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White Sox Recall Korey Lee

By Leo Morgenstern | August 24, 2023 at 5:29pm CDT

The White Sox have recalled catcher Korey Lee from Triple-A Charlotte. He is expected to make his White Sox debut in this evening’s contest against the Athletics, as reported by Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. In a corresponding move, catcher Carlos Perez has been optioned to Triple-A.

The 25-year-old Lee came to Chicago at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Kendall Graveman to Houston. Lee had been one of the Astros’ top prospects since he was selected out of UC Berkeley in the first round of the 2019 draft. He made his MLB debut in July 2022 but was optioned a month later when the Astros acquired Christian Vazquez at the deadline. He has not played in a big league game since, and his rookie status remains intact.

Lee is a glove-first player with power potential in his bat. Baseball America ranked him as the no. 7 prospect in the Astros system this offseason, citing his “variety of average-to-plus skills” behind the dish and his “power-centric approach” at the plate. His best tool is his strong arm, which BA gave an 80 grade (the highest possible evaluation).

Perez was recalled in early August after Seby Zavala suffered an oblique strain. The 26-year-old Perez has been catching in the White Sox organization for nearly a decade, although he has never been a top prospect. He has appeared in 18 games for the White Sox this season, posting a .611 OPS in 30 trips to the plate. He will return to Triple-A, where he has fared slightly better, putting up a .705 OPS in 68 games.

Meanwhile, Zavala began a rehab assignment on Tuesday. There is no clear timetable for his return, but it is possible he won’t be back until September, at which point rosters will have expanded to 28 and the White Sox will have the flexibility to activate Zavala without optioning Lee.

Zavala is a stronger defensive catcher but has contributed very little at the plate this year, slashing .155/.207/.304. Yasmani Grandal, for his part, is hitting somewhat better (.235/.309/.345) but is no longer much of an asset with the glove. Lee has struggled with the bat since his arrival in Charlotte, posting a .255/.309/.275 slash line, but if Chicago views him as part of the future core, it is a good time to get him some more big-league experience. The White Sox’s postseason hopes have long disappeared, and these last 35 games provide an opportunity to get a better look at one of their potential catchers of the future. Grandal will be a free agent at the end of the season, while Lee’s fellow catching prospect Edgar Quero still looks to be a year or two away from making his MLB debut. The White Sox should have plenty of playing time available behind the dish in 2024.

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Chicago White Sox Transactions Carlos Perez (b. 1996) Korey Lee

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Reds Place Joey Votto On 10-Day IL, Recall Nick Senzel

By Leo Morgenstern | August 24, 2023 at 4:58pm CDT

The Reds have placed first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day IL with left shoulder discomfort, the team announced. In a corresponding roster move, Nick Senzel has been recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

This specific injury is especially worrisome for Votto, considering the left rotator cuff surgery that cost him the final seven weeks of the 2022 season and the first 12 weeks of 2023. It’s often a bad sign when a player re-aggravates a previous injury, and it’s particularly concerning for a player of Votto’s age; he will turn 40 in September.

Last summer, Votto explained that his shoulder had been causing him problems since 2015, and he only opted for surgery once the pain reached a breaking point. Evidently, the surgery was unable to completely alleviate his pain.

The veteran got off to a slow start when he first came off the injured list in mid-June, but it wasn’t long before Votto found his footing. Across 30 games between early July and mid-August, he hit ten home runs in 115 plate appearances, putting up a 134 wRC+. He wasn’t walking quite like prime Votto, but he was crushing the baseball. He recorded 12 barrels and 34 hard-hit balls, and his 92.1-mph average exit velocity was reminiscent of his 92.9-mph figure from his resurgent 2021 season. It certainly seemed like Votto was back to full health and ready to start padding his Hall of Fame resume.

Unfortunately, he has struggled tremendously over his last ten games. In 37 plate appearances, Votto has just four hits and 11 strikeouts. His whiff rate has risen to a career-high, and he hasn’t barreled a single ball. He exited yesterday afternoon’s contest against the Angels partway through and did not return for the second game of the doubleheader that evening. The recurrence of his shoulder discomfort explains his early exit and could explain the sudden downturn in his performance.

As Gordon Wittenmyer reports for the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds are planning to put Votto through “a strengthening program” before re-evaluating his status. With no timetable for his return, it’s fair to wonder if Votto is done for the season. If so, it becomes increasingly likely that the Reds will not pick up his option for the 2024 campaign. The team holds a $20 million option with a $7 million buyout, which means they must decide if their long-time star is worth an additional $13 million in payroll next year. If the Reds decline their option, Votto will become a free agent for the first time in his 17-year career. There is little use speculating about what Votto might do in free agency without a better understanding of his current injury. The severity of his shoulder problems will inform Cincinnati’s decision and, subsequently, his next course of action.

Senzel has had a difficult season, including two separate trips to the injured list and one optional assignment to the minor leagues. In 80 games for the Reds, he has a 72 wRC+ and -0.5 FanGraphs WAR. He has mostly split his time between third base and the outfield, and the defensive metrics suggest he has been below average at the hot corner and all three outfield positions. With the recent promotion of top prospect Noelvi Marte, Senzel is unlikely to see much time at third, but he could play the outfield while Spencer Steer takes over for Votto at first base. Cincinnati also has young outfielders TJ Hopkins and Michael Siani on the 26-man roster, in addition to journeyman Nick Martini. Trey Mancini is also in the organization as of yesterday evening, and it stands to reason that the Reds signed him to a minor league deal in light of Votto’s injury.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Joey Votto Nick Senzel

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Pirates Select Rob Zastryzny, Transfer Angel Perdomo To 60-Day IL

By Leo Morgenstern and Darragh McDonald | August 24, 2023 at 3:50pm CDT

The Pirates have selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny from Triple-A Indianapolis, the team has announced. To make room on the 26-man roster, they have optioned right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramirez to Triple-A. In addition, to open up a spot on the 40-man roster, left-hander Angel Perdomo has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Zastryzny, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in the offseason and cracked the Opening Day roster. He’s been on and off the roster since then, having twice landed on the injured list, once due to discomfort in his throwing elbow and another due to forearm inflammation. He made 18 appearances around those trips to the injured list with a 5.29 earned run average and was designated for assignment at the end of his second IL stint.

He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. He has thrown 16 1/3 innings at that level this year with a 4.41 ERA but better peripherals. He has struck out 23.9% of opponents while issuing walks at a tiny 1.5% rate and keeping the ball on the ground at a 45.8% clip, leading to a 2.80 FIP at that level. That will get him another shot on the big league roster on a non-competitive Pirates club. He has between one and two years of service time, meaning he’s yet to reach arbitration and can be cheaply retained by the Bucs for future seasons, but he’s out of options and will need to stay on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man again.

Perdomo, 29, landed on the injured list just a few days ago due to left elbow discomfort. The club hasn’t released any specifics on his condition but it seems it’s serious enough that they don’t expect him back this season, as this transfer eliminates any chance of him returning before the middle of October. He posted a 3.72 ERA in 29 innings this year, striking out 37.6% of hitters while walking 9.4%. Like Zastryzny, he has less than two years of service time and can be cheaply retained for next year if the Bucs so choose, but he’s also out of options.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Angel Perdomo Rob Zastryzny Yohan Ramirez

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Tigers To Play Riley Greene More Frequently In Corner Outfield

By Leo Morgenstern and Anthony Franco | August 21, 2023 at 10:47pm CDT

On Monday evening, Riley Greene played a defensive position other than center field for the first time in his big league career. When the Tigers took the field against the Cubs in the top of the first inning, Greene was in right field, while the newly recalled Parker Meadows was manning center in his MLB debut.

Meadows has been a center fielder since he was taken out of high school in the second round of the 2018 draft. Baseball America praised his fielding this offseason, naming him the best defensive outfielder in the Tigers’ system and giving his glove a 60 (plus) on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. Meanwhile, Greene has posted middling to below-average marks in center field.

In 79 games this season, he has committed five errors and recorded only one outfield assist. Defensive Runs Saved has pegged Greene as eight runs below average in 675 innings. Only Esteury Ruiz and Víctor Robles have a lower DRS at the position. Statcast hasn’t been quite so bearish, pegging Greene as exactly a league average defender.

Regardless, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and president of baseball operations Scott Harris suggested that Meadows would take over the primary center field duties (links via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press and Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic). While Hinch stressed that the move “doesn’t mean (Greene’s) days in center are over,” it seems Meadows will get the bulk of the playing time there down the stretch.

The mixed at best defensive reviews aren’t completely unexpected. Most prospect evaluators suggested Greene was likely to wind up in a corner spot even as he was coming through the minor league ranks. While Greene has decent speed, the spacious Comerica Park outfield leaves a lot of ground to cover.

As Harris pointed out, Greene has also dealt with a pair of significant lower body injuries. He broke his right foot during last year’s Spring Training — an injury that quite likely delayed his MLB debut by a few months — and suffered a stress fracture in his left leg this May. It’s possible that slightly lightening his defensive responsibilities could help him avoid future injury.

Greene also simply hits well enough that he doesn’t need to stick in center field to be a valuable player. His .838 OPS and 133 wRC+ would rank third among AL outfielders if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. The former fifth overall pick has always been regarded as an offense-first player. That’s not the case for Meadows, whose profile comes with some swing-and-miss concerns.

Meadows has hit .256/.337/.474 through 517 Triple-A plate appearances on the season. That’s roughly average offense in a very hitter-friendly setting at the top minor league level. Meadows has power potential and draws a decent number of walks but has run slightly elevated whiff numbers throughout his career. That includes a higher than average 23.8% strikeout percentage this season. There’d be more leeway for Meadows to be an everyday player if he’s playing in the middle of the diamond than in a corner, where the offensive expectations are a bit higher.

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Detroit Tigers Parker Meadows Riley Greene

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Giants Outright Luis González

By Leo Morgenstern | August 21, 2023 at 8:08pm CDT

Luis González cleared waivers this afternoon, and the Giants have sent him outright to Triple-A Sacramento. Because he has less than three years of MLB service time and has not been outrighted previously in his career, he cannot refuse the assignment.

González has been in the Giants organization since August 2021, when he was claimed off release waivers from the White Sox. He spent the rest of the season on the injured list with shoulder issues, making his debut in the Giants system the following spring. He played 11 games at Triple-A, slashing .283/.389/.500 before earning the call to the big league level. The outfielder bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the majors for the rest of the year, ultimately playing 98 games for San Francisco. He looked like a capable bench player if not much else, posting a 95 wRC+, swiping ten bases, and playing below-average defense in the outfield corners.

Unfortunately, González missed the first half of the 2023 season recovering from back surgery, and he has struggled at the plate since his return. In 14 games with Triple-A Sacramento, he’s batting .231 with no home runs and a 67 wRC+. His 13.1% walk rate and 18% strikeout rate are impressive, but he has had no power to speak of. In his first two seasons at Triple-A, he hit 13 home runs across 60 games.

Last Monday, González was designated for assignment amid a flurry of roster moves. Anthony DeSclafani was moved to the 60-day IL, and with two newly open spots on the 40-man roster, the Giants selected the contracts of Johan Camargo and Wade Meckler from Triple-A.

While González can’t decline the outright assignment, this is his seventh season logging at least some minor league action. As a result, he’d be eligible for minor league free agency next offseason if the Giants don’t select him back onto the 40-man roster before then.

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San Francisco Giants Transactions Luis Gonzalez

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Reds Targeted Brady Singer at Trade Deadline

By Leo Morgenstern | August 18, 2023 at 6:45pm CDT

The Reds reportedly targeted Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer at the trade deadline, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Needless to say, their efforts were unsuccessful, as Cincinnati’s only move at the deadline was to trade for Athletics reliever Sam Moll.

It’s no surprise that the Reds were searching for starting pitching. Entering the deadline, their starters had a 5.21 ERA, and four-fifths of their Opening Day rotation was either on the injured list or had already been released. According to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Reds were even willing to trade Jonathan India, once thought to be an untouchable piece of their core, to acquire young, controllable pitching. They were also linked to Eduardo Rodriguez and were said to be scouting the Mets, possibly with interest in Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander.

The 27-year-old Singer meets the young and controllable criteria better than any of those veterans; he is under team control through 2026. Furthermore, unlike Rodriguez, Scherzer, and Verlander, he doesn’t have any no-trade protection in his contract, so he couldn’t have vetoed a deal to the borderline-contending Reds. In other words, he made good sense as a target for Cincinnati on a relatively thin trade market.

Singer looked like a solid, mid-rotation starter right out of the gate in 2020, pitching to a 4.06 ERA in 12 starts. However, he ran into trouble down the stretch in 2021, posting a 5.70 ERA in the second half. The Royals moved him to the bullpen to open the 2022 season but quickly changed their minds, sending him to Triple-A to ramp back up into a starting role. Upon his return from the minors, he looked better than ever, putting up a 3.11 ERA and 3.43 SIERA in 24 games.

Unfortunately, Singer ran into another rough patch at the start of the 2023 campaign. After 15 starts, he was sporting a 6.34 ERA and 4.67 SIERA in 76 2/3 innings pitched. Since that day, however, the right-hander has turned things around once again. In nine outings, he has a 3.05 ERA and 3.90 SIERA while averaging nearly 6 2/3 innings per game. He cut his walk rate without sacrificing strikeouts, and he’s allowing far less hard contact, too. That’s exactly the kind of pitcher he looked like last season.

Ultimately the Royals were not compelled to trade Singer. He had only just begun to reverse his fortunes by the deadline, and Kansas City had little reason to sell low on such a promising arm. He still has three years of arbitration eligibility ahead of him, and it’s possible the Royals could be competitive in the AL Central within that time. If not, they still have ample opportunity to find a trade.

Similarly, the Reds weren’t facing any pressure to make a major deal. With so many talented young players under team control for the next several years, their competitive window is just beginning to open. They could have used another starter for the stretch run, but surely they were hesitant to add a pitcher who had struggled most of the season.

If Singer continues to succeed over the next six weeks, the Reds might be inclined to check back in with the Royals this winter. Cincinnati has several promising arms on the roster, including Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, and Lyon Richardson, but this team could certainly use a more established starter to anchor the rotation. The Reds have one of the better farm systems in the game (N0. 12 at Baseball America, No. 5 at MLB Pipeline), while the Royals have one of the worst (No. 29 at BA and MLB Pipeline), so Cincinnati should have all the necessary pieces if they decide to make a deal.

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Cincinnati Reds Kansas City Royals Brady Singer

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Mariners Planning To Use a Six-Man Rotation

By Leo Morgenstern | August 18, 2023 at 2:45pm CDT

At some point in the coming days, the Mariners are planning to shift to a six-man rotation, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Despite season-ending injuries to Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales, and Easton McGee, the Mariners boast one of the deepest rotations in baseball. As Dipoto put it, “Our one through six in the starting rotation … can pitch with anybody in the league.” That being said, most of Seattle’s starting pitchers are young and inexperienced; in other words, they could benefit from some extra rest.

The current starting five consists of Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Logan Gilbert, and Emerson Hancock. Bryan Woo is expected to return from the injured list and rejoin the rotation early next week (Twitter link). Of those six, only Castillo and Gilbert had pitched a full major league season before this year. Miller, Hancock, and Woo are rookies, while Kirby, still just 25 years old, is on pace to pitch his first qualified season. He threw 130 innings last year in his rookie campaign.

As Jude reports, the Mariners plan to go with a six-man rotation once Woo comes back from the IL. He could have supplanted Hancock, who has struggled in his first two big league starts (5.40 ERA, 9.8% strikeout rate), but it seems Seattle is comfortable giving the top prospect a longer leash. However, Dipoto did mention that the team might “piggyback” Woo and Hancock down the stretch after trying out a six-man rotation for a week or two.

Additional rest will be most beneficial for Seattle’s young arms, but it should help the rest of the rotation, too. Castillo has been one of the more durable starters in baseball over the last six years, making 158 starts with a 3.58 ERA. Only six pitchers have thrown more innings in that time, so he could certainly use some time off. The same goes for Gilbert, who had thrown 338 2/3 big league innings before his 26th birthday. Since making his debut in 2021, he ranks tenth in the majors in starts and 15th in innings pitched. Dipoto acknowledged that Castillo, Gilbert, and Kirby will have to shoulder plenty of responsibility should the Mariners make the playoffs, and some extra rest now should help them stay fresh for a potential postseason run.

However, while this arrangement will benefit everyone in the rotation, it will make things harder on the bullpen. If the Mariners carry six starting pitchers, they will only have room for seven relievers on the 26-man roster. Furthermore, it’s not as if Seattle’s young starters have been pitching especially deep into games. Woo and Hancock are averaging exactly five innings per start, while Miller is averaging five and a third. Castillo, Kirby, and Gilbert are averaging about six innings per start, but those three will pitch less often with a six-man rotation. Thus, the bullpen will have a heavier load to carry for as long as the six-man rotation experiment lasts.

Thankfully for Seattle, they have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Mariners relievers rank second in ERA and third in FanGraphs WAR, and they’ve still had excellent results since losing closer Paul Sewald, pitching to a 1.89 ERA since the trade deadline. Moreover, they have essentially been using a seven-man bullpen as it is. Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, Trent Thornton, Tayler Saucedo, Justin Topa, Isaiah Campbell, and Gabe Speier have combined to pitch 45 2/3 of the 47 2/3 innings the Mariners bullpen has thrown since August 1. The Mariners will be counting on those seven to handle a difficult workload for the next while, but eventually, they should get some relief if Woo and Hancock do, in fact, move into a piggyback arrangement.

Gonzales and Ray are expected to rejoin the club at some point in 2024, at which point the Mariners will have an embarrassment of riches in the starting rotation. Gonzales is under team control through 2025, while Ray is signed through 2026. Castillo, meanwhile, is signed through 2027 with a vesting option for 2028. Gilbert is also under team control through 2027, Kirby through 2028, and the rookies through at least 2029 (pending further optional assignments).

With so many capable starters (and so many arms that will need a 40-man spot over the winter), there’s a good chance Dipoto will look to make a trade. The Mariners were reportedly willing to consider dealing one of their starting pitchers this summer, and they’ll have a better opportunity to do so over the offseason. The Cardinals, who have a surplus of young hitters but not nearly enough pitching, could be an interesting trade partner. They will be looking to add multiple starters this winter, and they were already linked to Gilbert earlier this year.

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Seattle Mariners Bryan Woo Bryce Miller Emerson Hancock George Kirby Logan Gilbert Luis Castillo

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Reds Release Luke Weaver

By Leo Morgenstern | August 18, 2023 at 12:25pm CDT

August 18: The Reds have officially released Weaver, the team announced on Friday. He is now a free agent.

August 16: The Reds have designated starting pitcher Luke Weaver for assignment, the team has announced. They have recalled Alan Busenitz from Triple-A Louisville to take his place on the 26-man roster.

The Cardinals selected Weaver in the first round of the 2014 draft, and he spent the first five years of his professional career in the Cardinals organization. Following the 2018 season, he was one of three players sent to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Paul Goldschmidt, famously one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory. In his first three seasons with Arizona, Weaver was an average starting pitcher (4.45 ERA, 4.19 SIERA), but he missed significant time with injuries in 2019 and 2021.

In 2022, the Diamondbacks moved him to the bullpen, where he posted a 3.55 ERA in 11 appearances. He was traded to the Royals at the deadline and continued to pitch out of the ’pen for Kansas City. The Royals non-tendered him after the season rather than paying him an estimated $3MM in arbitration.

As a free agent, Weaver signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Reds. He missed the first three weeks of the 2023 season nursing a strained elbow flexor and struggled upon his return, posting a 6.87 ERA in 97 innings pitched. His underlying numbers are slightly better (4.78 SIERA, 5.75 xERA), but it’s impossible to deny that the 2023 season has gone poorly for the 29-year-old. He has failed to escape the fifth inning in 12 of his 21 starts, and his strikeout rate has fallen to a career-worst 19%.

The Reds will need to place Weaver on outright waivers within seven days. The right-hander has more than five years of MLB service time, which means that if he clears waivers, he will have the option to reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues without sacrificing any salary remaining on his contract.

Hunter Greene, who has been out since mid-June with hip soreness, is expected to make his return this weekend, when he can take what would have been Weaver’s next turn in the rotation. Still, the Reds will need one additional starting pitcher. They have gotten by with a four-man rotation since August 7, when Lyon Richardson was optioned to Triple-A. However, after an off-day on Thursday, they’ll play 20 games in the next 20 days. Brett Kennedy is expected to make a start in the coming days, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Ben Lively will also be a candidate to join the rotation when he finishes his rehab stint at Triple-A.

The Reds have had tough luck in the rotation this year. Greene and Nick Lodolo have spent significant time on the IL, as have Justin Dunn and Connor Overton, while veterans Weaver and Luis Cessa have struggled. Cincinnati’s starters have a 5.34 ERA on the season and a 6.35 ERA in August, which goes a long way toward explaining why the Reds have a negative run differential despite boasting an offense that has scored the fourth-most runs in the National League. If this team makes the playoffs, it will be thanks to their offense, not their pitching. Still, they’ll need more from their rotation to pull ahead in a tight NL race.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Alan Busenitz Luke Weaver

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Reds Sign Chasen Shreve To Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | August 18, 2023 at 12:20pm CDT

The Reds have signed veteran reliever Chasen Shreve to a minor league contract, according to the transaction log on MLB.com. He has been assigned to the Triple-A Louisville Bats.

Shreve agreed to a minor league deal with the Tigers this offseason and made the major league roster out of spring training. He made 47 appearances for the club before being DFA’d, pitching to a 4.79 ERA in 41 1/3 innings pitched. Despite his high ERA, he posted a 3.66 SIERA and the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. Even more impressive, his 33.9% chase rate ranks in the 92nd percentile of MLB pitchers, per Baseball Savant. Nevertheless, he was designated for assignment to make room for Will Vest on the Tigers’ 26-man roster. Detroit is still on the hook for Shreve’s salary, so Cincinnati will only have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time he spends on the MLB roster.

The Reds will be the seventh organization Shreve has played for since he was drafted by the Braves in 2010. He will report to Triple-A, but the southpaw will serve as valuable depth for the major league club. With Reiver Sanmartin out for the season, the Reds only have two left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster: Alex Young and Sam Moll. Young has pitched well this year, putting up a 2.96 ERA in 53 games, while Moll has done excellent work since he was acquired from the Athletics at the trade deadline, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in his first seven appearances. Still, Cincinnati will be glad to have some veteran depth at Triple-A. Since Shreve was acquired before the September 1 deadline, he will be eligible for the Reds’ postseason roster should the team make the playoffs.

The Reds bullpen has struggled over the past month, with a 4.85 ERA and 0.0 FanGraphs WAR in 27 games. They have blown four saves in 13 chances and lost seven of 11 decisions in that time. As the Reds compete for the NL Central crown (or a Wild Card berth), they’ll hope to see their bullpen return to its first-half form. Over the team’s first 95 games, Reds relievers posted a 3.86 ERA and ranked sixth in baseball with 3.5 fWAR.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Chasen Shreve

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Rockies Release Fernando Abad

By Leo Morgenstern | August 16, 2023 at 5:55pm CDT

The Rockies have released veteran reliever Fernando Abad, according to his transaction page on MiLB.com. This is the second time he has been released by Colorado this season.

Since making his debut in 2010, Abad has pitched for the Astros, Nationals, Athletics, Twins, Red Sox, Giants, Orioles, and Rockies. From 2013-17, he was one of the more reliable middle relievers in the game, pitching to a 3.13 ERA and 3.75 SIERA in 275 games. Unfortunately, things began to go downhill in 2018. He sat out the season after being given an 80-game suspension for failing a PED test, and while he was back in 2019, he never quite returned to form. From 2019-21, he posted a 4.99 ERA and 4.66 SIERA in 37 games.

The southpaw seemed to have turned things around at the start of the 2023 season. Pitching for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on a minor league deal, he put up a 1.69 ERA in his first 13 games, striking out 20 and walking only two. He earned a promotion to the big league club in May, but there he struggled in three appearances. His turnaround was short-lived, and he was designated for assignment less than a week after his promotion.

Abad signed another minor league deal with the Rockies shortly thereafter and returned to play for the Isotopes in June. He looked every bit as good as before, striking out eight batters in eight games with a 0.93 ERA. The Rockies promoted him again, yet still he struggled to find a role in the major leagues. He was designated for assignment in mid-July, and this time around, he failed to recapture his magic at Triple-A. In 4 2/3 innings of work, he gave up nine runs on ten hits, ultimately prompting his release.

As a free agent, Abad has the opportunity to sign with a new club, perhaps before the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility. While he has struggled to stick in the majors for the past few years, he could provide an option for a team in need of left-handed depth.

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Colorado Rockies Transactions Fernando Abad

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