Archives for 2023

Big Hype Prospects: Gasser, Mead, Vientos, Frelick, Horton

By Brad Johnson | July 24, 2023 at 7:57pm CDT

Big Hype Prospects returns with a peek at the upper minors. Let’s get down to business…

Five Big Hype Prospects

Robert Gasser, 24, SP, MIL (AAA)
90.1 IP, 10.86 K/9, 3.49 BB/9, 4.18 ERA

One of the best pitching prospects remaining in Triple-A, Gasser could find his way into the Milwaukee rotation by the end of the season – if not sooner. Presently, the weak links are Colin Rea and Adrian Houser. Brandon Woodruff is nearing a return to oust one of those swingmen. Gasser is a southpaw with unusual arm action, but the Brewers pitching development staff specializes in the bizarre and grotesque, so Gasser could scarcely be in a better system for his particular brand of pitching. While he doesn’t have visually impressive stuff, the whole repertoire plays up due to plus command. Gasser might have some issues with right-handed batters.

Curtis Mead, 22, 3B, TBR (AAA)
173 PA, 3 HR, 2 SB, .311/.376/.497

The 2023 campaign hasn’t gone Mead’s way. Between missed time and a slow start, the powerful corner-man has only three home runs. Lately, he’s caught fire to the tune of .431/.493/.677 over his last 75 plate appearances, with nine walks and four strikeouts. While he has only one home run during this hot streak, Mead also swatted nine doubles and two triples. Over-the-fence results will come before long. In the meantime, Mead is swinging a big stick with the sorts of exit velocities associated with MLB regulars (89.4-mph average, 109.5-mph max).

Mark Vientos, 1B/3B, 23, NYM (MLB)
(AAA) 264 PA, 16 HR, .307/.386/.614

The Mets recently recalled Vientos despite mediocre performance on the farm, as Vientos has hit .264/.316/.472 (90 wRC+) in 57 Triple-A plate appearances since the start of July. He thrived in the minors earlier in the season and certainly deserves an extended look with the retooling Mets. Vientos presents a complicated evaluation, as his positives include plus discipline, premium raw power, and exciting in-game exit velocities. However, scouts point out issues with his swing which could prove exploitable. In 99 career MLB plate appearances, Vientos is batting just .189/.253/.267 despite excellent exit velocities (93.3-mph average, 114.9-mph max). Those are basically the exact same EVs as Juan Soto and MJ Melendez. The Melendez comp is interesting, as the young Royals slugger is having a rough season due partly to swing-and-miss issues and partly to an expansive home venue. Vientos faces similar challenges with his swing and ballpark.

Sal Frelick, OF, 23, MIL (MLB)
(AAA) 183 PA, 2 HR, 8 SB, .237/.333/.342

Recently promoted to Milwaukee, it is hoped Frelick can become a top-of-the-lineup sparkplug. He’s known for discipline and a high rate of contact. He’s also not a particularly impactful hitter. Frelick connects with the same sort of oomph as Whit Merrifield and Steven Kwan. In fact, Kwan isn’t a bad comp – they’re both 5’9’’ left-handed hitting center fielders who fit better defensively in a corner. Frelick has a better chance to stick in center while at the plate, Kwan has superior feel for contact. The end result might wind up in the same neighborhood – a no-doubt Major League starter who nonetheless fits awkwardly within the current roster-design meta.

Cade Horton, 21, SP, CHC (A+)
43 IP, 12.56 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, 4.19 ERA

Horton hype season is in full swing. One of the fastest-rising pitching prospects per list-makers, Horton features a typical repertoire with mid-90s heat, multiple breaking balls, and a usable platoon changeup. The Cubs org is well-regarded when it comes to pitch design, a feature Horton could exploit as he moves up the ladder. He has enough feel for command to move quickly once the kid gloves are off. Presently, said gloves are on due to recovery from UCL replacement. He usually takes a week or more between starts of 15 to 20 batters. His last two outings have been among his shakiest of the season.

Three More

Coby Mayo, BAL (21): One of the nice things about Triple-A is access to minor league exit velocities. Mayo may not be hitting well through his first 36 plate appearances in Norfolk, but he has produced encouraging EVs – 90.6-mph average and 111.8-mph max. He’s currently batting .219/.278/.375 with a 36.1 percent strikeout rate.

Colt Keith, DET (21): Another recent promotee to Triple-A, Keith is hitting a modest .274/.347/.403 in 72 plate appearances. His EVs – 88.5-mph average and 108.9-mph max – are in line with figures from last season. I was hoping to see some obvious growth in this respect. His defensive limitations put a lot of pressure on the bat. We’ll see if the coming weeks bring harder contact.

Evan Carter, TEX (20): Despite success in Double-A, Carter has yet to receive a promotion. He’s batting .298/.415/.462 in 316 plate appearances. These stats match the scouting report. He has a superb eye and a solid feel for contact. The quality of that contact is…fine. It’s fine. Really. Given his current prospect pedigree, I’d really like to see better than “fine.”

Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.

AL Central Notes: Lynn, Guardians, Twins, Turnbull

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 7:45pm CDT

The two-year, $38MM extension that Lance Lynn signed with the White Sox in July 2021 also contained some partial no-trade protection, allowing Lynn to block deals to 10 teams per year. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the 10 clubs on Lynn’s no-trade list are the Padres, Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Mets, Angels, Mariners, Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays. Several of those teams are known be looking for pitching as the deadline approaches, though of Lynn’s 10 listed clubs, only Tampa Bay has been linked to the veteran right-hander to date.

This no-trade clause might not be much of an obstacle, as Rosenthal figures that Lynn would welcome the chance to join a contender. There is also an $18MM club option on Lynn’s services that figures to be bought out (for $1MM) by the Sox or a new team, considering that Lynn has struggled to a 6.18 ERA over 115 innings this season. Though home runs have been Lynn’s biggest issue, Rosenthal argues that joining a better defensive team would help Lynn’s fortunes, and some of his advanced metrics (like a 3.88 SIERA and a 27.3% strikeout rate) suggest that his ERA isn’t reflective of how well he has pitched in 2023.

Braves Reportedly Interested In Adam Duvall

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 6:29pm CDT

After two previous stints with the Braves, Adam Duvall looks to be on the club’s radar again, as MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam writes that “the Braves are said to have some interest in yet another reunion with” the veteran outfielder. Duvall would be a rental pickup, as his one-year, $7MM deal with the Red Sox is up at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Sox will even part ways with Duvall, as Boston is itself in a playoff chase. The right-handed hitting Duvall has some obvious utility for the Red Sox given that he can at least passably play any of the three outfield positions, and Boston’s starting three outfielders (Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, and Alex Verdugo) are all left-handed bats. Theoretically, Enrique Hernandez could move from the infield back into an outfield role if Duvall was moved, though Hernandez has been struggling through a rough year at the plate and could be a trade candidate himself at the deadline.

That wouldn’t stop the Braves from at least asking about Duvall, and some potential exists for Atlanta and Boston to line up on a deal that would address mutual needs on the big league roster. Both clubs are looking for pitching, but as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes, the Braves might have something of a bullpen surplus once all of their relievers start to return from the injured list. Speculatively, one of those Atlanta relievers might be of interest to the Red Sox, even if Boston needs rotation help more directly than another bullpen arm.

Since the Red Sox operated in both a buying and selling capacity at last year’s trade deadline, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom could explore a similar strategy this year, even though the Sox are in a better position to contend than the 2022 group. The Braves are obviously aiming to win now, and given the past creativity of president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, any number of trade scenarios could exist between Atlanta and Boston.

Duvall is hitting .257/.320/.515 with seven home runs over 153 plate appearances this season, though a lot of that production came within an absurdly hot start. Duvall had a 1.544 OPS and four homers in his first 37 PA, before a wrist fracture sidelined him for two months. Upon his return, Duvall’s bat has been much quieter, with only a .194/.259/.350 slash line over his last 116 PA. He has started to hit a little better in the last couple of weeks, and a trade (particularly to a familiar location like Atlanta) might further spark Duvall’s offense.

If a trade did happen, it would mark the fourth time in Duvall’s career that he has been traded at the deadline, with two of those prior swaps sending him to the Braves. The Giants dealt Duvall to the Reds in July 2015, Cincinnati moved Duvall to the Braves in July 2018, and Atlanta picked him up yet again in a deal with the Marlins in July 2021. The latter move is the most notable, as Duvall hit well for a Braves team that went on to capture the World Series.

Duvall would provide depth throughout Atlanta’s outfield, and would most likely pair with Eddie Rosario in a platoon in left field. Both Rosario and Duvall are having some uncharacteristic reverse-splits seasons, so while it might end up being an unusual bizarro platoon, left field is Duvall’s easiest path to playing time since Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II are entrenched in right and center field. The left-handed hitting Harris might also be a platoon possibility, but Harris has been so hot at the plate over the last six weeks that the Braves likely want to keep him in the lineup as often as possible.

Pirates Release Drew Maggi

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 5:41pm CDT

The Pirates released infielder Drew Maggi, according to reporter Pat Ragazzo (Twitter link). Maggi didn’t have any hard feelings about the situation, telling Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Pirates fans are “the best in the world. And thank you to the Pirates organization. I’m not done yet!”

Maggi made his MLB debut earlier this season, appearing in three games for the Pirates and getting two hits in six plate appearances. At age 34, Maggi waited a long time for that cup of coffee in the majors, as he has been in pro ball since he was a 15th-round selection for the Pirates in the 2010 draft. Maggi bounced around to five other teams’ farm systems from 2015-22 before returning to the Pittsburgh organization last August in a minor trade with the Phillies.

Maggi’s minor league time this season has been with Double-A Altoona, and as Mackey noted, Maggi hasn’t played a game since July 8. A move to the development list on July 14 hinted that Maggi’s time with the Pirates was nearing an end, and Mackey writes that with so many young prospects in need of playing time, Maggi was the odd man out.

With a reputation as a strong clubhouse leader, Maggi might draw attention from another team looking to add some veteran leadership within its minor league ranks. Coaching or managerial roles also seem like possibilities down the line, though Maggi isn’t yet ready to hang up his glove.

Twins Release Aaron Sanchez

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 5:19pm CDT

The Twins released Aaron Sanchez, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Sanchez has spent the entire season at Triple-A St. Paul after signing a minors deal during the offseason.

The results just haven’t been there for Sanchez, who has a 5.30 ERA over 73 innings and 18 games (16 of them starts) at the Triple-A level. While his 49.8% grounder rate is solid, Sanchez has only a 16.8% strikeout rate and a garish 15.6% walk rate, with almost many free passes (53) as strikeouts (57). Even after a part-time move to the bullpen, Sanchez has still allowed multiple runs in each of his last seven outings, translating to an 8.00 ERA over his last 27 frames of work.

An All-Star with the Blue Jays in 2016, Sanchez never again hit those heights due to a variety of injuries. Blister and fingernail problems hampered his next few seasons in Toronto, and a shoulder injury kept Sanchez out of action for the entirety of the 2020 campaign. Sanchez has pitched for five different teams since the start of the 2019 season, including an initial stint with the Twins, who first brought him into the organization on another minors deal in June 2022. Over 60 total innings with Washington and Minnesota in 2022, Sanchez had a 6.60 ERA.

Cardinals Activate Adam Wainwright From 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 4:34pm CDT

The Cardinals announced a set of roster moves, headlined by Adam Wainwright’s activation from the 15-day injured list. St. Louis also selected the contract of left-hander Andrew Suarez, moved Ryan Helsley to the 60-day injured list, and optioned catcher Ivan Herrera and left-hander Zack Thompson to Triple-A.

Wainwright will take the ball to start tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks, as the veteran will try to get his 18th and final Major League season on track. He last pitched on July 4, as shoulder inflammation and (as implied by Cardinals manager Olli Marmol) a broader range of nagging injuries sent Wainwright to the IL for the second time this season. He also started the year on the IL due to a groin injury that delayed his 2023 debut until May 6.

It seems clear that Wainwright simply hasn’t been himself all year, as the 41-year-old has been hit hard to the tune of a 7.66 ERA over 11 starts and 51 2/3 innings. His injuries are quite possibly to blame, or it could be that time has simply caught up to a pitcher who has defied convention by remaining an effective starter into his 40’s. In the best-case scenario, this latest absence will act as a reset for Wainwright and allow him to finish his career on high note, albeit amidst a very disappointing Cardinals season.

Suarez signed a minor league deal with St. Louis during the offseason, and now looks set to make his first MLB appearance since 2020. Breaking into the bigs with three seasons pitching for the Giants, Suarez posted a 4.66 ERA over 202 2/3 innings with San Francisco before heading overseas. Suarez pitched well for the KBO League’s LG Twins in 2021, but a move from South Korea to Japan didn’t pan out — he had a 6.23 ERA over 21 2/3 innings with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2022, pitching most of the year with the Swallows’ top minor league affiliate.

The move back to North America has served Suarez reasonably well, as he has a 4.08 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, and 8.9% walk rate in 64 innings with Triple-A Memphis. Working mostly as a multi-inning reliever, Suarez has been stretched out as a starter in his last three outings, and could be paired with Wainwright in a piggyback combo while Wainwright gets fully ramped up. Since several Cardinals starters are trade candidates heading into the deadline, Suarez might get an opportunity should one or more holes in the rotation open up.

Helsley’s 15-day IL stint began on June 10, and he was expected to miss at least a few more weeks anyway since he only recently started throwing bullpen sessions. The reliever is recovering from a forearm strain, and told MLB.com and other reporters that he was taking a more cautious approach to his recovery after trying “to rush back too quick” from a similar injury in 2018.

Pirates Willing To Listen To Trade Offers On David Bednar, Mitch Keller

By Darragh McDonald | July 24, 2023 at 4:14pm CDT

4:14PM: The Pirates are also open to hearing what teams might offer for Mitch Keller, Heyman tweets, but like with Bednar, a trade doesn’t seem likely. It would seem like Pittsburgh is taking a broad, due-diligence approach to the deadline just in case a special opportunity arises, yet moving a building-block type like Keller or Bednar would indeed require a real blockbuster of an offer.

3:25PM: The Pirates are willing to listen to trade offers on closer David Bednar, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post, though he adds that it will likely be difficult to get a deal together.

Bednar, 28, would undoubtedly be of interest to any club around the league, given the way he keeps taking his game to new levels. Across 2021 and 2022, he posted a 2.40 earned run average in 106 appearances, striking out 32.7% of batters faced while walking 7.8%. This year, he’s cut his walk rate to just 5.8%, helping him drop his ERA to 1.15. He earned 19 saves last year and has already matched that figure here in 2023.

On top of his obvious skills, Bednar would have plenty of appeal to MLB clubs based on his status. He came into the 2023 season with two years and 76 days of service time. That means he’ll qualify for arbitration for the first time this winter and won’t be scheduled to reach free agency until after the 2026 campaign. Just about every contending club can use a strong bullpen upgrade at this time of year, bumping every other reliever down one spot in the pecking order.

Of course, the same qualities that make Bednar attractive to the other 29 clubs also work on the Pirates. The club has faded after a hot start and is now 43-56, but they have shown enough potential this year to suggest that maybe contention isn’t too far away. Reliever performance is volatile and there is a school of thought that a club in seller position should be open to moving any member of its bullpen, which makes it fairly logical for the Bucs to listen and see what’s out there. But Bednar’s elite performance and local ties, having been born in Pittsburgh and raised nearby, suggest they will need to be blown away in order for a deal to come together.

It’s important to distinguish between a club that’s willing to listen to offers versus one that is actively shopping a player around. There’s nothing to suggest the Pirates have done the latter, so it’s possible that their open mind to incoming calls is merely due diligence. Perhaps some club makes them an offer they can’t refuse, but it seems the most likely scenario is that he stays in Pittsburgh as they take another shot at contention next year.

Although obtaining Bednar may prove difficult, teams looking for quality bullpen upgrades should have plenty of other options among the potential trade candidates this summer. Some other names that figure to be more attainable include Scott Barlow, David Robertson, Jordan Hicks and many others.

Guardians Move Shane Bieber To 60-Day IL, Select Daniel Norris

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 3:57pm CDT

The Guardians announced a trio of pitching moves, including the selection of Daniel Norris’ minor league contract. To create room on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters, Cleveland optioned left-hander Tim Herrin to Triple-A, and moved Shane Bieber to the 60-day injured list.

Bieber was already on the 15-day IL with a retroactive placement date of July 12. His new 60-day window still starts from July 12, meaning that the right-hander will now be out of action until at least September 10 while recovering from right elbow inflammation. Earlier reports indicated that Bieber is at least another week away from resuming throwing, and though surgery wasn’t going to be required, the move to the 60-day IL indicates that Bieber still requires plenty of time to recover.

The injury already scuttled any chance that Bieber might be dealt at the trade deadline, as there had been speculation that the Guardians might continue their pattern of moving higher-priced veterans 12-18 months before they reached free agency (Bieber is controlled through the 2024 campaign). At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Bieber’s 2023 season might be over entirely, either in the event of a setback or if the Guards might simply shut him down early if they’re out of the playoff race by mid-September.

Cleveland enters today’s action with a 49-50 record, but the Guardians are still only three games out of first place in the AL Central and 5.5 games back of the last AL wild card slot. Catching up to the Twins might be more a realistic path to the playoffs than leapfrogging other teams in the wild card race, but in either case, the Guardians have to play some much more consistent baseball in order to return to the postseason.

Losing Bieber for an extended amount of time won’t help in that regard, as the Guards will have to lean even heavier on a very young group of starters. With Bieber and Triston McKenzie both on the 60-day IL and Cal Quantrill also injured, Cleveland has three rookies (Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams) backing up Aaron Civale in the rotation. Peyton Battenfield is close to returning from the 60-day IL, though Battenfield is another first-year pitcher.

Norris might factor into this mix after starting 12 of his 18 games with Triple-A Columbus. The southpaw signed a minors deal with Cleveland over the winter and has already had his contract selected once, appearing in a single game for the Guardians last month. Norris was then designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster, and chose to accept the outright assignment rather than test free agency again.

It may have been a wise decision, as Norris now finds himself back on a big league roster. The Guardians could use Norris as a proper starter, a piggyback starter paired with Battenfield, or perhaps simply as a long relief option out of the bullpen. This versatility could help the Guardians navigate their rotation questions, though Norris’ performance has been very up-and-down over his 10 MLB seasons, and he has a 5.60 ERA over 53 innings in Columbus.

Michael Feliz To Sign With NPB’s Chunichi Dragons

By Mark Polishuk | July 24, 2023 at 3:24pm CDT

The Yankees announced that right-hander Michael Feliz has been released so he can pursue a new opportunity in Nippon Professional Baseball. Feliz will head from New York to Nagoya, as he has agreed to sign with the Chunichi Dragons.

It will be the second international league of the 2023 season for Feliz, as he previously pitched with Yucatan of the Mexican League before catching on with the Yankees on a minor league contract in May. Feliz looked pretty sharp over 13 games and 13 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, posting a 3.38 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, and 9.8% walk rate, but it seems like that a call-up to the majors wasn’t forthcoming, so Feliz had permission to seek out new employment in NPB.

Feliz has appeared in parts of every MLB season from 2015-22, and is best known for his time as a workhorse reliever with the Astros and Pirates. The righty averaged 54 innings per season with Houston and Pittsburgh from 2016-19, with a 4.85 ERA over those four seasons and a World Series ring for his role with the Astros’ 2017 championship squad.

Since those halcyon days, Feliz has been hampered by several injuries, and subsequently bounced around to several different teams. Feliz has pitched for four different teams at the big league level since the start of the 2020 season, but accumulated only 25 total innings and appearances in those three seasons. Feliz also pitched in the minors for the Twins and Yankees without suiting up for either team in the majors. His last MLB game was just over a year ago, as his 3 1/3 innings of work for the Red Sox on July 8, 2022 was his only appearance of the 2022 season.

The move to Japan represents yet another change of scenery for Feliz, who turned 30 last month. There’s still plenty of time for a career revival and a potential future return to the majors, and his solid numbers in Triple-A and in the Mexican League hint that he might some success in NPB.

Submit Your Questions For The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!

By Darragh McDonald | July 24, 2023 at 2:44pm CDT

Programming note: Due to some pre-deadline adjustments, this week’s podcast will be recorded on Thursday and released on Friday, as opposed to the standard Tuesday-Wednesday schedule.

On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we’ll often answer questions submitted by our readers. With the next episode due Friday morning, we’re looking for MLBTR readers to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.

If there’s anything you’d like to get our thoughts on, then please send your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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