Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Reds Activate Sonny Gray, Designate Nate Jones

By Mark Polishuk | September 22, 2020 at 2:14pm CDT

The Reds have activated righty Sonny Gray from the 10-day injured list, the team announced. Gray is scheduled to start tonight’s game against the Brewers. To create roster space, right-hander Nate Jones has been designated for assignment.

A back strain sent Gray to the injured list on September 13 (retroactive placement to September 11), though fortunately for Gray and the Reds, the injury looks to have been a relatively minor one. Gray is now also lined up to start Sunday in what would be Cincinnati’s final game of the regular season, though that game is likely to be an all-hands-on-deck type of situation if the Reds need to win to clinch a playoff spot.

Heading into today’s action, the 28-27 Reds hold the seventh seed as a wild card in the NL postseason field, but the Brewers and Giants aren’t far behind at 26-27, with the eighth-seed Phillies sandwiched in between with an even 28-28 record. Cincinnati is also chasing the 26-25 Cardinals for second place in the NL Central, which guaranteed an automatic playoff berth.

Ironically, the Reds have gone 9-2 since Gray was retroactively placed on the IL, though there is no doubt he represents a major addition for Cincy down the stretch. Gray has a 3.94 ERA, 11.8 K/9, and 2.86 K/BB rate over 45 2/3 innings this season, with ERA indicators (2.92 FIP, 3.16 xFIP, 3.80 SIERA) generally showing that Gray’s 3.94 number is a bit inflated.

Jones struck out 23 batters and recorded a strong 3.83 K/BB rate over his 18 2/3 relief innings this season, but an ugly 2.4 HR/9 was largely responsible for Jones’ 6.27 ERA. On the plus side, the oft-injured Jones did stay healthy this year after missing much of 2019 due to forearm surgery, though he was obviously hoping for better performance for his hometown team. Jones signed a minor league deal with the Reds last winter.

Tigers Select Brandon Dixon’s Contract

By Mark Polishuk | September 22, 2020 at 1:51pm CDT

The Tigers have selected the contract of utiltyman Brandon Dixon from their alternate training site, the team announced. There was already an open spot on Detroit’s active roster since infielder Sergio Alcantara was previously optioned to the alternate site, and a 40-man roster spot was opened for Dixon since second baseman Jonathan Schoop has been moved from the 10-day injured list to the 45-day injured list, which will officially end Schoop’s 2020 season.

This will be Dixon’s first bit of Major League action during the 2020 season, following 544 career plate appearances with the Reds and Tigers in 2018-19. Detroit claimed Dixon off waivers from Cincinnati following the 2018 season and Dixon went on to receive pretty regular playing time last year, hitting .248/.290/.435 over 420 PA and actually leading all Tigers batters with 15 homers.

Dixon has mostly played first base in the big leagues but he has also seen quite a bit of action around the diamond, starting multiple games as a corner outfield, second baseman, and third baseman. (He also has one game played in center field and even four pitching appearances in late-game mop-up duty during blowouts.) This versatility should help Dixon continue to get looks at the big league level, and he is a useful player for the Tigers to have on hand for depth purposes.

A sprained right wrist sent Schoop to the IL (retroactively) on September 13, but the infielder will now wrap up what could his only season in Detroit. Schoop signed a one-year, $6.1MM deal with the Tigers last winter and enjoyed a productive season, hitting .278/.324/.475 and eight homers over 177 PA, good for a 114 wRC+ and 115 OPS+.

Mariners Notes: Haniger, Outfield, Sixto, Phillies

By Mark Polishuk | September 22, 2020 at 1:20pm CDT

The latest from Seattle…

Though Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Julio Rodriguez are expected to be part of the Mariners’ outfield of the future, Mitch Haniger is still a part of the team’s present. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times looks at Haniger and the broader outfield plan as a whole, noting that Haniger is expected to be ready to participate in Spring Training. It has been a brutal 15 months for Haniger, who hasn’t played since June 2019 due to a ruptured testicle, a torn abductor muscle, and then a herniated disc. It remains to be seen if Haniger can recapture his 2018 All-Star form when he does get back onto the field, though if he plays well and stays healthy, Divish figures Haniger might still hold some trade value, considering that he is under arbitration control through the 2022 season. Since Trammell and Rodriguez aren’t likely to be in the majors until at least 2022, there is also a case for the M’s to keep Haniger, especially if he remains a productive player and if the Mariners start to become regular contenders.
The Mariners’ 2018-19 offseason was marked by several major trades, including a notable deal that saw Seattle land J.P. Crawford and (the soon-to-be-flipped) Carlos Santana from the Phillies in exchange for Jean Segura, James Pazos, and Juan Nicasio. However, an earlier incarnation of that deal would have seen Segura and Edwin Diaz head to Philly, while Sixto Sanchez would have been part of the trade package coming back to the Mariners, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. It makes for an interesting what-if for Seattle fans, as moving Diaz in that trade would have altered several other future deals, most obviously the blockbuster swap with the Mets that brought Kelenic and Justin Dunn into the organization and sent Diaz and Robinson Cano to New York. Rosenthal adds another interesting detail in noting that the Mariners kept trying to acquire Sanchez even after he had been dealt to the Marlins as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade with the Phils in February 2019. Needless to say, it doesn’t seem like Sanchez is going anywhere for a long time considering how impressive the young righty has looked in his first Major League season.

2021 Draft Order “Highly Likely” To Be Based On 2020 Win-Loss Record

By Mark Polishuk | September 22, 2020 at 11:57am CDT

We already know that the 2021 draft will undergo one notable change, as the draft will be held during the All-Star break in July rather than its normal spot a month earlier in June. In regards to the draft order, however, it appears the status quo will be in effect, as ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports that teams’ 2020 records are “highly likely” to be used to determine the order of selection.

With only 60 games in the 2020 season, there had been speculation that the 2021 draft order could be based on a larger timeframe, such as perhaps a combination of teams’ records from both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The league had the right to change the order as part of the agreement reached last March between Major League Baseball and the MLBPA about a wide range of issues related to how baseball operations would proceed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, though Passan notes that a change to the normal draft order might only have occurred had the 2020 season been interrupted or halted from proceeding whatsoever.

The Pirates carry a 15-39 record into today’s action, four games “ahead” (so to speak) of the 19-35 Rangers for the game’s worst record. This would be the fifth time Pittsburgh has held the first overall pick, previously selecting first in 2011 (Gerrit Cole was their pick), 2002 (Bryan Bullington), 1996 (Kris Benson), and 1986 (Jeff King. Should the Rangers finish with the second-worst 2020 record, picking second in the 2021 draft would represent the team’s highest draft selection since way back in 1974, when Texas took right-hander Tommy Boggs second overall.

The Pirates and Rangers are followed in the standings by the Red Sox and Diamondbacks at 20-34, with Boston earning the #3 pick in this tiebreaker since the Sox had a worse record in 2019. The Nationals round out the current top five with their 21-32 ranking, perhaps benefiting the most of any team from the unaltered draft order since naturally they would have been picking much lower in the first round if their 2019 record was factored into the determination.

On the other side of the equation, the Tigers (currently slated for the seventh overall pick) probably feel dismayed that 2019 records won’t be a consideration. Detroit’s league-worst 47-114 mark last season earned them the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, and they would still be in line for the first overall pick in 2021 had the 2019-20 records been combined. Though the Tigers are surely pleased to have landed Spencer Torkelson first overall in this year’s draft, the team didn’t really achieve full value from their prime spot in the order given that the 2020 draft was only five rounds long and . As per the March agreement, the 2021 draft will be at least 20 rounds long and teams should theoretically have something of a more normal scouting and evaluation process for prospects.

NL Injury Notes: Molina, Gamel, Buehler, Gray

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 12:32pm CDT

X-rays were negative on Yadier Molina’s left wrist after the catcher was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of the Cardinals’ 5-4 win over the Pirates last night. Molina was behind the plate for the bottom half of the seventh before being replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Wieters in the top of the eighth. Cards manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that Molina “got hit in the same spot, pretty much” that Ryan Braun also made contact with Molina’s wrist earlier this week on a swing that drew a catcher’s interference call on Molina.

It isn’t yet known if Molina will require any time off, though missing any games will be a blow to a Cardinals team that needs all hands on deck as it tries to lock up a playoff spot. Molina has hit .256/.296/.342 over 126 PA this season and spent three weeks on the injured list after a positive COVID-19 test.

More injury notes from around the National League…

The Brewers placed Ben Gamel on the 10-day IL due to a left quad strain, so the outfielder’s 2020 season is over. Lorenzo Cain’s decision to opt out of the 2020 campaign left Gamel with a larger workload, and he assumed regular duty between center field and right field for much of the season. The result was a .237/.315/.404 slash line and three home runs over 127 PA, working out to a 91 OPS+ and 92 wRC+. It wasn’t a bad showing for a player who is probably best suited for fourth outfielder duty, though it remains to be seen if Gamel has done enough for the Brewers to exercise their $2.55MM club option on his services for the 2021 season.
Walker Buehler threw a 90-pitch simulated game yesterday and is slated to be activated off the 10-day IL for a Thursday start. (MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick was among those to report the news.) Buehler has made two trips to the injured list due to blister problems, resulting in just seven innings pitched since August 21. Thursday’s start against the Athletics will therefore serve as an opportunity for Buehler to warm up prior to the Dodgers’ postseason run. Buehler is still expected to be a big factor for Los Angeles during the playoffs, though he hasn’t quite matched his 2019 form in this shortened season. Thanks in large part to a 1.9 HR/9, Buehler has a 3.86 ERA over 32 2/3 innings in 2020, though with a 3.60 K/BB rate, 9.9 K/9, and generally above-average Statcast numbers.
Sonny Gray is tentatively scheduled to return during the Reds’ upcoming series with the Brewers, perhaps as early as Tuesday. However, Reds manager David Bell told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer and other reporters that no “final, final call” will be made until the team sees how Gray is feeling following a side session on Saturday. Gray has been on the injured list (retroactively) since September 11 due to a back strain, and his return would be a major boost as the Reds chase a postseason berth.

Mets Release Yefry Ramirez, Trade Stephen Villines To Rangers

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 11:49am CDT

The Mets announced a pair of transactions, including the news that right-hander Yefry Ramirez has been released. New York also completed the August 5 trade with the Rangers that brought Ariel Jurado to Citi Field, as right-hander Steve Villines was sent to Texas as the player to be named later.

Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason and was part of the team’s 60-man player pool, though he never received a call-up from the alternate training site. The 26-year-old righty has a 6.32 ERA, 1.71 K/BB rate, and 8.9 K/9 over 89 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, all with Orioles and Pirates from 2018-19. Originally an international signing for the Diamondbacks in 2011, the 26-year-old Ramirez has posted some solid numbers over 605 minor league innings (3.57 ERA, 2.96 K/BB, 9.1 K/9), starting 103 of his 137 games.

Villines was a 10th-round pick for the Mets in the 2017 draft, and has worked exclusively as a reliever over 155 career innings in New York’s farm system. He wasn’t a top-30 prospect for the Mets nor a member of their 60-man player pool, though the 25-year-old’s unconventional sidearm-esque delivery has some outstanding minor league numbers — a 2.67 ERA, 5.31 K/BB rate, and an 11.1 K/9 over 155 innings. That dominance didn’t translate to 16 Triple-A innings last season, as Villines posted a 6.75 ERA over that admittedly small sample size.

Phillies Acquire Joel Cesar To Complete Austin Davis Trade

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 11:13am CDT

The Phillies announced that right-hander Joel Cesar has been acquired from the Pirates. Cesar acts as the player to be named later from the August 26 trade that sent Austin Davis to Pittsburgh.

Cesar was a member of the Pirates’ 2015-16 international signing class, and the righty has posted some solid results over four seasons on the farm. Cesar has a 3.18 ERA, 2.06 K/BB rate, and 8.7 K/9 over 138 2/3 innings, working as a reliever in 87 of his 90 career games.

The 24-year-old has yet to pitch beyond the Double-A level, though a Triple-A assignment would have been likely had there been a 2020 minor league season. Cesar wasn’t included in Pittsburgh’s 60-man player pool, though he’ll now join Philadelphia’s 60-man mix and report to the Phils’ alternate training site.

A’s Designate Daniel Mengden For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 11:10am CDT

The Athletics have activated Daniel Mengden off the COVID-19 injured list and designated the right-hander for assignment, the team announced.

It has been an altogether tough year for Mengden, who underwent two intestinal surgeries and an arthroscopic elbow surgery during the offseason before testing positive for the coronavirus (with no symptoms, thankfully) in early September. On the field, Mengden has posted a 3.65 ERA over 12 1/3 innings for Oakland, starting one game and working as a long man out of the pen in his other three appearances.

Mengden’s skillset would seemingly make him a useful bullpen piece for the A’s during the playoffs, making the DFA placement a bit of a surprise. But, with a relief corps that is arguably already the best in baseball, the Athletics simply might have decided that they didn’t have room for Mengden. Opening up a roster spot could also hint at a future move to come in the season’s final days.

Mengden has a 4.64 ERA, 2.20 K/BB rate, and 6.7 K/9 over 302 2/3 career innings (starting 48 of 60 games), all with the A’s since making his Major League debut in 2016. Though there is only a week left in the regular season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a team claim Mengden to get a quick look at him and gain a controllable arm. Mengden will be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter.

Orioles Acquire Victor Gonzalez From Mets, Release Chandler Shepherd

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 10:23am CDT

The Orioles have acquired infield prospect Victor Gonzalez from the Mets as the player to be named later in the August trade that sent Miguel Castro to New York. The 17-year-old Gonzalez has been added to Baltimore’s 60-man player pool, while right-hander Chandler Shepherd was released to make room.

Gonzalez, hailing from the Dominican Republic, signed for a $250K bonus as a member of the Mets’ 2019-20 international signing class. With the 2020 minor league season canceled, Gonzalez has yet to officially begin his pro career, and he wasn’t part of the group working out at the Mets’ alternate training site. Baseball America’s Ben Badler described Gonzalez as having “a good chance to stay at shortstop” since he has “a quick first step, covers ground well and has a strong arm for the position.”

Shepherd joined the Orioles on a waiver claim in May 2019 and made his MLB debut last season, posting a 6.63 ERA over 19 innings for the O’s. The righty was outrighted off the 40-man roster after the season but remained in the organization, and was briefly called up to the Orioles’ roster this season but didn’t appear in a game before being designated for assignment in August.

Originally a 13th-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2014 draft, Shepherd has a 4.17 ERA, 3.44 K/BB rate, and 8.6 K/9 over 455 2/3 career minor league innings in the Boston and Baltimore organizations. Somewhat unusually, he began his pro career as a reliever before becoming mostly a full-time starter prior to the 2018 season. (Three of Shepherd’s five Major League games were starts.)

Cubs Notes: Wick, Chafin, Quintana, Lester

By Mark Polishuk | September 20, 2020 at 10:05am CDT

The Cubs bullpen has quietly gotten on track after a very rough start to the season, but the relief corps took a hit with yesterday’s news that Rowan Wick suffered a left oblique strain. Wick “got some testing done and it’s pretty bad,” manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters, and it could mean that Wick might be out of action for the postseason. Wick has a 3.12 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 3.33 K/BB over 17 1/3 innings this season, with just one home run allowed. He also has four saves this season, though none over the last month as Jeremy Jeffress has recently emerged as Chicago’s top closer option.

The most obvious replacement is Andrew Chafin, who was just activated from his own stint on the injured list. A left finger sprain has kept Chafin out of action since August 17, meaning that Chafin has yet to pitch since the Cubs acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. Chafin has an 8.10 ERA this season, though over the small sample size of 6 2/3 innings, and a lot of that damage stems from a July 29th outing that saw Chafin allow three runs to the Rangers without retiring a batter. If Chafin returns to his solid form from the 2015-19 seasons, he could be an important weapon for a Cubs team that has designs on a deep October run.

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