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Mets Acquire Daniel Johnson From Guardians

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The Guardians announced that outfielder Daniel Johnson has been dealt to the Mets for cash considerations.  Johnson will be assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

A fifth-round pick for the Nationals in the 2016 draft, Johnson was acquired as part of the Yan Gomes trade in 2018, and it seemed like Cleveland might have gotten a steal.  Johnson hit a combined .290/.361/.507 with 19 homers over 547 plate appearances with Double-A Akron (167 PA) and Triple-A Columbus (380 PA) in 2019, putting him on the radar to win a job with a team in constant need of outfield help.

However, over 35 games with the Guardians in 2020-21, Johnson has hit only .202/.245/.337 over his 94 career plate appearances in the majors.  While not a huge sample size, the Guards appeared ready to move on from Johnson after the season, as he was designated for assignment and then outrighted off the 40-man roster back in November.

Johnson’s Triple-A numbers came back to earth in 2021, and he has full-on struggled this year, batting .217/.217/.337 in 69 PA with Triple-A Columbus this season.  He’ll now head to the Mets organization for a fresh start, and he’ll provide New York with some depth at all three outfield positions.  Johnson’s defense has been well-regarded, and he possesses a strong throwing arm that makes him ideal for right field in particular.

Marlins Place Anthony Bender On 15-Day IL, Select Willians Astudillo

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The Marlins have placed right Anthony Bender on the 15-day injured list due to back stiffness, with the placement retroactive to May 23.  In the corresponding move, utilityman Willians Astudillo has joined the active roster after his contract was selected from Triple-A.

Bender has recorded six of Miami’s nine total saves this year, getting the bulk of ninth-inning work while Dylan Floro was on the injured list.  While Floro has struggled since returning to action, Bender also hasn’t done much to fully cement his hold on the closer’s job.  Over 14 innings, Bender has a 4.50 ERA and strikeout/walk rates that are slightly below league average, and he has given up three home runs.  However, Bender has has also been hurt by a .359 BABIP, which is particularly damaging for a pitcher who relies so much on grounders.

The Marlins could turn to any or all of Cole Sulser, Tanner Scott, Louis Head, or Anthony Bass for saves while Bender is out.  Manager Don Mattingly said during Spring Training that the team was more likely to adopt a committee approach unless a pitcher emerged as the clear best choice for save situations, so it could be that the Marlins simply keep rolling without a true closer.

Astudillo signed a minor league contract with Miami soon after the lockout ended, and he has hit .286/.326/.464 with four home runs for Triple-A Jacksonville over 89 plate appearances.  A veteran of four MLB seasons with the Twins, Astudillo was a fan favorite in Minnesota, and his ability to play almost anywhere on the field got him into 167 games at every position except shortstop.

While “La Tortuga” only occasionally hit well, this extreme versatility gives Miami an interesting new depth piece on what is now a 14-man position player mix.  One would imagine another move could be forthcoming to add another arm to the bullpen.  Jazz Chisholm Jr. has missed the last couple of games with hamstring tightness, but in a positive step, Chisholm was participating in close to full baseball activity today.

Orioles Claim Chris Vallimont From Twins

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The Orioles announced that right-hander Chris Vallimont has been claimed off waivers from the Twins.  Vallimont was designated for assignment by Minnesota earlier this week.  To open up a 40-man roster spot, Baltimore moved Alexander Wells (who is recovering from a UCL strain) to the 60-day injured list.

Vallimont was assigned to the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate, and the righty has a 6.71 ERA over 110 innings at the Double-A level in the Twins organization.  The Marlins selected Vallimont in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, then swapped him along with Sergio Romo in the July 2019 trade that sent Lewin Diaz to Miami.  After a solid 2019 season, Vallimont didn’t play in 2020 due to the canceled minor league campaign, and has since struggled in his return to the field.

A lack of control has been Vallimont’s biggest problem, as he has an ugly 15.85% walk rate over his 110 Double-A innings.  However, the righty’s 28.3% strikeout rate surely caught Baltimore’s attention, and his Vallimont’s potential as reliever.  Vallimont has started 62 of his 64 career games in the pros, and if he can’t get on track as a starting pitcher, his ability to miss bats could play well out of a bullpen.

Yankees To Place Jonathan Loaisiga On IL Due To Shoulder Discomfort

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Yankees right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga is being placed on the injured list due to shoulder discomfort, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler).  A corresponding roster move hasn’t yet been announced in advance of New York’s game with the Orioles tonight.

It has been a tough year for Loaisiga, who has a 7.02 ERA through 16 2/3 innings out of New York’s bullpen.  While his SIERA (3.91) and xFIP (3.86) are a lot more favorable, Loaisiga hasn’t helped his cause with a 13.7% walk rate or three home runs allowed in his small sample size of playing time.

Homers and walks also hampered Loaisiga earlier in his Major League career, but the reliever got it all together during a superb 2021 season.  The righty posted a 2.17 ERA over 70 2/3 innings last year, standing out as arguably the best pitcher of an overall strong Yankees relief corps.  While his 24.4% strikeout rate in 2021 was nothing special, Loaisiga displayed excellent control (5.7% walk rate), a 60.9% grounder rate, and he surrendered only three home runs during the entirety of the season.

After going virtually injury-free over the first month of the 2022 campaign, the Yankees have recently been hit with some notable losses over the last week, particularly in the bullpen.  Aroldis Chapman is on the 15-day IL due to left Achilles tendinitis, while Chad Green has been lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery.  (Depth starter Luis Gil also underwent a TJ procedure, further depleting the pitching depth.)

The Yankees still have plenty of quality arms in their bullpen, but they’ll need some pitchers to step up with their closer and two top set-up options out of action.

Cubs Place Yan Gomes On 10-Day IL, Activate Nico Hoerner

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The Cubs announced that catcher Yan Gomes has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  Nico Hoerner will be taking Gomes’ spot on the active roster, as Hoerner has been activated from his own IL stint after being sidelined with a sprained right ankle.

Gomes’ absence leaves Chicago thin at catcher, as Willson Contreras has missed the team’s last four games with a strained right hamstring.  The Cubs haven’t yet placed Contreras on the injured list, and he is available off the bench for tonight’s game against the Reds, though one would imagine the Cubs would love to get through the game without having to test Contreras’ health.

P.J. Higgins is in tonight’s starting lineup at catcher, and could end up getting an unexpected amount of playing time if Contreras does eventually need an IL visit, or if Gomes is absent for an extended amount of time.  Gomes also missed time last year with an oblique injury, though it was a relatively mild strain that cost him just shy of three weeks.

After signing a two-year, $13MM free agent deal with the Cubs over the winter, Gomes has hit .247/.267/.384 in his first 75 plate appearances for the Wrigleyville club.  Gomes’ role is somewhere between backup and platoon partner, as Gomes has gotten some extra looks behind the plate while Contreras has been used as a DH on partial rest days.  The plan certainly seems to be working from Contreras’ perspective, as he has posted some strong hitting numbers early in the season.

Hoerner was playing as Chicago’s everyday shortstop due to Andrelton Simmons’ injury absence, but Hoerner had be sidelined after spraining his ankle in a collision with umpire Dan Iassogna.  Fortunately, it was a relatively minor spain, and Hoerner will now return just a few days beyond the 10-day minimum.  The Cubs have a pair of youngsters (Hoerner and Christopher Morel) and two veterans (Simmons, Jonathan Villar) in their middle infield mix, with Nick Madrigal on the injured list recovering from some lower back tightness.

Twins Place Joe Ryan On COVID Injury List

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The Twins have placed right-hander Joe Ryan on their COVID-related injury list.  Left-hander Devin Smeltzer was called up to take Ryan’s spot on the active roster, and Smeltzer will start for Minnesota against the Royals on Thursday (Ryan’s next scheduled outing).

Manager Rocco Baldelli told the Associated Press and other reporters that Ryan was “doing okay,” but didn’t provide any details about Ryan’s health.  If Ryan has only been sidelined due to symptoms or due to being a close contact, he could be activated from the COVID list as soon as tomorrow, though obviously that would be cutting it too close to make his scheduled start.  If Ryan has indeed tested positive, he’ll miss at least the next 10 days, unless he meets the three criteria for early activation — 24 hours without a fever, two negative tests, and clearance from a panel of the team doctor, a league-appointed physician, and a union-appointed physician.

Acquired from the Rays as part of the Nelson Cruz trade last July, Ryan has emerged as a force in his rookie season.  The righty has a 2.28 ERA and an above-average 24.3% strikeout rate, thanks in large part to a four-seam fastball that has been one of the most devastating pitches in baseball this season.  Some secondary metrics (4.30 xFIP, 3.93 SIERA, .234 BABIP, 83.7% strand rate) indicate some good fortune, but Ryan has also done well to limit damage by allowing very little hard contact.

Minnesota had plenty of questions about its rotation heading into the season, but the starters have generally performed quite well, despite some injuries.  Ryan and Josh Winder (shoulder impingement) are on the IL, while Chris Paddack has already been lost for the year due to Tommy John surgery.

2021-22 Offseason In Review Series

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The annual Offseason In Review series is complete, as the MLBTR staff looked back at all the transactions made (and not made) by all 30 teams during the very unusual 2021-22 offseason.

NL East

NL Central

NL West

AL East

AL Central

AL West

Mariners Sign Andrew Knapp To Minors Contract

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The Mariners signed catcher Andrew Knapp to a minor league deal yesterday, Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto reports (Twitter link).  Knapp made his debut with the Triple-A Rainiers today, hitting a home run.

After spending his first nine pro seasons in the Phillies organization, Knapp is now on his third new team since December.  Knapp signed a minors deal with the Reds in the offseason but was released at the end of Spring Training, and the veteran backstop then caught on with the Pirates.  This resulted in 11 games for Pittsburgh before the Bucs designated Knapp for assignment last week, which led Knapp to opt for free agency rather than an outright assignment to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate.

Tom Murphy recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a separated shoulder, so with Murphy’s timeline unclear, it isn’t surprising that the Mariners have now added another catcher.  Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens are the two catchers on the big league roster, and Knapp will provide some veteran depth at Triple-A should another injury arise.

Knapp has hit only .210/.310/.315 over 862 MLB plate appearances, spending much of his career in a part-time or backup capacity with the Phillies.  With Raleigh and Torrens both struggling badly at the plate, it probably isn’t likely that Knapp will be seen as a replacement unless the Mariners decide that Raleigh needs more time in the minors.  (Torrens is out of minor league options.)

Pirates To Select Yerry De Los Santos, Promote Roansy Contreras

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The Pirates are planning to add two new arms to their pitching mix, as Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez (Twitter links) reports that the Bucs will call up right-handers Roansy Contreras and Yerry De Los Santos from Triple-A.  De Los Santos isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Pirates will need to make another corresponding move to create space.

This is the second time that Contreras has been on the big league roster this season, as he posted a 3.52 ERA over 7 2/3 innings of relief work in April.  Pittsburgh then sent Contreras down to the minors to get him stretched out as a starting pitcher, and it would appear as though the Bucs will now use Contreras in their rotation.  With his last Triple-A game falling on May 19, Contreras would seem to be lined up to start Tuesday when the Pirates host the Rockies at PNC Park.

After also tossing three innings in a single appearance with Pittsburgh in 2021, Contreras may finally be set for more of an extended look in the big leagues.  A consensus top-100 prospect in preseason rankings, Fangraphs was the most enthusiastic about Contreras’ potential, ranking him as the 42nd-best minor leaguer in baseball.  Contreras added a lot of velocity to his fastball in 2021 and now sits around a 94-96mph average.  His slider and curveball are also considered plus pitches, and his changeup has potential, though lacks some consistency.

Contreras was acquired from the Yankees as part of the Jameson Taillon trade package in January 2021, and has now become the most MLB-ready of any pitching prospect in the deep Pirates farm system.  Getting Contreras into a starting role would not only be a good sign that the Bucs’ long rebuild is turning a corner, but it is also quite possible that he could provide immediate help.  Aside from veteran Jose Quintana, Pittsburgh’s rotation has struggles, so there is plenty of opportunity for Contreras to claim a regular turn.

After signing with the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 2015, the 24-year-old De Los Santos is now getting his first taste of Major League action.  While De Los Santos isn’t ranked within the top 30 Pittsburgh prospects by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, it isn’t uncommon for relievers to be omitted from those lists, even when a reliever posts De Los Santos’ kinds of eye-popping numbers.  Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2017, De Los Santos has a 1.63 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate over 115 2/3 innings — this includes a 1.72 ERA, 34.5% strikeout rate, and 3.4% walk rate over 15 2/3 frames at Triple-A this season.

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