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Archives for April 2024

Mariners Claim Sammy Peralta From White Sox

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The White Sox announced that left-hander Sammy Peralta has been claimed off waivers by the Mariners. The southpaw was designated for assignment on Opening Day and has now been assigned to Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners had two open spots on their 40-man roster, which is now at 39.

Peralta, 26, just made his major league debut with the Sox last year, frequently being shuttled between Triple-A and the big leagues. He ultimately tossed 20 innings in the majors with a 4.05 earned run average, striking out 20% of batters faced while walking 12.2%. He seemed to do a decent job of limiting damage, as his average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate were all better than average in that small sample.

He also tossed 69 innings over 29 appearances in Triple-A with a 5.09 ERA, though he likely deserved better. His 23.1% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate were both strong but a 59.2% strand rate seems to have hampered him, which is why his 4.21 FIP was almost a full run better.

The Mariners are currently a little bit snakebit in the bullpen, with Gregory Santos and Matt Brash trying to come back from injuries while Jackson Kowar is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery. They have two lefties on the big league roster in Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo but Peralta will give them a third option on their 40-man for when a need arises.

He still has two option years and less than a year of service time, so he can be a long-term depth piece for the club if he continues to hang onto that 40-man spot. The M’s have done a good job in recent years with unearthing hidden gems by grabbing fairly unheralded relievers and polishing them until they shine, so the club and Peralta will be hoping he is the latest point on that trendline.

Marlins Acquire Emmanuel Rivera, Designate Jacob Amaya

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The Marlins announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired infielder Emmanuel Rivera from the D-backs in exchange for cash. Shortstop Jacob Amaya was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Rivera, 28 in June, is coming off a lackluster season in 2023 but seemed on the verge of a breakout in the prior two years. In 2021, while with the Royals, he first reached Triple-A and hit .286/.348/.592 in his first 63 games at that level.

In 2022, he did well at Triple-A again, hitting .307/.388/.520. He couldn’t immediately carry that over to the big leagues, hitting .243/.294/.378 in 309 plate appearances for the Royals in 2021 and 2022, translating to a wRC+ of 85. But he was traded to the Diamondbacks at the 2022 deadline for right-hander Luke Weaver and hit .227/.304/.424 for the Snakes after the deal, producing a wRC+ of 104 in that time.

In 2023, he continued mashing in Triple-A, hitting .330/.395/.598 there. In the bigs, however, he slashed .261/.314/.358 for a wRC+ of 83. He burned his last option last year and is now out of options. He stuck with the Diamondbacks through the winter but didn’t make the Opening Day roster and got squeezed off the 40-man.

For the Marlins, they will take a shot on Rivera and hope that his continually strong Triple-A production can start to filter up to the majors. He’s considered a strong defender at third, with nine Defensive Runs Saved and two Outs Above Average, with the ability to play first as well.

The Fish have Jake Burger as their regular at the hot corner but he’s not considered great with the glove, -11 DRS and -14 OAA, so Rivera could perhaps spell him in the field on occasion. Rivera has also hit .273/.327/.410 against lefties in his big league career compared to .233/.293/.364 against righties so perhaps could be used against southpaws while Burger goes to first base or the designated hitter spot. Corner outfielders Jesús Sánchez and Nick Gordon are both lefties with notable platoon splits, so perhaps they could be shielded a bit.

As for Amaya, 25, he’s long been considered a strong defender but the big question has been how much he can hit. Acquired from the Dodgers just over a year ago in the Miguel Rojas trade, he made his major league debut last year and got two singles in his first nine plate appearances. He hit .252/.345/.407 in Triple-A last year for a wRC+ 89.

He has just one minor league option remaining so it may be something of a make-or-break year for him. The Marlins will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Given his solid defensive reputation, he could appeal to clubs with questions about their shortstop depth, especially since Amaya can be kept in the minors for the rest of the season.

Dodgers Claim Taylor Trammell

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The Dodgers have claimed outfielder Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Mariners, who’d designated him for assignment last week, Robert Murray of FanSided reports. Trammell is out of minor league options, so he’ll go right onto the Dodgers’ active roster.

Now 26 years old, Trammell was the No. 35 overall pick by the Reds back in 2016. He ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects each season from 2018-21 and has participated in a pair of Futures Games but hasn’t yet found success in the majors. He had multiple auditions with the Mariners — who acquired him alongside Andres Munoz and Ty France in exchange for Austin Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla — but has produced only a .168/.270/.368 batting line with a huge 37% strikeout rate in 351 MLB plate appearances.

That said, Trammell has been vastly better in Triple-A. He’s spent parts of three seasons there as well, turning in a stout .274/.381/.506 batting line with a 24% strikeout rate that’s worlds better than his MLB clip. Trammell has shown off his eye at the plate both in the majors (11.1% walk rate) and in Triple-A (14%).

Trammell’s once better-than-average speed has declined, as Statcast ranked him in just the 43rd percentile of MLB players in average sprint speed last year.  His defensive grades from metrics like Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved haven’t lined up with scouting reports that pegged him as a potentially plus defender in the outfield, either. Trammell has probably hit for more power than was expected early in his prospect days. His .368 slugging isn’t much to look at, but when considering his low batting average, he’s sitting on a .200 ISO in his big league career. He’s also popped 38 homers in his 812 Triple-A plate appearances.

His role with the Dodgers is yet to be determined, though fellow lefty-swinging outfielder Jason Heyward has been dealing with a back issue. If Heyward needs to miss any time, Trammell could step into his role as a stopgap until the veteran is able to return.

Wei-Yin Chen Signs With Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks

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Eight-year MLB veteran Wei-Yin Chen has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, the team announced Tuesday. He’ll return to the mound after not pitching anywhere during the 2023 season.

Chen, now 38 years old, was a mainstay in the Orioles’ rotation from 2012-15 when he recorded 706 2/3 frames of 3.72 ERA ball (4.14 FIP, 4.04 SIERA) with an 18.5% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate and 38.5% ground-ball rate. The Taiwanese-born lefty came to the O’s on a four-year deal after a five-year run with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He parlayed his solid showing in Baltimore into a five-year, $80MM contract in Miami that didn’t at all pan out as he or the Marlins hoped.

Chen was active for parts of the first four seasons of that contract, combining for 358 innings with a greatly diminished 5.10 ERA. His average fastball dropped by more than a mile per hour, and while his command remained strong and his strikeout rate slightly improved in Miami, Chen was quite a bit more homer-prone with the Fish than he had been with the O’s. A UCL injury midway through his Marlins tenure wiped out nearly all of his 2017 season. It never required surgery, but Chen still struggled out of the 2018 rotation and in a bullpen role in 2019. The Marlins ate the final year and $22MM on his contract when they released him following the 2019 campaign.

Since leaving the Marlins, Chen signed a minor league deal with the Mariners but never made their roster. He returned to Japan for the 2020-22 seasons, suiting up for the Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers. He was limited to 68 innings with those two teams’ big league clubs but pitched quite well when healthy and on the roster, turning in an ERA well shy of 3.00. Chen didn’t pitch in 2023.

While a big league comeback as he approaches his 39th birthday (July 21) seems like a long shot, it’s not impossible. The Atlantic League is an official partner league of MLB, and we’ve seen plenty of players utilize that setting as a launching pad back to affiliated ball over the years. MLB scouts will surely get looks at him on the mound. A strong enough performance could net him a minor league deal with an MLB club and put him one step away from getting back to the majors. Even if not, he’ll make for a fun comeback story to follow on the indie circuit this season.

Larry Lucchino Passes Away

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Former Red Sox, Padres and Orioles president Larry Lucchino passed away Tuesday at 78, his family announced. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement in a press release:

“Larry Lucchino was one of the most accomplished executives that our industry has ever had. He was deeply driven, he understood baseball’s place in our communities, and he had a keen eye for executive talent. Larry’s vision for Camden Yards played a vital role in advancing fan-friendly ballparks across the game. He followed up by overseeing the construction of Petco Park, which remains a jewel of the San Diego community. Then Larry teamed with John Henry and Tom Werner to produce the most successful era in Red Sox history, which included historic World Series Championships on the field and a renewed commitment to Fenway Park. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my condolences to Larry’s family, his Red Sox colleagues and his many friends throughout our National Pastime.”

Lucchino spent six years as the Orioles’ president, from 1988-93, before spending seven years as the Padres’ president and CEO (1995-2001) and 14 years as the president and CEO of the Red Sox (2002-15). He’s widely credited with the visions behind Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Petco Park in San Diego, both of which were constructed during his time as president for those respective franchises. His 14-year run with the Red Sox included Boston’s curse-breaking 2004 World Series championship and subsequent World Series victories in 2007 and in 2013.

After stepping down from his role following the 2015 season, Lucchino remained connected to the franchise as a partial owner of the Sox’ Triple-A club and the president and CEO emeritus of Fenway Sports Group. A three-time cancer survivor, Lucchino also became the chairman of the Jimmy Fund in 2016 — a charity that has raised millions of dollars for Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through various community-based fundraising events.

“Larry’s career unfolded like a playbook of triumphs, marked by transformative moments that reshaped ballpark design, enhanced the fan experience, and engineered the ideal conditions for championships wherever his path led him, and especially in Boston,” Red Sox owner John Henry said in a statement this morning. “Yet, perhaps his most enduring legacy lies in the remarkable people he helped assemble at the Red Sox, all of whom are a testament to his training, wisdom, and mentorship. Many of them continue to shape the organization today, carrying forward the same vigor, vitality, and cherished sayings that were hallmarks of Larry’s personality. Larry was a formidable opponent in any arena, and while he battled hard, he always maintained the utmost respect for a worthy adversary and found genuine joy in sparring with people. I was lucky enough to have had him in my corner for 14 years and to have called him a close friend for even longer. He was truly irreplaceable and will be missed by all of us at the Red Sox.”

For a comprehensive look at the impact Lucchino had in Boston, Baltimore and San Diego, this morning’s pieces from John Powers of the Boston Globe, Ryan Finley of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner are rife with old quotes from Lucchino and anecdotes shared by those who worked with him throughout his remarkable career. In addition to the Red Sox (who released statements from Sam Kennedy and Tom Werner, in addition to the aforementioned Henry statement) the Orioles have also released a statement on Lucchino’s passing:

“We are heartbroken over the news of the passing of former Orioles president and CEO, Larry Lucchino. A pioneer in the sport, we will forever be grateful for his impact on our organization, highlighted by the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball. We join our entire baseball family in mourning this loss and extend our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones and many friends throughout the game.”

We at MLBTR extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Lucchino, as well as the countless baseball fans whose experiences of the game were impacted and enhanced by his contributions.

Mets Place Tylor Megill on Injured List

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April 2: Megill will be shut down from throwing for five to seven days before being reevaluated, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post. The right-hander said after his IL placement that he felt discomfort when throwing a curveball to begin the fourth inning of his season debut. That discomfort wasn’t as severe as the pain he felt when he suffered the 2022 shoulder strain that shelved him for multiple months.

April 1: The Mets announced Monday that they’ve placed righty Tylor Megill on the 15-day injured list after an MRI revealed a strain in his right shoulder. Megill exited his first start of the season after just four innings and 78 pitches. Right-hander Reed Garrett has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse in his place for the time being, though Garrett isn’t a rotation option. He’ll give the Mets a fresh arm in the bullpen for now, but they’ll likely make another move to bring up a starter once Megill’s spot in the rotation comes back up. The team has not yet announced the severity of Megill’s strain or a potential timetable for his return.

Megill, 28, moved into the rotation during spring training after Kodai Senga suffered a shoulder strain of his own. He’d been slated to be one of the team’s top depth options but opened the year in the starting five instead. Now, it seems that assignment will only last the one start. Megill two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts against the Brewers before incurring the injury. It’s not the first time he’s battled shoulder injuries in his career; a shoulder strain sent Megill to the 60-day injured list as recently as 2022.

Megill made 27 starts with the Mets in 2021-22, and while he wasn’t slated to open the 2023 season in the rotation, injuries thrust him onto last year’s starting staff and led him to make a career-high 25 starts. In that time, Megill worked to a 4.70 ERA with an 18.5% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Those numbers roughly line up with his career marks. He’s pitched in parts of four MLB seasons, including his lone 2024 outing, and owns a 4.68 ERA 22.3% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 42.7% ground-ball rate.

With Megill shelved, the Mets’ four healthy starters are Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea, Adrian Houser and Luis Severino. In-house options to step into the vacated spot include left-hander Joey Lucchesi and righty Jose Butto — the latter of whom was the final member of the spring rotation competition won by Megill. The Mets also have prospects Mike Vasil, Dominic Hamel and Christian Scott all on the cusp of MLB readiness, but none of that trio is on the 40-man roster. Both Lucchesi and Butto are.

The Opener: Jung, Pitching Matchups, MLBTR Chat

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With the 2024 regular season now in full swing, here are three things to watch around baseball today:

1. An IL stint is imminent for Josh Jung:

The Rangers have not yet placed Josh Jung on the injured list, but they will surely do so sometime before this evening’s contest with the Rays. The third baseman suffered a fracture on Monday after he was hit on the wrist while swinging at an offering from Phil Maton. The Rangers were unable to offer a timeline for his return last night, but he will undoubtedly be gone long enough to require an IL stint. Expect an announcement and a corresponding roster move from the team later today.

2. Pitching matchups to watch:

By the end of this evening, all 30 teams will have begun their second (or third) series of the season. That means plenty of interesting starting pitchers and pitching matchups to follow.

Several aces will be back on the bump for their second turn in the rotation, including Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, and Luis Castillo. Perhaps the most compelling matchup to watch will be between Astros Opening Day starter Framber Valdez and Blue Jays Opening Day starter José Berríos. Valdez will be looking to rebound from a mediocre first outing against the Yankees, while Berríos hopes to get his team back on track after last night’s no-hitter.

One more pitcher to keep an eye on is Tigers starter Casey Mize. As long the Tigers and Mets aren’t rained out (a mounting possibility), Mize will make his first start since April 2022. The former top prospect and No. 1 overall pick is returning from Tommy John and back surgery.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

It’s the first chat of the 2024 season! With no shortage of topics to discuss, including injuries, rumors, a recent free agent signing, and a no-hitter, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a live chat with readers this afternoon at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after it is completed.

NL West Notes: Heyward, Graterol, Treinen, Snell, Montgomery

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Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward has not played since Saturday. According to Bill Plunkett of The Orange Country Register, Heyward wasn’t even at the stadium on Monday night, as the Dodgers welcomed the Giants for the first matchup of a three-game set. Heyward, 34, has been dealing with a stiff back for about a week. On Monday, he went to get his back checked out, and manager Dave Roberts said he would “probably get some imaging” (as relayed by Plunkett). Presumably, the Dodgers will know more about the severity of his injury later tonight or tomorrow.

If Heyward needs a stint on the injured list, the Dodgers will likely recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A. Formerly a top infield prospect, Vargas began taking some reps in left field in 2022 and has continued to work in the outfield. A right-handed hitter and inexperienced outfielder, Vargas cannot play the same role as the lefty-batting, Gold Glove-winning Heyward. Still, he can provide the Dodgers with an extra body for the outfield, likely splitting time with Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández.

In more positive news for the Dodgers, Plunkett reports that right-handed relievers Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen are making progress as they recover from a shoulder injury and a bruised lung and ribs, respectively. Graterol is getting ready to throw off a mound tomorrow, while Treinen “might throw lightly off a mound” sometime before Thursday.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Reigning NL Cy Young and new Giants ace Blake Snell will make his first start of the season on Monday, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). He has already begun facing minor league hitters, and he will pitch in a simulated game against his own teammates on Wednesday before taking on the Nationals next week. The southpaw joins a Giants rotation that already features last year’s Cy Young runner-up Logan Webb, highly-touted rookie Kyle Harrison, and flame-throwing reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks.
  • Speaking of star free agents who signed too late to pitch in spring training, Jordan Montgomery was unable to throw a proper simulated game this afternoon due to poor weather, but he still got in 50 pitches over three up-downs, reports Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that Montgomery is scheduled to make his first start for Triple-A Reno on Sunday. The Diamondbacks have not said how many starts the lefty needs before he is MLB-ready, but during his introductory press conference, Montgomery himself said he was eyeing April 19 as the date for his return (per Weiner). Indeed, Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the 2023 World Series champion has a clause in his contract that requires him to be in the majors by April 19. However, Montgomery will presumably stay in the minors a little longer if it is what’s best for his long-term health and performance.

AL West Notes: Verlander, García, Santos, Brash, Sasaki

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A pair of Astros starting pitchers are making progress on their way back from injuries. Justin Verlander spoke to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) after a successful batting practice session against live hitters on Monday. He believes his next step will be a minor league rehab assignment. Manager Joe Espada provided a similar update, telling Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that his ace “should be ready to go out on a rehab assignment” as long as he “comes back tomorrow feeling well.” Espada suggested Verlander would need more than one rehab appearance before he can return to the Astros, but the skipper did not provide an exact timeline for the three-time Cy Young winner’s return. Verlander has recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines this spring. Still, he needs more time to build up his arm strength before pitching in an MLB game.

Meanwhile, Luis García has begun to throw off a mound, and Espada says the righty is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a UCL injury (per Rome). The 27-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last May. While he still has plenty of work to put in before he can return to the majors, the Astros are hopeful he can rejoin the rotation by July if all goes well (per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Over 64 games (62 starts) from 2021-23, García pitched to a 3.63 ERA and 3.86 SIERA.

More news from around the AL West…

  • The Mariners received some good news today when reliever Gregory Santos’ MRI came back clean (per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). He had been dealing with a flareup of inflammation in the strained lat that kept him out for all of spring training. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Santos needed the MRI to come back clean in order to resume his throwing program; the hard-throwing right-hander has now begun “light baseball activities” (per Jude). The Mariners have not yet provided a timeline for his return, but they are surely hoping to get him back sooner rather than later. Santos pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 3.32 SIERA in 60 games for the White Sox last season.
  • In other Mariners bullpen news, Matt Brash is making progress as he recovers from right elbow inflammation. While Mariners GM Justin Hollander would not provide an exact timeline for any of his injured arms, he suggested that Brash is the furthest along in his rehab (per Jude). Like Santos, Brash is a hard-throwing right-hander coming off a breakout year. In 78 games last season, he posted a 3.06 ERA and 2.86 SIERA, winning nine games and collecting 24 holds.
  • Eight teams recently sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki pitch in Japan. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, and Yankees were previously reported to be four of those clubs, and now Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reveals that a scout from the Rangers was also in attendance. That leaves three remaining mystery teams present at Sasaki’s latest starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

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