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Astros Claim Penn Murfee From Braves

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The Astros have claimed right-hander Penn Murfee from the Braves, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros placed righty Kendall Graveman on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Graveman is going to miss the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery.

It was reported on Monday that Murfee was released but it seems he was actually on release waivers and had not yet cleared. Murfee, who turns 30 in May, had surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in June of last year while with the Mariners. This offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Mets and Braves, with the latter club non-tendering him and re-signing him.

Atlanta put him on waivers this week to try to open up a roster spot but the Astros swooped in with a claim. It’s a little strange that Atlanta put him on waivers since they only have 36 players on their 40-man roster right now. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, only release waivers. Perhaps the club was hoping Murfee would clear and become a free agent, then they could re-sign him to a minor league deal, not having to give him major league pay or service time. It’s a moot point now as whatever plans Atlanta had were foiled by Houston.

The Astros have roster spots to burn, so it’s more or less a free pickup for them. As mentioned, Graveman is going to miss the entire season and was going to end up on the 60-day IL at some point. The same is true of Luis García Jr., who had Tommy John surgery in May of last year. Lance McCullers Jr. had flexor tendon surgery and is a candidate for the 60-day IL as well. Then there’s Oliver Ortega, who recently had surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow and will miss three to four months.

With all of those injuries, it’s quite easy for the Astros to claim a player and make a corresponding move and Murfee will now give them yet another player that can be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a spot in the future.

Murfee has a 2.70 career earned run average in 83 1/3 major league innings, all of those with the Mariners over the past two seasons. He struck out 27.9% of batters faced in that time while giving out walks at an 8.5% clip. Given those results, it’s understandable that so many clubs have shown interest since he lost his roster spot with Seattle.

Once healthy, he will jump into the mix for a spot in a Houston bullpen that has seen a decent amount of turnover. Héctor Neris, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek each hit free agency and signed with other clubs. Graveman’s injury further depleted the depth and spurred the Astros to make a splashy addition, signing Josh Hader. Combined with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, Hader gives the Astros a lethal punch for leverage spots but the relief corps isn’t as deep as it was last year.

Murfee has just under two years of service, meaning the Astros could theoretically retain him for the next five years if he returns to health and is in good form. He also has a full slate of options, giving them some roster flexibility going forward.

Rangers To Select Jared Walsh

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The Rangers are going to select the contract of first baseman Jared Walsh, with Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today among those to relay the news. Walsh was in camp on a minor league deal but will be added to the roster prior to Opening Day. Wilson adds that the club outrighted infielder José Barrero, creating an opening on the 40-man roster. They will still need two more roster spots for Wyatt Langford and José Ureña but could perhaps accomplish that by moving Tyler Mahle and Max Scherzer to the 60-day injured list.

Walsh, 30, seems like he will be the club’s regular first baseman for a while. Nathaniel Lowe suffered an oblique strain a couple of weeks ago, forcing the Rangers to pivot to backup plans. Walsh hit three home runs this spring and walked at a 14% clip. He also struck out in a third of his plate appearances but produced a solid batting line of .250/.368/.458.

If he can carry that over into the regular season, it will make for a feel-good comeback story. He hit .280/.338/.531 for the Angels over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, leading to a 130 wRC+ seemingly establishing himself as a mainstay of that club in the process.

But the last two years have been a struggle. He hit just .215/.269/.374 in 2022 and ultimately required surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome. Last year, he had to deal with neurological issues, including insomnia and headaches, while hitting just .125/.216/.279. The Angels outrighted him off the roster at the end of the year and Walsh secured a minor league deal with the Rangers.

If Walsh can overcome those two rough years and get back to the form he showed prior to that, it would be a nice find for the Rangers. It might lead to a bit of a squeeze when Lowe gets back but that would be a good problem for the Rangers to have. Walsh doesn’t have roster flexibility since he’s out of options but he does have between three and four years of service time, meaning he could be retained beyond this season if he hangs onto a roster spot for the whole campaign.

Barrero, 26 next week, was just claimed off waivers from the Reds last month. He’s hit just .186/.242/.255 in his big league career thus far but has played both middle infield positions and center field. He’ll stick with the Rangers as non-roster depth.

Jordan Lawlar To Miss Several Months Due To Thumb Surgery

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Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar will undergo surgery on his right thumb and will be out of action for eight to ten weeks, per a report from Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The young shortstop injured his thumb trying to pick up a ball during a minor league Spring Training game, suffering a ruptured UCL ligament.

Lawlar, 21, wasn’t going to be in the Opening Day plans for the Diamondbacks but is one of the top prospects in the league and made his major league debut last year. He hit just .129/.206/.129 in his first 34 major league plate appearances last year and the Snakes decided to go with Geraldo Perdomo as their primary shortstop to start the 2024 campaign, but Lawlar could have been knocking on the door if he were playing well in Triple-A. That will now be on hold for at least a few months while he is recovering from surgery instead.

The sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lawlar has quickly shot up through the minor leagues. Last year, he played 105 games on the farm between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 20 home runs and drawing walks in 11.4% of his plate appearances. His .278/.378/.496 combined batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 126, indicating he was 26% better than league average. He also stole 36 bases in 41 tries.

Since Lawlar is also considered a strong defender, his all-around contributions have him near the top of all prospect lists. He is #7 overall at Baseball America, #8 at FanGraphs, #11 at MLB Pipeline, #17 at ESPN while Keith Law of The Athletic has him in the #4 slot.

Despite all that prospect hype, Lawlar is still young and had just 30 games played above Double-A, 14 of which were his aforementioned struggles in the big leagues last year. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced last month that the club would open the season with Perdomo as the everyday shortstop. Perdomo had a nice season in 2023, combining roughly average offense with solid defense and 16 stolen bases.

It seems a matter of time before Lawlar pushes Perdomo for that job but this injury will kick that down the road by a few months. It’s the second hit to the shortstop depth for the Snakes today, as Kevin Newman also opted out of his minor league deal. Lawlar was optioned to the minors a couple of weeks ago, so he will be on the minor league injured list and won’t accrue major league service time.

Red Sox To Acquire Naoyuki Uwasawa From Rays

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The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa from the Rays, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times had relayed earlier that the righty triggered an assignment clause and the Rays were close to making a trade. The Rays will receive cash considerations, per Topkin.

Uwasawa, 30, has a long track record of success in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but inked a minor league pact with the Rays over the winter. He most recently tossed 170 innings with a 2.96 ERA in NPB, though that strong mark was accompanied by a lackluster 17.8% strikeout rate and sub-par velocity. Last September, MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski noted that Uwasawa’s fastball velocity was averaging 90.8 mph during the 2023 NPB season. Uwasawa does boast a strong 7.5% walk rate, which dropped as low as 5.9% in 2023, but he’s generally viewed as a soft-tossing finesse pitcher.

It’s been a tough spring for Uwasawa, though the bulk of the damage against him came in his debut effort with the Rays. The Braves tattooed the right-hander for seven runs on eight hits in just two innings of work. Uwasawa has had two sharp outings (one against the Red Sox) and another rough one (also against Boston) in the weeks since that time. His spring ERA sits at a dismal 13.03, owing largely to that first meltdown of an outing.

For a Red Sox club in need of rotation depth, however, there’s little harm in adding Uwasawa to the fold — particularly since he’ll only cost them cash considerations. In parts of nine NPB seasons, Uwasawa has amassed 1118 1/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball with a 19.7% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. He’s been particularly effective in recent years, compiling a 3.08 ERA over his past six NPB seasons. He made the NPB All-Star team in both 2021 and 2023. Uwasawa also tossed two shutouts and averaged better than seven innings per start during the 2023 season.

The Red Sox will open the season with a rotation including Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford. They recently signed veteran righty Chase Anderson to a big league deal, giving them some additional depth, though he could begin the season as a long man in the bullpen. There’s plenty of talent in the group but also some injury risk and plenty of short MLB track records. Boston tried to address some of its rotation deficiency this offseason by signing Lucas Giolito to a two-year contract, but he suffered a UCL tear earlier this spring and will miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure. Depth starter Chris Murphy, too, will miss the season due to his own UCL surgery.

Uwasawa will join a group of depth options including not only Anderson but also lefty Brandon Walter and righty Cooper Criswell. The Red Sox still have far more questions than sure things on the starting staff, but Uwasawa will at least give them another wild card option at a negligible cost of acquisition.

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins, Trade Ben Rortvedt To Rays In Three-Team Deal

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The Yankees, Marlins and Rays have come together on a three-team swap just 24 hours before the season is set to commence. Miami is trading infielder Jon Berti to the Yankees, who are sending catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Rays. The Marlins will pick up a pair of outfield prospects in the deal, one from each team: New York’s John Cruz and Tampa Bay’s Shane Sasaki. All three clubs have officially announced the deal.

Berti will give the Yankees an option to open the season at third base, with DJ LeMahieu (bone bruise in foot) and Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) slated to hit the injured list, and he can back up nearly any spot on the diamond once LeMahieu returns. He’s fresh off a strong .294/.344/.405 batting line (103 wRC+) with seven homers and 16 stolen bases in a career-high 424 plate appearances with the Fish in 2023.

While Berti doesn’t bring any power to the table — last season’s seven homers were a career-high — he’s been a roughly league-average performer at the plate throughout his career thanks to an above-average walk rate, lower-than-average strikeout rate and plus speed that helps him leg out his share of infield hits (and stretch some would-be singles into doubles). Overall, Berti is a career .258/.337/.368 hitter — about 4% worse than league-average (by measure of wRC+) when weighting for the Marlins’ quite pitcher-friendly home environs.

Berti swiped 41 bags in just 102 games back in 2022, and while he ran less often in 2023, that didn’t have anything to do with a drop-off in speed. Statcast ranked Berti in the 95th percentile of MLB players with an average sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second last season.

Defensively, Berti has played every position other than catcher or first base. He’s spent more time at third base than any other position (1050 innings), but he’s also logged 792 innings at second base, 764 innings at shortstop and 577 frames in the outfield (281 in left, 231 in center and 65 in right). Both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average agree that he’s been a plus defender at each of third base, shortstop and left field.

Given Berti’s experience at the hot corner and the injuries to both LeMahieu and Peraza, there’s a strong chance that the Yankees’ newest acquisition will start tomorrow’s season opener at third base. He’ll likely be the team’s primary third baseman in the short term, and the versatility that both Berti and LeMahieu bring to the table will give manager Aaron Boone plenty of lineup options once the bone bruise in LeMahieu’s foot mends.

From a financial standpoint, Berti’s contract surely held plenty of appeal to a Yankees club that is a third-time luxury payor who’s in the top tier of penalization. They’re taking a 110% tax on any dollars added to the payroll at this point. Berti is earning $3.6MM in 2024 — the second season of what became a two-year, $5.725MM deal when the Marlins exercised a club option on him for this year. The 2022-26 CBA stipulates that only the remainder of a traded player’s contract is counted for luxury tax purposes, however, so the Yankees will pay the tax on this year’s $3.6MM salary rather than the contract’s $2.86MM AAV. That means Berti will come with $3.96MM worth of taxes, bringing his total expenditure to $7.56MM.

The Rays will get the only other player with big league experience in this three-team swap, though Rortvedt is rather limited in that regard. Formerly a second-round pick of the Twins, Rortvedt is a defensive-minded backstop who landed in the Bronx by way of the 2022 trade that sent him and Josh Donaldson to the Yankees in exchange for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez.

Rortvedt only appeared in 32 games with the Yankees over his two-year stint with the club, thanks to a series of injuries. An oblique strain limited him during spring training in 2022, and Rortvedt underwent knee surgery that May after beginning the season in the minors. Last spring, he underwent surgery to address an aneurysm in his shoulder that had been contributing to pain and numbness in his hand.

In all, Rortvedt only has 177 big league plate appearances between the Twins and Yankees, and he’s posted a dismal .146/.234/.255 batting line in that time. He hit well in 124 Triple-A plate appearances last year (.286/.395/.505), but Rortvedt is surely being acquired by the Rays because of their belief in his defensive chops.

The Rays tend to prioritize defense over offense at the catching position, and over the years Rortvedt has turned himself into a plus defender behind the dish. Baseball America named him the best defensive catcher in the Twins’ system from 2018-20, and the 26-year-old boasts an outstanding 34% caught-stealing rate in his career — including a 39% mark in his limited MLB action. Baseball Prospectus credits him with plus framing marks throughout his time in the minors, and he’s graded well there in the big leagues as well.

Because of all his time on the injured list, Rortvedt has more than two years of big league service time in spite of his minimal playing time. He’s out of minor league options, so he’ll have to stick on Tampa Bay’s roster this season. That means he’s all but certain to open the season splitting time with Rene Pinto behind the dish. Non-roster invitee Alex Jackson, who’d previously been the favorite for the backup job, will instead head to Triple-A Durham. If Rortvedt lasts the whole year, he’ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time in the 2024-25 offseason. The Rays can control him through the 2027 season via that process.

Turning the Marlins’ return for Berti, they’ll acquire a pair of outfield prospects — a position that’s regularly been a weakness for them in recent years. Sasaki, 23, was limited by injury to 68 games last season and hasn’t played above High-A. He went unselected in this past December’s Rule 5 Draft. Baseball America still tabbed him 21st in the Rays’ system, touting his 65-grade speed (on the 20-80 scale) and ability to play plus defense in center field or left. He’s a hit-over-power prospect who turned in a strong .301/.375/.465 batting line with seven homers and a dozen steals in 293 plate appearances at High-A last year.

Given his success in High-A last year, Sasaki seems likely to open the 2024 season in Double-A with his new organization. With a strong showing early in the year, a bump to Triple-A or perhaps even to the big leagues could be well within reach. Miami has been looking for a long-term center fielder for years now. Sasaki’s lack of power means he’ll need to continue to draw walks and hit for average in order to profile as a regular, but he at least gives Miami someone with a reasonable chance to become that everyday center fielder they’ve sought — albeit with a perhaps greater chance he settles in as more of a fourth outfielder.

As for Cruz, he’s a much further-off value add to the Marlins organization. The 18-year-old ranked 25th among Yankees prospects at Baseball America and 28th at MLB.com. He’s yet to advance to full-season ball, having spent the 2022 campaign in the Dominican Summer League and the 2023 season with the Yankees Rookie-level complex league affiliate. He’s hit well at both stops, posting a combined .260/.394/.465 batting line with 15 home runs, 19 steals, a huge 16.4% walk rate and a 24.9% strikeout rate.

Scouting reports credit the 6’3″ Cruz with above-average power and speed but raise some questions about swing mechanics and pitch selection at the plate. He’s played primarily center field to this point but could wind up moving to a corner as he continues to fill out his frame. He’s a yearslong project but one with a fair bit of ceiling — as well as a good bit of risk.

Ultimately, it’s a needs-based trade for all teams involved (rather than the more standard swap of a veteran for the best prospects available, regardless of position). The Yankees acquired an affordable and versatile infielder who checks multiple needs: everyday third base option in the short term and backup shortstop option in the long term. The Rays added some needed catching depth and defense without increasing an already franchise-record payroll. The Marlins, who didn’t have regular at-bats for Berti after signing Tim Anderson and acquiring Jake Burger, Nick Gordon and Vidal Brujan via trade over the past several months, moved him and his salary in exchange for a pair of outfield prospects who provide organizational depth and upside at a position of need. Sasaki’s relative proximity to the majors at least creates the possibility that all three clubs will see some MLB benefit from the trade before season’s end.

Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald first reported that Berti had been traded to the Yankees. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Cruz’s inclusion in the deal. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com broke the news that it was a three-team deal with the Rays and that Sasaki was headed to the Marlins as well.

MLB Owners Approve Sale Of Orioles To Group Led By David Rubenstein

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March 27: As expected, the Angelos family’s sale of the Orioles to Rubenstein’s group has been approved by the league’s other owners, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced in a press release. The approval was unanimous.

“I congratulate David Rubenstein on receiving approval from the Major League Clubs as the new control person of the Orioles,” Manfred said in a statement within today’s release. “As a Baltimore native and a lifelong fan of the team, David is uniquely suited to lead the Orioles moving forward. We welcome David and his partners as the new stewards of the franchise.”

The Orioles will hold a press conference to discuss the sale tomorrow morning at 11am ET.

March 25: Major League Baseball’s other 29 owners will vote on the sale of the Orioles from the Angelos family to a purchasing group led by billionaire David Rubenstein on Wednesday, Britt Ghiroli and Evan Drellich of The Athletic report.

Back in late January, John Angelos agreed to sell the controlling stake in the Orioles — and related assets, including the team’s stake in the MASN network — to Rubenstein’s group for $1.725 billion (a figure announced by the team at the time of the agreement). That sale is still pending majority approval from the league’s 29 other owners, though no pushback on the transition has been expected. Drellich and Ghiroli call the vote “a formality,” which generally aligns with prior reporting and expectations.

As reported back in January, Rubenstein’s group will initially be purchasing a 40% stake in the team — enough to cement him as the franchise’s new control person among other owners but not the entirety of the Angelos family’s stake. At the time the two parties negotiated the sale, it was agreed that the remainder of the Angelos family’s share in the team would be transferred to Rubenstein’s group following the passing of family patriarch Peter Angelos, the former Orioles control person and majority owner who’d since taken a step back due to health concerns and ceded control of the club to his sons, John and Louis (in what became a contentious battle for control of the organization that eventually saw John emerge as control person). This contingent was designed to avoid substantial capital gains taxes for the Angelos family.

Peter Angelos passed away this past weekend at 94 years of age. That won’t accelerate the transfer of the Angelos family’s entire stake in the team to Rubenstein’s group. Drellich and Ghiroli report that Wednesday’s vote will only be on the originally agreed upon 40% stake for Rubenstein & Co.; they’ll eventually formally acquire the remainder of the Angelos family’s 70% stake in the club, but that transaction will not be completed by Opening Day.

Rubenstein, 74, is a Baltimore native and the co-founder of private equity firm the Carlyle Group. Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.7 billion. His ownership group also includes several notable investors, including Orioles icon Cal Ripken Jr., NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ares Management co-founder Michael Arougheti, among others. Peter Angelos originally purchased the controlling stake in the Orioles for $173MM back in 1993.

Ronel Blanco To Begin Season In Astros’ Rotation

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Right-hander Ronel Blanco will start the 2024 season in the Astros’ rotation, manager Joe Espada announced to the team’s beat writers last night (X link via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Blanco got the news after celebrating the birth of his daughter Tuesday and going on to fan 10 hitters in his final start of spring training — not a bad way to close out camp.

The final couple spots in Houston’s rotation have been up in the air throughout spring training due to injuries up and down the staff. The ’Stros entered camp knowing that Luis Garcia Jr. (Tommy John surgery) and Lance McCullers Jr. (flexor surgery) would start the year on the shelf. But since camp began, they’ve seen Justin Verlander slowed by shoulder discomfort, Jose Urquidy sustain a forearm strain and righty Shawn Dubin stalled by shoulder troubles of his own. That trio will join McCullers and Garcia on the injured list to begin the season. Right-hander J.P. France has also battled through shoulder problems, but he’s recovered to the point where he’ll now join Blanco in the rotation to begin the year.

Blanco, 30, didn’t even make his major league debut until his age-28 season in 2022 and only tossed 6 1/3 frames that year. He logged 52 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with the Astros in 2023, starting seven games and making another 10 relief appearances. Command woes (12.4% walk rate) and extreme susceptibility to home runs (2.08 HR/9) worked against Blanco in 2023, but neither has been an issue through his small sample of spring innings. Blanco was unscored upon in 15 2/3 frames during Cactus League play, striking out 32.7% of his opponents against a tidy 7.3% walk rate.

It’s a small sample that’s come against opposition that hasn’t entirely consisted of MLB hitters, but it’s nevertheless an encouraging trend. Blanco walked 12.6% of his opponents even in Triple-A last season, so any strides in that department are most welcome. He’ll need to demonstrate that his improved command is sustainable over a larger sample against more advanced competition, but there’s little denying that he’s earned this opportunity — outperforming alternative rotation options like swingman Brandon Bielak or non-roster prospect Spencer Arrighetti.

The Astros don’t seem to be anticipating a lengthy absence for Verlander, and if he indeed is able to return before long, that’ll create an interesting decision on whether Blanco or France retains his rotation spot. France had the stronger overall showing in 2023, emerging as an unexpectedly vital contributor who tossed 136 1/3 innings of 3.83 ERA ball. But France also wilted substantially after a hot start to the season; from Aug. 1 through season’s end, he was torched for 5.84 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. Much of that damage came in a 10-run drubbing at the hands of the Red Sox, but France was increasingly prone to walks and hard contact in the season’s final two months, even when setting aside that outlier shellacking against Boston.

The Astros will send lefty Framber Valdez to the mound for tomorrow’s Opening Day start. For the time being, he’ll be followed by Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, Blanco and France. Time will tell when or whether the Astros need to make a decision on the back end of the staff. Additional injuries could further cement Blanco and/or France among the group. In all likelihood, both France and Blanco will make their fair share of starts in 2024. Both have minor league options remaining — two for France, one for Blanco — and injuries/spot starts will necessitate utilizing far more than just five or even six starters. But at least early in the season, Blanco will get the chance to make a strong impression and show that he’s deserving of a long-term spot in a Houston rotation that has been continually dogged by injuries over the past couple years. Blanco has less than one year of big league service and can be controlled all the way through the 2029 season.

MLBTR Podcast: A Live Reaction To The Jordan Montgomery Signing, Ohtani’s Interpreter, And J.D. Martinez Joins The Mets

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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…

  • Luis García Jr, Lance McCullers Jr, and Kendall Graveman of the Astros are likely out, at the very least, until mid-June.  How come none of these guys are on the 60-day injured list?  Do you seen the Astros moving them there and if so, when? (49:15)
  • Do you think it’s possible that the league begins to follow the Angels and Rangers footsteps and call up recent draft picks as soon as they show any signs of potential? Also, do you think it is at all possible that teams start to call up teenagers? (52:25)

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!

Matt McLain Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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Reds infielder Matt McLain underwent surgery to repair the labrum and some damaged cartilage in his left shoulder yesterday, president of baseball operations Nick Krall announced this morning (X link via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). A timeline for his recovery has yet to be determined, though the Reds are hopeful he’ll be able to return to the roster at some point this season.

McLain, the 17th overall draft pick back in 2021, made his big league debut last year and instantly cemented himself as a building block in Cincinnati. He appeared in 89 games and took 403 plate appearances, turning in an outstanding .290/.357/.507 slash line (128 wRC+) with 16 home runs, 23 doubles, four triples and a 14-for-19 showing in stolen bases. McLain’s 28.5% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate were both worse than average, which, when coupled with a sky-high .385 average on balls in play, created some reason to forecast a bit of regression. Given how strong his overall performance was, however, even if his rate stats took a step back in ’24, McLain would still likely have been a well above-average performer.

In 2023, McLain split his time between the Reds’ middle infield spots, though that was due largely to injuries for fellow top prospect Elly De La Cruz. With De La Cruz healthy in 2024, McLain had been ticketed for everyday work at second base, pushing 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India into more of a utility role.

India now figures to see quite a bit more time back at the keystone, although Cincinnati’s recent acquisition of infielder Santiago Espinal gives them a superior defensive option if the club still wants to get India more work at first base, at designated hitter or perhaps even in left field. The mere fact that the Reds proactively acquired Espinal seemed at the time to be a harbinger of bad news regarding McLain, and that’s unfortunately proven to be the case.

Much has been made of Cincinnati’s wealth of infield talent, but the injury to McLain and an 80-game PED suspension for Noelvi Marte have thinned things out considerably. Some pundits and onlookers questioned the wisdom of signing Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45MM deal with such an enviable crop of young infielders, but circumstances have changed and Candelario now looks more like a vital piece of the infield mix than an arguably superfluous luxury addition. He’ll take the primary role at the hot corner, with De La Cruz at short, Espinal/India at second and Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base. Versatile Spencer Steer can back up at any of those four spots, but he’s expected to function as the Reds’ primary left fielder in 2024.

The 24-year-old McLain will receive big league service time and pay while rehabbing his shoulder on the injured list. He finished the 2023 season at 140 days of service, meaning he’s still controllable for six full seasons. He’ll quite likely be a Super Two player following the 2025 season, positioning him to be arbitration-eligible four times rather than three, but he’ll remain under Reds control all the way through the 2029 campaign.

Jackson Stephens Elects Free Agency

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March 27: Stephens rejected the outright assignment in favor of free agency, tweets Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

March 26: The Braves have sent right-hander Jackson Stephens outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, with Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution among those to relay the news. Both Toscano and Mark Bowman of MLB.com suggest that the opened roster spot will go to right-hander Jesse Chavez.

Stephens, 30 in May, has been on and off Atlanta’s roster over the past two years. Since he’s out of options, he can’t be easily sent down to the minors, which has resulted in him being frequently getting bumped off the roster but always coming back.

He was signed by Atlanta to a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season and had his contract selected that year. He was non-tendered after that campaign but was re-signed in December, only to be outrighted in March. He had his contract selected in September of last year but was outrighted again in November. He signed another major league deal a week later and has lasted on the club’s roster until now.

Amid all of those transactions, he has tossed 65 2/3 innings for Atlanta over the past two years with a 3.56 earned run average. His 20.2% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate are both a bit worse than league average, but he has kept 45.4% of batted balls on the ground while also doing a good job of limiting hard contact and missing barrels. In 2022, when he pitched a far larger sample of innings compared to last year, he was in at least the 82nd percentile in terms of average exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate.

Despite that generally solid performance, he continues to pass through waivers unclaimed. A player with a previous career outright has the right to reject another outright assignment and elect free agency, though it seems Stephens is comfortable with Atlanta and might either accept his assignment or quickly re-sign a new deal of some kind.

The club doesn’t need 40-man roster spots, as they are now down to just 36 guys in that department, but they do need an active roster spot if they want to add Chavez. The only guy in their projected bullpen who can be optioned is Dylan Lee, but it seems Atlanta preferred to keep him up with the big league club and remove Stephens from the 40-man. Lee has a 2.95 ERA in his career and keeping him in the majors gives them an even four-four split of righties and lefties.

Chavez, 40, has bounced around the league in recent years but always seems to end up back in Atlanta. Last year, he made 36 appearances for the club with a 1.56 ERA, 27.1% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and 51.7% ground ball rate. He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox but posted an 11.57 ERA in a small sample of seven innings. He didn’t make that club’s Opening Day roster and was released, either because he triggered an opt-out or because the club proactively let him loose to pursue other opportunities.

That led to him returning to Atlanta on a minor league deal yesterday and he now seems poised to be on the club’s Opening Day roster.

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