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Archives for August 2022

Braves Outright Ryan Goins

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TODAY: Goins cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, the Braves announced.

AUGUST 22: The Braves announced Monday morning that infielder Ryan Goins has been designated for assignment. His removal from the roster clears a path for infielder/outfielder Ehire Adrianza, who has been activated from the 10-day injured list.

Goins, 34, had his contract selected to the Major League roster last week and was on the team for five days but did not appear in a game. The veteran infielder has spent the 2021-22 seasons with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, hitting .233/.305/.330 there last season and .221/.250/.272 there so far in 2022 (250 plate appearances).

Rough as those numbers are, Goins is a versatile defender capable of playing solid defense all around the infield. He’s also a known commodity for Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, who was an assistant GM in Toronto when the Jays drafted Goins in 2009. Anthopoulos was elevated to GM just months after that ’09 draft and was in that position for the first several seasons of Goins’ big league career.

Overall, Goins has appeared in 556 Major League games and tallied 1690 plate appearances, hitting a combined .228/.278/.333 between the Jays, Royals and White Sox in the Majors. He’s also posted plus defensive grades at each of second base, shortstop and third base. Now that he’s been designated for assignment, the Braves will place Goins on outright waivers or release waivers in within the week.

Yankees Sign Chasen Shreve To Minors Contract

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The Yankees have signed Chasen Shreve to a minor league contract, according to the club’s official MLB.com transactions page.  Shreve hinted on his Instagram page Friday (hat tip to Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune) that he was headed for a return stint with the Yankees organization.

The left-hander previously pitched for the Yankees from 2015-18, until he and Giovanny Gallegos were dealt to the Cardinals for Luke Voit and $1MM in international bonus pool money in July 2018.  Shreve also returned to New York in two separate stints with the Mets, both in 2020 and earlier this season.

The Mets released Shreve in July, after the lefty posted a 6.49 ERA over 26 1/3 innings.  This tenure ended in particularly disastrous fashion, as Shreve was crushed for 10 runs over the last 5 1/3 of those frames.  Opposing batters have hit six home runs off Shreve in those 26 1/3 innings, a resurgence of the homer problem that has periodically hampered him during his nine years in the majors.

Between the homers and some command issues, consistency has often hard to come by for Shreve, but he has been quite effective when at his best.  It was just last season that Shreve had a 3.20 ERA over 56 1/3 innings with the Pirates, as despite mediocre strikeout and walk rates, Shreve was one of the league’s best at limiting hard contact.

Shreve had a 3.92 ERA over his 174 2/3 previous innings with the Yankees, exhibiting some of those same ups and downs that have defined his career.  He is the second experienced left-hander added by the Bronx Bombers in two days, with Anthony Banda signed to a Major League deal today.  The Yankees look to be adding southpaw depth in advance of the postseason, and in the wake of Aroldis Chapman’s placement on the 15-day injured list yesterday.

Yankees Sign Anthony Banda

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1:23PM: The Yankees officially announced that Banda was signed to a Major League contract.  To create roster space, right-hander Luis Gil (who underwent Tommy John surgery in May) was recalled from the minors and moved to the 60-day injured list.

1:01PM: The Yankees have agreed to a deal with left-hander Anthony Banda.  ESPN’s Marly Rivera was among the reporters to note earlier today that Banda was present in the Yankees’ clubhouse.

With Aroldis Chapman going on the 15-day injured list yesterday, New York quickly filled that void with another left-handed reliever.  Banda joins Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge as the southpaw options in an injury-plagued bullpen, though Chapman and Zack Britton are expected to be back at some point in September.

The Yankees will be the ninth different organization of Banda’s career, and he has been action at the MLB level with five of those teams.  That includes a combined 26 innings with the Pirates and Blue Jays this season, with a 5.88 ERA to show for Banda’s 2022 resume.  Advanced metrics paint a much more favorable picture of Banda’s performance than his ERA, as a gigantic .446 BABIP might be to blame for many of Banda’s struggles.

Banda was a notable prospect early in his career before he was waylaid by injuries, and the second act of his career has seen the left-hander now convert to full-time relief pitching.  He has a 4.98 ERA over 59 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 season, though a 3.90 SIERA in that same span is perhaps a better reflection, given Banda’s lack of batted-ball luck.

Toronto acquired Banda from Pittsburgh in early July, and Banda than chose free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A in early August.  That led to a new minors deal with the Mariners, but he made only four appearances with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate before enacting an opt-out clause earlier this week.

Marlins Release Jesus Aguilar

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TODAY: Aguilar cleared waivers and has been released, as per the Marlins’ MLB.com transactions page.

AUGUST 26: The Marlins have designated first baseman Jesus Aguilar for assignment, general manager Kim Ng announced to reporters (Twitter link via Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). All-Star Garrett Cooper is back from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the only course of action for the Marlins will be to place Aguilar, 32, on waivers and hope that another club claims him. Given the $7.5MM guarantee on the struggling Aguilar’s 2022 contract, however, that appears quite unlikely. While Aguilar’s deal does carry a mutual option for the 2023 campaign, mutual options are rarely exercised, so teams will look at him as a pure rental.

There’s still about $1.6MM left to be paid out on the contract of Aguilar, plus a $200K buyout on that option. It’s hard to imagine a contending club dropping $1.8MM to claim a player who is hitting just .236/.286/.388 on the season as a whole — including a dismal .188/.246/.347 slash since the All-Star break. The overwhelming likelihood is that Aguilar will clear waivers and become a free agent — whether by being released or rejecting an outright assignment.

At that point, Aguilar would be free to sign a new contract with any team, and the new team would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster. The mutual option would no longer be a consideration, as he’ll have been released from the contract containing that clause. Aguilar would be postseason-eligible for a new club as long as he is signed (or, far less likely, claimed) prior to Sept. 1.

While a team isn’t likely to take a chance on Aguilar at the cost of his remaining salary, it stands to reason that several clubs would hold interest in signing him at the prorated league minimum. Aguilar hasn’t been himself in 2022, but as recently as 2020-21 he gave Miami a combined 726 plate appearances of .265/.336/.458 production, smacking 30 home runs and 33 doubles with an 18.3% strikeout rate against a solid 9.5% walk rate.

Aguilar doesn’t carry a significant platoon split, so at his best, he’s an above-average, everyday slugger with 30-homer pop … he just hasn’t been close to his best in 2022. His 23.2% strikeout rate is the highest it’s been since 2018, and Aguilar has seen his average exit velocity (87.7 mph) and hard-hit rate (35.4%) dip to career-worst levels in 2022.

Aguilar has generally graded out as a solid defender at first base, but he’s seen his typically solid grades take a step back in 2022, clocking in at -4 Defensive Runs Saved, a -1.4 Ultimate Zone Rating and zero Outs Above Average. He’s limited to first or designated hitter for the most part, with the lone exception being a few emergency appearances across the diamond at the hot corner over the years (27 career innings, including five in 2022).

Assuming Aguilar indeed clears waivers, teams in need of some offensive help at first base or designated hitter — or just a right-handed bat off the bench — could take a low-cost look in hopes of turning his season around. For the Marlins, they’ll use the remainder of the year to give a larger look to Lewin Diaz, who once ranked among the organization’s top prospects but has seen his stock tumble in recent seasons. The aforementioned Cooper also figures to see additional time in the lineup.

Clayton Kershaw Slated To Return This Week

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Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw around 70 pitches in a simulated game yesterday, and feels ready to make his return from the 15-day injured list.  Lower back pain forced Kershaw to the IL on August 5, and the Dodgers took a cautious road to recovery with their veteran ace.

“The situation we’re in, this is more kind of a roster decision more than anything,” Kershaw told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.  “I’ve felt pretty good for a while now.  We took it slow, did two sim games and now ready to go.  Sometimes you can’t decide when you get to pitch.  They tell you.”

However, Kershaw now seems on track for a slightly earlier return than expected, considering the initial plan was to activate him from the IL around the second week of September.  Now, Kershaw is likely to pitch on either Thursday (against the Mets in New York) or on Friday when the Dodgers open a homestand by facing the Padres.

There is plenty of reason for the Dodgers to take a measured approach to Kershaw’s return, given his checkered health history — that history includes another IL stint earlier this season, when Kershaw missed a little over a month this season due to hip inflammation.  While the Dodgers would certainly be careful with Kershaw under any circumstances, the team’s runaway lead in the NL West does allow some extra luxury when it comes to managing workloads and keeping players healthy for the postseason.

To that end, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) today that Los Angeles will use a six-man rotation for “a couple weeks at the bare minimum” once Kershaw is activated.  This will allow Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Tyler Anderson a bit of extra rest between starts, and since Dustin May and Andrew Heaney are both back from lengthy injury absences themselves, they’ll get to stay in the rotation and stay stretched out, rather than be relegated to bullpen work.

Now in his 15th MLB season, Kershaw is still a top-tier starter when healthy, posting a 2.64 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate, and 4.5% walk rate over 85 1/3 innings.  The left-hander’s first-half performance earned Kershaw an All-Star nod for the ninth time in his outstanding career.

Pirates Claim Robert Stephenson, Designate Kevin Padlo

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TODAY: The Pirates have officially added Stephenson to their active roster, with JT Brubaker headed to the paternity list in the corresponding move.

AUGUST 27: The Pirates have claimed right-hander Robert Stephenson off waivers from the Rockies.  Infielder Kevin Padlo was designated for assignment in the corresponding 40-man roster move, and the Pirates will make another move on their active roster when Stephenson joins the team.

Stephenson was DFA’ed by Colorado earlier this week, and didn’t last long on the waiver wire before the Pirates snatched him up.  It isn’t surprising to see the Bucs take a chance on a live arm who has some of the highest velocity of any pitcher in baseball, and Stephenson was also a former top prospect for the division-rival Reds during his minor league career.

That early promise led to some good results as a reliever in 2019 and 2021, but this season has been a struggle for the right-hander.  Stephenson has a 6.04 ERA over 44 2/3 innings, due to a below-average 18.8% strikeout rate and a lot of hard contact allowed.  As fast (97mph) as Stephenson’s average four-seamer may be, batters have hit .379 against the pitch.

If Pittsburgh’s coaching staff can get Stephenson back to his 2021 form, he’ll be a nice bullpen addition for the Pirates both for the remainder of this season and in 2023, as Stephenson still has a third and final season of arbitration eligibility remaining.  The righty is out of minor league options, so the Pirates would have a DFA decision to make of their own if they wanted to move Stephenson to the minors and off their 40-man roster.

Padlo is no stranger to the DFA carousel, as he has now been designated for assignment for the fifth time in a little over a year.  The Mariners claimed Padlo off waivers from the Rays in August 2021, starting a cycle that has been Padlo go from Seattle to the Giants, back to the Mariners, and then to Pittsburgh earlier this month when the Bucs claimed Padlo away from the M’s.

All of the movement has resulted in only 34 Major League plate appearances for Padlo this season (split over the Pirates, Mariners, and Giants), but he has performed well over 278 Triple-A PA.  The infielder has hit .270/.345/.484 with 12 homers and 13 doubles at the highest minor league level, continuing what has been a solid set of career Triple-A numbers.

Between that production and Padlo’s versatility as a third baseman who can be moved around the infield and into left field, it isn’t hard to see why teams keep having interest in Padlo, even if that interest has yet to manifest itself into a regular MLB job.  As such, it seems quite possible that another club might claim Padlo away from the Pirates.

Tyler Duffey To Opt Out Of Rangers Contract

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Right-hander Tyler Duffey is opting out of his minor league contract with the Rangers, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray (Twitter link).  Duffey only joined the organization a little over two weeks ago, but is now exercising one of the several opt-out clauses that was reportedly part of the deal.

Duffey has a 4.91 ERA over 44 innings with the Twins this season, with below-average walk and strikeout rates and a host of other unimpressive metrics.  This performance ended Duffey’s decade-long run in the organization, as Minnesota released him about a week prior to Duffey’s signing with Texas.

The Rangers will end up parting ways with Duffey at no cost, since they didn’t even have to pay the reliever a prorated minimum salary since Duffey didn’t reach the big leagues.  Duffey and the Twins avoided arbitration this past winter by agreeing to a $3.8MM salary for the 2022 season, so if Duffey does land elsewhere and make it back to a Major League roster, the Twins will still be responsible for the bulk of that remaining salary (with the new team only paying the prorated portion of a minimum salary).

Duffey’s brief run at Triple-A Round Rock saw him pitch five scoreless innings over four appearances, though he did walk four batters in those five frames.  Control was once a strength for the righty, but Duffey’s walk rate has dipped considerably over the last two seasons.  Still, as uninspiring as Duffey’s 2022 performance has been, his quality work out of Minnesota’s bullpen in 2019-21 will likely convince another team to take a shot on another minors contract.  As for the Rangers, they might have been more apt to give MLB innings to younger relievers down the stretch, rather than devote a roster spot to a veteran who will be a free agent after the season.

Vinny Nittoli To Opt Out Of Blue Jays Contract

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A little over a month after signing a minor league deal with the Blue Jays, right-hander Vinny Nittoli now plans to opt out of that deal, FanSided’s Robert Murray tweets.  Nittoli will hit the free agent market again, and could join his fifth different organization in just over a year’s time.

A 25th-round pick for the Mariners in 2014, Nittoli has already bounced around several times in his career — this is his second stint with the Blue Jays, and he also has two separate stints with Seattle.  It was with the Mariners in 2021 that Nittoli made his MLB debut, tossing a single inning of work on June 23, 2021.  After the M’s released him last August, Nittoli has since signed minor league deals with the Twins, Yankees, and Blue Jays, with Nittoli also opting out of his pact with New York.

Amidst all this movement, the 31-year-old has had a solid season at the Triple-A level, with a 3.30 ERA over 46 1/3 combined innings for the Yankees’ and Jays’ affiliates.  Nittoli also has a 32.06% strikeout rate and 7.61% walk rate, but despite these numbers, it appears as though he wasn’t on the radar of either AL East team for an in-season promotion.

NL East Notes: Alvarez, Hernandez, Sanchez

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Star Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez is undergoing evaluation on a sore right ankle, SNY’s Andy Martino reports (Twitter link).  As per other Peter Botte and Mike Puma of the New York Post, the injury isn’t thought to be too severe, though simply given the calendar, there is a possibility that the Mets could shut Alvarez down for what remains of the 2022 season.  More will be known in a few days’ time, after Alvarez has been more fully tested.

One of the top minor leaguers in all of baseball, there has been speculation that the 20-year-old Alvarez might receive a call-up to the majors this season, as the Mets haven’t gotten much from the catching position.  However, even before his ankle injury surfaced, Alvarez wasn’t off to a great start in his first taste of Triple-A action, batting only .180/.340/.378 in 141 plate appearances.  It certainly isn’t the ideal platform to launch a young player into making his MLB debut in the thick of a pennant race, and naturally the Mets want to be as careful as possible with the development of a possible cornerstone player of the future.

Other updates from around the NL East…

  • The Nationals shifted Yadiel Hernandez to the 60-day injured list on Saturday, officially ending the outfielder’s season.  (In a corresponding move, Washington reinstated left-hander Seth Romero from the 60-day IL and assigned him to Double-A.)  Hernandez was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL on August 19 due to a left calf strain, and his third MLB season saw the 34-year-old hit .269/.312/.410 with nine homers over 327 plate appearances.  Hernandez has spent much of his Nats tenure as the left-handed hitting side of an outfield platoon, posting roughly league-average offense since the start of the 2021 campaign.  He is under team control through 2026, but given his age and the Nationals’ rebuild, it is possible the team might consider moving onto a younger option for next season.
  • Sixto Sanchez’s continued shoulder inflammation will result in a cortisone shot on Monday, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).  Sanchez made his MLB debut with 39 innings in 2020, but hasn’t since pitched at any level due to shoulder problems, which included surgery in July 2021.  It is becoming increasingly unlikely that Sanchez will get any game action in the majors or minors before 2022 is out, making it another lost year for the Marlins right-hander.

Yankees Place Aroldis Chapman On 15-Day Injured List

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7:06PM: The Yankees officially placed Chapman on the 15-day IL, retroactive to August 24.

6:14PM: The Yankees will place left-hander Aroldis Chapman on the 15-day injured list due to a leg infection, manager Aaron Boone told the YES Network’s Jack Curry (Twitter links) and other reporters.

Chapman last pitched on August 19, and Boone said part of that layoff has been due to the reliever’s battle with an infection that developed after Chapman got a leg tattoo.  Boone stated that he believes Chapman will pitch again this season, but the lefty will now be out until at least the second week in September, even accounting for a few days of backdating on his IL placement.

The unusual injury adds to what has been a tough season for Chapman, who already missed over five weeks due to left Achilles tendinitis.  By the time Chapman returned to the active roster, Clay Holmes had taken over as New York’s closer, leaving Chapman relegated to lower-leverage roles rather than even a solid set-up job.  Since beginning his season with 10 1/3 scoreless innings, Chapman has struggled to a 7.08 ERA over his last 20 1/3 innings of work.

Even with Chapman far less than his usual effective self, his IL placement is another hit to a bullpen that has suddenly been crushed by injuries over the last couple of months.  Holmes may be back from his own IL stint within a few days’ time, but Holmes and Chapman are joined by Scott Effross, Miguel Castro, Zack Britton, and Albert Abreu on the injured list, while Michael King and Chad Green have already been ruled out for the rest of the season.  Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge are the only remaining left-handers in New York’s relief corps now that Chapman is out.

The Yankees entered Saturday’s action with a comfortable 8.5-game lead in the AL East, as an ongoing five-game winning streak has eased some concerns after a mediocre stretch of play since the All-Star break.  Getting some of those injured relievers back before the playoffs will further bolster New York’s chances in October, but in Chapman’s case, the question must be asked whether the Yankees could conceivably leave him off a playoff roster altogether.

While Chapman is a seasoned playoff performer with a 2016 World Series ring to show from his time with the Cubs, he’ll need to return in good health and then deliver some consistent outings in September to clinch his spot for the postseason.  This is also the last season of Chapman’s three-year, $48MM contract, so a platform for free agency is also undoubtedly on Chapman’s mind.

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