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Giants Release Carlos Torres

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The Giants have released veteran righty Carlos Torres, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. He had joined the organization earlier this month on a minors deal.

Details of the departure aren’t clear, but the San Francisco organization has continued to churn through a large number of relief arms. Torres had been working at the team’s top affiliate, marking his fourth Triple-A team on the season.

The 36-year-old Torres, a ten-year MLB veteran, has thrown 62 1/3 total innings of 4.33 ERA ball this year, with 7.8 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. He’s not likely to be seen as a major possible addition by a contender, but could certainly help pad the depth of an organization that wants to be sure it’s covered down the stretch.

Padres Claim Nick Martini

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1:04pm: San Diego announced the move. Martini will join the active roster on Thursday, per an announcement.

12:49pm: In an intriguing development, the Padres have claimed outfielder Nick Martini off waivers from the Athletics, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). The corresponding roster maneuvering isn’t yet known.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see the San Diego org summoning the bartender for the 29-year-old, left-handed-hitting outfielder. It remains to be seen whether Martini will have a shot at holding his roster spot over the course of the offseason.

To be sure, Martini seemed likely to be claimed by some team — so much so that it might’ve been expected he wouldn’t have made it to the San Diego organization’s spot on the waiver priority list. But the Friars already have an outfield mix that includes Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot, and Josh Naylor. Only Naylor hits from the left side, but the club also still controls the southpaw-swinging Travis Jankowski.

Making any use of Martini this year will surely mean reducing the opportunities available to those other players. If nothing else, Jankowski’s roster footing now seems more tenuous than ever.

Perhaps the Friars think Martini could be a fourth outfielder candidate in 2020. He’s optionable, which certainly helps. There are some shades of Alex Dickerson, who was jettisoned earlier this year by the Pads. But holding open a role for Martini would create a tight squeeze once Franchy Cordero is added back to the mix, even assuming Naylor is sent back to Triple-A. It’s also certainly possible the Padres simply see this as a value proposition and intend to explore offseason trade possibilities involving any number of current assets.

Regardless, it’s clear that Martini stirred real interest in the San Diego front office. He certainly impressed in a 55-game big-league debut showing last year, though the A’s never saw fit for a second round this season. While he received only 13 MLB plate appearances in 2019, Martini did boast a .328/.432/.482 slash line and impeccable 51:49 K/BB ratio over 329 plate appearances at Triple-A.

Shelby Miller Released After Opting Out Of Brewers Contract

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The Brewers announced yesterday that righty Shelby Miller has been released. He “exercised the release clause in his contract,” per the announcement.

Miller, who is still just 28 years of age despite debuting way back in 2012, had inked a $2MM deal with the Rangers over the winter. The hoped-for bounceback simply did not occur, however, and he was cut loose after 44 innings of 8.59 ERA pitching.

When he landed with the Brewers, Miller was hoping that a fresh start at Triple-A would finally turn his fortunes after several injury-riddled, disappointing campaigns. He ended up throwing 32 2/3 frames over eight starts, producing a 4.13 ERA on 9.9 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9.

The Milwaukee organization evidently didn’t see enough to warrant a promotion. Instead, Miller will see if he can catch on elsewhere. The best-case scenario would probably be to sign with a club that has some 40-man roster flexibility and a need for innings down the stretch. (The Rangers will foot the bill for all but the league-minimum rate of pay.) Miller will be hoping that a late-season showcase can help boost his appeal in the coming offseason.

Cardinals Release Drew Robinson

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The Cardinals have released outfielder Drew Robinson, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That opens a 40-man spot for the club, though it’s not clear yet how it’ll be utilized.

Robinson recently underwent season-ending elbow surgery, so he could have been placed on the 60-day injured list. But it seems the Cards have decided already that he would not hold a 40-man slot over the course of the offseason to come.

The 27-year-old Robinson, who was acquired from the Rangers over the offseason, appeared only briefly in the majors in St. Louis. He turned in solid offensive work at Triple-A, slashing .265/.385/.423 with six home runs, but obviously had not shown enough to force his way into the plans before the health issues cut short his campaign.

Cardinals Not Planning On September Promotion For Dylan Carlson

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While the Cardinals appear to be more excited than ever about top outfield prospect Dylan Carlson, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the club isn’t giving consideration to promoting him to the majors in the month of September.

As ever, it should be noted that plans can always change. The 20-year-old’s present capabilities are already known well to the Cards, so he’s not likely to change the situation by his play. But it’s possible an injury or other development at the MLB level could create a surprise need.

As Goold notes, Carlson does not need to be added to the 40-man roster in advance of the December Rule 5 draft, so putting him there now would constrain the club. It seems only a run of misfortune involving existing players, or a major change of heart, would create the circumstances for a Carlson promotion. But we have seen that sort of thing occur, as when the Nationals surprisingly promoted Victor Robles back in 2017.

Regardless of how things shake out late in 2019, Goold says that the Cardinals will allow Carlson a full shot to compete in camp next year for a significant role at the major-league level. Service-time considerations and other factors will obviously weigh into the decision; the 20-year-old likely has a high standard to clear to head north out of camp.

While it would still rate as a surprise to see Carlson on the Opening Day roster, particularly if he doesn’t end up seeing any big-league time this year, it seems the St. Louis org isn’t shying away from putting expectations and dangling opportunity in front of the highly regarded prospect. Carlson has already laid waste to upper-minors pitching this year, turning in a .281/.364/.518 batting line at Double-A (which isn’t a hitter-friendly stop on the circuit) and slashing .385/.439/.654 since arriving at Triple-A (good for a 164 wRC+ even in the offensively prolific Pacific Coast League).

As president of baseball operations John Mozeliak puts it, Carlson “does it all” and is a “very complete player.” While prospect evaluators haven’t really hyped Carlson as one of the top pre-MLB players in baseball, Mozeliak says Carlson’s showing this year at Double-A suggests he’s “truly an elite player.”

The focus now is obviously on the Cards’ efforts to win a division title. But it’s hard not to look ahead. The club has already undergone immense change in the outfield in recent years and figures to have more on the way. Marcell Ozuna will be a free agent. Dexter Fowler will be a significant part of the mix (barring a trade). Otherwise, there are a large number of possibilities — Jose Martinez, Harrison Bader, Lane Thomas, Tyler O’Neill, Rangel Ravelo, Randy Arozarena, Adolis Garcia, and others — but little in the way of clear answers.

It’s likely some players will end up in other organizations, whether that occurs over the offseason or in Spring Training. Keeping Carlson off of the 40-man will help preserve options. But his presence in the organization could ultimately allow the Cards to be more aggressive in parting with other young outfielders, perhaps opening the door to improvements in other areas of the roster.

Recently Minted Free Agents With MLB Experience

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With this year’s August acquisition period drawing to a close on Saturday, contending teams need to act fast if they want to add players with postseason eligibility to their organizations. Non-contenders may have organizational depth needs to address as well, particularly those that end up parting with veterans before the end of August.

Accordingly, it seemed a worthwhile undertaking to pull together all of the most recently minted free agents with MLB experience — those that have been released in the past month or so. In addition to waiver-wire candidates — Nick Martini and any new additions to the wire that might arise — these are the presently available possibilities. Unlike players that have been waiting on the open market since earlier in the season, most of those listed here have been playing competitively against top-level competition for most or all of the season.

Without further ado:

Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments!

Niko Goodrum Unlikely To Return From Injured List In 2019

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Tigers utilityman Niko Goodrum has been diagnosed with an adductor strain, as Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports. He’ll require at least a ten-day to two-week layoff, which puts the remainder of his season in jeopardy.

Fortunately, the strain doesn’t appear to be serious, so there’s no reason to believe Goodrum’s offseason program will be impacted. It is still possible that he will recover quicker than expected and have enough time to ramp up to a return. But the lack of minor-league rehab opportunities won’t help, and there’s not much upside to forcing the issue for the cellar-dwelling Tigers.

Goodrum has been one of the more effective players on the Tigers roster this year. He has plugged gaps wherever need in the field, logging time at every position except the battery spots and seeing significant action in the middle infield, corner outfield, and first base.

On the offensive side of the spectrum, Goodrum’s chief asset has been his legs. He has graded as one of the most valuable baserunners in the sport in 2019. At the plate, he’s slashing a slightly below-average .248/.322/.421. If he can trim back the strikeouts and continue to boost his walk rate, Goodrum might conceivably tick up a bit further offensively.

While he’s not exactly a budding star, Goodrum has established himself as a solid MLB piece over the past two seasons. The 27-year-old could be discussed in trade talks over the winter, not that the Detroit organization has any urgency to move him. Goodrum will have 2.031 years of MLB service when the current season ends, meaning he’ll be shy of qualifying for arbitration. With cheap control rights and ample defensive flexibility, he’s a useful player for the Tigers with a bit of upside to boot.

AL Notes: Dunning, Andrus, Norris

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White Sox righty Dane Dunning recently discussed his Tommy John rehab work with MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. The 24-year-old has begun light throwing, but that’s just the start of a lengthy rebuilding process. He’s hoping to be ready for game action by early June, which would be about 15 months after his procedure. It is certainly possible that the highly regarded hurler could have an impact in the majors as soon as 2020, though odds are that he’ll spend more time regaining his footing in the upper minors. Dunning’s sterling 2018 showing was cut short by forearm issues that ultimately ended in the operating room. But he has already shown he can thrive at the Double-A level. When he is able to make it back, Dunning says he hopes to have an even “stronger foundation” to work from. He says he’s stronger, more aware of how to care for his body, and better prepared “to maintain a healthier balance through the season.”

More from the American League …

  • With the Rangers continuing a tricky roster balancing act, the play of shortstop Elvis Andrus remains a key factor. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News examines the 31-year-old’s status as the 2019 campaign winds to a close. The organization can count on his three-year, $43MM future contract obligations remaining on the books, as Andrus has little reason to exercise his opt-out clause after an underwhelming season. While it’s a manageable-enough sum of money, it’d look a whole lot more palatable if Andrus was hitting near the league-average rate and performing better in the field. Instead, he has hovered at about twenty percent below average in productivity with the bat while showing inconsistency with his glove.
  • Tigers southpaw Daniel Norris has been a bright spot in a dismal season in Detroit, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News writes. Norris is being handled with care down the stretch since he was so limited last season, which reflects the fact that the organization is invested in the 26-year-old’s future. To be sure, it’s not as if Norris has dominated. He has turned in stronger results of late but only owns a 4.70 ERA in 126 1/3 frames to date. As McCosky explains in detail, though, Norris has made some strides that have created a sense of optimism. The club will owe him a raise on his $1.275MM arbitration salary.

August Acquisition Period Ends On Saturday

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We have previously examined the limited means by which teams can add players during the month of August. The rules remain the same when the calendar flips to September, except that newly acquired players can no longer participate in the postseason.

If teams want to add a postseason-eligible player, they’ll have to do so on or before midnight eastern time this coming Saturday. The end-of-August rush won’t be nearly as exciting as it has been in recent years, since there are no more August trades of MLB contracts, but it could still force some action. Teams contemplating whether to expose veteran players to waivers will face a decision point, knowing that those players won’t hold as much appeal if they’re not eligible for the postseason with a new organization.

There’s also still some possibility for surprise opportunities. Most teams placing claims on veterans will be doing so with a focus on immediate needs. But some non-contenders may look at controllable assets. And it’s even conceivable that some interesting players will become available if a contender or two decides to free a roster spot and/or shed excess salary to facilitate another acquisition.

Which players might be candidates to change hands? We’ve also recently listed many such possibilities. Since we compiled that list, several players have indeed hit the wire and ended up being claimed. That includes Billy Hamilton (Braves from Royals), Cory Gearrin (Yankees from Mariners), and Jared Hughes (Phillies from Reds). Others (Adeiny Hechavarria, Chris Iannetta, Jhoulys Chacin) have cleared waivers and hit the open market. And there are a few still-pending waiver-claim candidates, including Nick Martini (Athletics) and Aaron Altherr (Mets).

So … what happens if a player is placed on waivers and one or more contenders have interest? They’ll have to decide whether to place a claim, which will mean taking over the remainder of the contract obligations, or whether to wait and hope the player clears waivers and decides to sign with them as a free agent. If multiple teams place claims on the same player, the commissioner’s office will assign the claim based upon its rules. Claims are processed two days after waivers are sought, at 1 pm eastern time, meaning we could see a bit of a Thursday rush to make players available by Saturday.

The waiver priority system is quite simple: it’s based upon winning percentage. The lower team always has dibs. While the old rules looked first to the league (National or American) of the team seeking waivers, league status now functions only as a tiebreaker if two clubs with the same record each make a claim.

Priority shifts with any move in the standings, so there can and will still be some shuffling. But as of today, this is the order of waiver priority that will govern. (And yes, this also constitutes a current look at the reverse standings for purposes of determining draft order.)

  1. Tigers (39-89)
  2. Orioles (43-88)
  3. Royals (46-86)
  4. Marlins (47-83)
  5. Blue Jays (53-80)
  6. Pirates (55-76)
  7. Mariners (56-76)
  8. Rockies (59-73)
  9. White Sox (60-70)
  10. Padres & Reds (61-69) (tie)
  11. Angels (63-70)
  12. Rangers (64-68)
  13. Giants (65-66)
  14. Diamondbacks (66-66)
  15. Brewers (67-64)
  16. Mets (67-63)
  17. Phillies (68-62)
  18. Cubs (69-61)
  19. Red Sox (70-62)
  20. Cardinals (72-58)
  21. Nationals (73-57)
  22. Rays (76-56)
  23. Athletics (75-55)
  24. Indians (76-55)
  25. Braves (80-53)
  26. Twins (79-51)
  27. Astros (85-47)
  28. Dodgers & Yankees (86-47) (tie)

Orioles Mulling September Promotions

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With nothing on the line in terms of results, the Orioles are looking firmly to the future. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy for the club to simply bring up a wave of prospects in September.

GM Mike Elias explains to Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun that the team is indeed planning to start bringing in fresh faces. “We will start to see a lot of players from our quote-unquote ’prospect list’ on the big league team here in the next month, and early next season,” he says.

But that doesn’t mean the roster situation is straightforward. Even for “the guys that are on the roster already,” says Elias, “it would be inaccurate to say that doesn’t matter, because when you add somebody to the roster, you typically have to take somebody off. That’s a big decision.” While September’s expanded active roster will help, there’ll still be tough 40-man calls to be made.

Beyond the question of maintaining control rights, the club simply needs to fill innings. While some of the players currently holding down active roster spots may well end up being cut loose in the offseason, they’re needed now to avoid over-taxing or otherwise harming the development of young hurlers.

Plus, there are developmental and health considerations to account for. Take Austin Hays, whose own late-2017 promotion serves as something of a cautionary tale. As Meoli further explores, the club has seen some signs of a rebound from the 24-year-old, though it’s still not clear that he’d benefit from an extension of his season after working through health problems.

Elias opened the door in particular to calling up players who are due to occupy 40-man spots in the offseason to come, noting that the organization has “several guys who are amongst our top prospects who will need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft this year.” Such players can be added now in order to get a taste of the majors, though that means giving them service time and perhaps forcing some early decisions on other players.

One such player is intriguing first base/outfield prospect Ryan Mountcastle. As Meoli notes, Mountcastle has shown well this year but also still has some areas to work on at Triple-A. The 22-year-old’s .308/.340/.528 slash line is outwardly impressive, but it’s just 16% above league average (116 wRC+) in the hitter-friendly International League. With a meager 4.2% walk rate, Mountcastle has been dependent upon an unsustainable .363 batting average on balls in play for his productivity. He’s also still working to land on a defensive home.

That’s certainly not to say that there isn’t any promise. The former first-rounder has long been viewed as a talented player and there’s every reason for the O’s to give him a full shot at the big leagues in the near future. Much the same holds for Hays. Trouble is, the club is already giving showcases to Anthony Santander and DJ Stewart. And it could stand to give further opportunities to Cedric Mullins and Dwight Smith Jr. Ultimately, there are only so many plate appearances to go around.

The bottom line is that the roster finagling is more complicated for the rebuilding Baltimore organization than might be anticipated at first glance. The club can and will continue to provide chances to interesting players, but it’ll already be forced to make some committing choices in the coming weeks.

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