the moves before the official announcement.)

Lateral epicondylitis is better known as “tennis elbow,” which is perhaps notable for the hurler. The club hasn’t provided any information about how long they expect Colomé to be out of action, though an injury to a pitcher’s throwing elbow will always lead to at least some level of concern.

The 33-year-old was signed to a one-year, $4.1MM contract in the offseason and has thrown 41 1/3 innings of 4.68 ERA ball, getting ground balls at a 55.6% clip. That’s well above the 43.3% league average for relievers and especially important when playing at Coors Field. As an impending free agent on a non-competitive team, Colomé’s name came up in trade rumors, though he ended up staying put after the Rockies had another quiet deadline.

Other injury notes from around the league…

  • The Marlins announced some roster moves between games of today’s doubleheader, with Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald being among those to pass them along. Right-hander Tommy Nance has been reinstated from the injured list, with fellow righty Jeff Brigham being optioned in a corresponding move. Nance made his MLB debut with the Cubs last year and then came to Miami on a waiver claim in March. He hasn’t found much success in the majors so far, pitching to a 6.54 ERA in his first 53 2/3 MLB innings. However, he’s fared much better in the minors, as evidenced by his 3.86 ERA in Triple-A over his career.
  • Last night, the Mets dealt with injuries to two infielders, as Eduardo Escobar left with side tightness and Jeff McNeil departed after a collision with Rhys Hoskins resulted in a cut on his hand. With their infield depth depleted, the club had to resort to emergency measures, plugging outfielder Mark Canha in at third base. Canha has some very limited third base work in his career, coming back in his time with Oakland. He logged two innings at the hot corner in 2015 and 13 more in 2016. “It was a little nerve-racking,” Canha told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “I just really didn’t want to make a mistake and make [Max Scherzer] angry.” The situation seems to have just been a temporary stopgap, as McNeil is back in the lineup today, playing second base with Luis Guillorme at third. Gosuke Katoh was at the ballpark today just in case, though neither McNeil nor Escobar were placed on the injured list.

Astros Reinstate Lance McCullers Jr. From 60-Day Injured List

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Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. has been activated from the 60-day injured list to start the Astros’ game against the Athletics today.  In corresponding moves, outfielder Michael Brantley (who just underwent season-ending shoulder surgery) was moved to the 60-day IL, while right-hander Seth Martinez was optioned to Triple-A.

McCullers will be taking the hill for the first time since October 12, when he tossed four innings in Game 4 of the ALDS — a 10-2 win that clinched Houston’s series win over the White Sox.   A flexor tendon forearm strain then sidelined McCullers for the remainder of the Astros’ postseason run and for much of this 2022 season, as a setback during the rehab process delayed the right-hander from making his debut until today.

A healthy McCullers represents a nice late-season boost to a rotation that is already arguably baseball’s best.  McCullers’ impending return allowed Houston the luxury of moving Jake Odorizzi at the trade deadline, as the Astros can slot McCullers right into a six-man rotation that also includes Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Cristian Javier.  That pitching depth also extends to the bullpen, as on most teams, Martinez’s 2.48 ERA in 32 2/3 innings would merit a larger role, not a demotion to the minors.

Even amidst all these other quality arms, McCullers can certainly factor into the Astros’ starting plans for this year’s postseason, as the Astros again look to make a deep October run.  McCullers has a 3.35 ERA over his last 217 1/3 innings in the regular season, since returning from the Tommy John surgery that erased his entire 2019 campaign.  In 2021, McCullers factored into Cy Young Award voting for the first time, finishing seventh on the ballot.

Red Sox Select Jeurys Familia

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Just a few days after signing Jeurys Familia to a minor league contract, the Red Sox have selected the veteran right-hander to the big league roster.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Kaleb Ort was optioned to Triple-A, and Chris Sale (who recently underwent season-ending wrist surgery) was moved to the 60-day injured list.

Familia is looking for a new beginning after posting a 6.09 ERA over 34 innings with the Phillies this season.  Philadelphia signed the righty to a one-year, $6MM this past offseason, but ended up releasing Familia last week.  In signing Familia and promoting him to the MLB roster, the Red Sox now owe him just the prorated portion of the minimum salary, while the Phils are responsible for the remainder of that $6MM total.

It’s been a rough season for Familia, who has posted below-average walk and strikeout rates while allowing more hard contact than almost any pitcher in baseball.  Familia is still averaging 95.7mph on his fastball, but that has been the only one of his pitches that has still been effective, as per Statcast’s metrics.  Batters have been teeing off on Familia’s sinker, which has been his primary pitch for the majority of his career (and he still throws the sinker over 50 percent of the time).

Still, at least a couple of Familia’s metrics are more favorable, as his 3.91 SIERA and an eye-popping .408 BABIP indicate some level of bad luck, despite all of that hard contact.  There isn’t much risk for the Red Sox in seeing if Familia can still contribute at the big league level, or at least provide a fresh arm within what has been a pretty middling Boston relief corps.

AL Central Notes: Robert, Guardians, Contreras, Tigers, Hinch

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X-rays were negative on Luis Robert’s left wrist, as the White Sox outfielder has been deemed day-to-day with a sprain.  Robert suffered the injury on a stolen-base attempt in the bottom of the sixth inning in Friday’s game, and was replaced in center field for the top of the seventh.

Chicago’s next off-day doesn’t come until August 29, so there isn’t any room for Robert to get a break without leaving the White Sox undermanned on the roster.  As such, a 10-day injured list visit could be necessary if there’s any lingering soreness, and the Sox might prefer to lose Robert for a few games now in order to get him fully healthy for the rest of the postseason race.  Though he has already missed a couple of weeks (on the COVID-IL and on the regular IL due to blurred vision), Robert has still been a big contributor to the White Sox, hitting .301/.336/.454 with 12 homers in 354 plate appearances.

Other notes from around the AL Central…

  • The Guardians were among the teams who had interest in Willson Contreras at the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.  The Cubs didn’t end up moving Contreras anywhere, while the Guards had a quiet deadline overall — they ended up moving a catcher themselves, dealing Sandy Leon to the Twins in a minor trade.  Despite interest in both Contreras and the Athletics’ Sean Murphy, Cleveland stood pat at catching, leaving Austin Hedges and Luke Maile as the primary tandem behind the plate unless the Guardians look to call up top prospect Bo Naylor.
  • A.J. Hinch ended any speculation that he might seek a move to the Tigers’ front office, telling reporters (including The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen) earlier this week “I’m the manager.  I plan on being the manager.”  However, owner Chris Ilitch did state that Hinch would have some input on who might replace Al Avila as the club’s next general manager.  To this end, Jon Heyman of The New York Post suggests that former Diamondbacks and Padres GM Josh Byrnes could be a candidate for the Detroit job — Byrnes and Hinch worked together in Arizona’s front office, with Byrnes giving Hinch his first managerial job in the Diamondbacks’ dugout.  Byrnes has been working as the senior VP of baseball operations for the Dodgers since 2014.

Orioles Promote DL Hall

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TODAY: The Orioles officially announced Hall’s promotion.  Left-hander Nick Vespi was optioned to Triple-A to make room on Baltimore’s active roster.

AUGUST 12, 9:41pm: Hall will start Saturday’s game, Hyde confirmed to reporters (including Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball). Kostka first suggested as much this afternoon.

2:59pm: Top pitching prospect DL Hall is traveling to meet the Orioles in St. Petersburg for their upcoming series against the Rays, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter link). Manager Brandon Hyde confirmed that Hall was being promoted but suggested the team has yet to decide when he’ll first pitch (via Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Sun).

It’s been a half-decade since Hall entered the organization as the 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft. A Georgia high school product, he received a $3MM signing bonus on the strength of a mid-90s fastball and a curveball that most evaluators considered at least a plus offering. Hall also showed a promising changeup but had some questions about the consistency of strike-throwing ability.

That report — monster raw stuff paired with spotty control — has become perhaps even more extreme during his time in the professional ranks. Baseball America wrote over the offseason that Hall now touches 100 MPH and averages around 97 MPH on his heater. That’s atypical velocity for any starter but particularly rare for a left-hander. Among MLB starters with 30+ innings on the season, Jesus Luzardo and Shane McClanahan are the only southpaws averaging north of 96 MPH (although Carlos Rodon, Blake Snell and Aaron Ashby are all between 95.5 MPH and 96 MPH).

BA credits Hall with two distinct breaking pitches — a mid-80s slider and a somewhat softer curveball — and grades both as at least above-average offerings. The outlet also credits him with the solid changeup he’s long had in his arsenal, giving him one of the better repertoires for any young pitcher. Hall has appeared among BA’s top 60 overall prospects entering each of the past four years, and he earned the #59 ranking on the publication’s latest update from last week.

That elite arsenal has unsurprisingly translated into plenty of whiffs at the minor league level. Hall has fanned more than a third of opponents at every stop since hitting High-A in 2019. That includes a massive 36% strikeout rate through 18 starts with Triple-A Norfolk this season. Among International League pitchers with 50+ frames, only teammate Grayson Rodriguez (who’s widely regarded as the top pitching prospect in the sport) has punched out batters at a better clip.

Unlike Rodriguez, however, Hall has still yet to consistently harness his arsenal. He’s walked upwards of 10% of batters faced at each level and has doled out free passes to 13.9% of opponents in Norfolk. No qualified big league starter has a walk rate anywhere near that high, and it’s the third-highest mark among that group of International League hurlers with 50 or more innings. The free passes, paired with an elevated .340 batting average on balls in play against him, have contributed to a lackluster 4.76 ERA over his first 70 Triple-A innings.

Nevertheless, the Orioles are set to get a look at Hall against big league hitters in what is surprisingly a pivotal series for Baltimore. They’re 58-53 on the year, just half a game behind the Tampa Bay club against which he’s likely to make his debut for the American League’s last Wild Card spot. The next three games are arguably as important as any the franchise has played in over five years. Giving Hall the ball in any of those contests is a strong show of faith in the 23-year-old.

Hall is already on the 40-man roster, having been added last offseason to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft that never wound up happening. He’s in the first of three minor league option years and could certainly bounce between Baltimore and Norfolk over the coming weeks. We’re already well past the date for Hall to get either a full season of service time or enough to have a serious possibility at qualifying for early arbitration as a Super Two player after 2024. Even if he’s in the big leagues from here on out, he won’t reach arbitration until after the 2025 campaign and won’t hit free agency until the 2028-29 offseason. That trajectory could be pushed back further by future options to the minor leagues.

Marlins Select A.J. Ladwig

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10:25AM: The Marlins officially announced Ladwig’s selection, and he will be the 27th man for the doubleheader.

10:20AM: The Marlins will select the contract of right-hander A.J. Ladwig from Double-A, The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish reports (Twitter link).  Since Billy Hamilton was outrighted off Miami’s roster yesterday, the Marlins already had an open spot for Ladwig on the 40-man roster.  Miami faces the Braves in a doubleheader today, so it possible Ladwig could serve as the Marlins’ designated 27th player.

The righty is now poised to make his MLB debut at age 29.  Originally an 11th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2014 draft, Ladwig had spent his entire pro career in Detroit’s farm system until being released in May, and he then quickly signed a new minors deal with the Marlins.

Ladwig has primarily pitched as a starter, being first on the mound in 137 of his 155 games.  With only a 16.57% career strikeout rate, Ladwig doesn’t miss many bats, as he has relied on excellent control (3.63% walk rate) to retire batters.  He has pitched at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels since 2017, though he didn’t pitch at all in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, and then missed the 2020 campaign when the pandemic canceled the entire minor league season.

Through it all, Ladwig has a 4.34 ERA over 783 1/3 innings during his minor league career, including a 4.43 ERA over 65 frames for the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate this year.  He’ll now get his first shot at the majors, and as Ladwig told The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky this past February, that hope of reaching the Show sustained him throughout the ups and downs of his career.  “I just need to keep working and get up there.  I still dream about it, all the time,” Ladwig said.

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