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Archives for September 2023

Royals Select Tyler Cropley

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11:30am: Quatraro tells Anne Rogers of MLB.com that further testing revealed Perez does indeed have a mild concussion.

10:25am: The Royals announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Tyler Cropley. He will take the active roster spot of Salvador Perez, who has been placed on the seven-day concussion list, retroactive to September 17. To open a spot on the 40-man, catcher Freddy Fermin was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Perez departed Saturday’s game after being struck in the mask by a foul ball. The Royals later announced that he had avoided a concussion, with manager Matt Quatraro saying that the backstop “got his bell rung a little bit” but felt fine after the game. It now seems that either the situation has changed or the club is merely deciding to be cautious in the late stages of a lost season.

The club will now be without its two primary catchers from this season, at least for a few games, as Fermin suffered a fracture of his right middle finger earlier this month. He underwent surgery last week and is done for the season, making his transfer to the 60-day injured list an expected formality.

With Perez and Fermin both unavailable, Cropley will get back to the majors. He was briefly selected to the club’s roster earlier this month when Fermin suffered his injury but he was designated for assignment a few days later, without getting into a game, when Logan Porter was promoted. He cleared waivers and was outrighted, allowing him to rejoin the roster today. At least for the time being, it seems as though Porter and Cropley will be sharing the catching duties.

Aside from that brief time on the big league roster, Cropley has split his time between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He has walked in 11.5% of his plate appearances and hit a combined .233/.329/.367 for a wRC+ of 87. He’ll make his major league debut as soon as he is put into a game.

Braves Select Lucas Luetge, Designate Dereck Rodríguez For Assignment

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The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Lucas Luetge, with right-hander Dereck Rodríguez designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Luetge, 36, was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade but hasn’t secured a firm place in Atlanta. He has struggled in brief looks at the major league level, with an earned run average of 8.49 in 11 outings. That has come in sporadic fashion, as he was twice been designated for assignment and passed through waivers, with today being the second time he’s been added back to the roster.

That’s a very small sample and his work outside of that has been much better. He has a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings at the Triple-A level this year and he also posted a 2.71 ERA for the Yanks at the major league level across 2021 and 2022, tossing 129 2/3 innings in that time. He’ll give the club a third left-handed option in the bullpen, alongside A.J. Minter and Brad Hand.

Rodríguez, 31, was selected to the club’s roster just yesterday and was immediately thrust into action. Charlie Morton started the game against the Marlins and didn’t have his best outing, allowing six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. Rodriguez was put into the game and absorbed two innings, but allowed eight earned runs in that time while throwing 54 pitches. In order to save the bullpen, the club had infielder Nicky Lopez throw an inning and a third before the game ended with a 16-2 score.

Rodríguez will now be placed on waivers in the coming days, the third time for him this year. He was signed by the Twins to a minor league deal in the offseason, getting selected to the big league club in May. After just one appearances, he was claimed off waivers by Atlanta, who mostly kept him on optional assignment. He made one appearance for them in May and another in July, getting designated for assignment after the latter. After rejoining the club yesterday and getting shelled, he has an ERA of 15.19 in the majors this year, along with a 5.91 ERA in the minors.

The Opener: Wainwright, Rodriguez, Phillies/Braves

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As the 2023 regular season enters the home stretch, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Wainwright goes for #200:

After securing his 199th career win in Baltimore last week, Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright is slated to take the ball at home against the Brewers with a chance to become the 122nd player in MLB history to reach 200 wins in his career, joining the likes of Jon Lester and Chuck Finley. Pitching opposite Wainwright in what could be his final career start at Busch Stadium figures to be right-hander Freddy Peralta (3.79 ERA). The final season of Wainwright’s career has been a very difficult one, as the 41-year-old has posted a 7.95 ERA and 6.20 FIP in 94 innings of work across 20 starts. Wainwright’s Cardinals are struggling similarly, with the club facing just their second season below .500 since Wainwright debuted in 2005 with the possibility of their first 90-loss campaign since 1990.

2. Rodriguez heads to LA:

The Tigers are headed to Dodger Stadium for a three game set today. Despite the Dodgers having already clinched the NL West and the Tigers being all but eliminated from postseason contention, there’s still plenty of intrigue surrounding today’s game. That’s because left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who made waves in the baseball world at the trade deadline this year by using his no-trade rights to veto a deal that would have sent him to the Dodgers, will be taking the mound tonight against right-hander Lance Lynn, LA’s lone rotation addition at the deadline this year.  With Lynn sporting an ugly 8.18 ERA over his last four starts and much of the Dodgers rotation injured ahead of the club’s impending postseason run, Rodriguez’s 3.99 ERA in eight starts since the trade deadline would surely have been a major boost to the club in the final weeks of the season and have given them a third veteran arm to pair with Lynn and Clayton Kershaw this postseason.

3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Braves

A pair of division rivals are set to begin a three-game set that could prove to be a preview of what’s to come this postseason as the Phillies make their way to Truist Park in Atlanta. It’s the second series between the clubs in as many weeks, with the Braves having clinched the NL East crown by taking three of four in Philadelphia last week. Since then, however, the Braves suffered a brutal sweep at the hands of the Marlins while the Phillies took a series win against the Cardinals over the weekend, indicating momentum may have shifted to favor the Phillies headed into this week’s series. The coming set has no shortage of intriguing pitching matchups, starting with righties Zack Wheeler and Kyle Wright facing off this evening. Tuesday will see youngsters Spencer Strider and Cristopher Sanchez clash, while the final game of the series will see Aaron Nola take the mound opposite Bryce Elder.

Latest On Kim Ng’s Contract Status

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The terms of Kim Ng’s contract with the Marlins weren’t made public when she was hired as general manager in November 2020, but Barry Jackson, Jordan McPherson, and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report that Ng’s deal is up at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.  There hasn’t been any public word about extension talks, though that seems to be by design, as Marlins owner Bruce Sherman prefers for the focus to be on the club’s playoff chase.

Sherman did give the GM a vote of confidence, stating that “Kim and the baseball operations team have worked diligently throughout the year to identify players that can help us succeed.  Through continuous investments by our ownership group, our club has been able to make key additions to this promising roster that is now competing for the playoffs.  The additions of Josh Bell and Jake Burger at the deadline have been a great spark to our lineup as well as great individuals in the clubhouse.”

Over the previous 19 seasons, the Marlins have reached the playoffs only once (in the shortened 2020 season) and have posted only five winning records.  With that downbeat recent history in mind, it counts as a notable achievement that the 2023 squad has a 78-72 record and is challenging for a wild card position.  There have been plenty of ups and downs in the Marlins’ season, yet at the very least, South Beach fans can look forward to two more weeks of pennant-race baseball and potentially some postseason action.

In general, it is a little unusual to see top executives go into a true lame-duck year, as the Marlins apparently don’t have even a club option over Ng’s services for 2024.  Given how Miami was 137-188 in Ng’s first two seasons, it makes sense that Sherman might have wanted a full year to see if Ng could turn things around, plus in a sense 2023 is Ng’s first true season in charge of baseball operations.

Ng was initially hired when Derek Jeter was calling the shots as the Marlins’ CEO, plus VP of scouting/player development Gary Denbo (a longtime Jeter confidant) had an outsized influence within the front office, and manager Don Mattingly was continuing in the dugout as a holdover from the Jeffrey Loria era.  However, Jeter shockingly parted ways with the Marlins in February 2022, Denbo was fired a few months later, and Mattingly wasn’t retained as skipper last fall.

Ng hired Skip Schumaker as Miami’s new manager, then embarked on her first relatively normal offseason as GM, free of front office tumult, the pandemic’s disruptive elements, or MLB labor disruptions.  The focus was on upgrading the offense, and while the Fish still aren’t a big-hitting group, the acquisition of Luis Arraez was a clear win, and (as Sherman observed) Bell and Burger have both hit well since coming to Miami in deadline deals.  As well, Jorge Soler bounced back from his very disappointing debut season in 2022 to post quality numbers this season.

Given the Marlins’ success this year under Ng, the Herald writers unsurprisingly note that “it would be surprising if she’s not invited back” on a new contract.  As we saw with James Click and the Astros last year, no amount of on-field success can guarantee employment for a general manager if the owner isn’t entirely satisfied with how things are going, and it is possible Sherman might want to install an executive free of any past association with Jeter.  That said, the Marlins have such a checkered history of ownership and front office upheaval that Sherman might not want to add to that history by changing GMs in the wake of what is shaping up as a successful turn-around.

Waiting to negotiate with Ng creates some risk for the Marlins since another team could conceivably emerge to offer her another front office position, though it is perhaps instructive to remember that Ng was an assistant GM under Brian Cashman with the Yankees in 1998-01.  Through Cashman’s long stint in New York, he has routinely fully completed his employment contracts before signing new deals, even waiting until weeks or months into the offseason before officially putting pen to paper on his own contract since there always an understanding that he would be returning.  If such an understanding similarly exists between Ng and Sherman, an announcement of a new contract for the GM might just be a matter of time.

NL Notes: Fried, Anderson, Braves, McGough, Wiemer

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Max Fried’s next start is being pushed back, as the Braves southpaw won’t next pitch until sometime during Atlanta’s upcoming series with the Nationals that starts on Thursday.  In Fried’s last outing on September 12, he developed a hot spot on his finger, and manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that the club was being cautious to prevent Fried from developing a blister.  With the NL East clinched, the Braves naturally want to make sure their roster is healthy and set for the playoffs, especially a front-of-the-rotation arm like Fried.

Nick Anderson’s participation on a postseason roster has yet to be determined, as the righty has missed over two months due to a shoulder strain.  Anderson will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, but as Toscano notes, the reliever won’t have a lot of time to ramp up since the Triple-A season ends next weekend.  Atlanta will get some extra time to decide on Anderson, Jesse Chavez (also on a rehab assignment) and other players on the borderline of its roster due to the first-round bye in the playoffs, and the pitching mix figures to get particular attention.  The Braves’ hurlers have been quite good for most of the season, but have a collective 5.60 ERA since August 31 — the fifth-highest in baseball in that span.

More from around the National League…

  • The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Scott McGough on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, and McGough might only pitch again if Arizona makes the postseason, manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other reporters.  Signed to a two-year, $6.25MM free agent last winter, McGough was making his return to North American baseball after an impressive four-year run in Japan, and the D’Backs had designs on using McGough in high-leverage relief situations.  The results were mixed, as McGough displayed some shaky control and allowed a lot of hard contact in posting a 4.73 ERA over 70 1/3 innings, though his 28.6% strikeout rate and 49.2% grounder rate were both strong.  The righty had nine saves while getting some looks in the closer role before Arizona acquired Paul Sewald at the trade deadline.
  • The Brewers activated outfielder Blake Perkins from the 10-day injured list today, as Perkins returned to the roster after missing about five weeks due to an oblique strain.  In the corresponding move, Milwaukee optioned Joey Wiemer to Triple-A, as Wiemer has been mired in a lengthy lengthy slump of just three hits in his last 38 plate appearances.  This will mark Wiemer’s first Triple-A action of 2023, as he has spent the rest of his rookie season in the bigs, hitting .204/.283/.362 over 410 plate appearances.  Injuries within the Brewers’ outfield have led to regular playing time for the former top-100 prospect, and while Wiemer hasn’t contributed much at the plate, his glovework in center field has been well above average.  However, Sal Frelick has gradually taken over regular center field duty, as Wiemer hasn’t hit enough to retain his spot in the lineup.  With the Brewers heading towards the NL Central title, it remains to be seen if Wiemer might return to the active roster before the season is out, or if his defense might merit him a postseason roster slot.

NL West Notes: Hazen, Red Sox, Cobb, Freeland

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The Red Sox have started looking for a new front office boss, and a familiar face might be on their radar since ESPN’s Buster Olney (X link) reports that Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen “is one of the names discussed” as a potential candidate.  Hazen is a Massachusetts native and he previously worked for the Sox from 2006-16, including a stint as the club’s general manager during the 2016 season.  Hazen was the top lieutenant under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski that year before Arizona hired him away to lead their front office.

Hazen’s time in the desert has included the lows of two brutal seasons in 2020-21, and the highs of a playoff appearance in 2017, three winning records in six full seasons, and a club that is fighting for another postseason berth with a 79-72 record this year.  Between this season’s success and the wealth of quality young talent in Arizona’s farm system, Hazen might not necessarily be too eager to consider a job change, especially considering that the D’Backs have him under contract through the 2024 season (with a club option for 2025).

As Olney notes, Hazen could potentially leverage any interest from the Red Sox into a new extension from the D’Backs, though one would imagine that Arizona was already looking to retain an executive who has seemingly gotten the team back on track.  Since the Diamondbacks would have to give permission for Hazen to be interviewed by another club, it’s possible Boston’s interest might go unexplored if the D’Backs aren’t willing to give that consent.  It also isn’t known if Hazen is seen as a prime candidate for the Sox, or if they were doing some natural due diligence early in their front office search on an experienced executive with many past Boston ties.

More from around the NL West…

  • Alex Cobb recently revealed that he has been pitching through hip discomfort for over three months, though he has still posted a respectable 4.20 ERA over his last 13 starts and 70 2/3 innings pitched.  The Giants have been trying to manage the injury with a cortisone shot and some extra rest, as Cobb had eight days between his most recent two starts, and will be working on eight more days of rest when he is scheduled to take the mound Tuesday for a big game with the Diamondbacks.  Cobb underwent hip surgery in 2019, though he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he doesn’t believe he’ll need another procedure to address his current impingement (which is in his left hip, whereas his right hip previously received the surgical repair).  However, Cobb did add “I should get more clarity on it, honestly,” which is something of an ominous admission for the veteran hurler.  Trying to tough it out carries some extra risk for Cobb since he technically isn’t under contract for 2024 — San Francisco holds a $10MM club option ($2MM buyout) on his services for next year.
  • The Rockies placed left-hander Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list today due to a right oblique strain, so Freeland won’t pitch again during the 2023 season.  The oblique injury forced Freeland to make an early exit from Saturday’s game, and continued the season-long string of pitching injuries that has devastated the Rockies’ staff.  It was a frustrating year overall for the veteran southpaw, who posted a 5.03 ERA and one of the sport’s lowest strikeout rates (13.9%) over 155 2/3 innings.

Drey Jameson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Diamondbacks right-hander Drey Jameson has been on the injured list since early July due to elbow problems, and unfortunately the 26-year-old is now facing the worst case scenario.  Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Jameson will undergo a Tommy John surgery, which will almost certainly keep the pitcher out of action until Opening Day 2025.

The outcome isn’t unexpected, as Jameson was almost immediately shifted to the 60-day injured list soon after his initial 15-day IL placement, and Lovullo indicated in July that the righty’s UCL had suffered some type of damage.  Jameson had been trying to work through the injury without surgery and had been on a throwing program, though that program was paused earlier this week.

Jameson now faces a much more extensive rehab process and an unfortunate stoppage in his young career.  Selected 34th overall by the D’Backs in the 2019 draft, Jameson was still able to blaze a quick path to the majors even despite losing 2020 as a development year because of the pandemic.  He made his Major League debut with four starts and a 1.48 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in 2022, and then battled for a starter’s job in Spring Training before opening this season in Arizona’s bullpen.

Some tough early results got him sent to Triple-A for much of May, after Jameson had been moved into the rotation to fill in for the injured Zach Davies.  Jameson returned to the big league bullpen at the end of May and looked pretty sharp before his elbow injury, at least in terms of bottom-line results.  Jameson had a 3.32 ERA over 40 2/3 total innings this season, with a 4.49 SIERA reflecting his below-average strikeout and walk rates, though he at least limited damage with a 45.8% grounder rate and a hefty 87% strand rate.

The TJ surgery could well factor into any future decision over Jameson’s role as a starter or reliever, though that determination will certainly wait until after he is healthy and ready to pitch.  Rebuilding arm strength for a relief role isn’t quite as extensive as rehabbing to take on a starter’s workload, so there is a slim chance Jameson might be able to make it back at the very end of the 2024 regular season, but the much likelier scenario is that he’ll miss all of next season recovering.

Even if Jameson might have been a depth starter for 2024, his injury removes another arm from the Diamondbacks’ depth chart heading into the offseason.  The Snakes have hung in the wild card race despite not getting much from their rotation beyond Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, leaving pitching as a question to be more fully addressed over the winter.  Tommy Henry, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt will all be in the running to compete for rotation jobs, but Arizona will surely look to acquire at least one veteran arm.  Davies could be retained on a $5.5MM mutual option, though that doesn’t seem likely to be exercised given Davies’ struggles this year.

Cardinals Notes: O’Neill, Yepez, Romero, Flaherty

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The Cardinals announced this morning that they have placed outfielder Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day injured list with a right foot sprain. First baseman Juan Yepez was recalled from Triple-A in the corresponding move. The sprain presumably brings O’Neill’s 2023 campaign to a close, given the limited time remaining on the regular season schedule.

Despite rampant speculation early in the season that the club could deal O’Neill following an incident back in April where he was benched by manager Oli Marmol for a perceived lack of hustle, no such trade materialized before the trade deadline on August 1. That could be thanks at least in part due to O’Neill’s difficult first half. The 28-year-old made it into just 29 games with the Cardinals prior to the All Star break thanks to a low back strain, slashing just .228/.283/.337 with a 34.3% strikeout rate in those first 99 trips to the plate this season.

While his season started off on a rough note, O’Neill has looked greatly improved at the plate in recent months. His .233/.329/.445 slash line in 167 plate appearances since returning from injury shortly after the All Star break is far more palatable than his early season numbers. His strikeout rate has plummeted to just 19.8% over that period, while his walk rate has ticked up to 12.6%, a considerable jump from the 7.1% rate he posted in the first half. With that improved discipline at the plate and the ability to play center field, O’Neill could be a valuable player to the Cardinals as he heads into his final year of team control in 2024, whether that be as a trade chip or as a piece of the club’s outfield next year.

With Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker presumably locked into every day playing time, O’Neill will have to fight for playing time with the likes of Yepez, Dylan Carlson, and Alec Burleson for playing time in the outfield and at DH, assuming trades aren’t made to clear the club’s outfield logjam. Thanks to O’Neill’s injury, Yepez will get his first extended opportunity this season to showcase his skills at the big league level. After a solid rookie campaign with the Cardinals where he batted .253/.296/.447 in 76 games, Yepez has made just 46 plate appearances in the majors this year, slashing a lackluster .214/.283/.381 in that limited playing time. That being said, Yepez has gotten on a heater at the Triple-A level in recent weeks with a .305/.356/.481 slash line over his past 45 games. If he can keep that sort of production up at the big league level in the final weeks of the season, Yepez could re-establish himself as a contender for more playing time in the majors headed into 2024.

More from St. Louis…

  • The Cardinals will be without left-hander JoJo Romero for longer than initially expected, as noted by MLB.com. Marmol told reporters yesterday that Romero, who went on the injured list earlier this month due to knee tendinitis, is “still working on strengthening his knee” and that the current plan is for him to throw another side session today before determining when he’ll return to action. Romero has taken on a high leverage role in the St. Louis bullpen in the weeks since the club moved on from closer Jordan Hicks at the trade deadline, and the 27-year-old lefty has thrived in his new role. In 17 innings of work (12 appearances) since recording his first save, Romero has posted a 3.18 ERA with a microscopic 0.79 FIP. That incredible figure is thanks to a whopping 35.8% strikeout rate against a minuscule 3% walk rate during that time frame.
  • St. Louis parted ways with right-hander Jack Flaherty at this year’s trade deadline, dealing him to the Orioles in a buzzer-beating deal that brought back a trio of youngsters. That deal coming to fruition was far from a guarantee, however. As reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal earlier this week, the Cardinals nearly came to an agreement with the Rays to send Flaherty to Tampa, though the deal collapsed in the medical review stage of the process. Since then, the Rays lost left-hander Shane McClanahan to Tommy John surgery, further weakening the club’s starting rotation. While it’s worth wondering if Tampa’s interest in the pending free agent could carry over into the offseason, it should be noted that Flaherty has struggled badly since joining the Orioles, with a 7.11 ERA in seven starts for Baltimore.

A’s Select Joe Boyle

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The A’s selected the contract of right-hander Joe Boyle this afternoon, per a team announcement. In corresponding moves, right-hander Freddy Tarnok was transferred to the 60-day injured list while lefty Sean Newcomb was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left knee.

Boyle, who celebrated his 24th birthday last month, came over from the Reds as the return in the Sam Moll trade earlier this summer. Standing a massive 6’7” and weighing in at 240 pounds, Boyle has shown an impressive power arsenal with a triple-digit fastball and strong breaking stuff that has allowed him to strikeout a whopping 35.4% of batters faced as a professional. Unfortunately, that strong repertoire comes with little in terms of command, as the big righty has posted walk rates of 10% or higher at every full-season league he’s appeared in since being drafted by the Reds in the fifth round of the 2020 draft.

Boyle is now slated to get a chance to show off his big time stuff at the big league level, as he’ll start today’s game against the Padres. Boyle’s posted a solid 3.84 ERA across 25 starts split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. That’s a particularly noteworthy feat considering he’s posted an ERA of just 2.25 in three starts at the Triple-A level with the A’s, who play in infamously inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.

Making room for Boyle on the active roster is Newcomb, who pitched quite well in a swing role for the A’s this season. Across 15 innings of work (seven appearances), Newcomb posted a 3.00 ERA with a 27.9% strikeout rate, though his whopping 14.8% walk rate indicates that the control issues that have dogged him ever since he made his big league debut with the Braves back in 2017 haven’t gone away. As for Tarnok, the right-hander underwent season-ending hip surgery toward the end of August, making today’s transfer to the 60-day IL nothing more than a formality.

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