Rangers Select Sam Haggerty
The Rangers have selected outfielder Sam Haggerty‘s contract from Triple-A Round Rock, the team announced. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Dustin Harris has been optioned to Triple-A. The Rangers had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.
Following five seasons with the Mariners, Haggerty moved on to a new AL West club after Seattle non-tendered him this offseason. He was a productive bat for the M’s from 2022-23, producing a .727 OPS and a 113 wRC+ in 309 PA, but he missed most of 2024 after tearing his Achilles tendon. The Rangers added him on a minor league deal in February. He failed to win a job out of spring training and packed his bags for Round Rock to begin the year.
Harris had been with the big league club since Wyatt Langford went on the IL in early April. He hit well enough over his first handful of games to stick around when Langford returned. However, he went 1-for-18 over his last 20 plate appearances, with a single, two walks, and six strikeouts. Meanwhile, Haggerty has been swinging a hot bat at Triple-A. Over the past three weeks, he hit .347 with an .879 OPS and a 129 wRC+. Furthermore, as a switch-hitter with MLB reps at all three bases and all three outfield spots, he offers the Rangers more versatility and experience. It’s only been a few years since Harris was widely considered a top-10 prospect in the Rangers organization. While his prospect sheen has faded, he is still just 25, and some more time at Triple-A could surely do him some good. Haggerty, on the other hand, has little to learn or prove in the minors. He’ll turn 31 later this month and has played in parts of six big league seasons.
Although he bats from both sides of the plate, Haggerty has much more impressive numbers in 216 career PA against left-handed pitchers than he does in his 260 career PA against righties. He has walked more and struck out less against southpaws, and he’s hit seven of his nine career home runs as a righty batter. The Rangers currently rank 21st in MLB with a .622 OPS and a 79 wRC+ against left-handed pitching, due in large part to the struggles of hitters like Corey Seager and Adolis García. Haggerty is no solution to that problem, but the Rangers will hope he can offer a bit of help off the bench. A fast runner with 33 career steals in 36 attempts, Haggerty can also help the Rangers on the basepaths; they currently rank 14th in stolen bases and 13th in FanGraphs baserunning value.
Blue Jays Sign Spencer Turnbull
Today: The Blue Jays officially announced Turnbull’s one-year major league contract on Monday and optioned the veteran pitcher to the Florida Complex League to allow him time to build up his arm. To make room for Turnbull and fellow free agent signing José Ureña on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays transferred Max Scherzer and Erik Swanson to the 60-day injured list. This pushes back Scherzer’s and Swanson’s return timelines to late May at the earliest.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post provides the financials of the Turnbull deal. It’s technically a salary of $1,265,306 but prorated to an even $1MM due some of the season having already transpired. The righty can also unlock bonuses worth $500K based on innings pitched, $100K each at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90. He will also get $125K for spending 60 days on the active roster, $250K for 80 and 100 days, and $375K for 120 days.
May 3: The Blue Jays and Spencer Turnbull have agreed to a major league contract, as reported by Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi. The right-hander went unsigned over the offseason after spending the 2024 campaign with the Phillies. His deal is pending a physical. Further details, including financial terms, have not yet been revealed.
Turnbull, 32, got off to a terrific start last season after signing a one-year, $2MM contract with Philadelphia. Through six April starts filling in for an injured Taijuan Walker, he pitched to a 1.67 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings of work. While no one would have expected Turnbull to maintain a sub-2.00 ERA, all of his underlying numbers were promising, including a 49.4% groundball rate, a 20.5% K-BB%, and a 3.37 SIERA. Nonetheless, in May, he moved into the bullpen, where he didn’t look quite as sharp. He gave up nine runs in 19 innings over his next 10 appearances. His strikeout and groundball rates declined, and his walk rate rose. His ERA jumped to 4.26, while his SIERA climbed to 3.80. Of course, those were still perfectly respectable numbers for a long reliever, and indeed, Turnbull pitched well enough to be reinstated in the starting rotation when Ranger Suárez suffered an injury. Unfortunately, his next stint as a starter would be short-lived. Turnbull exited early from his first start back in the Phillies’ rotation, never to return. He went on the injured list with a lat strain that ultimately ended his season.
All told, Turnbull finished the 2024 season with a 2.65 ERA and a 3.67 SIERA in 54 1/3 innings. That performance, along with his overall solid career numbers when healthy (4.28 ERA, 3.81 FIP in 67 career starts), was enough to earn him the final spot on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list this past offseason. Be that as it may, his checkered injury history, and therefore his limited MLB track record, were evidently enough to scare off teams from pursuing him. He was not credibly linked to any suitors this winter.
Yet, as pitcher injuries began to pile up almost immediately, teams that weren’t interested in Turnbull over the offseason may have changed their minds. The right-hander reportedly threw for teams in mid-March, according to Nicholson-Smith, but no deal materialized at that time. Several weeks later, he has finally landed a contract. While he may have to consent to an optional assignment so he can ramp up in the minor leagues, this is not a minor league pact. Barring another serious injury, he will pitch in the majors in 2025.
Just yesterday, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic) that the team had “a couple of things in the works” to shore up the team’s rotation depth “via free agency.” It’s easy to understand why Toronto was seeking outside help. Ever since Max Scherzer suffered a thumb injury during his first start of the season, the Blue Jays have struggled to fill the fifth spot in their rotation. Easton Lucas was surprisingly effective in his first two MLB starts before falling apart in his third and fourth. He has since been optioned back to Triple-A. Paxton Schultz seemed like a possible rotation option after his terrific big league debut; he threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with eight strikeouts. Yet, he wasn’t nearly as effective in his next relief outing. He, too, has since been sent down to Triple-A Buffalo.
Meanwhile, Yariel Rodríguez, who has moved into a bullpen role this season, gave up two runs in a mediocre inning of work in his first outing as an opener on Tuesday. Eric Lauer got the job done in his Blue Jays debut, tossing four innings to follow Rodríguez while giving up two earned runs on three hits. Still, considering that Lauer has not thrown more than 50 MLB innings in a season since 2022, it’s not hard to see why the Blue Jays wouldn’t want to rely on him too heavily. José Ureña, with whom the Blue Jays also agreed to a major league deal this morning, fills a similar niche to Turnbull as a veteran right-handed pitcher with experience both starting and relieving. Yet, he doesn’t offer nearly the same upside. Lastly, top prospect Jake Bloss has looked better in his last two starts, but his overall Triple-A numbers are poor (6.42 ERA and 5.53 FIP in 13 starts since joining the Blue Jays organization), and it wouldn’t be in anyone’s best interest to rush him to the majors simply because Toronto is out of other options.
Thus, Turnbull will provide the Blue Jays some much-needed starting pitching depth. If and when Scherzer makes his return to the rotation, Turnbull could also slide into a long-man role in the bullpen. Once his deal is official, the Jays will presumably offer more details about his eventual role and how long it will be until he’s ready to take the mound in the majors.
Brewers Notes: Peralta, Frelick, McKendry
Freddy Peralta and Sal Frelick have been two bright spots for an underwhelming Brewers team so far in 2025. Peralta ranks among the top five qualified NL starters in both innings pitched (45 1/3) and ERA (2.18). His 2.94 xERA (eighth among NL starters) is similarly impressive, while his 3.57 SIERA and 3.45 FIP suggest he’ll continue to deliver the kind of reliable performance the Brewers have come to expect. Meanwhile, Frelick leads Brewers batters (min. 50 PA) with a 123 wRC+. The wide gap between his .351 wOBA and .319 xwOBA suggests he’s due for some regression, but even so, both of those numbers represent an improvement over his .292 wOBA and .278 xwOBA from 2024. He’s making more contact and hitting the ball harder than he did in his first two seasons. The early results have been a good reminder of why he was once a first-round pick and a consensus top-50 prospect in the game.
So, when both Peralta and Frelick exited early on Sunday, potential injury concerns put a damper on what was otherwise a good day for the Brewers; they beat the Cubs 4-0 to avoid a series sweep at the hands of their division rivals. Perlata exited after his sixth scoreless inning with a sore groin, which manager Pat Murphy later relayed to reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Thankfully for Milwaukee, Peralta is not particularly concerned, suggesting he left the game out of an abundance of caution, more so than anything else (per McCalvy). That’s not hard to believe, considering his shutdown performance against the team that has boasted the NL’s best offense over the first several weeks of the 2025 season. Peralta needed just 89 pitches to cruise through six frames, striking out seven and walking one. Only one runner reached scoring position against Peralta, and he only got there due to an interference call against first baseman Rhys Hoskins on a pick-off attempt. In short, Peralta was dominant, and the Brewers will hope he can pick up where he left off in his next start. An off-day on Thursday will allow him some extra rest before his next scheduled start against the Rays on Saturday, May 10.
As for Frelick, the young outfielder was lifted in the top of the fourth inning yesterday after hurting his left knee on a swing two innings prior. “Left knee discomfort” was the initial diagnosis the team offered reporters (including McCalvy), but they were concerned enough to send him for imaging (also per McCalvy). They will presumably know if it’s anything more than just discomfort following an MRI. Even a short stint on the IL for Frelick would be tough for Milwaukee to stomach, given how much he has meant to the team on both sides of the ball. Not only has he been one of the Crew’s best hitters and baserunners, but his glove in the outfield is especially important with Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell on the IL. Defensive metrics like DRS and OAA haven’t been thrilled with Frelick’s performance thus far in 2025, but he is only one year removed from a Gold Glove-winning season. The Brewers’ outfield depth is already being tested, and losing Frelick would make that problem substantially worse.
In another bit of Brewers news, McCalvy reports that they have traded minor league right-hander Evan McKendry to the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. McKendry, 27, was originally drafted by the Rays in 2019. The Brewers acquired him at the deadline in 2023 in return for catcher Alex Jackson. The righty has a 5.23 ERA and a 5.15 FIP in 36 games (19 starts) and 139 1/3 innings at Triple-A since joining the Brewers organization.
Twins Reinstate Willi Castro and Royce Lewis, Option Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper
The Twins made some roster moves this morning, reinstating Willi Castro and Royce Lewis from the 10-day injured list and optioning Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper to Triple-A.
After bursting out of the gate as a rookie in 2023, Julien has struggled badly at the plate. He hit .207 with a 97 wRC+ through his first 58 games last season before the Twins sent him down to Triple-A. However, a pair of demotions that summer didn’t seem to help, as he would go on to hit just .186 with a 49 wRC+ over another 36 MLB games. Despite his poor showing in 2024, a solid spring helped Julien earn a spot on Minnesota’s Opening Day roster, and the injuries to Lewis and Castro helped him earn regular playing time. Unfortunately for Julien, he failed to capitalize on that opportunity. His 2025 slash line looks eerily similar to his disappointing 2024 slash line, and he has already compiled -0.5 FanGraphs WAR. The silver lining is that his Statcast expected metrics are much more promising than they were last year (.337 xwOBA, 57th percentile), but even so, it’s not hard to understand why the Twins would rather the second baseman get consistent at-bats at Triple-A to help him work through his struggles and (hopefully) build back his confidence.
Gasper’s demotion is, admittedly, less newsworthy. The Twins acquired the 29-year-old in a minor trade this past offseason, and this is already the second time they have optioned him in 2025. Versatility is his primary asset, as he has spent time at first base, second base, catcher, and left field for the Twins in 17 games this season. He has hit .176 with a 49 wRC+.
Castro, an All-Star for the first time in 2024, had been on the IL with a right oblique strain since April 24, retroactive to April 21, although he has not played since April 16. The utility man was off to a poor start, batting just .227 with an 89 wRC+. As the Twins’ offense continues to underwhelm, the team will look to a healthy Castro to rediscover the above-average offense that made him such a sneakily valuable player in each of the past two years.
Lewis, meanwhile, will be making his 2025 debut after suffering a hamstring strain in spring training. The young third baseman has shown the potential to be a game-changing bat in the middle of the order; he hit .307 with 17 home runs and a 158 wRC+ in 70 games between 2022-23. Yet, he took a step back offensively last season. His power numbers were still impressive (16 home runs in 82 games), but his batting average dropped substantially, and his overall numbers fell with it. He was still an above-average hitter (108 wRC+), but he didn’t develop into the superstar the Twins were hoping he could be. It certainly didn’t help that injuries, a common theme throughout his first two seasons, continued to plague him in 2024. Thus, as Lewis returns to the field in 2025, the Twins will hope he looks more like his 2022-23 self at the plate and that he can finally put his injury issues behind him.
Blue Jays Sign José Ureña
Today: The Blue Jays officially announced Ureña’s one-year major league contract on Monday and optioned Josh Walker to Triple-A to open a space on the active roster. To make room for Ureña and fellow free agent signing Spencer Turnbull on the 40-man, the Blue Jays transferred Max Scherzer and Erik Swanson to the 60-day injured list. This pushes back Scherzer’s and Swanson’s return timelines to late May at the earliest.
May 3: The Blue Jays have agreed to a major league contract with right-hander José Ureña, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. This signing comes on the heels of the news that Toronto has also agreed to terms with right-hander Spencer Turnbull.
Ureña, 33, signed a minor league contract with the Mets in February. While he failed to make the Opening Day roster out of camp, he made three starts at Triple-A Syracuse and earned a promotion when the Mets needed an extra arm in late April. However, he struggled badly in his one appearance, giving up five earned runs in three innings, and the Mets DFA’d him two days later. The Blue Jays, desperately in need of pitching depth, pounced quickly, signing the righty less than two days after he elected free agency. Unlike Turnbull, who has not pitched in a game since a lone minor league rehab appearance last September, Ureña should be ready to contribute to the major league team right away.
Now in his 11th big league season, Ureña has been one of the league’s more prolific swingmen throughout his career. Since his debut in 2015, he is one of just two pitchers with at least 150 starts and 75 relief appearances. With a career 4.80 ERA and 4.92 SIERA, he has never been much more than an innings eater, but an innings eater is certainly something the Blue Jays could use right now.
Toronto entered the 2025 season with a rotation of Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, and Bowden Francis. Yariel Rodríguez, who started 21 games in his rookie season, moved to the bullpen. As a result, when Scherzer hit the IL with an injured thumb after his first start of the season, the Blue Jays were left with very little rotation depth. Easton Lucas crumbled after two strong starts. Similarly, long-man Paxton Schultz hit a wall in his second big league appearance after turning heads with a dominant debut. Eric Lauer was solid in his first appearance for the Jays, but he’s hardly a reliable long-term answer. Top prospect Jake Bloss, who struggled in three big league starts with Houston last season, has also struggled at Triple-A. Thus, general manager Ross Atkins made it clear on Friday that he was looking to add rotation depth in free agency. He quickly made good on his word this morning, signing both Ureña and Turnbull to major league deals. Turnbull has the much higher ceiling of the two, but Ureña is a more immediate solution. There is a good chance he will make at least a couple of starts, but he can also offer relief to a bullpen that has been cycling through arms all season.
Ross Stripling Retires
Right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling announced his retirement this morning over social media. He signs off after nine big league seasons with the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Giants, and Athletics.
“After 13 seasons and full of tremendous pride and gratitude, it’s time to hang up the cleats. I never could have imagined the experiences and memories I’d be a part of. They exceeded every hope that my younger self could have dreamt for my baseball career,” Stripling wrote. “It never could have been possible without my family and friends. I also want to give a huge thank you to all my coaches and teammates over the years. I had so much love and support along the way, and I’m thankful to everyone that was a part of it in any form or fashion. All of you helped me be the best baseball player I could be. This has been an unbelievable honor, and I feel incredibly lucky to be so fulfilled and content with leaving the game behind. Now, l’m excited to be home and begin the next chapter of life with my amazing family.”
Stripling spent most of his professional career in the Dodgers organization. A fifth-round draft pick in 2012, he worked his way up the system over the next four years, overcoming early-career Tommy John surgery to make his MLB debut as a member of the Opening Day rotation in 2016. Over four and a half big league seasons as both a starter and reliever for the Dodgers, he pitched more than 400 innings with a 3.68 ERA. He was an All-Star in 2018 and pitched for L.A. in the playoffs in 2016, ’17, and ’19, including three appearances in the 2017 World Series. Unfortunately, he struggled in 2020 and was traded ahead of the deadline, but he still earned a World Series ring for his performance with the Dodgers over the first half of the season.
The first season and a half of Stripling’s Blue Jays tenure weren’t anything to write home about, but his 2022 campaign in Toronto was arguably the best of his career. Across 32 games (24 starts), he set career-highs in wins (10) and FanGraphs WAR (3.0) and career-lows in ERA (3.01) and walk rate (3.7%). He would then turn that performance into a two-year $25 million guarantee from the Giants in free agency.
The two years on that contract would prove to be the final seasons of Stripling’s playing career. He pitched poorly for San Francisco in 2023, and much like what happened the last time he struggled so badly, he was eventually shipped out of town. The Giants sent him to the A’s during the 2023-24 offseason, and he had a similarly rough season in Oakland. All told, he pitched to a 5.68 ERA in 44 games (25 starts) over his two years in the Bay Area. While his big league track record helped him land a minor league deal with the Royals this past winter, he was granted his release after failing to make their Opening Day roster.
Stripling finishes his MLB career with a 4.17 ERA in 846 1/3 innings of work. He collected 40 wins, 11 holds, and four saves, while racking up 741 strikeouts. MLBTR congratulates Stripling on a successful major league tenure and wishes him all the best in whatever comes next.
Casey Lawrence Reportedly Drawing Interest From Multiple Teams
Right-hander Casey Lawrence might not be a free agent for long. The 37-year-old elected free agency after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment on Wednesday. However, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports that the Blue Jays are “engaged” with Lawrence about a potential reunion. Nicholson-Smith adds that the veteran swing-man is also “believed to be” drawing interest from other clubs.
Lawrence has been a popular recurring character on MLBTR’s front page over the past month. He opened the season in the Mariners organization, pitching 10 innings over three separate stints with the big league club. The first two times the Mariners DFA’d him, he passed through waivers and elected free agency, only to sign new minor league contracts with the team shortly thereafter. The third time, however, the Blue Jays swept in and claimed him off waivers. He would appear in one game for the Jays, giving up three runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings, before they, too, cut ties.
Across parts of five MLB seasons, Lawrence has thrown a total of 136 2/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA and a 4.60 SIERA. He has not pitched more than 15 big league games or 30 big league innings in a season since his rookie campaign eight years ago. While he has continued to work as a starter in the minors, he has not started an MLB contest since April 2017.
Lawrence’s 4.97 ERA in 2025 might somehow be overselling his performance so far, considering seven of the 14 runs he has given up have been unearned. What’s more, he has struck out just five of the 60 batters he has faced. The 87.6-mph average velocity on his sinker makes it one of the slowest (and most hittable) primary fastballs in the game. Nonetheless, he is a low-cost option who is ramped up and ready to throw major league innings for any team that might need them. Evidently, that has been enough for him to draw repeated interest from Seattle and Toronto, and potentially some other teams as well.
Poll: Should The Phillies Try A Six-Man Rotation?
As has been the case for each of the past several seasons, the Phillies’ rotation remains the team’s greatest strength. Their starters rank fifth in MLB in ERA and first in strikeouts, K-BB%, and SIERA. They trail only the Mets in FanGraphs WAR. Philadelphia’s continued success in this area has plenty to do with the talent the team has acquired and developed, but health has been another critical factor. In an age when arm injuries are a greater concern than ever, the Phillies have done an excellent job of keeping their pitchers on the field, and they have reaped the rewards. As Matt Gelb of The Athletic pointed out this morning, the Phillies were the only team in Major League Baseball not to make any major league pitching transactions during the first month of the season; the 13 pitchers on their active roster right now are the same 13 they started with on Opening Day.
Philadelphia’s pitching staff will grow healthier still on Sunday when left-hander Ranger Suárez is reinstated from the injured list. He has been out since the spring with back tightness. There is no doubt the Phillies will be pleased to have Suárez back on the bump. An All-Star for the time last summer, he has pitched to a 3.27 ERA and a 3.92 SIERA in 537 innings since the start of the 2021 season. He has been particularly dominant in October, with a 1.43 ERA in 10 postseason appearances (eight starts). No active pitcher has thrown more postseason innings (37 2/3) with a lower ERA. Nevertheless, Suárez’s return raises a difficult question for the Phillies that few other teams are lucky enough to have to answer: What are they going to do with all of their starting pitchers?
The Phillies are one of just five teams to have used only five starting pitchers so far this season. Zack Wheeler has continued to shine in his age-35 campaign, posting a 3.48 ERA and a 2.52 SIERA with 57 strikeouts across an MLB-leading 44 innings of work. Meanwhile, offseason trade acquisition Jesús Luzardo has looked unexpectedly ace-like himself, with a 1.73 ERA and a 3.12 SIERA through his first six starts with his new club. Cristopher Sánchez put an injury scare last week behind him, and his 3.54 ERA and 3.00 SIERA suggest he’s picking up right where he left off in his All-Star 2024 season. Aaron Nola has struggled at times, pitching to a 5.40 ERA, but his underlying numbers (3.63 SIERA, 3.58 xFIP) are stronger, and he has given the Phillies at least five innings in all six of his starts. Finally, Taijuan Walker has been a pleasant surprise as the no. 5. After an ugly 2024 (7.10 ERA, 5.25 SIERA), Walker has been much more effective so far this year. His 2.78 ERA might not be sustainable, but his 4.41 SIERA paints the picture of a capable back-end starter. That’s the kind of pitcher the Phillies hoped they were signing when they gave him a four-year, $72MM contract in December 2022.
It’s not up for debate who Suárez would replace if the Phillies decide to stick with a traditional five-man rotation. Walker might have a sub-three ERA right now, but he’s not the same caliber of pitcher as any of Wheeler, Luzardo, Sánchez, or Nola. If his dismal performance last season wasn’t enough to prove that, his 20% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate in 2025, both the worst rates among Phillies starters, should do it. The question, however, is whether the Phillies would consider keeping all six arms in circulation once Suárez returns.
Asked exactly that on Tuesday, manager Rob Thomson offered a cagey response. “Possibly,” he told reporters, including Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We’re kind of walking through that a little bit right now.” In contrast, Gelb wrote this morning that the Phillies are “highly unlikely” to use a six-man rotation. That said, even Gelb didn’t shut down the idea entirely, and he acknowledged that sticking with a five-man rotation would “prompt a tough decision” for the Phillies to make.
The crux of the issue is that the Phillies need Walker – they just don’t need him right now. As long as Wheeler, Nola, Luzardo, Sánchez, and Suárez are healthy, Walker is all but irrelevant on this team. Yet, rotation depth is essential to get through a 162-game season, even for a team with a strong track record of keeping pitchers healthy. Walker proved how valuable he can be when he stepped in for Suárez during the first month of the season. The Phillies surely want to have him as an option again should any of their top five starters suffer an injury.
However, if the Phillies don’t keep Walker in the rotation, they’ll have to move him to the bullpen. They don’t have the option to send him down to Triple-A, where he could stay stretched out and ready for his next big league opportunity. It’s not that the Phillies don’t have room for Walker in their bullpen; he would almost surely be an upgrade over Carlos Hernández. The eighth man in Philadelphia’s arm barn has given up eight runs in 11 innings, striking out eight and walking seven. His 10.01 Statcast xERA is among the worst in the sport. The concern is that Walker wouldn’t be as effective yo-yoing between the bullpen and rotation as he is right now after having had a full spring training to prepare as a starter. A six-man rotation would allow the Phillies to keep Walker stretched out and pitching on a consistent schedule.
A six-man rotation would also give the rest of Philadelphia’s starters some additional rest, which could prove critical in helping them all stay at full strength down the stretch and (potentially) into October. This isn’t an option for most teams because it’s hard enough to find five MLB-caliber starters, let alone six. It would make sense for the Phillies to take advantage of this unusual opportunity for as long as they have a surplus of healthy arms.
Of course, a six-man rotation has its downsides, too. For one, it would lead to fewer starts for the Phillies’ best pitchers. In other words, it would diminish what has been the team’s greatest strength so far this season. What’s more, the Phillies have two off days coming up in the next two weeks (May 5 and 15). With a six-man rotation, there would be times when their starters were waiting a full week between outings. It’s fair to wonder if that’s too much time off. Rest is good. Rust is not. It is also important to think of the ramifications a six-man rotation would have on the bullpen. Philadelphia’s bullpen has struggled enough this season as it is, producing a 5.03 ERA and eight blown saves. Those numbers might be even worse if they’d had to split the 98 1/3 innings they’ve pitched so far between seven arms instead of eight. The team could ameliorate this problem somewhat by cycling through the optionable arms at the bottom of the 40-man roster or taking full advantage of the waiver wire, but that’s hardly the smartest bullpen strategy long-term.
Lastly, the Phillies need to consider the Andrew Painter of it all. The top prospect in the organization and one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, the 22-year-old righty is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. His goal is to make his MLB debut at some point this summer. If everyone else is healthy when Painter gets the call, that could be the ideal time for the Phillies to switch to a six-man rotation. They could push their starters a little harder now with the understanding that some respite would be coming later in the season.
Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber, “We’re okay with not chasing a win today to win a bunch of games down the road.” While he wasn’t directly addressing the idea of a six-man rotation when he spoke those words, he nonetheless did a good job laying out the argument for such a strategy. One or two fewer starts from arms like Wheeler, Sánchez, Luzardo, Nola, and Suárez early in the season could mean more starts (and better starts) from all of them when it matters more. Moreover, keeping Walker in the rotation now could help prevent depth issues down the line. With that said, the argument against a six-man rotation is robust, and the most recent reporting suggests it’s still unlikely.
So, what do MLBTR readers think? Would the Phillies be smart to try out a six-man rotation, even just temporarily? Or would they be better off sticking with a traditional five-man set-up and moving Walker to the bullpen? Have your say in today’s poll:
Should the Phillies go with a six-man rotation when Ranger Suárez returns?
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No 42% (664)
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Yes, but only temporarily 34% (531)
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Yes 24% (383)
Total votes: 1,578
Photos courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.
The Opener: Martinez, Chisholm, Opt-Out Decisions
Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball as the calendar flips to May.
1. A potential IL stint for Justin Martinez:
Diamondbacks righty Justin Martinez had one of the most disappointing outings of his young career on Wednesday, giving up a home run and two walks before exiting the game. It was only the second time he had ever been removed mid-inning before recording an out. After the contest, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, that Martinez could go for testing on his right arm and that a stint on the injured list is a possibility.
It’s not yet clear where Martinez’s injury is located (if he is indeed injured at all), but his velocity has dropped substantially over his past few appearances. Early in the season, he was averaging triple digits with his sinker, but his velocity was down to the 97-98 mph range in two appearances over the weekend. Last night, his sinker was averaging just 93.5 mph, according to Baseball Savant. Earlier this week, Martinez told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert that he wasn’t concerned, saying, “My arm feels good.” Yet, given his dramatic decline in velocity, it’s no wonder the Diamondbacks are worried about a potential injury. Presumably, the team will provide more updates if and when Martinez goes for imaging.
2. MRI for Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited early on Tuesday and sat out Wednesday’s series finale against the Orioles with what was originally deemed “right flank discomfort” and later clarified to be an oblique issue (per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Chisholm himself has downplayed the severity of the injury, but manager Aaron Boone isn’t quite as optimistic. The skipper told reporters (including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic): “[Chisholm is] in pretty good spirits. He just told me, ‘I’m fine.’ I don’t know about that.” Boone suggested that despite Chisholm’s good spirits, an IL stint might be in order. According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Chisholm was still feeling sore on Wednesday, and an MRI today will help the Yankees determine next steps.
3. Opt-out opportunity for veterans on minor league deals:
The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA allows Article XX(B)-designated free agents (those with at least six years of service time who finished the previous campaign on a major league roster or injured list) three chances to opt out of minor league deals they may have signed, presuming they signed those deals at least ten days before Opening Day and they haven’t been added to their team’s 40-man roster. One of those opt-outs is today, May 1. Some notable veterans who could exercise their opt-outs include Eloy Jiménez (Rays) and Andrew Chafin (Tigers). Yasmani Grandal, who signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox after Opening Day, also reportedly has a May 1 opt-out in his deal.
Mariners Place Logan Gilbert On 15-Day IL, Plan To Select Logan Evans; Casey Lawrence DFA’d
TODAY: Evans has officially been selected to the roster ahead of his start today. Saucedo was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
April 26: The Mariners placed right-hander Logan Gilbert on the 15-day injured list today with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow. Additionally, Seattle designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment and recalled right-hander Troy Taylor and left-hander Tayler Saucedo from Triple-A.
Losing Gilbert for any period of time is a tough blow for the Mariners. Thankfully, however, he seems to have avoided the worst. He exited his most recent start with the always ominous-sounding “forearm tightness,” and the M’s anxiously awaited the results of his MRI. Yet, his injury has been diagnosed as a Grade 1 (a.k.a. mild) strain. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the righty will be shut down for two weeks before being re-evaluated. While there is no timeline for his return, Gilbert seems optimistic. He told reporters (including Kramer) that the injury wasn’t “really bad” and said he feels “better today already than I did yesterday.”
Gilbert has been one of the most durable and productive starters in the American League since his debut in May 2021. In that time, he has a 3.55 ERA, a 3.56 SIERA, a 4.84 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he is tied for first among AL pitchers in starts. After making his first All-Star appearance and earning some Cy Young votes last season, he has looked better than ever in 2025, with a 2.37 ERA through six starts. His 1.87 SIERA and 37.6% strikeout rate both rank first among qualified pitchers.
Taylor and Saucedo are relievers, so neither is a replacement for Gilbert. Having the two of them on the active roster will simply offer manager Dan Wilson some additional bullpen depth tonight against the Marlins. Instead, the Mariners will replace one Logan with another, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports that pitching prospect Logan Evans will make his major league debut tomorrow. Gilbert’s turn in the rotation wouldn’t have come again until Friday against the Rangers, and thanks to off days coming up on Monday and Thursday, Seattle theoretically could have survived with a four-man rotation until May 6. Instead, however, they will give the ball to Evans tomorrow afternoon.
The Mariners selected Evans late in the 2023 draft, but the young righty put up strong numbers as he pitched his way through the minor league system. Entering the season, Baseball America ranked him as Seattle’s eighth-best prospect, describing him as a “safe No. 3 or 4 starter who should be able to post strong innings totals every season.” Keith Law of The Athletic had a similar evaluation, ranking Evans tenth in the organization and writing, “He’s at least a No. 4, though, and I’ll bet on any pitcher who’s already shown this kind of capacity to make adjustments.” His stuff isn’t overpowering, but his arsenal is deep, and his above-average abilities to throw strikes and induce grounders should help him pitch deep into games. Through five starts at Triple-A in 2025, he has a 3.86 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 25 2/3 innings of work.
Lawrence has already been DFA’d by the Mariners twice this year. After first pitching for the Mariners from 2017-18, he returned in 2024 and spent the season at Triple-A Tacoma. He re-upped with the club on another minor league pact this offseason and has so far pitched 10 innings over two separate stints in the majors, giving up 11 runs, but only four earned runs, in that time. He took over for Gilbert on Friday after he exited early and ate five innings for the Mariners in an 8-4 loss. That surely explains why he was DFA’d; he won’t be able to pitch for several days, and the Mariners’ bullpen would have been thin had they kept him around. Considering he has already cleared waivers, elected free agency, and re-signed with Seattle twice this season, there’s a good chance that’s exactly what will happen again.