Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2024

Josh Jung Out Eight To Ten Weeks Following Wrist Surgery

By | at

The Rangers announced earlier in the week that third baseman Josh Jung had suffered a fractured wrist after being hit by a pitch, but a timetable for his return hadn’t been firmly established prior to today. General manager Chris Young tells the Rangers beat that while initial x-rays created some optimism for a six-week timeline, the surgery to repair Jung’s wrist was more involved than anticipated (X link via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). The team is now forecasting a timeline of eight to ten weeks for his recovery.

Losing Jung for two-plus months is a severe hurdle for the reigning World Series champions to overcome. An All-Star and the fourth-place finisher in 2023’s AL Rookie of the Year voting, Jung carries a strong .271/.320/.483 slash in 534 plate appearances dating back to last season. He went 7-for-17 with a pair of homers in his first 19 plate appearances of the 2024 campaign despite missing most of spring training with a calf strain that kept him out of the lineup. On top of all that, Jung is considered a strong defender at the hot corner, making him a well-rounded, critical member of the Rangers’ everyday lineup.

Josh H. Smith got the start at third base in the Rangers’ most recent game, and it’ll be Ezequiel Duran drawing the nod there today, the team revealed in announcing its lineup. That pairing could form a platoon to cover third base in Jung’s absence — although the right-handed-hitting Duran is starting against a righty today. Texas also called up prospect Justin Foscue for his MLB debut, and while he’s a bat-first option with more experience at second base, he could factor into the mix at third base in Jung’s absence as well (though for the time being, a straightforward platoon with first baseman Jared Walsh makes good sense for the righty-hitting Foscue).

Texas has been hammered by injuries in the early stages of the season. It was already known that Jacob deGrom and offseason signee Tyler Mahle would be out for the first few months of the season owing to 2023 Tommy John surgeries, but offseason back surgery for Max Scherzer, a spring oblique strain for Nathaniel Lowe and now Jung’s fractured wrist have subtracted key contributors from the club’s roster.

The extended nature of Jung’s absence will make him a 60-day IL candidate at any point the Rangers find themselves in need of a 40-man roster spot in the days and weeks ahead. The eight-week end of the projected timetable would see Jung return just prior to Memorial Day weekend, whereas he’d be out into mid-June if he ends up needing a full ten weeks.

Brewers Notes: Megill, Uribe, Quero, Mitchell

By | at

Brewers right-hander Trevor Megill was placed on the 7-day concussion list this morning, the team announced. Right-hander JB Bukauskas is up from Triple-A Nashville to take his spot on the roster. The injury occurred in bizarre and frightening fashion, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (X link) Megill contracted food poisoning last weekend and in the aftermath felt light-headed, fainted and wound up suffering a concussion when his 6’8″ frame dropped to the ground.

It’s another tough loss for a Milwaukee bullpen that’s without closer Devin Williams for at least the next couple months. Megill, 30, was an unheralded acquisition by the Brewers last offseason who’s tossed 36 2/3 innings with a 3.44 ERA with a massive 35% strikeout rate against a solid 8.3% walk rate. With Williams sidelined, Megill, Joel Payamps and young flamethrower Abner Uribe were slated for significant late-inning work in first-year skipper Pat Murphy’s bullpen.

The Brewers didn’t provide a timetable for Megill’s return, which is plenty understandable given the nature of his injury. Concussions are difficult to predict, and the severity can vary greatly. Even ostensibly minor concussions can have lingering effects that impact a player for extended periods of time.

In Bukauskas, the Brewers will turn a bullpen spot over to a 27-year-old former top prospect whom they acquired off waivers early in the 2023 season. He pitched six shutout innings for Milwaukee last year but carries a 5.92 ERA in a tiny sample of 24 1/3 big league innings. Rough as that may look, Bukauskas also logged a 2.92 ERA, 26.8% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate in 37 Triple-A frames for the Brewers last year, and he fanned 16 of his 41 spring opponents (39%) en route to a 3.72 ERA. There’s plenty of uncertainty in the final few spots of the Brewer bullpen, so it stands to reason that with a strong first impression, Bukauskas could potentially carve out a role for himself. He’s controllable for another five seasons if he’s able to do so.

Megill’s injury will only further open the door for the 23-year-old Uribe to establish himself as a viable high-leverage option. He’s 3-for-3 in save opportunities on the young season and, dating back to last year’s MLB debut, carries a 1.87 ERA and 29.9% strikeout rate in 33 2/3 innings. Command is an issue for Uribe, who’s walked 15.3% of his opponents, plunked a hitter and unleashed six wild pitches in his young career. However, he’s also averaged 99.4 mph on his blazing sinker and induced grounders at a hearty 53.4% clip, showing clear late-inning promise.

The Journal-Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak spoke to Uribe and his teammates about the impressive young righty’s rise to meaningful late-inning work. “I live for it,” Uribe said of pitching in adrenaline-charged scenarios like the save situations he’s encountered thus far. Murphy tells Rosiak he’s been impressed with the right-hander’s demeanor despite his youth, noting that Uribe “has learned so far and really kept his emotions under control and focused on his task.”

Payamps has picked up one save in the Brewers’ first four wins of the year as well, but it seems Uribe will be the preferred option for ninth-inning work while Williams and Megill mend. Presumably, when Williams is able to return, Uribe will slide back down into a setup role. It’s always possible the command struggles will flare up and lead to a particularly rough patch, but at least this far in his young career, Uribe looks the part of a legitimate late-inning arm who can stick at the MLB level. If that’s indeed the case, Milwaukee can control him all the way through the 2029 season and he won’t be arb-eligible until after the 2026 campaign.

Elsewhere in the organization, the Brew Crew is still in the early stages of navigating a shoulder injury for touted catching prospect Jeferson Quero. The 21-year-old suffered the injury in Nashville’s season opener, and GM Matt Arnold this week announced that Quero has been diagnosed with a subluxation in his right shoulder (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). He’s had one MRI and is receiving a second opinion to determine the severity of the issue and get a clear sense of his rehab plan. The Brewers haven’t announced a timetable for his return or whether surgery might be required.

Quero is widely regarded not only as one of the Brewers’ best prospects but the best prospects in all of baseball, landing on top-100 lists at The Athletic (No. 12), ESPN (No. 32), Baseball America (No. 33), MLB.com (No. 35), Baseball Prospectus (No. 38) and FanGraphs (No. 40). The Athletic’s Keith Law calls Quero a likely plus defender behind the plate with the potential for 20-homer power during his prime years.

Quero spent the 2023 season as one of the youngest players in Double-A but more than held his own against older, more advanced competition. In 381 plate appearances, he slashed .262/.339/.440 (107 wRC+) with an impressive 10% walk rate against a lower-than-average 17.8% strikeout rate.

In better injury news, McCalvy tweets that outfielder Garrett Mitchell is on a timeline of four to six weeks to return from the fractured finger in his left hand, which is thus far healing as expected. The 25-year-old has gotten brief looks in the outfield in each of the past two seasons, posting a combined .278/.343/.452 slash (119 wRC+) with five homers and nine steals. It’s very strong production, but those numbers are also propped up by a wildly unsustainable .441 average on balls in play and mask a more ominous 38.3% strikeout rate. It’s only 141 plate appearances, but Mitchell will eventually need to significantly cut back on the strikeouts if he’s to carve out a long-term role in Milwaukee’s outfield.

MLBTR Podcast: Baseball Is Back, Will Smith’s Extension, Mike Clevinger And Jon Berti

By | at

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Let’s say it’s trade deadline time and the Diamondbacks are basically a longshot to make the playoffs and want to dump payroll. Do you think there could be a reunion for Jordan Montgomery to be traded to the Rangers? The contract is right with the option or does he have a no-trade clause? (31:40)
  • Are international free agents eligible for extensions right away or is there a certain waiting period? I ask this because of the impending Roki Sasaki situation. Could he sign with an MLB team next year and play that first year for peanuts knowing that he has a handshake mega deal agreement in place that kicks in the following year? (34:10)
  • Is there a particular reason that you can’t trade a draft pick in the MLB the same way you can in leagues like the NFL? I know you there is a system in place for trading competitive balance picks, but I mean for just normal picks. I ask because I am a Mets fan and a Gators fan and it hurts that Jac Caglianone probably isn’t going to fall to 18. (41:55)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

The Opener: Heyward, Perfect Records, Winless Teams

By | at

It’s the first Wednesday of the 2024 regular season, and here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball today:

1. Jason Heyward to the injured list?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that outfielder Jason Heyward’s recent scans came back negative, but the team has not yet decided if he’ll require a stint on the injured list. That decision will come at some point today, presumably ahead of this evening’s series finale with the Giants. Heyward has been dealing with back stiffness and has not played since Saturday.

The Dodgers re-signed Heyward on a one-year, $9MM deal this winter following his bounce-back season in 2023. It was his first healthy campaign since 2020. While Heyward and the Dodgers are surely hoping he can skip the IL, his quick return could be bad news for Taylor Trammell, whom the Dodgers claimed off of waivers from the Mariners on Monday. Ardaya notes that Trammell was acquired specifically as a backup option in case Heyward misses time.

2. Tigers, Pirates, and Brewers looking to maintain perfect records

With nearly a week of regular-season play in the books, three clubs have yet to lose a game: the Tigers (4-0), Pirates (5-0), and Brewers (4-0). After sweeping the White Sox in their opening series, the Tigers took game one against the Mets on Monday night before rain canceled their matchup on Tuesday. Casey Mize will take the hill for Detroit this evening, looking to keep the win streak alive. Meanwhile, the Pirates and Brewers sit atop the NL Central. Pittsburgh will send its ace, Mitch Keller, to the mound tonight in Washington to take on Trevor Williams of the Nationals. Milwaukee will start Joe Ross against Chris Paddack of the Twins in what will be Ross’ first MLB appearance since August 2021. The Brewers are hoping to sweep their second consecutive series.

3. Mets, Marlins still seeking first wins

While things are rolling for the Tigers, Pirates, and Brewers, the same cannot be said of the Mets (0-4) and Marlins (0-6), both of whom are still seeking their first wins of the season. New York is hoping to rain on Detroit’s parade tonight, sending Adrian Houser to face off against Mize in his Mets debut. The actual rain, however, might have other ideas; the Mets and Tigers are at risk of getting rained out for the second day in a row. Meanwhile, in Miami, A.J. Puk will hope his second career MLB start goes better than his first as the Marlins try to avoid getting swept for the second series in a row.

Latest On Oakland’s Proposal To Keep A’s Through 2025-27 Seasons

By | at

TODAY: After today’s meetings, the Athletics released a statement to media saying “We appreciate Oakland’s engagement and also we are far apart on the terms needed to agree on an extension.”  Oakland mayor Sheng Thao also issued a statement, saying “Oakland made a fair and reasonable offer to the A’s.  We await their response and look forward to continuing discussions as necessary.”  John Shea and Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle note that the city and Alameda County “are not unified in their negotiations for the lease extension with the team,” though Alameda County supervisor David Haubert described today’s talks as “a productive meeting.”

The A’s will turn from this meeting to another set of meetings Wednesday with Ranadive and Sacramento officials, as per another report from John Shea.

MARCH 31: Officials from the Athletics and from the city of Oakland are set to meet Tuesday to further explore the possibility that the A’s could remain at the Coliseum through the 2027 season, as the team is looking for somewhere to play until their planned new ballpark in Las Vegas is ready for Opening Day 2028.  Some major details of the city’s latest proposal are already known, as ESPN’s Tim Keown and KGO-TV San Francisco report that Oakland is offering a five-year lease at the Coliseum covering the 2025-29 seasons, with an opt-out clause after 2027 so the team can depart if its new Vegas stadium is indeed ready on time.

The price tag for the new lease is $97MM, which the city demands that the A’s pay in full whether they stay for a three-year or five-year team.  This stands out as the largest hurdle to an agreement between the two sides, as Keown notes that two other provisions “are not expected to be contentious” — the A’s would have to sell their 50% share in the Coliseum and surrounding land, and the team would also have to pay to convert the Coliseum’s surface into a soccer-ready state for the United Soccer League’s Oakland Roots SC franchise.

“The city is putting forward a very reasonable deal,” Oakland chief of staff Leigh Hanson said. “We don’t think there’s a poison pill in this deal.  We feel this is an accomplishable goal, and we are going forward understanding we have a short window to execute.”

Oakland’s offer also removes two previous demands from the city, covering the idea of Oakland retaining the Athletics name and team colors, or that Major League Baseball would guarantee Oakland a new team in the next round of expansion.  The new offer instead asks that the league commit to one of three options — either a vote on Oakland’s retention of the A’s name and colors, or helping work out a sale of the Athletics to an Oakland-based ownership group, or “a one-year exclusive right to solicit ownership of a future expansion team,” as Keown puts it.

The $97MM figure is “the shortfall the city says [A’s owner John] Fisher walked away from on the multibillion-dollar Howard Terminal project” Keown writes, referring to the long-discussed plan to build a new ballpark for the A’s in Oakland’s Howard Terminal area.  Those plans fell through, of course, when Fisher instead pivoted for a new city entirely with the move to Las Vegas.

Needless to say, there is a large gap between the city’s ask of $97MM and what the A’s are offering, which is $17MM over the course of a two-year lease covering the 2025 and 2026 seasons.  The 2027 season isn’t included since the team is “contending they have options,” which likely implies a one-year move to another city or perhaps to the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate’s current ballpark in Las Vegas.  Staying in Oakland through 2026 would give the club more time to fully plan out their temporary pre-Vegas landing spot, whereas there’s a ticking clock now given that the Athletics’ current lease at the Coliseum expires after the current season.

This urgency might give the city some leverage in negotiations, though the A’s have reportedly explored other locations like Salt Lake City and Sacramento as possible homes for the 2025-27 span.  Sacramento was considered the favorite alternate spot besides a lease extension in Oakland, and John Shea and Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote on Friday that multiple league sources feel the Athletics will ultimately end up in Sacramento for a variety of reasons.

The Athletics’ TV contract with NBC Sports California has loomed as a major factor in the situation, as the deal (which pays the A’s upwards of $67MM per season) requires the team to actually be located in the Bay Area.  Shea and Ostler write that the A’s are also in talks with NBC Sports California about a revised contract, and speculate that “if the A’s could cut a new deal for, say, half that amount, they might grab it.  They’d be losing tens of millions per year, but they’d still be making tens of millions, and could make up any shortfall in other ways.”

Ultimately it might come down to how the math works out between the $97MM figure proposed by the city, and what the A’s could get from a renegotiated contract with NBC Sports California.  Just staying in Oakland would naturally make the TV situation a moot point, and the A’s organization would also avoid the logistical complications of playing in a minor league ballpark and temporarily moving its entire infrastructure to Sacramento, while also prepping for another move to Las Vegas in the near future.

However, Shea and Ostler feel Fisher might not be bothered by these complications, and could prefer to leave Oakland behind entirely while also keeping his 50% share of the Coliseum.  The city and Alameda County’s desire for full control over the Coliseum gives Fisher some leverage, since “the danger to Oakland here is that [Fisher] has no plan” for his share of the ballpark, Shea and Ostler write, and Fisher “is simply intending to squat on that site and wait for a big-profit sale sometime down the road.”  That said, Fisher could also view selling his share of the Coliseum as a method of cutting ties with Oakland, generating some short-term money, and avoiding some ongoing and pending legal challenges facing Alameda County’s half-sale of the Coliseum’s ownership.

Sacramento is currently the home of the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, and how that team would co-exist with the A’s over three seasons has yet to be determined, should the Athletics indeed wind up in California’s capital city.  Vivek Ranadive (owner of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings) owns the minor league franchise, and is both a friend of Fisher and has ambitions of eventually owning a Major League Baseball team himself.  Though Fisher has stated that he has no plans to sell the Athletics, there is still seemingly enough uncertainty surrounding the franchise that it doesn’t seem out of the question that Fisher could ultimately sell the A’s to Ranadive, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, or perhaps Ranadive and Lacob working in the same ownership group, as Shea/Ostler opine.

Rays Notes: Baz, Walls, Caminero

By | at

The Rays got back into the win column with tonight’s 5-2 win over the Rangers.  Tampa Bay broke things open with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Isaac Paredes.  On the pitching end, Zach Eflin limited the World Series champs to one earned run on five hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings while striking out five.

With good news on the field today, the injury updates were a little more mixed, as you’ll see in this selection of Rays notes…

  • Shane Baz will be re-evaluated Thursday after manager Kevin Cash said the right-hander “felt his oblique again a little bit” after throwing a live batting practice.  Cash told MLB.com and other media that it doesn’t seem to be a major concern, though the Rays are being cautious since Baz also had a minor oblique issue in early March.  Selected 12th overall by the Pirates in the 2017 draft, Baz came to the Rays organization as part of the (infamous for Bucs fans) Chris Archer trade at the 2018 deadline, and quickly became one of baseball’s most highly-touted pitching prospects.  Baz had a 4.02 ERA over 40 1/3 innings in 2021-22 before being sidelined by arthroscopic elbow surgery and then an elbow sprain, which ultimately resulted in a Tommy John surgery in September 2022.  Since the Rays plan to ease him back into action with a limited innings count, Baz’s offseason prep has been moving at a different pace, with his oblique problems also acting some bumps in the road.  If all goes well, Baz might be able to make his return to the majors in the middle or back half of May.
  • Taylor Walls is also recovering from a significant surgery, as the shortstop had a hip procedure last October that has kept him on the injured list to begin the season.  However, Cash said the Rays’ plan to start Walls in extended Spring Training by mid-April looks to be on track after Walls got a “very good report” after a recent doctor visit.  Depending on how much time Walls needs to get ready, late May or early June looks like a reasonable start date for his 2024 debut.  The fact that Tampa Bay put him on the 10-day IL and not the 60-day IL at the start of the season indicates some hopefulness on the club’s part that Walls can indeed return before May is over.  The defensive specialist has only hit .189/.289/.304 in 991 career Major League plate appearances, though it is certainly possible the long-lingering nature of Walls’ hip problems impacted his offensive production.
  • The Rays’ Triple-A affiliate placed Junior Caminero on the seven-day injured list today (retroactive to April 1) due to a left quad strain.  The concern level was high after Caminero was forced out of Sunday’s game and had to be helped off the field, yet Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (X link) indicates that the injury might not be overly serious.  Caminero is widely considered one of baseball’s best prospects, and after debuting with seven MLB games and two postseason games in 2023, the infielder is expected to contribute more to the 26-man roster after he gets some more minor league seasoning.  Caminero’s three games with Durham this season represent his only experience at the Triple-A level, and he only has 226 games of pro experience altogether.

Yankees Sign Phil Bickford To Minors Contract

By | at

The Yankees signed right-hander Phil Bickford to a minor league deal, as announced by the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link) reports that Bickford will earn $1.1MM if he makes New York’s active roster.

Bickford is moving from one Big Apple borough to another, as the Mets just released the right-hander last week.  Bickford won an arbitration case (for a $900K salary in 2024) with the Mets in February, but as per the terms of the CBA, going to a hearing meant that the salary wasn’t fully guaranteed until Opening Day.  As a result, the Mets only owed Bickford around $217K, representing 45 days’ worth of termination pay.  The $1.1MM salary linked to his minors deal could be prorated based on the amount of time (if any) Bickford actually spends on the Yankees’ roster, yet between the Yankees’ money and the termination pay, Bickford might now be in line to make more than the $900K he was slated to receive if he’d just made the Mets’ active roster.

After making two MLB appearances with the Brewers, a trade to the Dodgers in 2021 seemed to inspire a breakout, as Bickford posted a 2.50 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and nine percent walk rate over 50 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen.  However, Bickford benefited from some BABIP and strand rate-related good fortune that year, and reality seemed to set in when he posted a 4.84 ERA in 128 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and Mets over the 2022-23 seasons.  L.A. dealt him to the Mets at last year’s trade deadline, and the Mets ultimately deemed Bickford expendable amongst the many other relief options they acquired this past offseason.

The Yankees are forever on the lookout for bullpen arms, and the team’s recent ability to get good results from multiple unheralded or off-the-radar relievers perhaps bodes well for Bickford’s chances at success if he makes the 26-man roster.  For now he’ll bide his time at Triple-A as depth in the event of an injury, or if the Bronx Bombers shuffle up their bullpen to move fresh arms back and forth from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Braves Sign Sandy Leon, Jackson Stephens To Minor League Deals

By | at

The Braves have signed catcher Sandy Leon and right-hander Jackson Stephens to minor league contracts, as per the MLB.com bio pages for both players.  For Stephens, he returns to the organization after rejecting an outright assignment in favor of free agency earlier this week.

Leon’s addition seems like a pure depth move for the Braves with Sean Murphy on the 10-day injured list.  Since there usually isn’t a set timeline for oblique injuries, it isn’t yet known when Murphy might be back in action, so signing Leon gives Atlanta a bit more flexibility at Triple-A Gwinnett.  Travis d’Arnaud and Chadwick Tromp are handling catching duties on the big league roster, and Sebastian Rivero was the only catcher on the Gwinnett roster with any prior MLB experience.

The 35-year-old Leon has played in each of the last 12 Major League seasons, suiting up for six different teams.  Leon has also been part of the Reds and Royals organizations without seeing any regular-season playing time, as Leon took part in Kansas City’s training camp this past spring after being signed to a minors deal.  The Royals decided they had enough catching depth and released Leon back on March 23, so it didn’t take long for Leon to land another opportunity.

Defense and game-calling has long been Leon’s calling card, allowing him to carve out a long career as a part-timer and backup catcher despite a .208/.276/.311 slash line over 1729 career plate appearances.  He won a World Series ring with the 2018 Red Sox and appeared in 21 games for another championship just last season with the Rangers, though Leon spent most of 2023 with the Triple-A affiliates of the Rangers and Guardians.

Stephens was first outrighted off a 40-man roster back in 2019 when he was a member of the Reds, and he has since had the ability to reject any other outright assignment in favor of free agency.  Since he is now out of minor league options, Stephens has bounced on and off Atlanta’s 40-man multiple times since first joining the team during the 2021-22 offseason, opting for free agency and then returning after some period of time on a new contract.  Last November, Stephens again opted for free agency before re-signing on a split contract with the Braves, and it isn’t known if this new deal is also a split arrangement or if it’s just a straight minor league pact.

Stephens posted a 4.83 ERA over 63 1/3 innings with the Reds from 2017-18, then spent the next three seasons pitching in the minors, the Mexican League, and on the sidelines altogether due to the canceled 2020 minor league campaign.  He resurfaced after signing with the Braves and has a respectable 3.56 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, and 9.8% walk rate in 65 2/3 frames since the start of the 2022 season.  Thirty-nine of Stephens’ 44 Atlanta appearances took place in 2022, as the righty spent a lot of last year either in the minors or in DFA/free agent limbo.

Dodgers Acquire Nick Ramirez, Transfer Brusdar Graterol To 60-Day Injured List

By | at

The Yankees have traded left-hander Nick Ramirez to the Dodgers for cash considerations, per announcements from both clubs. Ramirez had been designated for assignment on the weekend. The Dodgers opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring righty Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list.

Ramirez, 34, was a bit of a surprising cut from the Yankee roster. He tossed 40 2/3 innings last year with an earned run average of 2.66. His 16.3% strikeout rate was on the low side but his 47.4% ground ball rate was a bit better than average and his 5.2% walk rate was excellent. But the club used a number of pitchers in their first two games of the season and wanted to add Tanner Tully as a fresh arm and Ramirez got squeezed out.

Perhaps they were a bit skeptical of the sample size, as Ramirez had a career ERA of 4.55 coming into last year, with a 9.5% walk rate that was much closer to average than what he did in 2023. But he’s always had good results at Triple-A, having posted a 2.98 ERA in 200 appearances over seven different seasons at that level.

He’ll give the Dodgers another left-handed relief option, which is a bit of a weak spot on the roster at the moment. Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough are the two other southpaws in the bullpen, but the latter is used more for long relief as opposed to situations where a manager would specifically want a lefty. Ramirez also has an option remaining and can be kept in the minors until needed.

The Dodgers had a 40-man roster spot to use since they evidently don’t expect Graterol to return prior to the middle of May. He battled hip soreness and shoulder soreness throughout the spring and only made one official appearance. He has reportedly been making progress of late but will effectively need to redo Spring Training by spending a few weeks ramping up and getting into game shape.

Since the Dodgers started their season early with the Seoul Series, he was placed on the 15-day IL back on March 19, meaning he’s already two weeks into his 60-day count and can return about six weeks from now if he’s healthy and build up by then.

Mariners To Sign Dallas Keuchel To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Mariners are signing left-hander Dallas Keuchel to a minor league deal, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. The WME Baseball client will report to Triple-A Tacoma when the deal is complete.

Keuchel, 36, was once one of the best pitchers in the league, even winning the American League Cy Young in 2015. But he has been more in journeyman mode over the past three years. He made 175 starts from 2014 to 2020 with an earned run average of 3.25 over that stretch. His 19.8% strikeout rate in that time wasn’t special, but he limited walks to a 6.7% clip and got grounders on 59.6% of balls in play. That grounder rate was the highest in all of baseball, among those with at least 450 innings pitched in that time period.

His rate stats began to trend in the wrong direction in 2021, as his ERA jumped to 5.28. In 2022, things got even worse and he was released by the White Sox, later bouncing to the Diamondbacks and and Rangers for brief stints. He finished that year with a ghastly ERA of 9.20 in 60 2/3 innings. His ground ball rate fell to 50.2%, still strong but well below his previous levels. He only struck out 14.9% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 10.2% clip.

Last year, he worked out with Driveline Baseball in an attempt to regain some lost velocity and movement on his pitches, eventually landing a minor league deal with the Twins in June. He tossed 32 innings at the Triple-A level with a 1.13 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 61.5% ground ball rate. That ERA was a mirage as he wasn’t going to maintain a 95% strand rate but his 4.17 FIP was still an improvement over the form he showed in the previous year.

The Twins added him to the big league roster at the start of August and he tossed 37 2/3 innings down the stretch in a swing role but his work wasn’t as impressive in the bigs, as he posted a 5.97 ERA in that time. His 14.5% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 52.8% ground ball rate were all fairly close to his 2022 numbers.

The Seattle rotation recently took a hit when Bryan Woo landed on the injured list due to some elbow inflammation. They still have a strong group of five guys with Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Emerson Hancock in the rotation, but Keuchel will give them some extra depth. He will presumably need a few weeks to get into game shape anyway after missing Spring Training and the rotation picture could easily change between now and then.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top