Archives for 2024

Rockies Select Dakota Hudson, DFA Chasen Shreve

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 6:25pm CDT

The Rockies have selected the contract of right-hander Dakota Hudson from Triple-A Albuquerque, the team announced. In a corresponding move, left-hander Chasen Shreve has been designated for assignment.

Hudson, 29, accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A earlier this season. He signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with Colorado this past winter, but following a poor performance over his first 17 starts (career-worst 5.84 ERA, 5.61 SIERA, and 12.3% strikeout rate), he was designated for assignment in early July. After he passed through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies sent him outright to the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Through three starts with the Isotopes, Hudson has given up 14 runs (12 earned) in 11 1/3 innings. He has 10 strikeouts, four walks, and a .360 batting average against. His most recent outing against the Las Vegas Aviators was especially brutal; he lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits while striking out only two. Nevertheless, the Rockies have selected his contract, and he will start tonight’s contest against the Braves at Coors Field (per Patrick Lyons of Just Baseball).

Lyons reported yesterday that Hudson would be starting today in place of Cal Quantrill, who is dealing with some “general forearm soreness.” The team has pushed back his next outing indefinitely (per Lyons). Presuming Quantrill is ready to get back on the mound within a few days, Hudson will, most likely, remain in the rotation until Ryan Feltner returns from the 15-day IL. Feltner landed on the injured list on Thursday with a right shoulder strain, but his recent MRI came back clean, and he could return as soon as his minimum 15 days on the IL are up (per Lyons). That should mean at least two more starts for Hudson after tonight. While he has struggled this season, Hudson is only two years removed from a solid 2022 campaign with the Cardinals, when he pitched to a 4.45 ERA and 5.11 SIERA over 139 2/3 innings. Those aren’t excellent numbers by any means, but all the Rockies need right now is an innings eater.

Shreve, 34, has pitched in the majors every year since 2014, appearing for the Braves, Yankees, Cardinals, Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Reds, and, most recently, the Rockies. He has a 3.96 ERA and 3.87 SIERA across 368 career appearances, mostly as a lower-leverage reliever. Despite his serviceable performance in 2023 (4.63 ERA, 3.77 SIERA in 50 games), the veteran southpaw could only land a minor league contract from the Rangers this winter. Texas released him in May, re-signed him, and then released him again in June. Following that, he signed a minor deal with the Yankees, only to be released again in August. After inking a minor league pact with the Rockies earlier this month, Shreve finally made it back to the majors. He made one brief appearance for Colorado on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning against the Mets. He will now be placed on waivers, and if he goes unclaimed, he could opt to return to free agency and seek an opportunity with his fourth organization of the season.

Blue Jays Claim Luis Frías Off Of Waivers From Diamondbacks

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 5:20pm CDT

The Blue Jays have claimed Luis Frías off of waivers from the Diamondbacks, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. Arizona designated the right-hander for assignment on Thursday to make room for catcher Andrew Knizner on the 40-man roster. As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet first noted, Frías will report to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had two open spots on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Frías has spent his entire career in the Diamondbacks organization; he signed with Arizona as a 17-year-old international free agent in 2015. The righty made his MLB debut in 2021, and since then, he has pitched 57 2/3 big league innings with a 6.55 ERA and 5.42 SIERA. He throws hard, averaging close to 96 mph on his four-seam fastball, but he has struggled to induce enough strikeouts at the MLB level. What’s more, he has walked 43 of the 276 batters he has faced; his 15.6% career walk rate is barely lower than his 18.1% career strikeout rate. Unfortunately, his numbers at Triple-A Reno aren’t much better. He has a 4.88 ERA and 6.32 FIP this season in 24 innings pitched. Throughout his career, he has a 4.26 ERA over 124 2/3 innings with the Reno Aces.

All that said, Frías is still just 26 years old, and he was once a relatively well-regarded prospect. Before he graduated from prospect status during the 2022 season, FanGraphs ranked him as the No. 12 prospect in the D-backs system, while Baseball America and Keith Law of The Athletic had him at No. 17. Baseball America ranked him as highly as No. 8 ahead of the 2020 campaign, writing “He could be a force in the rotation if it all clicks. Otherwise, his path might lead him to a high-leverage relief role.” While his days as a starting pitcher are likely all in the past, the Blue Jays must be hoping Frías still has a future as a big league reliever. He’ll provide some extra depth for their bullpen this year, which ranks last in the AL in ERA and second-last in SIERA. As for next year, he’ll be out of options, so Toronto will either need to add him to the Opening Day roster or designate him for assignment.

Reds Activate Emilio Pagán From 60-Day IL

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 4:51pm CDT

The Reds have activated Emilio Pagán from the 60-day injured list, the team announced today. To free up a spot on the active roster, Yosver Zulueta was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The team had two open spaces on the 40-man roster, so no additional corresponding move was necessary.

Pagán, 33, signed a two-year, $16MM contract with the Reds this past offseason. Before reaching free agency, he spent the first seven seasons of his career pitching for the Mariners, Athletics, Rays, Padres, and Twins. Despite being traded four times in less than five years, Pagán put up solid numbers, pitching to a 3.71 ERA and 3.39 SIERA across 369 appearances. What’s more, although he compiled 22 wins, 32 saves, and 60 holds – and a 1.80 ERA in 11 postseason appearances – his most impressive accomplishment in that time was, perhaps, his durability. From 2017-23, he only took one trip to the injured list: a brief stint on the 10-day IL with right biceps inflammation in 2020. He pitched at least 50 innings in every full season. Only five players threw more innings in relief over those seven years: Raisel Iglesias, Héctor Neris, Miguel Castro, Adam Ottavino, and Kenley Jansen.

Unfortunately, the injury bug finally caught up to Pagán in his first season with Cincinnati. The veteran righty landed on the IL with a right lat strain in mid-June, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL later that month.

Results-wise, Pagán has had his ups and downs throughout his career. He put up a strong performance in his walk year last season, tossing 69 1/3 innings for Minnesota with a 2.99 ERA. Yet, there were warning signs that his success wasn’t entirely sustainable. His 23.8% strikeout rate was a career-low, his 5.3% HR/FB was well below his career average, and his 4.01 SIERA was more than a full run higher than his ERA. Nonetheless, he managed to secure a $16MM guarantee from the Reds. He is making an $8MM salary this season, and he has an $8MM player option for 2025.

Pagán looked solid but unspectacular over his first 22 appearances with Cincinnati. His strikeout rate climbed back up to 29.9%, but his home run rate jumped up too; he gave up four long balls in just 22 games. His 3.06 SIERA is a marked improvement from last season, but his 4.43 ERA is not. Most concerningly, his velocity is down by at least one and a half miles per hour on all three of his pitches (a four-seam fastball, a cutter, and a splitter). He has also allowed hard-hit balls (95+ mph EV) at the highest rate of his career. Then again, his SIERA, xERA, and xFIP are all significantly better than the league average, and pitch modeling systems like Stuff+ and PitchingBot agree that Pagán remains an above-average arm. Ultimately, what this tells us is that 20 1/3 innings is a pretty small sample size with which to evaluate a pitcher. With seven weeks remaining in the season, it will be interesting to see if Pagán performs well enough that he might choose to reject his player option this offseason and return to free agency.

Cincinnati has had one of the better bullpens in baseball all season, and Nick Krall bolstered that group with Jakob Junis at the trade deadline. Even so, the Reds will need all the help they can get if they want to stay alive in the NL Wild Card race; they’re currently five games back of the third Wild Card spot, with six teams standing in their way.

The Reds claimed Zulueta off of waivers from the Blue Jays on Opening Day, and he made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in late June. The 26-year-old has already been recalled and optioned several times this season, pitching to a 3.09 ERA and 3.63 SIERA over eight low-leverage appearances. He will return to the Louisville Bats, with whom he has pitched 40 1/3 innings this year with a 2.23 ERA and 3.24 FIP.

Royals Place Hunter Harvey On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 2:53pm CDT

The Royals announced that right-hander Hunter Harvey has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 7) due to mid-back tightness. Right-hander Carlos Hernandez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

The back problem has kept Harvey from pitching since August 4, so he’ll get the maximum three days of backdated IL placement time factored into a longer stint on the sidelines. Clearly Harvey and the Royals were hopeful that some rest would allow for Harvey to heal without the need for a trip to the injured list, but today’s news continues that has been a shaky beginning to the reliever’s tenure in Kansas City.

Acquired from the Nationals just under a month ago, K.C. paid a hefty price to land the righty, giving up both notable infield prospect Cayden Wallace as well as the 39th overall pick in the 2024 draft (the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round selection, which are the only types of draft picks that can be traded). The Royals were hoping that Harvey could help solidify their bullpen, but he has thus far posted a 6.35 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over four appearances, with four walks and five strikeouts.

These numbers are starkly different from the 4.20 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate, and 6.3% walk rate Harvey posted in 45 innings for Washington prior to the trade. The small sample size of Harvey’s time with the Royals must be considered, of course, plus some extra misfortune in the form of a .389 BABIP since he went from D.C. to K.C. However, while most secondary metrics indicated that Harvey pitched better with the Nats than his 4.20 ERA indicated, he is near the bottom of the league with a 48.3% hard-hit ball rate.

It could be that all of that hard contact was bound to catch up with Harvey eventually, and it surely hasn’t helped that he might’ve been nursing a bad back during some of this time. Harvey has a long injury history mostly related to arm problems rather than back issues, so hopefully a 15-day absence will fully correct the problem.

Harvey joins a few other Royals relievers on the IL, as John Schreiber and Dan Altavilla are expected back roughly around the end of August and the team is hopeful Josh Taylor can return at some point in September. The injuries haven’t helped the Royals’ efforts to both improve their bullpen results or their broader goal of reaching the playoffs, and with Harvey out, it puts more pressure on James McArthur and new arrival Lucas Erceg to hold the fort in high-leverage situations.

AL West Notes: Verlander, Rodriguez, deGrom

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 2:06pm CDT

Justin Verlander is slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land today, marking his first game action since June 9. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara and Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle) that the loose plan is for Verlander to throw three innings or 50 pitches in the first of what is expected to be a two-outing rehab stint, though there’s plenty of fluidity built in as the 41-year-old ace works his way back from a neck strain.

If all goes well, Verlander would likely be activated for the start of the Astros’ series with the Orioles that begins on August 22. Verlander would become the sixth member of a six-man rotation Houston is planning to deploy during a busy stretch of the schedule, as after receiving three off-days within the first 15 days of August, the Astros then play every day from August 16 through September 2. Assuming Verlander returns in his usual top-of-the-rotation form, he’ll be a giant boost to a Houston team that is battling the Mariners for the AL West title, and will again be looking to make another deep playoff run. Between this neck problem and a season-opening bout of shoulder inflammation, Verlander has been limited to 57 innings in his 19th Major League season, but he has a solid 3.95 ERA when available to pitch.

Tigers Place Wenceel Perez On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 1:25pm CDT

The Tigers announced that outfielder Wenceel Perez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain. Outfielder Akil Baddoo was called up from Triple-A to fill Perez’s spot on the active roster.

An IL stint seemed likely for Perez after he left last night’s game early due to soreness in his left abdominal area. The severity of the oblique strain isn’t yet known, but anything beyond a Grade 1 strain might well put the rest of Perez’s rookie season in jeopardy.

Perez made his Major League debut back on April 8, and he has quickly become a regular in Detroit’s lineup. Perez has +3 Outs Above Average, and +2 Defensive Runs Saved for his 574 innings as a right fielder, though the UZR/150 metric (-0.3) is less impressed. Starting the year in something of a right field timeshare with Kerry Carpenter and Mark Canha, Perez had more or less moved into the everyday role in the wake of Carpenter’s extended stint on the IL, and Canha’s increased usage as a first baseman and DH before the Tigers traded him to the Giants. Perez has also gotten a good chunk of playing time in center field, even his glovework up the middle hasn’t been great.

At the plate, Perez has hit .242/.298/.386 over 378 plate appearances, which translates to a 92 wRC+ in his first exposure to MLB pitching. The switch-hitter has roughly equal splits from both sides of the plate, and he hasn’t made much hard contact.

Despite the uninspiring numbers, Perez has been deployed as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter for a good portion of the season, usually taking the top spot when Matt Vierling or Riley Greene hasn’t been the team’s first batter. Baddoo figures to step into Perez’s outfield role and might get some leadoff at-bats himself down the stretch as the 55-62 Tigers will be prioritizing younger talent down the stretch.

Mets Sign Vinny Nittoli To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 12:17pm CDT

The Mets have signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (X link). Nittoli became a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Orioles at the start of August, and he’ll now return for a second stint in Queens after appearing in three games for the Mets in 2023.

Nittoli has been a member of 11 different organizations since he was a 25th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2014 draft, and he has suited up for five of those teams at the Major League level during the 2021-24 seasons. His 12 innings in 2024 represent the bulk of his 18 2/3 career innings in the Show, and Nittoli has a 1.50 ERA in those 12 frames with the A’s and Orioles.

In keeping with the journeyman nature of Nittoli’s career, the Mets are now his fourth team in the last two months. He started the 2024 season on a minor league deal with the Athletics but was then designated for assignment and released after he opted for free agency rather than an outright assignment to the minors. Nittoli then caught on with the Cubs on a big league contract but was DFA’ed again just a day after signing that contract, marking the second time that Nittoli has been part of the Cubs organization without pitching in a Major League game for the Wrigleyville side. Nittoli then landed with the Orioles on another minors deal and made two appearances at the MLB level before another trip to DFA limbo.

There has naturally been some inconsistency baked into Nittoli’s 4.33 ERA in 320 career minor league innings, as he has shown enough flashes of higher performance to continually draw interest from teams looking to add long relief depth. While Nittoli has posted good strikeout numbers in the past, his 36% strikeout rate in 26 1/3 Triple-A innings this season represents a new career best, and he has a strong 2.73 ERA pitching for the Athletics’ and Orioles’ top affiliates.

Mariners Select Troy Taylor

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 11:51am CDT

The Mariners announced that the contract of right-hander Troy Taylor has been selected from Double-A Arkansas. Righty Eduard Bazardo was optioned to Triple-A to create room on the active roster, and no further transaction was required since Seattle had an open space on its 40-man roster.

Taylor was a 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft, and a dominant showing in his second pro season has put the 22-year-old in line for his Major League debut. Over a combined 42 2/3 innings with Double-A Arkansas and high-A Everett, Taylor has a 1.27 ERA, 27.6% strikeout rate, 8.59% walk rate, and outstanding grounder rates. The performance was impressive enough for the Mariners to add him to the 40-man roster, giving Taylor the nod ahead of other Triple-A arms already on the 40-man.

A full-time reliever in both college ball and in the professional ranks, MLB Pipeline’s scouting report feels Taylor has a “closer’s profile,” while Baseball America feels Taylor “has the stuff to be a mid-leverage reliever with further development.” (BA has Taylor 21st on its list of the top 30 Mariners prospects, while Pipeline has him a bit lower in 23rd.) Both outlets describe Taylor’s slider and fastball as plus pitches, if control can sometimes be an issue since the two pitches both have a lot of movement. Taylor’s fastball sits in the 94-96mph range and he has dial it up to 98mph on occasion.

The M’s aren’t likely to use Taylor in many high-leverage situations right away, given how pitching key innings in a pennant race is a lot to ask of a pitcher in his first exposure to big league hitters. Still, Taylor brings another intriguing arm to an overall solid Mariners bullpen, and Taylor could help make up for the continued injury absence of Gregory Santos.

Cubs Release Dan Straily, Kyle McGowin

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 10:32am CDT

The Cubs released right-handers Dan Straily and Kyle McGowin from their minor league contracts with the team, as per the official transactions page for the Triple-A Iowa affiliate. Straily signed with Chicago in April and McGowin signed in May, with both pitchers returning to the affiliated minors after initially signing deals with the independent Atlantic League for the 2024 season.

Straily posted a 4.56 ERA across 803 1/3 innings with six different Major League teams from 2012-19, primarily pitching for the A’s, Marlins, and Reds. He followed up that MLB tenure with a four-season stint in Busan with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, through Straily also briefly pitched in the Diamondbacks’ farm system in 2022. Straily had a 3.29 ERA over 503 innings with the Giants, though that overall successful number masks some inconsistency, primarily in a 2023 season that saw the righty deliver only a 4.37 ERA in 80 1/3 frames before being released last July.

The results also haven’t been there for Straily in his age-35 season, as he has a 5.49 ERA, 21.4% strikeout rate, and 10.8% walk rate over 78 2/3 innings for Iowa. A lot of the damage has been caused by the home run ball, as Straily has given up 18 round-trippers during the limited sample size of his time with the Cubs’ top affiliate. Keeping the ball in the park was often a struggle for Straily during his days in the big leagues — he allowed a National League-high 31 homers in 2016 when a member of the Reds rotation, and he gave up an incredible 22 home runs in only 47 2/3 innings while pitching for the Orioles in 2019.

McGowin has also had a tough time in Iowa this season, posting a 6.13 ERA in 10 starts and 47 Triple-A innings. The righty showed much better form in Double-A (2.22 ERA in 28 1/3 IP) and in his brief time with the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds (2.70 ERA in 10 innings), but McGowin’s lack of success in Iowa led the Cubs to part ways with the 32-year-old.

McGowin’s big league resume consists of a 5.98 ERA over 64 2/3 innings, all with the Nationals in parts of every season from 2018-21. His 4.20 ERA over 30 innings in 2021 marked both his best ERA and his highest innings total over a single MLB season, though the Nats outrighted him off their 40-man roster at season’s end and McGowin hasn’t since gotten another look in the Show. The righty didn’t pitch at all in 2022 while recovering from a UCL injury but resurfaced in 2023 to pitch in independent ball, the Chinese Professional Baseball League, and 62 1/3 innings with the Astros’ Triple-A club.

Giants Sign Spencer Howard To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2024 at 7:37am CDT

The Giants signed Spencer Howard to a new minor league deal earlier this week, and the righty tossed a scoreless inning for Triple-A Sacramento last night in his return to the organization. Howard began the season with the Giants before being traded to the Guardians in early July, but he was designated for assignment and then outrighted by Cleveland before the end of the month, with Howard opting for free agency rather than the outright assignment.

The brief trip back to the open market has now led Howard back to Sacramento. Howard has a 5.75 ERA over 40 2/3 innings for the Triple-A affiliate this season, as well as a 6.21 ERA in 29 combined innings (24 with the Giants, five with the Guardians) at the big league level. Though a .398 BABIP has contributed to Howard’s struggles in the majors, his 18.8% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate are both below average, and he has allowed five homers in his 29 frames of work.

Home runs have been a consistent problem for Howard over his five MLB seasons, contributing to his rough 7.00 ERA in 144 career innings with the Guardians, Giants, Rangers, and Phillies. A highly-touted prospect during his time in Philadelphia’s farm system, Howard just recently turned 28 and is still trying to find a firm foothold in the majors.

The Giants have used the right-hander in a variety of roles (starter, reliever, opener, bulk pitcher) this season without much success, and Howard will again be on hand at Triple-A to provide some pitching depth. Howard is out of minor league options, if San Francisco did select his contract back to the active roster, the club would again have to pursue the DFA route in order to try and move Howard back to the minors.

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