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Clarke Schmidt To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow. Manager Aaron Boone passed the update along to reporters today, with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic  among those to pass it along. The righty is on the 15-day injured list but will be moved to the 60-day IL once the Yankees need his roster spot.

The news isn’t surprising. It was reported a few days ago that Schmidt had been recommended for the surgery. It seems he and the Yankees took a few days to perhaps due some final tests before confirming the path forward.

Now that Schmidt’s fate is sealed, he will miss the remainder of this season and possibly all of 2026 as well. It normally takes 14 to 18 months for a pitcher to return from such a procedure. That gives Schmidt a shot to return late in 2026, though only if he doesn’t experience any setbacks.

It’s a rough blow for the Yankees, who have already taken a few rotation hits. Gerrit Cole required Tommy John back in the spring and will miss the entire 2025 season. Luis Gil has been on the IL all year so far due to a lat strain. Marcus Stroman has also missed most of the season due to left knee inflammation.

Despite those injuries, the Yankees held the top spot in the American League East for most of the first half. Their rotation was held aloft by a strong one-two punch of Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. That duo was supported by strong performances from Schmidt, Ryan Yarbrough and Will Warren.

More recently, Yarbrough has been sidelined by an oblique strain and now Schmidt has hit the shelf as well. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Yanks have found it a bit more difficult to win games lately and have slid to second in the division behind the Blue Jays.

Even before Schmidt’s injury, it seemed likely that the Yankees would look for more starting pitching at the deadline. Now the need should be even greater. General manager Brian Cashman spoke openly about this week about the club placing a priority on pitching.

For Schmidt, it’s his second straight injury-marred campaign and next year will be three in a row. He logged 159 innings for the Yanks back in 2023, though with a middling 4.64 earned run average. Last year, he dropped his ERA to 2.85 but a lat strain put him on the IL for about half the season, limiting him to 85 1/3 innings. Here in 2024, he logged 78 2/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA before this elbow injury shut him down. Now that he’s got a date with the scalpel, he won’t be able to add to that total and will be capped in 2026 as well.

A Super Two player, Schmidt is currently in his second of four arbitration seasons. He made $2.025MM last year and is making $3.6MM here in 2025. He’ll be due an arbitration raise for 2026 and 2027 but the lengthy injury absence will limit how his ability to push that number up. He’ll turn 30 in February and will be 31 in his final season of control before he’s slated for free agency.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers

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The Phillies are known to be focused on bullpen help, with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski admitting as much last month. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the club is showing more willingness to pay a higher prospect cost in order to get more controllable arms.

As noted by Gelb, this is in contrast to the club’s recent bullpen pursuits. At last year’s deadline, the Phils acquired Carlos Estévez, a rental. This winter, their big addition was grabbing Jordan Romano on a one-year deal. They appear to be dreaming a bit bigger ahead of this year’s deadline. Gelb reports that they are expecting the Twins to sell and have their eyes on Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax.

The Twins aren’t surefire sellers just yet. At 45-47, they are only three games out of a playoff spot. However, the payroll appears to be tight, as they were limited to fairly modest moves in the winter. They signed Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe and Ty France to one-year deals worth a combined $10.25MM. With ownership exploring a sale of the franchise, the front office may not get much more wiggle room to add this summer.

Even if they fall back in the standings and move more clearly into seller mode, they wouldn’t have to trade Durán or Jax. Both pitchers can be retained via arbitration for two more seasons beyond the current campaign. Both could be key parts of the club’s bullpen plans next year and in 2027 as well.

Durán is making $4.125MM and Jax $2.365MM. Both players will be due raises for next year but should still be underpaid. Jax has been dominant throughout his career, with a 2.39 earned run average, 30.9% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 63.9% ground ball rate. Jax also has strong numbers, particularly dating back to the start of last year. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he has a 2.77 ERA, 35.8% strikeout rate, 5.6% walk rate and 49.6% ground ball rate.

Talented relievers who reach free agency can earn eight-figure salaries, so there’s lots of value here for the Twins. However, if they decide this isn’t their year, there would be an argument for making moves. Reliever performance can be volatile and injuries are quite common nowadays. Though holding Durán and Jax for the future would be understandable, it’s a path that does have some risk.

For the Phillies, acquiring one or both of those arms would bolster their bullpen for this year and potentially for the future as well. Romano is a free agent after this season, so it could proactively address next year’s bullpen and perhaps give the club one less thing to do in the winter.

But as mentioned, going this route would require the club to give up more notable prospect talent. Gelb suggests that Andrew Painter is still unavailable but the club might not have any other truly untouchable prospects.

Aidan Miller gets a specific mention in the piece as an attractive guy who could be moved. The 27th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Miller just turned 21 years old but is already performing well in Double-A. In 64 games at that level, he has just seven home runs but has a 14.1% walk rate and has stolen 31 bases while holding down the shortstop position.

That combination of skills makes him a consensus top 50 prospect in the sport. It’s rare for those kinds of players to be available but perhaps the Phils have the right amount of urgency. They have been in the playoffs a lot lately with a strong roster but without getting a ring. Many of their core players are now between 32 and 36 years old, so perhaps the club wants to strike before the aging curve slopes more steeply.

Gelb mentions that the Phils probably wouldn’t flip someone like Mick Abel for a rental but it doesn’t seem like he’s completely unavailable. He also mentions Aroon Escobar and Eduardo Tait as prospects who could be of note in the coming weeks. Hendry Mendez, Alex McFarlane and Jean Cabrera get mentioned as intriguing potential secondary pieces.

Gelb also floats Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians as a fit similar to Durán or Jax. Clase has been Cleveland’s closer for years now but the club is in a tight spot this season. They are a bit behind the Twins, currently at 43-48 and 4.5 games back of a playoff spot. Clase is making just $4.5MM this year, $6MM next year and then there are two $10MM club options with $2MM buyouts.

Clase hasn’t been quite as dominant this year. His 22.9% strikeout rate is a couple of ticks below his 24.6% career rate. His 45.8% ground ball rate is still above average but far off his 58.8% career rate. Regardless, he has still been quite good and there’s loads of value in his contract. The Guardians could certainly keep him around beyond this campaign, though if the Phils are dangling notable prospects, they will probably answer the phone.

Another consideration of the Phils is shaking up their outfield, according to Gelb, including trading from their major league outfield. Both Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler have been somewhat disappointing at times this year and it’s been previously reported that the club may want to make room for prospect Justin Crawford.

Crawford is slashing .339/.410/.444 in Triple-A this year, despite only having two home runs. He won’t keep a .417 batting average on balls in play forever but he has an 11% walk rate and his speed has helped him steal 28 bases and run down balls in center field. Kepler, meanwhile, is hitting .213/.307/.378 on the season. Marsh started slow but has been heating up and is now at .265/.341/.378 for the whole year. He’s also controlled for two more seasons after this one, while Kepler is signed to a one-year deal.

That means Kepler is probably viewed as more disposable by the Phils but Marsh is surely more capable of bringing back a return that could help elsewhere on the roster. Kepler is making $10MM but Marsh just $3MM. Marsh is also a somewhat-capable center fielder, which is a weak spot in the league-wide market. His defense isn’t strong up the middle but a team without better options might take a chance on him.

If the Phils think Crawford can immediately come up and hit major league pitching, there’s an argument to flipping someone and bringing him up, though it’s a risky plan. Even the best prospects in the world can struggle when first exposed to the big leagues, so it would certainly be a gamble.

It’s an interesting dynamic with the deadline approaching. Dombrowski has a gunslinger reputation and there are some signs that his trigger finger is getting itchy. On the other hand, the flip side of the Phils having a veteran-laden roster is that they will need young players to step up in the near future. Dealing prospects would cut into Philadelphia’s ability to organically shift from one era to another but perhaps they focused enough on the present to make a bold move.

Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images

Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

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July 10: The Yankees announced that LeMahieu has been released.

July 9: Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu has been designated for assignment by the Yankees, per multiple reports. Jorge Castillo of ESPN was among those to relay the news, adding that infielder Jorbit Vivas has been recalled as the corresponding move.

DJ LeMahieu | Andy Marlin-USA TODAY SportsThe move comes just a few days ahead of LeMahieu’s 37th birthday, which will be on Sunday. Though he was previously an excellent big league hitter capable of playing multiple positions, his production has nosedived as he has aged, both offensively and defensively.

He started this season on the 10-day injured list due to a calf strain. He came off the IL in mid-May. The Yanks gave him a chance to take over the second base job, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved over to third base, but LeMahieu’s offense was subpar. Manager Aaron Boone recently announced that Chisholm would be moving back to second base. LeMahieu had played third base in the past but Boone said this week that wouldn’t be an option as it would be too physically challenging for LeMahieu. General manager Brian Cashman said today that LeMahieu mentioned back in the winter that playing third base would be an issue for him physically, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post.

That left the veteran seemingly limited to a bench role but without the defensive versatility he had previously provided. It seemed the window was closing on him being a useful contributor for the Yankees, so they are moving on.

After many years with the Rockies, the Yankees originally signed LeMahieu ahead of the 2019 season, a two-year deal with a $24MM guarantee. He was brilliant over the course of that contract, hitting a combined .336/.386/.536 over 195 games. That production led to a 146 wRC+, indicating he was 46% better than the league average hitter. He did that while bouncing between first base, second base and third base as needed.

He returned to free agency but the Yanks eventually re-signed him, a six-year pact this time with a $90MM guarantee. In hindsight, that ultimately proved to be a misstep for the Yanks. In 2021, LeMahieu’s production fell to .268/.349/.362, translating to a 101 wRC+. He bounced back slightly in 2022, with a .261/.357/.377 line and 115 wRC+, but he was a league average hitter again in 2023.

Last year, his age and injuries really seemed to catch up with him. He missed significant time due to a right foot contusion and a right hip impingement. He only got into 67 games and hit .204/.269/.259 for a 53 wRC+. This year, as mentioned, he began the year on the IL. His offense came back to some degree, but his .266/.338/.336 line thus far translates to a wRC+ of 95.

It has long seemed like LeMahieu has been cornered. Chisholm is a better defender at second base and appears more comfortable there. Adding a third baseman at the deadline and moving Chisholm to the keystone has long seemed like a plan for the Yankees. They have been connected to players like Ryan McMahon and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in recent weeks. Cashman admitted today that he plans to look for third base upgrades ahead of the deadline, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

LeMahieu will be on the open market in the coming days. He is making $15MM annually through the end of next year, meaning there is still about $22MM left to be paid out between now and then. No club will want to claim that off the waiver wire. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and keep those salary commitments in place. The Yankees may skip that formality and simply release him. They will stay on the hook for that money.

At that point, any other club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the league minimum salary. That amount would be subtracted from what the Yankees pay. Given LeMahieu’s health, age and recent performance, he may be limited to minor league offers.

For now, the Yanks will cover third with some combination of Vivas, Oswald Peraza and backup catcher J.C. Escarra, Boone said today, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. However, as mentioned, they seem likely to add a player from outside the organization by the July 31st deadline.

Photos courtesy of Bill Streicher and Andy Marlin, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up

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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 Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Guardians Re-Sign Kolby Allard, Option Tim Herrin

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The Guardians announced that they have re-signed left-hander Kolby Allard to a minor league deal and selected him to the big league roster. He had just elected free agency yesterday. Fellow lefty Tim Herrin has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a couple of vacancies.

Allard was added to Cleveland’s roster in late April and spent a few months working as a long reliever. In 16 appearances, he logged 35 1/3 innings with a 2.55 earned run average. That ERA wasn’t sustainable. His 5.3% walk rate was strong but his 10.5% strikeout rate was tiny, the lowest in the majors this year among guys with at least 30 innings pitched. A 3.6% homer to fly ball rate helped him have an 80.9% strand rate. His 5.07 SIERA this year and his 5.59 career ERA suggested regression was likely.

The Guards designated him for assignment last week. He cleared waivers and, as mentioned, elected free agency. The Cleveland bullpen was heavily used in recent days. The played ten innings on Sunday and Tuesday, sandwiched around a regular nine-inning contest on Monday. Many of the pitchers in their bullpen pitched in two or even all three of those contests. Slade Cecconi starts tonight and Allard could perhaps pitch multiple innings in relief, sparing the bullpen from further exhaustion.

Herrin’s optional assignment is notable. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he tossed 93 1/3 innings for Cleveland with a 2.99 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate. He earned 17 holds in that time.

His results have backed up this year, more than his 3.99 ERA would suggest. His 21.2% strikeout rate is a few ticks below his prior work, as is his 40.3% ground ball rate. His walk rate, meanwhile, has shot up to 16.7%. If it weren’t for a .257 batting average on balls in play and an 80.4% strand rate, he would have allowed even more runs, with his 5.04 SIERA perhaps pointing to his true level of performance this year.

That seems to have put a big dent in his standing with the Guards. As mentioned, the club’s bullpen was heavily taxed in the past few days, with some guys pitching three games in a row. Meanwhile, Herrin hasn’t pitched since Saturday and is now being sent down despite being the freshest arm in the bunch. He’ll try to get back on track in Columbus and earn his way back to the big leagues.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

Angels Select Carson Fulmer

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The Angels announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Carson Fulmer. To open an active roster spot, left-hander Sam Aldegheri has been optioned to Double-A Rocket City. Righty Hunter Strickland has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.

Fulmer, 31, will be making his season debut when he gets into a game. He pitched for the Angels in 2023 and 2024, tossing 96 2/3 innings with an earned run average of 4.00. He struck out 20.8% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 10.5% clip and got grounders on 42.3% of balls in play.

He was outrighted off the roster at the end of the season and elected free agency. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates and started the year in the Triple-A rotation. He didn’t have much success there, with a 5.34 ERA through six starts. He was then moved to the bullpen and tossed 14 innings with a 3.21 ERA. He was released by the Pirates and returned to the Angels on a minor league deal just over a month ago. Since then, he has tossed 11 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 1.54 ERA, giving him a combined 3.98 ERA on the year overall.

The Halos got blown out by the Rangers yesterday, eventually losing 13-1. Starter José Soriano only lasted four innings. Aldegheri came in and soaked up another two frames, but it took him 64 pitches to get those six outs. He likely wasn’t going to be available for a few days, so the Angels have brought up Fulmer as a fresh arm. Fulmer is out of options and would need to be removed from the 40-man roster if they want to bump him off the active roster at any point.

As for Strickland, he hit the 15-day IL a couple of days ago due to right shoulder inflammation. This transfer means he is ineligible to return until early September. He tells Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com that he has a significant strain but it won’t require surgery and he hopes to be back in September.

Photo courtesy of Denny Medley, Imagn Images

Michael Kopech Undergoes Surgery On Torn Meniscus

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5:00pm: Kopech underwent surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The righty is expected to be able to return before the end of the season.

11:55am: The Dodgers announced today that right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, a move that was reported a few days ago. Righty Alexis Díaz was optioned to the minors to open an active roster spot and righty Michael Kopech was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.

It’s a bit of a worrisome development for Kopech. He was only placed on the 15-day IL on July 1st, retroactive to June 28th, due to right knee inflammation. At that time, both the pitcher himself and manager Dave Roberts downplayed the severity. “I think we’re all hopeful it will be on the shorter end of it,” Roberts said last week, per Alden González of ESPN.

Either that comment wasn’t fully candid or something has changed since then, as this transfer now means that Kopech is ineligible to return until late August. The Dodgers haven’t yet provided any specific information about how long they expect Kopech to be out but the transfer provides at least a best-case scenario.

That’s an unfortunate development for both Kopech and the Dodgers. He also started the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement and missed more than two months. He was healthy long enough to give the Dodgers seven shutout innings before going back on the IL again.

For the Dodgers, it’s yet another in a long line of injuries. They’ve been moving players on and off the IL all throughout the year, particularly on the pitching side. Even with Glasnow coming off the shelf today, they still have 11 arms on the IL. The bullpen is without Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove. Phillips and Grove had major surgeries and won’t be coming back this year.

If Kopech can return in August or September, then he could still be a part of the club’s bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason. Regardless, the Dodgers figure to add some arms prior to the deadline. All contending clubs look for bullpen additions at this time of year and the Dodgers should be even more motivated by their mounting injuries.

For Kopech personally, he’s an impending free agent. He could still return and go into the open market with some juice, but it’s been a less than ideal platform season so far. He previously struggled to establish himself as a starter with the White Sox, partially due to injuries, but a recent bullpen move seemed to be a good transition for him.

He tossed 43 2/3 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen last year. The 4.74 ERA wasn’t great, nor was the 12.6% walk rate, but he struck out 30.9% of batters faced. He reached another level after getting traded to the Dodgers, tossing 24 innings with a 1.13 ERA. His 33% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate were both slight improvements, though he also benefited from a .167 batting average on balls in play and 90.9% strand rate. Nonetheless, he played a key role in the playoffs, tossing nine innings with three earned runs allowed as the Dodgers went on to win it all.

Another full season as a relief weapon would have positioned him for a nice market this winter. Now, however, it’s possible the ongoing health problems will tamp down his earning power. As mentioned, he seemingly still has time to get healthy and finish strong but his injury history list continues to run long. He missed the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and has since spent time on the IL due to a strained left hamstring, left knee strain, right shoulder inflammation and right knee inflammation. He managed to avoid the IL last year while working as a reliever but now has been bit by the injury bug a few times here in 2025.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Red Sox Reinstate Masataka Yoshida, Transfer Nick Burdi To 60-Day IL

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The Red Sox announced today that they have reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida from the 60-day injured list. To open an active roster spot, infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Right-hander Nick Burdi was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.

Yoshida will be making his season debut in today’s game, serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth. He underwent shoulder surgery in October of last year and has been on the injured list until today. He was healthy enough to hit a long time ago but struggled to get his shoulder to a place where he could throw at full strength. That made him unable to play the field and essentially unrosterable. The Sox signed Alex Bregman in the winter and put him at third base, bumping Rafael Devers into the designated hitter spot on an everyday basis.

Much has changed since then. The DH move upset Devers and he was further rankled when Triston Casas got injured and the Sox asked him to learn first base. The relationship soured enough that the Sox flipped him to the Giants in a stunning deal.

That opened the DH spot, and Yoshida is now capable of playing the field, but the Sox still have quite a glut in the outfield. Today, Yoshida is in the DH spot with Roman Anthony in left, Jarren Duran in center and Wilyer Abreu in right. That leaves Ceddanne Rafaela on the bench, in addition to Rob Refsnyder. Yoshida has done some first base drills but isn’t considered much more than an emergency option there.

For now, manager Álex Cora will seemingly take turns benching guys from that mix, with Rafaela getting the first taste of that. Perhaps that can work for the short term but it’s an inelegant mix for the long term. Due to this cluster, there have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding players like Yoshida, Duran and Abreu, as observers speculate about the possibility of the Sox flipping one of them for some pitching.

Duran and Abreu are both strong players in their 20s, with Duran having three years of club control after this one and Abreu four. Yoshida, almost 32 years old, is seemingly less a key piece of the club’s future but his trade value wouldn’t be terribly high at the moment. He is making $18MM annually through the 2027 season. In his major league career, he’s been a poor fielder while his offense has been decent but not astounding. He currently sports a .285/.343/.433 batting line and 113 wRC+. As mentioned, he’s been on the IL all year until today.

Put it all together and it’s a tricky calculus for the Sox. Moving Yoshida is likely preferable for the long term but he would bring back less in a trade than some of their other players. With just a few weeks until the trade deadline, perhaps they will field some interesting calls from other clubs.

As for Burdi, he landed on the 15-day IL in early June due to a right foot contusion. He started a minor league rehab assignment a few weeks ago but only made two appearances. That was due to a hip issue, according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Injuries have been a persistent problem for Burdi. He has appeared in six different major league seasons, debuting back in 2018, but he has just 30 1/3 big league innings under his belt.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

Mariners Outright Jacob Hurtubise

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The Mariners announced that outfielder Jacob Hurtubise has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. There wasn’t any previous indication he had been removed from the 40-man, so Seattle’s count drops to 39.

Hurtubise, 27, hasn’t yet appeared in a major league game with the Mariners. He was claimed off waivers from the Reds a few weeks ago and kept on optional assignment. Since then, he has hit .150/.269/.150 in ten Triple-A games. On the heels of that cold stretch, it seems the M’s decided it would be a good time to pass him through waivers and open a roster spot, which turned out to be correct.

Since Hurtubise has less than three years of big league service time and this is his first outright assignment, he does not have the right to elect free agency. The Mariners will therefore get to keep him as non-roster depth.

He has a small amount of major league experience but without success thus far. He currently sports a .167/.291/.212 batting line in 83 plate appearances with the Reds. But he has hit more in the minors, with some speed to boot. He had 715 plate appearances on the farm over 2023 and 2024 with a .306/.443/.437 batting line. His 15.1% walk rate was almost as high as his 15.7% strikeout rate. Overall, that production translated to a 138 wRC+. He also swiped 62 bags in 72 tries over those seasons.

This year has been a struggle but Hurtubise will try to get back in good form and earn his way back onto the roster. For the Mariners, they are surely happy to be able to hold onto a talented player while opening a roster spot for a future move.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

Brewers Acquire Steward Berroa

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Prior to facing each other on the field today, the Brewers and Dodgers have lined up on a trade, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Outfielder Steward Berroa, who was recently designated for assignment by the Dodgers, head to the Brewers in exchange for cash. The Brewers have placed him on the minor league injured list due to right shoulder bursitis. Right-hander Elvin Rodríguez has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.

It’s the second DFA trade of the year for Berroa. He spent many years as a prospect in the Blue Jays’ system and got to make his major league debut with that club last year. He got squeezed off the roster in May and flipped to the Dodgers for cash. Now the same sequence of events gets him moved from the Dodgers to the Brewers.

Berroa, 26, has a decent floor as a speedy outfielder. He’s generally been good for about 50 steals per year in the minors, give or take, while playing all three outfield positions. His work at the plate has been a bit more questionable, but with some positive signs. Over the 2021 to 2023 seasons, he produced a combined .241/.350/.391 line and 108 wRC+ on the farm. His 13.7% walk rate was good but he also struck out 25.3% of the time.

Last year, he seemed to take a bit of a step forward. He got his strikeout rate down to 23.7% while still drawing walks at a healthy 11.7% clip. He produced a .281/.371/.454 line and 120 wRC+ in 79 Triple-A games. He also got up to the majors, chipping in for a Toronto team that was floundering last year. He walked at a 17.8% rate but was also punched out 31.1% of the time, leading to a .189/.333/.216 slash while he stole six bases in eight tries.

This year, he got out to an awful start in the Jays’ system. He bounced back tremendously with the Dodgers, but with a huge help from a .403 batting average on balls in play. Put together, he has a .270/.358/.345 line and 90 wRC+ at Triple-A this year with 20 steals. He last played on June 19th, presumably due to the shoulder issue that landed him on the IL today.

Berroa can still be optioned for the rest of this this year and one additional season, so he’ll give the Brewers some extra outfield depth. At worse, he can be a fourth outfielder, doing some pinch-running and defensive replacement work. The bat has been mercurial but could also potentially be useful, depending on how things swing.

In order to add that outfield depth, the Brewers are potentially losing Rodríguez. The Brewers signed him in January after he spent 2024 in Japan, posting a 1.80 earned run average over there. He hasn’t been anywhere close to that successful for Milwaukee this year. He has thrown 18 2/3 big league innings with an ERA of 8.68. His 20.2% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate are decent figures but he has allowed seven home runs in that small amount of time. He’s also tossed 29 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level with a 4.25 ERA.

He’ll now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so Milwaukee could take five days to explore trade interest. As a player with a previous career outright, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment if he clears waivers.

However, since he has less than five years of major league service time, he would have to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in order to exercise that right. His contract is a split deal which pays him $900K in the majors and $300K in the minors. The minimum salary at the Triple-A level is just above $35K, barely a tenth of what Rodríguez would make. That would presumably makes it unlikely he would elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

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