Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Archives for 2024
Orioles Notes: Tate, Kimbrel, Norby
The Orioles announced last night that right-hander Dillon Tate has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, thus opening a roster spot for lefty Cionel Perez to return from the injured list. Perez missed the past month with an oblique strain.
It’s a somewhat surprising move, if only because Tate hasn’t been optioned to the minors since the 2019 season. The right-hander has been a constant in Baltimore’s bullpen when healthy over the past several seasons, pitching to a combined 3.90 ERA with a sub-par 19% strikeout rate but strong 7.5% walk rate and borderline elite 58.3% ground-ball rate dating back to that 2019 campaign. He’s missed time along the way, including a season-long absence just last year while he battled a flexor strain.
Tate, 29, entered the current season with 4.048 years of big league service time and picked up another 32 days prior to yesterday’s option. He needs to accrue an additional 92 days of service in 2024 to reach five years and remain on track for free agency following the 2025 season. Once he does reach that five-year mark — whenever that may be — he’d also be granted the perk of needing to give his consent to be optioned again in the future.
For now, the O’s can continue to shuttle Tate back and forth if they see fit. He’s gotten out to a solid start in his return effort, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. Tate’s 12.2% strikeout rate is concerning enough on its own, but when coupled with a matching 12.2% walk rate it’s fair to question how long he can sustain the results he’s generated to date. His 61.1% grounder rate remains outstanding, but Tate’s average sinker velocity is down from 2021’s 95.5 mph peak all the way to 91.9 mph in 2024. Given the concerning K-BB profile and dip in velocity, it’s understandable if the Orioles want him to work on some things in Norfolk. He’d also pitched on consecutive days and was thus likely to be unavailable last night.
Tate’s demotion and Perez’s return shake up what’s been a middle-of-the-pack bullpen overall this season. Baltimore relievers rank 16th in baseball with a 3.88 ERA, although they sit fourth and sixth, respectively, with a 26.1% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. That comes despite the absence of star closer Felix Bautista, who won’t pitch this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. Veteran Craig Kimbrel signed a one-year deal to take over as the closer and has generally pitched well, though he’s run into some troubles of late and is currently day-to-day with back discomfort after exiting his Sunday appearance.
Manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday that Kimbrel was feeling better than on Sunday and that the team remains hopeful he can avoid a trip to the 15-day injured list (X link via MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski). The 35-year-old allowed just one earned run with a scintillating 17-to-2 K/BB ratio in his first 11 innings this season but has given up three runs on three hits and four walks over his last two appearances — all while recording only two outs. Kimbrel’s velocity held strong, but it’s clear he was struggling with his command over those two outings — quite possibly due to the current back ailment he’s facing. Time will tell whether the O’s make an IL move, but to this point that doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
One other topic weighing on the minds of Orioles fans at the moment is when top prospect Connor Norby might get his first look in the big leagues. Many thought that might’ve been the corresponding move when Jackson Holliday was optioned after his early struggles, but Baltimore instead brought back outfielder Ryan McKenna, who’s also been getting some infield work at second base to expand his versatility.
Norby may not have gotten the call just yet, but “his time is coming,” general manager Mike Elias tells Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun. Elias notes that Norby, a 2021 second-rounder who’s been ranked among the sport’s top-100 prospects in the past, is still working to refine his defensive skills at both second base and in the outfield corners — the latter of which is newer to his skill set. The O’s played Norby in left field for just 58 innings in 2022 but ramped him up to a combined 258 innings between the outfield corners last season. He’s already logged 144 innings of outfield work this season, compared to just 69 at second base.
Elias didn’t place a specific timetable on Norby’s potential ascension to the big leagues. However, the 23-year-old is out to a nice .274/.346/.487 slash this season in Norfolk, having connected on six homers and six doubles to go along with a pair of steals. This year’s 29.1% strikeout rate is a bit concerning and possibly another contributing factor to Norby remaining in the minors; he fanned at just a 21.6% clip in 633 plate appearances there last season. Meyer chatted with both Elias and Norby’s former (and presumably future) teammate Colton Cowser about the promising prospect’s work ethic and long-term outlook, which O’s fans will want to check out in full.
Cardinals Select Kyle Leahy
The Cardinals have selected the contract of right-hander Kyle Leahy and added him to the active roster as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Tigers, reports Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Lefty Drew Rom has been transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.
Leahy, 26, made his big league debut last season but pitched just 1 2/3 innings, yielding four runs in that brief look. The Cards passed him throughout outright waivers unclaimed following the season and retained the right-hander, whom they selected in the 17th round of the 2018 draft.
The Cards moved Leahy from a starting role to the bullpen in 2023 but didn’t get the desired results; he posted a 6.26 ERA in 83 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level (four starts, 42 relief appearances). He’s posted a similarly unpalatable 5.84 mark through his first 12 2/3 frames this year, but Leahy is sporting much-improved strikeout and walk rates of 26.4% and 7.5%, respectively. He’s already been tagged for four long balls, but if he can curtail that trend, the blend of missed bats, strong command and an above-average 45.5% ground-ball rate is interesting.
This is the second of three option years for Leahy. He has a good bit of work to do in order to carve out some staying power on the 40-man roster, but he’ll get his first opportunity of the 2024 season to do so today. If he ends up sticking on the roster, he’d be controllable for at least six seasons.
As for the 24-year-old Rom, he’s been sidelined by a biceps issue all season. Jones reported last week that the southpaw was ticketed for a visit with Dr. Keith Meister to further assess the injury. The results of that visit haven’t been made clear just yet, but given that he was still seeking additional opinions in late April, Rom’s move to the 60-day IL shouldn’t come as a major surprise. He’s still clearly feeling discomfort, so even if that visit revealed no additional injuries of note, the southpaw likely isn’t close to returning. His original IL placement was retroactive to March 25, and the “60-day” term includes all the time already spent on the shelf. He’ll be eligible to return in late May.
The Cardinals acquired Rom, Cesar Prieto and Zack Showalter from the Orioles last summer in the deadline deal sending Jack Flaherty to Baltimore. Rom made his MLB debut with St. Louis in the second half of the ’23 season but was rocked for 30 earned runs in 33 2/3 innings across eight starts. The former fourth-round pick has a career 4.75 ERA in 134 2/3 Triple-A frames. If healthy, he’d have been among the Cardinals’ depth options in the rotation to begin the season, but it’s not yet clear when he’ll be a realistic option for them.
White Sox Sign Jared Walsh To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have signed free agent first baseman Jared Walsh to a minor league deal, per the team. The ISE client will head to the club’s spring training complex in Arizona for the time being and eventually be assigned to Triple-A Charlotte. Walsh made the Rangers’ Opening Day roster this season and got out to a hot start, but he was cut loose when he fell into a slump as Texas was nearing Nathaniel Lowe’s activation from the injured list.
Walsh’s return to the big leagues was a welcome sight, as some rather ominous health troubles clouded his future within the game not long ago. The Angels placed Walsh on the injured list with persistent headaches and insomnia early last season, and the slugger detailed his struggles in an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Blum at the time, stating: “It’s been hell. Not knowing what’s going on, not understanding what’s happening with my body….And not being able to get answers, not being able to figure out why I can’t do basic tasks. It’s been pretty concerning for me.”
Walsh also told the Orange County Register’s Doug Padilla that the neurological issues he battled early last season actually had been bothering him for more than a year, meaning he was going through that battle while simultaneously trying to play through thoracic outlet symptoms that eventually necessitated surgery. Walsh acknowledged that he seems to have “found some answers” after multiple visits with specialists, but an exact diagnosis was never made public.
Given all he’s gone through in recent seasons, it’s encouraging simply to see Walsh healthy enough to continue pursuing his big league career. The now-30-year-old slugger broke out with a hefty .280/.331/.531 slash and 38 home runs in 176 games with the Angels from 2020-21. His production plummeted in the years since that breakout, due in no small part to those persistent and worrying health troubles. Since Opening Day 2022, Walsh carries a .200/.263/.352 batting line in 630 trips to the plate.
Walsh had a nice spring with the Rangers, swatting three homers and slashing .250/.365/.458 overall in 57 plate appearances. His 14% walk rate was encouraging, but the veteran’s 33.3% strikeout rate was an obvious flaw. His contact issues persisted into the regular season. Walsh began the season 10-for-30 with a homer and two doubles but went just 2-for-23 with 11 punchouts thereafter. He fanned 21 times in his 60 Rangers plate appearances (35%).
The White Sox have Andrew Vaughn getting everyday reps at first base, but the former top prospect simply hasn’t produced this season (.180/.252/.230, 42 wRC+) and more broadly has not emerged as the high-end offensive force the Sox envisioned when drafting him with the third overall pick in 2019. Vaughn popped a career-high 21 homers last season but is a lifetime .251/.311/.408 hitter since his 2020 debut. He’s essentially been a league-average bat, which doesn’t mesh well with his lack of defensive value and lack of speed. This year’s 27.9% strikeout rate is a career-worst, as are most of his batted-ball metrics on Statcast (e.g. exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate).
If things reach a tipping point, it’s feasible that Vaughn could be optioned to Charlotte himself, with Gavin Sheets sliding from right field to first base and Chicago giving Tommy Pham, Robbie Grossman and/or Rafael Ortega increased reps in the outfield. Walsh could hit his way into that first base/DH mix as well, but for now he’ll get a tune-up at the Sox’ spring facility. It’s been ten days since he was designated for assignment and two weeks since he last appeared in a game.
The Opener: Prospect Promotions, Darvish, MLBTR Chat
As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Astros, Rockies promoting prospects:
The Astros are off to their worst start in recent memory this season with a 9-19 record. Even though it remains early in the 2024 campaign, it’s becoming more and more difficult to imagine the club returning to the ALCS for a ninth consecutive season without some changes. It’s possible that needed change could be coming today, when first base/outfield prospect Joey Loperfido will reportedly be called up prior to tonight’s game against the Guardians. Loperfido is off to a sizzling start at Triple-A, slashing .287/.393/.713 with a whopping 13 homers in 123 trips to the plate.
Loperfido likely isn’t the only prospect getting the call to the big leagues today. The Rockies are expected to call up top outfield prospect Jordan Beck prior to this evening’s game against the Marlins in Miami. The 23-year-old Beck has gotten off to a hot start of his own with a .307/.405/.594 slash line in 121 trips to the plate and figures to take the roster spot of outfielder Nolan Jones, who is likely to hit the injured list today. Beck will try to provide a spark for a struggling Rockies offense that ranks just bottom three in the majors with a 79 wRC+. Neither Beck nor Loperfido is currently on his club’s 40-man roster, meaning Houston and Colorado will both need to make a corresponding 40-man move to accommodate their incoming youngster.
2. Darvish to be activated:
The Padres are set to activate veteran right-hander Yu Darvish from the injured list to take on the Reds, manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell) last night. Darvish, 37, was placed on the IL two weeks ago due to tightness in his neck following a pair of difficult starts against the Cubs and Dodgers that saw him surrender a combined seven runs on five walks and eight hits in eight innings of work. Despite that pair of rough outings, Darvish has been solid overall this season with a 4.18 ERA and 3.79 FIP in 23 2/3 innings of work that have seen him strike out 21.8% of batters faced. The Padres will need to make a corresponding active roster move to accommodate Darvish’s return. The veteran righty will try to get back on track opposite former teammate Nick Martinez.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
The 2024 season is now in full swing, and some clubs have gotten off to surprisingly strong starts while a handful of others have unexpectedly struggled to open the year. If you have questions regarding your favorite club’s start to the campaign, or perhaps questions that look ahead to this summer’s trade deadline and the 2024-25 offseason, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a live chat with readers today at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after it is completed.
Latest On A’s Stadium Plan
The A’s have retained an investment banking firm in an effort to procure $500MM in private funding towards the construction of their Las Vegas ballpark, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The A’s are prepared to offer minority ownership shares in the franchise to potential investors as they put together financing for their estimated $1.5 billion stadium.
Last summer, Nevada lawmakers approved $380MM in public funding — taking the form of state tax credits, county-issued bonds and a county credit — to offset a chunk of the cost. Shortly thereafter, MLB approved the A’s relocation efforts. A political action committee has sued the state in an effort to overturn the public funding law, but there’s no indication that’s currently a serious threat to the relocation.
Even with the public money in hand, the A’s are set to pay upwards of $1.1 billion in estimated construction costs. Shaikin notes the public funding law requires the A’s to present a specific financing plan for their balance. The organization is evidently looking for half a billion dollars in outside investment to meet those obligations.
While the financial specifics were previously unclear, dangling ownership shares to investors has long been the organization’s plan. Owner John Fisher told Howard Stutz of the Nevada Independent in January that he was considering selling minority stakes to Vegas-area investors. Fisher made clear in that interview that he and his family “would retain majority ownership and (continue to) oversee operations” of the franchise.
The A’s plan to complete construction on their 33,000-seat facility on the Vegas strip in time for the 2028 season. They’re playing their final year in Oakland before a three-year move to Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park between 2025-27.
Dodgers Notes: Brasier, Heyward, Buehler
The Dodgers were dealt a minor hit to their bullpen this evening, as they placed Ryan Brasier on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain. Gus Varland is back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take the open roster spot.
Brasier has gotten out to a bit of a slow start. He has allowed six runs over 11 2/3 innings, largely thanks to a trio of home runs. Brasier’s 12:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio remains solid, although his whiff rate and velocity are down from last season. It’s early enough in the year that the Dodgers presumably aren’t too concerned.
The veteran went from unheralded pickup to high-leverage arm late in 2023 thanks to a brilliant finish. After carrying a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings with the Red Sox, he posted a 0.70 mark over 38 2/3 frames in L.A. The Dodgers re-signed Brasier to a two-year, $9MM pact over the winter.
Manager Dave Roberts provided a couple additional updates before tonight’s game in Arizona. Jason Heyward has still yet to ramp up his activity nearly a month after landing on the injured list (X link via Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Roberts indicated Heyward’s recovery from lower back soreness has taken longer than the organization initially expected.
As with Brasier, Heyward went from buy-low free agent pickup to ket contributor. The veteran outfielder hit 15 homers with a .269/.340/.473 slash in 377 plate appearances as a platoon bat last season. Los Angeles brought him back early in the offseason via a one-year, $9MM deal. Heyward hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impact this year, as the back injury sent him to the IL after four games. The bottom of the order was initially a problem, but the immediate success of top prospect Andy Pages has stabilized right field over the last two weeks.
Dodger fans will also need to wait a little longer for Walker Buehler’s 2024 debut. The right-hander is going to make another start for Oklahoma City tomorrow, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. It’ll be his sixth rehab appearance. Buehler continues to build back after missing all of last season rehabbing his second career Tommy John procedure. He has shown some understandable rust, allowing 12 runs with nine walks in 16 2/3 innings.
Marlins Outright Kyle Tyler
Marlins right-hander Kyle Tyler went unclaimed on waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville, per the transaction log at MLB.com. As a player who has been outrighted multiple times in his career, Tyler has the ability to choose minor league free agency.
The 27-year-old may nevertheless decide to stick with Miami. The Marlins have shuttled through a number of long relievers (i.e. Tyler, Kent Emanuel, Matt Andriese) as their bullpen has shouldered a heavy load in the season’s first few weeks. That gives pitchers on the fringes of the roster a few days of major league pay.
Tyler was selected onto the MLB club on April 20. He spent a week on the roster, appearing in one game. He tossed two innings of one-run ball in his first major league action since 2022. Tyler has pitched twice for Jacksonville, allowing four runs through five frames. He has struck out six while walking a pair. The Oklahoma product has tossed 44 1/3 innings over parts of three Triple-A seasons, pitching to a 5.68 ERA.
Jesús Luzardo Diagnosed With Mild Flexor Muscle Strain
Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo has been diagnosed with a mild left flexor muscle strain, the club announced to members of the beat, including Isaac Azout of Fish on First. The team didn’t announce if this would impact his expected timeline.
Late last week, the lefty was scratched from his scheduled start and placed on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow tightness. That naturally led to some concern, as is always the case when a pitcher’s throwing arm is mentioned as part of an injury. On top of that, the Marlins had already seen their rotation hit hard by Tommy John surgery. Since Sandy Alcántara and Eury Pérez were already on the IL recovering from Tommy John surgeries, seeing Luzardo go down the same path would be another devastating blow.
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem as though anything like that is in the cards. Shortly after being placed on the IL, Luzardo said his IL placement was precautionary and that he felt he would only miss one or two starts, and there hasn’t yet been anything to suggest that plan isn’t possible. He played catch at the ballpark today, with some video relayed on X by Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. With his injury also reported as muscular in nature and not seemingly related to any ligament damage, that also perhaps suggests the worst fears have been avoided.
That’s undoubtedly good news for Luzardo and the Marlins, even if their season is going incredibly poorly. They are currently sporting a record of 6-23 and FanGraphs has their Playoff Odds down at 0.5%.
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look earlier today at who the club might be looking to sell this summer, with Luzardo one of the most attractive pieces they could offer. He made 32 starts for the club last year with an earned run average of 3.58, striking out 28.1% of batters against a walk rate of just 7.4%. He stumbled out of the gate this year with a 6.58 ERA through five starts, but that’s a fairly small sample size and the injury could have plausibly played a role in that.
Luzardo is controllable for another two seasons after this one, so the Marlins certainly don’t have to trade him this summer. But non-rental pitchers are generally the most sought-after assets at the trade deadline. Given that ownership and the new front office under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix have seemingly been focused on overhauling the club’s farm system and player development apparatus, it stands to reason that they would have interested in selling Luzardo now. By waiting into future, his salary will rise via arbitration and his window of club control will shrink, thus reducing his value.
For Luzardo, he will obviously want to get healthy and back on the mound. Getting traded is always challenging but perhaps he would welcome the opportunity to join a competitive club for the final months of the season. On top of that, greater health and performance will help him increase his salary via arbitration in the coming seasons. He’s making $5.5MM this year and is slated for two more passes through the arb system.
Elsewhere on the roster, infielder Jake Burger is expected to start a rehab assignment in the coming days, per Azout on X. He was out of a bit of a slow start this year, hitting .228/.281/.421 through 16 games for a wRC+ of 92 before landing on the IL due to an oblique injury. But that performance may have been driven by a low batting average on balls in play, as his .233 mark so far this year has been well below average and his previous rate.
He had a breakout 34-homer campaign last year, split between the White Sox and Marlins after a midseason trade. He hit .250/.309/.518 on the year overall for a 120 wRC+. He’s not considered an especially strong defender but the lineup could use his bat. The team has a collective wRC+ of 73 so far this year, a mark that puts them ahead of just the White Sox. The club has been using Josh Bell, Emmanuel Rivera and Vidal Bruján to cover the infield corners lately, but none of that trio is hitting especially well, making it fairly easy for Burger to get back in the lineup once he’s healthy.
Angels Designate Aaron Hicks For Assignment, Select Cole Tucker
The Angels announced a series of roster moves today, recalling right-hander Davis Daniel from Triple-A Salt Lake and selecting the contract of infielder Cole Tucker. In corresponding moves, they optioned right-hander Zac Kristofak to Salt Lake and designated outfielder Aaron Hicks for assignment.
Hicks, 34, was a pretty low risk pick-up for the Angels, at least from a financial perspective. His contract is still being paid by the Yankees, since they released him last year. The Angels added him to their roster but would only have to pay Hicks the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Yankees are paying.
There was a decent chance of them seeing a positive return on that investment, since Hicks seemed to bounce back with the Orioles last year. The O’s picked him up after the Yanks let him go, then Hicks went on to hit .275/.381/.425 in his time with Baltimore. That production translated to a wRC+ of 129 and Hicks also stole six bases in six tries.
But he’s looked far worse since donning an Angels uniform. Through 18 games this year, he’s produced an ugly line of .140/.222/.193 while striking out in 36.5% of his 63 plate appearances. His 9.5% walk rate is a bit above league average but below his career rate and even last year’s clip.
As Hicks has struggled, other outfielders have been in decent form. Both Mike Trout and Taylor Ward have been healthy and productive so far this season, while Jo Adell seems to finally be enjoying his long-awaited breakout.
Adell, 25, was selected 10th overall in 2017 and was a top 100 prospect on his way up the minor league ladder, but he struggled badly with strikeouts in his attempts to establish himself in the big leagues. He got sporadic playing time in the majors from 2020 to 2023 but was punched out in 35.4% of his plate appearances while hitting .214/.259/.366. This year, however, he’s hit .327/.382/.592 so far for a wRC+ of 174. Some regression is certainly forthcoming since he won’t be able to maintain a .382 batting average on balls in play, but he’s only striking out at a 23.6% clip so far this year.
The Angels are seemingly going to ride the hot hand and go with Adell next to Ward and Trout. Mickey Moniak is hitting a dismal .143/.200/.214 on the year but his .189 BABIP will surely come up over time. He’s striking out 30% of the time but that’s actually an improvement over last year’s 35% rate, when he rode a .389 BABIP to a line of .280/.307/.495. Since he’s younger than Hicks and comes with three additional years of cheap control, in addition to being out of options, he will hang onto the fourth outfielder job while Hicks is bumped off the roster.
By getting rid of Hicks, the Angels will add to their infield by selecting Tucker. Anthony Rendon and Michael Stefanic are on the injured list while Brandon Drury and Miguel Sanó have each missed a few games due to minor injuries in the past week. Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto and Luis Rengifo have been the club’s three healthy infielders getting regular playing time, while Ehire Adrianza has picked up some playing time with Drury and Sanó banged up.
Coming into the season, the 27-year-old Tucker was in a similar position as Adell, a former first-round pick who hadn’t lived up to the hype. Selected 24th overall by the Pirates in 2014, Tucker has a batting line of just .216/.266/.318 in 479 major league plate appearances, scattered over the past five seasons.
He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners back in January but was granted his release back in March. He tells reporters today, including Sam Blum of The Athletic and Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, that the Mariners offered him a coaching position after he was reassigned to minor league camp. But he wasn’t ready to quit playing yet and secured a minor league deal with the Angels.
He reported to the club’s Triple-A squad in Salt Lake and has been in great form of late. He’s made 42 plate appearances over 10 games, drawing eight walks and striking out nine times for rates of 19% and 21.4%, respectively. His .313/.439/.469 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 132, even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
That’s a fairly small sample size relative to Tucker’s larger career struggles. In addition to his aforementioned major league work, he hit a tepid .243/.350/.363 in the minors over the 2021 to 2023 period. Regardless of his offensive abilities, Tucker can provide the Angels with some cover all over the diamond. He has played all four infield positions in his career and spent some time in the outfield as well. As mentioned, the club has various moving parts with the infield injuries, so Tucker can bounce around as needed.
He is out of options and will have to stick on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely if he gets squeezed from the club’s plans down the road. But if he manages to have a long-awaited breakout like Adell, he can be controlled for many seasons beyond this season since he has just over two years of major league service time.
The Angels will have a week to trade Hicks or pass him through waivers. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while retaining the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2025. Any club willing to give him a roster spot would be in the same spot as the Angels just were, only having to pay the prorated league minimum with the Yanks on the hook for the rest.
