Archives for 2024

AL Central Notes: Royals, Cease, Tigers

By Nick Deeds | March 24, 2024 at 8:03am CDT

The Royals’ Opening Day roster has begun to come into focus, as the Royals recently optioned first baseman Nick Pratto, outfielder Drew Waters, and catcher Austin Nola to the minor leagues. Those positional cuts from camp helped to clarify the club’s bench mix, as manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) yesterday that infielder Nick Loftin and outfielder Dairon Blanco have both made the club’s Opening Day roster. Blanco will slot into a reserve outfielder role behind MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, Hunter Renfroe, and Nelson Velazquez. Meanwhile, Loftin will step into a bench role previously ticketed for veteran Adam Frazier, who is set to become the club’s Opening Day second baseman with Michael Massey expected to begin the season on the injured list due to lower back tightness.

It’s an unfortunate development for Massey, who celebrated his 26th birthday earlier this week. The infielder was the club’s everyday option at the keystone last year and performed well on defense but struggled with the bat throughout the season. The youngster showed signs of life in the second half, however, slashing a respectable .250/.285/.458 with 11 home runs in 229 trips to the plate over his final 60 games in 2023. That display left him in line to receive the lion’s share of playing time at second once again this year even after the Royals added Frazier and Garrett Hampson in free agency. Now that Massey is set to begin the season on the shelf, however, Frazier will have the opportunity to play his way into a larger role early in the season. The 32-year-old veteran has been a roughly league average bat consistently throughout his career, with a .269/.331/.393 slash across eight seasons in the big leagues, including a .240/.300/.396 showing with the Orioles last year.

As for the trio of recent cuts, none of them are especially surprising. Pratto appeared unlikely to have a role with the big league club to open the season thanks to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino’s return from labrum surgery and Nelson Velazquez’s emergence as a credible slugger at DH. Waters, similarly, is the odd man out in the club’s crowded outfield mix. Both former top prospects will open the season at Triple-A, providing them an opportunity to receive regular reps they couldn’t get with the big league Royals. Nola starting the season in the minors is hardly a surprise, either, as he joined the club on a split contract that was seemingly designed to allow him to be a backup to Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin at the Triple-A level.

More from around the AL Central…

The White Sox recently dealt right-hander Dylan Cease after months of rumors and speculation, shipping him to the Padres in exchange for a prospect package headlined by Drew Thorpe. Club GM Chris Getz recently spoke to Scott Merkin of MLB.com about the trade and noted that San Diego was one of two clubs who made “significant offers,” with Merkin reporting that the Rangers were the second place finisher for Cease’s services. Getz also made clear that the sides did not engage in extension negotiations amid the winter’s trade rumors, adding that while the club would have “loved” to keep Cease in the fold long term, he felt such an arrangement “wasn’t realistic.” That’s somewhat understandable, as Chicago suffered a 101-loss season last year and appears to have a long way to go before contending again, even in a relatively weak AL Central division. Given that reality, it would’ve been surprising to see the club commit to the sort of significant outlay that would have been required to retain the runner-up for the 2022 AL Cy Young award.
Tigers youngster Sawyer Gipson-Long once appeared likely to compete with other youngsters such as Casey Mize, Reese Olson, and Matt Manning for a role in the club’s starting rotation alongside Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Kenta Maeda. Unfortunately for Gipson-Long, he’s been nursing a left groin strain throughout camp that, as noted by Evan Woodbery of the Detroit Free Press, will lead to him opening the season on the injured list. Gipson-Long, who the club acquired at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for right-hander Michael Fulmer, made his big league debut late in the season last year and impressed during four starts in the majors. In 20 innings of work, the right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA with a 3.16 FIP while striking out an excellent 31.7% of batters faced. With Mize and Olson now set to start the season in the rotation, Gipson-Long figures to head to Triple-A Toledo once healthy, where he’ll provide Detroit with quality rotation depth alongside Matt Manning and wait for an opportunity in the big leagues.

Orioles Owner Peter Angelos Passes Away

By Mark Polishuk | March 23, 2024 at 10:58pm CDT

Peter Angelos passed away today at age 94, as per an official statement from the Orioles and the Angelos family. Angelos had been battling illness for the last few years and had left the public eye, and his son John took over as the Orioles’ chairman and control person in regards to official league business in 2020.

A Baltimore native, Angelos built his fortune through a renowned legal career, most notably a landmark consolidated action case in 1992 representing thousands of workers in various fields who had been exposed to asbestos over the course of their jobs. Angelos led a group of investors that purchased the Orioles in 1993 for $173MM, and quickly established himself as something of a maverick within baseball’s ownership circles during the 1994-95 players’ strike. Though the strike was settled before replacement players took the field for the 1995 season, Angelos’ refusal to use such players (who he viewed as scabs) drew some animosity from his fellow owners and respect from the MLBPA.

On the field, the Orioles went through plenty of ups and downs during Angelos’ tenure as owner. There was little doubt about Angelos’ desire to win, as he immediately increased the team’s payroll and brought several big-name free agents into the fold, helping Baltimore reach the ALCS in both 1996 and 1997. After that last ALCS appearance, however, the Orioles didn’t have another winning season until 2012, as Angelos was often accused of taking a heavy hand in baseball operations. This manifested itself in a revolving door of managers and general managers, until things began to stabilize under Buck Showalter and executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette. The Orioles had five seasons of .500 or better ball from 2012-16, including three postseason appearances and another trip to the ALCS in 2014.

The Orioles’ payrolls tended to fluctuate based on the team’s competitive level, and Baltimore ranked within the top ten of league spending as recently as the 2017 season. Angelos had particular concerns about certain types of baseball-related investments, perhaps most notably a wariness about any kind of long-term guarantee to pitchers (especially pitchers with any sort of injury history). Angelos was also famously critical of baseball’s international signing system, which resulted in the Orioles essentially sitting out for the international amateur market for several years.

John Angelos’ stewardship of the team brought about some changes to the Orioles’ business, as GM Mike Elias was given broad leeway to modernize and revamp the baseball operations department as part of a near-total rebuild. The O’s posted losing records from 2017-21 (the latter three under Elias) before winning 83 games in 2022, and then bursting out to win 101 games and the AL East crown last season. With an incredible core of young talent in place, the Orioles now look like World Series contenders both this season and perhaps for many years to come.

This new era of Orioles baseball will take place somewhat outside of the Angelos family, as it was announced in February that the team had been sold for $1.725 billion to a new ownership group led by David Rubenstein. (John Angelos is still an investor in the Orioles.). The news of the sale followed years of speculation and drama about the future of the franchise, as legal and personal issues within the Angelos family and the Orioles’ expiring lease at Camden Yards in 2023 led to some concerns that the O’s could be sold or moved to another city. As it turned out, the Orioles arranged a new lease to remain at Camden Yards for at least the next 15 years, and Rubenstein’s full purchase of the organization is expected to be approved by the league within a few weeks’ time. Rubenstein was initially slated to take over 40 percent of the team, but now will take full ownership of the club as a result of the elder Angelos’ passing.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Angelos’ family, friends, and loved ones.

AL East Notes: Holliday, Gil, Red Sox

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 10:44pm CDT

The Orioles shocked the baseball world yesterday by reassigning top prospect Jackson Holliday to minor league camp, effectively ending his bid to make the Opening Day roster. The consensus #1 prospect in the entire sport, Holliday has taken the minors by storm since being selected first overall in the 2022 draft. After hitting .297/.489/.422 in 20 games down the stretch the year he was drafted between rookie ball and Single-A, Holliday tore through the minors in 2023 to advance all the way to the Triple-A level before the end of his first full season as a pro. In 125 games last year, Holliday slashed .323/.442/.499, including a strong .338/.421/.507 showing in 36 games at the Double-A level. The youngster continued to tear the cover off the ball this spring as well, slashing .311/.354/.600 across 15 games during camp.

GM Mike Elias today explained the club’s decision to start Holliday in the minor leagues after that incredible performance to reporters, including MASN’s Roch Kubatko. Among the reasons Elias listed for Holliday not breaking camp with the Orioles was his lack of experience against left-handed pitching. Holliday’s numbers against southpaws last year, while decent, were not at the same caliber as those he posted against right-handed pitching. While he crushed righties to a .331/.437/.551 slash line, his 124 trips to the plate against lefties last year saw him hit just .296/.387/.389. Elias also suggested that Holliday’s minimal experience at second base- where the club plans to play him in the majors- was another motivating factor behind Holliday’s demotion. The youngster has started primarily at shortstop throughout his professional career and has only 25 appearances at the keystone in 145 career minor league games.

Of course, those reasons for sending Holliday to the minors to open the year, however valid they may be, won’t outweigh the impact the move could have on Holliday’s future team control in the eyes of many. A player must be on the major league roster or injured list for at least 172 days of the 187-day season to earn a full year of service time. In other words, if Holliday spends at least 16 days in the minors this year, the Orioles could gain an additional year of team control over the up-and-coming star. Of course, if Holliday were to finish in the top two of AL Rookie of the Year voting this year, he would still be granted a full year of service time even if he spends less than 172 days in the majors this year. It’s also possible the club could reverse course in the early days of the season and call Holliday up in time for him to receive a full service year, in which case the club would receive a draft pick in the event that Holliday wins Rookie of the Year this season or finishes in the top 3 of AL MVP voting during his pre-arbitration seasons.

Julio Teheran Opts Out Of Deal With Orioles

By Anthony Franco | March 23, 2024 at 9:57pm CDT

March 23: Teheran has exercised his opt-out clause, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He now figures to return to free agency where he’ll hunt for a new deal that offers him a better chance of receiving playing time in the big leagues.

March 22: Veteran righty Julio Teheran intends to trigger an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Orioles if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, reports Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner (X link). The O’s will need to decide in the next few days whether to give him an MLB spot or let him retest free agency. His contract would come with a $2MM base salary if he makes the team.

Baltimore signed Teheran a little less than one month ago. He has started three of four appearances in camp, allowing five runs with a 7:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 9 1/3 innings. There’s not a whole lot to be gleaned from that small sample, although it hasn’t been a resoundingly strong performance.

If Teheran were to make the team, it’d very likely come in a long relief role. O’s manager Brandon Hyde confirmed yesterday that they’ll open the season with a rotation of Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells, Dean Kremer and Cole Irvin (link via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). Righty Kyle Bradish and southpaw John Means are each starting the year on the injured list. GM Mike Elias told reporters this afternoon that both pitchers are expected to contribute early in the first half of the upcoming season (X link via MLB.com’s Jake Rill).

The O’s don’t have a ton of flexibility to accommodate a long reliever. Craig Kimbrel, Danny Coulombe, Yennier Cano, Jacob Webb, Cionel Pérez and Dillon Tate should all have bullpen spots secure. Mike Baumann is out of options and has tossed 5 2/3 scoreless frames with six strikeouts this spring. It’d be a surprise if the O’s risked losing him on waivers. That would leave only one spot available. Lefty Keegan Akin still has an option remaining, but he has outpitched Teheran in camp, fanning 10 without allowing a run over 7 1/3 innings.

Teheran worked mostly as a starter a season ago. He opened 11 of 14 appearances as a member of the Brewers. Teheran allowed 4.40 earned runs per nine across 71 2/3 innings. He struck out a below-average 17.4% of opponents while keeping his walks to a pristine 4.5% clip.

Bregman: No Extension Offer From Astros, Open To In-Season Negotiations

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 9:05pm CDT

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman spoke to reporters, including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, this afternoon and revealed that his camp has not yet received an extension offer from the Astros and that he does not expect to receive one before Opening Day this week. Bregman made clear, however, that he would be willing to negotiate during the season if the club were to approach him with an offer.

That Houston hasn’t made an offer to Bregman at this point is something of a surprise, given comments from both club owner Jim Crane and GM Dana Brown earlier this winter indicated that the club has every intention of making Bregman an offer before he hits free agency this November. That Bregman is willing to negotiate in-season keeps the door to the sides making progress on extension talks at some point this season open, though Spring Training is generally regarded by both players and club officials as the ideal time for contract negotiations, lest they become a distraction during the season.

Brown has long been candid about his desire to lock up the club’s core players long term, and since then has successfully extended the contracts of both right-hander Cristian Javier and, more recently, second baseman and franchise face Jose Altuve. The club reportedly explored extensions with both southpaw Framber Valdez and outfielder Kyle Tucker last offseason along with Javier, though those talks ultimately did not result in a deal. This winter, club officials have outwardly interest in retaining Bregman long-term in their public comments, with Brown even indicating last month that the club plans to reopen negotiations with Tucker but will likely prioritize Bregman for the time being.

Despite those comments indicating the club hopes to retain Bregman long term, the club appeared to prioritize extending Altuve over Bregman this winter with reports indicating that the Astros were skeptical of their chances regarding a deal with Bregman. Crane’s comments on the matter earlier this winter even acknowledged this, as the owner admitted that Bregman’s age makes him “a little different circumstance” to Altuve, who would have hit free agency prior to his age-35 season in contrast to Bregman, who will play the 2025 season at just 31 years old.

If the Astros are concerned about they’re ability to make an offer Bregman would consider accepting, they’re somewhat justified in their concerns. Third basemen of a similar caliber to Bregman have routinely found offers north of $200MM either in free agency or via extensions, as demonstrated by deals inked by players such as Austin Riley, Rafael Devers, and Anthony Rendon. By contrast, Marcus Semien’s seven-year $175MM pact with the Rangers during the 2021-22 offseason is the high-water mark for second basemen in free agency. That wasn’t far off from where they were ultimately willing to go for Altuve, who signed a five-year, $125MM extension last month.

Even if Bregman was willing to accept a deal with a similar AAV to Altuve’s recent extension, the disparity between their respective ages presents another hurdle. Six-plus year deals for infielders in their early thirties have become commonplace in recent years, as demonstrated by pacts such as those signed by Semien, Rendon, Kris Bryant, and even D.J. LeMahieu in recent years. It would hardly be a shock if Bregman was looking for a similar length, and the six-year, $115MM extension the club signed Yordan Alvarez to represents the only pact longer than five years in franchise history. A six- or seven-year deal worth $25MM or more, as Bregman might require to forgo free agency, would be a major departure from the club’s previous way of doing business.

On the other hand, the club figures to see more than $100MM come off the books during the coming winter, per RosterResource. Much of that money figures to go to arbitration-level players such as Tucker and Valdez, both of whom are set to earn eight-figure salaries in their final trip through arbitration next year, though even after accounting for that its certainly feasible the club could afford to offer Bregman a hefty deal. It’s also worth noting that Houston has expressed a new willingness to flex their financial muscle this winter. The club is set to pay into the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history this year, and the club’s five-year deal with ace closer Josh Hader is the sort of top-of-the-market expenditure the club has tended to shy away from under Crane’s ownership. If these changes are a sign of a new approach, rather than an all-in effort to contend while the club’s current core remain under control, it’s certainly feasible that the club could work out a deal to retain Bregman at some point, whether that be during the season or after he hits free agency in the fall.

Guardians Return Rule 5 Pick Deyvison De Los Santos To Diamondbacks

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 7:49pm CDT

First baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, who was selected by the Guardians in the Rule 5 Draft back in December, was returned to the Diamondbacks today, per a club announcement. Arizona is not required to add him to the 40-man roster.

De Los Santos, 20, enjoyed a breakout season in 2022 at the age of 19, slashing an impressive .306/.348/.499 in 126 games split between the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels that year. He mostly held his own in a return to the Double-A level last year, slashing 254/.297/.431 while crushing 20 home runs in just 481 trips to the plate. That performance was enough for De Los Santos to get plucked from the Diamondbacks organization during the Rule 5 Draft by the Guardians, where he figured to compete for playing time with top first base prospect Kyle Manzardo on a roster in desperate need of additional pop.

The news comes as something of a surprise following the club’s decision to reassign Manzardo to minor league camp earlier this week, which seemingly opened the door for De Los Santos to be the club’s Opening Day starter at first base. That hasn’t come to pass, however, as Cleveland clearly determined that De Los Santos would not make the club’s Opening Day roster and instead opted to send the 20-year-old back to his original organization.

The move seems to leave slugger Josh Naylor to take over first base duties on Opening Day. A career .270/.325/.439 hitter who posted a career-best 128 wRC+ last season, there’s little question that the 26-year-old is up to the task. With that being said, Naylor appeared poised to be slotted into the club’s DH spot on a regular basis this season. That may still end up being the case assuming Mazardo makes his way to the majors later this year, but as things stand the club instead appears likely to rely on the likes of Will Brennan and Estevan Florial at DH to open the season.

As for De Los Santos, he’ll return to the Diamondbacks organization and likely begin the season in the upper minors. With veterans Christian Walker and Joc Pederson slated for the lion’s share of playing time at first base and DH this year, it’s unclear if De Los Santos will have much of an opportunity to reach the majors this season. With that being said, both Walker and Pederson are set to hit free agency after the 2024 season, so a strong showing from De Los Santos in the upper minors this year could put him in line to impact the club as soon as 2025.

Rockies Outright Sam Hilliard

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 7:08pm CDT

The Rockies announced earlier this afternoon that outfielder Sam Hilliard has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hilliard, 30, began his big league career in the Rockies organization as a 15th-round pick in the 2015 draft. The outfielder rose through the system to debut with the Rockies in 2019 and spent parts of four seasons with the club, slashing .212/.294/.423 in 214 games in a part-time role. Shortly after the 2022 campaign came to a close, the Rockies dealt Hilliard to the Braves in a deal that brought back minor league right-hander Dylan Spain.

Hilliard spent the 2023 season in Atlanta and performed decently in his familiar role as a fourth outfielder and lefty bench bat, slashing .236/.295/.431 in 40 games with the club as the Braves stormed to an MLB-best 104 wins. With that being said, Hilliard’s time with the Braves saw him strike out at an enormous 42.3% clip while battling a heel injury that cost him much of the 2023 campaign. That combination of injury concerns and a propensity for strikeouts seemingly cut his time with the club short as the Orioles claimed the outfielder off waivers from Atlanta in early November.

Baltimore and Hilliard avoided arbitration later that month by agreeing to an $800k salary for the 2024 season, and he remained with the organization throughout the offseason until he was once again exposed to waivers shortly after Spring Training opened in February. This time, he was claimed by the club that drafted him. The move set up a reunion in Colorado and ended the Rockies’ search for a left-handed back capable of playing center field. Non-roster invitee Bradley Zimmer enjoyed an excellent season in that same role, however, and that left Hilliard expendable as the Rockies decided to designate him for assignment to make room for outfielder Greg Jones, who could also compete for a spot on the club’s bench, after they acquired him from the Rays earlier this week.

Now that Hilliard has passed through waivers, he figures to remain with the Rockies as non-roster depth headed into the 2024 season. He’s hit well at the Triple-A level throughout his career, with a .265/.346/.570 slash in 220 games at the level, but he’s struck out at an elevated 28.5% clip during that time. Hilliard seems to be largely blocked with the Rockies at the big league level this year given the presence of Jones and Zimmer, though it’s certainly feasible that injuries throughout the season could change the equation at some point.

Latest On Rays’ Roster Plans

By Mark Polishuk | March 23, 2024 at 6:15pm CDT

6:15pm: Topkin adds that each of Uwasawa, Brantly, and Smith have upward mobility clauses in their contracts rather than traditional opt outs, meaning that each can request to be made available to the other 29 clubs, at which point if a club agrees to give a given player an active roster spot the Rays will have the choice between adding the player to their 40-man roster or trading him to the interested team. Per Topkin, Brantly, Uwasawa and Smith have all told the Rays that they wish to use their assignment clauses.

10:57am: The Rays reassigned right-handers Naoyuki Uwasawa, Burch Smith, and Joe Record, catchers Francisco Mejia and Rob Brantly, and outfielder Jake Mangum to their minor league camp on Friday. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that while none of the six players would be making the Opening Day roster, the Rays were hoping the entire group would remain as minor league depth.

Uwasawa, Smith, and Brantly have some say in their futures, as each of the trio can opt out of their minor league contracts if they aren’t included on the big league roster. Erasmo Ramirez is another veteran in camp on a minors deal, yet Topkin reports that Ramirez will report to Triple-A and pass on exercising his opt-out clause.

Uwasawa is perhaps the most interesting name in the group, as the 30-year-old is making the jump to MLB after nine seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The righty signed a split contract with the Rays that will pay him $2.5MM in the majors and $225K for his time in the minors, as well as a $25K signing bonus and $1MM worth of incentive clauses that would start to kick in if Uwasawa pitched at least 70 big league innings this season.

Though Uwasawa was offered guaranteed contracts by other MLB teams, he chose Tampa Bay “because the success and the rich history of pitching development really intrigued me,” as the right-hander said in a statement at the time of his signing. It isn’t yet clear if Uwasawa will now stay with the Rays, as he told Topkin (X link) that he would be speaking with his agent to weigh options, including opting out if another team is willing to give him a clearer shot at pitching in the bigs.

Uwasawa didn’t help his case for a roster spot by posting a 13.03 ERA over four appearances and 9 2/3 innings in Spring Training, though he looked a lot sharper in his most recent Grapefruit League outing — he held the Orioles to one run on four hits and a walk over four innings on March 15. As both Topkin and Cash noted, some adjustment time was inevitable for Uwasawa in his first exposure to the North American style of baseball.

With Brantly and Mejia now cut, it essentially finalizes Alex Jackson’s expected role as the Rays’ backup catcher behind Rene Pinto. The catching position has long been both a revolving door and a question mark for the Rays, and Topkin feels another backstop might still be added if the Rays like another name who might become available as rival teams also shed players from their spring rosters.

Royals Release Sandy Leon

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 5:51pm CDT

The Royals announced this evening that they’ve catcher Sandy Leon has requested and been granted his release by the organization. Leon had signed with the club on a minor league deal back in January.

Leon, 35, made his big league debut with the Nationals back in 2012 and has made appearances in every major league season since thanks to his strong reputation as a glove-first catcher. Those frequent opportunities have come in spite of a career .208/.276/.311 slash line at the plate and a below-average wRC+ in eleven of his twelve seasons as a major league player. It’s thanks to his stellar work behind the plate that he continues to receive reps in the majors. Leon has received high marks for work behind the plate from outlets such as FanGraphs, Statcast, and Baseball Prospectus throughout his career, with the former ranking him especially well in pitch framing during his stint with the Red Sox from 2015 to 2019.

The Royals seeming brought Leon in as insurance behind the club’s current catching tandem of Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin, allowing them to more comfortably move youngster MJ Melendez to the outfield on a full-time basis. Since then, however, Kansas City signed Austin Nola to a big league split-contract that will allow him to serve as the club’s third catcher headed into the 2024 season. That left Leon as a mostly superfluous addition for the club, and the veteran hit just .118/.167/.118 this spring while striking out in seven of his 18 plate appearances with the club. Between that performance and the fact that Leon is largely blocked at that big league level in Kansas City, it’s not necessarily a shock that the sides are parting ways.

With Opening Day on the horizon, Leon will return to free agency in search of a major league deal or, more likely, a more attractive minor league pact that offers him a clearer path back to the majors. Given the constant need for catching depth around the game, he should have little trouble securing such an arrangement, which would also allow him to serve as a mentor for younger catchers the club has in its minor league system. As for the Royals, the club will likely lean on the likes of Tyler Cropley and Logan Porter in the event that injuries force the club to rely on a fourth catcher behind Perez, Fermin, and Nola.

Carl Edwards Jr. Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With Cubs

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 5:17pm CDT

Right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. is opting out of his minor league deal with the Cubs, as first reported by The Bigs Media on X. Edwards signed the minors pact with Chicago back in January, though as an Article XX(B) free agent Edwards received the ability to opt-out from his contract yesterday if not added to the 40-man roster.

Edwards, 32, got his start a professional in the Rangers system after being selected in the 48th-round of the 2011 draft. Despite that lack of prospect pedigree, Edwards broke out to become a consensus top prospect after he was traded to the Cubs as part of the return for Matt Garza back in 2013. After making his debut in Chicago in 2015, Edwards pitched to an excellent 3.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 159 innings spread across four seasons. He struck out an excellent 33.9% of batters faced during that time, though it was accompanied by an elevated 13.6% walk rate.

The right-hander’s performance took a turn for the worse as he battled injuries and ineffectiveness from 2019 to 2021, with a 7.90 ERA across 34 appearances split between the Cubs, Padres, Mariners, Braves, and Blue Jays. That led to him signing a minor league deal with the Nationals back in February 2022, and he enjoyed something of a career resurgence in D.C. Over his two seasons with the club, Edwards pitched to a 3.07 ERA with a 4.11 FIP. While the run prevention numbers were similar to that of his peak years in Chicago, the right-hander’s strikeout rate had declined as he punched out just 20.1% of batters faced while maintaining a slightly elevated 10.5% walk rate. Even so, he provided solid results for the Nationals while generating groundballs at a 47.1% clip.

A stress fracture in Edwards’s shoulder brought his 2023 season to a premature end, though he appeared to be fully healthy upon arriving in camp with Chicago last month. This spring, he’s allowed just two runs (one earned) while striking out six and walking three in seven appearances with Chicago. Those solid results evidently weren’t enough to crack the Cubs’ Opening Day roster, but it would hardly be a shock if they caught the attention of another club in need bullpen help in the coming days. At the very least, Edwards appears to be a safe bet to find another minor league deal elsewhere in the league if he cannot secure a spot on a big league roster to open the season.

As for Chicago, the Cubs appear poised to enter the season with Adbert Alzolay, Hector Neris, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Yency Almonte, and Mark Leiter Jr. locked into spots in the club’s bullpen. That leaves two spots to be filled as things stand, one of which Edwards was in contention for. With him no longer a factor, optionable relief arms already on the 40-man roster such as Luke Little, Jose Cuas, Daniel Palencia, and Keegan Thompson figure to be in the mix for the final spots in the club’s relief mix.

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