Diamondbacks Outright Nabil Crismatt
The D-Backs have sent reliever Nabil Crismatt outright to Triple-A Reno, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment on Sunday when Arizona selected righty Ryan Thompson onto the big league roster.
Crismatt pitched just once for the D-Backs during a week-long stint on the major league roster. He logged two innings in extras against Cincinnati on Saturday, taking the loss after balking in the game-winning run (who’d been automatically placed on second base). Crismatt’s performance in that outing was solid overall — he struck out three of eight opponents and the run was unearned — but he likely would’ve been unavailable for a day or two after throwing 34 pitches.
With Crismatt having exhausted his minor league options, the Snakes had to keep him in the majors or put him on waivers. It’s the second time this season in which a team has outrighted him, as the Padres also passed him through the wire in June. The right-hander elected free agency at the time and will have that right again.
Crismatt has only pitched 13 innings at the major league level this season, surrendering 12 earned runs. He’s just a season removed from turning in a 2.94 ERA with a solid 23.2% strikeout rate and lofty 50.5% grounder percentage in 67 1/3 frames for San Diego. His velocity is down a couple ticks relative to last year, though, and he surrendered nearly seven earned runs per nine in 24 2/3 frames with Reno before his brief stint on the D-Backs’ roster.
Diamondbacks Designate Nabil Crismatt, Select Ryan Thompson
The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Nabil Crismatt has been designated for assignment. The move opens 40-man and 26-man roster space for Ryan Thompson, as Arizona has selected Thompson’s contract from Triple-A.
Crismatt’s own contract was selected to the active roster just last week, and the righty threw two scoreless innings in yesterday’s game for his lone appearance in this stint with the D’Backs. For the 2023 season as a whole, Crismatt has an 8.31 ERA over 13 innings with Arizona and San Diego, as Crismatt selected free agency after being DFA’ed and then outrighted by the Padres back in June. Catching on the Diamondbacks on another minors contract, Crismatt at least made it back to the big leagues for one game but now might be on the move again.
Should Crismatt again clear waivers, he still has the right to elect free agency rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Reno. It isn’t necessarily the case that Crismatt will pursue this route again after choosing to leave the Padres, as there are any number of reasons Crismatt might be more comfortable biding his time with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate. September roster expansion could provide another opportunity in due course, or Crismatt might get another look simply by dint of how the D’Backs have been cycling through many relievers this season in search of any bullpen stability.
This search for relievers led the Diamondbacks to a minor league deal with Thompson earlier this week. The Rays designated and subsequently released the right-hander this month, adding to a difficult season that included a 6.11 ERA over 17 2/3 innings and a recent minor elbow injury.
Arizona’s contract with Thompson had an August 28th opt-out date, so the clock was ticking on the team’s decision to bring him up to the Major League roster. While the results haven’t been there for Thompson this season, he had a 3.17 ERA over 76 2/3 frames for Tampa Bay in 2021-22, making him an interesting acquisition for the D’Backs. Thompson is also controllable through the 2026 season, so he is a potential long-term option for Arizona beyond how they might deploy him down the stretch.
NL West Notes: Musgrove, Yaz, Brebbia, McLain, D’Backs
After a three-week shutdown due to shoulder inflammation, Joe Musgrove has started a two-week throwing program as the first step towards a possible return from the injured list. Musgrove tells Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is aiming to be back with the Padres by late September and hopefully through the postseason, though he acknowledged that another shutdown is possible if the team is out of the pennant race. Things are looking grim for the Padres at the moment, as they sit 6.5 games out of the last NL wild card position.
“There’s no need for me to be rushing and pushing things back if we’re out of this thing,” Musgrove said. “But I have full confidence that we’re going to be in it, so these first two weeks are going to be important in just laying down the foundation work and being able to open up from there….It’s difficult knowing that there’s a chance I might not touch a mound again this year. But every part of me mentally and physically is preparing to be able to get at least one more (start) in the regular season and then be strong for the playoffs.”
Between a broken toe suffered in Spring Training and his shoulder issue, it has been an injury-riddled year for the right-hander, as Musgrove has thrown only 97 1/3 innings. His absences have been one of the reasons why San Diego is only on the fringes of contention, yet Musgrove has still looked like an ace when he has pitched, posting a 3.05 ERA over his 97 1/3 frames. Acee writes that Musgrove will also probably undergo another MRI next week, to check up on the shoulder after the first few days of throwing.
Other items from around the NL West…
- Mike Yastrzemski is closing in on a return from the injured list, as he recently took part in a live batting practice session and ran the bases yesterday. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (X link) writes that Yastrzemski is set for more baserunning work tomorrow, and he has been working in the outfield today. Yastrzemski has been out with a hamstring strain since July 30, and seemed to be on the verge of a return two weeks ago before suffering another strain during rehab work. Now, the outfielder could return to San Francisco’s lineup as early as Monday, when the Giants begin an important series with the Reds.
- In another Giants injury update, John Brebbia threw that live BP session to Yastrzemski, and Slusser writes that the plan is for Brebbia to throw another simulated game Sunday with an eye towards soon beginning a minor league rehab assignment. Brebbia suffered a Grade 2 lat strain back in June, and he has been sidelined beyond his initial recovery timeline of 4-8 weeks. While he’ll need some time to ramp up during his rehab assignment, Brebbia’s return could be a big boost to a Giants club in need of pitching help. Brebbia has posted strong numbers as a swingman over the last two seasons, including a 3.14 ERA over 28 2/3 innings in 2023.
- Matt McLain‘s instant success with the Reds creates an interesting sliding-doors moment for the Diamondbacks, who drafted McLain 25th overall in 2018 but didn’t reach an agreement to sign. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that the two sides couldn’t manage the gap between McLain’s ask for a $3MM bonus and the Diamondbacks’ offer, which was the $2,636,400 slot price attached to the 25th pick. Beyond the money, McLain told Piecoro that “I was pretty set on [playing in college]. I wanted to go to UCLA. I think that if I would have signed in the minor leagues at that point, I would have always wondered what UCLA was like and what I had missed out on. I don’t think it was necessarily the other way around.” As it turned out, McLain had a standout career in college, and ended up picked by the Reds with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 draft, receiving a $4.625MM bonus that was well above slot price.
Adam Jones To Officially Retire
The Orioles announced that Adam Jones will retire as an Oriole on September 15. Presumably, he will sign a one-day contract and there will be some pre-game festivities, though those details have not yet been announced. Jones last played in the majors in 2019, heading to Japan for two years after that but didn’t sign anywhere last year. Now he will officially hang up his spikes with the organization where he spent the bulk of his career.
Jones, now 38, was selected by the Mariners with the 37th overall pick in the 2003 draft. He was initially used as a shortstop but moved to the outfield as a minor leaguer. He became a top 100 prospect and was able to get some brief major league time with the Mariners in 2006 and 2007, getting into 73 games over those two seasons. He didn’t quite establish himself at the big league level immediately, hitting .230/.267/.353 in that time.
Prior to the 2008 season, Jones was one of five players that the Mariners sent to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade, a move that would prove to be career-defining for Jones. The O’s were in a rough period at that time and were able to give Jones some regular playing time. He got into 132 games in 2008, hitting .270/.311/.400. That translated to a subpar wRC+ of 84, but he stole 10 bases and provided above-average center field defense, leading to a tally of 1.5 wins above replacement from FanGraphs.
2009 would be a breakout year for Jones, as he hit 19 home runs, more than doubling the nine he hit in the prior season. He hit .277/.335/.457 for a wRC+ of 103, getting selected to the All-Star team and winning a Gold Glove award in the process. Despite being limited to 119 games by an ankle sprain, he still matched his 1.5 fWAR tally from the year before.
He would become a staple of the outfield in Baltimore for years to come, continuing to produce in that all-around fashion with above-average offense, defense and speed. In May of 2012, he and the club agreed to a six-year, $85.5MM extension that ran through 2018, the largest contract in franchise history at that time.
That led to Jones playing 11 seasons with the Orioles from 2008 to 2018. He was remarkably consistent and reliable in that time, never playing less than 137 games in a season after the aforementioned 119 games in 2009. He played 1,613 games overall as an Oriole, hitting 263 home runs and stealing 90 bases. His .279/.319/.459 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 108 and he was worth 29.3 fWAR over those seasons.
With Jones in the outfield, the Orioles were able to emerge from a long period of mediocrity and become a perennial contender. After losing seasons in each campaign from 1998 to 2011, they went on to finish .500 or better five years in a row from 2012 to 2016. They made the playoffs three of those years, won the AL East division title in 2014 and made it to the ALCS that year.
But by the time his contract expired at the end of 2018, the O’s were back in a rebuilding period, one that they have just recently emerged from. Jones signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Diamondbacks for 2019 but his offense and defense declined to subpar levels. He then signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He hit .250/.334/.390 in 159 games over those two years.
Although Jones didn’t begin his career with the Orioles, the largest and best part of his career was spent in Baltimore. He didn’t finish his playing time with the Orioles either but will now ceremonially conclude his career with the O’s in a few weeks, officially closing the books on his time as a player. Overall, he got into 1,823 major league games and tallied 1,939 hits, including 336 doubles, 29 triples and 282 home runs. He scored 963 runs, drove in 945 and stole 97 bases, made five All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves. He also represented Team USA internationally, playing in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments. The latter of those two saw him make arguably the most famous catch in WBC history, robbing his Oriole teammate Manny Machado, who was representing the Dominican Republic.
We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Jones on a fine career and wish him the best in all his post-playing endeavors.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Diamondbacks Sign Ryan Thompson To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Ryan Thompson, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Thompson was released by the Rays last week following a somewhat surprising DFA. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Reno. A source tells MLBTR that there’s an Aug. 28 opt-out on the deal if Thompson isn’t on the Diamondbacks’ active roster by that point.
The 31-year-old Thompson posted an unsightly 6.11 ERA this season but did so in a small sample of just 17 2/3 innings. He’s notched a 3.26 ERA in a comparable slate of Triple-A innings this year, punching out 30.4% of his minor league opponents against a 13.9% walk rate that could obviously stand to come down a ways. Thompson had been on the injured list with a minor elbow issue but received a clean MRI prior to his DFA. He’s headed directly to the active roster in Reno.
While this year clearly hasn’t been Thompson’s best, he’s been a strong contributor in Tampa Bay in recent seasons — particularly in 2021-22. Over those two years, the right-hander worked to a combined 3.17 ERA with a 24.1% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate, 50% ground-ball rate and 0.82 homers per nine innings pitched. Opponents averaged a paltry 87.1 mph off the bat against Thompson in that time — about two miles per hour south of the league average — in part because he was particularly adept at enticing hitters to chase pitches off the plate. From 2021-22, Thompson’s 36.5% chase rate ranked 28th among the 200 big league relievers who pitched at least 70 innings.
Thompson isn’t a flamethrower, averaging just shy of 92 mph on his fastball, and doesn’t miss bats at a prolific rate. But, he’s regularly limited hard contact at a high level, and outside of the current season, he’s posted strong walk rates as well. He was also playing the current season on a $1MM salary and has multiple minor league option years remaining, which made his release at least somewhat unexpected.
The D-backs will use the remainder of the season to take a look at Thompson. If he’s called to the big leagues and remains on the 40-man roster at the end of the year, Arizona will be able to control him for as many as three additional years via arbitration. If he’s not called to the Majors in the next week, the opt-out date provides Thompson and his reps at Northwest Sports Management Group to return to the market and look to latch on with another club prior to the Sept. 1 deadline for postseason eligibility.
The Arizona bullpen ought to present an opportunity for Thompson if he looks sharp in a potentially brief stay with Reno. The D-backs fortified the relief corps by picking up Paul Sewald in a deadline deal with the Mariners, and they’ve gotten strong work from lefty Kyle Nelson and righties Kevin Ginkel and Jose Ruiz this season. However, Scott McGough has stumbled over the past five weeks after an excellent start to his Diamondbacks tenure, and fellow offseason pickup Miguel Castro has faded after his own hot start. Arizona has been cycling relievers through the final couple spots of the bullpen in recent weeks, which could open the door for Thompson to get the call in hopes he can solidify a spot.
D’Backs Select Nabil Crismatt, Move Tommy Henry To 60-Day Injured List
In between games of the Diamondbacks’ double-header with the Padres, the D’Backs have selected the contract of right-hander Nabil Crismatt from Triple-A. MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert was the first to note this evening that Crismatt had been issued locker space in Arizona’s clubhouse. In corresponding moves, the Diamondbacks optioned left-hander Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A Reno and moved Tommy Henry to the 60-day injured list.
Should Crismatt see action in tonight’s game, he’ll be making his D’Backs debut against his former team. Crismatt has spent three of his four MLB seasons with the Padres, posting a 3.39 ERA over 148 2/3 innings on the strength of some good soft-contact numbers and a 50.6% grounder rate. Unfortunately, Crismatt’s 2023 season has been a trial, as he missed two months due to a hip strain and had a 9.82 ERA over 11 innings before San Diego designated the righty for assignment in June.
Crismatt opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Padres’ Triple-A team, and he quickly landed with Arizona on a minor league contract. He opted out of that deal at the start of August but then returned to the Snakes on a new minors deal, and it will now result in another opportunity at the big league level.
It is possible Crismatt’s stint in the majors might only last through tonight, as Arizona might just need a fresh arm available for the double-header’s nightcap. The Diamondbacks have off-days on both Sunday and Wednesday, so Crismatt’s selection might be a temporary stopgap until the Snakes can reset their pitching staff. That said, given the inconsistency of Arizona’s relief corps, the D’Backs might decide to give Crismatt a longer look to see if he can provide the bullpen with any stable innings.
Henry was placed on the 15-day IL on July 29 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Through the 60-day IL stint also retroactively starts on July 29, the new placement means that Henry isn’t eligible to return until the very end of September, indicating that his 2023 season is probably over. An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage in July, yet obviously there is still enough concern to give Henry an extended recovery time.
The Diamondbacks have been starved for consistent pitching behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly this season, and Henry posted respectable numbers as the team’s third-best starter. Despite a below-average 9.2% walk rate and a very low 16.8% strikeout rate, Henry still managed a 4.15 ERA over 89 innings, thanks in large part to an excellent 32.4% hard-hit ball rate.
Diamondbacks Outright Kristian Robinson
Outfielder Kristian Robinson, whom the Diamondbacks designated for assignment over the weekend, went unclaimed on waivers, tweets Jesse Friedman of PHNX Sports. The team has apparently assigned Robinson back to its Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona Complex League, as he’s already suited up for a game there since his DFA.
Once a high-profile amateur signing out of the Bahamas who was considered to be among the sport’s top 100 prospects, Robinson’s career has been slowed by legal issues (as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco outlined earlier this year when Robinson was reinstated from the restricted list). A then-19-year-old Robinson pled guilty to felony assault charges stemming from an altercation in April of 2020 but eventually agreed to a plea deal that would reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, contingent on him completing an 18-month probation window. Robinson was unable to renew his work visa (and thus unable to play in the D-backs system) during that probationary period, which ended this spring.
Since returning to the Diamondbacks after a three-year absence from playing in minor leagues, the now-22-year-old Robinson has appeared in 45 games between Rookie ball, Class-A and High-A. In 193 plate appearances, he’s slashed .276/.383/.460 with seven homers, three doubles, three triples, 19 steals (in 22 tries) and an 11.4% walk rate. That impressive performance isn’t without some statistical red flags, however. Robinson has punched out in an alarming 31.1% of his plate appearances, and the bulk of those stats have come against younger competition in A-ball and Rookie ball. He’s yet to really be tested against more advanced pitching, which makes the already sky-high strikeout rate all the more concerning.
Now that he’s gone unclaimed on waivers, he’ll remain in the D-backs’ system but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Pete Alonso’s Future, Yankees’ Rotation Troubles and Should the Trade Deadline Be Pushed Back?
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- Should the trade deadline be moved back, as has been considered by some? (1:15)
- Mets need to pick a lane with Pete Alonso (9:35)
- Yankees’ rotation is dealing with injuries again (14:15)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- How can the Cardinals get in shape this offseason? (20:05)
- Can the Mariners line up on a trade with the Cards? (24:10)
- What will be the biggest needs for the Diamondbacks this winter? (27:00)
- What does Mitch Garver‘s free agency look like this winter? (28:30)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces – listen here
- Trade deadline recap – listen here
- The Angels Are All In, Lucas Giolito and Picking a Lane – listen here
D-Backs Release Carson Kelly
The Diamondbacks have released Carson Kelly, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. That was the expected outcome after Arizona designated him for assignment on Sunday. Kelly has over five years of major league service, so he could’ve refused a minor league assignment while retaining his salary in any event.
Kelly’s tenure with the D-Backs officially comes to a close. Acquired alongside Luke Weaver and Andrew Young in the lopsided Paul Goldschmidt trade, Kelly played parts of five seasons in the desert. He started reasonably well, hitting 18 home runs during the 2019 campaign and rebounding from a down shortened season with a strong .260/.385/.460 start through the first couple months in ’21.
An errant pitch fractured Kelly’s right wrist that June. He never seemed to fully recover, hitting .221/.297/.364 across 172 plate appearances down the stretch. He followed up with a middling .211/.282/.334 showing in 354 trips to the dish last season. The Diamondbacks nevertheless tendered him an arbitration contract but acquired Gabriel Moreno to take over as the primary backstop last winter.
Kelly’s efforts to solidify himself as the #2 option were again derailed by a hit-by-pitch. He broke his right arm in Spring Training and was out of action into the second week of June. Kelly appeared in 33 games over the last couple months but continued to scuffle, hitting .226/.283/.298 in 92 trips to the plate.
Arizona has elected to go with José Herrera as Moreno’s backup. Assuming Kelly clears release waivers, the Snakes will remain on the hook for the approximate $942K remaining on his $4.275MM salary. At that point, another team could add him for the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum through season’s end. If Kelly catches on elsewhere this season, he’d technically be eligible for arbitration for 2024, though he’d be a non-tender candidate in all likelihood.
NL West Notes: Diamondbacks, Yaz, Haniger, Luciano, Profar
In designating Carson Kelly for assignment earlier today, the Diamondbacks are a little short on catching depth, and GM Mike Hazen told reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that the club was looking out for external catching options. Gabriel Moreno is the catcher of the present and future in Arizona, and beyond backup Jose Herrera, Ali Sanchez and Juan Centeno are the only other backstops in the organization with any Major League experience. Despite the situation, Hazen felt that “with five to six weeks to go, depth becomes less important than trying to put the best [team] on the field….When we had the roster construction in the first half of the season with Gabi and Herrera, we played really well. I don’t know that that is going to be the secret formula to getting back to the way we were before, I don’t think that’s anyone’s expectation, but that was the choice we had, to send Herrera down or make this move. We decided to make this move.”
Today’s victory over the Padres brought the D’Backs back up to a .500 (59-59) record, though the club is only 10-25 since the start of July. Between this slide and the Dodgers catching fire, the D’Backs went from leading the NL West to trailing Los Angeles by 12.5 games, and the Snakes are also 2.5 games back of a wild card position. While any number of factors have contributed to Arizona’s struggles, a lack of pitching has been the biggest culprit, and the D’Backs will now “take some risks and play it by ear, week by week” with their rotation, according to Hazen. Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt will continue to operate as traditional starters, but the team be open to using bullpen games, piggyback starters, or opener/bulk pitcher setups for the remaining two rotation spots until Zach Davies is back from the 15-day injured list to take one of the spots.
Some other notes from around the NL West…
- Mike Yastrzemski has been on the Giants‘ 10-day IL since July 31 recovering from a hamstring strain, but the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes that the outfielder is close to being activated. Yastrzemski had a live batting practice session on Saturday and has been running the bases at full speed, so it doesn’t appear as though he’ll need any minor league rehab work. With Yastrzemski possibly returning on Monday, Slusser speculates that the Giants might option Luis Matos to Triple-A, since Heliot Ramos has been hitting well as of late.
- In other Giants injury updates, Mitch Haniger could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment, and Slusser estimates that he might return to the majors in around two weeks’ time. Haniger hasn’t played since June 13 due to forearm surgery, continuing his unfortunate recent history of injury-shortened seasons. The news isn’t as good for Marco Luciano, as the top prospect will sidelined for at least a month due to a hamstring strain. Luciano made his MLB debut with a four-game cameo with the Giants in July, as the team needed an extra infielder to help solve some depth issues. Over 292 combined plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Luciano has hit .231/.336/.445 with 13 home runs.
- Jurickson Profar suffered what the Rockies described as a twisted left knee in today’s game, which forced Profar to make an early exit. Profar had to collide with the left field ball to make a running catch on a Mookie Betts fly ball, and Profar was in obvious discomfort afterwards. Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) that Profar had already been dealing with a sore left knee even prior to today’s injury, and the outfielder will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.