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Jed Hoyer On Bellinger, Hendricks, Ross

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Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer met with reporters on Tuesday (including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune) to discuss his team’s disappointing finish to the 2o23 season and his plans for the upcoming offseason. Topics of interest included the team missing the playoffs, Kyle Hendricks’ and Cody Bellinger’s futures in Chicago, and manager David Ross’ performance in 2023.

While the Cubs finished above .500 for the first time in three years, Hoyer made it clear he didn’t view the season as a success. While most didn’t see the Cubs as serious contenders entering the year, the front office had postseason aspirations from the get-go. Thus, when the Cubs were eliminated after the penultimate game on the schedule, Hoyer was in no mood to celebrate a mere winning season.

However, that doesn’t mean he saw nothing to celebrate in 2023. The executive praised the work David Ross put in this season, extolling the skipper’s willingness to accept criticism and work through disagreements. He left no room for doubt that Ross will return next year. Rather than blaming the manager for what went wrong, Hoyer made sure to give him plenty of credit for all the ways in which the club improved. His comments about the rest of the coaches were less straightforward, and he would only say that further conversations about the coaching staff will take place in the coming days.

Hoyer also had nothing but good things to say about Bellinger and Hendricks, each of whom had bounce-back seasons. Bellinger slashed .307/.356/.525 with 20 stolen bases while splitting his time between first base and center field. He finished with 4.1 FanGraphs WAR in 130 games, finally looking like an All-Star again after two straight seasons of subpar performance. Hoyer said he’d be happy to have the lefty batter back next year but acknowledged he might walk in free agency. If Bellinger does leave, however, the Cubs are committed to replacing his offensive production in the lineup.

As for Hendricks, who pitched to a 3.74 ERA in 24 starts, Hoyer expressed that he’d love to keep the veteran starter in Chicago “for next year and beyond.” That being said, he would not commit to picking up the righty’s $16MM club option for 2024. While $16MM is a perfectly reasonable price to pay for a capable mid-rotation starter, the Cubs might be planning to pay Hendricks his $1.5M buyout instead and then work toward a multi-year deal with a lower annual salary.

Hoyer would not commit to a certain amount of spending over the winter, although he mentioned that there is no hard and fast rule from ownership to stay under the luxury tax threshold. The Cubs were aggressive last winter, signing Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Drew Smyly, Trey Mancini, and Bellinger to eight-figure deals. While Hoyer didn’t say anything to suggest he’d spend quite as much this offseason, he did say that he wants to retain the momentum from last winter’s spending spree.

Ben Cherington On The Pirates’ Shortcomings, Offseason Plans, Andrew McCutchen

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Pirates general manager Ben Cherington met with members of the media (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming offseason. Topics on the table included the team’s shortcomings in 2023, his plans for improving the roster over the winter, and Andrew McCutchen’s future with the club.

When asked about the Pirates’ midseason collapse following a hot start, Cherington didn’t mince words, suggesting that the team simply wasn’t good enough to contend across a full 162-game season. On that note, he emphasized that improving the team will be his “sole focus” over the offseason; in other words, the worst of the rebuilding years are over. Going forward, the Pirates are going to make an effort to compete. That doesn’t mean they’ll be serious contenders for the NL Central crown right away, and the executive acknowledged as much, but it certainly seems like his goal is to field a winning ballclub.

In terms of moves to improve the roster in 2024, the GM spoke about potential trades and free agent acquisitions. In terms of trades, Cherington said he isn’t taking anything off the table right now, and he’d be willing to make a significant trade if he saw it as the best way to upgrade the roster. As for free agents, he didn’t rule out the possibility of some signings, but he cautioned that he doesn’t want to “lean on free agency exclusively” as a means of improving the club. On a similar note, he drove home the point that the most meaningful improvements need to come from players already in the organization. That means young guys like Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Jack Suwinski, Henry Davis, Endy Rodríguez, Johan Oviedo, and Quinn Priester stepping up and continuing to grow. Cherington also said he would consider extensions for some of the more established contributors on the roster, including Mitch Keller and David Bednar.

While he didn’t get too specific about potential targets in free agency, Cherington did say he might be open to “a different type of target” than he has signed in the past. That could mean a bigger-impact type of player on a longer-term deal, although the GM’s answer was deliberately vague.

One particular impending free agent he could talk about, however, was McCutchen, who remains under contract with Pittsburgh until the conclusion of the World Series. The former MVP was enjoying his best season in years until he tore his left Achilles tendon in early September. Presumably, both sides would be amenable to a reunion in 2024. Cherington said he plans to meet with the beloved veteran in the coming days to discuss his future with the Pirates.

Christian Arroyo Elects Free Agency

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Christian Arroyo elected free agency on Monday, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The Red Sox designated him for assignment in August after he slashed .241/.268/.369 in 66 games for the big league club. He played for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox for the rest of the month, going 4-for-42 with only one extra-base hit in 12 games. He spent much of September on the injured list, dealing with inflammation in his right ankle.

Arroyo was one of many DFA’d players to elect free agency following the last day of the regular season; others included Archie Bradley, Daniel Norris, and fellow WooSox player Caleb Hamilton. Still, Arroyo is perhaps the most notable name of the bunch. He was the Opening Day second baseman for the Red Sox, having put together a respectable .277/.323/.426 slash line over the previous two seasons. Unfortunately, he didn’t look like that player in 2023.

Never a disciplined hitter or a power threat, his already-low walk rate fell even lower and Arroyo struggled to make hard contact. His average exit velocity fell by more than two miles per hour, while his hard-hit rate dropped by 10% (per Statcast). Meanwhile, his glove was capable at second base, and he filled in on occasion at shortstop and third, but his defense wasn’t enough of an asset to outweigh his struggles at the plate.

Arroyo will have the chance to sign with a new club this offseason. While his 2023 campaign was a disappointment, he is still just 28 years old and one year removed from a solid performance in 2022. Given his defensive versatility – he can play all four infield positions, plus the outfield corners – he should draw some interest in free agency.

AL Postseason Injury Notes: Buxton, Raley, Hernández

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As expected, Byron Buxton will not be available for the Wild Card round of the 2023 MLB postseason. The Twins revealed their postseason roster on Tuesday morning, and the All-Star outfielder/DH was a notable omission. Buxton has not played in a major league game since August 1, although he attempted a couple of brief rehab stints at Triple-A in August and September. The former Gold Glover is dealing with a strained hamstring in addition to ongoing trouble with his right knee.

Reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) noticed Buxton wasn’t on the field yesterday for a team workout, which was a strong indication he wouldn’t be ready to play on Tuesday. Presumably, he will continue to prepare in hopes he can rejoin the team later in October, should the Twins advance.

In happier news, both Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa were named to the postseason roster. Neither had played since mid-September. Correa confirmed on Monday he would be ready to go for the Wild Card round, but Lewis was less optimistic. Thankfully for Minnesota, the two-time All-Star and the rookie sensation have both been cleared to play. The Twins could use all hands on deck as they look to break their 18-game postseason losing streak.

In other injury news from the AL postseason field…

  • In unfortunate but not entirely surprising news, Luke Raley has been left off the Rays’ roster for the first round of the playoffs. The breakout slugger for Tampa Bay hasn’t played since September 20 after suffering a cervical strain a few days prior. The team could surely use his lefty bat against the Rangers, but with limited space on the postseason roster, the Rays weren’t going to rush him back until he could contribute on a daily basis (according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). In better news for Tampa Bay, Jose Siri will be available for the Wild Card round. The power-hitting center fielder hasn’t played since he fractured his hand on September 11.
  • Right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernández has been left off the Rangers’ roster for the Wild Card round as he nurses a shoulder injury. In 33 games this year, he pitched to a 5.40 ERA and a 4.11 SIERA in 31 2/3 innings. However, he looked much better in September following an optional assignment to Triple-A, posting a 2.89 ERA and a 2.67 SIERA in eight appearances. In other Rangers news, Ezequiel Duran has also been left off the roster, although not for injury-related reasons. The young utility player started the season off strong but struggled down the stretch, slashing .206/.229/.265 over the final month of the year.

The Opener: Postseason Rosters, Game Two Starters, Angels Press Conference

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As the postseason officially kicks off this afternoon, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball today:

1. Postseason rosters to be revealed

All eight teams playing in the upcoming Wild Card round will announce their rosters for the first series of the playoffs. While expanded rosters in September allow teams to carry up to 28 players (max. 14 pitchers), postseason rosters revert back to a limit of 26 (max. 13 pitchers).

Any player who was on his current team’s 40-man roster (or 60-day injured list) as of 11:59 PM ET on August 31 is eligible to play in the postseason. In addition, a player who was in the organization prior to that deadline (but not on the 40-man roster or 60-day IL) can be added to the postseason roster via petition to the commissioner’s office if he is subbing in for a teammate on the IL who has already served the minimum amount of time required for activation.

2. Game two starter announcements

The pitching matchups are all set for game one of each Wild Card series, and while most managers have already revealed their game two starters as well, the Brewers and Rangers still have an important decision to make before Wednesday.

In the AL, Sonny Gray will toe the rubber for the Twins in game two against José Berríos of the Blue Jays, while Zach Eflin will start for the Rays against the Rangers. On the Senior Circuit, Aaron Nola will take the mound for the Phillies, facing off against Braxton Garrett of the Marlins, while D-backs ace Zac Gallen will take on the Brewers.

The Brewers have yet to name a replacement for Brandon Woodruff, who was ruled out for the Wild Card round yesterday with a right shoulder injury. Freddy Peralta is the most likely candidate, but manager Craig Counsell could opt to separate his righties with the southpaw Wade Miley, especially if Peralta was already preparing for a game three start.

As for the Rangers, it seems like little more than a formality that manager Bruce Bochy has yet to announce Nathan Eovaldi as the game two starter. While Eovaldi has looked the worse for wear in September since coming off the IL, his track record of regular and postseason success speaks for itself. Dane Dunning would be on short rest for a Wednesday game after starting on Sunday. After that, the team’s remaining options would be Andrew Heaney and Cody Bradford, both of whom spent most of September pitching out of the bullpen.

3. Perry Minasian to hold press conference

Angels GM Perry Minasian will address the media over Zoom on Tuesday to discuss the team’s brand-new managerial opening. The team announced yesterday that manager Phil Nevin will not return in 2024. As Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports, the Angels will begin the search for a new skipper straight away, and presumably, Minasian will talk about the hiring process later today.

The fact that Minasian is hosting this end-of-year press conference is a good sign that he’ll be keeping his job next season. Like Nevin, Minasian was on the hot seat after the Angels failed to make the postseason for the third consecutive season under his leadership. He is believed to be under contract through 2024. While contracts and extensions for executives aren’t always announced publicly, Minasian signed a four-year deal with Los Angeles ahead of the 2021 season.

Sam Kennedy On The Search For The Red Sox’ Next GM

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Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy addressed members of the media (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive) on Monday, alongside manager Alex Cora. The primary topic of discussion was the team’s search for a new general manager, after chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was fired in September.

Kennedy made it clear that he is actively seeking a new GM, and he hopes to begin interviews in the coming days. That said, he isn’t working under a deadline. In other words, the team might not have a new head baseball executive when free agency begins, or even by the start of the Winter Meetings in December. That could prohibit the Red Sox from making an early splash this offseason, but it doesn’t mean Kennedy is wrong to take things slow. The team is surely hoping to choose a new baseball operations leader who will stick around longer than a few years and lead the team to repeated success. Suffice it to say, that’s not a decision to make lightly.

The Red Sox will consider both internal and external candidates for the position, Kennedy explained. Internal options could include assistant GMs Eddie Romero, Raquel Ferreira, and Michael Groopman, who are helping to oversee baseball operations in the interim. However, don’t expect Cora or former GM Brian O’Halloran to step into the role. Cora has already expressed that he doesn’t feel ready for such a promotion, while O’Halloran, who served as GM under Bloom, has already accepted a new job as executive vice president of baseball operations.

As for external candidates, Cotillo suggests that Phillies GM Sam Fuld and Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes are in the conversation, as are Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes, Blue Jays vice president of baseball strategy (and former Astros GM) James Click, and Twins GM Thad Levine. Meanwhile, one external candidate to rule out is Theo Epstein. He is a popular choice amongst fans, but Kennedy has already shut down any speculation about a reunion with the former Red Sox GM.

All Kennedy would say on Monday was that he has a “targeted list” of candidates, and he is currently seeking permission from other clubs to interview some of their front office personnel.

In other news from the press conference, Cora told reporters that the Red Sox coaching staff is the area of the team that needs to make the biggest improvement entering next season. Kennedy didn’t have much to reveal about potential turnover on the coaching staff, other than to say that conversations on that subject will occur in due time.

Brandon Woodruff Out For Wild Card Series With Shoulder Injury

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Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff has a right shoulder injury, which will keep him from playing in the upcoming NL Wild Card Series, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Whether or not he can pitch later in the postseason, should the Brewers advance, remains to be seen.

The All-Star right-hander spent four months of the 2023 campaign on the injured list with a subscapular strain in his right shoulder. However, he returned in early August and looked healthy down the stretch, pitching to a 2.59 ERA in nine starts while averaging more than six innings per game. His shoulder bothered him during his final outing of the regular season, but initially, he responded well to treatment. Thus, the severity of his injury came as a surprise for the Brewers; the team was counting on him to start game two of the Wild Card series against the Diamondbacks.

Woodruff plans to get a second opinion on his shoulder, but the team isn’t expecting an update until the end of the week. While they will hope for the best, Counsell and his staff will have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, in which their number two starter is out for the rest of the playoffs.

The Brewers have not yet announced who will start on Wednesday in Woodruff’s place, although Freddy Peralta seems to be the most likely candidate. The 27-year-old pitched his first qualifying season this year, making 30 starts with a 3.86 ERA. It’s harder to guess who will start for Milwaukee in a potential game three. Wade Miley and Adrian Houser are presumably the leading candidates; each had a solid year in 2023, and each is coming off a strong September. Miley pitched to a 3.04 ERA in his final five games, while Houser put up a 2.14 ERA in four September starts. The elder Miley probably has the edge, thanks to his veteran experience and his lefty arm, but Counsell will surely take his time thinking about individual matchups before he makes a decision.

While the Brewers have rotation depth to call upon, this still comes as a huge blow to their postseason hopes. At full strength, Woodruff is one of the better starting pitchers in the National League, and this team was counting on a powerful one-two punch of Corbin Burnes and Woodruff to lead them over the Diamondbacks. No one was more upset about the news than Woodruff himself, who choked up as he told reporters, “We’ve got a good clubhouse. And I want to be a part of that. Sitting here now, I may not.”

Scott Harris, A.J. Hinch Discuss Tigers’ Offseason Plans

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Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch addressed the media on Monday (including Evan Woodberry of MLive Media Group) to discuss the offseason ahead. Topics on the table included Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez, each of whom has an opt-out after the 2023 season; Carson Kelly, who has a club option for 2024; and Austin Meadows and Spencer Turnbull, who will both be eligible for arbitration this winter. Harris also touched on how much the team plans to spend in free agency, while Hinch praised his coaching staff without promising that everyone would be back next season.

Rodriguez has three years and $49MM remaining on his contract, but he is likely to exercise his opt-out clause after the World Series. The lefty won’t turn 31 until next April, and he’s coming off a strong season in which he pitched to a 3.30 ERA in 26 starts. While he spent June on the injured list and wasn’t quite as imposing upon his return (4.24 ERA in 15 starts), he still looked like a solid mid-rotation pitcher throughout the second half of the season. That being the case, he should be able to command significantly more than $49MM this winter.

Speaking on Rodriguez, Harris said he isn’t planning to negotiate an extension with the veteran starter. The team will wait and see if he chooses to exercise his opt-out.

On the one hand, if the Tigers want Rodriguez back in the rotation next season, now would be the perfect time to discuss a new deal. The club has exclusive negotiating rights until he elects free agency, giving them a head start on other potential suitors. As a dependable left-handed starter, Rodriguez will certainly draw plenty of interest – especially because he is ineligible to receive the qualifying offer, having already received one in 2021. On the other hand, perhaps the team is hoping Rodriguez will decide not to exercise his opt-out after all. He chose to stay in Detroit at the trade deadline instead of accepting a trade to the Dodgers, citing a desire to stay closer to his family. It’s more than possible he’s content to stay in a location he likes and avoid the hassle of free agency altogether.

Harris also mentioned Báez, who has the chance to opt out of his contract after the season. The Tigers president isn’t planning to negotiate with the shortstop either, although that comes as less of a surprise. The two-time All-Star has four years and $98MM remaining on his deal, and coming off a season with an OPS below .600, he’s not going to beat that number on the open market. Thus, the chances of him opting out are slim to none.

While Harris is choosing to let Rodriguez and Báez make their decisions before deciding his next move, he will have to make a call about Kelly. The Tigers signed the backstop in August after he was released by the Diamondbacks. Over the final few weeks of the season, he caught 16 games for Detroit, allowing only a single passed ball and throwing out six of 12 would-be base stealers. He slashed .173/.271/.269. The 29-year-old has a $3.5MM club option for the 2024 campaign.

Given Kelly’s unimpressive offensive numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Tigers cut ties with him following the season. After all, they only paid him a prorated portion of the league minimum in 2023, while the D-backs were on the hook for the rest of his $4.275MM guaranteed salary. Then again, Detroit wouldn’t have put the option in his contract if they weren’t going to consider it. Indeed, Harris suggested the team is seriously thinking about keeping Kelly in the fold. “That’s very much an open question for us,” he explained. “We’re going to spend a lot of time on it.”

The Tigers have a capable starting catcher in Jake Rogers, so Kelly would continue to serve as a backup if he returned in 2024. While he isn’t a threat with the bat, he’s a solid defensive catcher with several years of experience in the big leagues. He also comes with a bit more potential than most backup catchers, considering he was once a top-100 prospect.

Two more players Harris discussed were Meadows and Turnbull, both of whom missed the majority of the 2023 campaign. Meadows has been out since early April battling anxiety, while Turnbull hit the IL in May with a neck injury and never made it back to the big league club. The club could non-tender either player this offseason. However, Harris told reporters that he expects Turnbull to compete for a role in the starting rotation next year, which certainly suggests that he is planning to tender the righty a contract. When Turnbull was last fully healthy, he looked like a great starting pitcher, making nine starts and posting a 2.88 ERA in 2021. Harris hopes he can rediscover some of that success in 2024.

Regarding Meadows, the situation is a little more complicated. Without further comment from Meadows or his representatives, there’s no way to know when he could return to the field. Harris says he hasn’t spoken to Meadows in a few months, so he will need to have a conversation with the outfielder before making any further decisions. The executive called such a conversation a “priority.” If the former top prospect remains uncertain about his status for next season, it’s more than possible he could be non-tendered, although as Woodberry notes on Twitter, the team could leave the door open for him to return someday on a minor league deal.

As for potential spending in free agency, Harris didn’t promise any big moves, but he didn’t rule out making some acquisitions. Most importantly, he emphasized that the Tigers aren’t going to buy a core, and any transactions he makes in free agency or on the trade market will be to complement the young players already on the roster. In other words, he isn’t going to try to accelerate his team’s rebuild with a huge signing or a blockbuster trade. Therefore, if the Tigers are to contend in the AL Central next season, it will be thanks to young players like Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, and Tarik Skubal taking a step forward. Most likely, this means the team’s competitive window won’t open until at least 2025.

In non-player news, Harris spoke about various infrastructure improvements in the works, including new dorms and a covered field, batting cages, and pitching mounds at Lakeland, the spring training locale for the Tigers and the regular season home of team’s Single-A and Rookie Ball affiliates. The team is also building a new training complex in the Dominican Republic and renovating the clubhouse at Comerica Park.

Meanwhile, Hinch reflected on the work his coaching staff did this season, praising their performance. However, he would not say if everyone would return in 2024. This doesn’t mean the Tigers are planning to replace any coaches, but it suggests they’re evaluating the staff and considering various possibilities.

Giants Fire Gabe Kapler

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The Giants have fired manager Gabe Kapler, according to a club announcement.

“After making this recommendation to ownership and receiving their approval, I met with Gabe today to inform him of our decision,” reads a statement from president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. “In his tenure as Giants manager, Gabe led our team through an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 and a franchise-record 107 wins and postseason berth in 2021. He has been dedicated and passionate in his efforts to improve the on-field performance of the San Francisco Giants and I have tremendous respect for him as a colleague and friend. On behalf of the Giants organization, we wish Gabe the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last four years.”

Kapler was three games away from completing his fourth season at the helm for San Francisco. During his tenure, the team has gone 295-248 (.543), although much of that success came during a single winning campaign. In 2021, the Giants shocked the baseball world, going 107-55 and briefly dethroning the Dodgers atop the NL West. Kapler was named NL Manager of the Year; he subsequently signed an extension running through the 2024 campaign.

However, the Giants have gone 159-162 (.495) since, failing to make playoffs in each of the past two seasons. This year has been especially disappointing, as the team was firmly entrenched in the Wild Card race until mid-September. They have now lost ten of their last 13 and were officially eliminated from contention late on Tuesday night. This marks the second time Kapler has lost his job amid similar circumstances. He was fired by the Phillies in October 2019 following two straight seasons in which Philadelphia failed to make the playoffs. In both years, the Phillies were in the Wild Card conversation until a disappointing September collapse knocked them out of the race.

Not long ago, Giants chairman Greg Johnson expressed in no uncertain terms that Zaidi and Kapler would both be back with the team in 2024. More recently, however, Zaidi made some comments on KNBR radio that suggested Kapler might be on the hot seat after all.

When asked about Kapler’s job status, the executive answered, “I think we all just have to look at how we can improve across the board. That’s the personnel on the roster, that’s our culture in the clubhouse. … When you’re in do-or-die games like those games in Arizona, you want them to feel different. And I think we’re really going to have to ask ourselves if we were prepared to sort of elevate our level of focus and play for those games that really mattered down the stretch.”

Evidently, the Giants do not feel as if Kapler’s managerial style is conducive to a winning clubhouse atmosphere. This lines up with some recent comments from Giants ace Logan Webb, who told reporters on Monday (including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News), “We have to make some big changes in here to create that winning culture.”

There is little point in speculating about clubhouse atmosphere from outside, but as for the team’s on-field results, Kapler cannot be held responsible for all the Giants’ problems. As spring training began, the PECOTA projection system from Baseball Prospectus had San Francisco pegged for an 82-win season. FanGraphs Depth Charts projected 83 wins for the Giants on Opening Day. As things currently stand, the team is on pace to finish with 79 or 80 wins, and they could still win as many as 81. That’s well within the margin of error for a projection system. Thus, while the team’s performance in September has been disappointing, it’s hard to say they massively underperformed all year.

In more concrete terms, it’s not as if Kapler had a star-studded roster to work with. After Webb and closer Camilo Doval, the Giants don’t have many impact players. LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, Thairo Estrada, and Michael Conforto are all solid contributors, but not exactly the players you picture at the heart of the order for a postseason club. Meanwhile, the rotation has been a sea of uncertainty behind Webb and Alex Cobb all year long.

Nevertheless, the Giants have decided to move on from Kapler, and they wasted no time in doing so. As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle suggests, the question of whether or not Kapler would keep his job might have become too distracting, to a point where the team saw no reason to wait until the end of the year to make a change.

Susan Slusser was the first to report that Kapler had been relieved of his duties.

Brewers Select Caleb Boushley, DFA Julio Teheran Amid Flurry Of Roster Moves

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The Brewers have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Caleb Boushley, the team announced. To make room on the roster, Julio Teheran has been designated for assignment. In addition, the team has swapped out one lefty for another, optioning Ethan Small and recalling Clayton Andrews in his place. Lastly, the Brewers also placed right-hander Trevor Megill on the restricted list.

Boushley will be making his MLB debut, just two days ahead of his 30th birthday. Selected by the Padres in the 33rd round of the 2017 draft, he played in the Padres system throughout the first five years of his professional career. He joined the Brewers organization ahead of the 2022 season and pitched well for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, starting 25 games and posting an ERA of 3.25. The righty hasn’t performed quite so well this year, pitching to a 5.11 ERA in 29 games (26 starts). Still, he has evidently done enough to earn a call to the show after seven years in the minor leagues. It seems unlikely the Brewers are considering Boushley for a spot on the postseason roster, and with the NL Central crown already locked up, they might just be giving the career minor leaguer a long-awaited cup of coffee with the big league squad.

As for Teheran, this marks an unceremonious end to his mini-comeback season. The two-time All-Star had not played a regular role for an MLB club since 2020. He spent most of the 2021 campaign on the injured list and then split his time in 2022 between the Atlantic League and the Mexican League.

The 32-year-old looked excellent through his first six appearances with Milwaukee, posting a 1.53 ERA and averaging nearly six innings per start. However, he struggled through his next four outings before landing on the injured list and missing the next eight weeks of the season. Teheran returned in mid-September as a long reliever, and while he looked capable, giving up just two earned runs in nine innings of work, it was far from a guarantee that the Brewers would find a spot for him on the postseason roster.

Small was recalled on Wednesday and threw a single scoreless inning against the Cardinals. It was a substantial improvement over his last big league appearance back in May, when he gave up five runs on nine hits in three innings of mop-up work against the Giants. Nonetheless, the Brewers have decided to replace him with Andrews, another 26-year-old lefty with limited major league experience. Andrews made his MLB debut in July and has thrown a grand total of 1 2/3 big league innings, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits. Both pitchers have much better numbers at Triple-A, although Andrews was especially dominant over the final two months of the minor league season, pitching to a 2.12 ERA in August and September.

The Brewers have three southpaws higher up on the depth chart (Hoby Milner, Wade Miley, and Andrew Chafin), so it’s unlikely they’re auditioning Andrews for a postseason role. More likely, they’re just taking stock of the various arms in the organization over the final days of the regular season.

Finally, while the restricted list can sound ominous, Megill is simply spending an extra day with his wife and newborn baby, having maxed out his three days on the paternity list. He is expected back tomorrow, Craig Counsell told reporters (including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

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