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Pirates Designate Chris Owings For Assignment, Select Angel Perdomo

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The Pirates announced a series of roster moves this morning as the club selected the contract of left-hander Angel Perdomo and recalled right-hander Yerry De Los Santos to the big league club. In corresponding moves, infielder Chris Owings was designated for assignment while right-hander Cody Bolton was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Perdomo, 29, has not pitched in the majors since 2021 after making a 2 2/3 inning MLB debut for the Brewers in 2020. In 19 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, Perdomo sports a 8.24 ERA and 6.43 FIP. While he’s struck out a strong 33.7% of batters faced over that time, his massive 23.5% walk rate has held him back from being a quality big league reliever to this point. While Perdomo has posted a strong 2.47 ERA at the Triple-A level since the start of the 2022 season, it’s been accompanied by continued control issues, as evidenced by his 15.3% walk rate in that timeframe. The Pirates are clearly hoping Perdomo can harness his excellent stuff to contribute to the bullpen alongside fellow lefties Rob Zastrynzy and Jose Hernandez.

De Los Santos, on the other hand, made his big league debut for the Pirates last season, posting a 4.91 ERA and 4.01 FIP in 26 appearances. Now 25, he figures to help the likes of Perdomo and Yohan Ramirez cover the middle innings for the Pirates bullpen.

On the other end of things, the moves likely bring Owings’s time with the Pirates to an end. A former first round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2009 draft, Owings signed with the Pirates this past offseason on a minor league deal, eventually being selected to the roster in early May after initially being re-assigned to the minor leagues after failing to make the roster out of spring training. Owings appeared in ten games for the Pirates, with 12 strikeouts, no walks, and four hits (all singles) in 25 trips to the plate.

Though Owings has not managed to find regular playing time at the big league level since leaving the Diamondbacks in 2019, he’s appeared in parts of 11 big league seasons thanks in large part to his versatility, which has allowed him to appear in every defensive position throughout his big league career except for first base and catcher.

Meanwhile, Bolton heads to Indianapolis less than two weeks before his 25th birthday. A sixth-round pick by the Pirates in the 2017 draft, Bolton saw considerable success in the lower levels of the minors and was considered one of the better prospects in the Pirates organization early in his professional career. Unfortunately, he struggled with his command in 2022 at the Triple-A level, with a 12.4% walk rate in 75 2/3 innings split between the rotation and the bullpen. Nonetheless, he made his big league debut earlier this season, but in five appearances in the majors, Bolton has struggled to a 12.83 ERA in just eight innings of work. He figures to act as depth in Triple-A going forward as he tries to get things back on track.

Mariners To Promote Bryan Woo

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TODAY: The Mariners made the move official, selecting Woo’s contract and placing Gonzales on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain. To clear room for Woo on the 40-man roster, right-hander Easton McGee was transferred to the 60-day IL.

June 2: The Mariners are calling up pitching prospect Bryan Woo to start tomorrow’s game against the Rangers, tweets Corey Brock of the Athletic. Left-hander Marco Gonzales was slated to start but has been scratched with a forearm issue. It seems likely he’ll hit the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move, though that hasn’t yet been announced.

Woo, 23, is in the majors for the first time. A sixth round pick in 2021 out of Cal Poly, Woo has significantly elevated his stock in pro ball. He posted huge strikeout numbers in the low minors last season, cementing himself as one of the better prospects in the Seattle farm system. Baseball America slotted Woo seventh among M’s prospects over the offseason, praising his three-pitch arsenal and athleticism.

BA suggests Woo could settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter at his peak. Keith Law of the Athletic credited Woo with mid-rotation upside but suggested spotty command could eventually push him towards a relief role. He’ll break into the big leagues as a starter, making the jump directly past Triple-A in the process.

The right-hander has made nine starts for Double-A Arkansas on the season. He’s posted a brilliant 2.05 ERA through 44 innings with an excellent 34% strikeout rate. Woo has kept his free passes to a 7% clip, a particularly promising development considering the strike-throwing questions some evaluators expressed over the winter.

Seattle has already gotten strong results from one rookie righty this season. Bryce Miller has excelled through six starts, adding an exciting complement to their already fantastic trio of Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Gonzales has had a tougher go as the fifth starter, posting a 5.22 ERA over 50 innings.

While Gonzales has never missed many bats, he’s posted solid back-of-the-rotation numbers for the bulk of his Seattle tenure. He’s an excellent strike-thrower and has typically been durable. He missed around a month during the 2021 season with a forearm strain, however, and he’s again battling forearm issues. The extent of the injury is to be determined, as Brock notes he’s headed for further evaluation.

Chris Flexen filled in the rotation earlier this season. He struggled and was moved to the bullpen and fared much better in long relief. Flexen hasn’t pitched in four days and could’ve been an option to take a spot start in Gonzales’ stead, but the M’s have elected to dip into their farm system for one of their most talented young arms.

Woo won’t reach a full year of service time even if he’s up for good. He’ll be controllable through at least 2029 and wouldn’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2025 season at the earliest. Additional minor league assignments could push that timeline back.

The Mariners will need to formally add him to the 40-man roster tomorrow. Seattle is technically at capacity but could move either of Dylan Moore or Robbie Ray to the 60-day injured list without issue. Moore has already spent more than two months on the shelf; Ray is out for the season.

Yankees Release Kole Calhoun

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TODAY: Morosi reports that the Yankees have granted Calhoun his release, allowing him to return to the free agent market where he can search for a new minor league deal.

June 1: Veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun has exercised an out clause in his minor league deal with the Yankees, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The team will have 72 hours to add him to the roster or else grant him his release, Morosi adds. The 35-year-old Calhoun has had a strong start in Scranton, slashing .293/.402/.561 with four homers, six doubles and a pair of triples in 97 trips to the plate thus far.

Calhoun, who’s spent the bulk of his career with the Angels, was a steadily productive right fielder with generally strong defense from 2013-20, batting a combined .249/.324/.431 with 156 home runs in 4183 plate appearances and winning a Gold Glove (2015) during that time. He’s twice topped 25 home runs in a season — 26 in 2015 and 33 in 2019’s juiced-ball season — and has otherwise been good for 15 to 20 homers per year. His pull-side power would seem like a good fit for Yankee Stadium if they opt to bring the veteran up to the big league roster.

Yankees outfielders have been woefully unproductive as a whole in 2023, batting a combined .218/.284/.417 — good for a 91 wRC+ that ties them for 23rd in Major League Baseball. That production has come almost entirely from Aaron Judge (.262/.385/.627) and the again-injured Harrison Bader (.261/.290/.511).

With Giancarlo Stanton limited to 21 plate appearances so far, the Yankees have leaned on a rotating door of utility players, journeymen and unproductive veterans as they look to round out their outfield. None of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Aaron Hicks, Franchy Cordero, Willie Calhoun or Oswaldo Cabrera has been productive, however, and more recent additions like Jake Bauers and Greg Allen don’t have the big league track record to inspire much optimism.

The Yankees optioned Cordero and Cabrera to Triple-A today, likely setting the stage for the return of Stanton (as well as Josh Donaldson and reliever Tommy Kahnle). That’ll add one outfield-capable bat back to the lineup, but given the dismal production from the bulk of the Yankees’ corner options, there’s certainly a case for giving the elder Calhoun a look rather than letting him return to free agency.

Red Sox Release Jorge Alfaro

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TODAY: MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the Red Sox are granting Alfaro his release. Going forward, Alfaro figures to re-enter the free agent market as a quality depth option for catching-needy clubs.

June 1: Veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro has exercised an opt-out in his minor league deal with the Red Sox and is planning to test free agency, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Red Sox technically have 48 hours to add Alfaro to the roster before granting him his release. However, manager Alex Cora expressed comfort with current backstops Connor Wong and Reese McGuire last night and implied that the Sox weren’t likely to make any changes behind the plate, so it makes sense that Alfaro will explore other opportunities after a strong start to his season in Triple-A.

Alfaro, 30 next week, has gotten out to a hefty .320/.366/.520 start in Worcester this season. He’s connected on six homers, 13 doubles and even a pair of triples, adding a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts as well. Despite that hot start, Cora’s comments last night seem to suggest that Alfaro’s next big league opportunity won’t come with the Red Sox — at least not at this time. An injury in the next couple days could change that, but otherwise he appears quite likely to return to the market and look for an opportunity elsewhere.

The combination of Wong and McGuire have provided passable offense despite bloated strikeout rates, with McGuire’s sky-high BABIP in particularly making him something of a regression candidate. That duo hasn’t provided the defensive value the Sox hoped entering the season, however. McGuire is just 1-for-22 in terms of halting stolen bases, while Wong ranks among baseball’s worst pitch framers and pitch blockers, per Statcast.

Alfaro is just 5-for-35 in throwing out opposing baserunners this season, but Baseball Prospectus gives him average grades in terms of both pitch framing and pitch blocking. Alfaro doesn’t have a strong big league track record either defensively or offensively — he’s a career .256/.305/.396 hitter in the Majors — but there are so many teams in search of catching help that he could quickly find another opportunity elsewhere. Speculatively speaking, the Guardians and Padres are among the postseason hopefuls receiving negligible contributions behind the plate in 2023, but there are certainly other clubs that could take a look if (or perhaps when) Alfaro returns to the market.

Stephen Strasburg Shut Down From All Physical Activity

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Nationals veteran Stephen Strasburg’s stretch of brutal injury luck continues as The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reports that the right-hander has been shut down from all physical activity since late April due to what was described to Dougherty as “severe” nerve damage. It had previously been reported back in February that Strasburg had suffered a setback in his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome and the club had no timetable for his return to a major league mound. Dougherty notes that doubt is “increasing” that the 34-year-old former ace will ever be able to pitch again.

It’s a devastating continuation to the health woes that have plagued Strasburg all throughout his career. Seen as one of the most talented pitchers in the history of the draft when he was selected by the Nationals as the first overall pick in 2009, Strasburg has showcased immense talent throughout his career, but has been plagued by injuries ever since Tommy John surgery limited him to just 92 innings of work in his 2010 rookie season. Despite that surgery robbing him of his premium velocity that at times topped 100 mph as a rookie, Strasburg managed to put together a phenomenal eight-year stretch from 2012-2019, posting a 3.21 ERA and 3.03 FIP in 1,346 2/3 innings of work, though he eclipsed 180 innings in a season just three times due to continued injury woes.

Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245MM contract with the Nationals during the 2019-20 offseason, just weeks after leading the Nationals to the first World Series championship in franchise history with a dominant postseason where he posted a 1.98 ERA in 36 1/3 innings of work to go along with a top-5 finish in Cy Young award voting for his regular season performance. While his dominating 2019 season, history with the team, and pedigree as a former first overall draft pick, Cy Young finalist, and three-time All Star justified the expenditure to an extent, Strasburg’s already-lengthy injury history offered plenty of reason for concern from the moment the deal was signed.

Those concerns have borne out in what has essentially been a worst-case-scenario for the club over the past four seasons, as Strasburg has made just eight starts in that time while the franchise has entered a deep rebuild. Even during the rare moments when Strasburg has managed to return to a big league mound, the results have left much to be desired, as the aforementioned eight starts yielded a whopping 6.89 ERA, 39% below league average by measure of ERA+.

To make matters worse, Dougherty reports that the club lacks any sort of disability insurance of Strasburg’s megadeal, and it’s appearing increasingly unlikely that the Nationals will ever get any sort of significant return on their investment. While Strasburg was lightly rehabbing at Nationals Park as recently as earlier this season, Dougherty notes that a return to attempting to throw off a mound resulted in Strasburg being limited to exclusively lower-half exercise, but even that proved to be too much by the end of April.

Looking to the future, Dougherty notes that Strasburg won’t get the green light to rehab again until and unless his team of doctors believe an additional attempt to return to baseball would not impact his long-term well-being more than his current health issues already do. Last September, Strasburg acknowledged the difficulties of his injury situation, telling the Washington Post in an interview that he didn’t know “if [he’ll] ever be able to do this consistently on a major league mound again.”

Still in the midst of the rebuild that kicked off mid-way through the 2021 season, the Nationals have relied on a combination of youngsters MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, and Jake Irvin along with veterans like Trevor Williams, Patrick Corbin, and Chad Kuhl in their rotation so far in the 2023 campaign while consensus top 100 prospect Cade Cavalli joins Strasburg on the injured list, rehabbing from an early-career Tommy John surgery of his own.

NL Central Notes: Steele, Votto, Adames, Miley, Velasquez

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Cubs fans received some positive news regarding left-hander Justin Steele yesterday. The 27-year-old hurler was pulled from his start on Wednesday after just three innings of work due to forearm tightess and underwent an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the issue. As noted by MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian on Twitter, Steele described the result of the MRI as “good news” and said that the plan is for him to play catch today before determining the path forward. With that being said, WSCR-AM’s Bruce Levine notes that a source considers Steele “likely” to miss his next start, which he would otherwise be on schedule take Tuesday against the Angels.

After securing a spot in the starting rotation to open the 2022 campaign, Steele ended last season looking like an above-average, mid-rotation or better starter over 24 starts, posting a 3.18 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 24.6% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate, and 51.2% groundball rate in 119 innings of work. Only budding Rays ace Shane McClanahan managed to post a higher strikeout rate while maintaining a groundball rate over 50% last year. What’s more, Steele has managed to build on his strong first season as a regular starter for the this season, with a 2.65 ERA that’s only bested by rotation-mate Marcus Stroman and Braves youngster Bryce Elder in the National League.

The news that his forearm strain isn’t anything serious and he’s unlikely to miss significant time is surely a relief for a Cubs team that has relied on the young lefty to carry their pitching staff alongside Stroman, with the duo representing 18 of the club’s 25 quality starts in 2023.  With that said, it seems likely that right-hander Hayden Wesneski will fill in for Steele in the event the injured left-hander does miss a start. Wesneski struggled to a 4.81 ERA and 5.65 FIP this season after earning the fifth spot in the club’s rotation with a dominant performance in spring training, leaving the Cubs to remove him from the rotation when Kyle Hendricks returned to the mound from injury.

More from around the NL Central:

  • According to MLB.com, Brewers shortstop Willy Adames has resumed baseball activities for the first time since he was struck by a foul ball in last week’s game against the Giants, landing him on the 7-day concussion IL. Adames is currently working out with the the club’s High-A affiliate rather than joining the club on their flight to Cincinnati in order to avoid the wear-and-tear of air travel, according to manager Craig Counsell. The club plans to decide whether or not Adames, who has struggled to a 84 wRC+ in 51 games this season, needs a minor league rehab assignment before he can return to big league action later this weekend. In the meantime, they figure to continue going with a combination of Brice Turang, Owen Miller, and Andruw Monasterio up the middle.
  • Sticking with the Brewers, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy notes that left-hander Wade Miley is making good progress on his rehab from a posterior serratus strain. While he was initially expected to be shelved for six to eight weeks, McCalvy reports that if Miley is able to avoid any setbacks he’s currently set to return from the IL after just four weeks after throwing a bullpen session on Thursday. Miley posted eight solid starts for the Brewers prior to his injury as the veteran lefty threw 41 2/3 innings of 3.67 ERA baseball.
  • Reds first baseman and future Hall of Famer Joey Votto is set to begin a rehab assignment with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Louisville today, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. Votto has been on the shelf since he underwent surgery on his rotator cuff back in August, and posted a wRC+ of just 92 in 91 games prior to the surgery. Still, he figures to share first base and DH duties with Spencer Steer upon his return to big league action.
  • Right-hander Vince Velasquez was activated from the injured list and returned to the Pirates’ rotation just last week, but immediately felt discomfort in his right elbow and returned to the injured list. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, his current IL-stay will not be a short one, as the veteran is expected to be transferred to the 60-day IL in the near future. Velasquez had pitched well for the Pirates across eight starts this season prior to his injury, with a 3.86 ERA in 37 1/3 innings. Velasquez’s return to the IL leaves the club with a rotation of Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, Johan Oviedo, Rich Hill, and Luis Ortiz.

Red Sox Extend Rob Refsnyder

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The Red Sox announced today that the club had agreed to a one-year contract extension with outfielder Rob Refsnyder with a club option for the 2025 season. As noted by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, Refsnyder’s deal will earn him $1.85MM in 2024, with the 2025 option being valued at $2MM. Speier adds that the deal includes performance-related bonuses and escalators.

A fifth-round pick in the 2005 draft, Refsnyder made his MLB debut as a member of the Yankees in 2005. While he impressed with a 16-game stint where he slashed .302/.348/.512 with a 130 wRC+ in 2015, subsequent cups of coffee in the big leagues didn’t yield nearly as promising results, leaving the Yankees to designate the then-26-year-old Refsnyder for assignment. He ended his Yankees career with a slash line of .241/.312/.332 in 92 games with the club. Refsnyder would spend the next several seasons making brief, unsuccessful appearances with the Blue Jays, Rays, Rangers and Twins despite consistently putting up consistent numbers at the Triple-A level, where he has a career slash line of .298/.379/.450 in 487 games.

Things began to turn around for Refsnyder when he arrived in Boston last season, however. In 90 games with the club since the start of the 2022 season, Refsnyder has posted a .299/.393/.457 slash line, good for a wRC+ of 139. While Refsnyder’s sky-high .387 BABIP during that time indicates success at this level is likely unsustainable, though his 10.9% walk rate, 24.4% strikeout rate, and .158 ISO all indicate that Refsnyder can at least be a solid fourth outfielder in the big leagues nonetheless. Currently, Refsnyder sits alongside Raimel Tapia on the Red Sox depth chart, coming off the bench to spell primary outfielders Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida, and Jarren Duran.

That performance earned Refsnyder additional job security in the form of a contract extension that appears to be a win for all parties. Refsnyder, who landed a $1.2MM contract to avoid arbitration this past offseason, was set to be arbitration-eligible for the final time in 2024 but now has a guaranteed big league salary headed into next season. Meanwhile, with the 2025 club option the Red Sox secured themselves an additional year at what is sure to be a discounted price should Refsnyder see continued success over the next two seasons.

Red Sox Place Chris Sale On Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation

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The Red Sox have placed starter Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Corey Kluber was reinstated from the paternity list to take the active roster spot.

Sale left last night’s start in the fourth inning as his velocity was dropping. The Sox announced afterwards that he’d head for imaging. Sale addressed the Boston beat this evening, saying it’ll be around a week before he receives an official diagnosis (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive). He said he doesn’t believe he’ll require surgery but it looks unlikely he’ll be back when first eligible a couple weeks from now.

Injuries have become unfortunately familiar for Sale over the past few years. One of the sport’s most durable arms between 2012-18, he’s battled health concerns since entering his 30s. He lost all of 2020 and most of ’21 to Tommy John surgery. Sale’s 2022 campaign was marred by a number of issues. He lost the first half of the year to a stress reaction in his ribs. Two starts into his return, he fractured a finger on his throwing hand when he was struck by a comebacker. Sale’s season officially ended in August when he broke his wrist in a bicycle accident.

This year’s 59 innings are already the most he’s logged since 2019. The seven-time All-Star has a middling 4.58 ERA through 11 starts. His underlying numbers are quite a bit better. Sale has punched out 28.5% of opponents and kept his walk rate to a tidy 6%. He’d had the results to match in May, posting a 2.42 ERA while holding batters to a .183/.224/.355 line in 26 frames.

Boston will have to proceed without arguably their best starter for at least two weeks. The Sox have run with Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello and James Paxton alongside Sale in the rotation. Kluber and Nick Pivetta each recently moved from the starting five to the bullpen. One of that duo — presumably Kluber, the more recent of the two to slide to relief — is likely to step back into the rotation.

Brewers To Select Jon Singleton

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The Brewers are selecting the contract of first baseman Jon Singleton, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Milwaukee has an opening on the 40-man roster after releasing Luke Voit this week, so they’ll only need to make a corresponding 26-man move.

It sets the stage for Singleton’s first major league action in nearly eight years. A top prospect during his days in the Astros’ farm system a decade ago, he signed a $10MM extension before reaching the majors. Singleton debuted midway through the 2014 campaign but slumped to a .168/.285/.335 line over 362 plate appearances. He’d get into 18 games the following year, with what seemed to be his final MLB appearance coming in October 2015.

After a season and a half in the upper minors, Singleton was hit with a third career suspension for a failed drug of abuse test. The Astros released him and he was out of the sport entirely for a couple seasons. Singleton has since spoken about his struggle with marijuana addiction. After a few years away, he began a comeback in Mexico in 2021. A monster showing there led Milwaukee to add him on a minor league deal for 2022.

Singleton has spent the past season-plus with the Brewers’ top affiliate in Nashville. He hit .219/.374/.439 there last season. The Brewers re-signed him and carried him on the 40-man roster for a spell over the offseason before waiving him on the eve of Spring Training. He returned to the organization on a new minor league deal and is hitting well for the Sounds.

In 48 games, Singleton owns a .259/.387/.489 line. He’s connected on ten home runs, walked at a stellar 17.5% clip and kept his strikeouts to a lower than average 19.3% rate. Singleton showed plenty of patience and power last season as well but he’s putting the ball in play far more consistently this year. He’s sliced his strikeout percentage more than eight points from 27.7% year over year.

As a result, Singleton earns a promotion that marks a huge moment in an incredible comeback effort. He returns to the big leagues a few months shy of his 32nd birthday having overcome the personal hurdles about which he’s been open. Now that he’s back in the majors, he’ll add a left-handed first base/designated hitter option to Craig Counsell’s bench. The Brewers have Rowdy Tellez and Darin Ruf in a first base platoon. The latter suffered a leg laceration in this evening’s game, however, raising the possibility of an injured list stint.

Duane Underwood Jr. Accepts Outright Assignment With Pirates

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Pirates reliever Duane Underwood Jr. has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis, tweets Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right-hander went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last weekend.

This was the likeliest outcome following Underwood’s DFA. He and the Pirates had agreed to a $1.025MM contract to avoid arbitration over the offseason. Underwood has between three and five years of MLB service time, meaning he could’ve chosen free agency but would’ve had to surrender that guaranteed money to do so.

It has been a tough start to the season for the 28-year-old. Underwood logged 24 1/3 innings over 20 appearances but stumbled to a 5.18 ERA. He struck out a below-average 14% of opponents against a lofty 11% walk rate. Underwood has never had pinpoint control but he’s typically had more success missing bats. He fanned 22% of batters faced in 57 1/3 innings last year and carried a career 22.5% strikeout percentage into this season.

Given his slow start and a salary that’s a bit higher than the league minimum, it’s not surprising he went unclaimed on waivers. Underwood will head to Triple-A for the first time since 2019 (aside from one appearance there on a rehab stint last year) and try to find his form. He’d qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season if the Pirates don’t add him back to the 40-man roster.

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