Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2023

Send In A Voice Memo For The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!

By | at

We love answering your questions each week on the MLB Trade Rumors podcast.  But it’d be even better to hear your voice on the show!

It’s really easy to send us a voice memo to use on the podcast.  Here are instructions for those with an iPhone.

First,  find and open the Voice Memo app.  It looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tap the red record button and ask your question.  On the recording you just made, find the circle with three dots and tap that.  Tap Share.

Choose an email app, and send it to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.

Of course, you can still email a question directly to that address.  But consider giving voice memos a try!

The Opener: Labor Day, Giolito, Holliday

By | at

Here are three things we’re watching on this holiday Monday…

1. Labor Day games:

It is Labor Day, which means the slate of games is a little more interesting than a typical Monday. There are 11 games on the docket today, starting at 1:10 Central with the White Sox and Royals, continuing all the way until 8:38 with the Angels hosting the Orioles. Some matchups with playoff implications include the Astros facing off against the Rangers while the Guardians host the Twins.

2. Giolito’s debut with Guardians:

The Guardians were able to claim three pitchers off waivers from the Angels recently, which was a salary-dumping move for the latter club. That allowed the Guards to bolster their pitching staff for the home stretch as they try to chase the Twins in the American League Central, with Lucas Giolito being the most significant addition. He’ll be taking the ball today in Cleveland as the club starts an important three-game set against Minnesota.

3. Holliday to Triple-A:

Jackson Holliday is jumping from Double-A to Triple-A, reports Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. The 19-year-old shortstop is the consensus #1 prospect in the sport and will now be joining his fourth level of the year. He’s gone from Single-A to High-A to Double-A and will now jump to the top level of the minors, having hit a combined .333/.451/.517 this year. Despite his youth, will the Orioles consider a fifth level with a major league promotion in the final weeks of the season?

Angels Place Max Stassi On Restricted List

By | at

2:22PM: It isn’t yet known if the Angels have ducked under the tax line, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register notes that putting Stassi on the restricted list will save the team roughly $300K off the tax bill (due to how the luxury tax figure is calculated by average annual value, not by pure dollars).  It might not be revealed until after the season whether or not the Angels have gotten under the tax threshold.

1:31PM: The Angels announced that catcher Max Stassi has been placed on the team’s restricted list (retroactive to September 2).  Stassi hasn’t played at all this season due to both a hip strain that required a 60-day IL placement, and a personal situation involving his family.

That latter reason has led to the restricted list placement, since as per the club’s announcement, Stassi “informed the Angels that while he is in a position to resume activities to return to MLB, he has voluntarily chosen not to do so for the remainder of the 2023 season as a result of a serious family medical issue.  Out of respect for Max and his family, the Angels will not have any further comment.  The Angels wish Max and his family all the best.”

A veteran of 10 Major League seasons with the Astros and Angels, Stassi was dealt to Los Angeles at the 2019 trade deadline and hit quite well in part-time catching action for the Angels in 2020-21.  That prompted the Halos to sign him to a three-year, $14.5MM contract extension that runs through the 2024 season with a club option (worth $7.5MM with a $500K buyout) for 2025.  Unfortunately, Stassi then struggled through the 2022 campaign, and entered this past Spring Training competing for playing time with Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss.

Stassi’s hip injury removed him from the catching picture, and it appears as though he has been healthy for some time, but has instead been spending time with his family.  We at MLBTR express our support for Stassi and his family during this difficult period.

When on a Major League restricted list, players can’t amass any big league service time or salary.  As a result, the Angels won’t have to pay the $1.16MM still owed to Stassi over the course of the 2023 campaign, which has some bigger-picture implications for the team.  The Athletic’s Sam Blum (X link) writes that with Stassi’s remaining salary off the books, the Angels will be able to duck under the $233MM luxury tax threshold.

This desire to avoid a tax payment was part of the reason for the Angels’ recent flurry of waiver wire placements, as Lucas Giolito, Hunter Renfroe, Dominic Leone, Matt Moore, and Reynaldo Lopez were all claimed away from the team prior to September 1.  However, because Randal Grichuk wasn’t claimed, the Halos remained slightly above the $233MM tax line, but today’s move with Stassi has now apparently cleared the last financial hurdle.

The Angels hadn’t been tax payors since 2004, but were prepared to surpass the threshold this season in a push to contend in what might be Shohei Ohtani’s final season in Anaheim.  The Halos were aggressive in adding to their roster last winter and during the season, including a busy trade deadline push that saw them land Giolito, Lopez, Leone, Grichuk, C.J. Cron in three separate trades.  However, Los Angeles’ 8-19 record in August and Ohtani’s UCL injury led the club to effectively throw in the towel, and put six players on the waiver wire in the hopes of recouping some money to at least avoid any tax penalty.

In staying under the $233MM threshold, the Angels will avoid the (fairly minimal) tax payment itself, but will gain bigger rewards in terms of free agent compensation rules.  The Halos will be able to sign qualifying offer-rejecting free agents without having to pay a bigger penalty in terms of draft picks, while L.A. will receive a compensatory pick prior to the third round of the draft for any free agents (i.e Ohtani) who might reject a QO and sign elsewhere.  Had the Angels been tax payors, that compensatory pick would’ve fallen beyond the fourth round.

AL Central Notes: Faedo, Robert, Varland, Bieber

By | at

The Tigers restructured their rotation recently, with the club’s current starting five being left-handers Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal and Joey Wentz alongside right-handers Matt Manning and Reese Olson. That leaves right-hander Alex Faedo as the odd man out, and as manager AJ Hinch confirmed to reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive) recently that Faedo would be moving to the bullpen. Faedo received his first relief assignment last night, striking out one on 13 pitches in a single inning of work.

While Faedo was used as a single-inning reliever last night, Hinch indicated that his longer-term role for the Tigers going forward will be as a multi-inning reliever. Woodbery relays that “scheduled” relief appearances of two or three innings are one possibility for Faedo, as well as piggyback starts alongside Wentz. That duo would be a somewhat surprising combination, considering Faedo’s reverse splits this year; left-handed batters have slashed just .143/.209/.333 in 115 plate appearances against him, while righties have hit a far more impressive .266/.322/.505 in 118 trips to the plate.

Overall this season, Faedo has posted a 4.89 ERA and 5.03 FIP in 57 innings of work in the majors. While he showed promise in his final five starts with the big league club, posting a 2.73 ERA over that timeframe, his control left plenty to be desired over those appearances, with a 12% walk rate against a strikeout rate of just 17.5%. Despite those struggles, Hinch suggested that it was possible Faedo could return to the rotation for a start or two at some point before the end of the season.

More from the AL Central…

  • White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was scratched from yesterday’s lineup against Detroit due to cramping in his right quad. That same issue led Chicago to hold Robert out of the lineup today as well, with MLB.com indicating that Robert could return to game action as soon as tomorrow. That being said, the club plans to exercise caution regarding the health of their superstar outfielder. In a dismal season on the south side of Chicago, Robert has been a major bright spot, slashing .272/.324/.560 with 35 home runs and 17 stolen bases alongside elite defense in center field. Oscar Colas has taken over for Robert in center field while he’s been out of the lineup.
  • The Twins are expected to recall right-hander Louie Varland tomorrow, according to the Star Tribune’s Phil Miller. Miller adds that Varland is expecting to join Minnesota as a member of the bullpen, a role which is fairly unfamiliar for the 25-year-old hurler. Out of 78 professional games Varland has played since being drafted in 2019, he has started all but six of them, including all 15 of his appearances in the majors, where he sports a career 4.83 ERA and 5.12 FIP after allowing 17 runs in 15 innings across his three most recent big league starts back in June. Varland is expected to take the roster spot of right-hander Cole Sands, who Miller indicates was optioned after tonight’s game against the Rangers.
  • Guardians ace Shane Bieber is making progress in his rehab from right elbow inflammation, as MLB.com relays that the right-hander has advanced to throwing all of his pitches during bullpen sessions. As Terry Francona told reporters, if Bieber’s next bullpen goes well, he’ll progress to facing live hitters. The next logical progression after that would be a rehab assignment as Bieber builds back up to a starter’s workload. Bieber will first be eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list on September 10, but it seems all but assured that Bieber will need longer than the minimum 60 days before returning at this point. That said, the 28-year-old seems to be on pace to return before the end of the season barring any setbacks. Prior to his injury, 2023 was shaping up to be a down season for Bieber, who posted a 3.77 ERA and 4.11 FIP across 19 starts.

Outright Assignments: Haase, Barlow, Lopez, Johnson

By and | at

Catching up on some players being outrighted off their teams’ 40-man roster, with all info coming from MLB.com’s official transactions page unless credited otherwise…

Latest Moves

  • The Guardians assigned catcher Eric Haase to Triple-A this evening, three days after he was designated for assignment. The 30-year old backstop was drafted by Cleveland back in 2011 and eventually made his major league debut with the club in 2018. He was shipped to Detroit in a cash deal in January 2020 and spent the next several years as the club’s primary catcher, slashing .229/.280/.400 in his 301 games with the Tigers. Detroit designated him for assignment back in August to make room for the signing of Carson Kelly and he was promptly claimed off waivers by the Guardians, reuniting him with his first big league organization. In this most recent stint with Cleveland, Haase made it into just three games, going 2-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts before being DFA’d for the second time that month. As a player who’s been outrighted in the past, Haase has the right to reject the outright assignment if he so chooses, though he would not be eligible for the postseason upon signing with a new club and could simply elect free agency this offseason if not added back to the 40-man roster.

Earlier Today

  • The Royals outrighted Joe Barlow to Triple-A after clearing waivers, two days after the right-hander was designated for assignment.  Barlow has a 4.66 ERA over 13 games and 9 2/3 innings with the Rangers this season, as he has spent most of 2023 pitching at the Triple-A level.  Kansas City claimed Barlow off waivers in early August but he didn’t receive and big league action for K.C., instead just pitching at Triple-A Omaha.  Barlow posted a 2.81 ERA and 24 saves over 64 innings for the Rangers in 2021-22, even if his secondary metrics hinted that some regression was coming.
  • The Reds outrighted infielder Alejo Lopez to Triple-A.  Lopez was designated for assignment earlier this week when Cincinnati added Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader to the roster.  Because Lopez has previously been outrighted in his career (back in February), he has the option of rejecting the outright assignment and becoming a free agent, though there isn’t yet any word about his decision.  The 27-year-old Lopez was a 27th-round pick for the Reds in 2015 and he has spent his entire career with the organization, including 73 games and 159 plate appearances at the big league level in 2021-22.  Cincinnati selected Lopez’s contract again this week but he didn’t see any more game action before being DFA’ed.  Lopez has hit .262/.307/.321 in the majors but he has shown an ability to get on base during his minor league career, even if his power numbers are lacking.  Playing primarily around the infield during his career, Lopez has added to his versatility by getting more corner outfield action over the last couple of seasons.
  • The Giants outrighted outfielder Bryce Johnson to Triple-A.  Like Lopez, Johnson was also a recent DFA, and he also has the option of free agency since he has been outrighted in the past.  Johnson made his Major League debut in 2022, and has hit .148/.209/.213 over 67 PA while appearing in 41 games for San Francisco in the last two seasons.  Known as a strong defender who can play all three outfield positions, Johnson also has plus speed, though his impressive stolen base totals from the minors (157 steals in 199 chances) haven’t yet translated into the small sample size of his big league career.  His overall offensive game has yet to really show up in the big leagues, as Johnson has a .287/.370/.431 slash line over 988 PA at the Triple-A level.

MLBTR Poll: The Crowded NL Wild Card Race

By | at

Despite Fangraphs’ Playoff Odds giving Atlanta (100%), Los Angeles (100%), Milwaukee (98.7%), Philadelphia (96.3%), and Chicago (78%) better than 75% odds of making the playoffs, play in the National League closed this evening with the NL Wild Card race looking as tight as ever thanks to the third and final spot.

Four teams sport winning percentages of .511, putting all of them in an effective tie for the third Wild Card spot behind the Phillies and Cubs. With less than a month to go in the schedule, it’s increasingly likely that only one of Arizona, Cincinnati, Miami, and San Francisco will join the aforementioned five clubs in the postseason this year. Let’s take a look at each of those four clubs, as things stand for them headed into the stretch run:

San Francisco Giants, 70-67 (48.9% playoff odds)

The Giants established themselves as contenders back in June with a fantastic 18-8 record that month and have managed to stay within spitting distance of a playoff spot ever since. Unfortunately for San Francisco, that excellent June is the last month the club posted a winning record. The club has gone just 24-31 since the beginning of July, with their playoff odds dropping from 69.2% down to 47.8% during that stretch. Injuries to key players like Michael Conforto and Anthony DeSclafani have left the club playing at less than full strength, but a bigger problem for the club is the rapidly declining offense: since July 1, the club’s 77 wRC+ is the second worst figure in the majors ahead of only the Rockies.

On the other hand, the club sports a strong if unconventional pitching staff highlighted by ace Logan Webb, veteran Alex Cobb, rookie Kyle Harrison, and closer Camilo Doval that is further bolstered by the excellent defense provided by rookie catcher Patrick Bailey. With that solid run prevention group, it’s easy to see how the Giants could make the playoffs if key offensive contributors like Joc Pederson, Lamonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada can return to the success they showed earlier in the season. Outside of seven games against the Dodgers, San Francisco’s remaining schedule is fairly soft, which should help them in their pursuit of the final NL playoff spot.

Arizona Diamondbacks, 70-67 (33.3% playoff odds)

A surprise early season contender, the Diamondbacks dominated the NL West throughout the first half, holding sole possession of first place in their division as late into the season as July 8 thanks to a strong offensive core of Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker along with a strong pair of starters at the top of their rotation in righties Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Unfortunately for Arizona, their hold on the division lead would vanish over the next month as the club posted a 5-21 record over their next 26 games that was nothing short of disastrous. Despite the trade deadline coming directly in the middle of that awful stretch, Arizona’s front office added outfielder Tommy Pham and closer Paul Sewald to the floundering club, and the team has responded by going 13-7 since their skid came to an end.

With all of the club’s key players healthy headed into the stretch run, the Diamondbacks are perhaps the biggest question mark in this race. Was their brutal month of play, where they looked like one of the worst teams in baseball, simply a fluke? Or was it the beginning of the end for an underdog team projected for a 78-84 record when the season began? With 12 of their final 25 games coming against teams with a record of .500 or better, Arizona won’t have a particularly easy schedule to make use of as they try to secure their first playoff berth since 2017.

Miami Marlins, 70-67 (26.5% playoff odds)

The Marlins’ 2023 campaign has been a strange one. Earlier in the year, the club was carried by the bats of Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler and a historic record in one-run games. Much like the last two teams discussed, the months of July and August were difficult for Miami, as the club posted a record of just 19-32 while Soler (.697 OPS in July) and Arraez (.580 OPS in August) slumped badly. Fortunately, the club received offensive reinforcements at the trade deadline in the form of Jake Burger and Josh Bell, both of whom have posted strong results since joining the Marlins. What’s more, Alcantara has looked more like himself of late, with a 3.04 ERA in his last 77 innings of work.

While Soler hasn’t played in recent days due to injury, the offense is in a good place thanks to the contributions of Burger and Bell, while the rotation led by Alcantara, Eury Perez, Jesus Luzardo, and Edward Cabrera has been characteristically excellent. Perhaps Miami’s biggest obstacle in returning to the postseason for the first time since 2020 is the schedule: of the club’s final 25 games, the Marlins will face the Brewers, Dodgers, Braves and Phillies in sixteen of them.

Cincinnati Reds, 71-68 (16% playoff odds)

The Reds are perhaps the most surprising team of this quartet. The club’s success this season has been fueled almost entirely by a youth movement that began early in the season. While shortstop Elly De La Cruz hasn’t quite been the offensive force he was expected to be in his rookie season, infielder Matt McLain and starter Andrew Abbott have been nothing short of sensational. What’s more, other youngsters like Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Brandon Williamson have contributed in significant ways, to say nothing of contributions from more established players like TJ Friedl, Hunter Greene, Joey Votto, and Alexis Diaz.

While the Reds slumped badly to a 10-17 record in August, only six of the club’s final 23 games are against clubs with a record better than .500, given them plenty of opportunity to go on a run. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, between a rash of injuries and an outbreak of COVID-19, the Reds have a whopping 16 players on the injured list, including key players like Greene, McLain, Williamson, and Votto. With a pair of the club’s biggest bats and most reliable rotation arms out of commission for the foreseeable future, the Reds’ outlook is far hazier than it otherwise may have been.

———————

How does the readership of MLBTR think the race for the final NL Wild Card will shake out over the next month? Will one of the NL West clubs hold on to claim the spot that for much of the season they looked to be a shoo-in for? Will the Marlins overcome their brutal September schedule to emerge victorious? Or can the Reds navigate a wave of injuries to squeak into the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2013?

(poll link for app users)

Which Team Will Make The Playoffs?
San Francisco Giants 30.11% (1,027 votes)
Arizona Diamondbacks 24.89% (849 votes)
Cincinnati Reds 22.69% (774 votes)
Miami Marlins 12.61% (430 votes)
More than one; one of the other five will miss the playoffs. 9.70% (331 votes)
Total Votes: 3,411

New York Notes: Marte, Mets, Hamilton, Rizzo

By | at

Mets outfielder Starling Marte hasn’t appeared in the majors in nearly a month due to a right groin strain, and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes that the veteran has received two cortisone injections and spent the past week working with a lower leg specialist in Philadelphia in hopes of returning to the field this season. Per DiComo, Marte’s discussion with reporters proved to come with news that’s both encouraging and ominous: while Marte is optimistic that he’ll be able to play for the Mets again in 2023, it’s possible Marte will have to undergo a groin surgery identical to the one he underwent back in November this offseason.

Marte made the second All Star appearance of his career with the Mets in 2022, slashing a strong .292/.347/.468 with a 134 wRC+ in 505 trips to the plate with the club last year. The now 34-year-old veteran struggled badly this season prior to heading to the injured list, however, slashing just .248/.301/.324 in 341 trips to the plate. That performance is good for a wRC+ of just 76 this year, 24% worse than league average. With two years and over $40MM left on Marte’s contract, the possibility of another season hampered by the same offseason surgery that hindered him this season is sure to be worrisome for Mets fans. The club is currently relying on DJ Stewart and Jeff McNeil in the outfield corners alongside Brandon Nimmo in center.

More from New York’s teams…

  • Sticking with the Mets, GM Billy Eppler spoke to Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio this afternoon. During the conversation, Eppler indicated to the duo that the Mets would be active in the starting pitching market this offseason. That should hardly come as a surprise, given the club shipped out Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the trade deadline earlier this season, leaving the club with few surefire starting options outside of Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana headed into next year. Youngsters David Peterson and Tylor Megill are currently in the rotation for the club, but both sport ERAs over 5.00 this season. Fortunately for the Mets, the upcoming free agent pitching class is deep with quality options, including the likes of Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
  • The Yankees lost right-hander Ian Hamilton to the injured list earlier today thanks to a right groin strain, with fellow righty Greg Weissert replacing him on the active roster. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that Hamilton’s injury is the same one that caused him to miss roughly six weeks earlier this summer. Per Hoch, the club is holding out hope that Hamilton will be able to return this year, but Boone acknowledged it’s possible he’s done for the season. Hamilton joined the club on a minor league deal back in February and has proven to be a stalwart member of the club’s bullpen this year, with a 2.24 ERA and 2.74 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of work.
  • Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who has been out since last month due to post-concussion syndrome, is going through baseball activities in New York, as Boone told reporters (including Hoch) this evening. While Rizzo has not suffered a setback as he looks to return to the field, Boone indicated that the club intends to sit down with their veteran first baseman in order to discuss Rizzo’s progress in rehabbing the injury. With less than a month left in the regular season and Rizzo seemingly not close to beginning a rehab assignment, it seems unlikely that the 33-year-old will return this season, though Boone said as recently as August 23 a return before the end of the year was “realistic,” per MLB.com.

AL East Notes: Means, Bautista, Verdugo, Bradley

By | at

The Orioles have had a wildly successful 2023 campaign, with an 84-51 record that places them 2.5 games ahead of the Rays in a highly competitive AL East division. Despite that success, the club’s clear Achilles heel throughout the season has been the starting rotation, which has produced just 8.3 fWAR this year, 19th in the majors and only better than San Francisco among clubs currently in playoff position. While the club added right-hander Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline to bolster their staff, he’s struggled to a 6.41 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work with Baltimore.

Given this, it should be a major relief to Orioles fans that left-hander John Means may be nearing a return to the big league club. MLB.com’s Jake Rill relays that manager Brandon Hyde indicated to reporters that Means will make another rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk but could be available to join the club’s big league rotation following that. Means, of course, hasn’t pitched since April 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but sports a 3.72 ERA and 4.59 FIP in 353 1/3 innings of work since the start of his rookie campaign back in 2019. If the 30-year-old lefty can recapture his steady, mid-rotation performance from prior to his surgery in time for the postseason, he’ll surely be an asset to a rotation that figures to include right-handers Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Kyle Gibson.

More from around the AL East…

  • Sticking with the Orioles, closer Felix Bautista hit the injured list with “some degree of injury” to his UCL last week, though since then specifics regarding his situation have been sparse. Hyde provided an update regarding Bautista to reporters this afternoon, with Rill relaying that the club is waiting for inflammation in Bautista’s elbow to go down before deciding on next steps. While Bautista already underwent an MRI, Rill notes that more tests could be in the 28-year-old’s future as the club tries to determine the best course of action for their breakout relief ace.
  • Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo exited today’s game against the Royals due to what the club termed as hamstring tightness. Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe caught up with Verdugo following the game and the 27-year-old downplayed the severity of the issue, suggesting that he “felt a little something” in his hamstring during the sixth inning and that it should be taken care of with a day or two of rest. Should Verdugo miss more time than that, the club has Wilyer Abreu, Cedanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder as options to fill out the outfield alongside Adam Duvall and Masataka Yoshida.
  • The Rays recalled rookie starter Taj Bradley today, with the 22-year-old hurler taking the place of the recently-injured Jason Adam on the active roster. Bradley’s first sixteen starts with Tampa were something of a mixed bag; while the youngster dazzled with a 30% strikeout rate against a 7.9% walk rate, his 5.67 ERA in 74 2/3 innings left a great deal to be desired in terms of both results and volume. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Bradley’s BABIP allowed was the sixth-highest figure in the majors among pitchers with at least 70 innings of work this year, while his strand rate was tenth lowest. That combination indicates some degree of bad luck in Bradley’s results, though a whopping 17.3% of his fly balls leaving the yard for home runs serves as an indicator that not all of his struggles have been pure misfortune. Bradley will look to end his rookie campaign on a high note as a member of the rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Aaron Civale, Zach Eflin, and Zack Littell.

NL Central Notes: Stroman, Cubs, McLain, India, Matz

By | at

The Cubs have been without right-hander Marcus Stroman for just over a month now thanks to inflammation in the 32-year-old hurler’s right hip and a subsequently-diagnosed rib cartilage fracture. Upon the reveal of Stroman’s rib injury two weeks ago, whether or not he would be able to return this season came into question as he was set to be shut down for several weeks without a clear timeline for recovery. Fortunately for fans on the north side, Stroman’s timetable seems to be coming into focus with a return this season clearly still on the table.

Manager David Ross told reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times) ahead of today’s game against the Reds that Stroman will throw a bullpen session in Arizona. That still leaves a long way for Stroman to go before he can return to a major league mound; assuming tomorrow’s bullpen goes well, he’ll need to progress to facing live hitters and then likely require at least a rehab start or two in the minor leagues before he can return to the starting rotation for the Cubs. Still, even a brief cameo from Stroman before the regular season comes to a close could be a huge boon to Chicago.

Stroman sports a 3.85 ERA and 3.58 FIP across 23 starts this year, but it’s really been a tale of two seasons for the veteran hurler: while he posted a sterling 2.28 ERA and 3.33 FIP in his first sixteen starts, his final seven starts before hitting the injured list saw him post an ugly 9.00 ERA, albeit with a less outlandish 4.39 FIP. It’s hard to say how much of that downturn in performance was related to Stroman’s current injuries, but a healthy and effective return for the right-hander would not only help the Cubs as they look to make the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2018, but also give them another quality option to start in the playoffs alongside lefty ace Justin Steele and veteran hurler Kyle Hendricks, should they succeed in reaching the postseason.

More from around the NL Central:

  • Sticking with the Cubs, Lee also relayed updates from Ross regarding a trio of potential bullpen options for Chicago down the stretch. Left-hander Brandon Hughes and righties Nick Burdi and Ben Brown are expected to pitch today with Triple-A Iowa. Hughes was a breakout reliever for the Cubs last year with a 3.12 ERA in 57 2/3 innings of work with the club last year, but struggled through 13 2/3 injury-plagued innings earlier this season before undergoing knee surgery back in June. Hughes’s return to the bullpen would surely provide a boost for Chicago as swing option Drew Smyly is the only southpaw in the club’s bullpen at the moment. Brown has not yet pitched in the majors but is one of the club’s top prospects who had long been rumored as a potential late-season bullpen option prior to an injury that kept him out of action for the entire month of August. Burdi managed just three innings with the Cubs earlier this season in his first major league work since 2020 before going on the injured list with appendicitis and ulnar nerve irritation.
  • It seems the Reds will be without rookie infielder Matt McLain for a while yet, as the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith relayed an update from manager David Bell indicating that McLain would be out with an oblique injury for two to three more weeks. Such a timeline would likely leave him out of action for most of the remaining regular season. That’s a major blow to the Reds, who have relied on McLain’s strong bat (129 wRC+) and quality glovework around the infield and sit alongside the Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Giants in the thick of the race for the final NL Wild Card spot. Fortunately, the Reds could still receive some reinforcements for their infield in the near future as second baseman Jonathan India is on track to begin a rehab assignment this week after missing the past month with plantar fasciitis.
  • Cardinals manager Oli Marmol indicated to reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that left-hander Steven Matz’s season could be in jeopardy as the veteran is still “week-to-week” in his rehab from a lat strain sustained last month. Marmol noted that there is “probably not” enough time for him to return in 2023. Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds that a return from Matz would likely be limited in terms of length, as Matz won’t have time to get stretched out as a starter before the season comes to a close. Matz has had an up-and-down season with the Cardinals this year but will end the season with solid overall numbers if he’s ultimately unable to return. In 25 appearances (17 starts), Matz posted a 3.86 ERA, 11% better than league average by measure of ERA+, with a 3.76 FIP in 105 innings of work.

Nationals Sign Rico Garcia To Two-Year Minor League Deal

By | at

The Nationals have signed right-hander Rico Garcia to a minor league contract that runs through the 2024 season, The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reports (via X).  Garcia was became a free agent yesterday after being released by Washington, but he’ll now quickly rejoin the Nats.

Biceps tendinitis has kept Garcia from pitching at either the major or minor league level since July 28, and that same injury probably resulted in Garcia’s brief foray in the free agent market.  Injured players can only be placed on release waivers rather than outright waivers, but it seems quite possible that there might have been a handshake deal in place for Garcia to re-sign with D.C. once the transactional red tape was cleared.

The two-year nature of the contract also seems to hint that Garcia might need more time to recover from his injury, though details are scarce on his health status.  Reports from early August indicated that Garcia was starting some rehab work at the Nationals’ spring camp, but Garcia had yet to appear in any rehab games.

The 29-year-old Garcia has appeared in four of the last five MLB seasons, suiting up for five different teams.  The A’s designated Garcia for assignment in July but he rejected the outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency, and he then landed with the Nationals on a minors deal.  Garcia has a 9.26 ERA over 11 2/3 combined innings with Oakland and Washington this season, and a 7.32 ERA over his 35 2/3 career frames of big league work.

Tommy John surgery wiped out all of Garcia’s 2021 season, but he returned as essentially a full-time relief pitcher, and he has posted some good numbers at the Triple-A level over the last two years.  His 2.93 ERA over 27 2/3 Triple-A innings this season was marred by some uncharacteristic control problems, but Garcia posted a 29.51% strikeout rate.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top