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Yankees, Joey Gerber Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees recently agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Joey Gerber, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to the organization’s complex in Florida, where he’ll presumably build into game shape before heading to an upper level affiliate.

Gerber, 25, was released by the Mariners in late June. The 6’4″ righty had dealt with a forearm strain for most of the first few months of the year, tossing a lone inning of complex ball with Seattle this season. That came on the heels of a 2021 campaign spent entirely on the minor league injured list, derailing Gerber’s attempts to carve out a role in the Mariners bullpen.

A former eighth-round draft choice, Gerber has 17 MLB appearances under his belt — all of which came with the Mariners during the abbreviated 2020 season. He tallied 15 2/3 innings of 4.02 ERA ball, averaging a decent 93.5 MPH on his fastball but only striking out 9.7% of batters faced. He’s missed bats at a much better rate in the minors, including a robust 31.3% strikeout rate in 22 2/3 frames at Double-A to close out the 2019 campaign. Baseball America had rated Gerber among the mid-tier prospects in the Seattle farm system before his recent spate of injuries, writing that his sinker-slider combination gave him a chance to be a high-leverage reliever.

It’s a no-risk dice roll for the Yankees to see if Gerber’s pre-injury form carries over after a lost season and a half. The Illinois product is still young enough to potentially carve out a middle innings role in the Bronx if he’s able to log some upper minors work over the next two months.

The Mariners Shouldn’t Ignore The Free Agent Shortstop Market This Year

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This past offseason featured a super class of free agent shortstops: Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Javier Baez, Trevor Story and Marcus Semien. However, very early in the offseason, just one week after the World Series ended, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto made it publicly known they were unlikely be big players in this arena. Incumbent shortstop J.P. Crawford had been told he was going to stay at that position for the club, regardless of what the rumors said.  While that theoretically left the door open for one of those shortstops to be signed to play another position such as second base, that didn’t come to pass.

In order to address their middle infield, they made a much more modest move. In late November, just prior to the lockout, the Mariners acquired Adam Frazier from the Padres. Frazier wasn’t as exciting of a pickup as one of those free agents would have been, but he was a sensible addition nonetheless. His left-handed bat meant that he and switch-hitting Abraham Toro could have formed a second base platoon. Frazier also can play the outfield, which he could have done in the event Toro established himself as an everyday option at the keystone. The M’s saved their big free agent splash for the rotation, signing Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115MM deal.

Now two-thirds of the way through the season, it’s fair to wonder if this approach has paid off. Frazier has largely had a disappointing season, failing to build on his strong 2021. He hit .305/.368/.411 last year for a wRC+ of 114, indicating his overall offensive production was 14% above league average. This year, however, he’s slumped to a line of .246/.309/.315, wRC+ of 85. Toro’s been even worse, with a batting line of .180/.239/.322 on the year for a wRC+ of 61. On the year overall, Seattle second basemen have produced 0.7 fWAR, a mark that ranks 22nd among major league teams.

As for the shortstop position, Crawford has gotten the vast majority of the time there, with Dylan Moore getting a handful of starts throughout the season. Crawford got out to a blistering start, hitting .360/.449/.573 through the end of April with three home runs. He hasn’t been able to maintain that, however, hitting .231/.301/.304, adding just two more homers in that span. That leaves his overall batting line at .257/.333/.358, good enough for a 105 wRC+ that’s still above average, though it’s been sliding for over three months straight at this point.

There are also questions about his defense here in 2022, with the advanced metrics in disagreement on his 2022 work. Defensive Runs Saved has him at plus-three so far this year, a dip from last year’s eight, though he could potentially close some of the gap in the season’s final few months. Ultimate Zone Rating has him at 1.3, an improvement over last year’s 0.8 but behind the pace of the 2.5 he earned in the shortened 2020 season. Outs Above Average is the most bearish, giving Crawford -7 so far this year, after giving him zero last year and six in 2020. Combined, Mariner shortstops have produced 1.6 fWAR on the season, a mark that’s 17th in the majors.

Subpar production from both middle infield positions surely isn’t ideal, but it hasn’t decimated the team’s chances. The Mariners are 59-51, currently holding the final American League Wild Card spot, but with the Orioles and Guardians just a couple games back and both Sox clubs just behind them. The M’s are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and break the longest active postseason drought in the league, though we may not know whether they succeed or not until the final days of the season.

Whether they break that drought or not, Seattle might want to think about being more involved in the shortstop market this winter. The Mariners committed to Crawford on a $46.15MM extension just before opening day, so he’s certainly going to keep a regular role. There’s a case to be made for exploring the shortstop market and considering moving Crawford across the bag, however. There’s another strong shortstop class this winter, with Correa likely to opt-out of his contract with the Twins and re-enter the open market. Xander Bogaerts is widely expected to opt-out as well. Then there’s also Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson, who are each in their final season of club control. Frazier is also heading into free agency, which will subtract from a middle infield mix that is already weak.

None of those players will be cheap, but Seattle should give some thought to paying out. For one thing, if they miss out on those four, the fifth-best option is probably Jose Iglesias, who’s having a fine season but is undoubtedly on a lower tier than those other guys. For another thing, the Mariners have the payroll space to pull this off. The club ran an Opening Day payroll of $104MM this year, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. That’s a far cry from the club’s highest spending, as they were in the $140-160MM range from 2016-2019. Next year’s payroll is only at about $67MM, in the estimation of Roster Resource. That doesn’t include salaries for arbitration-eligible players, but that won’t add a tremendous amount. Luis Castillo is likely the only player of the bunch to get a significant salary next year, probably getting into eight figures after making $7.35MM this year.

They also shouldn’t have too many other holes to address. All six of their rotation candidates can be controlled again in 2023, with Ray and Marco Gonzales under contract, Castillo having one more arb year, and George Kirby and Logan Gilbert still pre-arb. The Mariners have a $4MM club option for Chris Flexen’s 2023 services, though that will vest to $8MM and become guaranteed if he throws 300 innings combined between last year and this year. He’s currently at 296 2/3, making him a virtual lock to stick with Seattle next year, barring injury.

Elsewhere on the roster, Ty France and Eugenio Suarez should still have the corners covered. Catchers Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens are both still around next year, with Tom Murphy potentially returning to health and coming back as well. Despite possibly losing Mitch Haniger to free agency, the outfield will still have a deep mix that includes Julio Rodriguez, Jesse Winker, Jarred Kelenic, Kyle Lewis, Sam Haggerty, Derek Hill and Taylor Trammell. Dylan Moore can be retained via arbitration for more utility duty. The relief corps can all be retained via arbitration except for Ken Giles, who’s barely pitched this year but can be brought back via a $9.5MM club option if the team wants.

Taking all that into consideration, the middle infield seems like the clearest way to upgrade the team for 2023. Two of this year’s super class of shortstops (Story and Semien) ended up signing to be second baseman, which is one way the M’s could go, though that requires buy-in from the player. It’s unclear if any of Bogaerts, Turner, Swanson or Correa would be interested in such an arrangement. It might be wise for them to soften their stance on Crawford’s permanence at the shortstop position, since they have the money and the roster to go after a marquee shortstop this winter.

Cubs To Release Jason Heyward At End Of Season

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Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke to reporters, including Jesse Rogers of ESPN, relaying that outfielder Jason Heyward will not be with the club in 2023. That would be the last year of Heyward’s contract, but it seems the club will go in a different direction. Heyward is currently on the injured list with a knee injury, which Hoyer says he is unlikely to return from this year, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. That means it’s possible Heyward has already appeared in his last game as a Cub. Hoyer says that Heyward will eventually be released, but will stick around the clubhouse while on the IL for the rest of the year due to his respected clubhouse presence, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Hoyer says that he and Heyward have discussed the situation “at length,” per Rogers, with the Cubs wanting to give more time to younger players but Heyward wanting to continue playing. By releasing him for the offseason, he can return to free agency and look for his next team this winter.

It’s a noteworthy but hardly shocking development, considering how Heyward has performed over the life of the contract. After five seasons with Atlanta and one in St. Louis, the Cubs signed Heyward in December of 2015 to an eight-year, $184MM contract. At the time, the Cubs had just come out of a rebuild, making the postseason for the first time since 2008, still looking to snap their World Series drought that had been ongoing since 1908. One year previously, the club had signed Jon Lester as a way to signal their return to competition and the Heyward deal was one of many in the 2015-2016 season that compounded the club’s serious intentions.

In the first year of the deal, Heyward still provided excellent defense the same way he always had, but his offensive production took a nosedive. He hit .230/.306/.325 for a wRC+ of 72, or production 28% below league average, after having a wRC+ between 109 and 121 over the previous three seasons. His glovework still allowed him to produce 1.0 wins above replacement on the year, per FanGraphs, but it surely wasn’t what the Cubs had in mind when they laid out that massive contract. Nonetheless, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, which surely helped washed down any bitter aftertaste for a while.

Heyward improved slightly in the years to come but still struggled to get back to the form he showed prior to coming to Chicago. From 2017 to 2019, he hit .260/.335/.406 for a 96 wRC+ He seemed to turn a corner in the shortened 2020 campaign, as he hit .265/.392/.456 for a wRC+ of 129, accruing 1.6 fWAR in just 50 games. However, he crashed back down to earth last year, hitting a paltry .214/.280/.347 for a wRC+ of just 68.

Despite those ups and down at the plate, he’s always been a productive player due to his defense. Even with last year’s mediocre output at the plate, he was still worth 0.1 fWAR on the year. Here in 2022, however, things have continued to slide, with Heyward hitting a meager .204/.278/.277 for a wRC+ of just 59, causing him to slip below replacement level for the first time.

Over the span of his contract, the Cubs shut their competitive window and entered another rebuild phase, with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and other faces of their championship team sent elsewhere. With the roster now largely devoted to younger players, it seems they will devote their playing time to those guys, with Heyward getting nudged out. Hoyer mentioned Nelson Velazquez and Christopher Morel as two such players who could take over some of Heyward’s role, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.

Heyward’s contract runs through 2023, with his salary set to be $22MM for that campaign. Given his performance in recent years, he will surely go unclaimed whenever he is placed on release waivers. He will then be free to sign with any team, with that club only having to pay the league minimum, with that amount being subtracted from what the Cubs pay.

Although this day has surely seemed inevitable for some time, it’s likely still emotional for many Cub fans. While there are segments of the fanbase that have grown impatient and been outwardly calling for this for some time, Heyward was still an integral part of one of the most important eras of Cubs’ baseball history, if not the most important. While he may have fallen short of some of the loftiest expectations, he was still a productive part of a team that broke a century-old title drought, making the playoffs in four out of his first five years with the club. Though Heyward could still land with another team next season, he will likely be forever associated with his time as part a legendary run of Cubs baseball.

Reds Planning To Select T.J. Zeuch

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As the Reds are in New York to start a three-game set with the Mets, right-hander T.J. Zeuch is with the team and expected to start Wednesday’s game, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Zeuch isn’t currently on the club’s 40-man roster, though the club currently has a vacancy there. Assuming they don’t add anyone between now and Wednesday, a corresponding move will only be required to add him to the active roster.

Zeuch, 27, is a former first-round pick, as the Blue Jays selected him 21st overall in 2016. He was considered one of the top 30 farmhands in Toronto’s system from 2017 to 2019 but failed to live up to his reputation in the big leagues. From 2019 to 2021, he threw 49 innings for the Jays, putting up a 4.59 ERA with substandard strikeout and walk rates of 14.1% and 10.9%, respectively, though he did get grounders at a decent 50.9% clip.

He was designated for assignment and then morphed from a bluebird into a redbird, getting traded to the Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. He never got up to the big leagues with St. Louis, throwing 38 1/3 innings in Triple-A last year with a 4.93 ERA. This year, he got another 19 1/3 Triple-A innings but registered a ghastly 11.64 ERA in that time, getting designated for assignment and then released.

The Reds brought him aboard on a minor league deal, with Zeuch having showed improved results since. Cincy first sent him to the Arizona Complex League, letting him throw four scoreless innings over three starts there, before moving him up to Triple-A. In five starts there, he’s thrown 22 1/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate, 10.9% walk rate and 60% ground ball rate. Based on those improved results, he’ll get the call to return to the big leagues.

The Reds’ rotation had a few notable subtractions last week, as they traded both Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle prior to the deadline. Hunter Greene was also recently placed on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. That’s created the need for some extra arms next to Mike Minor, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft in the rotation. With the club well out of contention, they can use the rest of the season to evaluate some depth arms and see what they can bring to the table. Robert Dugger got to make a start on Friday, though he’s now been placed on the IL due to right shoulder pain, with Justin Dunn being recalled in a corresponding move.

Dunn, 26, has 25 MLB starts under his belt already, all coming with the Mariners. He registered a 3.94 ERA in 102 2/3 innings but poor rate stats, getting strikeouts 20.6% of the time, walks at a 15.5% clip and grounders at a 33.7% rate. His .205 BABIP in that time likely helped him produce an ERA better than he deserved, with all advanced metrics painting a less rosy picture.

He was acquired from the Mariners as part of the offseason trade that sent Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle. It was later reported that Dunn would be out for months due to shoulder troubles, though the Reds evidently knew this at the time of the trade. The righty has subsequently returned to health and has been pitching the minors. Through seven Triple-A starts this year, he has a 6.92 ERA, 17.8% strikeout rate, 12.4% walk rate and 36.9% ground ball rate. He and Zeuch will each make their Reds debuts and try to make their respective cases for sticking in the rotation this year and beyond.

Injury Notes: Gore, Bryant, Flaherty, Twins

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Newly acquired Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore will resume throwing this Friday, manager Dave Martinez told reporters this weekend (Twitter link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). Gore, the former No. 3 overall draft pick and top pitching prospect in the sport, has been sidelined since July 25 due to elbow soreness. A previous MRI did not reveal structural damage, however, and the Nats were clearly comfortable with Gore’s medical records upon reviewing them in advance of the Juan Soto blockbuster that sent him from San Diego to Washington. Presumably, he’ll require a minor league rehab stint before jumping into the big league mix for the Nationals, but Friday’s throwing session will be an important first step to monitor as he begins that progression. Assuming good health, Gore looks poised to play a pivotal long-term role in the Nationals’ rotation, joining Josiah Gray (acquired in last summer’s Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal) as a building block acquired at the deadline.

Gore absolutely overpowered opponents through early June, pitching to a 1.50 ERA with a 30% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate across the first 48 innings of his career. He’s been tagged for 27 runs in 22 innings since that time, however, working with diminished velocity along the way. Gore only pitched 50 1/3 innings last year (plus some work at the team’s Spring Training complex while going through a mechanical reset), so workload was always expected to be something of an issue in 2022. The Nationals have not made clear the extent to which they’ll monitor his innings moving forward.

Some more health situations to monitor around the league…

  • Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant is currently in a walking boot due to a case of plantar fasciitis, and there’s no timetable for his return to the field, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes within a broader look at another disappointing season for the Rockies. Colorado signed Bryant to a seven-year, $182MM contract over the winter but have thus far received just 42 games and 181 plate appearances from the former Rookie of the Year and NL MVP. Bryant’s power was MIA early in the year while playing through a back injury that required two IL stints, but he did bat .330/.398/.567 with 13 extra-base hits (five homers, eight doubles) in 108 plate appearances between his most recent trips to the injured list.
  • Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty believes issues with his mechanics led to his latest trip to the injured list, per MLB.com. The starter spent most of the season on the injured list due shoulder problems, returning to make three starts in June before returning to the 60-day IL. That means he’s ineligible to return until late August, though he has started throwing this week, trying to iron out those mechanical issues and potentially starting a rehab assignment soon. “You start doing things incorrectly for a while and then you repeat it over and over again — eventually something is going to flare up,” Flaherty says. “The goal was to clean things up and sharpen things up so that that doesn’t happen. That’s what we’ve been working on, so hopefully things stay that way.” If he can return before the season is out, he could provide a boost to the rotation down the stretch, though the Cards added Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery at the deadline to proactively address the situation.
  • The Twins expect righties Josh Winder and Bailey Ober to begin throwing bullpen sessions Tuesday, tweets Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. Winder has been widely regarded as a top-100 prospect this year and has given Minnesota 45 1/3 frames of 3.77 ERA ball in his big league debut, but shoulder troubles have slowed him of late (as has been the case in past seasons as well). Ober has made 27 starts for the Twins dating back to 2021, pitching to a 4.14 ERA along the way and serving as a generally solid back-of-the-rotation arm. He’s been out since June 1 due to a groin strain that proved more severe than originally believed. The Twins remain hopeful that each of Winder, Ober, outfielder Trevor Larnach and right-hander Kenta Maeda (recovering from 2021 Tommy John surgery) will be able to return in September, tweets Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets that right-hander Randy Dobnak will head out on a minor league rehab assignment Thursday, giving the Twins some additional depth on the horizon.

Dodgers Claim Rylan Bannon From Orioles

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The Dodgers have claimed infielder Rylan Bannon off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both clubs. It had not been publicly reported that Bannon had been designated for assignment, but the O’s evidently tried to pass him through waivers with the Dodgers intercepting them. Los Angeles had a vacancy on its 40-man roster, meaning no corresponding move will be required.

Bannon, 26, will now return to the organization where he began his professional career, as he was drafted by the Dodgers in 2017. He was one of the five players that went to the Orioles in the 2018 deadline deal that sent Manny Machado to Los Angeles.

In 2019, his first full season with the O’s, he split his time between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a combined .266/.345/.421 for a wRC+ of 120. He also added some versatility to his defensive game, with the primary third baseman also seeing some time at second base. Based on that strong season, he was added to Baltimore’s 40-man roster prior to the 2020 Rule 5 draft.

After the minor leagues were canceled in 2020, Bannon had a tepid showing in 2021, slashing .176/.297/.370 in 84 Triple-A games. He’s had a better showing here in 2022, though, hitting .229/.347/.407 for a wRC+ of 105 in 78 Triple-A games. He also made his MLB debut, though he got just 15 plate appearances over a four-game stretch in May.

The Dodgers recently placed Justin Turner on the injured list due to an abdominal strain. That leaves Max Muncy as the primary option at the hot corner, though he’s been battling elbow issues all season. By claiming Bannon, they’ve given themselves a little extra depth at third, bringing in a versatile player that they have a previous relationship with.

Cubs Claim Franmil Reyes From Guardians

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2:20pm: The Cubs have announced the claim.

2:10pm: The Cubs are “adding” slugger Franmil Reyes, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Reyes had been designated for assignment by the Guardians on Saturday. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Cubs have presumably claimed Reyes off waivers. Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Reyes has indeed been claimed off waivers. The Cubs had a couple of vacancies on their 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move won’t be required in that regard.

Reyes, 27, has an impressive track record as a power hitter, though he’s enduring an unfortunate swoon here in 2022. He debuted with the Padres in 2018 and then went to Cleveland in a three-team trade in 2019 that involved six other players. From his debut through the end of the 2021 campaign, he hit 92 home runs and walked in 9% of his plate appearances. His 29.5% strikeout rate was definitely on the high side, but he still managed to hit .260/.325/.503, production that was 19% above league average by measure of wRC+.

This season has been a complete nightmare by comparison, however. Reyes has struck out in 37.1% of his plate appearances, walked in only 5% of them and hit just nine homers. His overall batting line for the campaign sits at a paltry .213/.254/.350, wRC+ of 69. Cleveland has been using him as a designated hitter, ultimately deciding it could no longer withstand that meager output from a lineup spot that’s supposed to deliver more potency. He was optioned to the minors last week and designated for assignment a few days after that.

For a rebuilding Cubs team, it’s a logical move to take a chance on Reyes and hope that he bounces back to his previous form. He’s making $4.55MM this year, leaving around $1.5MM left to be paid out over the remainder of the campaign. He can be retained for two more seasons via arbitration and likely won’t require a huge raise due to his poor showing this year. The Cubs don’t have a dedicated designated hitter, with impending free agent Willson Contreras getting most of the time there. If Reyes successfully bounces back in any way, he could take over DH duties. He is capable of playing corner outfield, though has only trotted onto the grass for 26 total games in the past three years.

There are reasons to be optimistic Reyes could turn things around. Despite the strikeout woes and general struggles this year, he’s still in the 92nd percentile among MLB hitters when it comes to barrel percentage, 93rd in average exit velocity, 88th in hard hit percentage and 86th in max exit velocity. If he can cut down on the strikeouts even a little bit, he’s still crushing the ball with enough power that he could be a useful pickup, either sticking with the Cubs or being traded in the future.

Latest On Kevin Kiermaier

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Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier underwent season-ending hip surgery last month, and the outfielder took to Twitter to send a video updating on his recovery and thank fans for the support this week (video link). Within, Kiermaier indicated that the hip issues which ultimately required the surgery have plagued him for the past year and a half. The Rays described the surgery as a procedure to address an impingement and repair a torn labrum, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Of course, for many Rays fans, the broader question is whether Kiermaier will suit up in Tampa Bay or with another club next year. Unsurprisingly, both Topkin and Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote this weekend that the Rays are planning to pay the $2.5MM buyout on Kiermaier’s $13MM club option rather than commit to that weighty guarantee. That was obvious from the moment Kiermaier underwent surgery; it was worth wondering whether the low-payroll Rays would’ve picked up that option even in the event of a generally healthy and productive season.

Kiermaier didn’t address the contract specifically but made sure to mention his fondness for the Tampa area, the Rays organization, the community and the fans who’ve reached out to offer him support as he’s gone through this latest injury. Whether he’ll return to the Rays next year is likely dependent on how several of the organization’s younger options play over the next few months.

Randy Arozarena and Manuel Margot — on the shelf himself due to a knee injury — seem likely to return regardless. Arozarena has not yet even reached arbitration (though could do so as a Super Two player this winter) and thus remains quite affordable. Margot inked a two-year extension spanning the 2023-24 seasons (plus a 2025 team option) not long before Opening Day. Elsewhere on the roster, the Rays have the just-acquired Jose Siri and top prospect Josh Lowe, both of whom have struggled against big league pitching this season. Siri could fill a similar backup role to that of the since-traded Brett Phillips, whereas Lowe entered the season widely viewed as a potential long-term option in the outfield.

From a financial perspective, there ought to be room on the books for Kiermaier, particularly if he’s signing at a reduced rate. The Rays only have about $22MM in guaranteed salary on next year’s ledger, although that does not include a massive arbitration class featuring Tyler Glasnow, Ji-Man Choi, Ryan Yarbrough, Yandy Diaz, Andrew Kittredge, Francisco Mejia, Yonny Chirinos, Jeffrey Springs, Nick Anderson, Jalen Beeks, Harold Ramirez, Pete Fairbanks, JT Chargois, Colin Poche, Ryan Thompson and perhaps, depending on the Super Two cutoff, both Arozarena and Jason Adam. Not all of that group will be tendered a contract — Yarbrough, for instance, could be cut loose or traded elsewhere — but it has the potential to be a pricey group by the Rays’ standards, especially if Arozarena indeed reaches arbitration eligibility.

The 32-year-old Kiermaier has spent parts of ten seasons in the Majors, batting a combined .248/.308/.407 with some of the best glovework of any player in the Majors, regardless of position. The fearless manner in which Kiermaier patrols the outfield (and, presumably, the artificial surface on which he plays half his games) has taken its toll on his body over the years and regularly left Kiermaier sidelined for lengthy stints on the injured list.

Dating back to 2016 (and excluding the shortened 2020 season), Kiermaier has averaged 86 games played per year, missing time along the way with a fractured left hand, a fractured right hip, a torn ligament in his right thumb, a damaged ligament in his other thumb, a sprained left wrist and now this most recent left hip surgery. Even in spite of that huge list of injuries, Kiermaier has the fourth-most Defensive Runs Saved of the 5511 players who’ve stepped onto a Major League field in that span.

Orioles Notes: Santander, Vavra, Odor, Farm System

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The Orioles have been getting right fielder Anthony Santander some practice at first base and could play him on the infield at least occasionally down the stretch, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters this weekend (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubtako). That shift could be accompanied by other changes in the infield, which began yesterday with Rougned Odor moving to third base in deference to 25-year-old Terrin Vavra, who received his first big league start at second base.

Santander, 27, has never played a Major League game at first base but did get some minor league work there several years ago. He generally rates as an above-average defender in right field, per both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, although his ratings have slipped this season. With several young outfielders rising through the system including MLB-ready Kyle Stowers and fast-rising 2021 top pick Colton Cowser, it’s of extra note that Santander could reacclimate to another spot on the diamond. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins are generally locked into outfield spots, so shifting Santander around certainly makes some sense.

Of course, even moderately enhancing Santander’s defensive versatility will also potentially make him a bit more appealing on the offseason trade market. The switch-hitting Santander drew some interest this summer, as he’s done for the past couple seasons, but the O’s hung onto him and for now can continue to enjoy his .255/.334/.452 output. Santander is on pace to set new career-highs in plate appearances, home runs and doubles this season, provided he remains healthy down the stretch. He’s also trimmed his strikeout rate from 23.1% last season to 18.6% this season and upped his walk rate from 5.3% to a career-best 8.2%.

Santander is earning $3.15MM this season and remains under club control through the 2024 campaign via arbitration. He’s already been through that process twice as a Super Two player and will be due another pair of raises before hitting the open market just after his 30th birthday in the 2024-25 offseason.

As for the move of Odor to the hot corner, it’s only sensible to get as long a look as Vavra as possible down the stretch in 2022. Second base is Vavra’s primary (and best) position, and after he hit .312/.425/.444 through 229 minor league plate appearances this season (mostly in Triple-A), he appears ready for a look in the big leagues. However, the O’s also have fellow infield prospect Jordan Westburg knocking on the door of the big leagues, if not late in 2022 then likely early in the 2023 season. Westburg, who landed 98th on Baseball America’s latest top 100 rankings, has posted a combined .255/.332/.470 slash between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He’s seen his walk rate cut in half jumping from Double-A to Triple-A and perhaps has some strikeout issues to sort through (26.1% this year), but given his general proximity to the big leagues, taking a proactive look at Vavra makes sense.

It seems fair to question just how much longer the veteran Odor will factor into the plans at all, given that the longtime Rangers infielder has posted just a .193/.257/.365 batting line in 331 plate appearances this year. The lefty-swinging Odor has actually posted worse results against right-handers than against southpaws and turned in below-average defensive grades at second base (-5 DRS, -2.9 UZR, -5 OAA).

From a broader perspective, veterans of the Odor ilk will have a more difficult time finding opportunity in Baltimore at all before too long. Despite graduating former No. 1 overall prospect Adley Rutschman to the Major League roster, the O’s still have baseball’s best all-round farm system, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel opined in today’s updated rankings of the game’s 30 minor league systems. Some of that is due to another No.  1 overall pick being added to the system this season, but it’s also due largely to the rise of shortstop prospect Gunnar Henderson, whom Baseball America tabs as its new No. 1 overall farmhand in another just-released set of rankings.

Henderson, like Westburg, has split the 2022 season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing at a combined .304/.429/.556 clip with 17 home runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 16 steals (in 19 tries), a huge 16.7% walk rate and a 20.8% strikeout rate. With 205 Triple-A plate appearances already under his belt, it’s at least feasible that he could also be an option late in the season — and, if not, then certainly early in 2023. However things pan out in the short-term, the looming presence of Henderson, Westburg, Vavra and others figures to directly impact Odor, Ramon Urias, Jorge Mateo and other infield options before too long.

Twins Release Tyler Duffey

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Aug. 8: The Twins have released Duffey, per the transaction log at MLB.com.

Aug. 5: The Twins have designated right-handed reliever Tyler Duffey for assignment, as first reported by Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). Right-hander Cole Sands is being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take Duffey’s spot on the roster (and, seemingly, in the bullpen for now). Minnesota has yet to formally announce the move.

Duffey, a fifth-round pick by the Twins back in 2012, has had an up-and-down career in Minnesota. Debuting as a starter back in 2015, he quickly looked as though he could hold that role down for the foreseeable future, pitching to a 3.10 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates as a rookie that year. However, Duffey was clobbered for a ghastly 6.33 ERA in 133 innings the following year and moved to the bullpen in 2017.

It took some time, but by the 2019 season, Duffey had become an indispensable member of the Twins’ bullpen. He logged 57 2/3 innings of 2.50 ERA ball and punched out a whopping 34.5% of his opponents against a 5.9% walk rate that season. From July 28 through Sept. 25 in 2019, Duffey went 26 straight appearances without allowing a run — a total of 23 2/3 innings during which he posted a scintillating 40-to-5 K/BB ratio. He followed that year with an even better showing in the shortened 2020 season (1.88 ERA in 24 innings), and while his numbers took a step back in 2021 they were still quite solid (3.18 ERA, 3.49 FIP in 62 1/3 innings).

All in all, from 2019-21, Duffey logged 144 innings with a 2.69 ERA (3.16 FIP), a 29.8% strikeout rate, an 8.2% walk rate and a 44.4% ground-ball rate. By and large, he was an effective late-inning reliever on whom the Twins relied with regularity.

This season, however, has been another story entirely. Duffey owns a 4.91 ERA and has already yielded eight home runs in just 44 innings of work (1.64 HR/9). The fastball that averaged 94 mph in 2019 is now averaging 92.3 mph, and he’s seen his strikeout rate plummet to 21.1% while his 8.1% walk rate is more than two percentage points higher than it was during that 2019 peak.

Much as he did in 2019, Duffey had an impressive run this summer when he rattled off 15 2/3 shutout innings with a 12-to-3 K/BB ratio from June 17 through July 23, but that hot streak has been bookended by nightmarish bouts of home runs yielded in leverage spots. Duffey has yielded multiple runs in 20% of his appearances this season (eight of 40), including five different outings where he’s been tagged for three runs. Since that promising run from mid-June through late July, Duffey has yielded seven runs on six hits (two homers) and four walks with three strikeouts in a total of 4 1/3 innings.

Minnesota’s bullpen has been the team’s greatest flaw this season, and Duffey’s wild inconsistency has played a significant part in that Achilles heel. He’s earning $3.8MM in his final season of club control before free agency, meaning any club who claimed him — he can’t be traded now that the deadline has passed — would be on the hook for the remaining $1.28MM on this year’s salary. Because of that, he’ll likely go unclaimed, and even if the Twins attempt to outright him to Triple-A St. Paul, he can reject the assignment and retain the rights to that salary, as is his right as a player with five-plus years of MLB service time.

As for the 25-year-old Sands, he’s been rocked for 16 runs in 16 1/3 Major League innings during this season’s debut, but he has a better minor league track record. Like Duffey, he’s a former fifth-round pick (Florida State University, 2018) with a history of solid minor league performances. While it’s true that Sands has been hit hard in St. Paul this season (5.59 ERA in 48 1/3 frames), he posted a brilliant 2.46 ERA through 80 1/3 Double-A frames last year and also notched a sub-3.00 ERA in his first full pro season with the Twins back in 2019.

Sands has worked primarily as a starter in his career, so it’ll be intriguing to see if, similar to Duffey earlier in his career, Sands’ stuff will play up in the ’pen and allow him to seize a role there moving forward. Alternatively, he could simply operate in a long relief role until lefty Jovani Moran returns from the injured list and then head back to St. Paul where he’d continue working as a starter and serve as rotation depth both this year and next.

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