Denzel Clarke Out Beyond All-Star Break With Hamstring Strain
The Athletics announced this evening that center fielder Denzel Clarke suffered a high-grade strain of his left hamstring while playing in a rehab game. The A’s won’t even have a defined return timeline until he’s reevaluated at some point after the All-Star Break.
Clarke sustained the injury on Tuesday with Triple-A Las Vegas. He was working back from a bone bruise in his right foot that had already cost him a month. The hamstring seems to be far more significant, as it’ll be a couple months before they consider a return to play. That all but ensures he won’t be ready for MLB action until at least August.
One of the most talented defensive players in the sport, Clarke has missed most of the past calendar year with injuries. He lost almost all of the 2025 second half with an adductor strain. The injuries have robbed the A’s of their starting center fielder and Clarke of much needed reps to develop at the plate.
The 26-year-old has appeared in 69 games at the big league level. He has struck out 85 times while batting .214/.262/.323 over 219 plate appearances. Clarke has already racked up an impressive highlight reel on the other side of the ball, pulling off multiple home run robberies while grading as one of the top outfielders in MLB. Statcast credits him with 14 Outs Above Average in a little over 500 innings in center field.
Zack Gelof initially handled center field when Clarke went on the injured list in late April. They’ve moved him to third base of late, giving the center field responsibilities to Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler. The latter hasn’t gotten going in his return from last fall’s patellar tendon procedure. Butler is hitting .174/.273/.265 over 150 plate appearances. Bolte is batting .269 with one double in his first seven MLB games.
The A’s enter play tonight with a 25-24 record that has them narrowly above the Rangers and Mariners in the AL West. It’s unlikely they’ll invest much prospect capital to upgrade center field on the trade market, though they’ll need at least one of Bolte or Butler to get on a roll offensively. They’ll move Clarke to the 60-day injured list the next they need to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Rockies Select Chad Stevens
The Rockies announced they’ve selected infielder Chad Stevens from Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado placed outfielder Brenton Doyle on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 20, with a left oblique contusion. The Rox also recalled right-hander Blas Castaño and optioned lefty reliever Sammy Peralta to Triple-A. Colorado designated southpaw Carson Palmquist for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Stevens.
Stevens, who signed an offseason minor league contract, has been on a tear in the minors. He’s hitting .362/.435/.523 with three homers, 13 doubles and a triple over 40 games with Albuquerque. That’s carried by a .500 average on balls in play, as Stevens has struck out at an elevated 26.2% rate. The former 11th-rounder has a .300/.378/.473 line in just shy of 800 trips to the dish at the Triple-A level in his career.
The 27-year-old Stevens has played in five MLB games, all of which came with the Angels in early July. He went 2-14 with seven strikeouts. Los Angeles optioned him back to Triple-A after a week and designated him for assignment in September. He’ll provide an extra infielder behind Ezequiel Tovar, Willi Castro, Kyle Karros and Edouard Julien off Warren Schaeffer’s bench.
It’s a little odd that Colorado brought up an infielder to replace Doyle, as they’re operating with a rather thin outfield. Jake McCarthy is in the primary center field role, while Mickey Moniak occasionally moves into center. Tyler Freeman and designated hitter/corner bat Troy Johnston are the other outfield options on the active roster.
Stevens’ selection spells the end of Palmquist’s time on the roster. Colorado’s previous front office regime drafted the 6’3″ southpaw in the third round in 2022. The Miami product struggled over nine MLB appearances last year. The Rockies moved him to the bullpen late last summer. Palmquist has spent this season on optional assignment to Triple-A. He has started his past few times out but is still working 2-3 inning stints.
Palmquist has allowed 7.20 earned runs per nine over 25 frames with Albuquerque, walking 15% of opponents against a modest 19% strikeout rate. The Rockies will trade him or put him on waivers within the next five days. Palmquist has never been outrighted in his career, so he’d remain in the organization if he clears waivers.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported the Stevens call-up before the team announcement.
2026-27 Club Options: NL Central
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL Central, where the Cubs have a number of low-cost options to weigh.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East
Chicago Cubs
- Matthew Boyd, LHP: $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
Mutual options are essentially never exercised, so Boyd will be paid the $2MM buyout and return to free agency next winter. That’ll conclude a two-year, $29MM free agent deal that worked out well. Boyd’s 3.21 ERA over 31 starts a year ago essentially paid for the contract on its own.
The second season isn’t going as planned. Boyd missed a couple weeks in April with a biceps strain and suffered a more significant meniscus injury in his left knee earlier this month. He underwent surgery that’ll keep him out into late June at the earliest. The Cubs probably aren’t keen on their end of the option.
- Hunter Harvey, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1MM buyout)
Chicago added Harvey on a one-year, $6MM deal in December. The talented but oft-injured reliever only pitched four times before landing on the injured list with triceps inflammation. Further testing this month revealed a stress reaction that’ll keep him down for a while. This will be an easy pass for the team.
- Carson Kelly, C: $7.5MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Kelly has outperformed his two-year, $11.5MM deal signed in December 2024. Initially brought in as a veteran complement to Miguel Amaya, the 31-year-old Kelly has earned the majority of the playing time. He’s a .261/.344/.421 hitter with 19 homers over his season-plus in Chicago. He’s fourth among primary catchers this season with a .381 on-base percentage. Kelly has a strong case for another two-year contract at a better annual rate than the option price, so his camp should have an easy time passing.
- Colin Rea, RHP: $7.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Rea, a 35-year-old swingman, is in the second season of his second stint with the Cubs. He’s clearly a favorite of skipper Craig Counsell, who also managed him in Milwaukee in 2021 and ’23. Rea pitched pretty well last season, managing a sub-4.00 ERA while starting 27 of 32 games. The Cubs had a $6MM team option for 2026, but the sides agreed to a restructured extension that guaranteed Rea $6.5MM in exchange for the righty tacking on a similarly priced club option for 2027.
Injuries again quickly pushed Rea from long relief into a back-end rotation spot. He hasn’t performed as well as he did last season, allowing nearly five earned per nine across 47 frames. Rea had consecutive quality starts against the Phillies in mid-April but has surrendered a 7.04 ERA over his past five times out.
Rea’s strikeout, walk and home run rates are all virtually identical to last season’s. There haven’t been any meaningful changes to his pitch mix or velocity. He’s essentially the same pitcher, with this year’s ERA spike mostly due to a higher average on balls in play. That’s always a risk for a pitcher like Rea who pounds the strike zone but doesn’t have overpowering stuff.
The Cubs will presumably look for a rotation upgrade or two in July that can push him back into a relief role. A buyout seems likelier than them picking up the option, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try to bring him back a slightly lower price given his flexibility in usage.
- Caleb Thielbar, LHP: $6MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
Chicago brought back Thilebar on a $4.5MM deal after he worked 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball in 2025. The southpaw is making $4MM this year and will earn a $500K buyout at season’s end. He missed just under a month with a left hamstring strain and has been limited to 12 appearances. Thilebar has recorded 11 punchouts while allowing four runs (three earned) across 9 2/3 innings. The Cubs will probably pass on their end but could have interest in keeping Thielbar around for his age-40 season at slightly less money.
- Jacob Webb, RHP: $2.5MM club option (no buyout)
The Rangers surprisingly non-tendered Webb after he turned in 66 innings with an even 3.00 earned run average. Chicago signed him to a $1.5MM free agent deal that includes a $2.5MM team option for 2027. The righty has been a nice addition to Counsell’s middle relief corps, striking out a quarter of opponents with a 3.05 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. He’s getting swinging strikes and chases off the plate at career-best rates.
Webb has allowed right around three earned runs per nine in three straight seasons. His market has never really materialized, but a $2.5MM option is cheap enough that the Cubs would very likely bring him back if he keeps this pace all year.
The Cubs hold a $3.3MM club option on RHP Javier Assad. He’ll remain eligible for arbitration through at least 2028 even if the option is declined.
Cincinnati Reds
- Pierce Johnson, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Cincinnati picked up Johnson on a one-year, $6.5MM deal after the Braves bought him out. The veteran righty has allowed eight runs over 19 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk numbers. His 9.3% swinging strike rate is a career low. Johnson is an MLB-caliber arm but more of a middle reliever than a setup man at age 35. An $8MM option price is too rich on the Reds’ end.
- Eugenio Suárez, DH/3B: $16MM mutual option
Cincinnati brought Suárez back on a one-year, $15MM deal late in the winter. It looked like a nice bargain pickup for a team that needed offense. Suárez’s age evidently tamped down long-term interest, but he hit 49 home runs a year ago. The return has started slowly, as he hit .231/.300/.363 through 100 plate appearances before sustaining a left oblique strain that sent him to the injured list. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville yesterday.
The Reds will also pay a $3MM buyout to released infielder Jeimer Candelario.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Luis Rengifo, 3B: $10MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Milwaukee bought low on Rengifo with a $3.5MM deal in Spring Training. He’s making a $2MM salary and due a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option. They haven’t gotten anything close to the desired bounce back. The switch-hitting utilityman carries a .199/.262/.257 line without a home run over 150 plate appearances. Third base feels like a priority for the Brewers at the deadline, at which point they could move on from Rengifo entirely.
- Gary Sánchez, C: Mutual option
The terms of Sánchez’s mutual option were never reported. He signed a $1.75MM guarantee to return to Milwaukee as a backup catcher/part-time DH. Although Sánchez is only hitting .198, he has walked 20 times and hit five home runs in 108 plate appearances. The Brewers will eventually want a look at prospect Jeferson Quero, but William Contreras will be an offseason trade candidate with free agency looming after 2027. They could look to keep Sánchez around as a cheap #2 catcher.
Milwaukee holds a $14.5MM club option on C William Contreras for his final season of arbitration. He’ll remain under team control if Milwaukee declines.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Pittsburgh added Ozuna late in the offseason on a $12MM deal. It didn’t make much sense at the time since it locked all of Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Spencer Horwitz into defensive spots without a fallback at designated hitter. Ozuna was also coming off a mediocre second half and playing in one of the toughest home parks for right-handed power.
Ozuna had an atrocious April. He’s at least drawing a lot of walks in May, but his season .179/.275/.305 line isn’t cutting it. It goes without saying that the Pirates aren’t exercising a $16MM option. The bigger question is whether they’ll keep Ozuna on the roster all year.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Dustin May, RHP: $20MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
May commanded a surprisingly strong $12.5MM guarantee despite coming off a 4.96 ERA season between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He’s making a $12MM salary and will collect a $500K buyout on the $20MM mutual option at season’s end. May has stayed healthy and taken all nine turns through the rotation, but he’ll take a 4.81 ERA into today’s start against the Pirates. His strikeout and whiff rates are well below average despite his 97 mph fastball. While May’s power stuff and early-career success have continued to intrigue teams, the recent performance has been that of a fifth starter. The Cardinals aren’t signing up for a $20MM option.
- Ryne Stanek, RHP: $6MM club option (no buyout)
St. Louis added the hard-throwing Stanek on a $3.5MM deal in January. They wanted an experienced leverage arm who could compete for the closing role and potentially be a midseason trade asset. Riley O’Brien seized the ninth inning, leaving Stanek alongside JoJo Romero and George Soriano in the setup group.
Stanek continues to sit around 98 mph and generate above-average strikeout and whiff rates. His already problematic control has pushed even further, though, and he’s walking nearly 18% of opposing hitters. It’s the third-highest mark among pitchers with at least 20 innings. The free passes have resulted in a 6.30 ERA over 23 appearances. Teams are inclined to bet on pitchers with this kind of stuff, but Stanek will need a better second half to convince the Cardinals (or a potential midseason trade partner) to bring him back for $6MM.
- Ramón Urías, 3B: $4MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
St. Louis added Urías on a $2MM free agent deal during Spring Training. He’s making $1.5MM in salary and will be paid a $500K buyout. Urías limped to a .158/.279/.316 start over 25 games before landing on the injured list with tennis elbow.
The White Sox’ Infield Is Mashing
The White Sox have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026 season. Last night's ninth-inning comeback in Seattle pushed them back to two games above .500 at 25-23. They're not far behind the Guardians in the AL Central and one of only four American League teams (the Rays and Yankees being the others) taking a winning record into Wednesday's games.
It's the best stretch of play by the White Sox since the first half of 2023. They're still not a great team overall, but it's the most exciting time for the fanbase in a while. Almost no one would've picked the White Sox as a live playoff threat after one of the worst three-year stretches in MLB history. Even if getting to October still feels like a long shot, they're putting together a legitimate offense.
The Sox are middle of the pack in scoring but land in the top 10 in both OPS and wRC+. Only the Yankees have hit more home runs than Chicago's 67, which is tied with Atlanta for second. They're sixth in slugging percentage and third in ISO (slugging minus average) after the Yankees and Braves. They've hit at this level despite zero at-bats from catcher Kyle Teel, one of their two best hitters in 2025 who hasn't played this season because of hamstring and knee issues. This is suddenly one of the better power-hitting teams in the league. Most of that comes from an infield that has a claim for best in baseball.
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A’s Re-Sign Michael Stefanic To Minor League Deal
The Athletics re-signed infielder Michael Stefanic to a minor league contract. He’s back in the Triple-A lineup tonight as the designated hitter for the Aviators.
Stefanic elected free agency yesterday after being outrighted from the A’s roster one day earlier. He’d been designated for assignment on Saturday when they acquired Alika Williams from Pittsburgh. That ended Stefanic’s brief stint on the big league roster.
The A’s had called him up last Tuesday when they lost Jacob Wilson to the injured list. Stefanic played twice, once starting at second base and entering the other game as a pinch-hitter. He went 2-5 with a run scored. It marks five consecutive years with some MLB action for the 30-year-old infielder. He’s a lifetime .231/.315/.269 hitter at the major league level.
The righty-hitting Stefanic has been a fantastic Triple-A performer throughout his career. He owns a .326/.422/.447 batting line in more than 2000 plate appearances. Stefanic has elite strike zone judgment and pure contact skills, but he doesn’t hit for much power. He’s also more of a second/third baseman than a true shortstop, which limits his value off the bench for MLB clubs. That’s evidenced by the A’s going with Williams as a more valuable defender behind their middle infield pairing of Jeff McNeil and fill-in shortstop Darell Hernaiz.
Padres Release Jose Miranda
The Padres released corner infielder Jose Miranda from his minor league contract. The move was announced by San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate this afternoon.
Miranda signed with the Friars in mid-December. He had a big spring and legitimately seemed to be in consideration for an Opening Day roster spot. The Padres opted for Ty France in that role instead, assigning Miranda to Triple-A. France has certainly rewarded their faith, hitting .278 with four homers among nine extra-base knocks in 82 plate appearances.
The 27-year-old Miranda has had a rougher time in the minors. He’s batting .268/.308/.482 with five longballs in 120 trips. That superficially strong slash line is actually a fair bit worse than league average given the Pacific Coast League setting. That’s mostly due to the subpar on-base percentage, as Miranda has only worked four walks over 28 games. He’s among the bottom 15 PCL hitters (minimum 100 plate appearances) in reaching base.
A one-time top prospect with the Twins, Miranda hasn’t been able to build off a strong rookie showing in 2022. He hit .268/.325/.426 with 15 homers over his debut campaign. Miranda missed a good chunk of time the following year with a shoulder issue. He returned to hit .284/.322/.441 during the ’24 campaign but spent most of last season in Triple-A. Miranda had a dismal year in the minors, batting .195/.272/.296 and leading the Twins to drop him from the roster at season’s end.
Miranda should be able to find another minor league opportunity in the coming days. He has a solid contact/power combination that has been undermined by the aggressive approach and a lack of defensive value. Miranda isn’t a good defender at either corner spot and has seen most of his work at first base this year.
Peter Strzelecki Elects Free Agency
The Brewers announced this evening that reliever Peter Strzelecki cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, relays Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. They designated him for assignment over the weekend.
Strzelecki had a one-day stint on the active roster. Milwaukee selected his contract on Saturday and dropped him a day later. Strzelecki didn’t pitch in the one game for which he was active. He’s out of minor league options, so the Brewers couldn’t send him back to Triple-A without putting him on waivers. That gave Strzelecki the right to explore other opportunities, as this is the second outright assignment of his career.
It could be a formality that sees the 31-year-old re-sign in the next day or two. That’s common in situations like these. Strzelecki began his career as an undrafted free agent signee by the Brewers back in 2018. He made 66 MLB appearances with the Crew from 2022-23, turning in a 3.69 ERA across 70 2/3 innings. Milwaukee traded him to Arizona at the ’23 deadline.
After bouncing around for various teams in the upper minors, Strzelecki returned to the Brewers on an offseason minor league contract. He has allowed 10 runs (nine earned) through 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Nashville. Strzelecki has fanned 20 opponents against four walks. He’s attacking the zone but not getting many whiffs on a per-pitch basis.
Astros To Select Alimber Santa
The Astros are selecting reliever Alimber Santa onto the MLB roster, reports Héctor Gómez. Houston opened a spot on the 40-man roster by designating righty Cody Bolton for assignment on Monday. They’ll only need to create an active roster spot by optioning a pitcher before Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field.
It’s the first MLB call for the 23-year-old Santa. The 5’10” righty signed with Houston for $75K as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic in 2020. He struggled early in his minor league career but earned a nomination to last year’s Futures Game with an impressive season. Santa turned in a 2.31 earned run average while striking out 28% of opponents across 70 innings between the top two minor league levels.
Baseball America ranked Santa the #28 prospect in the Houston system over the winter. Their offseason scouting report credited him with a five-pitch arsenal, but this season’s Triple-A pitch tracking data indicates he has only used a mid-80s slider and a 94-95 mph four-seam fastball. Santa’s slider has been his best pitch throughout his time in the minors. He’s using it almost two-thirds of the time with strong results.
This year, Santa has fanned 32% of opponents while allowing only five runs (three earned) over 19 Triple-A innings. His 9.2% walk rate is close to league average, an improvement after he walked 13% of batters faced a year ago. He has plunked three batters and has a career 14.3% walk percentage over six minor league seasons.
Santa will come to town hoping to boost a bullpen that has been one of the worst in the Majors. They carried an MLB-high 5.78 ERA into play Wednesday, though that’ll drop slightly after AJ Blubaugh and Nate Pearson combined for two scoreless innings today. Houston relievers have allowed the most home runs (35) while ranking in the bottom third of the league in strikeout rate.
2026-27 Club Options: NL East
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL East, where a former MVP and Cy Young winner are the most notable names.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West
Atlanta Braves
- Ronald Acuña Jr., RF: $17MM club option ($10MM buyout)
This is as easy as they get. The Braves will exercise their $17MM option for 2027 and have a matching provision for the ’28 season. The first comes with a $10MM buyout, while the second has no buyout. It’s highly likely the Braves are going to pick them both up anyway, but it could be a moderately closer call for Atlanta after 2027 if Acuña has a bad or injury-riddled year.
The Braves have remarkably raced to the second-best start in MLB despite relatively underwhelming work from the five-time All-Star. Acuña has only connected on two home runs with a .252/.367/.382 slash line through his first 35 games. He missed a couple weeks with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring and returned to the lineup yesterday.
- Ozzie Albies, 2B: $7MM club option (no buyout)
Albies agreed to a pair of $7MM team options on his exceedingly club-friendly 2019 extension. He signed away up to four free agent years for a $35MM guarantee that’d max out at $45MM if the Braves exercised the options — the first of which contained a $4MM buyout.
For a few years, it was among the biggest bargain contracts in the league. A pair of down seasons in 2024-25 reduced the surplus value somewhat, though Atlanta still had an easy call to exercise the first option last winter. Picking up the second should require even less deliberation.
Albies has rebounded to hit .271/.329/.441 and is third among second basemen with eight home runs. The NL second base field is crowded, but Albies is putting together a strong case for his fourth All-Star selection while playing on a salary just above what Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Miguel Rojas commanded as free agents.
- Tyler Kinley, RHP: $5.5MM club option ($1.25MM buyout)
Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies last summer. He pitched brilliantly down the stretch, but they nevertheless declined his $5.5MM option for 2026 in favor of a $750K buyout. They re-signed Kinley two months later on a $4.25MM free agent deal. He’s making $3MM this season and will be paid either a $1.25MM buyout or stick around for next season via $5.5MM team option.
Kinley, a slider specialist, has had a somewhat shaky start this season. His 23% strikeout rate is virtually unchanged from last year, but his walks have ticked up and he has been victimized by the home run ball. Kinley has given up a longball in four of his last eight times out. He’s up to 10 runs allowed (nine earned) across 20 2/3 innings.
The Braves have still used Kinley in a decent number of leverage situations. He’s tied for second on the team behind Dylan Lee with six holds. This one could go either way, but he’ll need to get on track to remain in skipper Walt Weiss’ circle of trust.
Miami Marlins
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP: $21MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Marlins’ deadline will hinge largely on what to do with Alcantara. He’s making $17MM in the final guaranteed season of the $56MM extension he signed in 2021. Alcantara has rebounded from an abysmal first half of the ’25 campaign, as he clearly had trouble dialing in his command when he initially returned from a Tommy John procedure.
Alcantara carries a 3.53 ERA with an above-average 49% grounder rate over his first 10 starts. He has allowed 3.47 earned runs per nine in 23 starts going back to last summer’s All-Star Break. The Cy Young form probably isn’t coming back, but Alcantara would be a lock for a team’s playoff rotation. He’s still sitting in the 97-98 mph range with his four-seamer and sinker, albeit with a slight drop in strikeouts.
Miami’s only guaranteed money for the 2027 season is the $10MM they’ll send to the Yankees on the Giancarlo Stanton contract. None of their arbitration-eligible players would cost more than a few million dollars. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that Alcantara is a favorite of owner Bruce Sherman.
It would take another major injury or an atrocious second half for Alcantara’s option not to get picked up. The bigger question is whether that’ll be by the Marlins. They’re 22-27 and fourth from the bottom in a competitive National League. FanGraphs has their postseason chances below 5%. The prospect return would be higher this summer than it’d be at the 2027 deadline given the extra playoff run they’re marketing to a contender. Will the Fish keep Alcantara as a veteran rotation anchor or shop him as one of the best available arms?
New York Mets
- Luis Robert Jr., CF: $20MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Mets took on Robert’s $20MM salary for the 2026 season in last winter’s trade with the White Sox. They didn’t surrender a whole lot in terms of young talent — Luisangel Acuña’s stock has tumbled over the past couple seasons — but it was still a sizable financial bet on Robert staying healthy and rebounding from two straight subpar offensive years.
Robert hit well for the first two weeks before falling into a slump in the middle of April. He had a .224/.327/.329 slash over 98 plate appearances when he landed on the injured list with lumbar disc inflammation. Initial hopes that it’d be close to a minimal stint haven’t panned out. He’s coming up on a monthlong absence without a clear timeline for when he’ll ramp up baseball activities.
The bet on Robert’s tools and early-career success hasn’t panned out so far. They’ve needed to call upon prospect A.J. Ewing earlier than expected. Ewing has shown a very disciplined approach through his first eight MLB games after an excellent start to the year in Triple-A. It’s too early to simply lock Ewing into the 2027 center field job, but the Mets would be better for it if he nails down the position with a strong rookie season. That’d solidify the increasingly probable chance that Robert gets bought out.
Philadelphia Phillies
- None.
Washington Nationals
- Zack Littell, RHP: $12MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
Washington added Littell on a one-year, $7MM free agent deal. They included a $12MM mutual option that comes with a $4MM buyout. That’s an accounting mechanism that allows them to pay Littell more than half the money at the end of the season rather than throughout the summer in salary. They presumably hoped to shed some of the buyout responsibility by flipping Littell at the deadline, though the backloaded nature meant they’d have needed to cover some of it to find a trade partner.
That’s probably a moot point, as Littell hasn’t pitched well enough to merit much attention. He owns a 6.10 ERA with a career-low 10.6% strikeout rate while giving up 14 home runs in just 41 1/3 innings. He’s the only pitcher with 40+ frames who is allowing a homer once in every three innings pitched. Most of that damage came in April, but Littell has only recorded four strikeouts in 12 1/3 frames this month. If the Nationals didn’t have one of the worst rotations in MLB, they’d probably have given more consideration to moving on from Littell already.
Note: The Nationals hold respective club options on Cade Cavalli ($4MM) and Max Kranick ($850K). Both players would remain eligible for arbitration if Washington declines.
Marlins Notes: Garrett, Snelling, Alderman
The Marlins are optioning lefty Braxton Garrett back to Triple-A Jacksonville, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. They’ll make a corresponding move tomorrow.
Garrett was recalled to step into the rotation last week. His season debut could hardly have gone worse. He allowed five runs on four hits and five walks while recording just four outs in a road loss to the Twins. Garrett took the ball again today against the Braves. He required 65 pitches to complete three innings of two-run ball, allowing three hits and walks apiece with a pair of strikeouts.
The 28-year-old Garrett was a capable mid-rotation starter between 2022-23. He lost most of the ’24 season to a flexor strain and underwent UCL surgery in January 2025. That wiped out all of last year. The Marlins optioned him out of Spring Training to allow him to build up in Triple-A. Garrett has a 2.30 ERA and 26% strikeout rate through six starts with Jacksonville, but his command has been a work in progress in the minors as well (12.3% walk rate).
Miami only recalled Garrett last week due to an unfortunate injury to rookie southpaw Robby Snelling. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut on May 8. He reported elbow discomfort during a between starts throwing session and was diagnosed with a UCL sprain. That’ll keep him down for a while, with a specific timeline to be determined after he goes for further testing.
The team announced yesterday that Snelling will see Dr. Keith Meister on Thursday (relayed by Kevin Barral of Fish On First). They should have a better idea by the weekend whether Snelling will require an operation or can proceed with a non-surgical route.
In either case, the Marlins will need to figure out the fifth rotation spot this weekend. Janson Junk and Sandy Alcantara will go for the final two games of the Atlanta series. Miami hasn’t announced pitching plans for their weekend set against the Mets. Eury Pérez and Max Meyer would be on regular rest for the first two games.
Ryan Gusto, Bradley Blalock and Dax Fulton are all on the 40-man roster and in the Jacksonville rotation. Fulton pitched tonight, while Blalock has struggled his last two times out. Gusto scuffled a bit early in the season but has turned in strong outings in three of his last four appearances. He struck out 10 over seven innings of two-run ball over the weekend.
Top prospect Thomas White isn’t on the 40-man but also looms in Triple-A. The 6’5″ southpaw has made five starts since returning from a season-opening injured list stint due to an oblique strain. He has yet to complete five innings in a start and has given up eight runs (six earned) over six combined frames in his past two outings. It’d be an odd time to call him up, but White ranks as the #4 pitching prospect in the sport at Baseball America. He’d been scheduled to start for Jacksonville tomorrow, but they now list reliever Zach McCambley for that game. It’s unclear if that’s related to a potential promotion or due to some kind of health question.
An injury probably will delay the debut for another of Miami’s better prospects. Triple-A slugger Kemp Alderman was placed on the minor league injured list after a collision at first base over the weekend. A natural outfielder, Alderman had recently begun getting some first base reps.
Alderman is out to a .303/.376/.526 start with nine homers in 40 games for Jacksonville. He’s striking out at a concerning 31% clip but obliterating the ball when he makes contact. Alderman has made hard contact on 64% of his batted balls while posting a 96 mph average exit velocity. That’s comparable to what James Wood, Munetaka Murakami and Oneil Cruz are doing at the MLB level. Alderman is obviously facing far lesser pitching than he’d see in the Majors, but he clearly has immense raw power.
Miami could certainly have used a jolt at first base. Christopher Morel, signed to a $2MM free agent deal to handle the position, missed most of April with an oblique injury. He has hit .152 without a home run in 15 games since returning. Connor Norby has a league average .231/.335/.378 slash line between the corner infield spots and designated hitter.