Archives for 2024

NL Central Notes: Imanaga, Pirates, Brewers, Carpenter, Reds

By Mark Polishuk | April 28, 2024 at 10:58pm CDT

Before the Cubs signed Shota Imanaga to a four-year, $53MM deal, the other finalists for Imanaga’s services were the Red Sox, Pirates, and Brewers, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Boston’s interest in Imanaga was well-known, and Pittsburgh had also been linked to Imanaga’s market, even if the Bucs’ traditional lack of spending makes it somewhat surprising to learn that they apparently came relatively close to landing the southpaw. Of course, “finalist” is a bit of a nebulous term, and it isn’t known just how close the Pirates might’ve come to Chicago in the bidding. For instance, the Red Sox offered Imanaga two years and $26MM in guaranteed money according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, with two more vesting years covering the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The Brewers are also a surprise entry, as it wasn’t publicly known that they were in on Imanaga at all, let alone one of the last four suitors in the running for his services. Milwaukee also often operates with a limited payroll (albeit not as limited as the Pirates’ budget), and it’s interesting to speculate on what the team might’ve offered Imanaga, or whether signing the Japanese star might’ve kept from the Crew from any of their other winter business. For instance, if the Brewers had signed Imanaga, would they have still had enough spending capacity to bring back Brandon Woodruff and/or Wade Miley, or would any further pitching additions would’ve been strictly of the lower-cost or minor league variety if Imanaga had been the team’s big offseason strike. As Nightengale observes, any of Imanaga’s other suitors might have some regrets given how the left-hander has gotten his MLB career off to such a great start.

Some other notes from around the NL Central…

Matt Carpenter recently received a cortisone shot to deal with the oblique strain that has kept him on the injured list for almost four weeks, MLB.com’s John Denton writes (X link). The shot led to a shutdown, and it isn’t clear when Carpenter will be ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment, though he has been able to take batting practice. Carpenter reunited with the Cardinals on a one-year deal this past winter, but played in just three games before suffering his oblique problem.
X-rays were negative on both Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson after the Reds duo were each hit on the hand by pitches in Saturday’s game. Encarnacion-Strand might be the slightly more serious situation of the two, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the infielder’s X-ray revealed a small previous fracture in the same spot that CES was hit on Saturday. Encarnacion-Strand said he had “no clue” about the origin of the older injury, and he hadn’t felt any discomfort prior to this most recent HBP. It isn’t yet clear if Encarnacion-Strand will get an MRI to further explore the injury, but he hoped to return to the lineup within a day or two.

Kevin Pillar Elects Free Agency

By Mark Polishuk | April 28, 2024 at 9:55pm CDT

Outfielder Kevin Pillar has chosen to become a free agent rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, the White Sox announced. Pillar was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared waivers, but since he has far more than three years of MLB service time, Pillar has the right to reject any outright assignments in favor of a return trip to the open market.

Pillar first signed with Chicago on a minor league deal during the offseason, but after being released from that contract near the end of Spring Training, quickly re-signed with the Sox for a guaranteed big league deal. Pillar ended up appearing in 17 games for the White Sox, hitting .160/.290/.360 over 32 plate appearances and acting mostly as a late-game substitute.

Now in his 12th Major League season, the 35-year-old Pillar has rarely shown much at the plate but carved out a role as an excellent defensive center fielder during his heyday with the Blue Jays. Even after Toronto traded Pillar early in the 2019 season, he continued to receive more or less everyday work until falling into more of a part-time capacity over the last four seasons. This stretch included platoon/bench roles with the Mets in 2021 and the Braves in 2023, and he was slated for a similar role with the Dodgers in 2022 but played in only four games before a fractured shoulder ended his season.

Pillar should draw some looks from teams interested in adding veteran depth at all three outfield positions, plus some limited pop against left-handed pitching (the righty-swinging Pillar is a career .277/.310/.460 hitter against southpaws). It wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see Pillar again circle back to the White Sox if he can’t find a deal anywhere else, though Chicago more or less replaced Pillar with Tommy Pham, and might move more towards younger players anyway later in the season if and when veterans are dealt at the trade deadline.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | April 28, 2024 at 9:17pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat!

AL East Notes: Kimbrel, Irvin, Kahnle, Whitlock

By Mark Polishuk | April 28, 2024 at 5:55pm CDT

Craig Kimbrel blew a save and was charged with the loss in the Orioles’ 7-6 defeat to the Athletics today, but the veteran closer’s health may be of greater concern. Kimbrel walked Darell Hernaiz and was then visited by the team trainer on the mound, but stayed in the game and allowed a homer to Kyle McCann. That prompted another trainer’s visit and Kimbrel’s departure, and manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko) postgame that Kimbrel was dealing with some upper back tightness. The right-hander was still receiving treatment and it isn’t yet known if a trip to the injured list might be in order.

Kimbrel has failed to convert either of his last two save opportunities, marking his first blown save since his first appearances of the season. In between, he reeled off seven saves and a perfect 0.00 in 10 innings of work, and even today’s outing only boosts his ERA to 3.18 for the season. Overall, the 35-year-old has performed as expected after signing a one-year deal worth $13MM in guaranteed money last winter, as Baltimore was looking for a ninth-inning specialist after Felix Bautista was lost to Tommy John surgery. If Kimbrel needs some recovery time, Yennier Cano or Danny Coulombe are the likeliest candidates to move into closer duties, which would then necessitate another arm being shuffled into the bullpen. One possible relief candidate might be starter Albert Suarez, who is out of minor league options but has pitched so well in fill-in starter duty that the O’s likely don’t want to expose him to waivers in order to move him back to Triple-A. With Kyle Bradish and John Means nearing returns from the IL, the Orioles are in the enviable position of having too many good starters, yet as we’ve potentially seen with this Kimbrel situation, injuries have a way of quickly solving any surpluses.

Cubs Place Jordan Wicks On 15-Day IL, Select Richard Lovelady

By Mark Polishuk | April 28, 2024 at 3:09pm CDT

The Cubs announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the placement (retroactive to April 25) of left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Chicago also optioned southpaw Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, while calling up righty Daniel Palencia from Iowa and selecting the contract of left-hander Richard Lovelady.

News of Wicks’ injury broke yesterday, as the left-hander was an early scratch from what was supposed to be a start in tonight’s game against the Red Sox. It isn’t surprising that Wicks was placed on the IL for at least precautionary reasons, though the severity of the strain isn’t yet known. Speaking to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters today, Wicks didn’t feel too concerned about the strain, though the forearm soreness first arose prior to his previous start and resurfaced afterwards.

The 24-year-old Wicks was selected 21st overall in the 2021 draft, and made his MLB debut in the form of seven starts and 34 innings for the Cubs last season. A respectable (if not totally inspiring) 4.41 ERA over that first taste of the majors put Wicks in the running for a rotation job heading into Spring Training, though Jameson Taillon’s injury helped clear Wicks’ path to a starting role. Justin Steele was then lost to the IL on Opening Day and both Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly were also injured within the last week, so Wicks’ forearm strain only continues the string of health woes hitting the Cubs early in the season.

Wicks had performed pretty well over five starts and 23 innings in 2024, or at least better than his 4.70 ERA would indicate. A .358 BABIP and a 64.3% strand rate helped inflate that ERA almost a full run beyond Wicks’ much more palatable 3.62 SIERA, and his 25.9% strikeout rate is well above the league average. Batters have been making solid contact against Wicks’ offerings, though he has also fooled his share of hitters with a chase rate that sits in the 88th percentile of all pitchers.

With Wicks out for at least the 15-day minimum, the Cubs will have to again dig into their starting depth. Shota Imanaga has emerged as the ace of the staff in his outstanding rookie season, youngster Javier Assad has looked very sharp over five starts, and Taillon is now back from the IL. Beyond this trio, rookie Ben Brown might now be sticking in the rotation, and Hayden Wesneski could be stretched out into starter’s duty. Veteran Julio Teheran is available at Triple-A, and Steele might not be too far away, as he is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week as he recovers from his hamstring strain.

Palencia has some starting experience in the minors but has worked exclusively as a reliever during his two Major League seasons. He could get some multi-inning work if Wesneski is indeed bumped back into the rotation, while Lovelady should take on a strict (and possibly short-term) bullpen role.

Lovelady signed a minor league deal with Chicago during the offseason, and his 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings (10 appearances) for Triple-A Iowa is one of the more misleading stat lines in recent memory. Despite a 33.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate, a 53.8% grounder rate and zero homers allowed, Lovelady still has a 5.84 ERA, due mostly to an extreme .564 BABIP.

The 28-year-old southpaw will now get another look in the majors after posting a 5.26 ERA over 65 previous big league frames with the Royals and A’s since the start of the 2019 season. Lovelady missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and resurfaced last year to deliver a 4.63 ERA across 23 1/3 innings for Oakland.

Yankees Outright McKinley Moore

By Nick Deeds | April 28, 2024 at 2:19pm CDT

The Yankees announced this afternoon that right-hander McKinley Moore has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton.

Moore, 25, was a 24th-round pick by the White Sox in the 2019 draft but made his big league debut as a member of the Phillies last year after coming to Philadelphia as part of the return for outfielder Adam Haseley back in 2022. The righty struggled badly in his first taste of big league action and was lit up for seven runs on five hits, five walks, and two hit batsmen against just two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work.

Those three relief appearances are Moore’s only big league action to this point in his career. The right-hander was retained by the Phillies on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason but was designated for assignment early in Spring Training to make room for the addition of Spencer Turnbull to the club’s roster. The Yankees took the opportunity to claim him off waivers and bring him into the organization, though he has continued to struggle since jumping organizations. In just 2/3 of an inning of work for Scranton this year, Moore has allowed two runs while walking six and hitting a batter while recording just one strikeout.

Despite Moore’s obvious control struggles, the right-hander has flashed enticing stuff including an upper-90s fastball during his limited big league action. The 6’6” power arm could be an impactful relief arm for a club if he can find a way to rein in his control, and now the Yankees will get the opportunity to work with the 25-year-old throughout the year without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him. While it’s not impossible to imagine Moore pitching for the big league club at some point this year, with non-roster veterans such as Phil Bickford and Duane Underwood Jr. currently available to the Yankees in the minor leagues it seems more likely that Moore will have to iron out his control issues to get another shot at the major league level.

Nationals Outright Jake Alu

By Nick Deeds | April 28, 2024 at 1:43pm CDT

The Nationals announced this afternoon that infielder/outfielder Jake Alu has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Rochester.

Alu, 27, was selected by the Nats in the 24th round of the 2019 draft and made his big league debut with the club last season. He struggled in 51 games last year, hitting just .226/.282/.289 with five extra-base hits in 175 trips to the plate. While Alu contributed minimal value with the bat last year, he was nonetheless an interesting bench piece for the club thanks to his versatility. Alu played left field as well as both second and third base for the Nationals last year at the major league level and has even received brief cameos at shortstop and first base in the minor leagues.

That versatility wasn’t enough to earn Alu a spot on the Nationals bench entering the season, however, and the utilityman was sent to Triple-A Rochester to open the 2024 campaign. He thrived at the level in 74 games last year, slashing a solid .298/.360/.428 in 330 trips to the plate, but struggled in a return to the level this year as he posted a tepid .190/.262/.276 slash line in 65 trips to the plate. Those struggles were enough for Washington to decide to risk losing Alu on waivers last week, when the club designated him for assignment to open up a roster spot for right-hander Jacob Barnes.

Fortunately for the Nationals, Alu cleared waivers and will instead report to Rochester as a non-roster depth option for the club going forward. As an optionable hitter with plenty of defensive versatility, Alu could be a useful piece to have on hand in the event of an injury that compromises the depth of the big league club. At Triple-A, Alu figures to compete with the likes of Juan Yepez, Carter Kieboom, and Stone Garrett as potential depth options for the Nationals going forward.

Angels Select Zac Kristofak

By Nick Deeds | April 28, 2024 at 1:22pm CDT

1:22PM: The Angels officially announced the selection of Kristofak’s contract. Right-hander Jimmy Herget was designated for assignment to make room for Kristofak on the club’s 40-man roster, while righty Jose Cisnero was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation to clear a spot on the active roster.

Herget spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Angels, pitching to a 3.28 ERA and 3.43 FIP in 92 total appearances. He was among the Halos’ most dominant relievers back in 2022 with a 2.48 ERA and 2.82 FIP in 69 innings, but struggled to a 4.66 ERA and 5.63 FIP in 29 appearances last year and hasn’t appeared in the majors this season. The Angels will have one week to either trade Herget or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Herget clears waivers and is assigned outright to the minor leagues by the club, he’ll have the opportunity to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.

As for Cisnero, the right-hander has struggled mightily in 14 frames with the Angels this season, pitching to a 7.07 ERA and 6.30 FIP so far this season after signing a big league deal with the club back in February. It’s not currently clear how long the 35-year-old veteran will be out of action, though it appears that Kristofak will take over his spot in the bullpen for the time being.

9:57AM: The Angels are set to select the contract of right-hander Zac Kristofak prior to this afternoon’s game against the Twins, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Anaheim’s 40-man roster is currently full, meaning they’ll need to make a corresponding move to accommodate Kristofak’s selection to the roster.

Kristofak, 26, was a 14th-round pick by the Angels in the 2019 draft. The righty had his first full season in professional baseball wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and struggled at the High-A level upon his return to pitching in 2021 with a 6.14 ERA in 44 innings of work. Since then, however, Kristofak has pitched well while ascending the minor league ladder and swinging between the rotation and the bullpen. He posted a 3.82 ERA in 63 2/3 innings of work in a repeat of the High-A level the following year and was promoted to Double-A ahead of the 2023 season, when he posted a 4.07 ERA in 42 frames.

Kristofak’s 2024 season has been an impressive one, as he’s pitched to a 3.38 ERA across six appearances (three starts) in his first taste of the Triple-A level. The right-hander’s strong results are especially noteworthy considering the fact that he’s pitched in the infamously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, which tends to offer a much more difficult environment for pitchers. That being said, Kristofak has struck out just 13% of batters faced to this point in the season, a potential red flag that helps to explain his elevated 5.09 FIP.

That the right-hander is poised to make his big league debut in the coming days is a particularly incredible feat given his harrowing past. Kristofak’s mother was murdered by his father back in 2012, when Kristofak was just 15 years old. The 26-year-old spoke to The Athletic’s Sam Blum about the tragedy back in September, and fans of any team are highly encouraged to read Blum’s piece to learn more about Kristofak’s story.

“Making the big leagues certainly won’t change what happened,” Blum wrote in the article. “But reaching that level — putting on an Angels uniform with Kristofak sewn on the back — will mean something that perhaps only Kristofak and his mother could fully understand.”

Kristofak will now get that opportunity to debut for the Angels, with whom he could be an option both out of the bullpen, where southpaw Jose Suarez has struggled to a 10.13 ERA in 16 frames as the club’s primary long reliever, or perhaps even in the rotation alongside Reid Detmers, Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval, Jose Soriano, and Griffin Canning.

Phillies Designate Ricardo Pinto For Assignment

By Nick Deeds | April 28, 2024 at 12:45pm CDT

The Phillies announced that they’ve designated right-hander Ricardo Pinto for assignment this afternoon. The move opens up a spot on the active roster for right-hander Taijuan Walker, who the club activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start against the Padres in San Diego this afternoon.

Pinto, 30, signed with Philadelphia on a minor league deal back in February and got the call to the majors shortly after Opening Day. He’s struggled mightily in a multi-inning relief role int he majors this year, pitching to a 10.97 ERA with a 6.07 FIP in 10 2/3 innings of work across six appearances. He’s struck out just 13.6% of batters faced with the Phillies while walking 8.5%.

Given those brutal numbers, it’s hardly a surprise that the Phillies decided to pull the plug on Pinto, who first came up to the majors as rookie with the club back in 2017. Since then, he’s pitched in the Rays, White Sox, and Tigers organizations in addition to taking a sojourn overseas to pitch for the KBO’s SK Wyverns. While he’s posted a decent 4.43 ERA in 347 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level throughout his career, he’s never managed to pitch effectively in the big leagues as demonstrated by his career ERA of 9.07.

Looking ahead, the Phillies will have seven days to either work out a trade for Pinto or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he clear waivers, the club would have the opportunity to assign him outright to the minor leagues, though Pinto would have the opportunity to reject that assignment in favor of free agency as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.

Pinto’s departure from the roster makes room for the return of Walker, who has not yet made an appearance in the majors this season after starting the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement. Walker is entering the second year of his four-year, $72MM contract with Philadelphia and enters the 2024 campaign on the heels of a decent 2023 season that saw him post a roughly league average 4.38 ERA with a 4.53 FIP in 172 2/3 innings of work. Both Walker and the Phillies are surely hoping that the right-hander will return to the form he showcased with the Mets in 2022, when he pitched to a solid 3.49 ERA (111 ERA+) with a 3.65 FIP in 29 starts.

In the meantime, the biggest question brought up by Walker’s return is what the club will do with righty Spencer Turnbull. Initially signed to act as a long reliever and swingman, the 31-year-old righty has been nothing short of dominant to this point in the season with a 1.33 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 27 innings of work across five starts. Per recent comments from club manager Rob Thomson, the club won’t decide what’s next for Turnbull until after Walker’s start tonight.

White Sox Select Brad Keller, Designate Deivi Garcia For Assignment

By Nick Deeds | April 28, 2024 at 10:17am CDT

The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club selecting the contract of veteran right-hander Brad Keller. Right-hander Deivi Garcia was designated for assignment to make room for Keller on the 40-man and active rosters. Additionally, Chicago announced that right-hander Jonathan Cannon had been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Right-hander Prelander Berroa was recalled to take Cannon’s place on the active roster.

The news leaves Keller poised to make his White Sox debut in the coming days as he likely steps into the rotation in Cannon’s stead. The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with Chicago in early March after lingering on the free agent market throughout the offseason following a difficult 2023 campaign. Keller was limited to just 45 1/3 innings of 4.57 ERA baseball last year due to shoulder surgery and a thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis, which MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted last month necessitated its own surgery back in October.

Surgery to correct TOS has rarely seen players return to the majors and enjoy success, with Stephen Strasburg and Chris Archer among the arms who have seen their careers impacted by the procedure in recent years. One example of a player who has returned effectively is Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly, who stands as a prime example of the fact that not all types of TOS have the same long-term outlook. It’s not clear which type of TOS Keller went under the knife due to, though his decent 4.50 ERA in 16 innings of work at the Triple-A level across three starts this season gives reason for optimism that he could return to form as a viable back-of-the-rotation option in the majors.

Making room for Keller on the 40-man roster is Garcia, who will celebrate his 25th birthday next month. The right-hander was once a top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system and made his big league debut at just 21 years old during the shortened 2020 season, which saw him post a 4.98 ERA and 4.15 FIP across six starts in New York. Unfortunately, Garcia then struggled badly in the minor leagues over the next two seasons, with ERAs north of 6.80 in both campaigns. Garcia’s time with the Yankees came to a close in 2023, when he was designated for assignment after struggling through two relief appearances in the majors.

The White Sox took a chance on Garcia and claimed him off waivers from New York before installing him in the club’s bullpen. While he posted a strong 2.04 ERA in six appearances with the club down the stretch last year, Garcia walked more batters than he struck out and posted an ugly 6.04 FIP during that same timeframe. While Chicago retained Garcia on its roster through the offseason, the results began to match the peripherals in 2024 as the right-hander surrendered 16 runs (11 earned) in just 14 innings while walking 16.2% of batters faced.

Those major struggles were evidently enough for the White Sox to pull the plug on Garcia, who they’ll now have one week to either work out a trade for or attempt to pass through waivers. If they’re successful in the latter, they’ll have the opportunity to outright the youngster to the minor leagues where he can serve as non-roster depth going forward.

Also departing the club’s active roster is Cannon, a 23-year-old rookie who has made three starts in the majors for the White Sox so far this year. That first taste of big league action hasn’t gone particularly well for the youngster, as he’s posted a brutal 7.24 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work despite a solid 4.04 FIP. Cannon figures to return to the Triple-A rotation and wait for his next opportunity in the majors.

In the meantime, his roster spot will go to Berroa, who figures to replace Garcia in the club’s bullpen. The 24-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Mariners in the deal that sent Gregory Santos to Seattle back in February and has just 1 2/3 big league innings under his belt to this point in his career. He’s struggled mightily to this point at the Triple-A level this season, with an 8.74 ERA across 11 appearances. Nonetheless, he’ll look to contribute to the White Sox bullpen during the middle innings alongside the likes of Jordan Leasure and Dominic Leone.

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