The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Emmanuel Ramírez off waivers from the Marlins, per announcements from both clubs. The Fish had designated him for assignment earlier this week. The Jays announced that Ramírez has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo and that fellow righty José Cuas has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
Ramírez, 30, made his big league debut with the Marlins this season but pitched to a rough 6.97 ERA in 20 2/3 innings out of the Miami bullpen. He’s been considerably better with their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, recording a 3.76 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate in 40 2/3 frames. He posted similar numbers in a 2023 season split between the Yankees’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.
Ramírez has averaged 93.9 mph on his four-seamer and paired that with a splitter and lesser-used slider to round out a three-pitch repertoire. He has a full slate of minor league options remaining, despite his age, so he could be a flexible depth arm for the Jays next season if they opt to keep him on the 40-man roster. For now, he’ll get an audition in the final three-plus weeks of regular-season play.
Cuas, also 30, was a waiver claim out of the Cubs organization earlier in the summer. He wound up pitching only three MLB innings with the Jays and allowing three runs. The rest of his time in the organization came in Triple-A Buffalo, where he was roughed up for a dozen runs in 15 2/3 innings of work.
From 2022-23, Cuas was a solid, if command-challenged reliever who notched a 3.84 ERA in 103 innings between the Royals and Cubs. Kansas City traded him to Chicago in a ’23 deadline swap that sent designated hitter/outfielder Nelson Velázquez back to the Royals. Cuas posted good results down the stretch with the Cubs despite a high walk rate, but the glut of free passes caught up to him this season. He’s walked at least 12% of his opponents in all three of his big league seasons and also plunked an alarming 3.2% of the batters he’s faced. In 17 1/3 innings this year, Cuas has a 7.71 ERA.
Cuas will now head to waivers, where all 29 other clubs will have the chance to claim him. He has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season and has demonstrated an ability to miss bats in bunches in spite of pedestrian velocity, thanks largely to a sweeper that generates huge whiff rates.
Shapiro and Atkins building towards that championship season next year. Sarcasm heavy.
Please designate Zach Pop already.
That guy needs to be the next one to go. And that’s saying a lot with the other names who are easy to waive.
Zach Pop has Duane Ward movement and velocity with AAA control. It might take years for Pop to find that control. Not a great acquisition at the moment.
A guy trying to be a one pitch pitcher without command doesn’t feel like a recipe for success. The stuff is pretty good. But when you miss your spots on a pitch the hitter knows is coming, it’s an easy take or a good chance to get your best swing on it. I don’t know why he doesn’t throw the slider more. Pitch models think it’s a good pitch. He’ll be out of options next year. That seems like he’ll be making the rounds on the waiver carousel this offseason. Don’t see many teams wanting to carry him on the active roster but could see teams hoping to clear him through waivers and outright him.
Pop is not causing any problems this year. Its not like he is causing them to miss the playoffs.
Keep running him out there. Maybe he figures it out.
Good to see jimmertree still supplying complex analysis. Sarcasm heavy.
You are correct. You’re also not exactly a wiz kid on baseball analysis. Both can be true.
@its_happening
Ya, using a player’s RBI’s as some sort of useful stat is pretty lame. My favourite stat of his is WAR/162.
It’s all about the numbers that help a team win. Did a guy have a 3 RBI game after being down 10-1 to lose 10-4? Or did the guy drive in the winning run in a 5-4 game? Context is key with these RBIs (and walks).
Unsure here if you’re talking Jimmer or Terry. Jimmertree will have a good point once in a while. I have never seen anything from Terry to suggest he knows the game.
Defending dad again. Cute
Aw, someone crying about something that didn’t happen? Seek some counselling kid.
Interesting guy. More than a decade in the minors without ever being selected to a 40 man. Debuting at 30. The models like his stuff. Try anyone like this. Make claims, try them and see if there’s a fit, and DFA the guys that aren’t. Maybe you can outright a couple who still have something to work with. There’s not a lot you can do at this time of year to start roster building for next year, but given how bullpen arms can emerge from anywhere, taking advantage of high waiver priority to get your hands on pitching could be fruitful.
jays do well with pitchers that utillize a splitter. gausman, francis and to some extent swanson. maybe they have a find