Whit Merrifield Suffers Left Foot Fracture
The Braves’ battered infield mix took another hit last night when second baseman Whit Merrifield fouled a pitch off his foot during last night’s win over Toronto. As manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) this evening, Merrifield was diagnosed with a fractured foot last night that was initially expected to keep him out of action for six to eight weeks. Fortunately, both club and player received great news when Merrifield was examined by a specialist today who told them that Merrifield was not at risk of worsening the injury by continuing to play. That’s made the issue a matter of pain tolerance, and Bowman went on to note that the Braves are hopeful the veteran will be able to return to the lineup next weekend when they face the Dodgers for a four-game set.
That’s great news for a Braves club that has been plagued by injury woes all throughout the year and is currently without both Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley as they nurse injuries of their own. Merrifield himself was brought into the fold after being released by the Phillies in order to help fill the void left by Albies when he suffered a wrist fracture back in July. He’s performed admirably as a fill-in since then, slashing a respectable .243/.359/.342 (103 wRC+) while walking at a 14.2% clip and going five for seven on the basepaths in 34 games with the Braves so far.
Once Merrifield is ready to take the field again, they’ll need him to continue acting as a stopgap option at the keystone at least for the time being. As noted by David O’Brien of The Athletic, Albies has been doing fielding drills and hitting from the right side but still feels discomfort when hitting lefty. Until that subsides, he won’t be cleared to move on to batting practice but could start a rehab assignment not long after being cleared to resume hitting. With Riley out until sometime during the postseason, Albies’s return could free Merrifield up to move to third base, where Gio Urshela‘s 85 wRC+ in 15 games since taking over the club’s regular job at third base leaves something to be desired.
While Merrifield is unable to play, it seems likely that reserve infielder Luke Williams will get a look at second, though Snitker told reporters (including Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that Eli White and Ramon Laureano could also be infield options on a stopgap basis while Merrifield’s foot is too sore for him to play. Williams is the most experienced infielder of the group but sports a career wRC+ of just 56 in the majors, including a paltry .152/.243/.212 line (33 wRC+) in 33 games this year. White has only limited experience at second base in the majors but has hit fairly well in an extremely limited sample this year with a 120 wRC+ in just 26 plate appearances.
While Williams and White being considered as stopgap options at the keystone is hardly a surprise, the fact that Laureano is also being looked at as an option to play the infield for the Braves is something of a shock. An outfielder by trade, Laureano has slashed an excellent .299/.336/.500 (130 wRC+) in 49 games since joining the Braves earlier this year but has virtually no experience on the infield, with a single inning of time at first base in the minor leagues representing all of his experience on the dirt as a pro. The 30-year-old has also become a key part of the club’s outfield mix while platooning with Jarred Kelenic in left field, further complicating the possibility. In all likelihood, the club will probably be best served using some combination of White and Williams at second over the next week while Merrifield rests up and looks to return to the position next weekend.
One possibility that wasn’t mentioned by Snitker was top prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. The 21-year-old made his big league debut earlier this year with an eight-game cup of coffee but didn’t hit a lick in that brief stint as a big leaguer, going just 3-for-30 with ten strikeouts and no walks or extra base hits before he was sent back down to the minor leagues. Giving that lackluster performance in the big leagues and his relative lack of experience at the Triple-A level, it’s perhaps not a surprise that the club would prefer to avoid using Alvarez in the big leagues again this year as they continue to develop the youngster as their shortstop of the future.
Zach Logue Elects Free Agency
Left-hander Zach Logue has elected free agency, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (X link). The lefty had been designated for assignment by the Braves earlier this week and seems to have passed through waivers unclaimed. Since he had been previously outrighted in his career, he had the right to elect free agency and has exercised that right.
Logue, 28, signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason. He was selected to that club’s roster in July but was optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett the next day without being put into a game. He was recalled in August but again was optioned without being used at the major league level.
He has been serving in a swing role in the minors this year, logging 94 1/3 innings over 24 appearances, including 12 starts. He has a 2.58 earned run average in that time, as well as a 23.7% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. He probably got some help from a .265 batting average on balls in play and 82% strand rate but his 3.91 FIP suggests he could post decent results even with some regression in the luck department.
The southpaw was once a notable prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, highlighted by a strong 2021 season. That year, he made 25 minor league appearances and logged 125 innings with a 3.67 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. That got him a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster and then he was one of four players sent to the Athletics in the March 2022 trade that brought Matt Chapman to the Jays.
The next two years were a struggle for Logue. He posted a 6.79 ERA for the A’s in 2022 and an even-worse 8.12 ERA for their Triple-A club. He was put on waivers after that season and was claimed by the Tigers. In 2023, he had a 7.36 ERA in the majors and a 6.58 mark in Triple-A. That left him to sign a minor league deal with Atlanta but he has had better results here in 2024.
He’ll now head to the open market and assess his opportunities. Perhaps some clubs are interested by his return to form this year, though the fact that he cleared waivers means that he will be limited to minor league deals. He will be out of options next year but can theoretically still provide a club with years of cheap control since he has less than a year of service time.
The Other, Other NL MVP Candidate
For much of the season Shohei Ohtani has been the presumptive National League MVP favorite. Maybe that wasn't the case on Opening Day, but an injury to teammate Mookie Betts early in the summer and an injury to D-backs star infielder Ketel Marte cleared his path. The Ohtani hype is understandable. He's been the National League's best hitter this year by many measures, pacing the Senior Circuit in slugging percentage (.613) and wRC+ (167). Ohtani is fifth in the NL in batting average, fourth in OBP, first in homers and runs scored and second in runs batted in. He's also swiped 46 bags and is a veritable lock to have a 45-45 season, with a chance at becoming MLB's first ever 50-homer, 50-steal player in a season.
Lately, there's been a push by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor to tighten the race, however. Dating back to July 1, Lindor boasts a sensational .310/.384/.587 slash. He's in the midst of a torrid 15-game hitting streak, which he started just one game after seeing a 12-game hitting streak end. Since the beginning of July, Lindor has more than twice as many multi-hit games (22) than he does hitless games (10). Defensive metrics are a bit split on him this year, with Defensive Runs Saved curiously pegging him as average while Statcast grades him as one of the best defensive players in the entire game. Regardless, Lindor and his .274/.343/.501 batting line (plus 30 homers and 26 steals) lead the NL in both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference WAR.
It's not quite fair to the rest of the field to call this a pure two-horse race, though Lindor and Ohtani are certainly the favorites at the moment. Cincinnati standout Elly De La Cruz could thrust himself further into the conversation with a big finish, but many voters will be turned off by the fact that however excellent his season has been -- and it's been excellent -- it's happened as a member of a non-contending Reds club.
There's still one other viable MVP candidate who's not getting the love, and who probably won't get the love -- but absolutely should.
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MLBTR Podcast: Royals’ Reinforcements, Promoted Angels, And The Terrible White Sox
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 Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The most recent edition of the 2024-25 Free Agent Power Rankings (1:30)
- The Royals claim Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman, as well as trading for Yuli Gurriel (5:15)
- The Angels promote Caden Dana and Samuel Aldegheri (10:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- What’s the problem with the White Sox? Is it an owner not willing to spend? Is it inept senior management in getting taken in trades and a poor plan for success? What is it going to take to become competitive again? Are there other factors that keep top free agents from coming to the White Sox? Franchise culture? Moving a family to Chicago? Inability to develop talent? (20:35)
- Who should the Rangers be looking at this winter? A center fielder? A backup catcher and pitching? (30:50)
- As a big Braves fan, I am curious to see what they do about shortstop for 2025 and beyond. Whom do you think ends up starting there? It seems unlikely Nacho Alvarez Jr. seizes the position, right? Do we move on from Orlando Arcia? My preference would be to re-sign Whit Merrifield to play there. Could he handle shortstop? What do you guys say? (36:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- Scott Servais, Perry Minasian, The Orioles’ Rotation, And Joey Votto – listen here
- Who Could Get Waived, Potential Rule Changes, Austin Riley, And Hector Neris – listen here
- The White Sox Fire Their Manager, Víctor Robles Extended, And The Marlins’ Front Office – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Braves Sign Tyler Matzek To Minor League Contract
The Braves signed left-hander Tyler Matzek to a minor league contract on August 31, according to the veteran reliever’s MLB.com profile page. Matzek was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett today. In signing prior to September 1, Matzek would be eligible for the Braves’ postseason roster.
Matzek is of course no stranger to playoff baseball in Atlanta, as he was a key member of the Braves’ bullpen during their World Series championship run in 2021. He posted more solid numbers during the 2022 campaign but missed out on another playoff run due to a Tommy John surgery in October of that year. After missing the entire 2023 season rehabbing from the surgery, Matzek returned to action this year, but had a 9.90 ERA over 10 Major League innings for the Braves.
A bout of elbow inflammation sent Matzek to the injured list in May, and he hasn’t since pitched in the big leagues. Atlanta traded Matzek to the Giants as part of the Jorge Soler deal at the deadline, and Matzek pitched in five games with the Giants’ Triple-A squad before San Francisco released the southpaw earlier this week.
Matzek now returns to the Braves organization after just over a month away, and he’ll likely continue to work things out in Gwinnett to see if he can find his old form. His brief time at Triple-A Sacramento didn’t bear much fruit, as Matzek had a 5.79 ERA over the small sample size of 4 2/3 innings pitched. The Braves have a penchant for reuniting with former players and there’s no risk in adding Matzek to the Triple-A roster, plus Atlanta is already on the hook anyway for the remainder of his $1.9MM salary for the 2024 season.
Braves Select John Brebbia
The Braves announced a series of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club selecting the contract of veteran right-hander John Brebbia. To make room for the hurler on the 40-man roster, Atlanta designated southpaw Zach Logue for assignment. Outfielder Eli White was also recalled to the big leagues, and alongside Brebbia will take the two roster spots created by today’s expansion of rosters from 26 to 28 players. Brebbia was released by the White Sox on Friday and evidently subsequently signed with the Braves on a minor league deal, but the move had not been reported prior to Atlanta’s announcement this morning.
Brebbia, 34, signed a $5.5MM guarantee with Chicago over the offseason. The partnership between the two sides did not go well, as after a strong first month with the club the right-hander was blown up to the tune of a 10.50 ERA in the month of May. While Brebbia’s numbers improved from there, he was still a well below average reliever by the results over the summer with a 5.40 ERA in 30 innings of work since the calendar flipped to June. With that being said, Brebbia’s peripherals do offer some room for optimism, particularly following that disastrous month of May.
Looking at his full season numbers, Brebbia has struck out a solid 26.9% of batters faced while walking 7.9% of opponents. That big strikeout rate has helped him to post a 3.40 SIERA this year, right in line with well-regarded late-inning arms such as Ryan Pressly (3.39 SIERA) and Carlos Estevez (3.41 SIERA). It’s not especially hard to see why advanced metrics would think Brebbia’s underlying performance has been better than the results would suggest, either. The right-hander’s .333 BABIP is much higher than his usual rate, and his 64% strand rate is shockingly low. Some of that can be explained by an elevated 14.8% of Brebbia’s fly balls leaving the yard for home runs. If Brebbia’s home run rate normalizes down the stretch, it’s easy to see how the veteran can be a valuable piece for the Atlanta bullpen as they look to lock down a spot in the postseason.
Making room for Brebbia on the club’s 40-man roster is Logue, who has spent the entire 2024 season with Atlanta’s minor league affiliates. The lefty has generally put up strong numbers in the minors this year, with a 2.68 ERA and a 23.5% strikeout rate in 90 2/3 innings swinging between the rotation and bullpen in Gwinnett. Those strong numbers this year are somewhat undercut by Logue’s past performance in the majors, however, as the southpaw owns a 6.88 ERA and 5.72 FIP in 68 innings of work at the big league level between the A’s and Tigers since he made his big league debut with Oakland back in 2022. Even so, it’s possible that a club could have interest in Logue on the waiver wire as a versatile depth option who throws from the left side, though any club who claims Logue would be unable to roster him headed into the postseason.
As for White, the 30-year-old was acquired from the Rangers in a cash deal during the 2022-23 offseason and after struggling in a brief cup of coffee with Atlanta this year looked solid in limited playing time with the club this year. In 15 games with the Braves this season, White owns a .261/.261/.522 slash line to go with a .294/.388/.447 line at the Triple-A level. White figures to provide the club with another depth option behind their current outfield mix of Michael Harris II, Jorge Soler, Jarred Kelenic, Ramon Laureano, and Adam Duvall.
Royals To Acquire Yuli Gurriel
4:49pm: While Gurriel has been on the minor league injured list with the Braves for just over a week now, Romero reports that the veteran is en route to Houston to report to the big league Royals amid their series against the Astros. The Royals did not need to add Gurriel to their 40-man roster upon acquiring him today due to the fact that he was on a minor league deal, but they’ll need to make corresponding moves to add him to the 40-man and active rosters in order to promote him to the majors.
4:19pm: The Royals are acquiring first baseman Yuli Gurriel, according to a report from Francys Romero. Gurriel, 40, has been with the Braves on a minor league contract this year. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Braves are receiving cash considerations in return for Gurriel’s services. Despite the trade deadline having passed last month, Gurriel was still eligible to be traded because he hasn’t played in the major leagues yet this season. The Royals subsequently announced the move.
Gurriel, 40, has played in the majors each of the last eight seasons after coming over following 15 years in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. Most of the veteran’s time in the majors was spent in Houston, for whom he played first base with occasional cameos at second and third. In seven years with the Astros, Gurriel slashed a solid .284/.328/.448 with a wRC+ of 111. That includes an excellent 2021 season with the club where he hit .319 en route to the AL batting title and earned his only career Gold Glove award. After a down 2022 season, Gurriel departed the Astros (who replaced him at first base with an ill-fated contract for Jose Abreu) but found a roster spot in Miami as a part-time first baseman and DH.
The veteran’s time in Miami did not produce the bounceback season he was surely hoping for, as Gurriel slashed just .245/.304/.359 (76 wRC+) with a career-high 13.4% strikeout rate and a career-worst .114 isolated slugging percentage. A second straight difficult season left Gurriel unable to find a roster spot ahead of his age-40 season, leaving him to catch on with Atlanta back in April. With the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, Gurriel has looked impressive with a .292/.378/.495 slash line with 12 homers, 18 doubles, and a triple in just 333 trips to the plate this year.
Amid injuries around the Braves infield to Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies and that strong performance, the Braves even began to experiment with Gurriel at second and third base as they seemingly toyed with the possibility of a big league call-up for the veteran, though big league deals for Whit Merrifield and Gio Urshela closed the doors to joining the major league club in fairly short order. While Gurriel won’t make the majors with the Braves this year, another door has now opened up for the veteran as he searches for an opening to participate in his ninth major league season. Much like the Braves, the Royals also lost a key piece of their infield mix to injury recently when first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino suffered a broken thumb that Kansas City announced yesterday will sideline him for six to eight weeks.
That leaves a young Royals club that’s surging toward what would be their first playoff appearance since their World Series championship back in 2015 without one of their top hitters, and while the team added veterans Tommy Pham and Robbie Grossman to their outfield mix earlier today those moves did little to shore up first base. Gurriel does just that by adding a longtime veteran at the position to the fold, offering them additional depth and a contact-oriented bat at the position down the stretch. The Royals have been relying on a combination of Nick Loftin and veteran backstop Salvador Perez on days where he isn’t behind the plate to take over for Pasquantino since he went on the shelf.
MLBTR Podcast: Scott Servais, Perry Minasian, The Orioles’ Rotation, And Joey Votto
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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Mariners fire Scott Servais, hire Dan Wilson as manager (1:30)
- Angels extend general manager Perry Minasian (10:50)
- Orioles optioned Trevor Rogers to the minors amid other rotation challenges (23:15)
- Reds legend Joey Votto announces retirement (33:15)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- In my opinion, Max Fried‘s 2024 has cost him $100MM+ due to injury and some weirdly shaky games/random innings. Do you agree and does this make him more/less likely to re-sign with the Braves? (41:40)
- Appears Justin Verlander will not hit the 140 innings pitched needed for his $35MM vesting option for 2025, making him a free agent at the end of the season. What kind of market can we expect for Verlander? What teams interested, salary, contract length. (50:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- Who Could Get Waived, Potential Rule Changes, Austin Riley, And Hector Neris – listen here
- The White Sox Fire Their Manager, Víctor Robles Extended, And The Marlins’ Front Office – listen here
- Fallout From The Trade Deadline And Mike Trout Injured Again – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Braves Sign Harold Ramirez To Minor League Deal
The Braves inked Harold Ramírez to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. The news was announced (on X) by Gwinnett broadcaster Dave Lezotte.
It’s the third organization of the season for the right-handed hitting outfielder. Ramírez began the year with the Rays. He struggled over the first couple months and was released in June. He caught on with the Nationals, where he hit .243/.273/.365 in just under a month of play. Washington released him last week.
Between the two teams, Ramírez hit .261/.280/.324 across 246 plate appearances. A dearth of walks or power left him with a fairly empty batting average. Ramírez was a much more productive hitter between 2022-23. He combined for a .306/.348/.432 slash in nearly 900 trips over that two-year stretch in Tampa Bay. He made an extremely aggressive offensive approach work with good bat-t0-ball skills and a willingness to hit all fields. Ramírez feasted on left-handed pitching, teeing off a .374/.412/.509 clip with the platoon advantage.
There’s no downside for Atlanta in sending him to Gwinnett to see if he can recapture some of that form. The Rays are responsible for Ramírez’s $3.8MM salary. If the Braves call him up, they’d only need to pay the prorated portion of the $740K minimum for any time he’s on the MLB roster. Ramírez would technically be eligible for arbitration and controllable through 2025 in that instance, but he’d need a monster finish to the season for Atlanta to consider tendering him a contract that’d likely top $4MM.
Jorge Soler is back in tonight’s starting lineup after missing a few games with a hamstring issue. That should push Ramón Laureano back to the bench. Laureano, who played poorly enough early in the year that the Guardians released him, has rebounded with a .284/.318/.520 slash in 29 games for Atlanta. He has solidified his roster spot in the process. Barring injury, Ramírez’s best path to a job would be to replace Adam Duvall. The Braves have stuck by Duvall, who has mashed lefties (.260/.350/.529) but been unplayable against righty pitching (.146/.184/.224).
Ramírez would be eligible for postseason play if the Braves wanted to give him a look. That’s true regardless of whether he’s on the 40-man roster by September 1. Players who are in an organization on a non-roster deal by the start of the month can participate in the playoffs if the commissioner’s office approves them as injury substitutes. That’s a formality and happens with a couple players around the league in most years.
MLBTR Podcast: Who Could Get Waived, Potential Rule Changes, Austin Riley, And Hector Neris
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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Could the Rangers put a bunch of players on waivers? (1:25)
- MLB is considering rules to keep starting pitchers in games longer (10:30)
- The Braves lose Austin Riley to the injured list (24:05)
- The Cubs release Héctor Neris (29:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Will any players be placed on waivers before September 1 who could help? (35:15)
- How much longer do the Tigers stick with Javier Báez and what holes will they be looking to fill in the offseason? (41:00)
- If Pete Alonso walks in free agency, what will the Mets do at first base next year? (49:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- The White Sox Fire Their Manager, Víctor Robles Extended, And The Marlins’ Front Office – listen here
- Fallout From The Trade Deadline And Mike Trout Injured Again – listen here
- Trade Deadline Recap – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!