Archives for August 2024

Twins’ Brock Stewart To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

By Steve Adams | August 9, 2024 at 10:37am CDT

Twins right-hander Brock Stewart is headed for season-ending arthroscopic surgery to clean up his right shoulder, he tells Bally’s Audra Martin (X link). There’s no significant structural damage, and Stewart says he’s anticipating he’ll be ready for spring training after a projected rehab period of five to six months.

It’s a frustrating development for Stewart, who was away from major league baseball from 2020-22 due to the canceled minor league season in 2020 and a pair of elbow surgeries (Tommy John surgery and a procedure to remove a bone spur). Stewart signed a minor league deal with the Twins and not only made it back to the majors on the heels of that pair of surgeries but emerged as a lights-out option in manager Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen.

While this year’s 5.17 earned run average is an eyesore, that’s skewed entirely by his recent struggles coming back from a monthslong stint on the injured list due to pain in his balky shoulder. Stewart allowed one run with a 17-to-6 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings to begin the season, hit the injured list for nearly three months, and clearly wasn’t at full strength when he returned. He was rocked for eight runs in 2 1/3 innings while working with a fastball and cutter that were both down nearly three miles per hour.

From the time Stewart’s contract was originally selected by the Twins in April 2023 to the time he first hit the injured list this past May, he was a legitimately overpowering force. An elbow issue sent him to the shelf for part of last summer, but Stewart pitched 41 innings for the Twins in that stretch and logged an incredible 0.66 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. Most of the command troubles he encountered came early, too. For the better part of a year, he was a shutdown option thanks to a heater averaging nearly 98 mph and a cutter and slider that both missed bats in droves.

While the latest injury setback is surely a tough pill for Stewart to swallow, given his earlier elbow problems, this time around he’ll go under the knife knowing that he’s cemented himself in a big league team’s plans. The Twins control Stewart, 32, for another three seasons via arbitration. He’ll get a salary bump north of $1MM in his first season of arb eligibility this winter, but given the dominance he showed prior to this year’s shoulder problem and the remaining long-term control, it’ll be an easy call for the Twins to tender him a contract.

Dodgers Release Cavan Biggio

By Leo Morgenstern | August 9, 2024 at 9:00am CDT

Aug. 9: The Dodgers have released Biggio, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com.

Aug. 5: The Dodgers have reinstated Freddie Freeman from the restricted list and designated Cavan Biggio for assignment, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Biggio joined the Dodgers organization in a June trade with the Blue Jays. Over 3o games with L.A., he hit .192/.306/.329 with a paltry .635 OPS and 88 wRC+. The 29-year-old logged most of his playing time at third base, but he took over duties at first base while Freeman was away from the team.

Freeman went on the family emergency list when his son was hospitalized in late July. The first baseman was later transferred to the restricted list as a formality; players can only stay on the family emergency list for a maximum of seven days. Thankfully, his son has been discharged from the hospital and returned home (per Chelsea Freeman on Instagram). Freeman will make his return to the Dodgers lineup in tonight’s game against the Phillies.

The Dodgers already had an open spot on their 40-man roster, but they needed to free up a spot on the active roster to reinstate Freeman. Given Biggio’s poor performance with L.A. and the team’s recent acquisition of another utility player (Amed Rosario) and another left-handed hitter (Kevin Kiermaier) for the bench, it was little surprise that Biggio was the odd man out. Moreover, Ardaya notes that the Dodgers are also hoping to activate shortstop Miguel Rojas from the 10-day IL at some point in the coming days. He, too, will require a spot on the active roster.

If another team claims Biggio off of waivers, they will take responsibility for the small portion of his 2024 salary that is still on the Dodgers’ books; the Blue Jays took on a significant amount of his remaining salary as part of their trade with the Dodgers in June. He is making $4.21MM this season in his second year of arbitration eligibility. If he goes unclaimed, the Dodgers can attempt to send him outright to the minor leagues, but as a player with more than five years of MLB service time, Biggio would have the right to reject the assignment without forfeiting any salary.

In additional Dodgers news, Ardaya reports that the team is planning to activate one of Brusdar Graterol or Michael Grove from the IL “as soon as tonight.” Grove, 27, has been on the 15-day IL since mid-June with an intercostal strain. He has a 5.06 ERA (but a 2.97 SIERA) in 37 1/3 innings pitched this season. Graterol, 25, has been out all season with a shoulder injury. He is on the 60-day IL, so he is not currently taking up a spot on the 40-man roster. However, the Dodgers already had an open 40-man spot before they activated Freeman and DFA’d Biggio, so they would only need to free up a spot on the 26-man roster to activate Graterol.

The Opener: White Sox, Hill, Pirates

By Nick Deeds | August 9, 2024 at 8:22am CDT

As MLB’s regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. White Sox under new management:

The White Sox spent their day off yesterday shaking up their personnel in the dugout. Manager Pedro Grifol, bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were all fired, and three-time All-Star outfielder Grady Sizemore, who had been serving on the major league coaching staff without a specific title this season, was appointed interim manager. The decision to fire Grifol came just days after the White Sox ended a skid of 21 consecutive losses that is now tied with the 1988 Orioles for the longest losing streak in AL history.

Sizemore and the club are both surely hoping that he can help the team to show some life down the stretch. His first assignment as interim manager will be a two-game set at home against the intracity rival Cubs. Lefty ace Garrett Crochet (3.19 ERA) will be tasked with taking on veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon (3.25 ERA) in tonight’s game, while right-hander Chris Flexen (5.53 ERA) will look to hold down the fort opposite star southpaw Justin Steele (3.33 ERA).

2. Where will Hill land?

44-year-old lefty Rich Hill isn’t done with the big leagues just yet. The veteran is reportedly set to throw for teams later today. It’s not yet clear which teams will be in attendance, although Hill has previously been linked to the Yankees and Dodgers. The southpaw has pitched in 19 big league seasons since being drafted by the Cubs back in 2002, and has long suggested he would be interested in pitching down the stretch and into the playoffs for a contender despite sitting out the first half of the season.

Uncommon as Hill’s plan for the 2024 campaign is, it’s not without merit. After all, Hill pitched to a respectable 4.23 ERA and 4.37 FIP in his first 13 starts with the Pirates last year but saw his numbers balloon down the stretch as he wore down and posted a 6.57 ERA and 5.35 FIP in his final 74 innings of work between Pittsburgh and San Diego. By sitting out the first half of the season, it’s feasible that Hill could contribute numbers akin to his 2023 first half, and that roughly league average production could provide a boost to pitching-needy teams.

3. Pirates roster move incoming:

The Pirates are reportedly set to select the contract of right-hander Domingo German prior to tonight’s game against the Dodgers, which is scheduled for 7:10pm in Los Angeles. A veteran of six MLB seasons, German has pitched to roughly league average results in his career with a 4.41 ERA and 4.50 FIP in 112 appearances (89 starts) for the Yankees since first making his MLB debut back in 2017. While German has shown considerable talent on the field, highlighted by him throwing the 24th perfect game in MLB history last June, he’s also had issues off the field — including a suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy and a restricted list placement last August that cut his 2023 season short as he underwent treatment for alcohol abuse.

Since then, German signed a pair of minor league deals with the Pirates and has made 13 starts with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. The results have left much to be desired, as he’s posted a 5.29 ERA in 68 innings, although it’s worth noting that he has a stronger 4.15 ERA with a 23.9% strikeout rate in his past nine starts. That’s enough for the Pirates to be interested in giving German another shot at the big league level, but they’ll need to make corresponding moves to clear space for the right-hander on both their 40-man and active rosters.

White Sox Fire Pedro Grifol, Three Coaches; Grady Sizemore To Serve As Interim Manager

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT

11:45am: The White Sox expect to hire someone not currently in the organization as Grifol’s replacement, Getz announced to the Sox beat (X link via James Fegan of Sox Machine).

11:20am: A disastrous White Sox season reached a boiling point Thursday morning, as the team announced that manager Pedro Grifol, bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar have all been fired. Former big league outfielder Grady Sizemore, who joined the staff this past offseason with the broad and generic title of “major league coach,” will take over as interim manager through season’s end. The White Sox said their search for a full-time managerial replacement will begin immediately, and a decision will not be made until after the season.

Minor league field coordinator Doug Sisson, who’s previously served as a first base coach with the Royals (2011-12), will serve as Sizemore’s bench coach for the remainder of the season. Justin Jirschele, who’s been managing the White Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, will step in as third base coach. Mike Gellinger, who has been a hitting coach with the Sox’ Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona Complex League, will be the assistant hitting coach in place of Tosar.

“As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” general manager Chris Getz said in a statement within this morning’s press release. “Despite the on-field struggles and lack of success, we appreciate the effort and professionalism Pedro and the staff brought to the ballpark every day. These two seasons have been very challenging. Unfortunately, the results were not there, and a change is necessary as we look to our future and the development of a new energy around the team.”

In his own statement, shared with Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Grifol said: “Grateful to Jerry, Rick and Kenny for the opportunity. I have health and a loving family. I have a spiritual foundation that gives me incredible strength, peace and freedom. This won’t break me. As a matter of fact it only motivates me. The next thing I do in my life, I will do it for the love and passion I have for this game and for the sole purpose of serving others.”

Hired in the 2022-23 offseason, Grifol had a long track record as the bench coach for the division-rival Royals. He’d been a part of several managerial searches prior to landing the job in Chicago, and the expectation was that he’d bring a fresh, younger voice after the Sox’ short-lived reunion with Tony La Russa lasted less than two seasons.

Grifol indeed brought a new perspective, but it’s fair to say things didn’t work out at all as planned. After a 93-win season in 2021 and a .500 finish in 2022, the Sox entered the 2023 season hoping to compete for the AL Central title. Instead, by midseason the team’s results had been so miserable that GM Rick Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams were both fired — the first real baseball operations turnover on Chicago’s South Side in more than two decades. Assistant GM Chris Getz was elevated to the GM’s chair and began on a teardown of a top-heavy roster full of injured and/or underperforming veterans.

The points about the GM shuffle and rebuild are worth emphasizing, because it’s only fair to point out that no manager could’ve realistically taken the product Grifol has been handed — particularly in 2024 — and turn out anything resembling a competitive team. That said, Grifol’s White Sox just endured an astonishing 21-game losing streak — tied for the second-longest in MLB history — and there’s been plenty of evidence that things weren’t running smoothly even before that almost unfathomable swoon.

Even last season, right-hander Keynan Middleton outwardly slammed the White Sox’ clubhouse culture after being traded to the Yankees, lamenting that there were “no rules” and “no consequences” despite claiming that there’d been “rookies sleeping in the bullpen during games” and other players missing team meetings and fielding drills. That doesn’t appear to be sour grapes from one player, either; veteran righty Lance Lynn was asked that same day about Middleton’s comments, and though he didn’t delve into specifics Lynn noted that he’d been with the Sox even longer and that Middleton was “not wrong” in his critiques of how things were run.

Matt Spiegel and Shane Riordan of 670 The Score in Chicago reported around the time of the trade deadline that the White Sox had a “fractured” clubhouse (video link). Spiegel indicated that an attempt from Grifol to motivate the players by emphasizing that they’d be remembered as being responsible for producing the worst team in MLB history was not well-received, with a few veterans talking to Grifol and raising issue with his messaging. Riordan heard similar stories and added that someone in the clubhouse told him: “It’s been really tough in there. Pedro is a really good guy, just not the man for the job.”

In his two seasons with the White Sox, Grifol has an 89-190 record. As Jon Greenberg of The Athletic observed prior to the trade deadline, Grifol was on pace to finish the season with the third-worst winning percentage in history among managers who’ve led at least 315 games (which Baseball-Reference deems a “qualified” manager to sit in the all-time record books). He’ll fall shy of that 315-game minimum, but Grifol’s .319 winning percentage would indeed sit as the third-lowest mark for any qualified skipper. The Sox have seen a losing streak hit 14 games on a two occasions this season, and their current 28-89 record has them on pace to break the 1962 Mets’ modern record of 120 losses in a single season.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first reported that Montoyo had been fired. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times first reported that Rodriguez was being let go and that Sizemore was the interim manager.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Grissom, Suarez, Volpe, Lowe, De La Cruz, Shim

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2024 at 11:52pm CDT

The Red Sox activated Vaughn Grissom from the 10-day injured list today and optioned the infielder to Triple-A, a move that The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported the team was considering last week. Grissom hasn’t played in the majors since June 1 due to a right hamstring strain, adding to his troubled first season in Boston. Between this injury and a left hamstring strain in Spring Training, Grissom has been limited to 23 Major League games, and a dismal .148/.207/.160 slash line in 87 plate appearances.

Some kind of decision was required since Grissom’s 20-day minor league rehab assignment was up tomorrow, but his .604 OPS in 58 Triple-A PA during that assignment didn’t exactly force Boston’s hand for a promotion. Even as the Sox continue to look for answers at second base, Grissom will need to perform better to earn another call-up, and it remains to be seen when (or even if) he might be back in the majors before 2024 is over.

Pirates To Select Domingo German

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2024 at 10:19pm CDT

The Pirates will select the contract of right-hander Domingo German from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to tomorrow’s game with the Dodgers, according to reporter Mike Rodriguez (X link). The move comes a day before German’s opt-out date in his most recent minor league contract with Pittsburgh.

It was just over a year ago that German began treatment for alcohol abuse, following a reported incident of an intoxicated German entering the Yankees’ clubhouse and arguing with teammates. The Yankees placed German on the restricted list and outrighted him off the roster following the season, with German opting to become a free agent. The trip to the open market led to his first minor league deal with the Pirates, and after his exercised an opt-out clause in mid-July, he re-signed with the Bucs a few days later.

German’s results in Indianapolis have been mixed, as he has a 5.29 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, and 10.3% walk rate in 68 Triple-A innings. Some of the heavier damage did occur earlier in his Triple-A tenure, though it could be that the Pirates’ hand is being somewhat forced by the pending opt-out date. It isn’t clear if German will start tomorrow’s game against Los Angeles, or if the Pirates might view him as something of a piggyback starter or long man behind an opener.

Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Bailey Falter are lined up to start during the three-game series, so if German does get the start, he could push everyone back a day just to provide the regular rotation members with some extra rest. Pittsburgh doesn’t play on August 15 and then embarks on a string of 13 games in as many days, so a de facto six-man rotation could help keep everyone fresh for that stretch. Skenes’ workload has been a big subplot of his incredible rookie season and Jared Jones just started a rehab assignment and could be back from the IL in a couple of weeks, further shaking up the Pirates’ pitching plans as the club also tries to contend for a wild card berth.

German’s first appearance with the Pirates will mark his first Major League game with a team besides the Yankees, as the righty posted a 4.41 ERA over 522 1/3 innings with New York from 2017-23. German missed the 2019 postseason and the entire 2020 season due to an 81-game suspension for a violation of the MLB/MLBPA domestic violence policy, and his checkered resume also includes a 10-game suspension in 2023 for using foreign substances on the ball, as well as the aforementioned stint on the restricted list. In between those two absences last season, German entered the record books by throwing a perfect game against the A’s on June 28, 2023.

Dodgers, Rangers Had Interest In Blake Snell Prior To Trade Deadline

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2024 at 9:45pm CDT

Blake Snell was still wearing a San Francisco uniform once the July 30 trade deadline passed, as the Giants’ big asking price and the team’s own desire to retain its ace for the playoff hunt ended whatever chance existed of a blockbuster move. Reports linked such teams as the Orioles, Padres, Yankees, Mets, and Cubs to Snell’s market in some capacity, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that the Dodgers and Rangers also among the clubs “to check in” on Snell’s availability.

The degree of interest shown for either club isn’t known, and Heyman’s “check in” phrasing implies something of a due-diligence exploration to see how open the Giants might’ve been about moving Snell, and what it might’ve taken to land the southpaw. Snell would naturally be an upgrade to any rotation, particularly for teams like the Dodgers and Rangers who have been dealing with pitching injuries all season.

Considering how the Giants and Dodgers have made only two trades with each other since the 1968 season, it is hard to imagine San Francisco seriously considered dealing an ace pitcher to their arch-rivals down the California coast. Even though Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi worked as the Dodgers’ GM before being hired in his current job, it’s probably safe to guess that whatever talks Zaidi had with his old boss Andrew Friedman about Snell were fairly brief in nature. Los Angeles instead landed Jack Flaherty as its biggest pitching prize of deadline season, and will be counting on Flaherty and some injured pitchers returning from the IL to bolster the staff heading down the stretch and into October.

Landing Snell would’ve completely overturned an otherwise quiet deadline for Texas, as the Rangers brought Andrew Chafin and Carson Kelly into the fold in separate trades with the Tigers, while Michael Lorenzen was dealt to the Royals. The modest set of moves underscored the Rangers’ uncertainty about making a push with a roster that has underachieved for most of the season. Texas had gotten up to a 51-52 record on July 25, but have since lost nine of their last 12 games, probably closing the door on a defense of their World Series title.

Similar to the Dodgers, Texas has also been playing without most of its first-choice rotation for the better part of the year. Several arms were slated to make returns at midseason, but Max Scherzer’s return was short-lived, and other pitchers (such as Jon Gray) have since gotten hurt in the interim. A win-now move like acquiring Snell might’ve backfired if the rest of the roster wasn’t up to par, so it could be that the Rangers also had something of a cursory interest in Snell’s services.

Beyond just this trade deadline, however, these teams’ interest in Snell could extend to the offseason. Snell can opt out of the second year of his Giants contract to re-enter free agency, which now seems to be likely given Snell’s incredible results since returning from the IL last month. (As Heyman hears from two rival general managers, “it would take a ’catastrophic’ or ’debilitating’ injury for Snell to exercise” his 2025 player option and remain in San Francisco.) Texas has a lot of money coming off the books this winter and Los Angeles is always open to signing top free agents, so these could be two teams to monitor if and when Snell hits the open market.

Diamondbacks Notes: Kelly, Moreno

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2024 at 8:27pm CDT

Merrill Kelly’s last big league pitching appearance was on April 15, as the Diamondbacks right-hander looked terrific in his first four starts before being sidelined by a right shoulder strain. After almost four months on the shelf, Kelly now looks to be nearing a return, with manager Torey Lovullo hinting to reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that Kelly will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list in time to start on Sunday when the D’Backs host the Phillies.

It won’t be official until Kelly gets through a bullpen session slated for Friday, but as Lovullo put it, “you guys can read between the lines” about the team’s plans. “You get to a certain pitch count…when things get beyond three innings [in rehab starts], it gets real. We like when it gets in that 80-pitch range. We fire downrange when we’ve gotten into that spot before. So stay tuned.”

Kelly already passed the three-inning threshold in his first minor league rehab assignment last Tuesday, when he threw 62 pitches over four innings with the high-A Everett affiliate. Given both his long layoff and the fact that he has faced only A-ball competition, it is a little surprising that this will apparently be Kelly’s only rehab outing, but Lovullo said that “reports were really good” and that Kelly “did exactly what we wanted him to do.” The manager noted that Kelly would be on something of a limited pitch count on Sunday, in the range of 75-80 pitches as the D’Backs ease him into action.

Now in his sixth season with Arizona, Kelly has become a rotation stalwart for the Snakes, posting a 3.75 ERA over his 775 1/3 regular-season innings. The righty’s first MLB season (in 2019) saw him post 183 1/3 innings, and he then averaged 179 frames over the 2021-23 seasons, as Kelly missed a couple of months in that stretch with some relatively minor injuries but was otherwise a durable arm. He gained more national attention during the Diamondbacks’ run to the NL pennant last fall, posting a 2.25 ERA in 24 playoff innings.

With Kelly on the verge of returning and Eduardo Rodriguez making his season debut earlier this week, the D’Backs will finally have their first-choice starting rotation intact for the first time all season. Ironically, this reinforced rotation comes just as the team has taken a big blow behind the plate, as Gabriel Moreno was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a left adductor strain.

Moreno will miss “several weeks” recovering, Lovullo told Arizona Sports (video link), and a more solid timeline could be known once the catcher “gets some second opinions” and a broader examination of his MRI results. While Lovullo didn’t give any indication that Moreno’s injury could end his season, such a possibility can’t be ruled out simply due to the calendar and the fact that Moreno looks to be out until September at the earliest. Any kind of setback could shut Moreno down entirely for the remainder of the 2024 campaign, and perhaps into whatever postseason activity could await the Diamondbacks.

The former star prospect has continued to impress in his second full Major League season, hitting .262/.344/.385 with five home runs over 314 plate appearances while delivering impressive defense. There wouldn’t have been an easy way for the D’Backs to replace Moreno even if he’d gotten hurt before the trade deadline, but if he is looking at an extended absence, the pickings are slim for the Snakes to bolster the catching ranks. Jose Herrera and rookie Adrian Del Castillo comprise Arizona’s catching corps, but Andrew Knizner was just claimed off waivers from the Rangers today to give the Snakes a bit more experienced depth behind the plate.

No Extension Talks Yet Between Orioles, Anthony Santander

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2024 at 7:23pm CDT

Anthony Santander is slated to become a free agent following the season, and the outfielder told reporters (including Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com) that the Orioles haven’t yet had any extension talks. The lack of negotiations didn’t seem to bother Santander since he is “just focusing on helping my team win right now,” but he reiterated that he wanted to remain in Baltimore.

“This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues,” Santander said. “I like where we are right now. We are a really good team. This team is about to get in a World Series soon, hopefully this year. Of course I would like to stay here for the rest of my career….So happy and thank you for the fans that want me to stay here.”

Santander began his pro career in Cleveland’s organization, but he came to the Orioles in the December 2016 Rule 5 Draft, and has subsequently become one of the most-cited examples of how the R5 can add talent to a team’s roster. After making his MLB debut in 2017, Santander struggled in his first few tastes of big league action before finally breaking out during the shortened 2020 campaign. After a dropoff in 2021, he got back on track in 2022-23 and has now stepped up again with the best full season of his career.

Aaron Judge is the only player with more homers than Santander this season, as the O’s stalwart has left the yard 34 times — already a career high even in early August. Santander’s power has fueled his 137 wRC+ and overall .248/.311/.540 slash line. The batting average and OBP almost exactly match his career averages, but while consistent hitting and getting on-base isn’t always easy for Santander, he has an above-average strikeout rate and makes the most of his contact. He ranks in the 92nd percentile of all hitter in barrels this season, with an even 40 over his 110 games.

Between this offense, a solid right-field glove, and the fact that 2025 will be Santander’s age-30 season, the outfielder figures to land a very nice payday on the free agent market this winter. The Orioles will surely issue him a qualifying offer, and Santander will just as surely reject that one-year offer in search of a longer-term deal, so the O’s would land a compensatory draft pick if Santander signed elsewhere.

With David Rubenstein now owning the Orioles, it is no longer a foregone conclusion that Santander will be wearing another uniform in the coming years. Rubenstein already okayed a modest payroll increase to fund the Orioles’ trade deadline moves, and GM Mike Elias figures to have considerably more money to work with as the front office figures out the best route to sustaining and building on its outstanding core of young talent. Since Rubenstein only officially took over the club last spring, this offseason represents a new era for the franchise in terms of how the O’s will approach trades, free agent signings, and the possibility of retaining productive stars like Santander.

To this same end, it isn’t surprising that Elias and company haven’t yet explored a contract extension with Santander’s reps, given the overlap of Rubenstein’s purchase and Spring Training (when most teams hash out extensions with impending free agents). Players generally prefer to eliminate distractions by halting contract talks once the season begins, so there’s nothing unusual in the two sides not holding any discussions.

That said, Santander’s future in Baltimore has long been considered a question mark exactly due to that young core. Santander’s name surfaced in trade speculation back when the Orioles were still rebuilding, but the club held onto him due to his veteran presence and the continued production that Santander brought to an O’s team that got back to contention a little earlier than expected. The longtime outfeld trio of Santander, Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays was officially broken up at the trade deadline when Hays was dealt to the Phillies, and Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are now viewed as the outfield staples of the future. With this duo already getting big-league action and notable outfield prospects Dylan Beavers, Enrique Bradfield, and Jud Fabian down on the farm, Baltimore might opt to let Santander walk, and replace him either from within or with a short-term veteran outfield bat. Ryan O’Hearn’s club option for 2025 seems like a strong bet to be exercised, giving the Orioles more corner outfield depth.

Rich Hill To Throw For Interested Clubs On Friday

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2024 at 5:55pm CDT

Free agent left-hander Rich Hill is going to be throwing for interested clubs on Friday, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. It’s not known which clubs will attend the throwing session but Hill has already reportedly received interest from the Yankees and Dodgers.

Hill is attempting a fairly unique mercenary mission this year, something that he’s had in mind for a while. Back in August of 2022, he told Rob Bradford of WEEI that he wanted to skip the first half of 2023 but then participate in the second half. The idea would allow him to both spend more time with his family, choose a team in playoff contention and also theoretically give him more firepower as he wouldn’t need to pace himself for the grind of a full season.

Though the idea was in his head over a year ago, he didn’t follow through on it in 2023. He signed with the Pirates on a one-year, $8MM deal, making 22 starts with a 4.76 earned run average. He got flipped to the Padres at the deadline but then both he and the club faltered. He got bumped to the bullpen and was even put on waivers at one point but went unclaimed. He ultimately recorded an 8.23 ERA in his ten outings with the Friars.

He has been more committed to the plan this year. In October of last year, he mentioned it to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune and hasn’t diverted since. In May of this year, he told Ian Browne of MLB.com that he had turned down offers from three clubs in the offseason but was still throwing to keep his midseason plan afloat. Last month, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported that Hill was throwing from a mound and had interest from the Yankees and Dodgers.

It’s an intriguing experiment and the timing is also perhaps not a coincidence. With the trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, teams are fairly hamstrung in how they can go about upgrading their rosters. There are still a few ways, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently laid out, but most of them involve making moves around the margins.

The recent trade deadline was often characterized by observers as having a lack of clear sellers, which seemingly led to high asking prices on the few players that were available. For clubs that balked at those prices, they may be intrigued by the opportunity to acquire Hill for nothing more than cash.

A source tells Murray that Hill isn’t even doing this for the money but more a desire to win. Hill has already banked over $75MM in earnings, per his Baseball Reference page, but doesn’t have a ring. He pitched in the postseason for the 2007 Cubs and then the Dodgers from 2016 to 2019, but he was with the Twins in 2020 when the Dodgers won the World Series.

Hill could potentially be an impact addition if the self-shortened season allows him to get back to his old self. He’s already had one of the more unique trajectories, as he debuted way back in 2005 and had one of his best seasons in 2007, tossing 195 innings for the Cubs with a 3.92 ERA.

But his results tapered off from there and he struggled to get a lengthy opportunity for almost a decade. From 2008 to 2015, he didn’t hit 60 innings pitched in any of those major league seasons due to a combination of injuries and underperformance. He came roaring back with the Dodgers in 2016, his age-36 season, and kicked off a remarkable second act. From that year and through 2020, he had a 3.01 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate in 476 innings.

In 2021, his age-41 season, his ERA climbed to 3.86. Then it was 4.27 in 2022 and 5.41 between the Pirates and Padres last year. Perhaps Hill’s ERA would have continued climbing if he tried to pitch another full season but he’s hoping that acting as a late-season hired gun will help him deliver better results with less volume.

How that plays out will be an interesting situation to monitor. There are only about seven weeks remaining in the regular season schedule at this point. Though Hill is throwing on his own, he will probably require a few weeks of ramp-up once he signs, a sort of belated Spring Training. In a best-case scenario, he can bolster a club’s rotation down the stretch and then factor into their postseason rotation as one of the freshest October arms around, despite now being 44 years old. Per Murray, Friday’s throwing session takes place at 10am Eastern time at Champion Physical Therapy and Performance in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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