Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Yankees Acquire Jose Trevino From Rangers

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2022 at 5:38pm CDT

The Rangers and Yankees have announced a trade, as catcher Jose Trevino is headed to New York in exchange for right-hander Albert Abreu and left-hander Robby Ahlstrom.

The deal represents the latest shuffle in the Yankees’ catching situation, after Gary Sanchez was dealt to the Twins as part of the blockbuster deal that brought Josh Donaldson, Ben Rortvedt, and (Trevino’s former Texas teammate) Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Bronx. The initial plan seemed to be a defense-first platoon of Rortvedt and Kyle Higashioka, though Rortvedt has yet to play in any Spring Training games due to an oblique strain. With Rortvedt not expected to begin the season on the active roster, the Yankees instead now turn to a more experienced big leaguer in Trevino, who has 156 MLB games played to Rortvedt’s 39.

Trevino and Higashioka are both right-handed hitters, making for more of an imperfect platoon fit than the Higashioka/Rortvedt combo, yet the first priority still seems to be defense considering Trevino’s lack of offensive pop. Over his 516 career plate appearances with the Rangers, Trevino has batted only .245/.270/.364. Framing-wise, Statcast considered Trevino to be among the best in baseball last season.

Today’s trade marks the third notable swap between the Yankees and Rangers in less than a year, following last season’s deals that saw Texas sent Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor to New York. It’s probably safe to assume that the two teams discussed Trevino, Abreu, or Ahlstrom at some point during those many negotiations before things finally lined up due to changing roster needs.

For the Rangers, the acquisition of Mitch Garver made Trevino expendable, as Jonah Heim now takes over as the backup catcher. Meibrys Viloria and Yohel Pozo are also in camp on minor league deals, and top prospect Sam Huff is still in the mix at catcher, even though he played only at first base after returning from knee surgery early last season.

It wasn’t long ago that Abreu was garnering attention on top-100 prospect lists, except injuries and control problems hampered his progress up the minor league ladder. Abreu has a 3.77 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate, and an 11.26% walk rate over 455 2/3 innings in the minors, and he started 87 of his 115 games. In the majors, Abreu didn’t do much to retain a foothold in the Yankees’ bullpen, posting a 5.68 ERA and 12.6% walk rate in 38 innings as a big leaguer.

Abreu is out of minor league options, thus making him something of an expendable piece for the Yankees. The Rangers will replace Trevino with Abreu on their 40-man roster and see if the righty can get a fresh start working out of the Texas relief corps.

Ahlstrom was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 draft, and the former Oregon Duck has yet to officially begin his pro career. Baseball America’s pre-draft scouting report described the southpaw as “a fiery presence on the mound,” with the ability to consistently throw each of his three pitches (fastball, curve, changeup) for strikes. The latter two pitches are only graded as average, however, and Ahlstrom’s fastball generally clocked in the 88-89mph range, topping out at 92mph.

Cubs Select Jesse Chavez’s Contract

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2022 at 5:34pm CDT

Jesse Chavez has officially made the Cubs’ Opening Day roster, as the team announced that it had selected the veteran right-hander’s contract. No corresponding move needed to be made, as the Cubs had an open spot on their 40-man roster.

There isn’t much surprise to the move, as it was widely expected that Chavez would crack Chicago’s roster when he signed his split contract earlier this month. Chavez’s first game will officially make it 15 MLB seasons for the 38-year-old, and his second stint as a Cub, after tossing 38 innings for the Wrigleyville team in 2018.

A rough 2020 season with the Rangers meant that Chavez had to settle for minor league contracts in the 2020-21 offseason, with Chavez first signing with the Angels and then with the Braves after Los Angeles cut him at the end of Spring Training. The end result was the first World Series ring of Chavez’s long career, as he eventually made Atlanta’s roster and then pitched 33 2/3 innings in the regular season and 6 1/3 more frames in the playoffs.

Chavez posted a 2.14 ERA during the regular season, and while his 3.69 xFIP/3.58 SIERA indicate some good fortune, the righty helped his case with a solid 27.1% strikeout rate. Most strikingly, Chavez didn’t allow a single homer in either the regular season or postseason, a surprising outcome for a pitcher who has long struggled at keeping the ball in the park.

The bullpen has been a priority for the Cubs this winter, as Chavez joins David Robertson, Mychal Givens, Daniel Norris, Chris Martin, Adrian Sampson, and Robert Gsellman as new relief options to join the club. Chavez figures to pitch in his usual middle relief role, though he also received four pseudo-starts last year as an opener.

AL East Notes: Pearson, Borucki, Harvey, Judge, Meadows, Rays, Pollock

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2022 at 5:12pm CDT

The Blue Jays are dealing with some injury concerns in their bullpen, as Nate Pearson is dealing with a non-COVID illness and Ryan Borucki left yesterday’s game with discomfort in his right hamstring. Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter link) and other reporters that Borucki will undergo an MRI. More will be known about Borucki’s situation when the MRI results are in, but for Pearson, his illness has limited him to only two appearances thus far in Grapefruit League action.

In all likelihood, Pearson’s illness will keep him from making Toronto’s Opening Day roster. While this issue seems less serious than the other injuries that have sidelined the righty over the last two years, it represents yet another setback for the former top prospect. As for Borucki, the southpaw has been a pretty solid reliever when healthy, though he missed almost all of the 2019 season due to elbow problems and over two months of last season with a forearm strain. If another IL stint is required for Borucki, Tim Mayza will be the only left-hander in the Jays’ projected bullpen, which could open the door for Anthony Kay, Tayler Saucedo, or Andrew Vasquez to break camp.

Cardinals, Harrison Bader Avoid Arbitration With Two-Year Extension

By Mark Polishuk | April 2, 2022 at 3:29pm CDT

The Cardinals and outfielder Harrison Bader have agreed to a two-year, $10.4MM contract extension, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (all Twitter links). The deal will cover Bader’s final two years of salary arbitration eligibility, and he’ll now receive a $1MM signing bonus up front, and $4.7MM salaries in both 2022 and 2023. Up to $2.25MM in incentive clauses can also be earned for the 2023 season, based on plate appearances or games-played thresholds. Bader is represented by Vayner Sports.

There was a sizable gap between Bader and the Cardinals when the two sides submitted their arbitration figures, as Bader was looking for $4.8MM and the team countered with a $3.8MM number. (Both figures were higher than the $3.7MM that MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projected for Bader’s 2022 salary.) The extension now means that a hearing is no longer necessary, and Bader’s arbitration process can be sidestepped entirely next winter.

It’s a nice payday for Bader, who has gone from being a backup outfielder to something of an under-the-radar five-tool talent. There was never any question about Bader’s defense, and his excellent center field glovework was recognized with his first Gold Glove Award in 2021. Bader is also a strong baserunner and could hit left-handed pitching, but questions persisted as to whether or not he could produce against right-handers.

Bader answered the critics last season, batting .273/.331/.458 with 12 homers over 326 PA against righties. Oddly, this slash line actually topped his numbers against southpaws, yet the sum total was still a .267/.324/.460 slash and 16 homers over 401 plate appearances (110 wRC+, 116 OPS+). Between this above-average offense and great defense, Bader was a 3.4 fWAR player in only 103 games, as he missed almost two full months of the season with forearm and rib injuries.

This isn’t to say that Bader is necessarily a finished product at the plate, as he had subpar hard-contact numbers and didn’t generate many walks last season. His .331 wOBA was also far higher than his .295 xwOBA, so there was certainly some good fortune at play. Still, even if Bader’s offense takes a step backwards, his defense is alone good enough to merit at least a part-time outfield role.

Between Bader in center, fellow Gold Glover Tyler O’Neill in left field, and star prospect-turned-breakout player Dylan Carlson in right field, St. Louis has one of baseball’s best young outfields, and this trio was a major reason why the Cardinals pulled off a late-season surge to make the playoffs. The Cards augmented this group of right-handed hitters with lefty-swinging Corey Dickerson this winter, plus Lars Nootbaar and the versatile Tommy Edman will be getting some time on the grass.

The Bader extension takes care of one of the Cards’ two outstanding arb cases, as O’Neill has also yet to agree on his deal for the 2022 season. However, MLB.com’s John Denton hears from a source that “progress is being made” toward an agreement with O’Neill.

Cubs’ Wade Miley To Begin Season On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 5:18pm CDT

Cubs southpaw Wade Miley has been shut down for the next 10 days after an MRI revealed inflammation in his throwing elbow. There isn’t a known timetable for Miley’s return, but the shutdown period does mean that Miley will begin the season on the injured list. This could delay Miley’s season debut until late April or even early May, but Cubs manager David Ross told reporters (including The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro) that Miley’s injury isn’t seen as a major concern.

Miley’s absence creates at least a temporary hole in Chicago’s rotation. Miley was projected as the third starter behind Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks, with Drew Smyly (another offseason veteran acquisition) now looking to be moved up a slot in the starting five. Alec Mills, Justin Steele, and Keegan Thompson are the top candidates for the final two rotation spots, though with such options as youngers Brailyn Marquez, Anderson Espinoza and Cory Abbott, and non-roster veterans like Steven Brault and Adrian Sampson, the Cubs have a lot of options on hand, if also many question marks.

Miley was one of the first players to change teams this offseason, when the Reds surprisingly placed him on waivers rather than just pay the $1MM buyout of Miley’s $10MM club option for 2022. The Cubs jumped to claim Miley and then exercise that option, thus giving Chicago some much-needed veteran rotation depth at the expense of a cost-cutting division rival.

As he enters his age-35 season, Miley has been a pretty durable pitcher for much of his career, though he tossed only 14 1/3 innings during the abbreviated 2020 season due to groin and shoulder problems. Miley rebounded with a solid effort in 2021, posting a 3.37 ERA and 49.4% grounder rate over 163 innings for Cincinnati and relying on soft contact and above-average control to counteract his lack of strikeouts or fastball velocity.

Another newly-acquired Cub might also be starting his Wrigleyville tenure on the IL, as Montemurro tweets that shortstop Andrelton Simmons is still working through some right shoulder soreness. Simmons has been throwing, but getting fully ready by Opening Day may not be feasible, since the veteran has played in only one Spring Training game.

Guardians, Emmanuel Clase Discussing Contract Extension

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 4:55pm CDT

4:55PM: There isn’t an agreement in place, Clase’s agent tells Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, though the two sides have been discussing an extension. Like most players, Clase has set Opening Day as a deadline for talks, so he can focus on baseball once the season begins.

4:17PM: The Guardians have agreed to a contract extension with right-hander Emmanuel Clase, El Extra Base’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes reports (Twitter link). Clase is represented by Nova Sports Agency.

The Cleveland organization has long made a strategy of trying to lock up promising young players early in their careers, and the Clase deal represents another such move. Clase was already under team control through the 2026 season, and wasn’t scheduled for arbitration eligibility until the 2023-24 offseason. It can be assumed that the extension will give the Guardians some control over at least one of Clase’s free agent years, while also giving the team some cost certainty rather than face an escalating price tag through Clase’s arb-eligible seasons.

Considering how save totals often lead to big arbitration raises for closers, the Guardians could be making a canny move in extending Clase now, as the 24-year-old looks like one of the sport’s most promising young relievers. Pitching in his first full season in 2021, Clase dominated batters to the tune of a 1.29 ERA, 67.6% grounder rate, 26.5% strikeout rate, and 5.7% walk rate over 69 2/3 innings. Clase finished in the upper echelon of basically every Statcast metric in the book, while also averaging 100.3 mph on his fastball. If that wasn’t enough, Clase complemented that great fastball with a devastating slider.

The result was a fifth-place finish in AL Rookie Of The Year voting, and a nice bounce-back for Clase following a lost 2020 season. Clase and Delino DeShields were acquired from the Rangers for Corey Kluber in December 2019, with Clase seen as the cornerstone of the deal from Cleveland’s perspective and possibly a closer of the future. However, Clase didn’t pitch at all in 2020 due to a teres major muscle strain and then an 80-game PED suspension.

Those twin issues both sidelined Clase and cost him a year of service time, extending the Guardians’ control through 2026. It is possible that contributed to Clase’s decision to take the extension and lock in some guaranteed money now, giving Clase his first big professional payday.

Clase moved into the full-time closer role last season as James Karinchak began to struggle after a hot start, and Karinchak’s recent injury concerns (also with a teres major issue) removed any doubt about Clase continuing as the Guardians’ top choice for the ninth inning. Clase with now headline a bullpen that features veteran Bryan Shaw and converted outfielder Anthony Gose as the top set-up options until Karinchak is ready.

The extension also makes Clase the only long-term commitment on the Guards’ books, as not a single other player is guaranteed money beyond the 2022 season. While a lack of spending this winter has led to a lot of consternation amongst Cleveland fans, the Guardians have also been exploring an even bigger extension with star Jose Ramirez.

Cardinals Release Ricardo Sanchez, Jesus Cruz

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 3:51pm CDT

The Cardinals have released left-hander Ricardo Sanchez and right-hander Jesus Cruz. Neither hurler pitched in the majors in 2021, as Sanchez was recovering from Tommy John surgery and Cruz spent the season at the Cards’ alternate training camp in April and then with Triple-A Memphis.

Both pitchers made their MLB debuts in 2020, with Sanchez getting a slightly longer look in the Show. Sanchez pitched 5 1/3 innings over three appearances with St. Louis, while Cruz was up in pure “cup of coffee” form with one inning of work in a single game.

Sanchez’s debut season was also set back by a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, as he was one of many Cardinals players caught up in an outbreak that ravaged the roster. The southpaw was also sidelined by elbow problems in August that eventually resulted in the TJ procedure in October 2020. Going by the normal 12-15 month Tommy John recovery timeline, Sanchez should be ready to pitch again, though it isn’t known if he experienced any setbacks in his rehab.

Sanchez is a veteran of seven pro seasons, mostly spent in the Braves’ farm system. The left-hander has a 4.52 ERA over 517 1/3 career innings in the minors, though he had gradually improved the control issues that plagued him in his early days.

Cruz was an international signing for the Cardinals in the 2017-18 July 2 class, spending some time in the Mexican League before joining the Cards organization. Cruz posted a 3.90 ERA over 210 minor league innings, amassing a strong 29.86% strikeout rate, but with a high 13.38% walk rate. Troublingly, Cruz’s control issues have gotten worse as he has worked his way up the minor league ladder.

Jacob deGrom Shut Down For Four Weeks Due To Stress Reaction In Shoulder

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 3:05pm CDT

Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom was to undergo an MRI today, and the news isn’t positive for the former NL Cy Young Award winner. As per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, deGrom suffered a stress reaction in his right scapula. The Mets announced that DeGrom will be re-evaluated after being shut down for the next four weeks.

Between the shutdown, the necessary ramp-up period, and probably some natural caution given all of deGrom’s recent injuries, a 60-day IL placement seems likely. That would put deGrom on track for a June debut in a best-case scenario, and thus it will mean that the ace will be going roughly 11 months between Major League outings. DeGrom last pitched on July 7, 2021 before then suffering a forearm issue that wound up ending his season.

Between that forearm problem and multiple smaller injuries beforehand, deGrom pitched only 92 innings in 2021, though he was spectacular in that abbreviated campaign. DeGrom had a 1.08 ERA, 45.1% strikeout rate, and a 3.4% walk rate, and seemed to be on pace for a season for the ages. Despite all his missed time, deGrom’s performance still earned him a ninth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting.

If there is any silver lining to today’s news, a stress reaction is at least preferable to a more serious shoulder injury, as Passan writes that “typically, stress reactions are healed through rest.” Retired right-hander Brandon McCarthy (who suffered the same injury early in his career) also chimed in, tweeting that the stress reaction “really isn’t a big deal. Not as big as it seems. [DeGrom will] be just fine.”

With deGrom out of action, the Mets’ rotation depth will be tested again. Max Scherzer, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, and the newly-acquired Chris Bassitt will now form the top four, and one of Tylor Megill, Trevor Williams, or David Peterson will step into that fifth starter’s role. It could be that the Mets use more than one of those hurlers as a starter, and as always, a new acquisition can’t be ruled out given how aggressive the Mets have been this winter. However, GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News) that deGrom’s injury doesn’t necessarily make a trade for pitching any more likely.

Beyond the short-term impact of the injury on deGrom’s status and on the Mets’ season, there is also a longer-term contractual situation looming. DeGrom has already stated that he plans to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract following the season, though naturally this latest injury could change his thinking. DeGrom is owed $33.5MM this season and $30.5MM in 2023, and New York has a $32.5MM club option on his services for 2024. If deGrom returns from his injury and posts his usual numbers, he’ll still surely opt out in search of a lengthier and more lucrative deal with the Mets or another team. Should he miss more time, however, or struggle following his return, it will create more of a decision for deGrom in choosing whether or not to test the open market.

Athletics Outright Grant Holmes To Triple-A

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 2:02pm CDT

The Athletics announced that right-hander Grant Holmes has been outrighted off the 40-man roster, and been assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. Such a move was necessary to remove Holmes from the 40-man since the 26-year-old is out of minor league options.

Holmes was the 22nd overall pick of the 2014 draft, and a regular on top-100 prospect lists for his first few minor league seasons. Originally selected by the Dodgers, he was dealt to Oakland as part of a deadline-day swap in 2016, as the A’s picked up Holmes, Frankie Montas, and Jharel Cotton from Los Angeles in exchange for Josh Reddick and Rich Hill.

Arguably the best prospect of that three-player package at the time, Holmes has yet to reach the majors due to a lot of inconsistent performances down on the farm. Holmes has a 4.43 ERA over 592 2/3 career minor league innings, including a 7.61 ERA over 71 frames at the Triple-A level. Some shoulder problems have impacted him along the way, and Holmes was of course one of countless players whose careers were set back by the canceled 2020 minor league season. With outright waivers now cleared, Holmes will try again in Triple-A and see if he can finally get on track.

The move opens up a spot on Oakland’s 40-man roster, which forecasts that the Athletics will be selecting at least one of their non-roster invites to the big league roster. Eric Thames, Justin Grimm, Dany Jimenez, and Austin Pruitt are among the notable names in camp on minor league deals, and any or all have a case to break camp, so the A’s might need to carve out some more 40-man space between now and Opening Day. Injuries could play a role, as both of Deolis Guerra and Brent Honeywell Jr. could be headed for the 60-day injured list.

Blue Jays Select David Phelps’ Contract

By Mark Polishuk | April 1, 2022 at 1:31pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced that David Phelps will break camp with the team, and that his minor league contract has been selected to the active roster.

The veteran right-hander will receive a $1.75MM salary, and Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (via Twitter) reports that Phelps can earn another $1.75MM in incentives. Phelps gets an extra $250K for appearing in 35 games, and then additional $250K bonuses for every additional five appearances, topping out at the 65-game plateau.

Phelps is now set to play in what will be his 10th Major League season, and looks to rebound from an injury-shortened 2021. A ruptured lat muscle ended Phelps’ season after only 10 1/3 innings of work, and the 35-year-old said he even considered retiring rather than face such a lengthy recovery process. However, Phelps decided to give it another chance, and ended up re-signing with Toronto on a minors deal. It isn’t the first time Phelps has overcome a major injury, as he missed a big chunk of 2013 due to a forearm strain, and then all of the 2018 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

These stops and starts have perhaps made Phelps something of an underrated pitcher, especially since he became more or less a full-time reliever in 2016. Since the start of the 2016 campaign, Phelps has a 3.12 ERA and 29.9% strikeout rate over 207 2/3 innings with six different teams. Phelps is prone to some free passes (he also has a 10.4% walk rate over the last six seasons), but he has generally been a solid bullpen weapon when healthy. Toronto is hopeful that Phelps can continue this form in 2022, and add some depth to a relief corps that is pretty much unchanged from last year, barring the acquisition of Yimi Garcia.

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