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The Yankees’ Outfielders Raising Their Free Agent Stocks

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For the second straight season, the Yankees have the best outfield in baseball. Having the best hitter on the planet is an excellent starting point. This level of dominance can't all come from Aaron Judge, though. Last season, Juan Soto paired with Judge as an all-time 1-2 offensive punch. It seemed almost impossible for the outfield to match last year's .266/.377/.516 line after losing Soto to free agency.

They've instead improved upon that monster production through this season's first two months. Yankee outfielders carry a .293/.380/.533 slash. They lead MLB with 37 home runs and trail only the Cubs with 113 runs batted in. They're handily above the rest of the league in all three slash stats. The Cubs are the only team that is particularly close in terms of FanGraphs' Wins Above Replacement.

Judge somehow elevating from a .322/.458/.701 performance is the biggest factor. Yet the Yankees have largely offset the loss of production from Soto -- at least so far -- by not having anyone close to last season's weak link, Alex Verdugo. That's a testament mostly to Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, each of whom have gotten out to excellent starts. (Jasson Domínguez has decent numbers overall as well, though most of that comes from a three-homer barrage in Sacramento on May 9.) The early paces from Bellinger and Grisham provide the Yankees needed lineup depth around Judge and Paul Goldschmidt. They're also significant factors for what looks to be a shallow upcoming free agent class behind Kyle Tucker.

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Yankees Likely To Move Jazz Chisholm Back To Third Base

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Jazz Chisholm Jr. began a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset this evening. It’s the switch-hitting infielder’s first game action since he sustained a right oblique strain last month. Chisholm started the game at third base. He played five innings and took four plate appearances before being lifted for a planned mid-game substitution.

The positional assignment is the most interesting aspect. Manager Aaron Boone told the Yankees beat on Wednesday night that the team was considering using Chisholm as a third baseman once he returns from the injured list (relayed by Greg Joyce of The New York Post). After today’s rehab game, Chisholm indicated that’s indeed likely to be the plan (video provided by SNY).

“That’s what I’ve heard so far,” he replied when asked if he expects to be a full-time third baseman. “(Boone) gave me the choice, but he told me that he really wanted me at third base. I’m a team guy. I’m here to win a ring. I’m not here to fight over positions and all that.”

Chisholm has played exclusively second base this year. He started 29 games at the keystone through the end of April. DJ LeMahieu was on the IL for that entire time. Oswaldo Cabrera was playing regularly at the hot corner. Of course, the picture has changed in the past few weeks. LeMahieu is back and has moved to second base. Cabrera suffered a gruesome ankle fracture that’ll almost certainly end his season. Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas (to a lesser extent) have covered third base since Cabrera’s injury.

Neither Peraza nor Vivas has provided anything offensively. Chisholm was only hitting .181 before his injury, but he’d connected on seven home runs while drawing walks at a strong 12% clip. He should be a significant upgrade relative to the Peraza/Vivas pairing overall. LeMahieu is out to a .184/.244/.263 start through his first 12 games. It’s an inauspicious follow-up to last year’s .204/.269/.259 showing, but the Yankees seem likely to give him a little more leash over the next few weeks. They apparently prefer for LeMahieu to remain on the right side of the infield as he tries to get his bat on track.

This is the second time that Chisholm has kicked from second to third base during his Yankees tenure. He made the move after last summer’s deadline trade. That was in deference to Gleyber Torres (and came after New York’s incumbent second baseman indicated he wasn’t interested in a position change. Chisholm committed seven errors in 400 1/3 innings during his first MLB action at the hot corner). He graded a couple runs below average by Defensive Runs Saved but Statcast credited him with four runs above par.

The move could also have implications for New York’s deadline approach. Infield help would be a logical area for the front office to target this summer — especially if LeMahieu doesn’t pick things up. Chisholm could presumably move back to second if they acquire a third baseman, but they could also look for a direct upgrade at second base. The position has been down overall, but Brandon Lowe, Luis Urías and old friend Thairo Estrada (who is currently rehabbing a wrist fracture) are among potential deadline trade candidates.

Blue Jays Trade Josh Walker To Phillies

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The Phillies announced the acquisition of lefty reliever Josh Walker from the Blue Jays for cash considerations. Philadelphia has had a free 40-man roster spot since José Alvarado was suspended. They optioned Walker to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, so no additional move was necessary.

Toronto had designated Walker for assignment earlier in the week. An injury to backup catcher Tyler Heineman forced the Jays to select Ali Sánchez to pair with Alejandro Kirk. That required a 40-man roster move and squeezed Walker off the depth chart. The 6’6″ southpaw had been on optional assignment and pitching in Triple-A for most of this month.

Walker had a brief stay on Toronto’s MLB roster earlier in the year. He made three appearances and allowed four runs over five innings. He struck out eight against two walks while relying primarily on a mid-80s curveball. Walker backs up that breaking pitch with both a four-seam and two-seam fastball that typically land in the 93-94 MPH range.

A product of the University of New Haven, Walker entered the professional ranks as a 37th-round draft choice by the Mets in 2017. He overcame that lack of prospect pedigree to get to the majors in 2023. Walker hasn’t had much success against big league hitters, tallying a combined 6.59 earned run average through 27 1/3 frames. He has pitched well up through the Double-A level, though his Triple-A results are more mixed.

Walker carries a 4.45 ERA with an above-average 26.6% strikeout rate over parts of five seasons at the top minor league level. He has struggled there in the early going, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits and seven walks through his first 10 innings this season. He has managed 16 strikeouts on only 51 batters faced, however, which is presumably a selling point for Philadelphia.

Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks are each pitching well in Rob Thomson’s bullpen. They were the only two lefty relievers on the 40-man roster. Walker is in his last option year and can bounce between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley for the remainder of the season.

Cooper Hummel Elects Free Agency

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The Orioles informed reporters that outfielder/first baseman Cooper Hummel elected free agency after going unclaimed on outright waivers. He’d been designated for assignment on Monday when the O’s called up Chadwick Tromp.

Hummel spent a grand total of one day on Baltimore’s active roster. The switch-hitter had just exercised an out clause in his minor league deal with the Yankees last week. Baltimore signed him to a big league deal on Sunday. He didn’t appear in that day’s game. Adley Rutschman suffered an injury scare that has kept him from catching for a few days. The Orioles needed another catcher to back up Maverick Handley, so they pushed Hummel off the roster to bring up Tromp.

It’s an unfortunate sequence for the 30-year-old Hummel. He returns to the open market and will probably be limited to minor league offers this time around. It stands to reason the Orioles would be interested in bringing him back on a non-roster deal, but he’ll be able to weigh that against other opportunities.

Hummel appeared in 66 MLB contests for the Diamondbacks during his 2022 rookie season. He’s only made 16 big league appearances in the two-plus years since then. A career .159/.255/.275 hitter, he’s shown more offensive ability in the minors. Hummel has a .284/.419/.475 slash line over parts of five Triple-A seasons. He reached base at a .415 clip in 10 games with the Yankees’ affiliate before opting out.

Tigers To Select Dylan Smith

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The Tigers are calling up righty reliever Dylan Smith, as first reported by Tigers Torkmoil. He is not on the 40-man roster. Detroit already has an opening in that regard, so they’ll only need to make an active roster move involving a pitcher tomorrow.

It’s a nice birthday gift for Smith, who turned 25 yesterday. He’s in his fourth professional season. A third-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, Smith struggled early in his minor league career while working as a starter. That was partially due to injury, mostly forearm and shoulder issues. Detroit moved him to the bullpen this year as a result.

Smith has quickly found upper minors success while working in shorter stints. He posted a 1.80 ERA with a massive 37% strikeout rate through 20 innings at Double-A Erie. Smith climbed to Triple-A Toledo last week. He’s only pitched twice, firing 2 1/3 scoreless frames while punching out five of eight opponents. He’s averaging 94 MPH on his fastball in his Triple-A work.

Baseball America did not include Smith among Detroit’s top 30 prospects over the winter. Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan at FanGraphs placed him 35th in the system in their write-up during Spring Training. FanGraphs credited Smith with a plus slider and good life on his fastball.

Royals Release Hunter Renfroe

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The Royals officially released Hunter Renfroe yesterday, according to the MLB.com transaction log. This was the expected outcome after Kansas City designated the veteran outfielder for assignment last week.

K.C.’s surprising two-year free agent investment in Renfroe did not work. The Royals guaranteed him $13.5MM on a deal that also included an opt-out clause after the first season. Renfroe was coming off a replacement-level .233/.297/.416 showing between the Angels and Reds in 2023. The Royals hoped for a rebound, but his production further tanked in Kansas City.

Renfroe hit .229/.297/.392 with 15 homers over 120 games last year. He made the easy decision not to opt out. The Royals gave him another shot as the Opening Day right fielder. Renfroe batted .182/.241/.242 without a single homer across 108 trips to the plate. His organizational tenure concludes with a .219/.286/.362 slash line over 532 plate appearances.

The Royals will pay Renfroe the remainder of his $7.5MM salary. There’s a decent chance he’ll need to accept a minor league deal if he wants to find another landing spot. If Renfroe logs major league action anywhere else this year, his new team will only pay the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum. That would come off the Royals’ obligations.

Kansas City has swapped out both their season-opening corner outfielders. Left fielder MJ Melendez remains on the 40-man roster but was optioned last month. He’s hitting .215 while striking out nearly 28% of the time in Triple-A. Renfroe is now out of the organization entirely. Drew Waters is starting in left field, while they brought up 27-year-old rookie John Rave to get an opportunity in right field. Top prospect Jac Caglianone looms in Triple-A and could be up within a few weeks, but the outfield figures to remain the front office’s top priority as the trade deadline approaches.

Miguel Castro Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury

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White Sox right-hander Miguel Castro is out for the season, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The righty suffered a knee injury yesterday when he slipped on the first base bag while covering on a ground-ball to the right side. It’s unclear if he’ll require surgery or if the injury will impact his availability for next year’s Spring Training.

Castro’s season comes to a close after six appearances. The Sox acquired the veteran reliever in a trade that sent international bonus pool space to the Astros two weeks ago. Chicago hoped that Castro would pitch well enough in middle relief to be flipped for a lottery ticket prospect at the deadline. The 30-year-old righty surrendered five runs on as many hits and walks with four strikeouts over six innings. He’d been much better for Houston’s Triple-A club to begin the season. He carried a 2.29 ERA with 20 strikeouts and five saves over 19 2/3 minor league innings.

Chicago will place Castro on the 60-day injured list when they need to open a spot on the 40-man roster. This will very likely end his brief stint in the organization. Castro has well over six years of MLB service and will hit free agency at the start of the offseason. He’ll almost certainly be limited to minor league offers.

Mariners Select Casey Lawrence, Designate Blake Hunt

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The Mariners have again selected Casey Lawrence onto the MLB roster. They optioned rookie righty Blas Castaño to Triple-A Tacoma while designating catcher Blake Hunt for assignment in corresponding moves.

This is already the fifth time this season that the Mariners have selected Lawrence’s contract. Each of the previous four was followed by a DFA within five days. One of those DFAs resulted in a waiver claim by Toronto, but Lawrence has otherwise cleared waivers. In each case, he either accepted a minor league assignment or re-signed with Seattle after briefly electing free agency. Lawrence also quickly returned to the M’s after being dropped by Toronto.

The 37-year-old is clearly content with the arrangement. He’s able to collect at least a day or two of MLB pay for each stint on the roster. Lawrence has provided multiple innings as a low-leverage relief option for skipper Dan Wilson. He has turned in a 4.08 ERA with seven strikeouts and one walk across 17 2/3 frames over six appearances. Castaño tossed three innings in mop-up work last night, so he’ll be unavailable for a few days. That led the Mariners to swap him out for Lawrence.

Seattle acquired Hunt from Baltimore in January. The righty-hitting catcher has fanned 29 times in 96 Triple-A plate appearances this season, hitting .231/.271/.407 in 25 games. Hunt has bounced between Seattle’s and Baltimore’s 40-man rosters but has yet to get into a major league game. He’s drawn praise for his power upside but has struggled to reach base against upper level pitching. Hunt is a .232/.284/.413 hitter in just shy of 500 career Triple-A plate appearances. He’ll be traded or, more likely, placed on waivers in the next few days.

Guardians Claim Matt Krook From A’s

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The Guardians have claimed reliever Matt Krook off waivers from the Athletics and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The southpaw had been designated for assignment by the A’s earlier this week. Cleveland transferred righty Ben Lively to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot. Lively recently required Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

Krook, 30, joined the A’s on an offseason minor league deal. The former fourth-rounder pitched well for their top affiliate in Las Vegas, turning in a 3.21 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 14 innings. Krook got grounders on more than 65% of the batted balls he allowed. He’s had a tantalizing combination of whiffs and ground-balls throughout his nine years in the minors. That’s been too often negated by well below-average command, as Krook has walked nearly 15% of his professional opponents.

The A’s selected his contract a couple weeks ago. Krook got into three games, allowing two runs over 3 1/3 frames. The A’s dropped him from the 40-man roster earlier in the week when they acquired Sean Newcomb in a deal with Boston. They tried to sneak Krook back through waivers, but the Guardians jumped in to add the lefty relief depth.

Krook is in his final option year, so the Guardians can keep him in Columbus for the rest of the season if he sticks on the 40-man. He doesn’t throw hard, averaging around 90 MPH on his sinker, but that hasn’t stopped him from racking up plenty of minor league strikeouts. Tim Herrin and long man Kolby Allard are the southpaws in Stephen Vogt’s bullpen. Erik Sabrowski should be back at some point this summer, but he’s been out all year with elbow inflammation.

Giants Moving Camilo Doval Back To Closer Role

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The Giants are moving Camilo Doval back into the closing role, manager Bob Melvin told reporters after Wednesday’s loss to the Tigers (video provided by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Ryan Walker, who has held the job since the middle of April, is moving into a setup capacity. He pitched the eighth inning while trailing by a run during today’s game.

Walker only allowed one run through his first eight appearances. He has been more up-and-down since then, giving up multiple runs in four of his most recent 14 outings. Walker has still successfully closed out 10 of 12 save chances, but he carries an earned run average approaching 5.00. His strikeout rate, which sat north of 32% a season ago, is down to a pedestrian 21.6% clip this season.

While Walker will still receive his fair share of high-leverage assignments, Doval has recaptured the ninth inning with a fantastic first couple months. The hard-throwing righty owns a 1.16 ERA across his first 23 1/3 innings. He has given up six runs (three earned) all season, all of which came in a three-game span between April 4-7. Doval is closing in on a two-month scoreless streak that has spanned 18 innings. Opponents have collected four hits while striking out 18 times during that stretch.

The 27-year-old looks to have rediscovered the form that made him an All-Star two seasons ago. Doval led the National League with 39 saves in 2023 and posted consecutive sub-3.00 ERA showings between 2022-23. Things went off the rails in the second half of last season. Doval couldn’t find the strike zone, eventually costing him the closing job and his spot on the MLB roster altogether. The Giants optioned him back to Triple-A in August. They brought him back up in September, but he continued to struggle in lower-leverage situations.

San Francisco rebuffed trade interest in Doval over the winter, preferring not to sell low on an obviously talented arm. They’ve been rewarded for their patience with a rebound that could earn him another All-Star selection this summer. Doval is making $4.525MM and remains under arbitration control for two seasons beyond this one.

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