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Angels Designate Noe Ramirez For Assignment

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The Angels announced they’ve designated reliever Noé Ramirez for assignment. The move clears space on the active and 40-man rosters for Hunter Strickland, who has been activated after being acquired from the Rays yesterday.

Ramirez has pitched for Los Angeles over the past four seasons. He was a durable, generally productive reliever in the middle innings from 2018-20, working to a 4.13 ERA/4.20 FIP across 172 innings. The Angels traded Ramirez to the Reds over the winter as part of the Raisel Iglesias deal.

The 31-year-old had a very rough Spring Training with Cincinnati, leading the Reds to cut him loose before the start of the season. Ramirez promptly returned to the Angels’ organization on a minor league deal and was selected to the roster earlier this week. The veteran righty went on to make two appearances, allowing a pair of runs on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts through 3 1/3 innings.

Los Angeles will now have a week to trade or waive Ramirez. As a player with more than three years of MLB service, Ramirez has the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he clears outright waivers, although doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of his guaranteed salary for this season.

Cubs Place Alec Mills On Injured List

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The Cubs are placing right-hander Alec Mills on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to pass along (Twitter link). Fellow righty Tommy Nance was selected to the 40-man roster in a corresponding move.

Mills was a key member of the Chicago rotation last season, starting eleven games and finishing third on the team in innings pitched (62 1/3). On the whole, he wasn’t particularly effective in that role (September no-hitter notwithstanding), working to a 4.48 ERA/4.81 SIERA. The offseason acquisitions of Jake Arrieta and Trevor Williams bumped Mills to a long relief role early this season. Through 22 2/3 innings, the sinkerballer has managed just a 5.96 ERA with a very low 12.7% strikeout rate. Mills has continued to throw strikes and induce plenty of grounders, but he doesn’t miss many bats and has proven susceptible to homers when opposing hitters have managed to elevate the ball.

With Mills out of action, Nance is in line to make his major league debut. The 30-year-old signed with Chicago out of indy ball in 2016 after going undrafted out of Santa Clara University. Given that non-traditional background, it’s no surprise he’s never appeared on a Cubs’ organizational prospects ranking at Baseball America or FanGraphs. Nance has been quietly productive all the way up the minor league ladder, though, working to a 3.33 ERA with decent strikeout and walk rates (25.7% and 9.5%, respectively) over 113 2/3 professional innings. Nance has pitched six stellar innings of one-run ball at Triple-A Iowa this season, strikeout out ten while allowing just one hit (a homer) and a walk.

Latest On Yankees, COVID-19

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MAY 16: A tenth Yankee staffer has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Marly Rivera of ESPN) this morning. That person is not a member of New York’s front-facing coaching staff.

MAY 12: Pitching coach Matt Blake and two other staff members tested positive, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com was among those to report. That brings the Yankees’ total to seven positive cases (three coaches, four non-coaches). The team also scratched shortstop Gleyber Torres from its lineup Wednesday out of “an abundance of caution,” Boone said (via Lindsay Adler of The Athletic). Wednesday’s game is still slated to take place.

MAY 11, 9:40pm: First base coach Reggie Willits also tested positive, James Wagner of the New York Times tweets.

9:23pm: A member of the Yankees’ clubhouse staff also tested positive, Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and other reporters. It’s not known whether that will affect Wednesday’s game between New York and Tampa Bay, but Boone said,“We are preparing tonight as though we are playing tomorrow.”

4:03pm: Manager Aaron Boone said Nevin is the only confirmed positive case as of now, Jack Curry of the YES Network relays. The team is awaiting the results on the other coaches, but Boone expects the Yankees to play Tuesday.

3:45pm: At least five of the Yankees’ coaches have tested positive for COVID-19, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports. All have been vaccinated and most are asymptomatic, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. It isn’t clear whether the Yankees will play their game in Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The league will make an announcement sometime soon, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com tweets.

Third base coach Phil Nevin is one of the coaches who tested positive, according to the team, which stated (via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com): “We have a breakthrough positive involving 3B Coach Phil Nevin, who is fully vaccinated. He is currently under quarantine protocol in Tampa. Under MLB’s guidance and advice, and with its assistance, additional testing and contact tracing are ongoing.”

Rays Activate Francisco Mejia, Designate Kevan Smith

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The Rays are reinstating catcher Francisco Mejía from the 10-day injured list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was among those to pass along (Twitter link). Fellow backstop Kevan Smith was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Mejía went on the IL last week with left intercostal discomfort. It proved to be a minimal stay, as he returns ten days later to again pair with Mike Zunino behind the plate. Acquired from the Padres over the winter as part of the Blake Snell return, Mejía has gotten off to a fine start with his new team. Over his first 67 plate appearances, the switch-hitter has slashed .300/.348/.450 with a home run. That’s a rather significant improvement over the .225/.282/.386 mark he carried as a big leaguer entering 2021.

Obviously, Mejía will need more than a month of strong performance to cement himself as a foundational piece for the Rays, but he certainly carries the pedigree to do so. Mejía was once regarded among the top prospects in baseball as a potentially impactful bat-first catcher. He’s still just 25 years old and making contact at a career-best clip so far, although he hasn’t tamped down the overaggressive approach that contributed to his prior big league struggles.

With Mejía and Zunino healthy, the Rays determined there wasn’t place on the active roster for Smith, who is out of minor league option years. The 32-year-old was selected to the roster when Mejía went on the IL and only picked up five plate appearances over the past week-plus. The Rays now have a week to trade or waive Smith, who has been in the Tampa Bay organization over the past two seasons. Having previously been outrighted in his career, Smith would have the right to elect free agency in lieu of a minor league assignment if he clears waivers.

Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On Injured List, Select Ryan LaMarre

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MAY 16: The Yankees officially placed Hicks on the IL, retroactive to May 13, with a left wrist sprain. LaMarre was indeed selected to the roster in a corresponding move. The 32-year-old has a .236/.286/.338 line in 246 MLB plate appearances over parts of five seasons. He signed a minor league deal with New York over the winter and was off to a .273/.333/.303 start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees already had a pair of 40-man roster vacancies, so no additional move was needed to accommodate LaMarre’s selection.

MAY 15: The Yankees will indeed place Hicks on the 10-day IL, according to Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network (Twitter link).  Ryan LaMarre will be called up to take Hicks’ spot on the active roster, as per Jack Curry of YES.

MAY 14: Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks has suffered a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports. There is no word on how much time Hicks will miss. He could play this weekend, go on the injured list or undergo surgery, per Rivera. He’s on medication for the time being.

This continues a difficult start to the season for Hicks, who hasn’t been able to replicate his strong effort from 2020. The switch-hitting 31-year-old has hit just .194/.294/.333 with four home runs in 126 plate appearances, making it easily his worst production since the Yankees acquired him from the Twins before 2016. Hicks performed well enough in the Bronx from 2017-18 that the team signed him to a seven-year, $70MM extension heading into the 2019 campaign. But Hicks dealt with back and elbow problems that year, limiting him to 54 games, and had to undergo Tommy John surgery after the season.

Although Hicks has had a rough go this year, any extended absence would be a significant blow to New York’s outfield depth. Hicks has played the vast majority of the team’s games this year in center field, starting at the position in 30 of 37 contests. The Yankees’ next option has been Brett Gardner, who has also posted uncharacteristically poor numbers this season, and the club took from its center depth when it traded Mike Tauchman to the Giants for reliever Wandy Peralta in late April.

Blue Jays Sign Carl Edwards Jr.

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The Blue Jays have signed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league contract, per a report from Sportsnet. He has been assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.

Edwards is most well-known for his run with the Cubs. Once a well-regarded prospect in the Chicago system, he made his MLB debut late in 2015 and was an important part of the Cubs’ bullpen over the next few seasons. Despite persistent troubles with walks, Edwards was quite good at missing bats and preventing runs over his first few years. Between 2016-18, he worked to a 3.03 ERA/3.12 FIP across 154 1/3 relief innings.

He’s fallen on hard times since then, though. Edwards got off to a terrible start in 2019, and Chicago flipped him to the Padres for fellow reliever Brad Wieck at the trade deadline. Edwards couldn’t right the ship in San Diego and wound up non-tendered. The Mariners signed him that offseason in hopes of a rebound. To his credit, the righty got off to a strong start in Seattle but a flexor mass strain in his forearm ended his season after just 4 2/3 innings.

The Braves signed Edwards to a minor league deal over the winter. Atlanta selected him to the major league roster earlier this month but designated him for assignment after just one appearance, in which he allowed three runs on as many hits while recording a single out. Edwards cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Now, he’ll look to work his way back to the big leagues with Toronto. The Jays have dealt with plenty of bullpen injuries this season and are still without notables Rafael Dolis, Julian Merryweather and David Phelps (as well as presumptive closer Kirby Yates, who underwent Tommy John surgery before the regular season began). Despite the health woes, Toronto relievers have worked to a solid 2.99 ERA/3.76 SIERA this year.

Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto Day-To-Day With Injuries

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10:28PM: If losing Harper wasn’t enough, J.T. Realmuto is also day-to-day after re-aggravating his left wrist injury, manager Joe Girardi told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other reporters.  Realmuto was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of tonight’s game.  Realmuto missed two games earlier this month with what was described as an issue with his left hand.  Girardi is doubtful either Harper (whose shoulder problem emerged in Saturday’s game) or Realmuto will be available tomorrow.

8:55PM: Bryce Harper left the Phillies’ game with the Blue Jays tonight due to right shoulder soreness, the Phils announced.  Harper struck out swinging in both of his at-bats, and he was replaced by Scott Kingery in right field when the Phillies took the field for the bottom of the fourth inning.

This is the latest injury to hamper Harper this season, as he has previously missed time due to back soreness, a balky wrist, and (most concerning) after being hit in the face by a Genesis Cabrera fastball back on April 28.  Harper has missed eight games due to these issues but hasn’t had to hit the injured list, and thus hasn’t any major interruption in what has been an outstanding season for the 28-year-old.

Harper is hitting .313/.442/.571 with seven home runs over his first 138 plate appearances, good for a spectacular 173 wRC+.  While there’s obviously a long way to go in the 2021 season (and an injury could change the equation for Harper entirely), this represents Harper’s best wRC+ since his 197 number in his 2015 MVP season.

It remains to be seen if Harper’s injury will result in an IL stint, and naturally there isn’t an easy way for the Phils to truly replace his offensive production.  Mickey Moniak, Travis Jankowski, and Ryan Cordell are among the top outfield options at Triple-A, and Kingery is available on the big league bench.  Roman Quinn and Matt Joyce are both on the IL themselves, further thinning Philadelphia’s outfield depth.

Dodgers Acquire Yoshi Tsutsugo From Rays

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The Dodgers have acquired infielder Yoshi Tsutsugo from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.  Infielder Edwin Rios was moved to the 60-day injured list to create roster space for Tsutsugo.

The Rays designated Tsutsugo for assignment last Tuesday, and today’s trade closes the book on an overall disappointing 18-month tenure for Tsutsugo in Tampa Bay.  Signed to a two-year, $12MM free agent deal in the 2019-20 offseason, Tsutsugo hit .197/.314/.395 over 185 plate appearances last season, and had only two hits over 16 PA during Tampa’s postseason run.  The 29-year-old followed that rookie season up with a rough .167/.244/.218 slash line in 87 PA this season, which prompted the Rays to send Tsutsugo to the DFA wire.

Tsutsugo is still owed roughly $5.49MM of his original $7MM salary for the 2021 season, and according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), the Dodgers will cover slightly more than $430K — the prorated share of the minimum salary.  This means the Rays will eat the roughly $5MM remaining of Tsutsugo’s salary, making his contract a fairly costly mistake considering the team’s low spending habts.

After years of big numbers with NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Tsutsugo drew plenty of attention when he was posted by the BayStars in the winter of 2019-20.  The Dodgers weren’t one of the teams known to have interest in Tsutsugo’s services, but their interest could have been piqued given their current needs.

Tsutsugo has played third base, first base, and left field for Tampa Bay, so he fits the Dodgers’ preferred model as a multi-position player (the team’s signing of Albert Pujols notwithstanding).  While L.A. already has a number of left-handed hitting options, Tsutsugo is something of a more experienced option due to his time in Japan, even if he has relatively little time in Major League Baseball.  Tsutsugo could be seen as something of a straight replacement for Rios, another lefty bat with corner infield and corner outfield experience.  Rios will miss the remainder of the season due to surgery on his right shoulder.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/21

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The latest minor league moves from around baseball…

  • The Pirates outrighted Hunter Owen to Triple-A, the team announced.  The outfielder was designated for assignment earlier this week.  A 25th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2016 draft, Owen made his MLB debut this season, and is still looking for his first hit after five plate appearances over three games.
  • Right-hander Luis Madero cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate.  The Marlins designated Madero for assignment earlier this week, and he had the option of becoming a free agent since he had previously been outrighted during his career, back in February 2020 when he was a member of the Giants.  After signing a minor league contract with Miami in the offseason, Madero made his MLB debut by pitching three innings over two appearances this season.

D’Backs Prospect Corbin Carroll To Miss Rest Of 2021 Season

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Diamondbacks outfield prospect Corbin Carroll will undergo shoulder surgery that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the 2021 season, MLB Pipeline’s William Boor reports.  The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (via Twitter) adds the detail that Carroll injured his shoulder while hitting a home run — presumably the solo homer Carroll hit on May 10, in his last game with the high-A level Hillsboro Hops.

Selected with the 16th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Carroll has hit .316/.428/.542 over his first 215 plate appearances in pro ball.  Between this injury and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Carroll will lose two critical years of development, though Buchanan notes that the 20-year-old Carroll was seen as being “already ahead of the curve.”

Carroll is the consensus pick as the top prospect in Arizona’s farm system, and one of the better minor leaguers in all of baseball.  Fangraphs ranks him 20th on their top prospects list, and Carroll also has high finishes on top-100 rankings from Keith Law (23rd), Baseball America (34th) and MLB.com (38th).

Carroll is already considered to be big league-ready as a center field-capable defender and a baserunner with 70-grade speed, and is seen as a future leadoff man due to his on-base skills and contact-oriented approach at the plate.  “So exceptional are Carroll’s hand-eye coordination and barrel accuracy, especially for his age, that he now has among the best hit tool projections in the minors,” according to Fangraphs’ scouting report.

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