The Royals have designated right-hander Joel Payamps for assignment and optioned infielder Maikel Garcia to Triple-A Omaha, per a club announcement. That pair of moves will open roster space for Hunter Dozier to return from the paternity list and for righty Max Castillo to be recalled from Omaha. Castillo, whom the Royals acquired in the trade that sent Whit Merrifield to Toronto, will start tonight’s game in place of veteran Brad Keller, who has been moved from the rotation to the bullpen.
Payamps, 28, has been a solid member of the Kansas City bullpen this season, working to a 3.16 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate, an 8.5% walk rate and a hearty 53.3% ground-ball rate, all of which makes his DFA at least a mild surprise. Fielding-independent metrics aren’t quite as bullish on the righty, who’s benefited from an elevated 78.9% left-on-base rate and given up a fair bit of hard contact (40.9%). Still, Payamps is averaging a career-high 95 mph on his heater, keeping the ball on the ground at a career-best rate and sporting a career-best 10.1% swinging-strike rate.
It’s not an elite package of results and secondary marks, but Payamps has had a better year than the standard DFA casualty and figures to have a decent chance of being claimed on waivers. That’ll be the Royals’ only course of action, as he can’t be traded now that the deadline has passed. Payamps is controllable for another four years beyond the current season but is out of minor league options, so any team to claim him will have to carry him on the MLB roster.
Castillo, 23, slotted in as the Royals’ No. 24 prospect at Baseball America in their post-deadline reranking of the system. He made his big league debut with Toronto earlier in the season, appearing in nine games (two of them starts) and working to a 3.05 ERA with a 20-to-5 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings. It’s been a strong season on the whole for Castillo, who notched a 3.10 ERA in Double-A before jumping to Triple-A and yielding six runs in 31 innings (1.74 ERA).
Castillo isn’t a power pitcher but has displayed solid walk and ground-ball rates while garnering praise for an above-average changeup and command of the strike zone. The Royals will take at least some of the remainder of the season to evaluate him as a potential rotation piece, though it’s always possible that he ultimately slots in as a multi-inning reliever or swing man. For now, he’ll join Zack Greinke, Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic on the starting staff.
Cherington, call KC’s GM for the protocols to DFA Van Meter then perform your job of doing just that
Joel Payamps: the most sought after Pitcher of the 2020-21 offseason
Someone will take a chance on Payamps. Ground ball machine with a 15.6% line drive rate, which helps make up for his below average exit velocity and hard hit rate. He’s also pitched more than 1 inning in 17 of his total appearances. Might not be a high-leverage guy, but a solid multi-inning reliever.
Right now ground balls end up on the other side of the wall.
Red Sox, Blue Jays, you know what to do.
Payamps is not a good pitcher. His numbers this year are not a reflection of who he is as a pitcher. He’s one of those bounce around from team to team guys that each team seems to have to have it beat into their head he can’t pitch well for them either.
Payamps is not the real deal!
Has to be more to the situation. Luke Weaver? Amir Garret? Carlos Hernandez? Josh Staumont? Those guys are all keepers, but Payamps has to go, at time when there’s no need to release anyone (Rosters expand in 2 weeks). Stay tuned for the real story.
You aren’t very smart are you?
You aren’t very kind, are you?
Wow, just wow.
Payamps is a great example of when numbers lie. Never been a fan. What’s his stranded rate this season? I know last season was horrible.
Look at Carlos Hernandez’s numbers and tell me why he’s still has a job and Payamps doesn’t? There must be a whole lot of numbers lying there.
Payamps has a 3.33 ERA in 100 career innings. That’s too many innings of solid production to be a fluke. They might not all be high-leverage situations, but he’s doing something right.
He’s a hell of a lot better than Luke Weaver.
But Payamps doesn’t use a bible for a glove
He also does not use a pentagram or sickle and hammer for a glove. What’s your point?
He also doesn’t use a pentagram or hammer and sickle for a glove. What’s your point?
He also doesn’t use a pent a gram or hammer and sickle for a glove. What’s your point?
Probably because no one in history ever has. What a bizarre comment
Dayton Moore is known to prioritize christian baseball players. Luke Weaver has bible verses all over his glove. Point is Dayton yet again found one of his good ol’ christian boys and outed a decent bullpen guy for him.
Low-leverage relievers have very little job security. They’re a lot of them out there and since they don’t fill a critical role, even a solid one usually isn’t guarenteed a long-term spot.
His ERA looks appealing but the guy has a 4,36 Fip and 1,45 whip….I think he deserves a spot but I get why he got DFA
Joel Payamps isn’t the worst pitcher on KCR. Perhaps KCR sees Carlos Hernandez as DET sees Joe Jimenez. I wished AA would’ve traded Jimenez this season, however. Unharnesssd.