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Reds Notes: Newman, India, Lively, Marte, Fraley

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Noelvi Marte’s arrival in the majors is the big news out of Cincinnati today, but Marte’s promotion came with a notable corresponding move.  The Reds announced that infielder Kevin Newman was placed (retroactive to August 16) on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.

The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, though even if Newman has suffered a Grade 1 strain, any setback or lingering effects could mean that his 2023 season is over.  The 30-year-old has hit .253/.311/.364 over 253 plate appearances in his first season with the Reds, after being acquired from the Pirates back in November.

Newman and Jose Barrero shared the starting shortstop role before Matt McLain’s promotion in mid-May, as Barrero was ultimately sent to the minors and Newman became a pure utilityman.  Newman made some starts at second base and third baseman, but even that playing time dwindled as more and more of Cincinnati’s star infield prospects gradually made their way to the Show.

This is Newman’s second IL stint of the year, after he missed a 10-day minimum in July dealing with gastritis.  Heading into the trade deadline, Newman was seen as a potential or even likely trade chip given the Reds’ increasingly crowded infield picture, yet Cincinnati either couldn’t find an appropriate deal or simply opted to hang onto the veteran as an experienced depth option.  Rather than a trade, this oblique injury has now unfortunately taken Newman out of the picture for at least the next 10 days.

Manager David Bell provided the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith (X link) and other reporters with updates on other injured Reds players, including the news that Jonathan India will undergo another MRI on Thursday.  Since a previous MRI revealed a worsened tear in India’s plantar fascia, the second baseman was already expected to be out of action until at least a week into September, with some question as to whether or not India would be able to return at all this season.

The next MRI comes a few days before the end of India’s planned two-week shutdown from running, so the test will reveal if the tear has continued to widen, or if the shutdown has been effective in at least limiting the damage.  It seems likely that India will require some type of procedure to address his plantar fasciitis, though he and the Reds hope that any surgery might be able to be held off until the offseason.

Bell also said that Ben Lively will make another rehab outing before the club considers reinstating him from the 15-day IL.  Lively has twice been sidelined due to right pectoral strains this season, with his most recent absence starting with his IL placement on August 2.  With his 15 days now up, Lively is eligible to be activated at any time, though he has thrown only 5 2/3 combined innings over two previous rehab starts, with an ungainly 15.88 ERA.

The injuries to India and Newman have provided an unwelcome answer to Cincinnati’s potential infield surplus, as there is now plenty of room for the Reds to find playing time for their up-and-comers.  Bell said that Marte will be the regular third baseman, with Spencer Steer now moving into more regular work in left field.  Steer has already seen a good deal of left field time this season, as his versatility has been almost as useful to the Reds as his potent bat.  Steer has bounced between left field, first base, and third base, and also even picked up a few appearances as a second baseman.

Jake Fraley is another Reds player looking to return from the IL before 2023 is over, though Fraley told Goldsmith that he’ll need offseason surgery to properly fix a fracture in his left foot and a cracked fourth metatarsal.  Fraley was presented with the option of undergoing the season-ending procedure now, but he is instead trying to tough it out, ramping up his baseball activities to include a live batting practice today and an increased running program.

There’s certainly some real risk for Fraley, as he said that doctors told him that playing on the fractured foot could result in a clear break.  However, “the reason why they’re ok with me playing through this is that even if I do something like that, which would be a worst case scenario, it doesn’t change the recovery time of the surgery,” Fraley said, noting that he is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training.  Fraley is willing to gamble further injury in order to be part of the Reds’ playoff push, saying “if you tell me there’s a 1% chance with a cool team like this, I’m going all-in.”

Tigers Sign Carson Kelly, Designate Eric Haase

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5:10PM: Kelly’s club option is worth $3.5MM plus incentives, as per Evan Petzold.  This is less than the $4.275MM Kelly made in 2023, and less than the minimal raise Kelly would’ve received in arbitration, though it can assumed that Kelly can probably make up that salary if he hits his incentive bonuses.

4:11PM: The Tigers’ deal with Kelly contains a club option for the 2024 season, according to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (via X).  The option essentially formalizes the arbitration control Detroit already held over Kelly’s services, and forces the Tigers to make a quicker decision on Kelly’s offseason fate.

3:26PM: The Tigers have officially announced Kelly’s signing and Haase’s DFA, with the added detail that Kelly has signed a Major League contract.

3:04PM: Carson Kelly looks to have signed with the Tigers, as Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press (X link) was the first of several Tigers beat writers to note that Kelly was on field with the team prior to today’s game.  Petzold later reported that the Tigers have created roster space for Kelly by designating catcher/outfielder Eric Haase for assignment.

The Diamondbacks DFA’ed and then released Kelly last week after the catcher cleared waivers, making the 29-year-old a free agent for the first time in his pro career.  Formerly a top-100 prospect during his time in the Cardinals’ farm system, Kelly was one of the centerpieces of the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis, as the D’Backs were hoping Kelly could be their catcher of the future.  A strong 2019 season implied that Kelly was breaking out, yet the backstop’s numbers have eroded since he suffered a fractured wrist in June 2021.

Over 618 plate appearances since that wrist fracture, Kelly has hit only .216/.286/.337, translating to a 72 wRC+.  It had already appeared as if the D’Backs had moved on at the catching position when they acquired Gabriel Moreno last winter, but Kelly’s playing time was further erased when his right forearm was fractured after being hit by a pitch in Spring Training.  As a result, Kelly didn’t make his 2023 debut until June 12, and had only a .580 OPS this season before Arizona cut ties.

The Tigers could view Kelly as a change-of-scenery candidate, and is controlled through the 2024 season via his final year of arbitration eligibility if Detroit opts to tender him a contract.  For now, Kelly is ticketed for backup duty since Jake Rogers is having a solid enough year to establish himself as Detroit’s regular starter behind the plate.  For much of the season, the Tigers have given Rogers roughly twice as many starts as Haase, with the versatile Haase also getting some work as a left fielder.

A Detroit native, Haase hit .242/.291/.451 with 36 homers over 732 PA in 2021-22, with his power helping generate a 106 wRC+ despite the lackluster average and OBP.  Haase was one of the few Tigers players who delivered above-average offense during their disastrous 2022 season, but his own bat went cold this year, as Haase hit only .201/.246/.284 with four home runs over 282 PA.  A big dropoff in hard contact led to Haase’s extended slump, and it now might cost him his spot in the organization.

Haase turns 31 in December, though he still has all of his arbitration years, making him controllable through the 2026 season.  That control, his past power numbers, and Haase’s ability to play in left field (though the defensive metrics don’t like his glovework on the grass in 2023) could get him a look from another team on a waiver claim, especially with catching depth being even trickier to find post-trade deadline.

Haase is out of minor league options, so the Tigers had to go the DFA route in order to move him off the active roster.  Because he was outrighted in the past, Haase has the right to elect free agency and decline an outright assignment to the Tigers’ farm system if he clears waivers.

Mets Designate Dennis Santana, Select Adam Kolarek

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The Mets announced four roster moves prior to tonight’s game with the Cardinals, including the news that right-hander Dennis Santana has been designated for assignment.  The roster spot was needed to make room for left-hander Adam Kolarek, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Syracuse.  New York also optioned Joey Lucchesi to Triple-A and called up Vinny Nittoli.

This marks the third time that Santana has been designated this season, and on both prior occasions, he cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Syracuse.  It would therefore seem likely that Santana might again choose to remain in the Mets organization, though he might more willing to decline an outright and choose free agency (as is his right, because he has been outrighted previously) at this point in the season, now that the trade deadline has passed.  A team in more urgent need of pitching might be interested in Santana and give him a clearer path to the majors, if he might no longer be in the Mets’ plans for the remainder of 2023.

Santana can’t be cleanly sent to Syracuse because he is out of minor league options, which already led to two waiver claims for the veteran righty during Spring Training.  The Twins claimed Santana off waivers from the Braves, and the Mets then claimed him away from Minnesota — between these moves and the fact that Santana was traded from Texas to Atlanta last November, his decisions to accept the outright assignments might also stem from a desire to just enjoy some stability after this carousel of transactions.

Santana hasn’t been particularly effective in his brief stints in New York this season, with a 5.91 ERA over nine appearances and 10 2/3 innings.  Small sample size notwithstanding, the numbers aren’t too different from the 5.12 ERA Santana posted over his 139 career innings with the Dodgers and Rangers from 2018-22.  The 27-year-old Santana also hasn’t pitched well at Triple-A, with a 4.91 ERA over 33 frames with Syracuse this season.

Kolarek signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers over the offseason, and L.A. briefly selected that contract to the active roster in June, resulting in one game and 1 1/3 innings of work for the left-hander during his Dodgers tenure.  Los Angeles traded Kolarek to the Mets just prior to the trade deadline, and the southpaw now looks to get at least a bit of a longer look in New York’s bullpen.  Best known for his time with the Rays and with the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series championship team, Kolarek had a 3.32 ERA over 116 2/3 innings from 2017-20 but then endured a pair of rough seasons pitching with the Athletics.

The Cubs’ Breakout Closer

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Adbert Alzolay wasn’t a high-profile prospect at the start of his professional career. The right-hander signed out of Venezuela in 2013 when he was 17 years old, earning a bonus of just $10K. He starting climbing the minor league ladder without getting much attention from prospect evaluators.

That changed in 2017, when he tossed 114 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. He posted a 2.99 earned run average that year, striking out 23.3% of opponents against a walk rate of just 7.3%. Suddenly, he was the club’s #2 prospect at both FanGraphs and Baseball America going into 2018. He was selected to the club’s 40-man roster in November of 2017 to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

But his ascent was about to hit some snags. In 2018, a lat strain forced him to be shut down in June. He was only able to make eight Double-A starts that year, tossing 39 2/3 innings. The next year, he missed some time due to biceps inflammation and also started to be bounced between the majors and minors. He was recalled three times that year, tossing 12 1/3 big league innings with a 7.30 ERA. In 2020, the minor leagues were cancelled by the pandemic, though Alzolay posted a solid 2.95 ERA in 21 1/3 innings in the majors.

After a few seasons interrupted by injury, roster shuffling and the pandemic, Alzolay finally got some clear runway to establish himself in 2021. Injuries were still a factor, as he made trips to the IL due to a right middle finger blister and left hamstring strain, but he was able to make 21 starts in the big leagues. Unfortunately, he wasn’t especially impressive in those, with a 5.16 ERA. His 24.1% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate and 44.9% ground ball rate were all fairly solid, but his ERA was inflated by the 24 home runs he allowed.

Going into 2022, Alzolay seemed likely to get another shot at the rotation. The Cubs were still in rebuild mode and figured to give young pitchers a chance to earn rotation spots. If Alzolay could limit the homers, the overall results would have been strong, as evidenced by his 4.02 SIERA in 2021. But he was diagnosed with a shoulder strain in March and was placed on the 60-day injured list before the season even began.

He didn’t start a rehab assignment until August and wouldn’t make his 2022 season debut until September 17. He pitched in relief down the stretch, making six appearances with a 3.38 ERA. He spoke to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic about his new role in October, expressing an openness to slot in anywhere that he could. “If my role is best out of the bullpen, being a long guy, being a guy that can throw in the eighth or close a game or whatever, I feel like I have the weapons to do that. It’s more versatility for the team and for the manager. You won’t have me every five days there, but you can have me every two or three days. I can go and throw three or four innings, or I can go and throw one inning late in the game.”

He’s been kept exclusively in relief this year and it has been a revelation. In 53 2/3 innings over 47 appearances, he has a 2.52 ERA. He’s striking out 28% of batters faced against a miniscule walk rate of 3.9%, while also keeping the ball on the ground at a 44.1% clip. His rate of fly balls turning into home runs has normalized at 8.2%, fairly close to league average. His 24.2% strikeout-to-walk ratio has him tied for 11th in the majors among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched this year. Among those equal to him or better in the K/BB% department, only five of them have a higher ground ball rate. He’s done all that while taking over the closer’s role, having racked up 16 saves and six holds on the year overall.

Last month, MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote about the breakout Alzolay’s teammate Mark Leiter Jr., noting that the Cubs have avoided significant spending on their bullpen in recent years. That’s a risky strategy but one that is paying off for them right now. Their team leader in holds, Leiter, was signed on a minor league deal and they now appear to have found their closer internally. Alzolay came into this season with his service time clock at two years and 50 days. He’s crossed the three-year mark here in 2023, meaning he will qualify for arbitration this winter, with the club able to retain him all the way through the 2026 campaign.

It’s possible that he or the club might still have dreams of a returning to starting in the future, but his success this year might tempt everyone involved to keep him where he’s thriving, especially in light of his past injuries. Regardless of where things end up in the future, it’s been a remarkable journey as Alzolay has gone from an unheralded minor leaguer signed for a modest $10K bonus to now being one of the best relievers in the majors this year.

Blue Jays Designate Paul DeJong For Assignment

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The Blue Jays announced that shortstop Bo Bichette has been reinstated from the injured list, with fellow shortstop Paul DeJong designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

DeJong, 30, was only just acquired from the Cardinals at the deadline less than three weeks ago. Bichette had just suffered a knee injury and the club quickly struck a deal to get DeJong from the Cards to cover the shortstop position. Unfortunately, DeJong’s time as a Jay has been abysmal. He has just three hits in his 44 plate appearances, all singles, with no walks and 18 strikeouts in that stretch. Now that Bichette is healthy enough to rejoin the roster, DeJong has quickly been jettisoned.

It’s the latest downturn of an incredibly inconsistent career for DeJong. In 2017, his rookie season, he launched 25 home runs and slashed .285/.325/.532 for a wRC+ of 123. The Cardinals believed in him enough to sign him to a six-year, $26MM extension with a couple of club options. Unfortunately, his offense declined in each season after that, hitting a nadir in 2022. He struck out in a third of his plate appearances last year and finished with a batting line of .157/.245/.286, a season in which he was optioned to the minors for over two months.

He seemed to right the ship somewhat here in 2023. Prior to the trade, he had hit 13 home runs in 81 games. He was still striking out at a 28.4% clip but his .233/.297/.412 line translated to a wRC+ of 95. That means he was still 5% below league average but it was miles better than his wRC+ of 55 last year. It was also plenty passable for an above-average defender at shortstop, which is the consensus around DeJong.

It was a sensible shot for the Jays to take on short notice. With Bichette suffering his injury just days before the deadline, they quickly grabbed DeJong, sending minor league reliever Matt Svanson the other way. There is no replacing Bichette, who is one of the better shortstops in the league, but DeJong could have been a fine stopgap if he maintained his near-average offense and solid glovework. If he had done so, he may have even been moved to second base once Bichette was back, with Whit Merrifield capable of playing the outfield. But as mentioned, DeJong’s production absolutely cratered after switching jerseys and the Jays have decided to simply cut their losses.

With the deadline now passed, the Jays will put DeJong on waivers in the coming days. He’s virtually a lock to clear, given his struggles and contract. He’s making $9MM this year, with about $2.13MM still to be paid out and then a $2MM buyout on his 2024 option. At the time of the trade, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are covering the buyouts and half of DeJong’s remaining salary.

No club will want to take on that kind of salary for a player struggling as badly as DeJong. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and therefore seems bound to be released in the coming days. At that point, any club could sign him for the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Cards and Jays are paying.

The Jays will now proceed with Bichette back at shortstop as a combination of Merrifield, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Davis Schneider covers second base. They currently sit half a game behind the Mariners for the final Wild Card spot with about six weeks left on the schedule.

Phillies Place Ranger Suárez On IL With Hamstring Strain

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1:30pm: Suárez tells Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has a Grade 1 strain and hopes to return in around 15 days.

12:20pm: The Phillies announced today that left-hander Ranger Suárez has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 16, with a right hamstring strain. Right-hander Andrew Bellatti was recalled in a corresponding move.

Suárez, 27, hits the injured list for the second time this year. He dealt with some forearm tightness in March and began the year on the IL, with the club describing that injury as an elbow strain. Despite that ominous-sounding diagnosis, he was able to return in mid-May and has since made 17 starts. He has a 3.88 earned run average in 97 1/3 innings, along with a 21.3% strikeout rate, 8.4% walk rate and 51.2% ground ball rate.

It’s unclear how long Suárez will be out of action this time, but the Phillies will have to proceed without him for at least a couple of turns through the rotation. Thankfully, they have been running a six-man rotation since acquiring Michael Lorenzen at the deadline and should be able to get by without worrying about replacing Suárez.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported a week ago that Cristopher Sánchez was likely to just get one more start before bumped either to the bullpen or the minors. He’s having a solid season with a 3.39 ERA in 11 starts, but the Phils just have a lot of established starters in Suárez, Lorenzen, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker. But with Suárez set to sit things out for a while, Sánchez can stick around.

That’s fine for the time being but will leave the club a bit thin on depth until Suárez can return. Prospect Andrew Painter was supposed to be in the mix this year but required Tommy John surgery and won’t be back until late 2024 at the earliest. Bailey Falter was dealt to the Pirates for Rodolfo Castro, subtracting another depth starter. Griff McGarry is one of the club’s top pitching prospects but he was recently put on the development list at Triple-A after some struggles. His last start saw him face just seven batters, walking six and hitting another, all of them eventually coming around to score and leaving him with a shocking 50.62 ERA in two Triple-A outings this year. Nick Nelson is probably the next man up since he’s on the 40-man and has a 3.82 ERA in 14 Triple-A starts this year, but his major league work has resulted in a career ERA of 5.38.

The Phils are in good shape overall, currently sporting a record of 66-56 and in possession of the top Wild Card slot in the National League. Even without Suárez, they have a strong group of five starters that can hopefully keep them afloat for the six remaining weeks of the season. Another rotation injury would start to make things feel a bit shaky but hopefully Suárez can return before that becomes a reality.

Tony Gonsolin Placed On IL With Elbow Injury, Unlikely To Return This Year

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The Dodgers announced that they have placed right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation, recalling left-hander Bryan Hudson in the corresponding move. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot is up as the club’s “27th man” for today’s double-header. Manager Dave Roberts says that it’s unlikely Gonsolin will return this season, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

The move to the IL doesn’t come as a total shock, as that seemed to be the plan after yesterday’s game, as Ardaya laid out. But the exact nature of Gonsolin’s injury wasn’t exactly clear. His velocity is clearly down, with his fastball averaging 92.4 mph this year, the lowest of his career. The results have also been poor, with his 4.98 earned run average more than double last year’s 2.14 mark. But the club didn’t provided any specific diagnosis, only saying that the issue is related to his elbow. Now he’s not only going on the injured list but it seems his season is likely to be done.

More information on the injury will likely be forthcoming, but it seems like 2023 is destined to go down as a disappointing follow-up to his 2022 breakout. Last year, he threw 130 1/3 innings over 24 starts. As mentioned, he allowed just 2.14 earned runs per nine innings, striking out 23.9% of opponents while walking just 7% and keeping the ball on the ground at a 43.1% clip.

Here in 2023, he began the season on the injured list thanks to a sprained ankle, getting activated in late April. In addition to his ERA jumping to 4.98, all of his rate stats have gone in the wrong direction. He’s striking out just 18.9% of batters faced while issuing walks at a 9.2% clip and getting grounders on 36% of balls in play. The club seemingly tried to get him to pitch through this ailment but last night’s start appears to have been a proverbial coffin nail, with Gonsolin allowing 10 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Marlins.

Regardless of the specifics, this is the latest in a series of injuries to the Dodger rotation this year. Dustin May was able to make nine starts this year before requiring flexor tendon surgery that will keep him out until next summer. Michael Grove is currently on the injured list due to lat tightness. Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías each spent time on the IL earlier this year, but both are back now.

Kershaw and Urías are joined in the rotation by rookie Bobby Miller and deadline acquisition Lance Lynn. The departure of Gonsolin will require the club to find a fifth starter at some point. Pepiot, who himself missed the first few months of the season due to an oblique strain, seems to be the likeliest option. Roberts told reporters, including Ardaya, that Pepiot could stick around after joining the club today for their hurricane-induced double-header. Ryan Yarbrough and Gavin Stone are also possibilities.

The Dodgers are still in excellent shape for the year, currently sporting a record of 74-47. That’s the second-best mark in the National League and gives them a lead of 10.5 games in the West. But they were hoping to have more rotation depth than this for the playoffs. In addition to getting Lynn at the deadline, they also lined up a deal to get Eduardo Rodriguez from the Tigers, though he blocked that trade via his no-trade clause. The loss of Gonsolin will further thin out an area that the Dodgers were hoping to bolster as recently as three weeks ago.

One big reinforcement could still be coming in the form of Walker Buehler, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year but is still hoping to return as a starter this year. Time will tell whether that’s realistic or not, but the Dodgers will move forward for now with Pepiot seemingly stepping into the mix. He posted a 3.47 ERA in 36 1/3 innings last year, his debut season. However, he had a 16.9% walk rate in that time and was likely helped out by a .244 batting average on balls in play and 86.1% strand rate. After missing the start of this year with that oblique issue, he’s since made six Triple-A starts with a 3.97 ERA.

Alex Cole Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league outfielder Alex Cole recently passed away. He was 58 years old. The club also announced the passing of Dick Tomanek, who you can read about here.

Cole was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1965. He attended the State College of Florida and was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 1984 draft but didn’t sign. The next year, the Cardinals took him in the second round and he put pen to paper this time around. He climbed the minor league ladder with the Cards but was twice traded in 1990, first going to the Padres and then the Indians.

It was with that latter club that he made his major league debut, getting into 63 games in that 1990 season. He didn’t show much power, not hitting any home runs in his 256 plate appearances that year. But he produced a batting average of .300 and stole 40 bases in just 63 games.

He carved out regular playing time in the seasons to come and generally produced in a similar fashion, not providing much power but using his speed to propel himself around the basepaths. He stayed in Cleveland in 1991 before being traded to the Pirates midway through the 1992 campaign. After that season, he was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft, becoming an inaugural member of that franchise. He would eventually reach free agency, signing with the Twins for 1994-1995 and Red Sox for 1996, which would prove to be his last season in the big leagues.

Over parts of seven seasons, Cole got into 573 major league games and made 2,012 plate appearances. He batted .280 in that time, racking up 493 hits, including 58 doubles, 26 triples and five home runs. He stole 148 bases in 207 attempts. He scored 286 runs and drove in 117.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Dick Tomanek Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league left-hander Dick Tomanek recently passed away. He was 92 years old. They also announced the passing of Alex Cole, who you can read about here.

Tomanek was born in 1931 in Avon Lake, Ohio, a city about 17 miles west of Cleveland. He joined his local club and made his major league debut with the Indians in 1953, tossing a complete game in his only appearance that year, allowing two earned runs. Despite that strong debut, he made just one appearance in the 1954 season and missed the next two campaigns entirely.

He was able to carve out a larger role starting in 1957, working primarily as a reliever. He tossed 69 2/3 innings over 34 games, posting a 5.68 ERA in that time. The year after, he logged 130 innings over 54 outings, registering a 4.50 ERA. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics alongside Roger Maris and Preston Ward, with Woodie Held and Vic Power going the other way. Tomanek made another 16 appearances in 1959, which ultimately proved to be his final big league season.

Over parts of five big league seasons, he got into 106 major league games and tossed 231 innings with a 4.95 ERA. He threw four complete games, recorded seven saves and struck out 166 batters.  We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Angels Promote Nolan Schanuel

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In rather stunning news, the Angels are promoting first baseman Nolan Schanuel to the Majors less than six weeks after selecting him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 draft, reports Peter Gammons. It’s a rare and extremely aggressive promotion as the Halos, whose all-in push at the deadline has yielded underwhelming results thus far, try to bolster the lineup and keep their dwindling playoff hopes alive in Shohei Ohtani’s final season of club control. Schanuel has played in 21 minor league games (topping out at the Double-A level) and batted a combined .370/.510/.493 with 21 walks and just 10 strikeouts in 96 plate appearances. His promotion is now official.

Schanuel, 21, was regarded as the most MLB-ready bat in the draft, although a promotion to the big leagues in mid-August shatters even the most aggressive timetables pundits might’ve put on his potential ascension. The 6’4″ first baseman posted borderline farcical numbers at Florida Atlantic University, batting .386/.516/.698 in his college career — including a preposterous .447/.615/.868 slash in 289 plate appearances this past season. Schanuel’s bat-to-ball skills were unparalleled in this year’s draft class; he struck out in just seven percent of his college plate appearances and drew 71 walks against 14 strikeouts in 2023 (24.6% walk rate, 4.8% strikeout rate).

Impressive as Schanuel’s college and minor league numbers are, it’s still a move lacking in recent precedent. The White Sox fast-tracked lefty Garrett Crochet to the Majors in Sept. 2020, just months after drafting him, but that was in part due to the lack of a minor league season. Even that aggressive promotion came after Crochet had roughly three months to work with the team’s player development staff at their alternate training site. Looking even further back, right-hander Mike Leake skipped the minor leagues entirely after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in 2009, though his debut came on Opening Day the following season. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper tweets that among position players, Schanuel’s promotion just 40 days after being drafted is the fastest rise to the Majors since Toronto’s Brian Milner back in 1978. Milner, promoted to the Majors just 17 days after being drafted, played in only two Major League games.

The Angels have made a habit of being quite aggressive in fast-tracking their prospects in recent years. Shortstop Zach Neto debuted earlier this season less than one year after going in the first round of the 2022 draft. Last year’s second-round pick, Ben Joyce, has already debuted as well. Lefty Reid Detmers, selected 10th overall in 2020, made his debut on Aug. 1, 2021. Righty Chase Silseth was an 11th round pick in 2021 and in the Majors by May of 2022. None of those quite match this level of aggression, but the Angels’ ultra-aggressive trajectory with Schanuel is on-brand for the organization.

The timing of today’s promotion likely isn’t coincidental. Today marks the first day that prospects can be promoted to the Majors and fall just shy of the requisite service to exhaust their rookie eligibility. So long as Schanuel (or anyone else promoted today) accrues fewer than 131 at-bats down the stretch, they’ll retain their rookie eligibility for the 2024 season. With the new prospect promotion incentives in the collective bargaining agreement, that’s a key status for teams to preserve; a top-100 prospect who wins Rookie of the Year can garner his team an additional pick in the following season’s draft.

Ultimately, the amount of control the Angels have over Schanuel will depend on multiple factors. Today’s promotion doesn’t necessarily cost them a year of club control, as he could well have earned a full year in 2024 anyhow. As it stands, he’s controllable through at least the 2029 season, although that path to free agency could be pushed back if Schanuel struggles in the big leagues and is eventually optioned back to the minors. For now, however, he’ll get the opportunity to show that his polished bat is ready for the challenges he’ll encounter at the game’s top level, while the Angels will take this opportunity to further demonstrate their commitment to fielding a competitive club to Ohtani as he nears free agency.

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