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NL West Notes: Padres, Yankees, Soto, Montgomery, Treinen, Bryant

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As one might expect, December’s blockbuster Juan Soto trade between the Padres and Yankees took on several different permutations before the two sides finally agreed on the seven players involved.  The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Padres had interest in 17 different Yankees players before finally agreeing on a package of four pitchers (Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe) and catcher Kyle Higashioka in exchange for Soto and Trent Grisham.  Clarke Schmidt and Chase Hampton were two of the other pitchers known to be considered when reports began to surface about the trade negotiations, and Heyman adds that the Yankees agreeing to include Thorpe instead of Hampton was one of the turning points in getting the deal done.

Though San Diego ended up taking a pitching-heavy mix of players, Heyman writes that the Friars also asked about such noteworthy position-player prospects as Spencer Jones, Roderick Arias, and George Lombard Jr.  Jones is a top-100 prospect and the 25th overall pick of the 2022 draft, and he has already drawn lots of trade buzz early in his pro career.  The Yankees have thus far balked at moving Jones, even in past talks with the Brewers and White Sox about Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease, respectively.

More from around the NL West…

  • Jordan Montgomery will likely make his Diamondbacks debut on April 18, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of KTAR 92.3 radio).  Because he didn’t sign until just prior to Opening Day and therefore missed Spring Training, Montgomery started his D’Backs tenure in the minors in order to get some ramp-up work under his belt.  Montgomery got up to 71 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in a Triple-A start yesterday, and though he was tagged for seven unearned runs, Lovullo said Montgomery was just working out his fastball rather than worrying about on-field results.  It remains to be seen if Tommy Henry or Ryne Nelson will be removed from the rotation to make way for Montgomery, though if Montgomery is eased back into action, one of Henry or Nelson could speculatively be paired with the southpaw in something of a piggyback capacity for a turn or two through the rotation.
  • Blake Treinen threw to live hitters today, in the latest step of his recovery process after suffered a bruised lung over a month ago.  Treinen was hit in the chest by a line drive during a Spring Training game, and he told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that a later MRI revealed two fractured ribs in addition to the bruised lung, though the reliever is now feeling pain-free.  Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the plan is to have Treinen face live hitters twice more over the next week, and then begin a minor league rehab assignment during the week of April 22.
  • Kris Bryant wasn’t in the Rockies’ lineup today after making an early exit from Saturday’s game due to back stiffness.  Bryant collided with the right field wall while catching a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fly ball in the first inning Saturday, and remained in the game until being replaced in the bottom of the fourth.  Bryant is considered day-to-day and manager Bud Black said he was available to pinch-hit today if necessary, though given Bryant’s lengthy injury history, any sort of health issue will naturally cause some extra concern.

Brewers Claim Corbin Martin

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The Brewers have claimed right-hander Corbin Martin off waivers from the Diamondbacks, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Hogg adds that right-hander Kevin Herget was designated for assignment to make room for Martin on the club’s 40-man roster. The Brewers subsequently optioned Martin to Triple-A.

Martin, 28, was a second-round pick by the Astros in the 2017 draft and, after dominating the Double-A level of the minors in his first full pro season, garnered plenty of top-100 prospect buzz prior to the 2019 season, even making his big league debut early in the season. Martin’s rise was thrown off course by him undergoing Tommy John surgery midway through the 2019 campaign, but that didn’t stop Houston from packaging him alongside Seth Beer, JB Bukauskas, and Josh Rojas to acquire future Hall of Famer Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline that summer.

The right-hander’s career began to come off the rails once he arrived in Arizona, however. Martin missed the entire 2020 season while rehabbing from surgery and didn’t make his organizational debut with Arizona until May of that year. He struggled through 43 1/3 innings of work split between the major league level and Triple-A that year, posting a whopping 10.69 ERA in five big league appearances along with a 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 frames with the club’s affiliate in Reno. Martin’s struggles continued in 2022 as Martin pitched to a 4.84 ERA and 4.59 FIP in seven appearances for the big league club. The righty spent the majority of the season in the minors before once again being shut down due to injury in August of that year.

That proved to be the last time Martin would pitch in the majors for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander missed the entire 2023 campaign after suffering a lat tendon tear in his right shoulder that ended up requiring surgery. He returned to action with the beginning of the 2024 season, but allowed a 9.00 ERA in three innings of work before being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks last week.

Now with the Brewers, Martin will be reunited with Bukauskas as a potential bullpen option in Milwaukee, though the right-hander will begin his tenure with the club in the minor leagues. Given Martin’s previous prospect pedigree and impressive results when healthier earlier in his career, the Brewers are no doubt hoping they can tap into some of that potential Martin has flashed throughout his career now that he’s fully healthy. If he does enough to earn himself an opportunity in the majors, he’ll enter the club’s middle relief mix alongside the likes of Bryse Wilson and Thyago Vieira.

Making room for Martin on the Brewers’ 40-man roster is Herget, who was selected to the club’s roster earlier this week after signing with Milwaukee on a minor league deal last month. The 33-year-old ultimately did not make an appearance with the Brewers at the big league level, though he had posted 5 1/3 scoreless innings of work in Triple-A. After being drafted by the Cardinals in the 39th round of the 2013 draft, Herget bounced around the minor leagues before eventually making his big league debut with the Rays in 2022. He’s made brief cameos in the majors in each of the past two seasons with Tampa and Cincinnati, pitching to a combined 5.74 ERA and 4.56 FIP in 31 1/3 innings of work. The Brewers will now have one week to waive, trade, or release Herget.

D-Backs Pause Eduardo Rodriguez’s Throwing Program

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The Diamondbacks are pausing Eduardo Rodriguez’s throwing program after the southpaw reported continued lat tightness, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (video provided by Arizona Sports). It’s unclear for how long he’ll be shut down, but it represents a setback in his efforts to make his team debut.

Rodriguez suffered a lat strain during his fourth Spring Training appearance. He started the season on the 15-day injured list. The Snakes reportedly expected him to be sidelined for around a month, though this will surely push that timetable back. It’s an inauspicious start to his four-year, $80MM free agent deal.

Arizona viewed Rodriguez as the necessary upper mid-rotation arm to slot behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. He turned in that level of production for the Tigers a year ago, working to a career-low 3.30 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates over 152 2/3 innings. While there’s still plenty of time for Rodriguez to meet the organization’s expectations, it seems likely he’ll at least be out of action into May.

Within weeks of Rodriguez’s injury, the D-Backs made a surprising late strike for Jordan Montgomery. Perhaps Arizona would have found the southpaw’s asking price (one year, $25MM with a vesting player option for 2025) too good to pass up in any case. That addition could take on added importance in the wake of this setback. Montgomery is building into game shape with Triple-A Reno and is expected to be called to the majors by the end of next week.

Gallen and Kelly are again off to excellent starts, yet the final three rotation spots have been a problem. Brandon Pfaadt isn’t in any danger of losing his job but is sitting on a 6.48 ERA through his first three starts. Tommy Henry has allowed 10 runs over 14 innings, while Ryne Nelson has been tagged for eight runs in 7 2/3 frames over his first two outings. One of Nelson or Henry seems likely to head to Triple-A once Montgomery is ready to step into the big league staff.

Jordan Montgomery Switches Agencies, Hires Wasserman

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Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery has changed representatives, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The southpaw had previously been with the Boras Corporation but will now be repped by Joel Wolfe and Nick Chanock of Wasserman.

Montgomery, 31, was just a free agent for the first time in the most recent offseason. He was coming off a strong three-year run between the Yankees, Cardinals and Rangers, posting a 3.48 earned run average over 524 1/3 innings. He also added 31 innings in last year’s postseason with a 2.90 ERA, helping the Rangers win their first World Series in franchise history.

Coming into the offseason, MLBTR predicted the lefty for a contract worth $150MM over six years while other outlets were in a similar range. But the offseason free agent market ended up being weaker than projected. The latter half of the winter was defined by the various players who remained unsigned, with the so-called “Boras Four” being the headliners.

Montgomery, Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman, all repped by Scott Boras, were projected for nine-figure deals at the outset of the offseason. But the four of them lingered on the market past the start of Spring Training and each one eventually pivoted to some form of short-term deal. In Montgomery’s case, he signed a one-year pact with the Diamondbacks with a $25MM guarantee. There’s also a $20MM vesting player option for 2025, which is available to Montgomery as long as he makes 10 starts this year. He can also add $5MM more to the value of that option, $2.5MM at 18 starts and $2.5MM at 23 starts.

The southpaw is highly likely to return to free agency again this winter. Even if he unlocks that player option, he probably won’t trigger it unless he’s facing some kind of injury absence, since finding $20-25MM again shouldn’t be tough to do if he has a fairly normal season. He hasn’t yet made his debut with the Diamondbacks since he didn’t agree to terms with them until the end of March and is still getting himself in game shape. He tossed four innings in a Triple-A game on Sunday.

For his second go at free agency, it seems he’s looking for a different approach, hiring Wolfe and Chanock to handle his negotiations. While losing a notable client like Montgomery is tough for Boras, he still figures to play a prominent role in the coming offseason. Each of Bellinger, Snell and Chapman could be free agents again while Boras also represents star players heading into free agency for the first time such as Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso.

D-Backs Sign Kolten Wong To Minor League Deal

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The Diamondbacks have signed second baseman Kolten Wong to a minor league contract, as announced by their Triple-A team in Reno. He’ll head to the Snakes’ top affiliate.

Wong was in camp with the Orioles this spring. A .200/.294/.400 showing wasn’t enough to crack a competitive Baltimore infield. The O’s granted Wong his release rather than add him to the MLB roster after he triggered an opt-out in his minor league deal five days before the start of the season.

A veteran of 11 big league campaigns, Wong will try to get back to the majors in Arizona. The 33-year-old had suggested at the end of camp that he was unlikely to pursue minor league opportunities if he didn’t make the O’s roster. He has evidently decided to give things another go, likely in the hope of securing a bench role.

Wong doesn’t offer a ton of defensive flexibility. He has logged nearly 9000 innings at second base but has never started an MLB game at another infield spot. His outfield experience consists of 106 frames with the Cardinals eight years ago. Arizona has Ketel Marte locked in at second base but has dealt with injuries on the other side of the bag. Geraldo Perdomo suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee that required surgical repair. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar previously sustained a thumb issue that’ll cost him a few months. That leaves rookie Blaze Alexander and glove-first veteran Kevin Newman as the shortstop options in the majors.

While Wong probably won’t be considered for a spot on the left side of the infield, Newman’s promotion took an experienced infielder off the Reno roster. Wong is a two-time Gold Glove winner at the keystone, yet his defensive metrics have dropped off within the last two years. He remained an above-average hitter as recently as 2022, when he connected on a personal-high 15 homers with a .251/.339/.430 slash for the Brewers.

Last season was the worst of his career, as he managed just a .183/.256/.263 line in 87 contests between the Mariners and Dodgers. To his credit, Wong rebounded in a very brief sample in L.A. He had turned in a dismal .165/.241/.227 mark with Seattle before being released. After catching on with the Dodgers, he hit .300 with a pair of homers in 34 trips to the plate.

Diamondbacks Re-Sign Tyler Chatwood To Minor League Deal

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The D-Backs have brought back righty Tyler Chatwood on a minor league contract, according to an announcement from their Triple-A team. He joins the Snakes’ top affiliate in Reno.

Chatwood played with the D-Backs in 2023 as well. He’d signed a non-roster deal in early August and made five relief appearances before being released. The 34-year-old also spent some time in the Pittsburgh system last season. Before that, he’d pitched in Japan during the 2022 campaign.

A veteran of 10 big league seasons, Chatwood most recently appeared in the majors in 2021. He split that season between the Blue Jays and Giants, working 32 innings of relief. He allowed 5.63 earned runs per nine, partially offsetting a solid 26.2% strikeout rate with an elevated 14.5% walk percentage.

Chatwood has long struggled to throw strikes consistently. As a result, he has worked mostly in long relief since 2019 after beginning his career as a starting pitcher. Chatwood’s mid-90s velocity and flashes of both swing-and-miss and ground-ball upside have long intrigued teams despite his below-average control. He owns a 4.20 ERA in parts of eight Triple-A campaigns and can serve as multi-inning relief depth for Arizona.

Diamondbacks Designate Corbin Martin For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced this morning that they’ve designated right-hander Corbin Martin for assignment. Martin’s spot on the club’s 40-man roster will go to infielder Kevin Newman, whose contract has been selected to replace injured shortstop Geraldo Perdomo on the active roster as was reported earlier this morning.

Martin, 28, was a second-round pick by the Astros in the 2017 draft and is perhaps best known as one of the prospects Arizona acquired in the Zack Greinke trade at the 2019 trade deadline alongside first baseman Seth Beer, right-hander JB Bukauskas, and infielder Josh Rojas. What appeared at the time to be a strong return for the ace righty’s services proved to be underwhelming over time, as only Rojas made an impact for the Diamondbacks at the big league level. Now all four players acquired in the Greinke deal will no longer be a part of the Dbacks organization, unless Martin clears waivers and is assigned outright to the minor leagues.

The right-hander’s time with Arizona was fraught with injuries and ineffectiveness. Martin underwent Tommy John surgery shortly before being acquired by the Diamondbacks and as a result did not make his team debut until 2021, when he struggled to a 10.69 ERA (8.42 FIP) in 16 innings of work with the big league club. Those struggles were paired with additional injuries, as Martin spent the entire second half of 2021 on the injured list in the minor leagues. 2022 was more of the same as Martin pitched to a below-average 4.84 ERA and 4.59 FIP in seven appearances for the big league club and spent the majority of the season in the minors before once again being shut down due to injury in August of that year.

Martin’s struggles in a starting role and numerous injuries led the Diamondbacks to move him to the bullpen full time during Spring Training last year in an effort to keep the right-hander healthy, but those hopes were dashed just a month later when Martin suffered a lat tendon in his right shoulder that required surgery. Martin went on to miss the entire 2023 season. He’s made just two appearances at Triple-A Reno so far in 2024 and has allowed three runs on three walks and three hits (including a home run) in three innings of work while striking out three.

Moving forward, the Diamondbacks will have one week to waive, trade, or release Martin. It’s possible the right-hander’s previous prospect pedigree could earn him the interest of another club as a potential reclamation project, though his lengthy injury history and general ineffectiveness in the majors may keep rival clubs from dedicating a roster spot to the former top-100 talent. If Martin passes through waivers unclaimed, Arizona will have the opportunity to retain him in the organization as non-roster depth going forward. As for the club, the Dbacks still have the likes of Justin Martinez and Andrew Saalfrank available as depth options on the 40-man roster behind their current bullpen mix while Paul Sewald recovers from an oblique strain.

Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo Suffers Torn Meniscus

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Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo has a torn meniscus that will require surgery, per The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. The procedure will sideline Perdomo for at least a month. Piecoro suggests that rookie Blaze Alexander will get the lion’s share of playing time at shortstop while Perdomo is on the shelf, though he adds that the club is expected to select the contract of veteran Kevin Newman to replace Perdomo on the active roster. The club’s 40-man roster is currently full, meaning a corresponding move will be necessary to officially add Newman to the roster assuming Arizona doesn’t place Perdomo or another injured player on the 60-day IL,

Perdomo, 24, earned an All Star nod last year on the back of a strong first half that saw him slash an excellent .285/.388/.435 through the end of June, though he struggled the rest of the way with a line of just .205/.318/.280 after July 1. Even so, Perdomo’s switch-hitting bat offered the Diamondbacks roughly league average offense and defense overall last year in addition to strong baserunning that saw him go 16-for-20 on the basepaths. Perhaps most impressive was Perdomo’s plate discipline; he struck out just 17.4% of the time last year while walking at an excellent 12.9% clip, and those numbers largely held up even as his production cratered in the second half.

Those qualities were enough to earn Perdomo the nod as the club’s starting shortstop over top prospect Jordan Lawlar this spring. Unfortunately, Arizona will now be without both players as Lawlar is set to miss at least the first two months of the season after undergoing surgery on his thumb last month. The pair of injuries set the stage for Alexander, a 24-year-old who the club drafted in the 11th-round of the 2018 draft, to take over as the club’s starting shortstop for the time being.

Six games into his major league career, Alexander has held his own with an impressive .278/.350/.444 slash line in 20 trips to the plate while splitting time between shortstop and second base. A career .288/.408/.464 hitter at the Triple-A level, Alexander has posted walk rates above 10% consistently throughout his career despite struggling to make consistent contact but figures to offer a quality glove and decent on-base skills to the Diamondbacks at shortstop.

Should Alexander falter in his first run of regular playing time at the big league level, the Diamondbacks appear poised to turn to Newman. Once a first-round pick by the Pirates in the 2015 draft, the 30-year-old has generally been a below average hitter through his career, slashing a collective .259/.304/.358 (77 wRC+) in six seasons with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. While those offensive numbers certainly leave something to be desired, Newman makes up for it with a 12% career strikeout rate, a roughly league average 96 wRC+ against lefties, and strong defense all around the infield. Newman should act as a right-handed complement to left-hitting bench piece Jace Peterson, who has struggled to a .553 OPS against southpaws in his career, once selected to the roster.

Diamondbacks Activate Randal Grichuk

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April 5: The Diamondbacks have made it official, announcing that they have reinstated Grichuk and optioned Barrosa.

April 4: Randal Grichuk appears to be on the verge of his Diamondbacks debut, as John Gambadoro of 98.7FM Phoenix (X link) reports that the outfielder is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Friday’s game with the Braves.  Outfielder Jorge Barrosa was already optioned to Triple-A today to create room on the active roster.

Due to a January surgery that removed bone spurs from Grichuk’s ankle, he missed some of his usual offseason prep work, and thus was additional ramp-up time was likely to be required at the start of the season.  A firmer timeline was put in place as Grichuk landed with the D’Backs on a one-year contract worth $2MM in guaranteed money (with a mutual option for 2025), and Arizona indeed put him on the 10-day IL so Grichuk could get some more outfield work in via a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno.  His IL placement was retroactive to March 25, so Grichuk’s stint lasted beyond the minimum 10 days only due to the fact that the D’Backs didn’t have a game today.

The 32-year-old veteran is expected to primarily face left-handed pitching this year, serving as a right-handed hitting counterpoint to the lefty-swinging group of DH Joc Pederson, utilityman Jace Peterson, and outfielders Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas.  Corbin Carroll will naturally play every day in the outfield, and Thomas was himself sent to the 10-day IL earlier this week due to a hamstring strain.  Since it appears as though Thomas’ injury is moderately serious, it could open up more playing time for Grichuk right away.

Grichuk delivered a league-average 100 wRC+ over 471 plate appearances with the Rockies and Angels in 2023, hitting .267/.321/.459 with 16 home runs.  Grichuk’s splits have become increasingly slanted in recent years, and last season saw him hit .244/.294/.401 over 337 PA against righties and a far superior .328/.388/.607 slash line in 134 PA against southpaws.  A platoon role seems like the best use of Grichuk at this point in his career, and he’ll now get a chance to contribute for a Diamondbacks team that is clearly in win-now mode.

NL West Notes: Heyward, Graterol, Treinen, Snell, Montgomery

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Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward has not played since Saturday. According to Bill Plunkett of The Orange Country Register, Heyward wasn’t even at the stadium on Monday night, as the Dodgers welcomed the Giants for the first matchup of a three-game set. Heyward, 34, has been dealing with a stiff back for about a week. On Monday, he went to get his back checked out, and manager Dave Roberts said he would “probably get some imaging” (as relayed by Plunkett). Presumably, the Dodgers will know more about the severity of his injury later tonight or tomorrow.

If Heyward needs a stint on the injured list, the Dodgers will likely recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A. Formerly a top infield prospect, Vargas began taking some reps in left field in 2022 and has continued to work in the outfield. A right-handed hitter and inexperienced outfielder, Vargas cannot play the same role as the lefty-batting, Gold Glove-winning Heyward. Still, he can provide the Dodgers with an extra body for the outfield, likely splitting time with Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández.

In more positive news for the Dodgers, Plunkett reports that right-handed relievers Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen are making progress as they recover from a shoulder injury and a bruised lung and ribs, respectively. Graterol is getting ready to throw off a mound tomorrow, while Treinen “might throw lightly off a mound” sometime before Thursday.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Reigning NL Cy Young and new Giants ace Blake Snell will make his first start of the season on Monday, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). He has already begun facing minor league hitters, and he will pitch in a simulated game against his own teammates on Wednesday before taking on the Nationals next week. The southpaw joins a Giants rotation that already features last year’s Cy Young runner-up Logan Webb, highly-touted rookie Kyle Harrison, and flame-throwing reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks.
  • Speaking of star free agents who signed too late to pitch in spring training, Jordan Montgomery was unable to throw a proper simulated game this afternoon due to poor weather, but he still got in 50 pitches over three up-downs, reports Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that Montgomery is scheduled to make his first start for Triple-A Reno on Sunday. The Diamondbacks have not said how many starts the lefty needs before he is MLB-ready, but during his introductory press conference, Montgomery himself said he was eyeing April 19 as the date for his return (per Weiner). Indeed, Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the 2023 World Series champion has a clause in his contract that requires him to be in the majors by April 19. However, Montgomery will presumably stay in the minors a little longer if it is what’s best for his long-term health and performance.
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