Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

AL Central Notes: Crochet, Clevinger, Wacha, Lange

By Mark Polishuk | June 16, 2024 at 4:27pm CDT

Unsurprisingly, the White Sox have set an “exorbitant” asking price on Garrett Crochet in early trade talks, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. As we already saw this past winter with the Dylan Cease trade negotiations and the eventual deal that sent Cease to the Padres, the Sox are naturally out for the biggest return possible when moving any of their most valuable trade chips. Crochet definitely fits that description, as he has broken out as a starting pitcher this year and is under arbitration control through the 2026 season.

Chicago isn’t likely to drop its demands much (or even at all) until closer to the deadline, and Crochet’s arbitration control also gives the Sox some extra leverage since the team doesn’t need to move the southpaw any time soon. If anything, Crochet having a full and healthy season as a starter might only increase what the White Sox might be looking for in trade talks during the offseason, when the Sox could speak to a wider array of potential suitors.

Cubs Place Jordan Wicks On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 4:09pm CDT

4:09pm: It’s a Grade 2 oblique strain for Wicks, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Given that diagnosis, it appears all but certain the southpaw will miss longer than the 15 day minimum, although a specific timetable for his return remains unclear.

12:39pm: The Cubs announced that Jordan Wicks has been placed on the 15-day injured list, as the southpaw is dealing with a right oblique strain. Right-hander Keegan Thompson was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Wicks’ spot on the active roster.

An IL move seemed very likely after Wicks lasted only 1 2/3 innings before being removed in yesterday’s start against the Cardinals. As Wicks told MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins and other reporters, “I just felt tightness in my right side after making a pitch. I didn’t think a whole lot of it….When I knew it persisted a couple of pitches in a row, I knew something wasn’t right.”

Given how oblique injuries can be tricky to fully overcome, Wicks could potentially be back in just 15 days if he has avoided a serious train, or he might be facing an absence of several months if the discomfort continues to linger. As Wicks told Stebbins and company, the injury is particularly “frustrating” since Friday marked only his second appearance following a six-week IL stint due to a forearm strain.

Amidst all the injuries, Wicks has pitched pretty well over 28 total innings this season. The left-hander has a 4.18 ERA with above-average strikeout, hard-contact and walk rates, though that latter 7.8BB% is only in the 54th percentile of all pitchers. Those are still numbers the Cubs will happily take from the second-year pitcher, as Wicks has capably stepped into the rotation amidst injuries to other starters. With Wicks and Ben Brown both out, the Cubs again have a rotation vacancy behind Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad.

That fifth starter’s role could be filled by a familiar face in Kyle Hendricks, as manager Craig Counsell indicated to Stebbins and other reporters that “I think it looks like” Wicks’ injury might pave the way to Hendricks’ return to the rotation. Hendricks was moved to the pen last month after he was rocked for a 10.57 ERA over his first seven starts and 30 2/3 innings of the season, but he seemingly settled down in posting a 3.14 ERA in 14 1/3 frames as a reliever. Hendricks was quickly called into action yesterday after Wicks’ early exit, and delivered 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Chicago could also explore stretching Hayden Wesneski back out to handle a starter’s workload, though Wesneski has also emerged as a quality arm in the Cubs’ bullpen.

Orioles Outright Corbin Martin To Triple-A

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 2:53pm CDT

The Orioles have outrighted Corbin Martin off the 40-man roster and assigned the right-hander to Triple-A Norfolk. It wasn’t known that Martin had been designated for assignment, but he’ll now head to Triple-A since he doesn’t have the requirements (i.e. service time or a past outright) to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Martin has already had a busy season on the transactional front, as he has twice been DFA’ed and then claimed off waivers by new teams. The Orioles claimed him away from Milwaukee a month ago, while the Brewers themselves claimed Martin off the Diamondbacks’ waiver wire in mid-April. Martin yet to see any big league action amidst these moves, as he hasn’t done much to force the issue by posting a 7.32 ERA with more walks (22) than strikeouts (17) over 19 2/3 combined innings for three different Triple-A affiliates.

Control has been for Martin in his 57 2/3 career MLB innings, as he has a 13.6% walk rate to go along with a 6.71 ERA over his time with the Astros and Diamondbacks. However, injuries have been the bigger story for the former top-100 prospect, as he missed some of the 2019 season and all of the 2020 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Martin also didn’t pitch at all in 2023 due to shoulder surgery.

At age 28, Martin is already in the “late bloomer” phase of his career if a breakout is still to come, and there’s no harm for the Orioles in keeping him in the minors to see if Martin can still regain some of his old top-prospect form. Perhaps more intriguingly, today’s move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Baltimore, which perhaps hints that the team could be again looking to dip into its loaded farm system.

Angels Place Adam Cimber On 15-Day IL, Select Jose Marte, Release Ehire Adrianza

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 2:10pm CDT

The Angels made a trio of roster moves this afternoon, including the placement of right-hander Adam Cimber on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Jose Marte’s contract was selected from Triple-A to take Cimber’s spot on the active roster, and infielder Ehire Adrianza was released to create space on the 40-man.

One of several relievers signed last offseason to bolster the Los Angeles bullpen, Cimber’s first year with the Angels has been difficult. The veteran righty has a 7.03 ERA over 24 1/3 innings and 28 appearances, with a garish 13.1% walk rate that is more than double the career average (5.9%) he posted over his first six Major League seasons. Cimber’s 4.77 SIERA is still not particularly impressive, but it does reflect some of the misfortune of his very low 54.5% strand rate.

Cimber also had a 7.40 ERA over 20 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays last year, and his last appearance of 2023 came on June 18 after a shoulder impingement brought a premature end to his season. The fact that Cimber has again been shelved with a shoulder problem isn’t a good sign, though it isn’t known if his later injury is anything some general soreness.

Speaking of season-shortening injuries, Marte threw only 21 total innings in the majors and minors in 2023 due to a stress reaction in his right elbow. The Angels chose to non-tender him in the wake of that lost year, but then re-signed the righty to a minor league contract.

Marte is now set to receive his first Major League action of 2024, after receiving sporadic big league looks in each of the last three seasons with the Angels. Marte has an 8.14 ERA over the small sample size of his 24 1/3 career innings in the Show, but he has looked quite sharp at Triple-A this season, with a 2.61 ERA in 20 2/3 frames for Salt Lake even in the hitter-friendly environs of the Pacific Coast League.

Adrianza has been on the 10-day injured list for over five weeks while dealing with back spasms, so either the Angels released him while off the IL, so his activation wasn’t made public. Adrianza joined L.A. on a minors deal in February, and that contract was then selected to the active roster in April, leading to eight games and a .596 OPS in 28 plate appearances prior to his trip to the injured list. Never much of a hitter over his 12 Major League seasons, Adrianza has carved out a lengthy pro career as a bench piece who can play all over the diamond, and he figures to catch on with another team (or a new minors deal with Anaheim) in need of a depth piece.

Orioles Place Kyle Bradish On 15-Day IL With Right UCL Sprain

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 1:56pm CDT

1:56PM: Hyde told Roch Kubatko and other reporters that Bradish is undergoing further tests and will visit multiple doctors before determining his next course of action, whether it’s surgery or another attempt at a non-surgical recovery.

12:20PM: Bradish has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right UCL sprain, the Orioles announced. In the best case scenario, this would represent 2.5 months on the shelf for Bradish, replicating his absence in the early part of the season. However, the pretty quick decision to return Bradish to the IL after last night’s game is an ominous sign towards a longer-term absence. Left-hander Nick Vespi was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding roster move.

10:35AM: Kyle Bradish left yesterday’s game after five innings due to soreness in his right elbow, and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko) that more will be known once Bradish undergoes examination. Bradish had allowed two earned runs over five innings and 74 pitches against the Phillies, but “he came to us and said his elbow was bothering him, so we’re going to get further tests on that….He had to come out of the game after that inning,” Hyde said.

Any type of elbow injury is cause for concern, though Bradish’s situation is particularly troublesome since he was already sidelined with a sprained UCL earlier this year. That past injury developed early in Spring Training, so Bradish’s season debut was delayed until May 2 since he had to both get healthy and then start his spring ramp-up work from scratch.

Considering that there were initial concerns that Bradish might need a Tommy John surgery, an early-May return was a huge relief for both the right-hander and the Orioles, and Bradish’s strong performance on the mound further allayed any fears prior to last night. Bradish has a 2.75 ERA over eight starts and 39 1/3 innings, and is among the league’s elite in such key categories as strikeout rate (32.5%), hard-hit ball rate (28.6%) and grounder rate (56%). While his walk rate had dropped below average, Bradish looked like he was continuing the front-of-the-rotation form that he displayed during his 2023 breakout season.

It could be that Bradish has again dodged a bullet if his elbow is simply sore, and some discomfort might’ve been inevitable given the circumstances behind his start to the season. That said, the O’s have taken a conservative approach to Bradish’s deployment — he has received the traditional four days of rest between starts only once, and otherwise had five or more days of rest between all of his other starts. Before yesterday, Bradish’s previous start was on June 8, so he had five full days to rest before taking on the Phillies.

Even if the tests come back clean, the Orioles might consider placing Bradish on the 15-day injured list anyway simply as a precautionary measure. Baltimore has an off-day on Monday, but then enters a stretch of 13 games in as many days, so Bradish’s absence would further stretch a rotation that has already been thinned by injuries. John Means (Tommy John surgery) and Tyler Wells (UCL surgery) have both been lost for the season, while Dean Kremer has been on the IL for about four weeks with a strained triceps. Kremer is set to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Sunday, so he could be an option to return to the rotation in the next week or two.

Even amidst all of these injuries, the Orioles have still fielded one of the sport’s better rotations, and have even had enough depth to use a six-man rotation to help manage everyone’s innings. If Bradish will miss time, Baltimore still has a starting five of Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin, Albert Suarez, and Cade Povich, plus some extra depth in the upper minors. (The team added to that depth with its acquisition of Levi Stoudt two days ago.)

Of course, losing Bradish for even a short amount of time is a blow to a Baltimore team that is fighting the Yankees for first place in the AL East, and a longer-term injury will hamper the Orioles’ World Series aspirations. The O’s were already expected to be looking for both rotation and bullpen help at the trade deadline, and a greater need for starters might result in more of prospect cost in deals.

Nationals Sign Harold Ramirez To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 12:56pm CDT

The Nationals have signed outfielder/designated hitter Harold Ramirez to a minor league deal, the team announced. Ramirez will report to Triple-A Rochester just a day after he was released by the Rays.

Ramirez posted unremarkable numbers over his first three MLB seasons before he was dealt from the Cubs to the Rays in March 2022, and he then emerged as a quietly productive part of Tampa’s lineup. Ramirez hit .306/.348/.432 with 18 home runs in 869 plate appearances in 2022-23, playing mostly as a DH but also getting a decent amount of time as a first baseman and in both corner outfield positions. While not a platoon player, the Rays tried to prioritize Ramirez as a weapon against left-handed pitching, as the bulk of Ramirez’s right-handed hitting production naturally came against southpaws.

A .354 BABIP in 2022-23 stands out as a notable asterisk on Ramirez’s time in Tampa Bay, as this batted-ball luck helped him overcome very low walk and barrel rates, and roughly average hard-contact numbers overall. These numbers caught up to Ramirez this season, as his .268/.284/.305 slash line over 169 PA (even still with a .328 BABIP) led the Rays to designate the 29-year-old for assignment and then release him entirely when no suitors emerged to swing a trade or make a waiver claim.

Considering that Ramirez is earning an $3.8MM salary this season, it isn’t surprising that teams opted to just wait for the Rays to release him, as a trade or waiver claim would’ve put a new club on the hook for most or all of that remaining salary (approximately $2.19MM). Tampa Bay also explored trades for Ramirez this past offseason without any success, with payroll certainly a factor in the Rays’ endeavors. If Ramirez makes Washington’s big league roster, the Nationals will owe him just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary, and the Rays will cover the rest of the $2.19MM figure.

It adds up to an inexpensive flier on the Nats’ part, and Ramirez might essentially act as a replacement for the injured Joey Gallo, though Gallo is a left-handed hitter. Adding a righty bat into the left field/DH mix might be a better fit anyway considering that Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario both swing from the left side, and Ramirez figures to be mostly utilized as a designated hitter given his limited defensive ability at any of his positions.

If Ramirez really gets back on track with his new team, the Nationals still control him via arbitration through the 2025 season. He could also be one of several veteran trade chips the Nats might look to move at the trade deadline, though it isn’t yet a lock that D.C. will be looking to sell. Thanks to the parity in the National League, the rebuilding Nats find themselves 1.5 games out of the wild card race despite a 33-36 record, so it is possible Washington’s deadline priorities could change if the team heats up and establishes itself as more of a real contender.

Phillies Activate Brandon Marsh

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 12:05pm CDT

The Phillies announced that outfielder Brandon Marsh has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list, with utilityman Weston Wilson heading to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Marsh was placed on the IL on June 3 due to a right hamstring strain, so he’ll return to action after just slightly beyond the 10-day minimum.

While the NL-leading Phillies haven’t slowed down in Marsh’s absence, getting the outfielder back is obviously good news for a team that has taken a few injury hits. Trea Turner has missed over six weeks recovering from a more serious hamstring strain, but the star shortstop is reportedly close to returning as well, and could be activated from the IL within the next two or three days. Catcher J.T. Realmuto will miss the next month due to knee surgery, and utilityman Kody Clemens has also been sidelined for the last two weeks with back spasms.

Marsh was hitting .265/.344/.426 over 186 plate appearances at the time of his IL placement, pretty much matching the solid numbers he has posted since arriving in Philadelphia as part of a deadline trade with the Angels in 2022. While the Phillies have tried to limit his exposure to left-handed pitching, Marsh has gotten the lion’s share of playing time as the regular center fielder in 2022 and 2023, and as the regular left fielder this season. Where Marsh plays now that he is back on the active roster could be an interesting situation to observe, as the Phils could opt to give him more time in center field, thus making Whit Merrifield and David Dahl the regular left field platoon.

Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Marsh played in center field during his brief Triple-A rehab stint, and though Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that usage was more about giving Marsh more leeway to test his hamstring, it isn’t hard to see why Marsh might be the Phils’ preferred choice over Johan Rojas in center. Rojas has hit poorly this season, and the stellar glovework that earned him the center field job in the first place has also regressed. He has a -10.8 UZR/150 over 473 1/3 innings in center field this season, and while the Outs Above Average (+2) and Defensive Runs Saved (+1) metrics still have a positive view of his defense, even those numbers are well below his totals from 2023.

A broader decision on the center field job probably doesn’t have to be made until Turner is ready to be activated, and Lauber feels Philadelphia could then option Rojas to Triple-A or designate Cristian Pache for assignment. Pache is out of minor league options and thus would have to be DFA’ed first if the Phils wanted to send him to the minors, so to avoid losing Pache on a waiver claim, the Phillies could instead simply option Rojas to Triple-A to see if his bat can catch fire in the minors.

Brewers’ Abner Uribe To Undergo Knee Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 11:36am CDT

Right-hander Abner Uribe was placed on Triple-A Nashville’s injured list last week with an unspecified knee problem, and will now undergo surgery to fix a right lateral meniscus tear, Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The severity of the injury won’t be fully known until doctors begin the operation, and thus Arnold indicated that the outcome could be anything from “a light cleanup” to a more intensive procedure that could threaten the rest of Uribe’s season.

The injury continues what has already been a tough season for Uribe, who posted a 6.91 ERA over 14 1/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s bullpen before he was optioned to Triple-A at the start of May. His most notable on-field moment of 2024 was an altercation with Jose Siri in a brawl between the Brewers and Rays on April 30. Uribe was issued a six-game suspension that was lowered to four games on appeal, though he has yet to serve any of that suspension (which applies to MLB games only) since he has been in the minors.

The move back to Triple-A seemed to get Uribe on track, as he had posted a 1.04 ERA over 8 2/3 innings and seven appearances with Nashville. Another call-up to the big leagues seemed likely at some point, though now Uribe’s development has been interrupted and perhaps stalled altogether by this knee injury. The righty is unfortunately quite familiar with meniscus injuries, as a torn left meniscus cost him virtually the entire 2022 season with Double-A Biloxi.

Uribe rebounded from that lost year by pitching well in the minors in 2023, and then excelling in his first taste of MLB action. The hard-throwing reliever averaged 100.7 mph on his fastball over his 30 2/3 innings with Milwaukee last season, en route to a 1.76 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate, and a 53% grounder rate. However, Uribe did enjoy a .239 BABIP, and his 15.7% walk rate continued the control issues that plagued him throughout his minor league career. Those problems worsened this season, as Uribe’s walk rate rose to 18.2% while his strikeout rate plummeted to 21.2%, resulting in that inflated 6.91 ERA. (His 4.94 SIERA is almost two full runs better, though still uninspiring.)

The surgery stands out as a lousy birthday gift for a pitcher who turns 24 later this week. Uribe’s young age means that there is plenty of time for him to figure out his control issues and perhaps emerge as a dangerous bullpen weapon, yet Uribe has already amassed a lengthy injury history at an early stage in his career. Because the injury occurred in Triple-A ball, Uribe won’t amass any big league service time while he is on the minor league IL, unless the Brewers at some point promote him and place him on the MLB version of the 60-day IL as a means to create 40-man roster space.

NL East Notes: Dombrowski, Phillies, Gallo, Minter

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2024 at 8:51am CDT

Three unnamed teams have offered catching help to the Phillies since the news broke earlier this week about J.T. Realmuto’s knee surgery, as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. While Philadelphia is expected to look for some kind of short-term depth in Realmuto’s absence, Dombrowski didn’t sound too enamored by the options available thus far, noting that the three clubs approached the Phillies about the available catchers: “That’s usually probably not a good sign, that they’re trying to get rid of them. Rather than the opposite way where you’re pursuing them.” Since Realmuto is slated to miss roughly a month, Dombrowski seems content to “take a look at our young guys” like backup catcher Rafael Marchan in the interim, so the Phils don’t necessarily feel much pressure to make a trade.

Philadelphia’s outstanding 47-22 record also provides a bit more breathing room, as the Phillies have the National League’s best record and look like a lock to return to the playoffs. Dombrowski naturally expected his team to be good, but admitted that a .681 win percentage even exceeded his expectations, especially considering that the Phils have been without Trea Turner for the majority of the season. Turner’s impending return is an upgrade on its own, and in terms of other possible trade deadline additions, Dombrowski said it’s “way, way, way, way, way too early” to start accessing how the market might take shape. Dombrowski cited bullpen depth as one possible area to explore, and doesn’t seem to think the Phillies will pursue a “we’re going to trade three top prospects” type of blockbuster trade. The PBO is also cognizant of how adding and subtracting from the roster might impact team chemistry, as obviously Dombrowski doesn’t want to disrupt what has been a winning formula for the Phillies to date.

Yankees Notes: Bullpen Trade Targets, McMahon, Cole

By Mark Polishuk | June 9, 2024 at 10:46pm CDT

The Yankees’ 46-21 record is the best in the American League, and there aren’t many glaring holes on a team that has been outstanding on both the hitting and pitching fronts. As such, the Yankees’ deadline needs are fairly specific at the moment, as SNY’s Andy Martino writes that the Bronx Bombers are looking to reinforce their bullpen with another left-hander, and a right-handed strikeout specialist.

New York entered Sunday’s action with the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball, so the current relief corps is far from a weak link. However, Martino notes that “evaluators tend to slot [Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez] as the second lefty in an ideal bullpen,” so the Yankees could stand to acquire another southpaw as their top option.

Of the two in-house choices, Gonzalez has a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings but he has been drastically outperforming his peripherals. Gonzalez’s SIERA is a much less impressive 5.65, as his walk rate (13.5%) is higher than his 10.8% strikeout rate. Ferguson has something of the opposite issue, with a 5.03 ERA but a 3.62 SIERA in 19 2/3 innings, with a 25.8% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate.

On the right-handed side of the equation, a righty pitcher that can miss bats would be a nice complement to closer Clay Holmes, who himself throws from the right side. Holmes is having another excellent year with a 1.23 ERA and 19 saves over 29 1/3 innings, though Holmes is an extreme ground ball pitcher with a staggering 69.4% grounder rate. His strikeout rate is only a bit above the league average, however, so having more of a strikeout-focused power arm for certain high-leverage situation would allow the Yankees to save Holmes for the ninth inning.

As Martino observes, the Yankees’ knack for getting great results out of unheralded relievers means that the club might not need to pursue bigger names available at the deadline in order to fill these bullpen needs. They might not even necessarily need to go outside the organization to find the right-handed strikeout artist, as Luis Gil might eventually end up in the bullpen as part of New York’s desire to conserve his innings. Gil pitched only 29 2/3 total frames in the majors and minors over the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, and with 75 innings already on his ledger in 2024, it remains to be seen how much the Yankees will want him to pitch in the regular season if they’re taking the longer view of wanting Gil available throughout what they hope will be a deep postseason run.

Beyond the bullpen, both corner infield positions could be potential target areas, though Martino figures the Bombers will give the struggling Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu more time to turn things around. LeMahieu has only played 10 games since a season-opening stint on the 60-day injured list, so it is understandable that the veteran needs more time to knock off the rust.

This isn’t to say that New York wouldn’t be open to corner infield help already, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes that the Yankees are among the teams who “would love to get their hands on” Ryan McMahon. Adding McMahon would be more than just a short-term strike, as the third baseman is still owed roughly $51MM through the end of the 2027 season as per the terms of the six-year, $70MM extension he signed with the Rockies in March 2022.

While the Rox aren’t in contention and will sell at the deadline to some extent, moving McMahon is the type of bigger-picture move Colorado isn’t likely to make. Indeed, earlier reports indicated that the Rockies aren’t likely to move the third baseman, as he is still viewed as a building block on the roster.

In other Yankees news, Gerrit Cole completed his second rehab start with Double-A Somerset today. The AL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on two hits over 4 2/3 innings, while recording four strikeouts. Cole’s 57 pitches represented a small bump up from the 45 pitches thrown in his first rehab outing, and his velocity reached as high as 96mph, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

Cole described the appearance to Dunleavy and other reporters as a “pretty good day, still got things to work on…Wish I would’ve been able to crisp up the location quicker. Really, that was about it.” Naturally Cole wants to be as ready as possible for his 2024 debut, so while he is set for one more rehab start, Cole wasn’t yet sure if he’ll require another outing after that. The Yankees obviously aren’t going to rush Cole in any regard, and the rotation’s great work in Cole’s absence means there isn’t even any immediate need for Cole to return to the big leagues.

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