Nationals, Luis Cessa Agree To Minor League Deal
The Nationals have signed Luis Cessa to a minor league contract and sent him to Triple-A Rochester, tweets Talk Nats. The right-hander had been released from a non-roster deal with the Rockies last week.
Cessa joins his third organization of the season. He opened the season in the Reds’ rotation, his third year in Cincinnati. The 31-year-old had a terrible first few outings, allowing an even 9.00 ERA across 26 innings. He walked 12 and struck out just 11 of 132 batters faced. Cincinnati pulled the plug in early May, turning the rotation spot over to journeyman Ben Lively.
After signing with Colorado, the Mexico-born hurler made six starts for their Triple-A team in Albuquerque. He was tagged for an 8.44 ERA in that extremely hitter-friendly environment. The Rox have been hit with a number of rotation injuries, but Cessa didn’t show enough in his six weeks in the Colorado organization to get a big league look.
While it’s hard to find many positives in Cessa’s 2023 work, he’s been a productive MLB pitcher in prior years. He was a good long reliever for a few seasons, highlighted by a 2.51 ERA showing in 64 2/3 frames between the Yankees and Reds in 2021. He owns a 3.81 ERA in 264 2/3 career innings out of the bullpen. His more recent work since moving to the rotation late last summer hasn’t been good, but he’s at least expanded his versatility as a multi-inning arm for a pitching staff.
Washington can keep him as rotation depth in Triple-A or push him back into the relief role where he’s had more success. If Cessa cracks the MLB roster at any point, Washington would only pay him at the prorated $720K league minimum rate. The Reds remain on the hook for the balance of his $2.65MM salary. Cessa will return to free agency at season’s end.
Rockies Sign Wynton Bernard To Minor League Deal
In a move that eluded MLBTR last week, the Rockies recently signed outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league contract. He was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque and has already appeared in six games there.
It’s a familiar setting for the minor league journeyman. Bernard spent most of the 2021-22 campaigns in Albuquerque as well. After more than a decade in the minors, he reached the majors last August when Colorado selected his contract. The Niagara product appeared in 12 big league contests, hitting .286/.286/.310 through 42 trips to the dish.
The Rockies outrighted Bernard off their 40-man roster at season’s end. He signed a non-roster pact with the Blue Jays in January and spent the bulk of the year with their top affiliate in Buffalo. Through 264 plate appearances, the right-handed hitter put together a solid .271/.360/.393 batting line. He walked at a strong 11.4% clip, kept his strikeout rate a tad below 20%, and stole 15 bases in 18 tries.
Toronto released Bernard a week ago. He signed back with Colorado a day later to again offer non-roster depth at all three outfield spots. The Rockies could look to move impending free agents Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk at this summer’s trade deadline, which might open a late-season opportunity for Bernard to get another look at the highest level.
Marlins’ Jonathan Davis To Miss 3-6 Months Due To Meniscus Surgery
July 6: Marlins manager Skip Schumaker tells Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that the recovery time for Davis is three to six months, meaning his season is likely over.
July 5: Marlins outfielder Jonathan Davis suffered a meniscus injury in his right knee, the club informed reporters (including Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase). While it’s not a tear, he will need to undergo surgery to address the issue tomorrow.
Davis was injured yesterday while manning center field. He dove for a Tommy Edman line drive and landed awkwardly on his knee. The club called for a cart to take him off the field. Rookie Dane Myers replaced him in center field yesterday and got his first major league start there this evening.
The timetable for Davis’ return isn’t clear. Miami placed him on the 10-day injured list before tonight’s dramatic win over the Cardinals, initially calling the injury a knee sprain. He’ll obviously be out beyond that minimum stay but the club didn’t provide many further specifics.
The Fish acquired Davis from the Tigers in late May. He had a chance at regular center field work once Jazz Chisholm Jr. went down with an oblique strain, making his own injury particularly frustrating. Known more for his speed and defense than his bat, Davis has suited up 34 times for Miami on the season. He’s hitting .244/.307/.378 with two homers in a career-high 104 trips to the plate.
Roberts: Pursuing Right-Handed Bat “Makes Sense” For Dodgers
As is customary, the Dodgers enter deadline season looking to add to the roster. Los Angeles holds the National League’s second Wild Card spot and sits 2 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has already acknowledged the club is likely to pursue rotation help — and that was before they knew Dustin May would not return this season. Manager Dave Roberts suggested this evening the team could benefit from bringing in a right-handed hitter as well.
“I think a right-handed bat makes sense,” Roberts told reporters (including Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times). The skipper pointed to the uncertain health status of righty-hitting utility player Chris Taylor as reason to explore outside help. Taylor has been on the injured list for two weeks because of a bone bruise in his right knee. Roberts said over the weekend that he’d be out through the All-Star Break, and tonight’s suggestion about potential external reinforcements could indicate the club is concerned about a fairly lengthy absence.
Even independent of the knee issue, there’s a case for the Dodgers scaling back Taylor’s role. He has hit just .217/.293/.397 with a 35.1% strikeout rate in 636 trips to the plate since the start of last season. Taylor has hit seven homers in 62 at-bats against left-handed pitching this year, but he has had a tough time getting on base consistently against pitchers of either handedness.
The Dodgers are also without Trayce Thompson, who entered the year expected to serve as the right-handed part of a center field platoon with James Outman. Los Angeles has Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Will Smith and the middle infield tandem of Miguel Vargas and Miguel Rojas who hit from the right side. Betts, Martinez and Smith are three of the better hitters in the sport, but Vargas and Rojas have struggled offensively. Backup catcher Austin Barnes isn’t much of a threat at the dish. Righty-swinging fourth outfielder Jonny DeLuca doesn’t have much big league experience.
Los Angeles could cast a wide net positionally if they indeed seek out a right-handed bat. Betts has shown himself capable of manning the middle infield or taking an outfield spot, so he could bounce around to accommodate a new acquisition. That’s also true of Taylor whenever he’s able to return from the injured list.
Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong, Mark Canha and Adam Duvall are among the right-handed hitters who could be available at the deadline with their current teams in uncertain competitive situations. The Reds are fighting for an NL Central title but could still make former #2 overall pick Nick Senzel available as a change-of-scenery candidate given their influx of infield talent.
Senzel hasn’t hit righties at all this year but carries a .373/.422/.627 line in 64 plate appearances against southpaws and can bounce between the infield and outfield. Outfielder Lane Thomas is destroying left-handed pitching for the Nationals this season; he’s controllable through 2025 and would be tough to pry away, but a rebuilding Washington club seems unlikely to take him off the table entirely in trade discussions.
White Sox Sign Jordan Holloway To Minor League Deal
The White Sox signed right-hander Jordan Holloway to a minor league contract, according to an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate. He’ll join their top farm club in Charlotte.
Holloway had just opted out of a minor league pact with the Cubs over the weekend. He lands with their crosstown rivals in hopes of getting an MLB look for the first time this season. The right-hander had signed a non-roster pact with the Cubs in January but only made eight appearances for their Triple-A team. He allowed 12 runs in seven innings, striking out 15 but walking nine and allowing 10 hits.
That unsurprisingly didn’t get Holloway a look at Wrigley Field. He has reached the majors in each of the previous three seasons, though, with all of that experience coming for the Marlins. The 6’6″ hurler sandwiched single outings in 2020 and ’22 around a career-high 36 MLB frames two years ago. He posted an even 4.00 ERA with a serviceable 22.6% strikeout rate but a massive 16.5% walk percentage over that stretch.
Now 27, Holloway has logged parts of nine seasons in the minor leagues. He has a 4.87 ERA in 373 2/3 minor league frames. He has shown some bat-missing ability and has averaged around 95 MPH on his fastball during his MLB looks, but he’s generally struggled to throw strikes throughout his pro career.
Royals Place Zack Greinke On Injured List
The Royals placed Zack Greinke on the 15-day injured list this afternoon, recalling reliever Dylan Coleman to take the vacated roster spot. Greinke is dealing with shoulder tendinitis.
It doesn’t seem to be a particularly serious issue. Anne Rogers of MLB.com relays (0n Twitter) that the Royals are hopeful Greinke may only have to skip one turn through the rotation thanks to the upcoming All-Star Break. That suggests a minimal IL stint is a possibility, though he’ll meet with a doctor tomorrow to determine the next steps in his recovery.
Greinke’s absence is unlikely to change the Royals’ fortunes much. At 25-61, Kansas City looks ticketed for a last-place finish in the AL Central and a bottom three showing in MLB. It could have some implications for the trade market if he’s not able to return around the time he’s first eligible. Greinke is respected enough to draw some attention from other clubs this summer, even as he carries a 5.44 ERA thanks to a pair of clunkers in his last three starts.
Players on the injured list can still be traded, so Greinke would be able to move even if he’s not back on the mound by August 1. That seems unlikely, though, especially since K.C. would probably only move him if the six-time All-Star seeks a trade. Greinke has signed with the Royals on successive one-year contracts the past two seasons, preferring to return to the place where he began his career over two decades ago. He is playing this season on an $8.5MM salary and could almost double that mark via an innings-based incentive package.
MLB Finalizes Home Run Derby Participants
Major League Baseball has announced the field for the 2023 Home Run Derby. The full list of participants:
- White Sox OF Luis Robert Jr.
- Mets 1B Pete Alonso
- Dodgers OF/INF Mookie Betts
- Rangers OF Adolis García
- Rays OF Randy Arozarena
- Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Mariners OF Julio Rodríguez
- Orioles C Adley Rutschman
It is a single-elimination bracket. First-round matchups are as follows: Robert/Rutschman, Alonso/Rodríguez, Betts/Guerrero, García/Arozarena. Rodríguez and Alonso are the only two repeat players from last year’s event. Alonso had won the event back-to-back times in 2019-21 (there was no Derby in 2020 because of the pandemic) before Rodríguez knocked him out in the semifinal round last season. Juan Soto took down Rodríguez to win the tournament but declined to try to defend his title.
The Derby will take place Monday evening at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the winner will receive $1MM. The runner-up takes home $500K, while every other participant receives $150K. The player who hits the longest home run wins $100K.
Mario Guerrero Passes Away
Former major league infielder Mario Guerrero has passed away, his family told reporters over the weekend (relayed by Enrique Rojas of ESPN). He was 73 years old.
Guerrero, a native of the Dominican Republic, started his professional career when he signed with the Yankees in 1968. The right-handed hitting infielder spent four seasons in the New York farm system, playing his way to Triple-A. Midway through the 1972 campaign, he was dealt to the Red Sox as a player to be named later in the deal that saw New York acquire future Cy Young winner Sparky Lyle.
Within one season, Guerrero made his MLB debut in Boston. A light-hitting middle infielder, he played in 66 games with the Sox as a rookie. Guerrero was entrusted with the Opening Day start at shortstop the following season, ultimately appearing in 93 games and hitting .246/.282/.282.
Going into the 1975 campaign, Boston traded Guerrero to the Cardinals for a player to be named later. He spent a season-plus bouncing on and off the St. Louis roster before being traded again in May ’76 — this time to the Angels for a pair of players who never reached the majors. Guerrero played in just over half of California’s games the next two seasons, hitting .283/.298/.342 over 540 trips to the plate.
Guerrero signed with the Giants over the 1977-78 offseason. Before he could play a game, they moved him to the A’s as a player to be named later in the trade that sent Vida Blue to San Francisco a month prior. Guerrero got Opening Day nods at shortstop in Oakland in two of the next three seasons. He had arguably the best year of his career in 1978, hitting .275/.302/.345 in a personal-high 143 games.
His MLB career came to a close when he was released by the Mariners going into the 1981 campaign. Guerrero played in parts of eight big league seasons, logging a little more than 2400 plate appearances across 697 contests. He hit .257/.285/.312 while playing for four different franchises. Guerrero never posted particularly strong offensive numbers, but clubs trusted him enough as a defender to give him nearly 4600 innings of shortstop work in the big leagues.
MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, loved ones, friends and former teammates.
Marlins Outright Archie Bradley
The Marlins have sent reliever Archie Bradley outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. The veteran righty has the ability to decline the assignment in favor of free agency while retaining his guaranteed salary, since he has over five years of MLB service.
Bradley signed a minor league pact with Miami in April. He pitched nine times (including a five-inning start) for their top affiliate, posting a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 18 1/3 innings. He allowed 13 runs in that time, although only six were earned. That performance was enough for the Fish to call him up three weeks ago.
The former seventh overall pick logged four relief outings in Miami, tallying 7 1/3 innings. He surrendered 10 runs on 14 hits, striking out seven and walking three. Bradley didn’t generate many swinging strikes in that brief look and lost his roster spot over the weekend. After going unclaimed on waivers, he’ll decide whether to report back to Jacksonville or explore other opportunities on the open market.
Bradley is up to parts of nine seasons as a big league pitcher. He was an effective middle innings option as recently as 2021, when he posted a 3.71 ERA through 51 innings for the Phillies. His 2022 campaign was a significant struggle, as an elbow fracture and forearm strain kept him to 21 appearances with a 4.82 ERA that is his worst since he moved to relief (aside from this year’s small sample).
Brewers Release Matt Bush
The Brewers have released reliever Matt Bush, tweets Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That was expected once the Brew Crew designated him for assignment two days ago.
Bush joined Milwaukee at the 2022 trade deadline, heading over from the Rangers in a deal that sent utility player Mark Mathias and pitching prospect Antoine Kelly to Texas. The hard-throwing righty was sitting on a 2.95 ERA while fanning just under 30% of opposing hitters at the time of the swap. Milwaukee hoped for more of the same, but the 37-year-old struggled upon landing in American Family Field.
In 23 innings down the stretch, Bush posted a 4.30 ERA while seeing his homer rate spike. The velocity and whiffs led Milwaukee to retain him on a $1.85MM arbitration salary. Bush’s results continued going in the wrong direction, punctuated by a blown save last Friday.
Milwaukee was operating with a thin bullpen in a divisional matchup against the Pirates. The Brewers entrusted Bush with the ninth inning holding a two-run lead. The veteran allowed hits to three of five batters faced, including a Carlos Santana walk-off homer. It was the fifth longball he’d surrendered in 10 1/3 innings this season.
Asked about using Bush to close things out after the game, manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee beat “(he’s) on the roster and he hasn’t pitched in a while and he was fresh, and it was his job to get the outs in the ninth. He just couldn’t get them,” (relayed by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com).
A day later, the Brewers moved on. Bush is out of minor league option years, so a DFA was the only way to take him off the big league club. He crossed the five-year MLB service threshold earlier in the season, so he’d have the right to decline an outright assignment while retaining his salary. Rather than go through that process, Milwaukee released him entirely.
The Brewers remain on the hook for that sum. If another team adds Bush to their MLB roster, they’ll only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K minimum. He’s likely to attract interest based on his results in Texas and swing-and-miss upside, but his recent struggles might limit him to minor league offers.