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Royals Make Four Roster Moves
The Royals announced that Brad Keller has been reinstated from the club’s 60-day injured list, and that catcher Tyler Cropley’s contract has been selected from Double-A Arkansas. In corresponding moves, Kansas City placed left-hander Austin Cox on the 60-day IL with a left knee sprain, and catcher Freddy Fermin will go on the 10-day IL due to a fracture in his right middle finger.
The 60-day placement will end Cox’s season, though suffering “only” a sprain might be something of a relief given the obvious pain on the southpaw’s face when he suffered the injury in Friday’s game. Cox was running to cover first base on a grounder when a bad step caused his left leg to give out, and he had to be helped off the field.
It’s a rough end to Cox’s first Major League season. A fifth-round pick for the Royals in the 2018 draft, Cox made his MLB debut in May and has a 4.79 ERA over 35 2/3 innings, working out of the bullpen in 21 of his 24 appearances (though he functioned as an opener in one of his three starts). Cox’s strikeout (22.1%) and walk (11.4%) rates aren’t overly impressive, though he has done an excellent job of keeping the ball in the park, allowing just two homers all season.
Fermin’s injury also must have been a recent occurrence, as he was the starting catcher throughout Friday’s game, a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays. After a three-game cup of coffee in 2022, the rookie has gotten a longer look this year, appearing in 70 games and hitting .281/.321/.461 with nine home runs over 235 plate appearances. This solid play has increasingly given Fermin more time behind the plate, as Salvador Perez has been used more often as a first baseman or DH over the last five weeks.
Perez figures to return to regular catching duty with Fermin out, and MJ Melendez could also get some playing time even though he has primarily been used in an outfield role. Since K.C. seems to prefer Melendez as an outfielder, it opens the door for Cropley to get his first taste of the big leagues after five pro seasons.
Cropley was an eighth-round pick for the Nationals in the 2018 draft, and he has the spent the last three years in the Kansas City organization. The 27-year-old has a modest .235/.329/.359 slash line over 168 PA for Arkansas this season and he has never played any Triple-A ball, so the Royals could be viewing Cropley purely as a depth option in Fermin’s absence.
After posting a 4.36 ERA over his first nine starts and 43 1/3 innings of the season, Keller was sidelined with right shoulder impingement syndrome in mid-May and is only now returning to the K.C. rotation. He’ll get the chance to log a few more appearances before the season is out, and perhaps take his final bows in a Royals uniform since Keller is a free agent this winter. The right-hander has a 5.12 ERA over 316 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 season, and with this injury-marred season on his record, Keller may have difficulty finding a guaranteed big league contract from the Royals or any other team.
Twins Notes: Kirilloff, Gallo, Buxton, Taylor, Stewart
The Twins activated Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list Friday, and the first baseman marked his return by going 1-for-4 in Minnesota’s 5-2 victory over the Mets. In the corresponding move, the Twins placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day IL due to a left foot contusion, with Gallo’s placement retroactive to September 6.
Kirilloff was playing in his first MLB game since July 29, as a right shoulder strain forced the former top prospect to the sidelines. Since recovery from wrist surgery already delayed Kirilloff’s season debut until May 6, he has played in only 70 games this season, though Kirilloff has hit a solid .270/.355/.439 over 262 plate appearances. A hefty .353 BABIP has certainly aided that production, but it still represents a very nice step forward for Kirilloff after wrist problems hampered his first two seasons in the majors.
Now back on the active roster, Kirilloff figures to resume his role as Minnesota’s primary first baseman, with Donovan Solano stepping in to spell Kirilloff against left-handed pitching. Gallo was also a significant part of the first base mix, but he’ll now miss some time after fouling a ball off his foot, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Signed to a one-year, $11MM free agent contract last winter, Gallo has to some extent rebounded from his rough 2022 season, as his .177/.301/.440 slash line and 21 homers in 332 PA does translate to an above-average 103 wRC+. However, most of Gallo’s production came in April, and he has been in a pronounced slump for the rest of the season. Gallo’s ability to play first base and all three outfield positions has made him a useful asset for a Minnesota team that has been hit with multiple injuries over the course of 2023, but it remains to be seen if Gallo will be part of a postseason roster, should the Twins hold on to win the AL Central.
Byron Buxton’s status is also an x-factor at this point, as the former All-Star hasn’t played since appearing in a minor league rehab game on September 1. Buxton was playing in his first game as an outfielder in over a year, as recurring knee problems resulted in arthroscopic surgery late in the 2022 season, and the Twins’ decision to use Buxton exclusively as a designated hitter this season. With Buxton currently on the IL due to a hamstring injury, the Twins were trying to ease Buxton back into fielding duty, only to be set back by this latest case of patella tendinitis.
Baldelli didn’t have any new update on when Buxton might be able to play again, at either the minor league or MLB levels. There’s something of a holding pattern situation until Buxton is healthy, but as Baldelli noted, “that doesn’t mean he’s not going to play for us. We’re anticipating him working his way back and taking the field for us.”
In other Twins injury news, Michael A. Taylor and Nick Gordon each took part in a live batting practice session against Brock Stewart, as all three players continue to make some progress in their rehab work. Gordon still isn’t expected back until closer to the end of the regular season, but Taylor might be back in relatively short order, after being placed on the IL last Sunday due to a right hamstring strain.
In addition to the live BP session, Taylor also said he did some baserunning work on Friday. Taylor has hit a career-high 20 homers and has been one of baseball’s best defensive center fielders, putting him in line for his second career Gold Glove and giving Minnesota some much-needed relief up the middle with Buxton relegated to DH work.
Stewart last pitched in the majors in 2019 before resurfacing with the Twins this year, and he returned in grand fashion by posting an 0.70 ERA over 25 2/3 relief innings. Unfortunately, Stewart’s season was cut short by elbow soreness in late June, which has now led to a lengthy stint on the 60-day injured list. Stewart is likely to need some minor league rehab work given the longer layoff, but he should be able to get back before the regular season is over.
Cubs Outright Shane Greene
After clearing waivers, Shane Greene has been outrighted to the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, as per the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Chicago designated Greene for assignment on Wednesday, and it isn’t yet known if he’ll accept the outright or (as is his right for a player with his amount of MLB service time) opt for free agency.
Greene has chosen free agency over past outright assignments, though the equation could be a little different this time since he already had an extended stint on the open market before signing a minor league deal with the Cubs in late June. Given the late date on the calendar, Greene might prefer to stay in a familiar organization and bide his time for another call-up rather than roll the dice on landing with another team before the 2023 is over.
The Cubs selected Greene’s contract on September 1, and he threw one inning of scoreless ball in one appearance in the Show before being DFA’ed. While just a cup of coffee on the active roster, it still means that Greene has now appeared in each of the last 10 Major League seasons, even if his 2022 participation also came in limited fashion (two games and six total innings with the Dodgers and Yankees).
The 34-year-old Greene is best known for his time as the Tigers’ closer, highlighted by a 2019 All-Star appearance. After posting a 3.25 ERA over 221 1/3 relief innings from 2017-20 with Detroit and Atlanta, Greene hasn’t been the same since another lengthy stay in free agency. Hitting the market during the 2020-21 offseason, Greene ended up not finding another big league deal until May 2021, re-signing with the Braves. The righty has just 21 2/3 MLB innings under his belt since, with a 6.83 ERA.
Greene’s time with Triple-A Iowa consisted of five starts, which is notable since he hadn’t started a game at any level since 2016. This could have been the Cubs’ way of rebuilding Greene’s arm strength since he didn’t have the benefit of a Spring Training, or it could be Greene’s way of trying to reinvent himself as something of a swingman rather than as a full-time reliever. With a 2.21 ERA in 20 1/3 innings in Iowa, the results were intriguing enough that the experiment will probably continue if Greene remains in the organization, or this (albeit limited) success could also factor into Greene’s decision to potentially look to a new team.
Angels Place Max Stassi On Restricted List
2:22PM: It isn’t yet known if the Angels have ducked under the tax line, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register notes that putting Stassi on the restricted list will save the team roughly $300K off the tax bill (due to how the luxury tax figure is calculated by average annual value, not by pure dollars). It might not be revealed until after the season whether or not the Angels have gotten under the tax threshold.
1:31PM: The Angels announced that catcher Max Stassi has been placed on the team’s restricted list (retroactive to September 2). Stassi hasn’t played at all this season due to both a hip strain that required a 60-day IL placement, and a personal situation involving his family.
That latter reason has led to the restricted list placement, since as per the club’s announcement, Stassi “informed the Angels that while he is in a position to resume activities to return to MLB, he has voluntarily chosen not to do so for the remainder of the 2023 season as a result of a serious family medical issue. Out of respect for Max and his family, the Angels will not have any further comment. The Angels wish Max and his family all the best.”
A veteran of 10 Major League seasons with the Astros and Angels, Stassi was dealt to Los Angeles at the 2019 trade deadline and hit quite well in part-time catching action for the Angels in 2020-21. That prompted the Halos to sign him to a three-year, $14.5MM contract extension that runs through the 2024 season with a club option (worth $7.5MM with a $500K buyout) for 2025. Unfortunately, Stassi then struggled through the 2022 campaign, and entered this past Spring Training competing for playing time with Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss.
Stassi’s hip injury removed him from the catching picture, and it appears as though he has been healthy for some time, but has instead been spending time with his family. We at MLBTR express our support for Stassi and his family during this difficult period.
When on a Major League restricted list, players can’t amass any big league service time or salary. As a result, the Angels won’t have to pay the $1.16MM still owed to Stassi over the course of the 2023 campaign, which has some bigger-picture implications for the team. The Athletic’s Sam Blum (X link) writes that with Stassi’s remaining salary off the books, the Angels will be able to duck under the $233MM luxury tax threshold.
This desire to avoid a tax payment was part of the reason for the Angels’ recent flurry of waiver wire placements, as Lucas Giolito, Hunter Renfroe, Dominic Leone, Matt Moore, and Reynaldo Lopez were all claimed away from the team prior to September 1. However, because Randal Grichuk wasn’t claimed, the Halos remained slightly above the $233MM tax line, but today’s move with Stassi has now apparently cleared the last financial hurdle.
The Angels hadn’t been tax payors since 2004, but were prepared to surpass the threshold this season in a push to contend in what might be Shohei Ohtani’s final season in Anaheim. The Halos were aggressive in adding to their roster last winter and during the season, including a busy trade deadline push that saw them land Giolito, Lopez, Leone, Grichuk, C.J. Cron in three separate trades. However, Los Angeles’ 8-19 record in August and Ohtani’s UCL injury led the club to effectively throw in the towel, and put six players on the waiver wire in the hopes of recouping some money to at least avoid any tax penalty.
In staying under the $233MM threshold, the Angels will avoid the (fairly minimal) tax payment itself, but will gain bigger rewards in terms of free agent compensation rules. The Halos will be able to sign qualifying offer-rejecting free agents without having to pay a bigger penalty in terms of draft picks, while L.A. will receive a compensatory pick prior to the third round of the draft for any free agents (i.e Ohtani) who might reject a QO and sign elsewhere. Had the Angels been tax payors, that compensatory pick would’ve fallen beyond the fourth round.
Outright Assignments: Haase, Barlow, Lopez, Johnson
Catching up on some players being outrighted off their teams’ 40-man roster, with all info coming from MLB.com’s official transactions page unless credited otherwise…
Latest Moves
- The Guardians assigned catcher Eric Haase to Triple-A this evening, three days after he was designated for assignment. The 30-year old backstop was drafted by Cleveland back in 2011 and eventually made his major league debut with the club in 2018. He was shipped to Detroit in a cash deal in January 2020 and spent the next several years as the club’s primary catcher, slashing .229/.280/.400 in his 301 games with the Tigers. Detroit designated him for assignment back in August to make room for the signing of Carson Kelly and he was promptly claimed off waivers by the Guardians, reuniting him with his first big league organization. In this most recent stint with Cleveland, Haase made it into just three games, going 2-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts before being DFA’d for the second time that month. As a player who’s been outrighted in the past, Haase has the right to reject the outright assignment if he so chooses, though he would not be eligible for the postseason upon signing with a new club and could simply elect free agency this offseason if not added back to the 40-man roster.
Earlier Today
- The Royals outrighted Joe Barlow to Triple-A after clearing waivers, two days after the right-hander was designated for assignment. Barlow has a 4.66 ERA over 13 games and 9 2/3 innings with the Rangers this season, as he has spent most of 2023 pitching at the Triple-A level. Kansas City claimed Barlow off waivers in early August but he didn’t receive and big league action for K.C., instead just pitching at Triple-A Omaha. Barlow posted a 2.81 ERA and 24 saves over 64 innings for the Rangers in 2021-22, even if his secondary metrics hinted that some regression was coming.
- The Reds outrighted infielder Alejo Lopez to Triple-A. Lopez was designated for assignment earlier this week when Cincinnati added Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader to the roster. Because Lopez has previously been outrighted in his career (back in February), he has the option of rejecting the outright assignment and becoming a free agent, though there isn’t yet any word about his decision. The 27-year-old Lopez was a 27th-round pick for the Reds in 2015 and he has spent his entire career with the organization, including 73 games and 159 plate appearances at the big league level in 2021-22. Cincinnati selected Lopez’s contract again this week but he didn’t see any more game action before being DFA’ed. Lopez has hit .262/.307/.321 in the majors but he has shown an ability to get on base during his minor league career, even if his power numbers are lacking. Playing primarily around the infield during his career, Lopez has added to his versatility by getting more corner outfield action over the last couple of seasons.
- The Giants outrighted outfielder Bryce Johnson to Triple-A. Like Lopez, Johnson was also a recent DFA, and he also has the option of free agency since he has been outrighted in the past. Johnson made his Major League debut in 2022, and has hit .148/.209/.213 over 67 PA while appearing in 41 games for San Francisco in the last two seasons. Known as a strong defender who can play all three outfield positions, Johnson also has plus speed, though his impressive stolen base totals from the minors (157 steals in 199 chances) haven’t yet translated into the small sample size of his big league career. His overall offensive game has yet to really show up in the big leagues, as Johnson has a .287/.370/.431 slash line over 988 PA at the Triple-A level.
Nationals Sign Rico Garcia To Two-Year Minor League Deal
The Nationals have signed right-hander Rico Garcia to a minor league contract that runs through the 2024 season, The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reports (via X). Garcia was became a free agent yesterday after being released by Washington, but he’ll now quickly rejoin the Nats.
Biceps tendinitis has kept Garcia from pitching at either the major or minor league level since July 28, and that same injury probably resulted in Garcia’s brief foray in the free agent market. Injured players can only be placed on release waivers rather than outright waivers, but it seems quite possible that there might have been a handshake deal in place for Garcia to re-sign with D.C. once the transactional red tape was cleared.
The two-year nature of the contract also seems to hint that Garcia might need more time to recover from his injury, though details are scarce on his health status. Reports from early August indicated that Garcia was starting some rehab work at the Nationals’ spring camp, but Garcia had yet to appear in any rehab games.
The 29-year-old Garcia has appeared in four of the last five MLB seasons, suiting up for five different teams. The A’s designated Garcia for assignment in July but he rejected the outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency, and he then landed with the Nationals on a minors deal. Garcia has a 9.26 ERA over 11 2/3 combined innings with Oakland and Washington this season, and a 7.32 ERA over his 35 2/3 career frames of big league work.
Tommy John surgery wiped out all of Garcia’s 2021 season, but he returned as essentially a full-time relief pitcher, and he has posted some good numbers at the Triple-A level over the last two years. His 2.93 ERA over 27 2/3 Triple-A innings this season was marred by some uncharacteristic control problems, but Garcia posted a 29.51% strikeout rate.
Astros Claim Bennett Sousa Off Waivers
The Astros have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off of Detroit’s waiver wire, according to the Tigers. The Astros announced that infielder Rylan Bannon was designated for assignment to create roster space on Houston’s 40-man. Right-hander Blair Calvo was also outrighted to the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate after clearing waivers.
Sousa has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, where he’ll provide some depth should the Astros need some left-handed help in their bullpen. Framber Valdez is the only left-hander on Houston’s MLB roster, and Sousa joins fellow Sugar Land Space Cowboys Parker Mushinski and Matt Gage as the only other left-handed options on the 40-man.
The 28-year-old Sousa is changing teams for the second time in a week, as Detroit only claimed him off waivers from the Brewers on August 29. Sousa’s brief Tigers tenure didn’t result in any Major League or minor league action with the organization, as the Tigers designated him for assignment just on September 1.
A tenth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, Sousa made his MLB debut with Chicago in 2022 before joining the Reds on a waiver claim back in February. The Brewers then acquired Sousa in April, leading to two appearances for Sousa in a Milwaukee uniform. Altogether, Sousa has appeared in 27 MLB games and thrown 23 innings during his career, posting an even 9.00 ERA. Over 193 1/3 innings in the minors, Sousa has a 2.98 ERA to go along with some good strikeout rates and grounder rates, though control has increasingly become an issue as Sousa has worked his way up the minor league ladder.
Bannon made his Major League debut last season, and has already suited up for three different teams (Orioles, Braves, Astros) over his seven career games in the Show. Perhaps best known as one of the five players acquired by the O’s from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, Bannon was involved in a flurry of waiver claims over the last five months of 2022, going from the Orioles to the Dodgers to the Braves to the Cubs and finally to the Astros in December.
His 21 career PA in the majors have only yielded two hits, but Bannon has posted some decent numbers in the minors, including a .228/.339/.420 slash line over 1191 PA at the Triple-A level. Between his bat and his ability to play second base, third base, and shortstop, it wouldn’t be a shock if Bannon is claimed again on waivers from a team looking for some infield depth.
Guardians Activate Josh Naylor From 10-Day Injured List
The Guardians announced that Josh Naylor has been activated from the 10-day injured list, with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez headed to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Naylor will return to Cleveland’s lineup after missing over a month due to a strained oblique.
Naylor was initially projected to miss between three to six weeks, so he’ll get back to action roughly halfway through that estimated recovery timetable. While missing Naylor for any amount of time was a blow to the Guardians, the club will at least get their second-best hitter back for most of September, and Naylor fortunately avoided any kind of lingering oblique issue that might’ve threatened his season entirely.
With a .306/.346/.500 slash line and 15 homers over 390 plate appearances this season, Naylor has joined Jose Ramirez as essentially the only premium bats within a lackluster Guardians lineup. The timing of Naylor’s injury seemed to almost close the door on the Guards’ chances of contending, as the team had already moved Aaron Civale, Amed Rosario, and Josh Bell in advance of the trade deadline.
However, while Cleveland is only 13-16 since the start of August, they remain five games behind the Twins for first place in the AL Central. Naylor’s impending return might have inspired the Guardians’ decision to be aggressive during the recent flurry of pre-September 1 waiver placements, as the Guards bolstered their pitching ranks by claiming Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Matt Moore from the Angels. It remains to be seen if these new arms and Naylor’s bat might be enough to get Cleveland past Minnesota, but even with a 66-70 record, the Guardians aren’t quitting on the 2023 campaign.
Twins Place Michael A. Taylor On 10-Day IL, Activate Willi Castro
The Twins placed outfielder Michael A. Taylor on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. Minnesota also announced that utilityman Willi Castro was activated from his own 10-day IL stint to take Taylor’s spot on the active roster.
Acquired from the Royals in an offseason trade, Taylor has been Minnesota’s primary center fielder this season, helping fill the void up the middle since Byron Buxton’s knee issues have limited him to DH duty. Taylor has delivered his customary excellent defense and also provided the Twins with some unexpected power, as the outfielder has hit a career-best 20 home runs. While Taylor’s .229/.281/.456 slash line over 354 plate appearances still translates to a slightly below-average 99 wRC+, that still represents Taylor’s best number since his 104 wRC+ with the Nationals in 2017. Between the glovework, the power, and 13 steals in 14 chances, Taylor has generated 1.9 fWAR, making him a nice under-the-radar contributor to the Twins’ lineup.
Unfortunately, he’ll now miss at least the 10 days healing up a balky hamstring that has been a nagging issue for most of the week. Losing Taylor is a setback for a Twins club that is still trying to put away the Guardians in the AL Central race, and Minnesota can only hope that Taylor won’t miss much beyond the 10-day minimum.
Castro has seen the second-most innings of any Twins player in center field this season, so the utilityman is likely to be joined by Andrew Stevenson, Jordan Luplow, and Joey Gallo in filling in on the grass while Taylor is out. Castro hasn’t played since August 11 due to a left oblique strain, but he’ll now return to give Minnesota a versatile depth option all over the diamond. Left field, third base, and center field have been Castro’s primary positions this year, but he has also seen some time as a second baseman, shortstop, and right fielder. At the plate, Castro is hitting .241/.322/.371 over 315 PA.
In other Twins outfield news, Buxton continues to recover from a hamstring strain of his own, though he has still been battling patella tendinitis in his bothersome right knee. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) that Buxton’s knee soreness isn’t unexpected, especially since Buxton had recently played center field during his minor league rehab assignment. This represented Buxton’s first time playing in the field in over a year.
