Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Reds Place Dauri Moreta On Injured List, Select Ryan Hendrix

By | at

The Reds placed right-hander Dauri Moreta on the injured list, and selected the contract of right-hander Ryan Hendrix from Triple-A.  No official designation was given for Moreta’s placement, so it would seem to be related to COVID-19.

Cincinnati is swapping one second-year righty for another, as both Moreta and Hendrix made their big league debuts in 2021.  Moreta tossed 3 2/3 innings in the majors last year and then 26 2/3 frames this season, with a 7.09 ERA to show for his 2022 work.  The long ball is the chief reason for Moreta’s struggles, as he has allowed nine home runs over his 26 2/3 innings.

Hendrix’s career resume is essentially the opposite of Moreta’s, with 31 2/3 innings in his rookie season and then only 3 1/3 innings in 2022.  Unfortunately for Hendrix, he has also had trouble keeping the ball in the park, with eight homers allowed over his short time as a Major League hurler.  He got a brief look with the Reds back in April before being designated for assignment and then outrighted to Triple-A.

MLB Announces 2022 All-Star Reserves

By | at

July 12: MLB has announced three more additions to the game, with Garrett Cooper of the Marlins. J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox and Carlos Rodon of the Giants stepping in to replace Bryce Harper, Yordan Alvarez and Josh Hader.

July 10: The starting lineups for the 2022 All-Star Game are already known, and we know that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera will be on the rosters as bonus “legend” additions.  Today, Major League Baseball announced the full 33-man rosters for both the National and American Leagues, revealing the other 46 names that will be part of the Midsummer Classic on July 19 at Dodger Stadium.

While the starters were voted in by the fans and Pujols/Cabrera were named to the ASG by the Commissioner’s Office, the rest of the All-Star rosters were determined by a combination of a player ballot and more picks from the league office.  As always, every team is guaranteed at least one representative, though it is worth noting that Pujols and Cabrera wouldn’t count as the only reps for the Cardinals or Tigers, respectively.

Here are the full rosters, though some of the names listed won’t play due to injury, or have declined to participate.  (Any replacements will be named later this week.)  With Bryce Harper missing the game, William Contreras has already been named as the NL’s new designated hitter, so the two Contreras brothers will get to share the honor of being in an All-Star starting lineup.  There is also the unique instance of Shohei Ohtani, who was both selected to the AL starting lineup as a DH, and also named to the All-Star team as a pitcher.

American League

National League

Braves Acquire Robinson Cano

By | at

July 11: The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Braves are planning to add Cano to the roster today in advance off their series against Cano’s former Mets teammates.

July 10: The Braves have acquired infielder Robinson Cano from the Padres for cash considerations, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link).

After being released by the Mets in May, Cano signed a big league deal with the Padres soon thereafter, but was then released again after he turned down the team’s request to go to Triple-A.  Cano’s veteran status gave him the right to opt into free agency, but after checking his options on the open market, he re-signed with San Diego on a minor league deal.

Since reporting to Triple-A El Paso, Cano has hit well, posting a .333/.375/.479 slash line over 104 plate appearances.  While obviously the minor league setting (and hitter-friendly environment) have to be taken into account, Cano’s performance does give some hint that he still has something left in the tank at age 39, and after missing the entire 2021 season due to a PED suspension.  Cano batted only .149/.182/.189 over 77 combined PA with the Padres and Mets at the MLB level this season.

The Braves obviously saw something they liked, and will now bring Cano back to the NL East to see if he can revive his career.  Atlanta has developed a knack for striking gold on struggling veterans, and it was only a year ago that the club picked up several such players (i.e. Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall) who ended up fueling their run to the World Series title.  As poor as Cano looked earlier this season in New York, Mets fans must have some trepidation over Cano suddenly catching fire and helping Atlanta overtake the Mets in the NL East.

Atlanta is thin on left-handed hitting, and there is a vacancy at second base since Ozzie Albies will be out until at least mid-August while recovering from foot surgery.  On paper, Cano is an interesting platoon fit alongside the right-handed hitting Orlando Arcia at second base, and another righty swinger in Marcell Ozuna at designated hitter.

It wasn’t long ago that Cano was still among the game’s most feared bats, as he posted an .896 OPS over 182 PA for the Mets during the shortened 2020 season.  While his positive PED test inevitably casts some doubt upon those numbers, there isn’t much risk for Atlanta in picking up Cano to see what he can contribute.  Of the $24MM owed to Cano for the 2022 season, the Braves will have to cover just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary once Cano hits the active roster, as the Mariners ($3.75MM) and Mets are covering the rest.

East Notes: Castillo, Jays, Orioles, Marte, Kiermaier, Nationals

By | at

Luis Castillo was a Blue Jays trade target last winter, and unsurprisingly, Toronto continues to have interest in Castillo’s services, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  Though Castillo missed the first month of the season due to shoulder soreness, he has been in strong form with a 2.92 ERA over 71 innings, even if his Statcast numbers aren’t quite as reflective of top-notch performance.  Castillo’s walk rate and hard-contact numbers are only okay, though his strikeout rate (25.3%) is well above league average and he still has elite fastball velocity.

The Reds right-hander is one of the very best players (let alone pitchers) expected to be available as the deadline approaches, making him a natural fit for a Toronto club in sore need of pitching upgrades.  Between Hyun Jin Ryu’s Tommy John surgery and underwhelming performances from Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, the faulty rotation has been the chief reason for the Jays’ struggles in the last month, which is why Nightengale writes that the Blue Jays “are expected to be the most aggressive team pursuing starting pitching help.”  Last summer’s trade for Berrios is an example of how the Toronto front office hasn’t been hesitant to pay a big price for a player they want and need, though the Blue Jays will face plenty of competition for Castillo’s services.

More from both the AL East and NL East…

  • Also from Nightengale, the Orioles’ surprisingly strong play seemingly hasn’t changed the club’s long-term plans, as Baltimore is “expected to unload” several notable veterans.  The list of names includes both impending free agents like Trey Mancini, Rougned Odor, and Jordan Lyles, plus more controllable players like Anthony Santander and All-Star closer Jorge Lopez.  It’s safe to assume that the price tag will be a lot higher for Lopez and Santander than the others, but regardless, the O’s likely aren’t going to change course and start thinking about a playoff push.
  • Starling Marte left Saturday’s game due to a groin injury, and Marte wasn’t in the Mets lineup on Sunday.  However, Marte is only day-to-day, as manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that an MRI revealed only minor inflammation and no serious damage.  Marte has been a big contributor in his first year in New York, and his first-half performance earned him a slot on the NL All-Star team earlier today.  With this groin injury lingering, however, Marte might opt to skip the game to rest up over the break.
  • Kevin Kiermaier was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier today, marking the second time this month that a nagging hip injury has put the Rays outfielder on the shelf.  Kiermaier told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that he received a cortisone shot during his first IL stint, but now that the issue has returned, he’ll be visiting a specialist to further explore the injury.  “There’s just a lot of unknowns right now with what’s to come….I don’t really know what the future holds, to be quite honest,” Kiermaier said, noting that surgery was a possibility.  A major procedure could quite possibly end Kiermaier’s season, and thus maybe his tenure with the Rays altogether, as 2022 is the final guaranteed year of his contract.  Kiermaier has spent all 13 of his pro seasons in the Tampa organization, though that tenure has involved several injury absences.
  • There hasn’t been much public information revealed about the Nationals’ possible sale, but billionaire Michael B. Kim is the first name linked to the list of potential buyers, according to Barry Svrluga and Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post.  Kim and another bidding group have met in person with team officials already, and a third group is also slated for in-person meetings later in July.  Though there seems to be an increasing feeling that the Lerner family will indeed sell the Nationals, it is still early in the process, since “as many as five or six individuals or groups are expected to meet with club officials.”

Royals To Promote Maikel Garcia

By | at

The Royals are preparing to promote shortstop Maikel Garcia from Double-A to the majors, El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes reports (Twitter link).  Garcia was added to the 40-man roster last year, but a corresponding move will need to be made to fit Garcia into the active roster, unless he is joining Kansas City as the extra 27th man for Monday’s doubleheader against the Tigers.

The timing of Garcia’s addition could be related to Whit Merrifield’s early exit from today’s game, as the infielder had discomfort in his right toe.  Kansas City manager Mike Matheny told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that the club was awaiting MRI results on Merrifield, though initial x-rays were negative.  At the very least, it doesn’t seem like Merrifield will be available for tomorrow’s doubleheader, so Garcia can provide some extra infield depth.

With the All-Star break coming up, the Royals could be considering placing Merrifield on the 10-day injured list for at least precautionary reasons, so Merrifield can return fresh for the second half (and perhaps be dangled as a trade candidate in advance of the August 2 deadline).  If Merrifield does require an IL stint, Garcia might get more time to show what he can do in his first taste of MLB action.

An international signing out of Venezuela in 2016, Garcia has some family ties to the K.C. organization, as his cousin is longtime former Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar.  Baseball America ranks Garcia as the 15th-best prospect in the Royals farm system, while MLB Pipeline has him 18th.  The 22-year-old had never even played Double-A ball prior to this season, though he has hit .283/.362/.395 over 348 plate appearances.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Garcia has shown some ability to hit for average and get on base, which is critical considering his lack of power.  Baseball America’s scouting report noted that Garcia has added more pop in the form of doubles power this year in Double-A, and he profiles as a line-drive hitter who makes a lot of solid contact.  Garcia’s baserunning is also a plus, as he has 27 steals in 30 chances this year, and is 110-for-137 over his five pro seasons.

Defensively, pundits feel his glove is more than ready for the big leagues, and Garcia’s plus fielding might be his best tool.  Bobby Witt has the shortstop position locked up for the foreseeable future in Kansas City, but Garcia has played some second base, and would probably be able to make a pretty smooth transition to the keystone or possibly third base, since he has a good throwing arm.  If Merrifield does have to miss time, the Royals could use Garcia in the second base/third base mix with Nicky Lopez and Emmanuel Rivera.

Pirates Notes: Reynolds, Bednar, Trades

By | at

Bryan Reynolds was replaced for a pinch-hitter prior to his at-bat in the seventh inning of the Pirates’ 8-6 win over the Brewers today.  The Pirates later announced that Reynolds was day-to-day after experiencing discomfort in his right side.

While more testing will eventually reveal the severity of the injury, the worst-case scenario would be an oblique strain.  Even a lower-level oblique issue would require a trip to the injured list for Reynolds, and a higher-grade strain could put the outfielder’s season in jeopardy.

It took Reynolds about six weeks to really get going this season, but he has recovered from that slow start to become one of baseball’s hotter hitters.  Entering today’s action, Reynolds had hit .306/.373/.567 with 10 home runs in his last 177 plate appearances, a stretch that has brought his overall slash line a lot closer to his breakout numbers from 2021.

The Pirates aren’t in the postseason race, and will again be looking to move pieces at the trade deadline as the club continues its rebuild.  While the Bucs were never planning to contend this year, banking a few more victories and making a little progress in the win-loss column would’ve provided a bit more evidence that the team is indeed heading in the right direction.  Losing Reynolds for an extended period of time, however, would certainly put an end to that hope.

An injury would also likely end any chance that Reynolds himself would be dealt before the deadline.  There hasn’t been much expectation that Pittsburgh would actually move Reynolds elsewhere before August 2, since while Reynolds has been a fixture in trade rumors for over a year now, the Bucs are known to have a gigantic asking price in any deal.  Between Reynolds’ ability and his team control (arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season), it isn’t surprising that the Pirates would need a ton to deal away a player who might still a factor once the Bucs start to focus on winning.

David Bednar is another Pirates star often mentioned as a trade candidate in theory, even if the team has resisted overtures.  In fact, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that “the Pirates are emphatically telling teams” that Bednar isn’t available.  While a blow-away offer would probably change Pittsburgh’s mind, just like with Reynolds, it would take such a huge offer to facilitate a trade.  Bednar was named to his first All-Star team earlier today, on the heels of his 2.63 ERA, 15 saves, and outstanding secondary numbers over 41 innings as the Bucs’ closer.

Mariners Option George Kirby To Triple-A, Select Jacob Barnes

By | at

TODAY: Mariners manager Scott Servais went into more detail on the Kirby option today, telling reporters (including Jen Mueller of Root Sports) that beyond saving Kirby some innings, it also allows the Mariners to add a fresh bullpen arm to the active roster.  Servais noted that the M’s will make a similar move with Kirby later in the season, to further preserve his arm.  Kirby is slated to make a short start for Triple-A Tacoma, and he’ll rejoin the Mariners after the All-Star break.

JULY 9: In addition to the six roster moves announced earlier today, the Mariners have also made two more transactions.  Right-hander George Kirby has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, while righty Jacob Barnes’ contract has been selected.

As noted by The Athletic’s Corey Brock and other reporters, Kirby’s demotion isn’t about performance, but rather the Mariners’ plans to manage his workload.  Between Seattle’s off-day Monday and then the July 18-21 All-Star break, Kirby’s next big league outing likely isn’t coming until late July, though he’ll probably get a couple of brief outings at Triple-A to stay warm.

This will actually be Kirby’s first time at Triple-A ball, as the M’s promoted him straight from Double-A in early May.  Between the majors and minors this season, Kirby has tossed 89 total innings — already the most he has tossed over four pro seasons.  While some pundits disagree about the old “Verducci Effect” rule of thumb about the dangers of a big inning increase for young arms, Kirby’s previous season high was 67 2/3 frames in 2021, and of course Kirby didn’t pitch in any official games at all in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season.

With a 14-3 record over their last 17 games, the Mariners have gotten back over the .500 mark and back into the hunt for a wild card berth.  Surely the team hopes Kirby can continue to be a big part of Seattle’s push to finally end its drought of postseason baseball, and that means picking and choosing when Kirby pitches in order to keep him as fresh as possible for big games in September (or, the M’s hope, even into October).

Some service-time elements could also be in play, in regards to Kirby’s future Super Two status.  The Mariners didn’t select Kirby to the MLB roster until May 8, so if he spends two weeks in Triple-A, that could put him on the borderline for future Super Two consideration if a future cutoff point is on the higher side.  Missing on a fourth arbitration-eligible year would cost Kirby some serious money, though he will be getting some bonus this year under the new collective bargaining agreement’s performance bonus program for pre-arb players.  As well, Kirby would automatically lock in a full year of service time and even more bonus money if he scores a top-two finish in AL Rookie Of The Year voting, though several other impressive AL rookies (including teammate Julio Rodriguez) seem favored for higher finishes in the balloting.

Kirby has looked good in his first taste of the big leagues, posting a 3.78 ERA/3.45 SIERA over 64 1/3 innings for Seattle.  The 20th overall pick of the 2019 draft has allowed a lot of hard contact and his Statcast numbers aren’t overly impressive, but Kirby has an elite 3.3% walk rate that ranks in the 99th percentile of all pitchers.

Barnes posted a 6.10 ERA over 20 2/3 innings with the Tigers this season before Detroit cut him loose in June, and the Mariners inked Barnes to a new minor league contract.  He has yet to pitch for the M’s at the big league level.  A solid relief arm with the Brewers in 2016-18, Barnes has been trying to recapture that form ever since, posting a 6.48 ERA over an even 100 innings with six different clubs over the last three-plus years.

Reds’ Vladimir Gutierrez To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By | at

Vladimir Gutierrez will undergo Tommy John surgery, the Reds right-hander told reporters (including The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale) today.  As per the normal recovery timeline for TJ surgery, Gutierrez will be out of action until July 2023 at the earliest, and his entire 2023 season could be in jeopardy if his rehab is on the higher side of the usual 12-15 month window.

Gutierrez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a UCL strain about a month ago, and the Reds shifted him to the 60-day IL earlier this week.  That move to the 60-day IL came after Gutierrez felt a new kind of arm discomfort following a bullpen session last Tuesday, and a fresh set of tests revealed more severe damage.

“It looked like it was worse than it was the first time I got my MRI,” Gutierrez said via a translator.  “It looked like there was a lot more liquid.  The doctor told me if you keep going through rehabs and rehabs, you’re going to come back here and we’re going to go through the same process again, so you’ll never get better.  Or it’s surgery.”

Gutierrez is in his second Major League season, debuting last year with a 4.74 ERA over 114 innings and 22 starts.  His advanced metrics were largely below average, though Nightengale noted that Gutierrez struggled near the end of the season due to fatigue — the right-hander’s last six starts and 21 innings saw him post an ugly 9.43 ERA.

Those struggles continued into 2022, as Gutierrez posted a 7.61 ERA over 36 2/3 innings before going on the injured list.  It will now be at least a year before Gutierrez can get back onto a big league mound, which represents the latest setback in his pro career.

The 26-year-old was an international signing out of Cuba in 2016, with the Reds making a sizeable $9.5MM investment ($4.75MM in signing bonus, and an equal amount in penalty fees for exceeding the old international signing bonus limit) to land his services.  While Gutierrez was a highly-regarded member of the 2016-17 int’l class, he posted only okay numbers throughout his minor league career.  He also missed the entire 2020 season and part of April 2021 due to an 80-game PED suspension.

The Reds were surely hoping that Gutierrez would be a viable member of their starting rotation by now, but his absence now creates another question mark on the pitching staff.  Cincinnati is hoping that Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft can form the core of the rotation going forward, but Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle are both major trade candidates as the deadline approaches.

Tigers Acquire Cody Sedlock From Orioles

By | at

The Tigers have acquired right-hander Cody Sedlock from the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, as announced by the O’s.  Sedlock was designated for assignment and then outrighted to Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate last month.

Sedlock made his MLB debut earlier this season, tossing three innings in a single appearance for Baltimore.  This cup of coffee represented the end of a difficult journey for Sedlock in his career, as he has had to overcome multiple major injuries — thoracic outlet surgery, plus injuries to his forearm and shoulder.  Sedlock was the 27th overall pick of the 2016 draft, but between his injuries and the canceled 2020 minor league season, he has tossed only 396 1/3 innings over his six pro seasons.

Between some control problems and various stops and starts on the injured list, Sedlock unsurprisingly had some rocky numbers in the minor leagues, with a 4.52 ERA to show for his time in the Orioles’ farm system.  Still, the 27-year-old was a well-regarded prospect earlier in his career, with Baseball America ranking Sedlock second among all Baltimore minor leaguers back in 2017.

It could be that the Tigers see Sedlock as a change-of-scenery candidate, or perhaps Detroit is simply looking for low-cost starting candidates for its injury-riddled rotation.  Almost every member of the Tigers rotation has missed some amount of time on the IL this season, with Casey Mize’s Tommy John surgery representing the longest-term absence.  It also isn’t known when (or if) Eduardo Rodriguez will return to the team, as the southpaw has been on the restricted list for almost a month while dealing with a personal matter.

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