Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pirates Claim Thomas Hatch Off Waivers

By | at

The Pirates have claimed right-hander Thomas Hatch off outright waivers from the Blue Jays, as announced by both teams.  Toronto designated Hatch for assignment earlier this week.

The move officially ends Hatch’s tenure in the Jays organization after a little over four years, as Toronto initially acquired the righty in a deadline deal with the Cubs on July 30, 2019.  He made his MLB debut in 2020 without the benefit of any Triple-A experience (due to the canceled minor league season) and made a good first impression, as Hatch had a 2.73 ERA over 26 1/3 relief innings despite some shaky peripheral numbers.

Hatch ran into struggles after that debut season, posting a 4.45 ERA over 240 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo from 2021-23.  This inconsistency as both a starter and a reliever translated into Hatch’s limited big league work, as the Blue Jays have given him a few looks in each of the last three seasons without much success.  Hatch has an 8.85 ERA over 20 1/3 Major League innings since the start of the 2021 season, with seven of his 10 appearances coming out of the bullpen.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington was working in Toronto’s front office when Hatch was first acquired in 2019, and that familiarity surely contributed to the Bucs’ claim.  Hatch gives Pittsburgh extra depth for the rotation or the pen, and he can still be optioned to the minors through the 2024 season, providing more flexibility.  It is possible Hatch (who turns 29 in September) might thrive with a change of scenery, but at the very least, he’ll give the Pirates another arm to perhaps eat some innings over the remaining two months.

Marlins Select Geoff Hartlieb

By | at

Prior to today’s game with the Rangers, the Marlins selected Geoff Hartlieb’s contract from Triple-A Jacksonville.  Left-hander Ryan Weathers was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding transaction.

The move brings a fresh arm into Miami’s bullpen, as Weathers threw 3 2/3 innings of relief on Saturday and was hit hard, allowing six earned runs against the powerful Texas lineup.  It is possible Hartlieb’s stint in the majors lasts for only a day until the Marlins need a roster spot to bring Eury Perez back to the Show, but Hartlieb pitched an inning against the Rangers, marking his first MLB appearance since 2021.

Hartlieb signed a minor league deal with Miami during the winter and has spent the entire season in Jacksonville, though injuries kept him on the shelf until May.  This late start might’ve cost the right-hander an earlier look on the big league roster, as Hartlieb has a 3.18 ERA over 34 relief innings and some solid peripherals (25.5% strikeout rate, 9.2% walk rate, 47.2% grounder rate).

A 29th-rounder for Pittsburgh in the 2016 draft, Hartlieb tossed 66 1/3 innings over 57 games with the Pirates and Mets from 2019-2021, posting a 7.46 ERA.  The Red Sox acquired him via waiver claim in September 2021 but he didn’t receive any Major League action in over a year in the organization, as Hartlieb had a 5.16 ERA over 61 innings for Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in 2022.

Athletics Designate Ramon Laureano, Release Manny Pina

By | at

The Athletics announced a series of moves, including the news that outfielder Ramon Laureano has been designated for assignment.  As for two other players recently DFA’ed by Oakland, catcher Manny Pina was released and utilityman Tyler Wade was outrighted to Triple-A.  The moves create roster space for some injured list activations, as Esteury Ruiz is back from the 10-day IL and Dany Jimenez was activated from the 60-day IL.  Kevin Smith was also reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A, while the A’s also optioned right-hander Tayler Scott to Triple-A.

Laureano has been on the injured list twice this season, missing about six total weeks due to a groin strain and a fractured hand suffered while sliding into a base.  This has continued a pattern of injuries that have plagued Laureano over the last few years, to say nothing of the 80-game PED suspension that cost him portions of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.  Since returning to action in 2022, Laureano has hit only .212/.285/.371 over 629 plate appearances.

It stands to reason that if it wasn’t for the health concerns and the lack of production, Laureano would have joined the many other notables traded during Oakland’s fire sale.  Laureano is still controlled through the 2025 season, making him an interesting possibility for a team looking for outfield help — he could draw a waiver claim from a contender looking to add depth, or a non-contender just looking to add a controllable asset.  The fact that the A’s didn’t move him before the deadline for at least a token return might speak to a general lack of trade interest, or an interested team might not have wanted to give anything up in a deal, betting that Laureano might come available on the DFA wire.

Ruiz missed about a month due to a right shoulder subluxation, so a month-long absence ended up being a welcome scenario given the potential seriousness of such a shoulder problem.  He’ll return to his customary spot in center field and continue a rookie season that has seen Ruiz hit .257/.310/.329 over 369 PA.  Even despite missing a month, Ruiz is still the AL leader in stolen bases with 43, and Ronald Acuna Jr. (51) is the only player in baseball with more swipes than the speedy Ruiz.

Jimenez hasn’t pitched since April 16 due to a right shoulder strain, so he has only 6 2/3 innings (and a 5.40 ERA) on his ledger for the 2023 campaign.  Shoulder problems also interrupted Jimenez’s rookie season, though he managed a 3.41 ERA over 34 1/3 innings for the Athletics last year and entered the spring as a contender for the closer role.  While the A’s probably won’t immediately insert Jimenez into the highest of high-leverage situations, there’s plenty of time left in the season for Jimenez to post some good results and get himself into the rebuilding team’s plans for 2024.

This is the third time Wade has been DFA’ed, cleared waivers, and outrighted off of the Athletics’ 40-man roster.  He again has the right to reject the outright assignment and become a free agent, though it stands to reason that he might again opt to remain with the A’s and await another opportunity.

Pina’s first season with the A’s has seen him play in only four games, as he has again battled wrist injuries for the second consecutive year.  All told, Pina has suited up in only nine MLB games since the start of the 2022 season, with these injuries coming on the heels of a six-year as a part-time catcher with the Brewers.  The Athletics acquired Pina last winter from the Braves as part of the Sean Murphy deal, and the A’s are still responsible for the roughly $1.5MM remaining on Pina’s contract for 2023.  If Pina does sign elsewhere, his new team will only owe him a prorated MLB minimum salary for any time he spends on an active roster, with that salary subtracted from the Athletics’ $1.5MM tab.

Reds Place Jake Fraley On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

2:58PM: Reds manager David Bell spoke with The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters about Fraley’s injury, saying a play in Thursday’s game “re-aggravated” the issue and “pushed him to a point where it’s a different type of pain.”  In terms of when the outfielder might be back, “we still haven’t pinpointed a time frame, which is actually good.  He’s still trying to get all the information.  In [Fraley’s] mind, he’s trying to get back in a few weeks, which is great.  That’s how I’m going to think about it.”

10:10AM: The Reds placed outfielder Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list due to a stress fracture in his left fourth toe.  The club also announced that outfielder TJ Hopkins was called up from Triple-A, and that right-hander Lyon Richardson was added to the taxi squad in advance of his planned start on Sunday.

The IL placement is retroactive to August 4, as Fraley didn’t play in Cincinnati’s 6-3 loss to Washington yesterday.  The nature and severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but it would certainly seem like Fraley will miss well beyond 10 days, leaving a notable hole in the Reds lineup.  This is the second straight year that Fraley has been sidelined by a toe injury, as while rehabbing a knee injury in 2022, his time on the IL was extended due to a toe issue suffered during rehab.

Between the injuries and the fact that the Reds use Fraley almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, he has played in only 160 games since Cincinnati acquired the outfielder as part of the Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker trade with the Mariners in March 2022.  When he has been able to play, however, Fraley has been a productive bat, hitting .261/.345/.467 with 27 homers over 574 plate appearances — that works out to a 116 wRC+ over essentially the equivalent of one full season.  Playing both corner outfield positions, Fraley has been a very useful platoon option for the Reds to mix and match in their outfield.

Hopkins has a .367 OPS over 25 PA in his rookie season, plus as a right-handed bat, he’s an imperfect fill-in option for Fraley’s specific role.  Nick Senzel and Stuart Fairchild (also right-handed hitters) figure to get more playing time in Fraley’s absence, or the Reds could continue to give Spencer Steer regular looks in left field.

As much as the Reds’ influx of young talent was seemingly going to create a crunch for playing time, injuries have now provided an unfortunate solution to that issue.  Fraley joins Jonathan India on the 10-day IL, and while India was at least hopeful of a quick return, Cincinnati is now missing two experienced bats in the midst of a playoff race.  The Reds are on a four-game losing streak, and are 9-12 since the All-Star break.

Tigers Release Matt Wisler

By | at

The Tigers announced that right-hander Matt Wisler was released from his minor league contract with the club.  Wisler signed in February but hadn’t received a call-up to the majors, and he has a 4.40 ERA over 47 innings with Triple-A Toledo.

Digging deeper into the numbers, Wisler had a 25.2% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate in Toledo, and the spike in walks stands out considering that Wisler had a very solid 7.6BB% over his 507 1/3 career innings in the big leagues.  The Tigers simply never felt compelled to see what Wisler could contribute to their big league bullpen, and thus the 30-year-old will again hit the open market.

The Rays designated Wisler for assignment last September, and after he chose free agency rather than accept an outright assignment, he stayed unsigned until landing with Detroit in mid-February.  With the trade deadline now passed and teams having fewer avenues to make additions, there’s bound to be some interest in a pitcher who has a 2.59 ERA over 118 MLB innings since the start of the 2021 season.

Wisler has bounced around from the Twins to the Giants to the Rays to the Tigers over the last four seasons, with clubs looking beyond the surface ERA to some red flags.  For instance, Wisler also had a high walk rate over 25 innings with the Twins in 2020, and he benefited greatly from a .198 BABIP in 2022 that helped mask a lot of hard contact and a velocity on both his fastball and slider.  His performance in Toledo might not have exactly calmed any doubts about his ability to again thrive at the MLB level, but it will be interesting to monitor what teams might make a play for his services.

White Sox Claim Brent Honeywell, Select Lane Ramsey

By | at

The White Sox added a pair of right-handers to their 40-man roster, announcing that Lane Ramsey’s contract was selected from Triple-A and that Brent Honeywell Jr. was claimed off waivers from the Padres.  Right-hander Gregory Santos was placed on the bereavement list in a corresponding move.

San Diego designated Honeywell for assignment on Wednesday, one of a few transactions made to make space for the Padres’ trade deadline acquisitions.  Honeywell has a 4.05 ERA/4.31 SIERA over 46 2/3 relief innings this season, with a solid 48.9% grounder rate but below-average strikeout (20.5%) and walk (10.2%) rates.  The righty had some of the highest hard-contact numbers in the league, and a solid 7.2% barrel rate hasn’t quite been enough to limit the damage, as Honeywell has allowed eight home runs.

These shaky numbers notwithstanding, simply getting onto the mound represented a great result for Honeywell after years of injuries.  A top-100 regular during his days as a prospect in the Rays system, Honeywell has already undergone four different surgeries on his throwing elbow, including a Tommy John procedure.  As a result, Honeywell’s MLB resume prior to this season consisted of a three-game cup of coffee with Tampa Bay in 2021, with Honeywell tossing 4 1/3 total innings.

Honeywell was a low-cost winter signing for the Padres on a split contract, and it’s safe to say both sides were probably satisfied with how the deal worked out.  It is quite possible San Diego would’ve preferred to keep Honeywell if he wasn’t out of minor league options, so with a 26-man roster crunch, the Padres had to risk losing him on a waiver claim.  It isn’t surprising that the White Sox (and probably some other teams) had an eye on a former top prospect who might finally be healthy and ready to perform, and since Chicago is out of the race, they’ll have the rest of the season to evaluate Honeywell and see if he might be in their plans for 2024.

Ramsey was a 23rd-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, and the 27-year-old is now on the verge of his debut appearance in the Show.  Now in his third season at Triple-A Charlotte, Ramsey hadn’t much success at the top minor league level, with a 5.79 ERA over 79 1/3 innings (pitching as a reliever in 70 of 72 appearances) with a 25.34% strikeout rate and an ungainly 15.36% walk rate.  Ramsey is something of a prototypical hard-throwing reliever who hasn’t quite been able to translate that velocity into control or a higher-tier strikeout rate, though the White Sox coaches will get a closer look at his live arm during his stint in the majors.

Marlins Announce Four Roster Moves

By | at

The Marlins placed right-hander JT Chargois on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 4) and designated left-hander Devin Smeltzer for assignment, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.  In corresponding moves, the club called up righty Huascar Brazoban and left-hander Ryan Weathers from Triple-A.

This is the third time that Smeltzer has been DFA’ed this season, so it is possible that he’ll once again clear waivers and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Jacksonville.  He does have the ability to reject an outright and become a free agent, though Smeltzer might not mind shuttling back and forth as one of the Marlins’ go-to depth options.

The numbers also aren’t in Smeltzer’s favor this season, as he has a 5.79 ERA over 18 2/3 innings with the Marlins and a 5.95 ERA over 65 frames at the Triple-A level.  The home run problems that arose for Smeltzer with the Twins in 2022 have continued this year, as he has allowed 20 homers over his 83 2/3 combined innings at both levels.  Smeltzer has started all 14 of his games in Jacksonville but he has only started one of his eight appearances with the Marlins, as Miami has mostly utilized him as a long reliever.

Chargois is dealing with a strain in his right rib cage, marking his second IL stint of the season after he missed about five weeks earlier this year with a right oblique strain.  When he has been able to play, Chargois has been a solid member of Miami’s bullpen, posting a 3.68 ERA/4.09 SIERA over 29 1/3 innings.  Despite a 96.3mph fastball, Chargois isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, instead relying on soft contact and keeping the ball on the ground.  The right-hander has a 59.3% grounder rate this season, and a .259 BABIP has further enhanced his success.

It isn’t great news for the Marlins to lose a pretty reliable reliever during their playoff push, especially after the club made a point of adding to its bullpen at the deadline.  The reinforcements from Jacksonville might help, as Brazoban has also been back and forth from Triple-A a couple of times this season, while Weathers is now set to make his Marlins debut.  The Fish acquired Weathers from the Padres in exchange for Garrett Cooper and Sean Reynolds in a deadline deal on Tuesday, and Weathers will look to get on track in a new environment after posting a 6.25 ERA over 44 2/3 innings with San Diego this season.

Jorge Alfaro Elects Free Agency

By | at

Catcher Jorge Alfaro has elected to become a free agent, according to his MLB.com player page.  Alfaro was designated for assignment by the Red Sox earlier this week and he cleared waivers, then choosing to return to the open market rather than accept an outright assignment to Boston’s Triple-A affiliate.

Alfaro has now been a free agent four times in the last eight months, with three of those trips coming since the start of June.  After signing a minor league deal with the Red Sox during the offseason, Alfaro exercised his June 1 opt-out clause and then caught on with the Rockies on another minors pact.  Colorado selected Alfaro to the majors for 10 games, but then DFA’ed the veteran in early July, and Alfaro returned to the Sox on a Major League contract after again choosing free agency over an outright assignment.

In reaching five years of MLB service time last season, Alfaro gained the right to reject any outright assignment in favor of free agency.  The 30-year-old appears intent on seeing if he can find another guaranteed big league deal or at least a minor league contract on a team with more opportunity for an eventual promotion to the majors.  That might preclude a return to Boston, now that Reese McGuire is back from the injured list and sharing time with Connor Wong.  Alfaro has hit only .146/.212/.292 over 52 plate appearances this season, but with catching depth scarce around the league, it might not take him long to secure another contract.

Marlins Had Interest In Turner, Lynn, Cron Prior To Trade Deadline

By | at

The Marlins were one of the league’s busier teams in advance of the trade deadline, as Miami made several moves to bolster its lineup and bullpen for the wild card race.  Such names as Josh Bell, David Robertson, Jake Burger, Jorge Lopez, and Ryan Weathers joined the organization, but there were plenty of interesting players on Miami’s radar, including a few who weren’t previously mentioned in pre-deadline buzz.  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Levi Weaver report that the Marlins had “extensive discussions” with the Red Sox about Justin Turner, while Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report that the Marlins were also interested in Lance Lynn and C.J. Cron.

Reports surfaced on July 28 that the Sox weren’t moving Turner, which is probably when (as Rosenthal and Weaver write) the Marlins turned their attention to other position players.  Miami’s talks with the White Sox about Lynn also developed into the eventual Burger trade, as the Fish landed Burger for left-hander Jake Eder in a one-for-one swap.  Burger was also something of a fallback once the Marlins balked at the Nationals’ asking price for Jeimer Candelario, and Miami was more comfortable trading a controllable pitcher like Eder for another younger player with multiple years of control, whereas Candelario is a free agent after the season.

Lynn and Cron were seen as likely trade candidates since the White Sox and Rockies are both out of contention, and indeed both players were moved in pre-deadline deals.  (Chicago sent Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers as part of a five-player trade, while the Rockies dealt Cron and Randal Grichuk to the Angels for two pitching prospects.)  There would certainly have been more eyebrows raised over a Turner deal given that the Red Sox are fighting for a wild card berth in the American League, yet even such a trade wouldn’t have been a total shock considering how Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom both moved and acquired veterans at the 2022 deadline when Boston was also on the periphery of the playoff chase.

This year’s deadline season was comparatively quieter at Fenway Park, as the Sox only acquired Luis Urias from the Brewers and sent Enrique Hernandez to the Dodgers.  The Red Sox were known to be looking for controllable pitching, and Rosenthal/Weaver theorize that the Marlins’ deep crop of arms might have gotten Bloom to at least consider the idea of moving Turner.

Speculatively, it is also worth wondering if Edward Cabrera might have been part of the Marlins/Red Sox talks.  Jackson and Mish write that several teams called about Cabrera, to the point that the Marlins had Devin Smeltzer on hand in case Cabrera was moved prior to his scheduled start on Monday.  Cabrera only lasted three innings in that start, and he was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday and Smeltzer’s contract was officially selected from Triple-A a day later.

As much as the Red Sox needed pitching, it is safe to guess that trading Turner for almost anyone wouldn’t have gone over well with Boston fans, or even within the clubhouse.  Turner has hit .286/.356/.481 with 17 homers over 441 plate appearances, with his offense steadily increasing over the course of the season.  Though Turner will be 39 in November, he is still playing well enough that it’s possible he could opt out of the final season of his two-year contract with the Sox and again enter free agency this winter, looking to land a more lucrative multi-year commitment.  If that scenario occurs, one would imagine the Marlins would come calling, considering their interest in Turner dates back at last winter.

Justin Wilson Won’t Pitch Again In 2023

By | at

When the Brewers placed Justin Wilson on the 15-day injured list on July 29, it was expected that the southpaw was in for another lengthy absence.  Manager Craig Counsell described Wilson’s left lat strain as “pretty significant” at the time, and Counsell updated reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) on Friday that Wilson will indeed miss the rest of the 2023 season.

Wilson’s year will end without a single MLB appearance, as his time on the Brewers’ active roster was short-lived.  Milwaukee only activated Wilson from the 60-day IL on July 28, as the left-hander was returning from Tommy John surgery rehab.  Unfortunately, Wilson was warming up in the bullpen for his first appearance of the season when he suffered his lat strain, thus ending his Brewers debut before it officially happened.  Between this injury and the TJ surgery, Wilson has only pitched in five games (for 3 2/3 innings) since the start of the 2022 season.

The Brew Crew signed Wilson to a one-year free agent deal last offseason worth $1MM in guaranteed money — $850K in salary for 2023, and a $150K buyout of a $2.5MM club option for 2024.  The contract was designed to give Milwaukee some flexibility if Wilson ended up missing most or all of the season due to Tommy John rehab, so in theory, the lat strain shouldn’t much change the original equation for the team.  On the other hand, $2.5MM is a decent amount of money for a medium-payroll team to spend on a veteran (Wilson turns 36 this month) reliever who hasn’t pitched in almost two full seasons.  This isn’t a decision the Brewers will have to make until after the World Series is over, so there’s plenty of time for the club to monitor Wilson’s recovery from the lat injury.

In better injury news for the Brewers, Counsell said that Rowdy Tellez is slated to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Tellez hasn’t played since July 4, as a 10-day IL stint that started due to forearm inflammation was then extended when Tellez broke the fingertip on his left ring finger in a fluke accident while shagging fly balls before a game.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top