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Mariners Claim José Castillo, Designate Joe Jacques For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that they have claimed left-hander José Castillo off waivers from the Mets. The latter club designated him for assignment a few days ago. To open a 40-man roster spot, fellow lefty Joe Jacques has been designated for assignment. Castillo is out of options, so the M’s will need to make a corresponding active roster move once he reports to the team. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported the claim prior to the official announcement.

Castillo, 29, has logged 21 2/3 innings this year between the Diamondbacks and Mets. He has allowed 4.98 earned runs per nine but with better underlying metrics. His 21% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate are both close to average, while his 52.9% ground ball rate is quite strong.

That performance hasn’t been enough to keep him in the majors for an extended stretch. Since he is out of options, he has been designated for assignment multiple times this year. Arizona gave him his first DFA of the season in May and then flipped him to the Mets for cash. Since then, the Mets have given him the DFA treatment three times. The first two resulted in him clearing waivers and sticking with the Mets, later getting selected back to the roster. Around the transactions, he also tossed 16 Triple-A innings with a 1.69 ERA, 35.9% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate.

On this third Mets DFA, the Mariners have swooped in to grab him. They already have three lefties in their bullpen, with Gabe Speier, Caleb Ferguson and Tayler Saucedo back there, but adding Castillo will give them even more balance in their relief corps. He has between four and five years of big league service time, so they can retain him for 2026 via arbitration if he still has a roster spot at season’s end.

Jacques, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. He was traded to the Mariners in early July. The M’s added him to their 40-man roster and then immediately optioned him to Triple-A. It’s likely that his deal with the Dodgers had some sort of opt-out or upward mobility clause. The Dodgers evidently weren’t willing to give him a 40-man spot but the M’s were.

In the minors this year, he has posted poor surface-level results with better underlying numbers. He has thrown 47 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 6.51 ERA. His 23.6% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate are close to par while his 59.7% ground ball rate has been quite good. He has seemingly been undone by a .393 batting average on balls in play and 57.7% strand rate, which are both on the unlucky side. His 4.61 FIP this year is far more optimistic than his ERA.

Despite the positive indicators, the M’s are moving on. Jacques is in his final option year and will therefore be out of options going into 2026. That would have made it harder for them to roster him going forward, so they are cutting him loose now.

Since the trade deadline has passed, he’ll be on waivers in the coming days. It some team believes he can post better numbers going forward, perhaps away from the PCL, then they could put in a claim. He can still be stashed in the minors for the rest of this year. He has less than a year of service time and theoretically has years of control, though as mentioned, he’ll be out of options next year. He has 29 2/3 major league innings with a 5.46 ERA, 15.9% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 61.9% ground ball rate.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Angels Claim Logan Davidson

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The Angels announced that they have claimed infielder Logan Davidson off waivers from the Astros. The latter club designated him for assignment earlier this week. In a corresponding 40-man move, the Angels have transferred right-hander Víctor Mederos to the 60-day injured list.

Davidson, 27, was a first-round pick of the Athletics back in 2019. He was initially one of that club’s top prospects but his stock faded. Even back in his college days, his power came with concerns about his penchant for strikeouts. Those concerns popped up again in affiliated ball. From 2021 to 2023, he stepped to the plate 1,437 times in the minors with an 11% walk rate but a 27.6% strikeout rate. He produced a combined line of .246/.332/.379 in that span, leading to a wRC+ of 85.

Going into 2024, he had largely fallen off prospect lists, but he ended up having a decent season. He still struck out in 31.1% of his Triple-A plate appearances but he managed to produce a .300/.366/.535 line and 111 wRC+ anyway. Given his ability to play every position outside of the battery, it was possible to imagine him serving as a useful utility guy.

Here in 2025, he had a strong .303/.452/.428 line in mid-May, again with a strikeout rate over 30%. The A’s then gave him his first big-league call but it didn’t last long. He hit .150/.261/.200 in his first 24 plate appearances and was quickly optioned back down to the minors. He was designated for assignment in July and was claimed by the Astros. They kept him in Triple-A but he hit .207/.290/.390 there and got the DFA treatment again.

This claim makes it three American League West clubs in a span of a few months for Davidson. For the Halos, they are about to lose Yoán Moncada, Chris Taylor and Luis Rengifo to free agency, cutting into their position player depth. They could get Anthony Rendon back next year but surely don’t want to be relying on him for anything since he has missed so much time, including all of the 2025 season due to hip surgery.

Going into 2026, they should have Zach Neto at shortstop and Nolan Schanuel at first base, but openings at second and third base. Prospect Christian Moore got a shot to take over at the keystone but just got optioned after struggling in his initial major league action. Guys like Scott Kingery, Oswald Peraza, Chad Stevens and Kyren Paris are on the roster. The Halos will likely make some offseason moves to address their infield but Davidson gives them another depth option for now. He has just a few days of service time and will still have two option years remaining after this one.

Mederos, 24, landed on the 15-day IL a little over a week ago due to shoulder inflammation. His current status is unclear but this move indicates the Halos don’t expect him back this season. He’ll be on the 60-day IL for the rest of the year, though there’s no IL in the offseason.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Lee, Imagn Images

White Sox Claim Ben Cowles

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The White Sox announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Cubs. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. They already had multiple 40-man roster vacancies, so no corresponding transactions were needed. The White Sox’ 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.

Cowles, 25, has a good minor league track record overall but is having a down year. Drafted by the Yankees back in 2021, he went on to produce a combined .268/.365/.426 batting line across various minor league levels from 2021 to 2024. That production translated to a 124 wRC+, indicating he was 24% better than league average at the plate. His 25.9% strikeout rate was a bit high but he drew walks at an 11.5% pace. He also provided double-digit steals annually in the latter three of those years while bouncing between shortstop, third base and second base, plus two thirds of an inning in left field.

The Cubs acquired him in July 2024, one of two players they got when sending Mark Leiter Jr. to the Bronx. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. But as mentioned, his results haven’t been great this year. He has stepped to the plate 462 times at the Triple-A level. His 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate are subpar, both compared to league average and his previous production. His .238/.304/.382 batting line translates to a 74 wRC+.

That performance got him nudged off the Cubs’ roster but he’s a sensible flier for the White Sox. He can still be optioned for two more seasons after this one, so the Sox can send him to Charlotte and see if he gets back on track. Even with his down year at the plate, he has stolen 16 bases and provided his typical defensive versatility.

The Sox are currently getting breakout seasons from Colson Montgomery and Lenyn Sosa. Montgomery should be at shortstop for the foreseeable future while Sosa will likely be at second or first. The rest of their infield mix includes some intriguing but unproven players like Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Bryan Ramos and Curtis Mead. Cowles gives the Sox another guy to put in that group as they see who separates themselves from the pack.

Photo courtesy of Cody Scanlan, Imagn Images

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL

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The Diamondbacks announced today that right-hander Taylor Rashi and infielder Connor Kaiser have been recalled from Triple-A Reno. In corresponding moves, they have optioned Juan Burgos to Reno and placed outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a torn right ACL.

It was apparent that Gurriel was injured last night. He and center fielder Blaze Alexander were both chasing a ball in the gap. Gurriel hopped to avoid his teammate but then collapsed on the ground in obvious pain. He eventually had to be carted off, unable to properly put weight on his leg.

Today’s diagnosis is obviously awful for both Gurriel and the Snakes. They haven’t announced an expected timeline but a torn ACL can often require something close to a year of recovery before the player is back to full strength. Gurriel will certainly miss the remainder of this season and a notable chunk of 2026 as well.

Gurriel was initially acquired ahead of the 2023 season alongside Gabriel Moreno, as part of the trade which sent Daulton Varsho to the Blue Jays. Gurriel was an impending free agent at the time but re-signed after one good season in Arizona. He returned via a three-year, $42MM pact with a club option for 2027 and an opt-out chance for him after 2025.

Triggering the opt-out wasn’t especially likely. He is only hitting .248/.295/.418 this year, with that line translating to a 94 wRC+. However, he does have 19 home runs and it’s possible the overall lack of production is due to a .254 batting average on balls in play. That’s well below this year’s .291 league average and Gurriel’s personal career rate of .305.

His decision would have effectively come down to whether he felt he could beat one year and $18MM. His current contract pays him $13MM next year, with a $5MM buyout on the $14MM club option for 2027. Perhaps a hot finish could have made him think about walking away from that money but it’s a moot point now. Since he’s going to miss some amount of next year, he’ll surely forgo his opt-out chance.

For the Diamondbacks, this adds to their 2026 body count well before the season has even begun. Corbin Burnes required Tommy John surgery in June and will therefore miss most or perhaps all of the upcoming campaign. Tommy Henry, Blake Walston, A.J. Puk and Justin Martínez also underwent UCL surgeries this year and are facing lengthy absences. Now Gurriel adds another name to the list.

Those other names are all pitchers while Gurriel subtracts a key part of the club’s outfield mix. Without him, the 2026 outfield consists of guys Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy, Jorge Barrosa and Alexander. Carroll is a star but it’s a questionable group after that. Thomas is in his fourth season and has good defensive grades but he hasn’t hit. McCarthy has shown occasional flashes of competency at the plate but his good seasons may have been fuelled by BABIP luck and he’s been awful this year. Alexander is having a nice run right now but he strikes out a lot and has only recently moved from the infield to the outfield. Barrosa has just 58 big league plate appearances and hasn’t impressed yet.

Going into the winter, the Diamondbacks have a lot to do. Given their injuries, deadline trades and impending free agents, they need to remake almost their entire pitching staff. They have question marks at the infield corners after trading Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez at the deadline. Those spots could be filled by guys like Jordan Lawlar and Tyler Locklear but neither is a lock yet. Gurriel could have been a solid regular on next year’s team but now there’s one more thing on the to-do list.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images

Tigers Move Chris Paddack To Bullpen

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Right-hander Chris Paddack is moving from Detroit’s rotation to the bullpen. Tigers manager A.J Hinch announced the development today to reporters, including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

Paddack, 29, was acquired from the Twins ahead of the trade deadline. The Tigers gave up catching prospect Enrique Jimenez in order to acquire Paddack and also minor leaguer Randy Dobnak from their division rival.

The Detroit rotation has taken a number of hits this year. They signed Alex Cobb in the offseason but he still hasn’t thrown a pitch for them due to hip injuries. Jackson Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June. Ty Madden has been out all year due to a shoulder strain and isn’t expected to return. The same day the Tigers acquired Paddack, Reese Olson was placed on the 60-day injured list due to his own shoulder strain.

To address those injuries, the Tigers added Paddack and also Charlie Morton at the deadline. Those two have been in the rotation alongside Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize over the past few weeks.

The Paddack acquisition received criticism at the time, as he wasn’t having a great season. He started 21 times for the Twins, logging 111 innings, allowing 4.95 earned runs per nine. His 5.7% walk rate was good but his 17.6% strikeout rate and 36.4% ground ball rate were both subpar figures. Since coming to Detroit, things have not improved. He has made six starts with a 5.40 ERA, 11.6% strikeout rate, 4.1% walk rate and 33.3% ground ball rate.

That performance will get Paddack bumped out of the rotation. What’s not known is what comes next. The Tigers have recalled Sawyer Gipson-Long to start today’s game. It’s unclear if this is a spot start or if he has a rotation gig going forward.

It’s possible they may not replace Paddack in the rotation at all. The Tigers famously deployed “pitching chaos” last year, using a large number of openers, bullpen games and bulk guys, while Skubal was at times the only real starter. They have Gipson-Long going tonight and Mize on Wednesday. They are then off on Thursday and host the White Sox for three on the weekend. After that, they are off every Monday, playing six games in a row in between each of those off-days.

They could again do a lot of bullpen games, deploying a four-man rotation while using guys like Gipson-Long, Troy Melton and Paddack for multiple innings. Cobb has been moved to a relief role as the Tigers try to get him healthy somehow, but he could perhaps cover some innings. Keider Montero is on optional assignment and could be recalled.

Ultimately, it’s not a huge deal for the club now. They are cruising to a division win, currently holding a nine-game lead over the Royals. Paddack wasn’t going to be in their playoff rotation, so they’ll try him out of the bullpen. They probably regret giving up Jimenez to a division rival, though he’s only 19 years old and it’s hard to say if he’ll eventually make it as a major leaguer down the line.

For Paddack personally, it’s less than ideal. He is a few weeks away from reaching free agency for the first time. He has shown promise earlier in his career, particularly his 2019 rookie season with the Padres. He tossed 140 2/3 innings that year with a 3.33 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate, 5.5% walk rate and 40.2% ground ball rate.

Unfortunately, his results backed up from there. Tommy John surgery wiped out a decent chunk of his 2022-2024 seasons. He has been able to log 141 innings so far this year, the highest total of his career, but he hasn’t regained his previous strikeout stuff. He’ll now be going into free agency without a lot of momentum and will likely be looking for a bounceback pillow deal somewhere.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Outright Tristin English

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Infielder/outfielder Tristin English has been sent outright to Triple-A Reno, according to his transaction tracker at MLB.com. He played for the Aces on Sunday. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks last week.

English, 28, was just selected to the big league roster in July. That was his first call to the show. This is his first career outright and he is well short of three years of big league service time. That means he didn’t have the right to reject this assignment.

While his stint on the roster was fairly brief and he spent notable time on optional assignment, he did get to make his debut. He got just two hits in 23 plate appearances, not a great showing but at least he can say he has a few big league knocks.

He’ll stick with the Diamondbacks as a non-roster depth piece capable of playing the four corner positions. His minor league track record is naturally greater in terms of quantity and quality. This year, he has a .322/.368/.522 slash and 109 wRC+ in 349 Triple-A plate appearances.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Select Ryan Borucki

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The Blue Jays announced that they have selected left-hander Ryan Borucki to the roster. Fellow lefty Easton Lucas has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, righty Robinson Piña has been recalled and placed on the 60-day injured list due to a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Borucki, now 31, began his career with the Jays many years ago. He showed some promise as a potential starter but some injuries eventually got him moved to a relief role. As a reliever, he has bounced around to the Mariners and Pirates with some occasional success. From 2020 to the present, he has thrown 147 2/3 innings with a 4.39 earned run average. His 22.3% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate in that time are close to average, while his 50.1% ground ball rate is quite strong.

This year hasn’t been his best. After an injury-marred 2024 season, he had to settle for a minor league deal with the Pirates. He cracked Pittsburgh’s Opening Day rotation and stuck on the roster through mid-August, with an IL stint of over a month due to back inflammation mixed in. He had a 5.28 ERA over 30 2/3 innings when they designated him for assignment a few weeks back. He had a 21.4% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 55% ground ball rate.

After he was released, the Jays scooped him up on a minor league deal. Toronto has had Brendon Little as the primary lefty in their bullpen this year. Guys like Mason Fluharty and Justin Bruihl have also factored in but both of those guys were optioned to the minors in recent days. A pitcher optioned to the minors can’t be recalled for 15 days, unless someone else is going on the injured list.

Eric Lauer is now in the bullpen, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, but he’ll likely be deployed more as a long man. Lucas is also more of a long relief guy, so the Jays are swapping him out for Borucki.

For his career, Borucki has held lefties to a .185/.268/.265 line, whereas righties have hit .280/.347/.494 off him. That split has been even more extreme this year, as he has held opposing lefties to a .132/.217/.170 line but righties have lit him up for a .333/.400/.649 slash. The Jays will probably try to target Borucki against lefties in the other team’s lineup, though the three-batter minimum makes that a challenge. Little has pitched in the past two games and three of the past four, so it’s possible he’s not available tonight.

Pina, 26, was acquired from the Marlins in a June trade. He has largely been on optional assignment since then. His health status is unclear but he hasn’t pitched in an official game since August 1st. The Jays putting him on the 60-day IL suggests they don’t expect him to pitch again this season. If his UCL sprain requires surgery, then he’s obviously slated to be out even longer. There’s no 60-day IL between five days after the World Series and the start of spring training. The Jays will therefore have to add him back to the 40-man roster in November or remove him somehow.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images

Rockies Claim Roansy Contreras

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The Rockies have claimed right-hander Roansy Contreras off waivers from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. The O’s designated him for assignment last week. The Rockies had an open 40-man spot after they optioned righty Nick Anderson and he exercised his right to elect free agency. Contreras is out of options, so the Rockies will need to open an active roster spot for him once he reports to the team.

Contreras, 25, has been in an awkward position for a while now. He exhausted his final option season with the Pirates in 2023 and was therefore out of options going into 2024. He has shown enough potential to draw plenty of interest from other clubs but often just enough to be the last guy on the roster.

The Pirates designated him for assignment in May of last year, which kicked off a rampage through the transaction logs. Over the next few months, via small trades or waiver claims, he went to the Angels, Rangers, Reds, Orioles, Yankees and Orioles again.

The O’s finally passed him through waivers unclaimed around Opening Day 2025, allowing them to keep him as non-roster depth. He tossed 91 2/3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk over 14 starts and 14 relief appearances. In that time, he had a 3.73 earned run average. His 8.4% walk rate and 40.9% ground ball rate were close to average but his 17.8% strikeout rate was subpar. The O’s called him up for one long relief appearance in the majors, in which he tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, but then sent him back into DFA limbo.

His previous big league work largely aligns with that recent Triple-A showing. He has thrown 239 major league innings with a 4.63 ERA, 19.6% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate and 39.3% ground ball rate.

He’s a sensible pickup for the Rockies, who almost always need more pitching. That’s certainly true this year, as their collective 6.01 ERA is easily the worst in the majors. The Nationals are second-last on that list but almost a full run better that Colorado at 5.33. They are about to lose Germán Márquez to free agency and released Austin Gomber not long ago.

Contreras is out of options but has just over two years of service time, meaning he can be retained for four seasons beyond this one. The Rockies can get a close-up look at him down the stretch here in 2025 and decide if they want to work him into their plans for 2026 and beyond. He has experience working both from the rotation and the bullpen and could potentially take either role with the Rockies.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Cubs Sign Joe Ross To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs have signed right-hander Joe Ross to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had become a free agent about a week ago when the Phillies released him.

Ross, 32, missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to Tommy John surgery. He was back on the mound in 2024 and had a nice bounceback season. He tossed 74 innings for the Brewers in a swing role, allowing 3.77 earned runs per nine. His 20.6% strikeout rate, 9% walk rate and 41% ground ball rate were all close to league average.

The Phils signed him to a one-year, $4MM deal, hoping to get that kind of performance out of him this year, but it didn’t work out. He gave Philly 51 frames with a 5.12 ERA. His ground ball rate ticked up to 45.5% and his walk rate improved to 7.9% but his strikeout rate fell to 17.1%.

Although his results have backed up this year, he’s a sensible depth add for the Cubs, as they have seen their pitching depth thinned a bit recently. Prior to the deadline, their main rotation addition was Michael Soroka. Unfortunately, a shoulder strain put him on the injured list just a few days after that swap. A few weeks after that, a strained groin put Jameson Taillon on the shelf.

To cover for those injuries, swingman Colin Rea has entered the rotation, alongside Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton and Javier Assad. There are some workload concerns in that group. Boyd is up to 159 1/3 innings this year, which is more than he tossed in the three previous seasons combined. Horton has logged 127 2/3 innings between the majors and minors this year, which is more than his workload in 2023 and 2024 combined. Imanaga missed some time due to a hamstring strain, which has perhaps led to his drop in velocity and strikeout rate compared to last year.

The Cubs are clearly aware that they could use some more arms. They claimed Aaron Civale off waivers from the White Sox a few days ago. He pitched three innings of long relief behind Rea in yesterday’s game. Perhaps Soroka or Taillon can come off the injured list in the coming weeks but Ross gives the club an extra layer of veteran protection for now.

The log lists Ross’s signing date as September 1st. If that’s true, he wouldn’t be eligible to pitch in the postseason for the Cubs. It’s possible the deal was actually signed late on August 31st but didn’t become public until later. If that’s the case, then Ross would be postseason eligible with the Cubs.

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays

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The Braves have claimed infielder Ha-Seong Kim off waivers from the Rays, according to announcements from both clubs. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the claim prior to the official announcements. Atlanta transferred Austin Riley to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. Riley is done for the season following core surgery.

It wasn’t previously reported that Kim was on waivers, but it seems the Rays quietly put him out there to try to shed his contract. Atlanta obliged, so the Rays will get out from under that deal. Tampa signed him to a two-year, $29MM pact in the winter. He is making $13MM this year, with just under $2MM left to be paid out. The second year is a $16MM player option.

That deal was the Rays betting on Kim being able to play at his usual level after shoulder surgery finished his 2024 campaign. Over the 2022 through 2024 seasons with the Padres, Kim had slashed .250/.336/.385 for a 106 wRC+. He had stolen 72 bases in that span and received strong grades for his defense at second base, third base and shortstop. FanGraphs credited him with 10.5 wins above replacement for that three-year span.

With the surgery, he was expected to be on the injured list to start 2025, which dampened his market. Some argued he was trending towards a nine-figure deal before he got hurt. Instead, he opted for the short-term, opt-out structure. Ideally, it would have worked great for both sides. If Kim had bounced back to his previous levels of performance, he could have taken the shortstop job in Tampa and then opted out. At that point, the Rays could have given him a qualifying offer and received compensation as he returned to the open market in search of a larger guarantee.

It has not played out that way. He was initially reinstated from the IL in early July. Since then, he has twice gone back on the IL due to back problems. Around the IL stints, he has played in 24 games and produced a measly .214/.290/.321 line.

Given that performance and the injury absences, it’s possible that Kim is trending towards triggering his player option. That would have put $16MM on Tampa’s books for next year. That’s not a massive sum and the Rays have very little committed to next year’s club, but they are also dealing with plenty of uncertainty.

Due to the hurricane damage to Tropicana Field, they have had to move to George Steinbrenner Field, normally a minor league facility. That move has undoubtedly led to a lot of unforeseen costs and presumably less revenue than usual. Work is still being done to get The Trop ready for 2026 and it’s unclear how that will play out. On top of all that, the franchise is actively being sold and it’s unclear what sort of payroll the new owners will give the front office as they focus on building a new stadium.

It seems they preferred to let Kim go and save some money as opposed to keeping him around and hoping for better results next year. They are 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. They are not totally buried but are likely happy to save the remainder of the money, due to those big-picture questions. They will use the remainder of the regular season to continue giving reps to shortstop prospect Carson Williams. He was promoted when Kim’s most recent IL stint started just over a week ago. Williams has big questions about his penchant for strikeouts but he clearly has power and is considered a strong defender.

Atlanta, however, is in a very different situation. They normally run one of the larger payrolls in the league. They came into 2025 seemingly hoping to duck under the competitive balance tax. Back in February, chairman Terry McGuirk said the club still had some powder dry for in-season moves.

This year has turned into a nightmare season for the club. Due to several injuries and a PED suspension for Jurickson Profar, they fell behind their competitors and were never able to recover. They currently have a 62-75 record and are 11 games back of a playoff spot.

President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has been using that dry powder to try to start working on the club’s 2026 comeback season. He acquired Tyler Kinley from the Rockies ahead of the deadline and claimed Jake Fraley off waivers from the Reds. Kinley is making $3MM this year and has a $5MM club option for next year. Fraley is making $3.125MM and will be due a raise via arbitration for 2026, his final season of club control.

Claiming Kim is a similar move but with larger numbers. As mentioned, Kim is making $13MM this year and will make $16MM next year. It’s theoretically possible that Kim gets hot down the stretch and opts out. That would make this claim go for naught, but the club would only lose a bit of money in that scenario. Presumably, they are hoping Kim decides to trigger his option and stay, so it seems they think $16MM is a fine price for betting on a bounceback next year.

It’s an interesting gambit for their middle infield, a situation that MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a close look at, in a post for Front Office subscribers. Atlanta has had Nick Allen at shortstop this year. He’s a strong defender but is essentially the worst hitter in the majors by a noticeable margin. Among guys with at least 400 plate appearances this year, Allen’s 53 wRC+ is dead last. Ke’Bryan Hayes is second-last on that list, with a 67 wRC+. Getting another shortstop and bumping Allen into a bench role seemed like a key thing on the to-do list for next year.

However, the offseason options weren’t going to be great. Bo Bichette is going to be the top free agent but Atlanta hasn’t really spent a lot in free agency lately. Under Anthopoulos, their biggest expenditure on the open market has been $65MM for Marcell Ozuna. With Bichette possibly trending towards something in the $150-200MM range, it didn’t seem like Atlanta would be the favorite to land him. Trading for someone like Trevor Story or Javier Báez may have been possible but it’s unclear if their respective clubs would make them available and they come with concerns of their own.

Rather than wait around and deal with the offseason uncertainty, Atlanta seemingly preferred to simply grab Kim now. That adds $16MM to next year’s books but they have some financial flexibility opening up. Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias are both impending free agents. Each of them individually are making $16MM this year, the same salary that Kim is set to make next year, assuming he doesn’t return to free agency.

Rosenthal notes that Kim is ready to come off the IL. That means Atlanta can use the final few weeks of the season to get a look at him. It seems they are hoping that Kim looks good but decides to trigger his option, therefore solving their shortstop question for next season.

In addition to this claim, the Rays announced that right-hander Kevin Kelly has been recalled and outfielder Richie Palacios reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Those are their two September call-up moves, with Palacios taking the 40-man spot vacated by Kim.

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

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