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Red Sox Acquire Steven Matz

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July 31st: The trade has been officially announced by the Red Sox. Righty Hunter Dobbins has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot. Dobbins suffered a season-ending ACL tear earlier this month.

July 30: The Red Sox and Cardinals have agreed to a trade that will send left-hander Steven Matz to Boston, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.  Corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan is headed to the Cards in return, according to the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.  The deal will become official once both sides sign off on the medicals of the players involved.

Matz is a pure rental for the Sox, as the veteran southpaw’s four-year, $44MM contract is up at season’s end.  St. Louis inked Matz to that free agent deal on the heels of his successful 2021 season as a starter with the Blue Jays, but Matz has only started 36 of his 84 career games with the Cards.  Injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered his time in St. Louis, leading the Cardinals to move Matz into more of a swingman role, and he came essentially a full-time reliever this year (save for two spot starts in April).

While Matz didn’t live up to the expectations of his contract, he pitched pretty well in both 2023 and during this season, as the southpaw has a 3.44 ERA over 55 frames in 2025.  Typically a good control pitcher, Matz has taken it a step further with an elite 4.0% walk rate this season, and his 5.3% barrel rate is also excellent.  This ability to limit mistakes and keep the ball on the ground (44.3% grounder rate) has helped balance out more ordinary strikeout and hard-contact rates.

Left-handed batters have only a .442 OPS against Matz this season, while righty hitters have a much more productive .814 OPS.  The gap in splits will be somewhat hard for manager Alex Cora to work around since Matz has so much value as a multi-inning reliever, yet that same durability will help out a Boston pen that has logged a lot of innings bailing out its shaky rotation.  It’s possible the Sox could even turn to Matz again as a part-time starter, though the Red Sox are expected to land more significant starting help prior to tomorrow’s deadline.

Matz is now the fifth left-hander in Boston’s pen, along with Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Brennan Bernardino, and Chris Murphy.  This depth could give the Sox some flexibility in swinging a trade to a team in need of relief help, with Boston then addressing another need in return.

Chaim Bloom was Boston’s chief baseball officer back when Jordan was selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, and now that Bloom will be taking over at the Cards’ president of baseball operations starting next season, this familiarity undoubtedly helped pave the way for tonight’s trade.  Jordan ranks 17th on MLB Pipeline’s list of Boston’s best prospect, and MLB Pipeline had the corner infielder 24th in their ranking.

Jordan struggled at the Double-A level in both 2023 and 2024 before hitting well this season, and earning his first promotion to Triple-A.  This transition went more smoothly, as Jordan has hit .289/.333/.476 over 177 plate appearances with Worcester while seeing a lot of time at both corner infield slots (primarily third base).  Scouts feel first base is his better position, so Jordan’s future potential will hinge on how well he can keep developing at the plate.  His production in 2025 is a step in the right direction, as the 22-year-old has been much better at turning his raw power into results.

This is the second big bullpen trade of the day for the Cardinals, after Ryan Helsley was shipped to the Mets.  Both deals have brought more young talent into the St. Louis pipeline, which seemed to be the organization’s stated goal heading into last offseason, yet Bloom and current PBO John Mozeliak chose to retain almost all of the Cards’ veteran talent.  In Matz’s case, he wasn’t generating much trade interest given his $12MM salary and his rough 2024 production, so at least Matz’s bounce-back year rebuilt some of his value.

As for future trades, Phil Maton and JoJo Romero have both been rumored to be generating interesting, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see St. Louis move at least one or both relievers before the deadline.  While the Cards are in sell mode, the Red Sox are pushing for at least a wild card slot and hope to make a run at the AL East title, with pitching known to be Boston’s primary target.

Red Sox Had Interest In Eugenio Suarez For First Base Vacancy

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Eugenio Suarez is headed back to the Mariners, removing deadline season’s biggest bat from the market.  Several other clubs besides Seattle were known to be interested in Suarez’s services, but The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey add a somewhat surprising team to the mix in the aftermath of the tonight’s trade.  The Red Sox had some talks with the Diamondbacks about Suarez with the idea of using Suarez not at his customary third base position, but across the diamond at first base.

Suarez has made exactly one career appearance as a first baseman, which came just earlier this week in Arizona’s 1-0 win over the Pirates on July 24.  Suarez moved from third to first in the bottom of the tenth inning amidst some other defensive changes for the D’Backs, so we can probably rule this out as some kind of unofficial audition for any Red Sox scouts that might’ve been in attendance.

Public defensive statistics have been mixed on Suarez’s third base glovework over his career.  The Defensive Runs Saved metric has been giving him negative grades in each of the last seven seasons, while the Outs Above Average metric has him at a +9 OAA over that same timespan.  In 2025, Suarez has been getting a thumbs down across the board, with -5 OAA and -4 DRS over 877 2/3 innings at the hot corner.  The 34-year-old’s defensive future could be an interesting subplot to his free agent market this winter, as it remains to be seen if Suarez will want to remain at third base or perhaps consider a position change.

The Rafael Devers parallels are hard to ignore.  Devers’ refusal to play first base (after being more or less forced from his old third base job into a DH-only role) in the wake of Triston Casas’ injury in early May hastened the chain of events that led to the shocking trade that went Devers from the Red Sox to the Giants in June.  It is hard to imagine that the Sox would’ve explored a trade of this magnitude without first getting some okay from Suarez’s camp that he was fine with changing positions, given how the Devers situation went south in such a public manner.

As Moneyball fans can tell you, learning to play first base is incredibly hard.  It may have been a lot to ask for Suarez to pick up essentially a new position mid-season, while on a new team and in the pressure of a pennant race.  The Red Sox might not have minded subpar glovework if Suarez continued slugging home runs, yet there have been plenty of past examples of players whose hitting suffered due to a preoccupation with defense.

Abraham Toro and especially Romy Gonzalez have hit well in splitting the bulk of first base duties since Casas’ injury, so even this relative weak link position has still been pretty solid.  The rest of Boston’s lineup has also been so productive that the Sox can likely get away without having a big first base bat, though the club may yet be considering an upgrade for the position at the deadline.  Most recent reporting on the Sox has focused on their search for pitching, though the team is known to have interest in Yandy Diaz or Brandon Lowe if the Rays decide to sell at a larger scale.

Padres, Twins Among Teams Interested In J.C. Escarra

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Reports earlier in July indicated that J.C. Escarra was drawing trade interest, and Francys Romero writes that the Padres and Twins are two of the clubs most recently asking about the Yankees catcher.  Escarra was optioned to Triple-A just today, leaving Austin Wells and Ben Rice as the catching options on New York’s active roster, and underlining the team’s depth at the position.

Escarra earned his first taste of MLB playing time by making the team out of Spring Training, and acting as Wells’ primary backup while Rice has seen more time at DH and first base than behind the plate.  The backstop’s chief calling card has been his outstanding framing ability, even if his blocking and caught-stealing numbers leave much to be desired.

Escarra’s first 97 career plate appearances in the Show have seen him hit .205/.299/.337, with a .217 BABIP that is perhaps obscuring some better production.  Though Escarra isn’t making much hard contact, he is making a lot of contact period, as he has almost as many walks (11) as strikeouts (14).  His hitting record beyond the majors is inconsistent, but Escarrra hit well at the Triple-A level in 2024, and he got himself on the Yankees’ radar after crushing the ball in 2022-23 during stints in the independent leagues and in the Mexican League.

Given this journeyman background, Escarra is basically found money for the Yankees, so he may be expendable given the team’s other available catchers at both the MLB and minor league levels.  Wells, Rice, and Escarra are the only catchers with any big league experience in the organization, though another veteran could be signed to a minors contract to provide some depth if Escarra did get moved.

The appeal is obvious for the Padres, whose cumulative -0.7 bWAR from the catching position is the lowest in the majors.  With Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado providing almost nothing, the Padres would have little to lose in seeing what Escarra can do with some regular playing time.  San Diego has one of the lowest strikeout rates of any team in baseball, so Escarra’s high-contact ways are a fit with the Padres’ approach.

Diaz and Maldonado are both free agents after the season.  The Twins have Ryan Jeffers arbitration-controlled through 2026 but Christian Vazquez is an impending free agent.  Like with San Diego, Minnesota’s catching position has also been a weak link, with Jeffers, Vazquez, and (for one game) Mickey Gasper combining for 0.3 bWAR.

At age 30, Escarra may not exactly be a long-term prospect, but he is controllable through the 2030 season.  Either the Padres or Twins could see the catcher as a fairly inexpensive upgrade to their needs behind the plate both this year and in the future.  The Twins are in seller mode, and such players as Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, Griffin Jax, and Danny Coulombe have been linked to New York in recent rumors.  It isn’t known if these Minnesota players could still be on the radar or not, as the Yankees’ acquisitions of Amed Rosario and Austin Slater specifically might’ve made Castro or Bader redundant.

Astros Interested In Sandy Alcantara

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The Astros and Marlins are discussing a trade that would send Sandy Alcantara to Houston, according to reporter Michael Schwab.  “Both sides are serious and interested,” as per Schwab, but there isn’t any indication that a deal is close to happening.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale regards Houston’s interest in Alcantara as a bit of a pivot, as talks with the Padres about Dylan Cease “have cooled.”

Alcantara missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, and his return to action this year has been mixed at best.  The right-hander has a 6.36 ERA over 109 innings, with lot of hard contact allowed and a 16.8% strikeout rate that would represent a career low.  There have been a few flashes of vintage Alcantara, and his last two starts have seen the former NL Cy Young Award winner toss 12 innings with only a single unearned run allowed.  Alcantara’s fastball is still averaging 97.5mph, which is down from the 98mph he averaged during the 2021-23 seasons, yet that isn’t an egregious drop considering the righty’s long layoff.

As perhaps the top premium trade chip the Marlins have left after their latest fire sale, Alcantara’s shaky performance represents a challenge for the front office.  The Fish could simply wait until the offseason to try and re-visit trade talks, perhaps after Alcantara has posted better numbers in the final two months to boost his value.  Or, the Marlins could trade Alcantara before tomorrow’s deadline if a rival team comes close to matching (or even matches) what was surely a high initial asking price for the hurler’s services.

Despite Alcantara’s struggles, the Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, and Padres remained linked to his trade market.  San Diego’s interest is related to the Cease talks, as the speculation has been that the Padres could both deal Cease (an impending free agent) to address multiple roster needs, while then adding another starting pitcher either as part of the return for Cease for in another deal altogether.

Cease was reportedly the Astros’ top deadline target, so this turn towards Alcantara could represent a number of things.  It could be simply due diligence on Houston’s part, or a sign that the talks with San Diego are going nowhere because the Padres wish to retain Cease, or perhaps a sign that the Padres are more motivated to send Cease elsewhere.

Whereas Cease is a rental, Alcantara is controlled through the 2027 season.  He is owed the remainder of his $17MM salary for 2025, $17MM more in 2026, and Miami has a $21MM club option for 2027 that contains a $2MM buyout.  Adding Alcantara over Cease would be a whole new financial ballgame for the Astros, who made an effort to stay under the luxury tax threshold this past winter.

With the Mariners and Rangers charging hard in the AL West race, Astros owner Jim Crane may be willing to pay into the tax again in order to give his team some much-needed reinforcements.  If the pre-TJ version of Alcantara emerges, his salary suddenly looks like a relative bargain for a frontline pitcher.  Framber Valdez is also a free agent after the season, so the Astros could view Alcantara as a longer-term replacement if Valdez walks.

Tigers Designate Tyler Owens For Assignment

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The Tigers announced that right-hander Tyler Owens has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up roster space for Rafael Montero, acquired earlier tonight in a trade with the Braves.

The 24-year-old Owens made his Major League debut this season, appearing in three games with Detroit and allowing one earned run over three total innings.  He also walked three batters during his cups of coffee in the Show, which continues the severe control problems that have arisen for Owens this year at Triple-A Toledo.  A 14.8% walk rate over 30 innings with the Mud Hens has been a big reason behind Owens’ 5.40 ERA in his first taste of Triple-A ball, and his 19% strikeout rate is also pretty modest.

Owens has been on Toledo’s injured list due to a hip injury for the last two weeks, and he’ll now head into DFA limbo for the first time in his career.  A 13th-round pick for the Braves in the 2019 draft, Owens was dealt to the Rangers prior to the 2024 season, and was then traded to Detroit along with Liam Hicks almost exactly a year ago in the deal that sent Carson Kelly to Texas.

Pirates Likely To Keep Mitch Keller Beyond Trade Deadline

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Despite weeks of rumors, it looks as though the Pirates won’t be trading Mitch Keller before tomorrow’s trade deadline, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes.  It would take “a dramatic shift” in the team’s thinking for Keller to be moved at this point.

Several contenders (including the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, and Cubs) were publicly linked to Keller in recent days, yet it appears as though none of these suitors or others were able to meet what was known to be a very high asking price for the right-hander’s services.  One rival executive told Rosenthal that it didn’t seem like the Pirates were willing to explore a Keller deal too deeply, and thus ceased talks.

This stance from the Bucs front office tracks with the most recent reporting on Keller, as Rosenthal and Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette each wrote within the last few days that the Pirates were becoming increasingly disinclined to trade the starter.  Pirates GM Ben Cherington told Hiles and other reporters last weekend that the team valued Keller’s “leadership” and “proven performance.”

“If we’re going to be better in 2026, we need more of that, not less.  We would only contemplate giving up something that’s seemingly more proven if we really believe that they give us a better chance to be better by next year,” Cherington said.

Now in his seventh MLB season, Keller has a 3.69 ERA and 6.2% walk rate over 127 innings and 22 starts for Pittsburgh.  His 18.8% strikeout rate is his lowest over a full season and he has correspondingly low chase and whiff rates, plus Keller’s fastball averages a modest 94mph.  His heater does have plenty of spin on it, however, and Keller’s combination of good control, durability, and non-quantitative value as a veteran leader in a young clubhouse makes him a logical player to keep as the Bucs try to break out of their lengthy rebuilding phase.

The club invested in Keller as a face of its next phase of contention by signing him to a multi-year extension prior to the 2024 season.  Keller still has $54.5MM owed to him from 2026-28, as well as the rest of his $15MM salary for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.  This is a very pricey commitment by the Pirates’ standards, and since the team is staring at another losing season, there was some thought that the Bucs could trim salary by moving Keller elsewhere.  The team did move one significant contract off the books when Ke’Bryan Hayes was dealt to the Reds earlier today, which indirectly makes Keller more affordable with more room now in the Pirates’ limited budget.

Hiles heard from a source that the Pirates could re-engage in Keller’s trade market this winter, which could give the team more time and flexibility in finding an acceptable match.  Without the deadline crunch, the Bucs could also lower their asking price to a more realistic level.  Rosenthal suggested that one reason the Keller talks have stalled is because some clubs “perceive him as nothing more than a mid-rotation starter,” and are therefore perhaps balking at giving up much in the way of significant position-player talent in return, or at taking on Keller’s salary.

Pittsburgh could still explore moving one of its younger and more controllable non-Paul Skenes arms before tomorrow, in order to obtain a proven veteran hitter or a young bat of a comparable prospect value.  With Keller now apparently off the board, the Pirates’ decision will raise the asking price for other teams with starters on offer around the league.

Tigers Acquire Rafael Montero From Braves

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The Tigers announced the acquisition of right-handed reliever Rafael Montero from the Braves, in exchange for minor league infielder Jim Jarvis.  Detroit designated Tyler Owens for assignment in a corresponding 40-man roster move, and the Tigers will also need to clear 26-man roster space at some point before their next game.

Montero is on the move for the second time in less than four months, as Atlanta picked up the reliever in an early-April trade with Houston.  That deal was mostly a matter of salary relief for the Astros, who are covering roughly $8.5MM of Montero’s $11.5MM salary for the 2025 season.  Montero is still owed roughly $3.83MM for the remainder of the campaign, so while it depends on how exactly the money is being split up, he’ll still be a relatively inexpensive rental add for the Tigers during the pennant race.

Detroit has thus far added Chris Paddack to the rotation, free agent Luke Jackson to the bullpen, and now Montero its relief corps, as the Tigers have yet to pull the trigger on any headline moves.  Merrill Kelly is known to be on the team’s radar and third base targets Eugenio Suarez and Ke’Bryan Hayes have both been dealt already, but since the Tigers’ focus is reportedly on bullpen upgrades, they could be looking to add some arms first before turning to other matters.

How much help Montero can provide is up for debate, as he has a 5.40 ERA over 38 1/3 combined innings for the Braves and Astros, with an untenable 13.9% walk rate that stands out as one of the worst in baseball.  This lack of control has overshadowed some other decent metrics (and an excellent chase rate), and it should be noted that Montero’s numbers were looking a lot better even 10 days ago.  However, he has allowed eight earned runs over his last four games and 3 1/3 innings of work, sending his ERA through the roof.

It could be that the Tigers view these recent struggles as just a blip, and that Montero can right the ship and at least slightly cut back on the walks.  The Tigers surely view Montero more as a middle relief option than a candidate for higher-leverage innings, and even his okay-ish strikeout numbers are a boost to a Detroit bullpen that doesn’t miss many bats.

Montero was an obvious trade chip for a Braves team looking ahead to 2026.  The trade brings back Jarvis, a multi-positional infielder who was an 11th-round pick for Detroit in the 2023 draft.  The University of Alabama product has spent the whole season with Double-A Erie, hitting .242/.316/.336 over 310 plate appearances while playing mostly shortstop, with a good chunk of time at second and third base.

Cubs Acquire Michael Soroka

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The Cubs have acquired right-hander Michael Soroka in a trade with the Nationals, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.  Washington will receive prospects Ronny Cruz and Christian Franklin in return, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

Chicago has been tied to several starters and relievers during a wide-ranging search for pitching, and Soroka was an obvious trade candidate as an impending free agent on a non-contending Nats team.  Because Soroka pitched so effectively in a relief role with the White Sox last season, the Cubs could potentially use him in the pen again down the stretch, depending on either how much the team trusts Soroka’s work with Washington, or what other rotation help might be heading to Wrigleyville between now and tomorrow’s 5pm CT deadline.

Soroka signed a one-year, $9MM free agent deal with the Nationals last winter, and his career-long battles with injury continued when a biceps strain cost him about five weeks of action early in the season.  The issue fortunately turned out to be relatively minor, and Soroka has delivered a 4.87 ERA, 25.4% strikeout rate, and 7% walk rate across 81 1/3 innings and 16 starts in 2025.

Both the K% and BB% are well above the league average, as is Soroka’s 6.4% barrel rate, which speaks to how his performance isn’t exactly matching his bottom-line results — Soroka’s 3.60 SIERA is over a run lower than his real-world ERA.  He is averaging only 93.5mph on his fastball, and his velocity has been dropping as the season has gone on, which could reflect some fatigue for Soroka as he hasn’t pitched this many innings since his 2019 rookie season.

An All-Star with the Braves during that breakout 2019 campaign, Soroka barely pitched during the 2020-23 seasons due to two achilles tendon surgeries and a variety of arm issues.  He was able to post a 4.74 ERA over 79 2/3 innings with the White Sox last year, but as noted, was far better as a reliever (2.75 ERA in 36 IP) than as a starter (6.39 ERA in 43 2/3 IP).  If it hadn’t been for an ill-timed shoulder strain last July, the White Sox surely would’ve sent Soroka elsewhere at last year’s deadline.

For now, Soroka will step into a Cubs rotation that should be getting Jameson Taillon back from the IL relatively soon, plus Javier Assad has started a minor league rehab assignment after missing the entire year to oblique injuries.  Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd have rotation jobs locked up, and so Colin Rea, Cade Horton, and Soroka could be battling for the final three slots once everyone is healthy.  This mix could be shaken up once more by further pitching moves, whether in the form of another starter or a more clear-cut relief option that deepens the pen.

With no mention yet of any money changing hands in the deal, it would appear that the Cubs are covering the approximately $3MM remaining on Soroka’s contract.  RosterResource estimates Chicago’s tax number at around $220.5MM, leaving the team with plenty of space to add further salaries before hitting the $241MM luxury tax threshold.  Upgrading the roster and staying under the tax line would be the best of both worlds for ownership and the front office, yet an argument can obviously be made that exceeding the threshold for a second straight year is a relatively small price to pay to bolster a team battling for a division crown.

In exchange for a rental player, the Nationals will add a pair of prospects ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 13th (Cruz) and 14th (Franklin) best minor leaguers in Chicago’s deep system.  It’s not a bad haul for a rental player, providing Washington with a decent return on its one-year investment in Soroka.

Cruz was a third-round pick for the Cubs in the 2024 draft, and his first pro season has seen the 18-year-old infielder hit .270/.314/.431 over 189 plate appearances for the Cubs’ rookie ball affiliate.  He has spent most of his year at shortstop and some evaluators feel he should be able to stick at the position, though Cruz has also played some second and third base this year.  Pipeline’s scouting report feels center field could be his “Plan B” position, given Cruz’s athleticism and strong throwing arm.  Cruz’s overall hitting ability has some question marks, but he already has plus raw power that could develop as he gets old.

Baseball America had Cruz 17th on their list of Cubs prospects but Franklin wasn’t included at all.  This could speak to some of the holes in Franklin’s hitting approach that even Pipeline’s scouting report acknowledges.  Franklin is okay in all facets of the game without a clear plus tool apart from his throwing arm, which could hint at a future in right field though he has played mostly center field with Triple-A Iowa.

If Cruz is more of a long-term project, Franklin could potentially be making his MLB debut as early as this season, after hitting .265/.393/.427 over 390 PA with Iowa in 2025.  This marked Franklin’s first taste of Triple-A action in a pro career that began in 2021 as a fourth-round draft pick.

Astros Talked With Mets About Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio

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The Astros are keen on adding left-handed hitting to their righty-heavy lineup, and “at least inquired” with the Mets about the availability of Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, and switch-hitter Ronny Mauricio, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Since the Mets are known to be open to dealing from their infield depth, a trade between the two sides would seem to make sense on paper, though it isn’t known if the discussions gained any traction.

McNeil is in something of a different category than the other two players, as McNeil is an established big league commodity.  In fact, the 33-year-old is again producing above-average offense after a couple of down years, as McNeil is hitting .251/.356/.453 with nine home runs over 265 plate appearances.  Between this steady bat and McNeil’s ability to play both second base and all three outfield positions (with a particular focus on center field this year), it is hard to imagine the Mets parting ways with such a key cog in their lineup.

On the financial side of things, McNeil is controlled through 2027 as per the four-year, $50MM extension he signed with New York prior to the 2023 season.  He is owed the remainder of his $15.75MM salary for 2025, another $15.75MM in 2026, and there is a $2MM buyout on a $15.75MM club option for 2027.  Barring a similar contract heading back to the Mets, a McNeil trade would put the Astros well over the luxury tax threshold, which seemed to be an unofficial spending limit for the club last offseason.  Recent reports indicate that Houston might well consider exceeding the tax line in certain circumstances, but bringing McNeil aboard may not qualify.

Landing Baty or Mauricio is perhaps more of a viable option for the Astros, though New York would also want something significant for either player, given their years of team control and their still-recent status as top-100 prospects.  Baty has hit only .220/.284/.352 over 865 PA in the majors, however, and perhaps has fallen out of favor after once being viewed as the Amazins’ third baseman of the future.  Mauricio has a more respectable .245/.303/.400 slash line from a small sample of 238 career PA, and he is back in action this season after missing the entire 2024 campaign recovering from a torn ACL.

While the two youngsters still have something to prove as big leaguers, the change-of-scenery potential could be attractive to the Astros, as well as Houston’s more immediate near-term needs.  The Astros were thin on left-handed hitting even before the heavy swath of injuries that sent seven position players to the IL — Yordan Alvarez, their most prominent lefty-swinger, has now missed close to three months due to a hand fracture.

Jeremy Pena is expected back at shortstop within the next few days, so Baty or Mauricio could be used at second or third base.  Isaac Paredes and Brendan Rodgers are also on the IL and not expected back soon, so a new face at second base would move Jose Altuve into left field on a more regular basis, thus addressing Houston’s outfield needs.  (GM Dana Brown outlined this possible scenario this past weekend.)

Rangers Place Jacob Webb On 15-Day IL, Promote Luis Curvelo

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The Rangers placed right-hander Jacob Webb on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 29) due to back spasms.  Righty Luis Curvelo was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, as initially reported earlier today by Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base.  Curvelo was already on the 40-man roster, so no additional roster move was necessary.

Signed to a one-year, $1.25MM free agent deal last winter, Webb has provided steady work out of the Texas bullpen this year, with a 3.75 ERA over 48 innings.  His 19.5% strikeout rate is the lowest of his six MLB seasons, and a .232 BABIP has helped Webb outperform his 4.15 SIERA.  Still, there isn’t a big gap between Webb’s real-world numbers and his expected numbers, as he has done an outstanding job of inducing soft contact.  The righty’s seven percent walk rate is also a personal best.

Losing Webb for at least the next two weeks won’t help a Rangers team that is fighting for a playoff berth, especially since Chris Martin was also put on the IL due to a calf strain last week.  The Texas relief corps has been very impressive overall this year, but the Rangers are known to be looking for high-leverage relievers to try and bring a steady closer into the mix before tomorrow’s trade deadline.

Curvelo’s first in-game appearance will mark the 24-year-old’s big league debut.  Despite his young age, Curvelo is in his seventh season of pro ball, as he started as a 17-year-old in the Mariners’ system in 2017.  He joined the Rangers this past winter on a Major League contract, speaking to the amount of interest Curvelo generated despite his lack of MLB experience.

Curvelo made his Triple-A debut this season and has a 3.26 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate over 38 2/3 innings with Round Rock.  These aren’t the kind of special numbers that it would take to get a relief-only pitcher onto a team’s top prospects list, yet Curvelo has looked good enough against Triple-A batters that he’ll now get his first chance to show his wares at the MLB level.  It remains to be seen if Curvelo will just get a cup of coffee in the majors or if he’ll get a longer look if he pitches well, considering that the Rangers’ bullpen situation could be quite different after tomorrow.

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