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Archives for August 2023

Giants Sign Johan Camargo To Minor League Deal

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The Giants have signed infielder Johan Camargo to a minor league deal, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He already reported to Triple-A Sacramento, going 2-5 in last night’s game.

Camargo, 29, has spent many years as a versatile utility player in the majors but hasn’t been able to crack the big leagues this year. He was outrighted by the Phillies last year and became a free agent. This year, he has bounced to the Royals, Tigers and now Giants on minor league deals.

The first of those deals went fairly well, apart from the fact that an injury kept Camargo out of action until mid-May. Once healthy, he hit .298/.412/.544 for Triple-A Omaha. Despite that strong showing, he didn’t get a roster spot with the Royals and triggered an opt-out in his deal, returning to the open market. But he wasn’t able to carry that performance to the Tigers’ organization, hitting .238/.295/.400 for Triple-A Toledo and getting released just over a week ago.

Prior to this year, he’s played in 416 major league games with Atlanta and Philadelphia. His .255/.313/.410 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 90, or 10% below league average. But he’s been able to play all four infield positions and the outfield corners, generally earning solid grades for his glovework, especially at third base.

He has now joined his third organization of the year and will try to get back to the big leagues as a Giant, which might be challenging. Middle infielders Brandon Crawford and Thairo Estrada both returned from the injured list recently, improving the overall infield depth. Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt and Marco Luciano are all on the 40-man but currently on optional assignment. Since Camargo isn’t on the roster, he might have a tough time getting the call before anyone in that group.

If Camargo is able to get onto the roster, he could provide the Giants with an extra two years of control. His service time count is currently at four years and 104 days. He would need another 68 days to hit the five-year mark, which he won’t be able to do at this point in the calendar. That means he could be retained twice via arbitration before getting to six years and automatic free agency.

Mets Explored Pete Alonso Trades At Deadline

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The Mets’ selloff at the trade deadline signaled both a concession of the 2023 season and potentially more of a turn towards the 2025 campaign, though owner Steve Cohen still expects next year’s Mets to be “very competitive” if not “as star-studded a team as it was” in 2022 and 2023.  Beyond just rental players traded, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were also dealt in a pair of blockbuster moves, leading to a lot of speculation about what other moves the Mets might have in store for players who aren’t under longer-term control.

To this end, Pete Alonso’s future in Queens has now become subject to speculation, and it appears as though the Mets at least tested the waters about also moving the first baseman at the deadline.  The New York Post’s Mike Puma writes that Alonso was “dangled” by the Mets, though “it’s unclear how serious the Mets were about trying to trade the first baseman.”  It could be that the Mets were just gauging the market, as “they never came close to” an Alonso trade since no team stepped up to meet New York’s “very high” demands for a return.

Naturally the Mets weren’t going to move the slugger without getting a lot back, as Alonso carried a lot of value in a market short on available bats, let alone premium power threats who are controlled through the 2024 season.  However, it could be that injury concerns might have quieted the market, as Alonso spent only 10 days on the injured list after suffering a left wrist sprain/bone bruise in early June, but then struggled after his quick return.  Getting back to action on June 18, Alonso had only a .549 OPS over the 107 plate appearances following his IL stint.

Alonso has looked a lot more like his usual self over the last few weeks, giving rival teams at least some assurance prior to the deadline that his wrist was recovered.  For the season as a whole, Alonso entered today’s action with a .226/.325/.532 slash line and 35 homers over 453 PA, with solid peripheral numbers except for a minuscule .200 BABIP that has held down his batting average.

In short, Alonso would still be a big trade chip for New York to place on the table this winter, if the club did have designs on eventually moving the slugger.  Alonso has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining so he’ll earn a raise on his $14.5MM salary for 2023, and he’ll be 30 years old on Opening Day 2025, following his scheduled trip to free agency during the 2024-25 offseason.

In a poll earlier this week on MLBTR, 51 percent of readers polled felt the Mets should sign Alonso to an extension rather than trade him or wait until the 2024 season to pursue either course.  The Mets haven’t been shy about locking up key players during Cohen’s time as owner, though Alonso is just about the only prominent Met who hadn’t yet gotten a new longer-term deal.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that Alonso’s status wasn’t or isn’t eventually going to be addressed, especially since Cohen said he wants to “work things out” on an extension, and described Alonso as “an integral part of the Mets.”

The Mets might opt to playing the waiting game on two different fronts with Alonso this winter.  If extension talks aren’t getting anywhere, the Mets could pursue a trade more fervently, with any information gathered during their deadline talks acting as perhaps a stepping stone to an eventual deal in a few months’ time.  Conversely, the Mets could hold off on long-term contract talks with Alonso until the more normal extension negotiation period of Spring Training, and only take that route after first using the winter to more fully gauge the market in case a suitor meets their asking price.

Blue Jays Sign Matt Wisler To Minors Contract

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The Blue Jays have signed Matt Wisler to a minor league contract, as per the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page.  Wisler has been assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.

It was a pretty short stint for Wisler in free agency, as the Tigers just released him from an earlier minors deal last week.  After signing with Detroit in the offseason, Wisler didn’t receive a call-up, as his 2023 campaign has been spent entirely at Triple-A Toledo.  The righty posted a 4.40 ERA over 47 innings with the Mud Hens, with a solid 25.2% strikeout rate but also an uncharacteristically high 12.4% walk rate.

Jordan Romano and Trevor Richards could both be back from the 15-day injured list within the week, but signing Wisler is a no-risk move that gives the Blue Jays a bit of extra bullpen depth at Triple-A.  Toronto’s relief corps has been a strength all season, but with the Jays in a tight battle for a wild card berth, any extra pitching could be a help in the event of a future injury, or a performance drop-off by any of the current relivers.  Wisler brings plenty of experience, as a veteran of eight Major League seasons with seven different teams from 2015-22.

The last three of those seasons have been very productive in a bottom-line sense, as Wisler has a 2.59 ERA over 118 innings with the Twins, Giants, and Rays since the start of the 2020 campaign.  However, his 3.68 SIERA is notable higher, as some shaky peripherals have kept Wisler as a journeyman rather than locking down a spot in a big league bullpen.  The Twins opted to non-tender Wisler after the 2020 season due to an ungainly 13.2% walk rate, and he benefited from a lot of BABIP luck in both 2020 (.241) and in 2022 (.198) as a member of the Rays.  Wisler also had a notable velocity drop last season, further informing Tampa Bay’s decision to outright him off their 40-man roster last September.

Tigers’ Angel De Jesus Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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The Tigers provided updates on several injured minor leaguers on Friday, including the news that Angel De Jesus recently underwent Tommy John surgery.  (Hat tip to MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery.)  The timing of the procedure will almost surely keep De Jesus out of action for all of the 2024 season, as Spring Training 2025 seems to be the likelier return date for the right-hander.

It’s a brutal setback for the 26-year-old De Jesus, who made his Major League debut in 2022.  Detroit called De Jesus up and down from Triple-A on a few occasions last season, with the righty totaling 12 2/3 innings over eight appearances.  He had only a 13% strikeout rate in that small sample size of work, but De Jesus got a lot of help from BABIP (.179) and an absurd 98.4% strand rate to deliver a 2.13 ERA over what remains his only taste of MLB action.

Detroit designated De Jesus for assignment during the offseason, then outrighted him off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers.  In a step backwards, De Jesus has spent the entire 2023 season at Double-A Erie, delivering a lot of strikeouts but also a 12.5% walk rate over his 36 1/3 innings at the lower affiliate.  It’s possible he might have gotten a Triple-A callup at some point this year had injury not intervened, as De Jesus’ outing on July 29 will now be his last on-field performance for quite some time.

IL Placements: Carlson, Almonte, Mlodzinski, Danner

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Dylan Carlson will miss at least the next “couple weeks” due to a left oblique strain, the Cardinals outfielder told MLB.com and other media today.  St. Louis placed Carlson on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 10) and called up Luken Baker as the roster replacement, giving Carlson some proper time off after he first suffered the injury on Wednesday.  Given the lingering nature of some oblique injuries and the fact that the Cardinals are out of contention, it isn’t out of the question that Carlson might have already played his last game of the 2023 season….or even his last game in a St. Louis uniform.

It looked like Carlson was a future cornerstone following his impressive 2021 rookie campaign, but he has followed up that seeming breakout year with pair of injury-marred, lackluster seasons.  Carlson has hit only .230/.316/.364 over 743 plate appearances since Opening Day 2022, and both his health issues and the lack of production have reduced his playing time in the Cardinals outfield.  While Carlson is arbitration-controlled through 2026 and was the subject of several trade rumors prior to the deadline, his subpar play has certainly lowered his trade value, so it remains to be seen if the Cardinals will sell low on him this winter as they look to both solve their outfield surplus and figure out how to get the team more broadly back on track after their disastrous year.

Catching up on other IL placements from Saturday…

  • The Dodgers placed right-hander Yency Almonte on the 15-day IL and called up southpaw Victor Gonzalez.  Almonte suffered a right knee sprain that forced him to make an early exit from Friday’s game, as he told reporters (including NBC Los Angeles’ Michael J. Duarte) that the injury was caused when his cleat got stuck on the mound.  Almonte’s struggles at limiting walks have resulted in a 5.06 ERA over 48 relief innings, though he had somewhat stabilized after a tough beginning to the season — a 9.00 ERA over his first 18 innings gave way to a 2.70 ERA over his last 30 frames of work.
  • The Pirates placed Carmen Mlodzinski on the 15-day IL (retroactive to August 10) due to right elbow soreness, while calling up right-hander Osvaldo Bido from Triple-A.  Mlodzinski made his MLB debut on June 16 and has an excellent 2.28 ERA over his first 23 2/3 innings in the Show.  The righty’s 4.74 SIERA is less inspiring, as Mlodzinski has thrived despite subpar strikeout (20.8%) and walk (12.9%) rates.
  • The Blue Jays placed right-hander Hagen Danner on the 15-day IL due to a left oblique strain, and Nate Pearson was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Danner made his MLB debut on Friday and retired the first batter he faced, yet then had to leave the game after getting injured while facing the second batter of his relief appearance.  The 24-year-old Danner had earned a look in the majors after posting a 3.81 ERA over 28 1/3 Triple-A innings this season, but it will be at least 15 days before he can get back onto the mound.

Jonathan India To Remain On 10-Day IL Until At Least September

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Due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Jonathan India was placed on the Reds’ 10-day injured list back on July 29.  The second baseman was initially hopeful that just a minimal 10-day break was all that was required to get him back onto the field, yet now the rest of India’s season could be in question.  As manager David Bell and GM Nick Krall told reporters (including The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer), another MRI revealed that the tear in India’s plantar fascia has gotten worse, resulting in more discomfort for India.

More tests and a second medical opinion is forthcoming, yet for now, Bell said India will be shut down from running for the next two weeks.  From there, India will then begin a rehab period that should last 10-14 days, so the second baseman will now miss at least a portion of September.  Bell acknowledged that this timeline represents a best-case scenario, and Krall described the situation as “wait-and-see,” so there is definitely plenty of uncertainty surrounding whether or not India can return before the 2023 campaign is over.

“My message to [India] was to sit out the two weeks and then do everything we can to get you back for the end of the season and the playoffs.  There’s still a lot left to shoot for to get back for, even if it is towards the end of the season,” Bell said.

Ominously, India said in July that he finally opted to go on the 10-day IL since “I can’t make this worse.  If it’s worse, I’m out the whole year.”  Two weeks later, it seems as though this exact scenario might have happened, if the plantar fascia tear has become even more of an issue.  India’s previous attempt to fight through the pain was clearly having an adverse effect on his play, as he had hit only .202/.287/.333 in his last 129 plate appearances prior to his IL placement.

Even with India struggling, the Reds as a whole didn’t start to stumble until India was actually gone from the active roster.  Cincinnati is 2-8 in the month of August, going from the NL Central lead at the start of the month to falling into third place between the division-leading Brewers and the red-hot Cubs.  A lack of pitching has been the bigger issue than the lineup with or without India, but the Reds will need all hands on deck on both the pitching and hitting fronts if they are to end this skid and get back into a playoff position.  If the Reds have fallen further out of the race by mid-September and India still hasn’t made clear progress in his recovery, it seems quite possible that the team could shut him down entirely until Spring Training.

With so many good young position players joining the team, the Reds technically haven’t had a problem filling in for India, as Matt McLain has played second base, Elly De La Cruz has played shortstop, and Spencer Steer has gotten a large portion of the time at third base.  This looks to be the preferred alignment for the rest of the season until India is back, leaving Cincinnati even more reliant on its young core group.  Though India is only in his third MLB season, he has quickly become a leader within the Reds’ clubhouse, so his absence creates a void even beyond his on-field contributions.

Nationals Release Franmil Reyes, Jacob Nottingham

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The Nationals released Franmil Reyes and Jacob Nottingham from their minor league deals, as indicated by the transactions page for Triple-A Rochester.  Reyes signed with the Nats in May and Nottingham joined the organization in early July, with neither player seeing any action at the big league level.

After hitting 92 homers with a .260/.325/.503 slash line over 1540 plate appearances with San Diego and Cleveland from 2018-21, Reyes’ production has sharply cratered over the last two seasons.  He struggled so much in the first half of the 2022 season that the Guardians designated him for assignment in early August, and Reyes then went to the Cubs on a waiver claim.  Chicago opted to outright Reyes off their roster after the season rather than pay a projected $6MM arbitration salary, and Reyes then landed in Kansas City on a minor league deal.

Reyes hit only .186/.231/.288 over 65 PA with the Royals, who then DFA’ed him in May, and Reyes opted to again become a free agent.  Signing with the Nationals organization didn’t provide any new spark, as Reyes hit .219/.322/.383 over 149 in Rochester, electing to stay with the team despite a pair of earlier opt-out dates.

Despite all his struggles over the last two seasons, it still seems likely that the 28-year-old Reyes will catch on with another team eager to see if his power bat can be revived.  The next chance might not come until 2024, however, if clubs prefer to give their younger players more playing time over the last few weeks of the Triple-A season and postseason.

Nottingham’s MLB resume consists of 53 games with the Brewers and Mariners from 2018-21, and the catcher has yet to return to the big leagues.  He spent 2022 in the Orioles’ farm system and then returned to the Mariners on another minor league contract during the offseason, before getting traded to the Giants in May and released in late June.  Nottingham provided Washington with some catching depth at the Triple-A level, but the Nationals will now make room for prospect Brady Lindsly, who was just promoted to Rochester on Friday.

Mets Designate Abraham Almonte For Assignment

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The Mets announced four roster moves in between games of their double-header with the Braves today, including the news that outfielder Abraham Almonte has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Denyi Reyes was optioned to Triple-A, while righty Tyson Miller was called up from Triple-A and outfielder Tim Locastro was reinstated from the 60-day injured list.

Almonte signed a minor league deal with New York during the offseason, but he didn’t make his 2023 debut until four days ago, after the Mets selected his contract to the active roster.  With his appearance in the first game of the Atlanta double-header, Almonte’s tenure with the Mets could be over after four games, and one hit over 12 plate appearances.

The four-game cup of coffee at least ensured an 11th consecutive MLB season for Almonte, an Immaculate Grid favorite who has seen action with eight different Major League clubs.  The switch-hitter has a career .235/.302/.374 slash line over 1371 PA, as Almonte is known most for his outfield versatility than his prowess at the plate, though his glovework has allowed him to find backup or part-time roles for over a decade.

Assuming he clears waivers, Almonte has the right to elect free agency in the event an outright assignment, since he has been outrighed before in his career.  The Mets could also choose to release Almonte entirely, if they prefer to use younger players down the stretch rather than keep a veteran around at Triple-A.

Locastro returns after undergoing thumb surgery in May, and his thumb injury occurred during a rehab assignment when Locastro was already on the injured list recovering from back spasms.  The lengthy absence has limited Locastro to just 11 games, and he looks to get some outfield work while the Mets try to fill the void left by deadline trades and Starling Marte’s IL stint.

Astros Place Jose Abreu, Phil Maton On Injured List

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The Astros announced that first baseman Jose Abreu has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 10), and that right-hander Phil Maton has been placed on the 15-day IL.  Abreu is dealing with lumbar spine inflammation while Maton has a right elbow contusion.  Infielder David Hensley and left-hander Parker Mushinski were called up from Triple-A in corresponding moves.

Abreu’s back has been an issue for both the last few days, and for much of the season, as he revealed to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome (Twitter links) and other reporters today.  The IL placement seemed to be sparked when an MRI revealed the inflammation, and Abreu received two cortisone shots to help ease the discomfort.

The back problem continues what has been a rough debut season for the veteran first baseman in Houston.  After signing a three-year, $58.5MM free agent contract with the Astros last winter, Abreu has stumbled to a .234/.291/.343 slash line and 10 homers over 464 plate appearances.  Abreu and the Rockies’ Jurickson Profar each have a 75 wRC+, tied for the lowest wRC+ of any player in baseball with at least 450 PA in the 2023 campaign.

It has been a surprising result for a player who was so consistently productive over his nine previous seasons with the White Sox, and yet Abreu made a point of not using his back problems as an excuse, telling Rome and company “this is not a justification for the hitter I’ve been for the past four months.”

The Astros selected Jon Singleton’s contract from Triple-A earlier this week, and the former top prospect will continue to get a good chunk of the first base playing time while Abreu is sidelined.  Hensley and Mauricio Dubon could also chip in, though Houston might also opt to use Yainer Diaz more often at the cold corner, when Diaz isn’t catching.  The rookie has hit very well in his first extended taste of MLB action, and the Astros have been using first base and the DH spot to keep Diaz in the lineup when Martin Maldonado is behind the plate.

Maton was hit in the elbow by a line drive in Friday’s game, which forced him to make an early exit from his relief outing.  Rome reports that initial x-rays didn’t show a fracture, but Maton will undergo more x-rays and an MRI in due course.

Injuries have plagued Houston’s rotation all season, but the bullpen has been relatively healthy, and a big reason why the Astros have been able to largely withstand their thinned-out starting staff.  Maton has enjoyed a very solid campaign, posting a 3.04 ERA and an above-average 26.2% strikeout rate.  Though Maton isn’t a hard thrower and his walk rate is below average, he has elite spin rates and his fastball and curveball, and his 23.1% hard-hit ball rate is the lowest in the majors.

The Astros can only hope that the further scans don’t reveal a more serious problem for Maton, as the club needs their bullpen to keep contributing during the playoff push.  Houston already added to their relief depth in acquiring Kendall Graveman at the trade deadline, a move that looks even shrewder now that Maton will miss at least the next 15 days.

Diamondbacks Designate Kristian Robinson For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy. In corresponding moves, they optioned infielder Emmanuel Rivera and designated outfielder Kristian Robinson for assignment.

Robinson hit .271/.384/.452 in 185 combined plate appearances at three different minor league levels — a game of rookie ball, 32 games at A-level Visalla and 10 games at high-A Hillsboro.  It marked his first on-field action since the 2019 season, as Robinson had been on the restricted list for almost three years.  Back in May, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco detailed the legal and visa hurdles that stalled Robinson’s career, stemming from an April 2020 incident that initially resulted in Robinson pleading guilty to a felony assault charge.  The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor if Robinson completed an 18-month probation period, and while that probation period was up in the spring, Robinson had to essentially put his baseball career on hold until its completion.

Though Robinson’s numbers in the minors are pretty solid, and he is only a couple of years removed from top-100 prospect status, the D’Backs are willing to move on from the 22-year-old outfielder.  Claiming Robinson would require a 40-man roster spot from an interested team, but it would seem like someone will certainly take a flier on a player with his pedigree.  That said, it would stand to reason that Arizona might’ve shopped Robinson on the trade market while opting for the DFA, but apparently didn’t find any acceptable offers.  Because Robinson was on the 40-man roster, he is ineligible to be dealt after the trade deadline.

Rivera’s .267/.311/.376 slash line over 238 PA doesn’t quite tell the whole story of the infielder’s season, as Rivera got off to a blazing start and started getting regular duty at third base in place of Evan Longoria and Josh Rojas.  However, Rivera has markedly slowed down at the plate, with only a .519 OPS in his last 123 PA.  With Rivera sent to Triple-A to regroup, Longoria on the 10-day injured list, and Rojas traded to the Mariners as part of the Paul Sewald deal, utilityman Jace Peterson and Kennedy now look like the starting platoon at third base.

Kennedy was a fifth-round pick for the Diamondbacks in the 2017 draft, and he made his MLB debut last season in the form of 30 games and 94 plate appearances (hitting .217/.287/.325).  The D’Backs outrighted him off the 40-man roster after the season and he has been tearing up Triple-A pitching in 2023, hitting .318/.447/.480 over 407 PA with Triple-A Reno with five homers and 22 doubles.

Most of Kennedy’s professional playing time has come as a third baseman, though he logged a lot of innings at second base and gotten some work at first base and left field.  It could be that Kennedy will just be a stopgap until Longoria is able to return, but it represents another move at a position that has been a problem area for the Diamondbacks all season.  The revolving door at third base is just one of many issues for a struggling Arizona team that is 8-25 since the start of July, and currently mired in a nine-game losing streak.

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