MLBTR Podcast: The Disappointing Orioles, Dalton Rushing, And The Phillies’ Bullpen
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…
- The Orioles firing manager Brandon Hyde (2:30)
- The Dodgers promoting Dalton Rushing to be a backup catcher (14:00)
- José Alvarado of the Phillies getting an 80-game PED suspension (28:20)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Who are some hitters who could be available at the deadline? (36:05)
- Who are some pitchers who could be available at the deadline? (46:40)
- When will the Pirates fire general manager Ben Cherington? (53:00)
Check out our past episodes!
- Devers Drama, Managerial Firings, And Jordan Lawlar – listen here
- Replacing Triston Casas, A Shakeup In Texas, And The Blue Jays’ Rotation – listen here
- Mailbag: Red Sox, Alonso, Tigers, Tanking, And More! – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Tayler Scott Elects Free Agency
Right-hander Tayler Scott, who was designated for assignment by the Astros a week ago, has cleared waivers but has rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency. He has that right as a player with a previous career outright. Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle was among those to relay the news.
Scott, 33 in June, had the best season of his career in 2024. Prior to that, he was a journeyman, spending years bouncing around to various affiliated clubs, indy ball teams and even spent a season in Japan. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros going into 2024 and made the Opening Day roster. He then posted a 2.23 earned run average across 68 2/3 innings on the year. His 12.4% walk rate wasn’t great but he managed to punch out 25.2% of opponents.
There was probably a bit of luck in there. His .230 batting average on balls in play and 84.9% strand rate were both on the fortunate side. Still, his 4.13 FIP and 4.04 SIERA suggested he could be a serviceable big league arm even if the baseball gods stopped treating him so nicely.
He wasn’t able to carry that forward into 2025. The Astros kept him around but he posted a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings. His fortune flipped, as his .313 BABIP and 65.2% strand rate this year have been on the unlucky side. He also hasn’t done himself any favors with a 20.5% strikeout rate and 15.4% walk rate.
That performance understandably nudged him off the Astros’ roster. He is out of options, so they had little choice but to designate him for assignment. The fact that he cleared waivers suggests that no other club wanted to give him a roster spot either.
Based on his solid performance last year, he should be able to get a minor league deal somewhere. That could be a reunion with the Astros but he’ll also have the chance to explore opportunities with the 29 other clubs.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Nathaniel Lowe Drawing Trade Interest
Nationals first baseman Nathaniel Lowe is drawing some early trade interest. Sean McAdam of MassLive relayed on the Fenway Rundown podcast (link to full pod and to Lowe clip) that at least one club has contacted the Nats to gauge Lowe’s availability. McAdam adds that he wasn’t able to confirm which club put in the call, though he suggests it was very likely the Red Sox, on account of their obvious need at the position.
Lowe, 29, is a logical trade candidate. The Nats have been rebuilding for many years and are currently 22-27. They’re not totally buried in the standings but there are three strong clubs above them in the National League East. Lowe is slated for free agency after 2026 and is unlikely to be a big part of the next competitive window.
If he does end up traded this summer, it would be his second time being flipped in the span of less than a year. The Rangers sent him to the Nationals in December in exchange for left-hander Robert Garcia. Lowe’s four years in Texas had gone quite well. From 2021 to 2024, Lowe took 2,576 plate appearances as a Ranger. He hit 78 home runs, drew walks at a strong 11.3% clip and kept his strikeout rate at an average-ish 23.3% pace. He produced a combined line of .274/.359/.432 in that time, leading to a 123 wRC+. He helped the Rangers win their first championship in 2023.
He’s been out to a slower start this year. His 9.3% walk rate and 27.8% strikeout rate are both worse than during his time in Texas. His .223/.298/.397 line on the season leads to a 94 wRC+. It’s possible there’s some luck at play. His .275 batting average on balls in play is below this year’s .290 league average and also the .339 rate he carried during his time as a Ranger. His average exit velocity and hard hit rate are actually up relative to his career norms, according to Statcast.
Lowe is making a notable salary, though not an egregious one. It’s $10.3MM here in 2025 and can be retained via arbitration in 2026. Though his 2025 isn’t out to a roaring start, his contract status and past track record could make him a sought-after trade candidate this summer.
That’s unlikely to happen soon, however. As relayed by McAdam, most teams are reluctant to depart with a key player this early in the season as it would send a message to their fans that they are giving up. At this part of the calendar, teams are asking for essentially twice as much as they would for the same player at the deadline. Along those lines, the Nats are planning to keep Lowe around for now, both in the name of keeping their contending hopes alive for now while also having him serve as a veteran leader for a roster mostly composed of younger players.
Perhaps that will change as the deadline approaches but clubs looking for first base help will have to look elsewhere for the time being. The first base position has been a talking point in Boston for weeks now. Triston Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon on May 2nd and required season-ending surgery. In the immediate aftermath of that development, it was reported that the Sox were exploring the trade market.
It’s possible that Lowe is one of the external options they considered but they haven’t been able to get anything done. Given McAdam’s framing of the current prices, that’s not especially surprising. That has left the Sox to try internal options for now.
Rafael Devers was approached about the possibility of taking up the spot but is apparently uninteresting in doing so. Romy González got a few starts at first after the Casas injury but he himself then landed on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad contusion. Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard have been getting the starts there over the past two weeks. Toro is hitting .192/.192/.346 this year while Sogard has a line of .222/.276/.259, so the Sox will naturally keep looking for better options.
The Sox have been getting Kristian Campbell prepared to play first but that’s a work in progress as he’s never played there before. If the Sox feel comfortable with him sliding over, it’s possible that prospect Marcelo Mayer could take over second base for Campbell. If that arrangement works out somewhat well, perhaps the Sox would be less interested in Lowe come July, though it’s also possible that other injuries lead to more positional shuffling in the months to come.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Dodgers Release Austin Barnes
The Dodgers have released catcher Austin Barnes, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’ll be free to sign a contract with any club once he clears release waivers, if he hasn’t already done so.
This was the most likely outcome when Barnes was designated for assignment last week as the Dodgers chose to promote Dalton Rushing to the majors. Barnes is making a $3.5MM salary this year. It was unlikely that another club would claim him off waivers and take that on as he’s hitting .214/.233/.286 this season. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of electing free agency. The Dodgers are skipping that formality and sending Barnes to the open market more directly.
As a free agent, he should garner more interest. The Dodgers remain on the hook for what’s left of his salary. Any other club could sign him and would only owe him the prorated version of the major league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Dodgers pay.
Barnes has never been a superstar but has been able to carve out a career of more than a decade as a solid big leaguer. The Dodgers sent him to the plate 1,757 times from 2015 to the present season. He hit 35 home runs in that time while drawing walks at a solid 11.2% clip and only striking out at a 22.3% pace. His .223/.322/.338 slash line translates to a wRC+ of 85. That indicates he has been 15% below league average at the plate overall. However, catchers usually come in about 10% below the league-wide par, so Barnes’ production has been pretty decent for a backup at that position.
Defensively, the marks have been strong. He has been credited with 33 Defensive Runs Saved in his career overall. Outlets like Baseball Prospectus and Statcast have graded him as a strong framer and blocker behind the plate. He also appeared to have a strong reputation in the clubhouse for his game-planning and work with pitchers in general, particularly Clayton Kershaw.
The Dodgers have clearly been fond of Barnes. He was set to reach free agency after the 2022 season but they signed him to an extension that August. That deal paid him $7MM over 2023 and 2024 with a $3.5MM club option for 2025. They triggered that option back in November.
But as mentioned, his production tailed off this year as Rushing’s ascent could no longer be ignored, which led to Barnes getting bumped off the roster. Some other club in need of catching depth is sure to be intrigued by Barnes, given his overall track record and low acquisition cost. It’s also possible that he and the Dodgers decide to reunite on a minor league deal, though he’ll have a chance to scour the market for other options.
If he gets a major league deal elsewhere, he will suit up for a team other than the Dodgers for the first time. He was drafted by the Marlins but was traded to the Dodgers as a minor leaguer in December of 2014 and has been in the Dodger organization until this week.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Orioles Activate Andrew Kittredge
The Orioles announced today that right-hander Andrew Kittredge has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Chayce McDermott was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk as the corresponding move.
Kittredge, 35, will be making his Oriole debut as soon as he gets into a game. He signed a free agent deal with them in the offseason but dealt with some left knee soreness during spring training. He required a debridement procedure on that knee and landed on the IL to start the season. He started a rehab assignment earlier this month and is now healthy enough to finally pitch in Baltimore orange for the first time.
A lot has changed during the relatively short timespan of his knee injury. The O’s came into 2025 as clear contenders, having made the postseason in each of the two previous seasons. They gave Kittredge a one-year, $10MM deal with the plan of adding him to a competitive bullpen that already featured strong arms like Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano and others.
But the O’s have been the most disappointing team in baseball this year. They are currently on an eight-game losing streak, dropping their record to 15-32. They are next to the basement of the American League standings, only one game up on the White Sox. They are at least six games back of every other A.L. team. FanGraphs only gives them a 1.8% chance of cracking the postseason at this point. They recently fired manager Brandon Hyde, replacing him with third base coach Tony Mansolino.
That means Kittredge is more likely to finish the season pitching for a different club than pitching meaningful games for the Orioles in September. As a veteran on a one-year deal, he’ll be a natural trade candidate this summer. He’s not a pure rental, as his deal contains a $9MM club option for 2026 with a $1MM buyout, but it would still be logical for the O’s to flip him for young talent if they can.
Kittredge had a strong season with the Cardinals in 2024. He logged 70 2/3 innings with a 2.80 earned run average. His 23.3% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 45.2% ground ball rate were all a bit better than league average. That’s why the O’s shelled out a decent amount of money to bring him aboard for this year. If he is able to put his knee injury behind him and put up numbers like that again, he’ll certainly be in demand this summer. For now, he’ll jump into Mansolino’s bullpen as the O’s try to bank a few more wins in the coming months.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Mariners Designate Casey Lawrence For Assignment, Select Jesse Hahn
The Mariners announced that they have designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment. Fellow righty Jesse Hahn has been selected to the roster in a corresponding move. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reported the moves prior to the official announcement.
MLBTR readers should not be surprised to see Lawrence bumped off the roster again. The Mariners selected his contract yesterday, the fourth time this year they have done so. In each instance, Lawrence pitched in a game or two before being designated for assignment. The first two resulted in him clearing waivers, electing free agency and re-signing with the M’s on a new minor league deal. The third time they put him on waivers, the Blue Jays claimed him. That club also used him once before putting giving him the DFA treatment. That led Lawrence back to the Mariners on yet another minor league deal.
Yesterday, Lawrence served as the bulk pitcher in a bullpen game, which was necessary due to rotation injuries. The M’s have had George Kirby and Logan Gilbert on the injured list for a while and Bryce Miller recently joined them. That leaves them with a four-man rotation core of Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, Logan Evans and Emerson Hancock.
Yesterday, Casey Legumina officially started the game but went just one inning as an opener. Lawrence then came in and tossed five innings, allowing one earned run. That was enough for a tough-luck loss as the M’s fell to the White Sox 1-0.
Based on the circumstances, it always seemed likely that Lawrence would be bumped off the roster yet again and that has indeed come to pass. Per Condotta, Kirby will be reinstated from the IL to start tomorrow’s game, bringing the M’s back to a five-man rotation.
Lawrence will be placed on waivers again in the coming days. Based on recent history, it’s fair to assume that he will clear and then return to the M’s on another minor league deal. Though it’s also possible that some club in need of a fresh arm puts in a claim, as the Jays did a few weeks back. After yesterday’s outing, Lawrence now has a 4.08 earned run average in 17 2/3 innings on the year. He has a career ERA of 6.42 in 141 2/3 innings spread over five seasons.
Hahn, 35, gets a roster spot for now. In a similar situation to Lawrence, he had his contract selected earlier this year but made just two appearances before being designated for assignment. He logged four scoreless innings in those appearances before getting the DFA treatment. He cleared waivers, elected free agency and re-signed with the M’s on another minor league deal. Shortly after re-signing, he landed on the minor league injured list but he has evidently returned to health. He’s made four scoreless Triple-A appearances in the past two weeks.
The M’s will need to open an active roster spot for Kirby’s activation tomorrow. Perhaps Hahn is slated for a short stay but they could also opt to send down Troy Taylor, who has options and is struggling, with a 12.15 ERA so far.
Hahn has a 4.17 career ERA in 315 1/3 big league innings but this is his first season with major league work since 2021. A shoulder injury cost him the 2022 and 2023 seasons and then he was stuck in the minors last year. As mentioned, he’s been putting up zeroes so far in 2025 but in a small sample.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Phillies Sign Lucas Sims To Minor League Deal
6:21pm: Philadelphia also added righty Wil Crowe on a minor league contract and assigned him to Double-A Reading, as reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. A former Nationals draftee, Crowe owns a 5.30 ERA over parts of four MLB seasons. He spent last year in Korea with the Kia Tigers, putting up a 3.57 mark with 43 strikeouts across 40 1/3 innings.
6:02pm: The Phillies have signed right-hander Lucas Sims to a minor league deal, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb adds that Sims will initially report to the Phillies’ pitching lab in Florida. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after that, though it’s unclear how long he’ll be in the lab.
Sims, 31, started the season with the Nationals. He had signed a one-year, $3MM deal with Washington, though it quickly turned sour. He made 18 appearances but logged only 12 1/3 innings, allowing 19 earned runs. He issued 14 walks, a massive 19.4% of batters faced, which doesn’t even tell the whole story. He also hit seven batters in that time and threw three wild pitches. The Nats released him earlier this month.
Presumably, that’s why the Phils will start Sims with a trip to the lab, to try to find out what’s wrong with him. If they can get him back on track, he could be a nice buy-low pickup. From 2019 to 2023, Sims did a lot of good work for the Reds. He tossed 183 1/3 innings over that time. His 12.2% walk rate was certainly high but he offset that somewhat by striking out 31.9% of batters faced.
He’s been in a tough stretch more recently. In 2024, he was largely his old self for a while, posting a 3.57 ERA through 43 appearances with the Reds. But he was traded to the Red Sox at the deadline and immediately floundered. He logged 14 innings for Boston around an IL stint for a lat strain, with a 6.43 ERA. He had a 14.8% strikeout rate and 16.4% walk rate for the Sox. That was a small sample size of work with an injury in the middle, but his struggles carried forward into 2025.
If the Phils can get him back to his 2019-2023 form, he’ll be a low-cost addition to their bullpen. Since the Nats released him, they are on the hook for the rest of his salary for this year. If the Phils call Sims up at any point, they would only have to pay him the prorated version of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Nats pay.
The Phils are a third-time payor of the competitive balance tax and are above the top tier, meaning they face a 110% tax rate on anything they add to the payroll. They also have concerns in their bullpen. Philly relievers have a collective 4.48 ERA, putting them in the bottom third of the league. One of their most effective relievers this year has been José Alvarado, but he just got hit with an 80-game PED suspension.
The club will surely be looking for various ways to bolster the bullpen in the coming months, including with trades as the July 31st deadline approaches. Not many teams are selling this early, so it makes sense to take a flier on a guy like Sims to see what happens.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
Mariners Select Casey Lawrence, Designate Austin Shenton For Assignment
The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Lawrence. Left-hander Jhonathan Díaz was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot for Lawrence, infielder Austin Shenton has been designated for assignment. Brady Farkas of Refuse to Lose was among those to relay last night that Lawrence was likely to be called up today.
Lawrence, 37, has been on and off the Mariners’ roster all year long. He signed a minor league deal with Seattle in the offseason and this is the fourth time they have selected him to the roster. In the first two instances, he was quickly designated for assignment after an appearance or two. He elected free agency after clearing waivers and returned to the club on a fresh minor league deal. His third DFA resulted in him being claimed by the Blue Jays. That club gave him similar treatment, putting him into one game before sending him into DFA limbo. Lawrence again elected free agency and returned to the M’s on a fresh minor league deal, leading to today’s selection.
Around all those transactions, he has 12 2/3 innings in five appearances. He has a 4.97 earned run average, 8.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate and 45.3% ground ball rate. He now has a 6.59 career ERA in 136 2/3 innings, spread over five different seasons.
The Mariners recently put Bryce Miller on the 15-day injured list, joining George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. That leaves them with a four-man rotation core of Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans. When Miller hit the IL about a week ago, Díaz was recalled to give the club a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings, but he hasn’t been used since. His last outing was a minor league game on May 9th, 11 days ago.
Lawrence last pitched on the farm May 15th. That was only for two innings, but it seems the Mariners felt better about him on regular rest as opposed to Díaz after such a long layoff. Casey Legumina is listed as tonight’s starter but he will probably serve as an opener, as he’s mostly been a one-inning guy this year. After that, the M’s will see what they get from Lawrence as part of a bullpen game.
To get Lawrence onto the big league roster, the M’s are risking losing Shenton. The 27-year-old infielder was acquired from the Rays in a November cash deal. He’s out to a slow start this year. He has stepped to the plate 169 times at the Triple-A level. He has eight home runs but has been punched out at a 29% clip. He has a .207/.284/.413 line and 76 wRC+ on the year.
That rough performance has nudged him off the 40-man and into DFA limbo, which can last for as long as a week. However, the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Mariners will have a maximum of five days to explore trade interest.
It’s possible that some other club looks beyond the rough 2025 numbers to see potential. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Shenton took 940 minor league plate appearances. His 28.1% strikeout rate in those was certainly high but he also drew walks at a huge 15.1% clip and hit 49 home runs. He produced a combined slash line of .286/.399/.549 in that time, leading to a 149 wRC+.
For his minor league career, Shenton has mostly played the infield corners, with some brief looks at second base and in the outfield corners as well. He has less than a year of service time and is still optionable for the rest of this year and one additional season. Put it all together and it’s possible some club will be enticed to acquire him as a depth piece.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Pirates Select Isaac Mattson
The Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Isaac Mattson. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow righty Colin Holderman, who lands on the 15-day injured list due to right thumb inflammation. To open a 40-man spot for Mattson, infielder Nick Gonzales was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relayed the Mattson and Holderman moves prior to the official announcement (link one, two and three).
It’s been an unfortunate season for Holderman so far, who already spent time on the IL due to a right knee sprain in April. He has allowed 15 earned runs in 15 innings, giving him a flat 9.00 earned run average. He has 11 strikeouts and walks apiece, giving him a 14.9% clip in both of those categories, both of those being worse than average.
Perhaps the injuries provide an explanation for his struggles, as he was far better in previous seasons. Over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, he had a 3.52 ERA in 107 1/3 innings, pairing a 24.6% strikeout rate with a 9.7% walk rate.
Ideally, a bit of a rest period will get him healthy and back on track. It’s turning into a lost season for the Bucs, as their 15-33 record has them near the National League basement, with only the Rockies beneath them. Holderman is under club control through 2028, so it would make sense to prioritize his long-term health as opposed to benefitting the team in the short term.
Taking his place is Mattson, who is having a strong 2025 so far. The 29-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in December and has been with Triple-A Indianapolis all year so far. He has logged 18 innings for that club with a 2.50 ERA, 30.6% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate.
Those are encouraging numbers, though in a small sample. From 2021 to 2024, Mattson tossed 156 1/3 innings on the farm with a 3.91 ERA and 28.2% strikeout rate but a 13.7% walk rate. So far this year, he has basically cut that walk rate in half. If he can keep that up, perhaps he’ll get some runway to add to his major league track record, which currently consists of a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. However, he does have options, so it’s possible the Bucs shuttle him back to Indianapolis when they need a fresh arm.
As for Gonzales, he landed on the 10-day injured list on March 28th due to a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle. His 60-day count is retroactive to that initial IL placement, so he’ll be eligible to be reinstated about a week from today. He started a rehab assignment on Saturday but it seems the Bucs will let him get a few more minor league contests under his belt, which is understandable since he’s been out of action for close to two months.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Orioles Release Kyle Gibson
The Orioles announced that right-hander Kyle Gibson has been released. That was the expected outcome after he was designated for assignment on the weekend. Assuming he’s already cleared release waivers, he’s free to sign with any club.
Gibson, 37, was a late signing of the O’s. He and the club agreed to a one-year, $5.25MM deal in the latter half of March. He had lingered unsigned throughout the winter while the Orioles had some concerns about their pitching depth due to some spring injuries.
Adding a stable veteran like Gibson made plenty of sense but it did not work out at all. He agreed to be optioned to the minors at the start of the season, effectively as a delayed spring training ramp-up. He was recalled to the big leagues in late April but was quickly shelled. His first start was against the Yankees, with Gibson allowing four home runs in the first inning. He would eventually log 3 2/3 innings on the day, allowing five homers in total.
His next three starts weren’t much better. On May 5th, he allowed three earned runs in four innings against the Royals. He squared off against the Angels on May 10th, allowing five earned runs in four frames. On Saturday, he didn’t make it out of the first, getting tagged for six earned runs in two thirds of an inning against the Nationals. Put it all together and Gibson has an ugly 16.78 ERA through 12 1/3 innings this year. The O’s clearly ran out of patience, cutting him from the roster on Sunday.
Given those poor results and his salary, no club was going to claim him and take on the remainder of his contract. As a veteran with years of experience, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment.
But as a free agent, he might generate interest. With the O’s on the hook for the remainder of his salary, another club would only have to pay him the prorated version of the major league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. The recent results have obviously not been good but perhaps some teams will chalk that up to his unusual ramp-up period. Gibson has almost 2,000 big league innings and has generally been a serviceable back-end guy. As recently as last year, he posted a 4.24 ERA over 169 2/3 innings with the Cardinals.
Given his track record and the number of pitching injuries around the league, it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to secure a minor league deal from some club in need of experienced depth. That’s what recently played out with Kenta Maeda, who was released by the Tigers but then landed a minor league deal with the Cubs. If Gibson follows a similar path, he could perhaps get a chance to get in a nice groove in the minors and earn his way back to the big leagues.
It’s also possible that the O’s are the club to give him that minor league deal, as they still have rotation depth concerns with Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and Albert Suárez all on the 60-day injured list.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images