Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Rays Place Yandy Diaz On COVID-IL, Promote Vidal Brujan

By Mark Polishuk | April 23, 2022 at 4:33pm CDT

The Rays have placed infielder Yandy Diaz on the COVID-related injury list, according to team broadcaster Neil Solondz (Twitter link). Infielder Vidal Brujan has been called up from Triple-A to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster — earlier today, The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin reported that Brujan would at least be joining the Rays’ taxi squad.

Diaz is showing symptoms but there hasn’t been any word about a positive COVID test, so it is possible the IL placement is simply for precautionary reasons. If so, Diaz could be back within a couple of days’ time as long as he continues to test negative for the coronavirus. The veteran infielder has been an on-base machine early in the season, hitting .275/.383/.325 over his first 47 plate appearances of the 2022 campaign.

While Diaz is out, the Rays will get another (possibly brief) look at a top prospect. Brujan made his MLB debut last season but in limited fashion, appearing in only 10 games and delivering only two hits over 26 plate appearances. Brujan also received his first taste of Triple-A ball last season and performed much better, hitting .262/.346/.440 with 12 home runs over 441 PA, while also stealing 44 bases from 52 chances.

Some knee issues have limited Brujan to just five Triple-A games thus far in 2022, and he has split time as a third baseman and a shortstop. Originally seen as a shortstop candidate, Brujan has most recently seen action at multiple positions in the infield and outfield given that Wander Franco has Tampa Bay’s shortstop position locked up for the foreseeable future. It stands to reason that Brujan will focus on third base for now if he is to serve as Diaz’s short-term replacement, but his eventual position at the MLB level remains to be seen (assuming he doesn’t evolve into a super-utility type).

Mariners Acquire Stuart Fairchild, Designate Kevin Padlo

By Mark Polishuk | April 23, 2022 at 3:30pm CDT

The Mariners announced that outfielder Stuart Fairchild has been acquired from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations. To open up a roster spot, infielder Kevin Padlo has been designated for assignment.

Arizona DFA’ed Fairchild earlier this week. Originally acquired along with Josh VanMeter in the Archie Bradley deal at the 2020 trade deadline, Fairchild’s tenure with the Diamondbacks saw him make his MLB debut last season, appearing in 12 games and making 17 plate appearance with the D’Backs. Fairchild posted some big numbers at Triple-A in 2021 but got off to a slow start this year, with only a .162/.279/.379 slash line over 43 PA for Triple-A Reno.

Fairchild will now look for a fresh start with his hometown team, as the 26-year-old was born in Seattle and played his high school ball in the Emerald City before playing his college ball at Wake Forest. The Reds selected Fairchild with the 38th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and he has posted solid (.272/.358/.438, 35 homers in 1443 PA) if unspectacular numbers over his minor league career. Fairchild can also play all three outfield positions, making him an interesting depth piece for the Mariners.

Padlo also made his Major League debut in 2021, playing in nine games with the Rays and then one game with the Mariners after being claimed off waivers from Tampa in August. Padlo has 92 home runs and a .239/.350/.439 slash line over 2738 career PA in the minors, with a resume that includes quite a lot of power potential and swing-and-miss.

Despite some nice numbers for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers following last year’s trade, Padlo didn’t get a long look on the M’s big league roster and he was also off to a rough start with the Rainiers this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see another club take a flier of a waiver claim on Padlo just as the Mariners did last August, to see if some consistent results could be mined from his power bat.

Cubs Sign Luke Farrell

By Mark Polishuk | April 18, 2022 at 7:32pm CDT

The Cubs have signed Luke Farrell, according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. This is Farrell’s second stint in Wrigleyville, as he previously pitched for the organization in 2018, tossing 31 1/3 innings at the big league level.

Farrell has seen action in each of the last five MLB seasons, amassing 87 2/3 career innings with five different clubs. Most recently, the righty pitched for the Twins in 2021, posting a 4.74 ERA, 22.1% strikeout rate, and 11.5% walk rate over 24 2/3 innings of work, as Farrell missed over two months recovering from a right oblique strain.

Problems with walks and home runs have kept Farrell from enjoying consistent success at the big league level, though he has shown flashes of impressive strikeout ability in both the majors and minors. Farrell has worked mostly as a starter in the minors but has only started five of his 63 career Major League contests.

Farrell joins a long list of experienced pitchers in Chicago’s farm system, as the Cubs have stocked up on seasoned hurlers to augment what had been a very young bullpen mix. He’ll provide some depth for a Cubs team that continues to add as many pitchers as possible to cover innings.

Tigers Place Javier Baez On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Willi Castro

By Mark Polishuk | April 17, 2022 at 9:05am CDT

Apr. 17: Castro is indeed the replacement, as the Tigers announced today that he has been recalled.

Apr. 16: The Tigers have placed shortstop Javier Baez on the 10-day injured list due to right thumb soreness. The placement is retroactive to April 13. The Tigers will play a man short in today’s game with the Royals, and add a new player to the active roster before tomorrow’s contest. Willi Castro looks like he’ll be the replacement, as the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens announced that Castro was scratched from today’s lineup.

Baez has missed four games with this nagging thumb problem, and twice between scratched from the starting lineup. This would seemingly indicate that the injury isn’t too severe, and while x-rays were negative, the issue ultimately proved bothersome enough for the team to just put Baez on the IL. Between the retroactive placement and Monday’s off-day on Detroit’s schedule, Baez is eligible to return during the Tigers’ series with the Rockies next weekend.

After signing a six-year, $140MM deal during the offseason, Baez has gotten off to a good start in Motown, hitting .316/.350/.526 in his first 20 plate appearances as a Tiger. Harold Castro has been filling in at shortstop in Baez’s absence, and will likely continue to get the bulk of the work, though the switch-hitting Willi Castro will also get some action after his probable call-up.

Angels Activate Taylor Ward

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 2:59pm CDT

The Angels announced that outfielder Taylor Ward (left groin strain) has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Jose Rojas was already optioned to Triple-A after last night’s game, so there was an open spot on Los Angeles’ active roster.

Ward will make his 2022 debut as the Angels’ cleanup hitter today, playing in right field. Manager Joe Maddon has cited Ward as a starter in his outfield, which may surprise some fans who tabbed star prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh as the logical candidates to start on the grass alongside Mike Trout. However, Ward posted slightly below league-average offense in 2020 and then hit .250/.332/.438 over 237 plate appearances last season, good for a solid 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+.

Ward and Adell are both right-handed hitters and Marsh swings from the left side, so there is some platoon maneuverability amongst the two non-Trout outfield spots. Utilityman Tyler Wade can also chip in for outfield work, and Magneuris Sierra and Monte Harrison are at Triple-A on minor league contracts.

Rays Acquire Javy Guerra From Padres

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 2:37pm CDT

The Rays have acquired right-hander Javy Guerra from the Padres for cash considerations. Guerra was designated for assignment by San Diego earlier this week. The Rays moved Shane Baz to the 60-day injured list to create room on the 40-man roster, and Rays broadcaster Neil Solondz tweets that a move will be made to accommodate Guerra on the active roster when he reports.

Guerra has pitched 27 2/3 Major League innings over the last three-plus seasons, including two innings of work in the Padres’ 10-5 win over the Diamondbacks on April 10. Not to be confused with the other Javy Guerra (a longtime veteran reliever), the Rays’ new Guerra is a former top-100 shortstop prospect who converted to pitching in 2019. Injuries have hampered Guerra’s progress, and also some roster constrictions — since he is out of options, the Padres weren’t able to send him to the minors without putting him through DFA waivers.

San Diego finally opted to designate Guerra, and given how often the Padres and Rays have linked up on trades in recent years, it probably isn’t surprising that Tampa Bay emerged as a suitor for Guerra’s services. Guerra’s fastball has routinely sat in the high-90s and even hit the 100mph threshold, so it will be intriguing to see if the Rays’ vaunted pitching development system can harness Guerra’s potential.

Baz underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery on March 21, and was expected to be shut down from throwing for 2-3 weeks. The move to the 60-day IL will keep Baz out of action until June, though such an absence was probably necessary for ramp-up purposes considering how much of Spring Training Baz missed. The star prospect made his MLB debut last season, making three starts in the regular season and one more in the playoffs.

Rangers Select Matt Moore, Place Josh Sborz On 10-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 1:57pm CDT

The Rangers announced that right-hander Josh Sborz has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow soreness. Taking Sborz’s place on the active roster is Matt Moore, as the veteran southpaw’s contract was selected from Triple-A.

Moore signed a minor league deal with Texas shortly after the lockout, looking to again try and get his big league career back on track. After injuries and poor performances during the 2017-19 seasons, Moore pitched well over 78 innings with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2020, but his return from Japan didn’t lead to better results in MLB. Moore posted a 6.29 ERA over 73 innings with the Phillies last season, allowing 15 home runs while starting 13 of 24 games.

This will be Moore’s second official stint on the Rangers’ active roster, as he pitched 102 innings of 6.79 ERA ball for Texas in 2018. The expectation is that Moore will be used out of the bullpen in a long relief role, or perhaps as a bulk pitcher behind an opener depending on how the Rangers navigate some injuries in their rotation. Both Jon Gray and Spencer Howard are on the injured list with blisters, and while at least Gray may be back after just the minimum 10 days, the Rangers might be in need of some short-term starting help until their rotation is back to fuller strength.

Sborz is off to a shaky start, with an 11.25 ERA after his first four innings of work in 2022. A balky elbow could be responsible for these struggles, and Sborz will now get a chance to heal up and essentially reset his season. Sborz’s first season with the Rangers was a success, as he posted a 3.97 ERA over 59 innings out of the 2021 Texas bullpen, albeit with a troublesome 12.5% walk rate.

Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Wait Until Offseason For Possible Extension Talks

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 1:44pm CDT

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays agreed to a one-year, $7.9MM deal to avoid arbitration, though the Jays also had some interest in discussing a longer-term contract, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports. However, Guerrero and his representatives at Magnus Sports preferred to wait until after the season before “exploring something significant.”

As a Super Two player, Guerrero still has three more years of arbitration eligibility, so he isn’t scheduled for free agency until after the 2025 season. Guerrero will be only 27 years old on Opening Day 2026, so it would be likely that Guerrero could command a decade-long (or more) free agent contract if he keeps up his current level of production.

The 2025-26 offseason is a long ways away, yet Guerrero may already seem like a pretty safe bet. Regarded as baseball’s best prospect prior to his 2019 debut, Guerrero posted good numbers in his first two big league seasons before exploding to 48 home runs and a .311/.401/.601 slash line over 698 plate appearances in 2021. This performance earned him a Silver Slugger, the AL Hank Aaron Award, an All-Star nod, and a second-place finish in AL MVP voting.

Guerrero hasn’t missed a beat in the early days of the 2022 season, hitting five more homers over his first 32 PA. As much negotiating leverage as Guerrero and his camp already has in contract talks, that leverage would only grow if Guerrero delivers another MVP-level season. Waiting until next winter to discuss a long-term extension also carries some risk of injury or a dropoff in performance, though Guerrero already has the financial security of this season’s $7.9MM, some type of arbitration raise for next year’s salary, his $3.9MM signing bonus as an amateur, and three seasons of minimum salaries.

In short, the only real question with a Guerrero extension might be how it would stack up against the largest contracts in baseball history. Going beyond the $300MM threshold seems a given, and considering Guerrero’s age, his agents can make a case that their client should top Mookie Betts’ 12-year, $365MM extension with the Dodgers as the biggest “new money” deal ever. (Mike Trout’s current extension with the Angels gave him only $360MM in additional guarantees, as Trout was already owed $66.5MM over the final two seasons of his previous contract.)

As a first-base only player, Guerrero is a bit more of a defensive question mark than Betts, Trout, Francisco Lindor, Fernando Tatis Jr., or other high-salaried players who play more premium defensive positions. However, Guerrero acquitted himself quite well at first base in 2021, posting +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +2.5 UZR/150 (though the Outs Above Average metric rated him a -3).

Bo Bichette’s status is another factor, as the young shortstop has also made himself a candidate for a very lucrative extension. Bichette recently said that his agents had some extension talks with the Jays but nothing really materialized, and like Guerrero, Bichette is also a free agent after 2025. Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro said that “during that time, it’s safe to say we will continue both formally and informally to explore extensions with” the two players, and that “it’s not like we are a small market where if it gets towards the end of the contract and we can’t extend them, we need to panic and trade them for prospects.” Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and George Springer are the only players signed beyond the 2025 season, so Toronto does have long-term space available for inking one or both of Guerrero and Bichette.

“No Structural Damage” To Byron Buxton’s Injured Right Knee

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 11:59am CDT

11:59AM: Buxton may not even require an IL stint, as Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins aren’t planning another roster move.

11:10AM: Twins outfielder Byron Buxton left yesterday’s game in the first inning due to what the club termed as right knee soreness, and Buxton was set to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), there wasn’t any structural damage revealed, though Buxton might need around a week to recover.

This counts as good news, as given Buxton’s lengthy injury history, there was plenty of immediate concern when Buxton immediately left the field yesterday after sliding into second base on a leadoff double. Even if a trip to the 10-day injured list seems probable, Rosenthal’s timeline would indicate that Buxton might only miss the minimum 10 days, though it’s possible the Twins might hold him out an extra day or two as a precaution.

Of course, missing Buxton for even 10 days is a big blow to Minnesota’s lineup, especially since the outfield was already thinned out when Alex Kirilloff was placed on the 10-day IL yesterday due to wrist inflammation. Max Kepler is suddenly the last starting outfielder left standing, and Trevor Larnach and Kyle Garlick have already been called up from Triple-A. That trio projects as the starting outfield for now, with Alex Gordon and Gilberto Celestino also on the active roster. Jake Cave and Derek Fisher are among the more experienced outfielders still at Triple-A, though the Twins would need to add either player to the 40-man roster.

Buxton has played an even 500 games during parts of eight MLB seasons, as multiple injuries have hampered one of the sport’s most exciting all-around players. When he has been able to play, Buxton has shown glimpses of his five-tool potential, such as the 4.2 fWAR and .306/.358/.647 slash line he posted over 254 PA (61 games) in 2021. The seven-year, $100MM extension Buxton signed with the Twins in November reflected both his injury history and this high ceiling of potential, as millions more in incentive bonuses are available to Buxton if he can hit plate-appearance thresholds and secure at least a top-10 finish in MVP voting.

NL West Notes: Upton, D’backs, Freeland, Dodgers

By Mark Polishuk | April 16, 2022 at 9:29am CDT

The Diamondbacks have “considered” a reunion with Justin Upton, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes, though it isn’t yet clear what the 34-year-old outfielder is himself planning for his next step. Upton has given some thought to retiring altogether after the Angels released the veteran last week.

If Upton does continue his career, a return to the D’Backs would represent a nice full-circle moment. Arizona selected Upton with the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, and Upton spent his first six Major League seasons with the Diamondbacks. That tenure included two All-Star appearances for Upton and arguably the finest year of his entire career, as he hit .289/.369/.529 with 31 home runs in 2011 and finished fourth in NL MVP voting.

Upton has been roughly a replacement-level player over his last three seasons with the Angels, but since signing him would cost the Diamondbacks only a prorated minimum salary, it might be a worthwhile flier for a team that has gotten off to a brutal start at the plate. The right-handed hitting Upton represents some lineup balance since many of Arizona’s top outfield choices (David Peralta, Daulton Varsho, Pavin Smith, Jake McCarthy) are all left-handed, plus DH Seth Beer is also a lefty bat.

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