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Lou Trivino Elects Free Agency

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Lou Trivino elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers, relays Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. He’d been designated for assignment by the Giants when they recalled Kyle Harrison last weekend.

Trivino, a former closer of Bob Melvin’s in Oakland, signed a minor league deal with the Giants in February. He made the team out of Spring Training and pitched 11 times over the season’s first few weeks. The overall results weren’t great. He allowed eight runs on 11 hits and four walks over 12 1/3 innings. That said, the bulk of the damage came in one five-run drubbing at the hands of the Brewers. Trivino held the opposition scoreless in eight of his other 10 appearances.

This marked the veteran righty’s first big league work in two years, as he spent the 2023-24 campaigns on the Yankees’ injured list. Trivino missed the ’23 season due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He tried to rehab in time to contribute to New York’s playoff run late last year. Shoulder discomfort shut down his rehab assignment, though, and the Yankees made the easy call to decline a $5MM option.

Trivino’s stuff hasn’t been quite as crisp as it was before the surgery. He averaged 94.9 MPH on his sinker with the Giants, down a tick from his 95.8 MPH average from the ’22 season. It’s not a dramatic dip, but his ground-ball rate was down and he surrendered four home runs in the early going. While it’s conceivable that he could find an immediate MLB roster spot as a free agent, he might wind up taking another minor league deal as he searches for a more extended opportunity.

Orioles Outright Walter Pennington

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The Orioles announced on Friday that lefty reliever Walter Pennington cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. He’d been designated for assignment on Wednesday as the corresponding move when the O’s acquired Luis F. Castillo from Seattle.

Pennington, 27, had been designated for assignment and released by the Rangers at the end of April. Baltimore grabbed him off release waivers. He made one appearance apiece at High-A Aberdeen and with Norfolk. Pennington hasn’t been able to find the strike zone, walking six of 10 batters faced while allowing seven runs (five earned) in one combined inning.

Initially drafted by the Royals, Pennington was traded to Texas last summer in the Michael Lorenzen deadline deal. He’s only a season removed from posting a 2.13 ERA with a 32.2% strikeout rate over 63 1/3 Triple-A innings. Pennington had been pitching at the Rangers’ complex before they moved on, and his pair of appearances with Baltimore affiliates were alarming.

Now that he’s cleared waivers, the O’s can keep Pennington in Norfolk without carrying him on the 40-man roster. He’ll obviously need far better control than he has shown in his limited work so far, but he’d be a solid depth arm if he can find last year’s form. He recorded an even 3.00 earned run average with 17 punchouts and 11 walks over his first 18 big league innings last season.

Nationals Release Lucas Sims

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The Nationals announced that they’ve placed veteran reliever Lucas Sims on release waivers. They’ll make a corresponding bullpen move tomorrow. They now have a vacancy on the 40-man roster.

It’s an abrupt end to what proved to be a brief stint in Washington. Sims was on the mound for the Nats roughly an hour ago. He had a nightmare outing in a blowout loss to the Cardinals. Sims entered in the eighth inning with the Nationals trailing 6-0. He hit a batter (his MLB-leading seventh HBP of the season), walked four more, and gave up a hit in a three-run inning. He recorded two outs before being lifted for Andrew Chafin.

Sims joined the Nats a one-year, $3MM free agent deal early in Spring Training. He made 18 appearances but proved far too prone to blow-up outings. He allowed multiple runs in six appearances, including each of his last two. His Washington tenure concludes with 19 runs allowed across 12 1/3 innings. He issued 14 walks while recording 13 strikeouts.

It continues an incredibly challenging stretch for Sims, who was a high-leverage bullpen pickup for the Red Sox as recently as last summer. He carried a 3.57 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate over 35 1/3 innings with the Reds leading up to the trade deadline. Boston acquired him for A-ball pitcher Ovis Portes. Sims’ production tanked immediately with the Sox. He allowed 10 runs on as many walks while picking up nine strikeouts in 14 innings. A minor lat strain cost him a couple weeks in September.

Sims will remain on waivers for the next two days. Another team would need to assume his remaining salary to claim him. No one is going to do that. He’ll clear and become a free agent. The Nats will pay the remainder of his salary aside from the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for any time he spends in the majors with another club. The control issues will probably limit him to minor league offers.

Kyle Wright Pulled Off Rehab Stint With Shoulder Fatigue, Continuing To Play Catch

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Kyle Wright’s first appearance with the Royals will wait a little longer than hoped. The team announced this evening that they’ve pulled him back from his rehab assignment in Double-A after Wright reported shoulder fatigue. The club specified that they believe it to be a minor setback, saying the “tentative plan” is for him to skip one or two starts before beginning a new minor league stint.

Wright discussed the issue with Anne Rogers of MLB.com, saying he felt some deltoid fatigue that resulted in a velocity drop during the second inning of his start on Wednesday. He framed it as more of a precautionary measure, saying he “just wanted to not do anything dumb” by pressing it. Rogers adds that Wright returned to Kansas City and continues to play catch, so he hasn’t been shut down from throwing entirely.

It doesn’t seem especially worrisome, though it’s notable given that Wright is working back from October 2023 shoulder surgery. He’d battled shoulder injuries throughout the ’23 season, his final year with the Braves. Kansas City acquired him a month later, knowing that he would spend the entire 2024 campaign on the injured list. It was a roll of the dice with an eye to this year, but Wright suffered a hamstring strain early in camp. He probably would have begun the season on the IL in either case, as the Royals have been cautious about overworking his shoulder.

Before the injuries, Wright looked like a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft. He struggled over his first handful of MLB opportunities before things clicked in 2022. Wright fired 180 1/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball that year. He struck out an above-average 23.6% of opponents while getting ground-balls at a stellar 55.6% clip. He led the majors with 21 wins and finished 10th in NL Cy Young voting.

It’s unreasonable to expect that level of production after two-plus seasons lost to shoulder injuries. The Royals don’t need him to be anywhere near that good. They already boast arguably baseball’s best rotation. Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic form an excellent top four. Michael Lorenzen is a capable fifth starter. Once healthy, Wright could push Lorenzen into a swing role or move into the bullpen as a multi-inning arm.

Wright is making $1.8MM in his second year of arbitration, as the injury capped his earning power. He’ll be under affordable club control for next year before hitting free agency during the 2026-27 offseason.

Padres Trade Connor Joe To Reds

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The Reds acquired outfielder Connor Joe from the Padres for minor league reliever Andrew Moore and cash considerations, the teams announced. Cincinnati transferred Tyler Callihan to the 60-day injured list to create a spot on the 40-man roster. San Diego’s roster count falls to 38.

Joe, a San Diego native who attended USD, signed with his hometown team on a $1MM contract during the offseason. He was expected to work as the right-handed half of a left field platoon with Jason Heyward. The Padres tabbed speedster Brandon Lockridge for that role instead, optioning Joe to Triple-A El Paso to begin the season. He was recalled in mid-April and went hitless in nine at-bats. He drew one walk while striking out six times.

The Friars optioned Joe back out last week. He made 16 appearances with El Paso, hitting .267/.405/.350 through 74 trips to the dish. He has yet to hit a home run but has stolen four bases and taken more walks (13) than strikeouts (10). He should have a better path to big league at-bats in Cincinnati. Rece Hinds and Will Benson, each of whom were recalled from Triple-A Louisville this week, are operating as backup outfielders. Starting right fielder Jake Fraley has missed four straight games on account of calf soreness.

Cincinnati did welcome righty-hitting outfielder Austin Hays back from the injured list this afternoon. Their primary corner outfielders, Fraley and Gavin Lux, each hit from the left side. Joe had a productive .251/.353/.418 slash in 363 plate appearances against lefty pitching with the Pirates between 2023-24. He didn’t hit much without the platoon advantage (.230/.314/.382 in 525 PAs), but he’s an affordable bench/platoon player.

This is Joe’s second minor league option year. The Reds can shuttle him back and forth between Cincinnati and Louisville for this season and next if he holds his 40-man roster spot for that long. He’s nearing four years of service time and will be eligible for arbitration for at least two more years if he sticks with the club.

Moore, who is not the former Mariners MLB pitcher of the same name, is a 25-year-old reliever. He was, however, drafted by Seattle in 2021. The Mariners included him alongside Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo as part of the 2022 deadline deal for Luis Castillo. Moore has spent the past few seasons working his way up to Double-A. He combines big strikeout rates with astronomical walk tallies. He did not rank among Baseball America’s write-up of Cincinnati’s top 30 prospects, though Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him 22nd in the Reds’ system just last week.

Longenhagen wrote that Moore’s fastball/slider combination looked like that of a setup man at his peak, though his velocity has been down early this season. He’d need to dramatically improve his control to pitch above a low-leverage role in either case. Moore walked upwards of 17% of opponents across 46 1/3 Double-A innings last year. That resulted in a 4.47 ERA despite an excellent 32.3% strikeout rate. He has surrendered five runs (four earned) on three hits and eight walks with 12 punchouts through his first 8 2/3 frames this season.

As for Callihan, his IL transfer was an inevitability. He broke his left arm in a nasty collision with the left field wall at Truist Park on Monday. He promptly underwent surgery that’ll prevent him from doing any kind of baseball activities for six to eight weeks. He probably won’t be able to resume his rookie season until August or September at the earliest.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images.

White Sox To Select Tim Elko

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The White Sox are selecting first baseman Tim Elko onto the big league roster, reports Vinnie Duber of The Chicago Sun-Times. He’ll be in line for his MLB debut tomorrow against the Marlins. Chicago’s 40-man roster is at capacity, so they’ll need to make corresponding active roster and 40-man moves.

Elko has never gotten much prospect fanfare, but his minor league production has certainly warranted a promotion. The right-handed hitter is out to a monster .348/.431/.670 slash over 31 games with Triple-A Charlotte. He has already hit 10 homers and six doubles in 130 plate appearances. He’s tied with Otto Kemp for the Triple-A home run lead. Among hitters with 100+ trips to the plate, only Carson McCusker has a higher OPS.

The 6’3″, 250-pound Elko has been a productive power bat dating back to his college days at Ole Miss. He nevertheless signed for a minuscule $35K bonus as a 10th-round draft pick in 2022. Scouts viewed him as an organizational depth type because of his defensive limitations and lofty swing-and-miss rates. Those are still present, though Elko has made slight improvements to his plate discipline this season. He’s drawing walks at what would be a personal-best 11.5% clip. That comes alongside an alarming 28.5% strikeout rate.

It’s a difficult profile to pull off, one that major league pitchers tend to exploit. Still, the Sox have scored the fourth-fewest runs in MLB. They’ve received a combined .215/.273/.356 slash from their first basemen and designated hitters. There’s little reason not to give Elko an opportunity to try to continue to defy expectations.

Andrew Vaughn has worked as the primary first baseman. The former third overall pick has posted middling numbers for the majority of his career. He entered play tonight with a dismal .186/.223/.293 line. A homer in his first at-bat will boost that a little bit, but it’s increasingly difficult to see Vaughn emerging as a legitimate trade chip for GM Chris Getz and company.

He’s playing on a $5.85MM arbitration salary and looks much more like a DFA or non-tender candidate than someone who could net the Sox a prospect of any regard. They haven’t had a set DH, so Vaughn and Elko could coexist in the same lineup, but it’s fair to wonder how much more runway Vaughn will have as an everyday player.

A’s Designate Noah Murdock For Assignment

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The A’s designated Rule 5 pick Noah Murdock for assignment, relays Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Righty Elvis Alvarado was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his spot in the bullpen. Alvarado is already on the 40-man roster, so the move drops their count to 39.

Murdock, 26, was the fourth player selected in last winter’s Rule 5 draft. (The A’s had the fifth pick, but Colorado passed at #2.) The A’s took the reliever out of the Kansas City farm system. Murdock divided his 2024 season between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. He worked to a 2.22 earned run average over 24 1/3 innings at the former level. Murdock posted a 3.76 ERA through 38 1/3 frames in Triple-A. He combined for a 27% strikeout rate and a huge 59.7% ground-ball percentage, though that came with an alarming 15.4% walk rate.

The 6’8″ righty broke camp and has made his first 14 big league appearances. They haven’t gone well, as he’s been blitzed for 25 runs across 17 1/3 innings. The free passes have remained far too problematic. Murdock has walked 20 batters and hit two more among the 98 he has faced. The grounder rates that have been his calling card in the minors haven’t been there against big league competition. Murdock posted a 42.6% ground-ball percentage and a 21.4% strikeout rate — both decent numbers but not nearly enough to offset the free passes.

Teams must keep their Rule 5 picks on the major league roster or injured list for the entire season to gain their long-term contractual rights. The A’s are out to a solid 20-18 start and at the very least look like a fringe Wild Card contender. They decided they could no longer afford to devote a middle relief spot to a pitcher who was struggling to such an extent.

The A’s will trade Murdock or, much more likely, place him on waivers in the next few days. That’ll give the rest of the league an opportunity to acquire him, though they’d assume the same Rule 5 obligations if they do so. If Murdock clears waivers, the A’s would need to offer him back to the Royals for $50K. (Teams pay the former club $100K when they make a Rule 5 pick.) Kansas City would not need to put him on the 40-man roster and could return him to the minor league ranks, probably back in Omaha.

Alvarado receives the first major league call of his career. The 26-year-old righty signed a split major league contract with the Pirates at the start of the offseason. He didn’t last the entire winter on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster, but the A’s claimed him off waivers in January. He’s out to a decent start in Las Vegas, tallying 15 2/3 frames of eight-run ball in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has recorded 22 strikeouts against four walks while picking up five saves in 14 appearances. His fastball is averaging a blistering 99 MPH. Alvarado has been prone to walks for most of his career, but he’s a power arm with a track record of missing bats in the minors.

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Carl Edwards Jr., Matt Foster Sign With Mexican League Teams

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A pair of former big league relievers are among those who recently signed with Mexican League teams. Carl Edwards Jr. rejoined the Tigers de Quintana Roo on Tuesday, while Matt Foster signed with the Algodoneros del Unión Laguna last week.

This is the second time this year that Edwards has signed with Quintana Roo. He initially joined the team in mid-March. He left to sign a minor league deal with the Angels before the season began. Edwards made seven Triple-A appearances and was called up by the Halos last month. He pitched twice in the big leagues, allowing three runs in as many innings. The Angels designated him for assignment, and he elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers.

Edwards evidently preferred to return to Mexico rather than accept an outright assignment with the Halos. He’s making his Mexican League debut tonight. This year’s brief stint with the Angels marked his 11th consecutive season logging major league action. He’s only made three combined appearances over the past two years but was a decent middle reliever for the Nationals between 2022-23.

Foster, 30, is a righty who elected free agency at the start of the offseason after being waived by the White Sox. The Alabama product had pitched in parts of four seasons with Chicago, tallying 119 1/3 innings. He spent most of the 2020-22 seasons in Chicago’s middle relief group. Foster underwent Tommy John surgery early in the ’23 campaign.

That cost him nearly a year and a half of action. He tossed 6 2/3 frames of two-run ball for the Sox late last season after his return. That came with a 91.9 MPH average fastball velocity that was down two ticks from where he’d been sitting before the surgery. MLB teams were clearly skeptical of the diminished stuff. He allowed a run on three hits in an inning of work in his debut with the Algodoneros.

Yankees Outright Carlos Carrasco

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The Yankees announced that Carlos Carrasco went unclaimed on waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The veteran righty has more than enough service time to decline the assignment in favor of free agency, though the team did not provide any indication that he’ll do that. He’d been designated for assignment on Tuesday.

Carrasco, 38, signed a minor league deal a couple weeks before the opening of Spring Training. He posted a 1.69 ERA over 16 innings in March. Between the strong camp and injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, Carrasco opened the season in Aaron Boone’s rotation. He couldn’t carry the spring success into the regular season. Carrasco surrendered nearly six earned runs per nine across 32 innings. His 17.6% strikeout rate was a few percentage points below league average, while he gave up seven home runs (1.97 per nine).

That’s more or less a match for Carrasco’s 2023-24 production. He held rotation spots with the Mets and Guardians, respectively, for the bulk of those two years. He hasn’t missed bats and has struggled to keep the ball in the park. Carrasco allowed a combined 6.18 ERA in 41 starts over that stretch. His 1.75 HR/9 rate over the past three seasons is the highest among active pitchers who have logged at least 200 innings.

Carrasco has been an upper mid-rotation starter for the majority of his career. He’s now a depth arm as his velocity has declined into his late 30s. He’s still a solid strike-thrower and a highly-respected veteran, so the Yankees would presumably be happy to keep him in the organization at Scranton. Brandon Leibrandt and Jake Woodford are the most experienced non-roster depth starters with the RailRiders.

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