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Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen To Take Physical Leave Of Absence

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The Diamondbacks announced that executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen is taking a “physical leave of absence” from the team. Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations, with Hazen consulting regularly.

Sawdaye has been one of Hazen’s primary lieutenants throughout the duration of their tenures in Arizona. The pair worked together in the Red Sox front office, and Sawdaye followed Hazen to the desert less than two weeks after the latter was hired as Diamondbacks general manager. Sawdaye has long been viewed as a potential future GM, and he was among the finalists for the Angels job that went to Perry Minasian last winter.

Hazen’s wife Nicole has been battling brain cancer, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hazen told reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities. MLBTR sends our best wishes to the Hazen family.

Diamondbacks Part Ways With Hitting Coaches Darnell Coles And Eric Hinske

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5:05 pm: General manager Mike Hazen reiterated the organization’s faith in Lovullo, telling Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link) he “still (feels) like Torey is the right person to lead these guys and to right this ship and get us back to where we need to go.”

4:13 pm: The Diamondbacks announced this afternoon they’ve parted ways with hitting coach Darnell Coles and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske. To replace them, the club has promoted Rick Short, who had been hitting coach with their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, and run production coordinator Drew Hedman. Short and Hedman will serve as co-hitting coaches.

Coles and Hinske were both hired during the 2018-19 offseason. In each of the two-plus seasons since, the D-Backs have run out a below-average offense. Obviously, it’s difficult to tell what extent the blame for that should fall on the coaching staff versus the players, but the organization evidently decided it was time to bring in a pair of new voices.

Given how disastrous this season has been, it’s not hard to see why the club is shaking things up. The Diamondbacks have the league’s worst record at 20-43, and they’re currently amidst a nineteen-game road losing streak, a mark that’s three games shy of an all-time record. The lineup isn’t the only reason for that level of futility, but it hasn’t been a strength either. Diamondbacks hitters have a cumulative .238/.312/.394 slash line, excluding pitchers. The resulting 94 wRC+ places them just twenty-second among the league’s thirty clubs in park-adjusted offense.

Short, who appeared in eleven MLB games as a player with the 2005 Nationals, has spent the past decade in the Arizona organization as a scout and minor league coach. Hedman, who had previously coached at the amateur level, was hired by the D-Backs as a scout in 2018. He was promoted to run production coordinator the following year. David Laurila of FanGraphs examined Hedman’s rapid rise last April.

The firing of Coles and Hinske will only heighten speculation about the future of manager Torey Lovullo. The fifth-year skipper is in the final year of his current contract, and the team’s dreadful performance over the past two seasons has led some fans to suggest Lovullo’s job might be in jeopardy. The front office has continued to stick by him, with CEO Derrick Hall telling reporters last month Lovullo was “not the problem” with the organization (via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). The team’s tailspin has only intensified since then, however.

Diamondbacks Reportedly Listening To Trade Offers For David Peralta

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The Diamondbacks are in last place in the NL West, and already seem to be one of the teams who are looking ahead to 2022.  To this end, “David Peralta is among the players the Diamondbacks have already made available,” FanSided’s Robert Murray hears from rival executives.

Peralta has been mentioned in past trade rumors over the years as the D’Backs have fluctuated between building and rebuilding, though the outfielder is now in the midst of his eighth season with Arizona.  Unfortunately for the Snakes, moving Peralta (who turns 34 in August) right now could count as a sell-low proposition given his underwhelming start to the season.

Peralta is hitting only .245/.302/.409 over 225 plate appearances, and all three of those slash line statistics would represent new career lows.  There aren’t many positives on Peralta’s 2021 Statcast profile, and his .278 xwOBA (compared to a .305 wOBA) suggests that he is perhaps even a bit fortunate to have achieved this modest level of production.  According to Fangraphs, Peralta is making hard contact only 28.4% of the time (the lowest of his career) and his 55.6% grounder rate is the highest of his career.  Never very productive against southpaws, the left-handed hitting Peralta has batted only .251/.311/.406 against right-handed pitching this season.

Even defensively, Peralta has a -6.4 UZR/150 and -3 Defensive Runs Saved over 452 innings in left field.  His glovework has tended to be a little inconsistent through the years, but at his peak Peralta has been a very strong defender, even winning a Gold Glove in 2019.

Despite all these warning signs, there is still a case to made that Peralta represents an upgrade for any number of contending teams.  Peralta was a solidly above-average offensive player over his first seven seasons, and a change of scenery could very well get him back on track.  Contract-wise, Peralta is owed $7.5MM in 2022 and has roughly $4.76MM remaining on his 2021 salary, so he wouldn’t be too expensive an option for low-payroll club or a bigger-market team looking to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Speculatively, teams like the Padres, Yankees, Braves, and (as Murray mentions) the Cardinals could all make sense as trade suitors for Peralta.  The White Sox could also be a fit with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert still out of action, and since those two outfielders aren’t expected back for at least a couple more months, Chicago could be one of the teams that would benefit from the D’Backs taking an early plunge into the trade market.

Chris Devenski Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Diamondbacks reliever Chris Devenski recently underwent Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports (Twitter link).  Devenski was reportedly considering surgery after being placed on the 60-day injured list due to a sprained right UCL, and he’ll now face an absence of roughly 13-15 months as per the normal TJ rehab timeline.

Devenski’s 2020 season was also cut short by arthroscopic elbow surgery, though that four-month recovery period pales in comparison to the much more long-term setback of a Tommy John procedure.  Devenski will miss not just the rest of the 2021 season but most or even potentially all of the 2022 campaign, should he hit a setback in his rehab.

Best known for his time with the Astros, Devenski broke into the majors with a 2.38 ERA over 189 innings during the 2016-17 seasons, often working as a multi-inning reliever en route to helping Houston win the 2017 World Series (though he struggled during the Astros’ postseason run).  The right-hander followed up those two big years with only decent performances in 2018-19, and injuries then limited him to only 3 2/3 innings in 2020.

After electing free agency following last season, Devenski inked a minor league deal with the D’Backs that locked in $1MM of guaranteed money once he made Arizona’s big league roster.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t recapture his old form, posting an 8.59 ERA over his 7 1/3 innings for the Snakes, striking out only five of 35 batters faced.

The 30-year-old now faces an uncertain future in his next trip through free agency.  It’s not out of the question that Devenski could land a multi-year minor league contract, with a team essentially paying him a minimal salary to rehab for much of 2022 and then retaining his rights for a (presumably) healthy season in 2023.  However, with Devenski’s lack of a recent track record, teams might just prefer to wait until he’s done rehab in 13-15 months and then scout his progress during a showcase.

While Devenski wasn’t exactly a huge investment for the Diamondbacks, his injury represents yet another misfire during what is looking like a nightmare of a two-year stretch for the club.  The D’Backs struggled to a 25-35 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and the Snakes are 20-39 thus far in 2021, as injuries and under-performance have them already looking like also-rans here in the first week of June.

Orioles Make Several Roster Moves

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The Orioles announced a flurry of moves this afternoon, including the news that infielder Domingo Leyba has been claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.  Infielder Ramon Urias and right-hander Travis Lakins have been called up from Norfolk, and righty Hunter Harvey has been activated off the 60-day injured list.

To create roster space, right-hander Shawn Armstrong and lefty Brandon Waddell were designated for assignment.  (Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported earlier today that Waddell was being DFA’ed.)  Additionally, infielder Pat Valaika was placed on the bereavement list.

Leyba was designated for assignment just two days ago.  The 25-year-old went hitless (with two walks) in 24 plate appearances for Arizona this season, following a very respectable .807 OPS over his first 30 career big league PA in 2019.  This wide range of production comes on the heels of a solid .290/.347/.434 slash line in 2624 PA in the minors as part of the Diamondbacks’ and Tigers’ farm systems since 2013.  Leyba put up particularly big numbers with Arizona’s Triple-A team in 2018-19, though the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League environment might have played a role considering his more modest career output in previous years.

Harvey suffered a left oblique strain in mid-March, and is now set to finally make his 2021 debut.  Injuries have pretty much been the story of Harvey’s career since being selected 22nd overall in the 2013 draft, as his MLB resume consists of only 15 total innings in 2019-20.  Even that small sample size still hints at some promise, however, as Harvey’s fastball sits in the high 90’s and he has struck out 17 of his 63 batters faced.  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told The Athletic’s Dan Connelly and other reporters that Harvey will be used in a variety of bullpen roles, with seemingly no concession made to his injury history — he’ll be deployed “like a regular piece in the bullpen,” Hyde said.

Since being claimed off waivers from the Mariners in April 2019, Armstrong has been something of a workhorse out of the Baltimore pen, appearing in 85 games and tossing 89 1/3 innings.  The results weren’t always there, however, as Armstrong had a 5.34 ERA during his stint in the orange and black.  Armstrong is out of minor league options, so the O’s had no choice but to designate him and expose him to a potential waiver claim.

Waddell was a waiver pickup himself, selected by the Orioles off of the Twins’ roster in early May.  He has pitched in only one game for the O’s and two games for Triple-A Norfolk, as Kubatko notes that Waddell was delayed by the intake process required by COVID-19 protocols.  A longtime member of the Pirates’ minor league system, Waddell has seen MLB action with the Bucs, Twins, and Orioles over the last two seasons, with a 6.48 ERA over 8 1/3 total career innings in the big leagues.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/3/21

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The latest minor moves from around the league:

  • The Diamondbacks announced they’ve acquired right-hander Tyler Jones from the Marlins, completing the teams’ December deal that sent Rule 5 draft pick Zach Pop to Miami. The Marlins selected Jones in the 26th round of the 2018 draft. He’d struggled to a 6.83 ERA over three seasons at Wichita State, but he’s been much more productive in pro ball. The 25-year-old has a 2.02 mark in 40 appearances (eight starts) in the low minors, punching out an impressive 27.8% of opposing hitters.

Diamondbacks Place Madison Bumgarner On Injured List

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JUNE 3, 6:21 pm: Bumgarner will go on the 10-day injured list after all. The team announced they’ve recalled Humberto Castellanos to replace him on the active roster.

JUNE 3, 4:35 pm: The MRI revealed shoulder inflammation, Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). It doesn’t seem there’s much cause for concern, as the manager says the organization is hoping Bumgarner will avoid the injured list altogether.

JUNE 2: Madison Bumgarner has discomfort in his left shoulder and will go for an MRI tonight, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Zach Buchanan of the Athletic). It’s an issue he’s been pitching through for 2-3 weeks, Bumgarner himself said (via Bob Nightengale of USA Today).

Perhaps not coincidentally, Bumgarner’s last four starts have been disastrous. The 31-year-old began the season with three poor games, but he seemed to flip a switch before his April 18 outing against the Nationals. Beginning with that start in Washington, Bumgarner worked to a brilliant 0.90 ERA with incredible strikeout and walk numbers (32.4% and 1.9%, respectively) over his next five outings.

Unfortunately for Bumgarner and the D-Backs, that superlative level of play vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Over his last four starts (including today’s work against the Mets), the southpaw has only managed a 10.13 ERA with thirteen strikeouts and eight walks over sixteen frames. Bumgarner’s velocity hasn’t been dramatically different recently, although the injury could have contributed to the downturn in his performance in some other way.

Today’s loss dropped the Diamondbacks to a woeful 20-37, and it’s become increasingly apparent Arizona will wind up selling off veteran players as we get closer to the July 30 trade deadline. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams examined earlier today, it looks like it’ll be tough to find a taker for Bumgarner, who is due the balance of a $19MM salary this year, with successive figures of $23MM, $23MM and $14MM over the following three seasons. If Bumgarner now winds up requiring an injured list stint, that’d only further decrease the chances there’ll be suitors for the four-time All-Star in the coming months.

Pirates Trade Ildemaro Vargas To Diamondbacks

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The Diamondbacks announced Wednesday that they’ve acquired infielder Ildemaro Vargas from the Pirates in exchange for cash. Infielder Domingo Leyba was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Vargas, who is returning to the club that originally gave him his first Major League opportunity.

Now 29 years old, the switch-hitting Vargas made his MLB debut with the Snakes back in 2017. He was an up-and-down utility piece for them up through the 2020 season, when Arizona designated him for assignment and flipped him to the Twins for cash. That kicked off a series of team changes for Vargas, who has since ridden the DFA carousel from Minnesota to Chicago (Cubs) to Pittsburgh before today’s return to Arizona.

Vargas batted .257/.287/.387 in 265 plate appearances with the D-backs from 2017-20 but has struggled in limited action since that time. He’s tallied 70 plate appearances between the Twins, Cubs and Pirates but managed only a .167/.214/.292 output. Now back with the Diamondbacks, he’ll likely serve as a bench option and provide some depth at second base, third base and perhaps in the outfield corners.

The 25-year-old Leyba came to the Diamondbacks in 2014’s three-team swap that sent Robbie Ray to Arizona, Shane Greene to Detroit and Didi Gregorius to the Yankees. The addition of Ray obviously proved to be of great benefit for the Diamondbacks, but Leyba hasn’t panned out as they hoped. He’s just 7-for-47 with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate in 54 MLB plate appearances — including an 0-for-22 showing so far in 2021.

To his credit, Leyba has hit well in parts of two Triple-A seasons, slashing a combined .311/.361/.547 in 535 plate appearances. He’s also out of minor league options, generally light on power and is not regarded as a top-tier defender anywhere in the infield. He has experience at shortstop, second base and third base. A club with room on its big league bench could take a shot on Leyba, but neither FanGraphs nor Baseball America ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects heading into the 2021 season.

Quick Hits: Workman, Gallen, Tatis Jr.

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Brandon Workman has opted out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. They now have less than 48 hours to decide whether or not to add him to the active roster, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The 32-year-old returned to the Red Sox after being released by the Cubs at the end of April. He put up a 6.75 ERA in 10 appearances with Chicago, but followed that up with a 1.29 ERA over seven innings for the Triple-A Red Sox. He racked up strikeouts at both spots with a combined 30.0 percent strikeout rate. As has been the issue with Workman in the past, however, his control has been spotty (15.7 percent walk rate). If Boston decides not to add him to their active roster, Workman will again be a free agent. Elsewhere around the game…

  • Diamondbacks’ ace Zac Gallen threw at 90-feet today, and he’s scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow to truly begin the road back to the active roster, per the Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (via Twitter). After starting the season on the injured list, Gallen returned with five strong outings from April 13th to May 7th, but he landed back on the IL with a UCL sprain.
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. left today’s game against the Cubs in the sixth inning, though there was no apparent injury at the time. The Padres did not waste much time in acknowledging his removal (via Twitter); he exited as a precautionary measure due to oblique tightness. Given his level of stardom, his central role on a contender, and the myriad injuries he’s dealt with so far this season, any health issue for Tatis Jr. rates as a potential game-changer. He did not seem particularly perturbed at the time of his exit, however, and there’s no reason to do anything but take the Padres’ at their word and hope the injury is, at it seems, a minor one.

Diamondbacks Activate Christian Walker From 10-Day IL

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The Diamondbacks announced that first baseman Christian Walker has been activated off the 10-day injured list.  Walker will take the place of Andrew Young, who was optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game.

Right oblique soreness has twice relegated Walker to the IL this season, and the D’Backs are certainly hoping that this latest absence has finally gotten Walker fully healthy.  It’s probably fair to say that the stop-and-start nature of his season has impacted Walker’s play, as he has hit only .203/.268/.313 over 71 plate appearances thus far in 2021.  Walker was a much more productive bat in 2019-20, when he hit .262/.344/.471 with 36 home runs in 423 PA for Arizona.

Like many teams this season, the D’Backs have been hit hard by injuries, but Arizona is on a 12-game losing streak and has sunk to last place in the NL West.  There might not be much time left before the Diamondbacks start thinking about selling at the trade deadline, and it isn’t out of the question that Walker himself could be moved.  Though he has three arbitration-eligible years remaining, Walker is already 30 years old and might not be seen as a long-term piece for the D’Backs, if the front office decides that a larger roster reshuffle is necessary to get the club on track.  Owed only around $415K for the remainder of the season, an in-form Walker would draw a lot of attention from payroll-stretched teams looking for lineup help.

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