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Reds Open To Buying, Spending At Trade Deadline

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While the Reds only moved back to the .500 mark after yesterday’s 2-1 victory over the Astros, Cincinnati’s 35-35 record puts them only a half-game behind the Brewers for first place in the NL Central.  Considering how the Reds were 21-29 just on May 25, the team’s surge over the last few weeks has included both a five-game winning streak and the Reds’ ongoing six-game winning streak.

Such highly-touted prospects as Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have sparked the lineup, and Andrew Abbott has started his MLB career with 17 2/3 scoreless innings (setting a modern record in the process).  Since the youngsters are contributing already and the NL Central seems to be wide open, the Reds could be in the unexpected position of finding themselves looking to add at the trade deadline.

To this end, general manager Nick Krall told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) that the front office is prepared to act if Cincinnati remains in contention.

“If we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs, we try to make the playoffs any way we can.  It’s not about getting top farm systems.  That’s great, but at the same time, you’re trying to make moves to sustain winning on your big league club and figure out what that is,” Krall said.  As to whether or not ownership will increase payroll to accommodate a deadline move, “there’s nothing I see that is going to impede us from making an acquisition,” Krall said.

As per Roster Resource, the Reds’ payroll sits just shy of $83MM, with Joey Votto accounting for $25MM of that figure.  The team topped the $130MM mark (putting the Reds about in the middle of the league in payroll size) during the 2019-21 seasons, as Cincinnati’s previous rebuilding process saw the team augment its young talent with such notable free agents as Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas.  The result was a wild card postseason appearance in 2020, but the pandemic seemed to curb ownership’s desire for any more spending, leading the front office to start cutting payroll and rebuilding anew, resulting in a dismal 62-100 season in 2022.

It’s probably safe to assume that the Reds aren’t going on a spending spree at the deadline, both because of the past history of modest payrolls, and because the club has so much young talent that it doesn’t want to block any positions with veterans.  However, as Rosenthal noted, Cincinnati’s prospect depth is naturally also a big advantage in swinging trades.  Obviously the likes of De La Cruz or McLain aren’t going anywhere, but the Reds could conceivably dangle some minor leaguers who are further away from their MLB debuts in order to land some win-now help.  Offering a higher caliber of prospect might also entice a rival team to eat all or most of the money owed on a veteran player’s remaining contact, thus allowing the Reds to sidestep a major payroll increase.

Despite Abbott’s early success, starting pitching is the most obvious need for the Reds.  Hunter Greene and Ben Lively have performed decently, but Graham Ashcraft has struggled and is currently on the 15-day injured list, while Nick Lodolo (who also wasn’t pitching well) is out until August due to a stress reaction in his tibia.

Krall said that Ashcraft and Lodolo could provide some pitching help, and implied that the Reds might be looking just for rental players for further rotation adds.  “Anything else you do, you’re doing it for the short term but you also want to add quality guys if possible.  You’d have to find the right match to make that trade,” the GM said.

Another creative route would be for the Reds to perhaps buy and sell in equal measure, trading some veteran players just to clear roster space for all of the youngsters that are knocking on the door for more playing time.  Injuries have created some openings for the prospects, as Votto has yet to play this season and Wil Myers and Jake Fraley are currently on the 10-day IL.  Nick Senzel was only just activated off the 10-day IL yesterday, and if everyone is healthy at the same time, the Reds simply won’t have enough at-bats to go around.

Cincinnati’s outfield has more question marks than the infield, which is why Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been getting a tryout as a corner outfielder at Triple-A.  Considered to be the next top prospect on the verge of his big league debut, Encarnacion-Strand is a corner infielder by trade, yet the Reds are well stocked for first and third base options (i.e. Spencer Steer, De La Cruz, Senzel, Votto, Myers, Kevin Newman).  Encarnacion-Strand’s outfield work has thus far consisted of one game each as a left fielder and right fielder, but if he can provide at least passable glovework on the grass, it will create a quicker path to playing time.  Hitting-wise, CES seems more than ready for the Show, with a whopping .345/.413/.691 slash line over 218 PA at Triple-A Louisville this season.

Dodgers Notes: Taylor, Peralta, Urias, Hudson

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Dodgers veterans Chris Taylor and David Peralta are both out of the lineup today after exiting yesterday’s game against the Giants. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register notes that Peralta’s hamstring feels better today, and that manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Peralta could be available off the bench in tonight’s game, though he likely would not be tasked with playing the outfield for a few days.

As for Taylor, Plunkett notes that the veteran utility player underwent an MRI on his knee today that showed he had suffered a bone bruise, a diagnosis that came as a relief to the 32-year-old. Roberts expanded on Taylor’s comments, noting to reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Taylor was dealing with “cartilage discomfort” for which he was poised to get a cortisone shot. While both Taylor and Roberts acknowledged that he’ll be out of action for a few days, the pair also expressed optimism that he would be able to avoid a stint on the injured list, though Ardaya notes that infielder Yonny Hernandez is with the team to step in should a roster move be necessary.

With Taylor and potentially Peralta out of the lineup just a day after the club put Max Muncy on the injured list with a hamstring strain, the Dodgers are facing a significant test to their position player depth. While youngster Michael Busch helps to bolster the bench and Mookie Betts is capable of playing both the middle infield or in the outfield as necessary, the club was still forced to get creative with today’s lineup, penciling DH J.D. Martinez into the starting lineup in left field. It was Martinez’s first start anywhere other than DH since 2021, as the veteran slugger hasn’t played the outfield on a regular basis since 2017.

In more positive injury news, left-hander Julio Urias appears to be progressing in his rehab of a hamstring strain, as Plunkett notes the 26-year-old threw a 40-pitch up and down bullpen session today. According to Plunkett, Urias’s next steps will be a live sim game before beginning a rehab assignment shortly thereafter. Urias’s return would be a major boost for LA, as the club lacks certainty in their rotation behind the trio of Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, and youngster Bobby Miller.

Also approaching a potential return to action is right-hander Daniel Hudson. As Roberts noted to reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Hudson is set to move his rehab process from Arizona Complex League to Triple-A in the coming week as he looks to face stronger competition en route to a return to the Dodgers’ bullpen, which Roberts believes could happen before the end of the month. A return to action for Hudson, who sports a 2.96 ERA and 2.84 FIP since the start of the 2021 campaign but hasn’t thrown a pitch in 2023 while rehabbing knee surgery, would be a major boon for the Dodgers as they look to improve a bullpen that sports an NL-worst 4.90 ERA despite a strong nucleus of Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and Caleb Ferguson.

Giants Place Wilmer Flores, John Brebbia On IL

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The Giants announced a series of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game against the Dodgers, placing 10-day injured list Wilmer Flores on the 10-day IL and right-hander John Brebbia on the 15-day IL while activating left-hander Alex Wood and recalling right-hander Tristan Beck. Flores is suffering from a foot contusion, while Brebbia was diagnosed with a grade 2 lat strain that Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle notes could keep him on the shelf for 4-8 weeks.

Flores, 31, has been a steady veteran presence in San Francisco’s infield over the past four seasons, slashing an above average .249/.322/.437 in 398 games with the club since the start of the 2020 campaign. During that time, Flores has logged time at each of first, second, and third base in addition to the DH slot. Aside from his versatility, the highlight of Flores’s toolkit is his plate discipline, as the veteran has struck out in just 15.7% of plate appearances as a member of the Giants while walking at a 9.1% clip. Fortunately for the Giants, the club seems well-equipped to weather the loss of Flores, as Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, and Lamonte Wade Jr. are all having excellent seasons around the infield while veteran Brandon Crawford mans shortstop, backed up by youngster Casey Schmitt.

Brebbia’s role on the roster, on the other hand, figures to be more difficult to replace. The 33-year-old righty sports a 3.14 ERA, 38% better than league average by measure of ERA+, and a 2.72 FIP in 28 2/3 innings this season. While Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Taylor Rogers have all been similarly excellent, none of them have shown the valuable versatility of Brebbia, who works effectively both in the late innings and as an opener, recording appearances that last both a single out and multiple innings throughout the season so far.

Filling in for Brebbia in the bullpen is Beck, a 27-year-old right-hander who made his major league debut with the Giants earlier this season. In 31 1/3 innings of work, Beck has posted a respectable 3.73 ERA (116 ERA+) with a 4.23 FIP with a 21.7% strikeout rate and a minuscule walk rate of 3.9%. During his time in the big leagues this season, Beck has been used for multi-inning relief in the majority of his appearances, including an 81-pitch outing that lasted 5 1/3 innings against the Mets.

Also rejoining the Giants roster is Wood, who went on the injured list earlier this month with a low back strain. It’s been a difficult road for Wood since he signed a two-year, $25MM deal with the Giants ahead of the 2022 campaign, as he posted a well below average 5.10 ERA last season despite solid peripherals. He’s struggled similarly this season, with a 4.80 ERA and 4.58 FIP across 30 innings of work.

While those run prevention numbers are largely held down by six-run, 4 1/3 inning start immediately preceding his trip to the injured list, Wood has also struggled to pitch deep into games this season. He’s finished the fifth inning just once all season while throwing more than 75 pitches just twice. In his return to the rotation, Wood figures to attempt to stabilize San Francisco’s rotation alongside Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Cobb.

Guardians Place Triston McKenzie On IL With Elbow Sprain

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8:44pm: As noted by Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, manager Terry Francona told reporters that an MRI revealed that McKenzie was suffering from inflammation in his right elbow, with Francona noting that the inflammation “means the UCL is involved.” It’s obviously less than ideal news for McKenzie, as UCL issues can often require Tommy John surgery, though it’s certainly possible that this issue won’t rise to that level. Per Francona, McKenzie will head back to Cleveland to be examined by team staff before the club determines next steps.

6:30pm: The Guardians are making a series of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks, as noted by Zack Meisel of The Athletic. The club is placing right-hander Triston McKenzie on the injured list with a right elbow sprain, designating right-hander Touki Toussaint for assignment, selecting the contract of left-hander Daniel Norris, and recalling left-hander Tim Herrin from Triple-A. Meisel also notes that the club is recalling catcher Bo Naylor, as previously expected.

McKenzie, who was scratched from yesterday’s start with elbow discomfort, now heads to the IL with a sprain in his right elbow. While further details have not yet been made available, it’s certainly an ominous diagnosis for the 25-year-old hurler, particularly after missing the first two months of the season with a teres major strain. McKenzie made just two starts before returning to the IL, striking out ten over five scoreless innings against the Twins before getting lit up for five runs in five innings against the Astros at home last week.

Of course, McKenzie was a key factor in Cleveland’s success last season as he threw 191 1/3 innings with a 2.96 ERA and 3.59 FIP. McKenzie posted an excellent 25.6% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.9% as he helped to lead the Guardians to a surprising AL Central crown before the club fell to the Yankees in the ALDS. The club has struggled to replicate its 2022 campaign this year, with a record of just 32-37 that leaves them three games back of the Twins in a weak AL Central division.

Some of those struggles can be attributed to the uncertainty facing the club’s starting rotation, as only Shane Bieber has managed to stay healthy and effective as a starter throughout the entire season to this point, though youngsters Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee have done well following in-season promotions. Unfortunately, that uncertainty appears poised to continue with McKenzie headed back to the injured list with what could be another lengthy absence, though his timetable for return will remain uncertain until the club provides additional clarity on the situation.

Joining the club’s pitching staff as McKenzie exits is a pair of left-handers. Herrin, a 26-year-old who made his MLB debut for the Guardians earlier this season, struggled to a 6.39 ERA and 4.54 FIP in ten major league appearances but has posted more palatable numbers at the Triple-A level with a 3.93 ERA in 18 1/3 innings of work. Norris, meanwhile, signed with the Guardians on a minor league deal back in March. He’s struggled to a 6.93 ERA in 14 appearances (nine starts) at the Triple-A level this season, though the veteran has pitched in parts of nine major league seasons and has been roughly league average by measure of ERA+, with figure of 99 in 569 2/3 career innings of work.

Making room for Norris on the active roster is Toussaint, who departs the Guardians after making a spot start last night in McKenzie’s stead. The 27-year-old former first round pick allowed two runs on three hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings of work while striking out two against the Diamondbacks yesterday. The Guardians now figure to either attempt to swing a trade involving the right-hander or attempt to pass him through waivers. If successful in doing so, Cleveland could outright Toussaint to Triple-A, where he would continue to serve as pitching depth for the club going forward.

Astros Acquire Joel Kuhnel

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The Reds have traded right-hander Joel Kuhnel to the Astros in exchange for cash considerations, per an announcement by both teams. The move comes days after Kuhnel was designated for assignment by Cincinnati. To make room for Kuhnel on the 40-man roster, the Astros have transferred right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-day injured list. The club also announced that they have optioned Kuhnel to Triple-A.

The move marks the end of the Kuhnel’s tenure with the Reds, for whom he has played his entire professional career after the club selected him in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. Kuhnel pitched for Cincinnati in parts of four seasons, with the majority of his appearances coming during the 2022 campaign.

In 58 innings of work last season, Kuhnel posted an abysmal 6.36 ERA. That being said, those terrible run prevention numbers are belie what advanced metrics say was a perfectly solid performance in 2022. Hitters posted an unsustainable .343 BABIP against Kuhnel in 2022 while the right-hander posted an unusually low strand rate of just 60.2% over the course of the season. Kuhnel’s performance is further bolstered by his 22% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. Taken together, it’s easy to see why advanced metrics thought relatively highly of Kuhnel in 2022, as evidenced by a 3.78 xERA and a 3.52 xFIP.

In all, Kuhnel heads to Houston with a career 6.20 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 74 innings of work across 69 appearances. Going forward, Kuhnel figures to act as depth for an Astros bullpen that ranks top three in the majors with a 3.21 ERA, behind only the Guardians and Yankees. He joins the likes of Matt Gage and Blake Taylor as bullpen depth at the Triple-A level that’s already on the 40-man roster. Kuhnel takes the 40-man roster spot of McCullers, whose placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise following his season-ending surgery earlier this week.

AL West Notes: A’s, McCullers, Leon

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While the Athletics seem more likely than ever to relocate to Las Vegas after Nevada’s governor signed a bill providing $380MM in public funding for an MLB stadium in the state’s biggest city, Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the club will remain in Oakland through the end of their lease at the Coliseum, which expires after the 2024 season. As Akers notes, no discussions have taken place regarding the A’s leaving Oakland ahead of the 2024 campaign, as the 2024 MLB schedule is already set and poised to be released later this summer.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, however, Akers notes that there are a variety of options being explored for the club’s temporary home until the Athletic’s planned ballpark in Las Vegas is ready, which isn’t expected to happen until 2028. Options Akers mentions for the A’s are Sacramento, Reno, and even alternative sites in the Bay Area. Most interestingly, Akers points out that the A’s have an agreement in place with Howard Hughes Corp, the owner of the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, to use the Aviators’ 10,000 seat ballpark while construction of the permanent ballpark is underway.

Of course, there’s still much to do before the club’s planned relocation is official, to say nothing of the steps necessary to finalize a temporary home ballpark. The Athletics will need to have their relocation effort approved by 75% of MLB owners, and the MLB Players Association would have to give its approval for the club’s temporary home ballpark before any plans could be finalized. Still, Akers’s report nonetheless provides some a window into the options at the club’s disposal as they prepare to depart Oakland, their home for more than half a century.

More from around AL West…

  • Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. underwent flexor tendon surgery earlier this week that will keep him out of action for the rest of the season. While that’s surely a bitterly disappointing development for both McCullers and fans in Houston, the situation could have gone far worse, as The Athletic’s Chandler Rome notes in a recent article that McCullers and Dr. Neal ElAttrache entered operating room prepared for the possibility that the right-hander would require a second Tommy John surgery rather than the flexor tendon surgery he ultimately needed. Such a procedure would have left McCullers unavailable for at least twelve months, but the 29-year-old righty could begin throwing again toward the end of the 2023 campaign or shortly after the season’s conclusion. Unfortunately, that does little to assist an Astros rotation that has also lost Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy to injury so far this season.
  • The Rangers announced earlier this afternoon that catcher Sandy Leon had accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. Leon had been designated for assignment by the club earlier this week. It’s great news for the Rangers, as Leon is a well respected defensive catcher and game caller. While he slashed just .146/.186/.195 in 21 games with the Rangers this season that translates to an abysmal wRC+ of 2, Leon’s presence at Triple-A will provide the Rangers with catching depth behind their current trio of Jonah Heim, Sam Huff, and Mitch Garver while also providing the club’s young pitchers at the level with a veteran catcher who could aid in their development.

Dodgers Select Bryan Hudson

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Ahead of tonight’s game against the Giants, the Dodgers have selected the contract of left-hander Bryan Hudson. In a corresponding move, right-hander Tayler Scott was designated for assignment, per a team announcement.

Hudson, 26, was a third round pick by the Cubs in the 2015 draft. Used as a starter early in his professional career, Hudson struggled badly, posting a 4.51 ERA in 325 1/3 innings of work spread across the Low-A, Single-A, and High-A levels from 2016-19. After not pitching in 2020 due to the cancelled minor league season, Hudson returned in 2021 having converted to the bullpen, and saw his results improve. The lefty posted a 3.13 ERA in 54 2/3 innings of work at the Double-A level in 2021 with a 23.3% strikeout rate and a phenomenal 65% groundball rate, though his 10% walk rate left something to be desired. In 2022, Hudson posted similar numbers, with a 3.66 ERA in 59 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

After the 2022 campaign, Hudson departed the Cubs organization through minor league free agency before signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers in December. Since signing on in LA, Hudson has pitched to a sterling 2.17 ERA in 29 innings at Triple-A. While his groundball rate has plummeted to just 27.8%, Hudson is striking out batters at an absurd 41.1% clip, leaving plenty of reason for optimism that the southpaw could help bolster a Dodgers bullpen that sports an NL-worst 4.90 ERA.

Making room for Hudson is Scott, who allowed six runs on six hits, a hit batsman, six walks, and eight strikeouts over six appearances during his time in Dodger blue. Prior to Scott’s call-up, the righty had posted impressive marks of his own at Triple-A, including a 1.37 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work. The Dodgers now figure to attempt to trade Scott or pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, LA can assign him outright to the minors, though Scott has been outrighted previously in his career, meaning he could reject that assignment and elect free agency if he so chose.

Marlins Place Edward Cabrera On 15-Day Injured List

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2:53PM: Cabrera’s IL placement is somewhat precautionary in nature, manager Skip Schumaker told McPherson and other reporters.  “We’re hoping it’s just only two starts [missed].  I don’t think he’s going to miss a bullpen.  He might even throw through that,” Schumaker said.

2:19PM: After already placing Jean Segura on the 10-day injured list earlier today, the Marlins have sent another notable player to the IL.  The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson (Twitter link) reports that the Fish have placed Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL due to a right shoulder impingement, with the placement retroactive to June 14.  Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Tapped by many as a possible breakout candidate for the 2023 season, it has been an up-and-down year for Cabrera, with his inflated 14.1% walk rate and 17.3% home run rate contributing to much of this inconsistency.  While Cabrera generally does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground (53.7% groundball rate), his big flies have yielded a lot of damage, as his homer rate is the sixth-highest of any hurler in the league with at least 60 innings pitched.  The result is a 4.70 ERA, despite Cabrera’s impressive 28.9% strikeout rate.

Cabrera joins Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto as projected rotation stalwarts currently on the injured list, with Rogers and Cueto each on the 60-day version of the IL.  The nature of Cabrera’s shoulder problem isn’t yet known, as an “impingement” could describe a more serious concern or just a minor issue that would allow Cabrera to return in the minimum 15 days.  The right-hander already missed around seven weeks of the 2022 season due to elbow tendinitis, as well as a minor ankle sprain that sent him to the IL at the very end of the season.

The Marlins had slated Cabrera to start Monday’s game against the Blue Jays, so the club doesn’t have long to decide on a replacement.  A bullpen game is one option, or the Fish On First blog (Twitter links) notes that Jeff Lindgren or Chi Chi Gonzalez could be called up for a spot start, as both pitchers are on a normal amount of rest between outings for Triple-A Jacksonville.  Neither Lindgren or Gonzalez are on the 40-man roster, but Avisail Garcia could be moved to the 60-day IL to create space.

Phillies Place Seranthony Dominguez On 15-Day IL

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The Phillies announced that left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and right-hander Yunior Marte have been called up from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Luis Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A, while reliever Seranthony Dominguez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  Dominguez’s placement is retroactive to June 16.

The severity of Dominguez’s strain isn’t yet known, and both the Phillies and the right-hander can only hope that it isn’t the type of lingering oblique problem that can sideline a player for months.  Dominguez is unfortunately no stranger to long-term injuries, though an oblique strain is at least far less of a concern than the Tommy John surgery that cost him almost all of the 2020-21 seasons.

After posting a 3.00 ERA over 51 regular-season innings and then an outstanding 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 postseason frames in 2022, Dominguez hasn’t been quite as effective this year.  The righty has a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings out of the Philly bullpen, with a 22.2% strikeout rate that is well below his 29.9% average from his first four MLB seasons.  On the plus side, Dominguez’s 8.7% walk rate is a career low (albeit still under the league average) and he does have a .350 BABIP.  It is also worth noting that Dominguez’s numbers look a lot better when you subtract his first appearance of the season, a disastrous outing against the Rangers that saw Dominguez allow four earned runs without recording a single out.

Sanchez will start today’s game against the A’s, marking the left-hander’s second start and appearance of the 2023 season.  A triceps injury during Spring Training sent Sanchez to the injured list at the start of the season, and might have cost him an opportunity to win a job in Philadelphia’s rotation.  That door is still open for Sanchez, as the Phillies are still looking for any kind of stability with their fifth starter role.

Brewers Outright Cam Robinson To Double-A

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TODAY: Robinson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Double-A.

JUNE 14: The Brewers have designated right-hander Cam Robinson for assignment, tweets Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to outfielder Raimel Tapia, whose previously reported Major League deal with Milwaukee is now official. Infielder Abraham Toro was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to open a spot on the active roster.

Robinson, 23, was selected to the Brewers’ 40-man roster over the winter after pitching to a 2.49 ERA with a strong 31.6% strikeout rate in 65 innings across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. Command has been an issue for the former 23-round pick throughout his pro career, however, evidenced by last year’s 11.2% walk rate and this year’s alarming 18.5% walk rate between Double-A and Triple-A.

As one would expect for a pitcher issuing free passes at such a high clip, the 2023 season has been a struggle for Robinson. In 20 total innings (12 in Double-A, eight in Triple-A), he’s been rocked for an 8.55 ERA. He’s still missing bats and has had some degree of misfortune on balls in play with a BABIP north of .470, but the command issues are tough to overlook — particularly since they’re not unique to the 2023 season. In parts of six professional seasons, Robinson has walked 13.7% of the opponents he’s faced.

Baseball America recently ranked Robinson as the No. 19 prospect in a thin Brewers system, noting that he sits 92-95 mph with a fastball that can touch 97 mph and calling him a potential middle reliever. Robinson will now be available to all 29 other clubs, either via a minor trade or waiver claim. The Brewers will have a week to trade him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

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