Diamondbacks right-hander Kendall Graveman has been battling some back tightness in camp and still hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game. Manager Torey Lovullo tells Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that the issue cropped up again yesterday after throwing live batting practice. Weiner relays that Graveman appears to be questionable for Opening Day.
The Snakes signed Graveman to a one-year, $1.35MM deal less than a month ago. The modest price is a reflection of the fact that Graveman missed the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery. The D’Backs have made a modest bet that he could bounce back to his pre-surgery form. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 187 1/3 relief innings with a 2.74 earned run average, 24.5% strikeout rate, 10.4% walk rate and 48.9% ground ball rate.
If healthy, Graveman would be one of the club’s key leverage relievers, alongside guys like A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel and Justin Martínez. This back issue doesn’t seem to be a major concern but isn’t the ideal way for him to start down the comeback trail. Opening Day is still two weeks away, which gives him some time, but it will be a situation to watch for the Diamondbacks and their fans.
More notes from around the National League West…
- John Seidler is now officially the control person of the Padres, reports Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The brother of the later Peter Seidler, John was approved by the league as control person over a month ago. Despite the league approval, it was noted at that time that the transfer would not become official until all the paperwork was complete on John becoming the trustee of Peter’s trust. Lin relays that the process with the trust is now complete, making John the official control person. After Peter’s death, the duties of control person were handled by his previous business partner Eric Kutsenda on an interim basis. There is an ongoing legal dispute over control of the club in the wake of Peter’s passing, with his widow Sheel filing suit against his brothers.
- Giants catcher Tom Murphy continues to be on the shelf. The club informed reporters, including Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News, that Murphy would require another epidural injection this week. He’ll be doing rehab only for the next two weeks, meaning no baseball activities. That makes him a lock for the injured list to start the season. That’s not a shock, since it was reported in late February that he has a herniated disc in his mid-back area and would be getting an epidural injection that would sideline him for weeks. He’s now getting a second shot and is still not close. Murphy has flashed a potent bat in his career but injuries have often stood in the way. He has nine MLB seasons but only appeared in 50 or more games in two of those. The Giants have Patrick Bailey as their primary catcher. With Murphy out, the backup job could fall to Sam Huff. Non-roster options in camp include Logan Porter and Max Stassi.
Huff has looked really good in camp. He’s out of options so would assume he makes the team.
Huff is the better hitter, no doubt, but Stassi has the edge defensively. It depends on the Giants’ priorities, and their analyses of the two. Huff having more years of control might tip the scales though.
Huff being on the 40 man and being younger will also factor. Think Stassi has a good future as a coach/manager.
I agree except I think the 40-man roster spot isn’t that big a factor. The Giants aren’t going to be able to keep both of them. Huff would get claimed if they tried to pass him through waivers. And Stassi has the right to refuse a MiL assignment, which I assume he would.
Remember that Huff has a 40-man spot only because the Giants were required to roster him when they claimed him.
The fact that Huff has the years of control (youth), and is the better hitter definitely plays to his advantage. But if the Giants are wary, thinking that his BABIP inflated his hitting stats, and really want a better defender, they aren’t going to risk losing Stassi, by keeping Huff, simply because he’s on the 40-man.
They will get input from the pitchers about who they prefer throwing to. I do think they will opt for Huff, and I trust their judgment over my guessing. But I think, looking at the pros and cons of it being Huff, the 40 man spot is the least important of the pros.
Not so sure they would lose Stassi. He’s a backup at this stage of his career who’s on the wrong side of 30 that’s been out of the bigs for a couple of years. At the end of spring there’s likely to be a glut of glove first catchers on the market and given that he hasn’t exactly shined this spring with the bat likely he’d have to settle for a minor contract where ever he signed. Plus he’s a NorCal guy who grew up in Woodland near Sacramento. If the Giants made it clear that if Bailey or Huff got hurt he would get the call he might choose to stick with the contract he’s got, maybe with an opt-out in June or something.
You could be right about being able to keep both. Certainly the Giants would try to gauge what Stassi would do if he doesn’t make the ML roster, and if he’s good going to AAA, they can keep both. But it’s also possible one of the 29 other clubs could see Stassi as an upgrade over their current back up guy. Hopefully they will be able to keep both, but if Stassi is MiL depth, he’ll need a 40-man spot in case of injury anyway.
Stassi was born in Woodland, but grew up in Yuba City. Still a NorCal .guy though.
If Murphy goes on the 60 day that would open up a spot on the 40 man.
Rangers never gave Huff a real chance.
Giants’ fans say the same about Bart.
Lots of Giant hands in the air this Spring. Catchers, starters, position players. Very little crashing and burning going on with the hopefuls. It’s good to see.
The Graveman injury probably opens the door for Drey Jameson to make the roster. Jameson has looked good in Cactus League play coming off TJ surgery and has more upside as a reliever than just about everyone not named Puk, Ginkel, and Martinez.
Disagree. I think this opens the door for Jarvis to make the OD roster. At this point, I think Jameson might have made it in himself. Puk, Martinez, Ginkel, Mantiply, Thompson, Montgomery, Jameson, Graveman/Jarvis, with Pfaadt in Reno and Ryne the #5.
Unresolved ownership situation could quietly derail the Padres’ ability to compete long-term
While the possibility exists, of course… I really don’t think it will be a distraction that filtrates to the field in any way, shape or form. We shall see, though! Sheel will be cut a slice of the pie, one way or another… but I don’t think she has a solid claim to the actual Ownership role.
Fair points Crikes. Granted, I meant going forward. Perhaps I could have detailed that with more clarity, apologies.
To be fair Sasaki was always going to sign with LA. His team posted him years before they could get a huge return for him out of the goodness of their hearts and there was no kickback whatsoever. MLB investigated and told me so.
I’m waiting to see how Pads Fan spins this after saying numerous times that a judge has blocked John Seidler from being in control.
I don’t know what anyone else said, but the reality is MLB appointing John Seidler as the controlling partner of the Padres for their purposes seemingly does nothing to resolve the Seidler estate’s legal issues. Those will be hashed out in court, assuming a settlement is not reached.
One of his accounts will be on here defending him. It’s how he rolls.
Um, what?
Um, exactly what I said. As far as I can tell, this reply landed in the right spot.
By all means, continue to tell yourself this. It’s so much more important than making sense to anyone else.
I think foppert was replying to me about Pads Fan.
Ha ha. Oh dear. Ok.
Where you not referring to Pads Fan?
Yeah I was. The oh dear wasn’t for you.
Gotcha.
Um, what?
On second thought, please don’t try to explain. Somehow, I prefer this to not make sense.
@Blue Yeah it will play out in court, could take years. Meanwhile diggins and fops have bees in bonnet over Pads Fan, you just happen to walk into the wrangle.
Oh I see. Maybe. I guess I should have asked if it was a private fight or if anyone could join.
Ha ha. No bee. I just get great humour out of the way he uses multiple accounts. When you know, you know !
There is humor, I can’t disagree
In Seidler’s first comments as the control person he says how big of a Dodger fan he is and how tough it was to root for the Padres. We all know the family history, I don’t think he needed to even bring it up. Guess he wants everyone to know how he feels before he blows everything up.
Good on him. I’m guessing it would be very very difficult for him to root for Padres. The vast majority of Padre fans overreacted, took one side of a story as gospel and labelled the brothers as racist fraudsters. Not like you welcomed them with open arms.
John Seidler was the brother that shared Peter Seidlers vision of bringing a WS CHAMPIONSHIP to San Diego while the wife and other brothers/family members were more about getting what money they could and that’s why they weren’t named as primary control people for the baseball side.
The Padres will be just fine with John Seidler in control
Implicating Tom?