Rockies To Select Mike Moustakas, Ty Blach, Harold Castro
Infielder Mike Moustakas has told reporters, including Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette, that the Rockies have informed him that he’s made the club’s Opening Day roster. Moustakas, 34, signed with the Rockies after being released by the Reds earlier this offseason. As Moustakas is still owed $22MM of his four-year, $64MM contract with the Reds, the Rockies will only pay Moustakas the big-league minimum salary of $720,000 this season.
In addition, the Rockies are set to select the contract of left-hander Ty Blach, sources tell MLBTR’s Steve Adams. Allentuck adds that infielder Harold Castro will also be on Colorado’s Opening Day roster, and that Brendan Rodgers, Sean Bouchard, and Ryan Rolison were moved to the 60-day IL to clear 40-man roster space for Moustakas, Blach, and Castro.
Over twelve seasons as a big leaguer, Moustakas has proven to be a roughly league-average bat with a career slash line of .247/.308/.434 (97 wRC+). That being said, he was an above average regular from 2015 to 2020, as he slashed .262/.326/.490 with a wRC+ of 113 in 661 games for the Royals, Brewers, and Reds. The past two seasons have been difficult for Moustakas, however. In 140 games between 2021 and 2022, Moustakas has struck out in 24.6% of plate appearances, a significant leap from his career 16.8% rate. Between that strikeout rate and a dip in slugging (his .145 ISO from 2021-2022 is a step back from his career level of .187), it’s no surprise that the aging slugger struggled to a wRC+ of just 73 the past two seasons.
Despite his struggles, the Rockies decided to take a chance on Moustakas following Rodgers’s shoulder injury this spring, which will likely cause him to miss the 2023 campaign. Moustakas figures to be the everyday third baseman for the Rockies, with Ryan McMahon sliding over to second to cover for the injured Rodgers.
With top prospect Ezequiel Tovar entrenched at shortstop, Castro appears set to play for the Rockies in a utility role this season. Such a role is familiar to Castro, who has played every position on the diamond except catcher during his career. Since debuting with the Tigers in 2018, Castro has appeared in 351 games, slashing .284/.309/.377 for a wRC+ of 88, just below the league average of 100. Despite that mediocre slash line, Castro still provides a versatile lefty bat off the bench for the Rockies.
Blach, meanwhile, figures to slot into a long relief role for the Rockies. With 370 2/3 career major league innings under his belt, Blach has a 5.10 ERA, good for an ERA+ of just 82, though his 4.35 FIP and a strand rate of just 55.4% in 71 1/3 innings since the start of the 2019 season indicate there may be bad luck baked into his run prevention numbers. With his first season following Tommy John surgery in 2020 under his belt, the 32 year-old Blach will look to bounceback into the swing role he held for the Giants from 2016 until 2019.
Mets Option Brett Baty, Mark Vientos
The Mets have announced that they have optioned third baseman Brett Baty and first baseman Mark Vientos to Triple-A Syracuse. Both prospects were under consideration for the club’s Opening Day roster. Infielders Jose Peraza and Jonathan Arauz, catcher Michael Perez, outfielder DJ Stewart, righty Denyi Reyes, and lefty Zach Muckenhirn have also been reassigned to minor league camp.
Baty, 23, made his big league debut in 2022, though he struggled in his 11-game audition. Still, as a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport who had a torrid spring, posting an .885 OPS in 50 plate appearances during camp, Baty drew significant attention as a potential option for the Mets to open the season. Ultimately, with just 17 games of experience above the Double-A level and Eduardo Escobar currently entrenched at third base, the Mets decided Baty would be better served starting the season in the minors.
In the event that Baty comes up later in the season and plays his way into contention for the NL Rookie of the Year award, he could earn a full year of service time by finishing in the top two. If he places in the top three, the Mets will have missed an opportunity to acquire an extra pick in the 2024 draft by not placing Baty on the Opening Day roster. Vientos, meanwhile, has not met the prospect ranking requirement to earn the Mets an extra draft pick even if he had been added to the Opening Day roster, though a top two finish in Rookie of the Year voting could still earn him a full year of service time.
Vientos is in a similar position: also 23, the right-handed slugger struggled in his 16 game cup of coffee at the big league level last season, though with 112 games of experience at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons, and a clearly path to playing time as a DH alongside Daniel Vogelbach, Vientos seemed more likely to make the Opening Day roster than Baty. Nonetheless, he will join Baty at Triple-A to open the season, likely leaving the final spot on the Mets’s bench to either Darin Ruf or Danny Mendick.
While both youngsters seem all but certain to return to the big league roster at some point this season, the Mets have a deep position player corps that leaves the duo getting regular playing time at the Triple-A level until an injury (or under-performance by a big league regular) creates an opportunity in the majors.
Twins Release Six Players
According to the MiLB transactions log, the Twins have released six players on minor league deals: catchers Chance Sisco and Grayson Greiner, left-handers Locke St. John and Tyler Webb, and right-handers Nolan Blackwood and Parker Bugg. These moves come as the Twins prepare to finalize their major- and minor-league rosters ahead of the start of the season, allowing the six players released to try to latch on with a new club before it begins.
Greiner and Sisco both signed with the Twins in January on minor league deals, providing catching depth behind the club’s tandem of Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers. Greiner, 30, has played in 139 games the past five seasons as a member of the Tigers and Diamondbacks, struggling to a .583 OPS in those appearances. Sisco, 28, has 196 career games in the big leagues under his belt, having played for the Orioles from 2017 until partway through the 2021 season, when he was claimed off waivers by the Mets. Sisco has slashed .197/.317/.337 in his big league career to this point.
St. John, 30, has appeared in the big leagues twice: one in the 2019 season as a member of the Rangers, where he appeared in seven games, and once last season where he made a single appearance as a member of the Cubs. Though he’s struggled to a 7.27 ERA in his limited big league appearances to this point, he has a career 3.67 ERA in 532 1/3 innings of work in the minor leagues. He signed with the Twins on a minor league deal in February.
Webb, 32, has pitched in parts of five major league seasons as a member of the Yankees, Brewers, Padres, and Cardinals. Webb has a lackluster career 4.97 ERA in 121 1/3 innings of work in the big leagues, though he did excel during the 2019 and 2020 seasons as a member of the Cardinals, posting up a 3.29 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 76 2/3 innings of work. Webb last appeared in the majors in 2021. Like St. John, he signed with the Twins on a minor league pact in February.
Blackwood, 28, signed with the twins on a minor league deal in February and has spent six seasons in the minor leagues split between the Athletics and Tigers organizations. Over 323 2/3 innings in the minors, Blackwood has posted a 3.67 ERA.
Bugg, 28, signed with the Twins on a minor league deal in February and has spent six seasons in the minor leagues, all as a member of the Marlins organization, racking up a 4.18 ERA in 306 innings of work.
Robert Suarez Likely Headed To Injured List
Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres reliever Robert Suarez is expected to begin the 2023 campaign on the injured list with arm stiffness and joint inflammation. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but the right-hander has remained shut down since March 12 nonetheless. A timetable for his return is currently unknown, though Acee notes that Suarez could resume throwing soon. If Suarez opens the season on the IL, he would first be eligible to return on April 7.
Suarez, who made his major league debut last season at the age of 31 following a lengthy run in Japan’s NPB, dominated to the tune of a 2.27 ERA (166 ERA+) and 3.22 FIP in 47 2/3 innings with the Padres last year. Following the 2022 season, Suarez re-upped with San Diego on a five-year, $46MM deal deal and entered the spring as the top option to set-up for closer Josh Hader. With Suarez likely starting the season on the IL, Luis Garcia and Tim Hill seem likely to see work in the late innings until Suarez and left-hander Drew Pomeranz are ready to return from injury.
With Suarez, Pomeranz, Jose Castillo and Adrian Morejon all set to start the season on the injured list, the door is wide open for San Diego’s pitching depth to make the roster, as Acee notes that in addition to one of Julio Teheran, Jay Groome, Ryan Weathers, or Brent Honeywell making the team as the sixth starter while Joe Musgrove recovers from a fractured toe, as many as two more of the aforementioned names could be rostered to open the season as long men out of the bullpen, as the number of pitching injuries plaguing the Padres leave plenty of innings to cover. Michel Baez and Jose Lopez are among other options who could stand to benefit from the available innings.
Without a clear picture of how much time Suarez will miss, it’s hard to say how much this injury will impact the Padres, who figure to lock horns with the Dodgers as frontrunners for the NL West this season. While injuries have tested San Diego’s pitching depth this spring, LA has struggled with injuries of its own, losing Gavin Lux for the season to a torn ACL while also expecting to start the season without right-hander Tony Gonsolin.
Luke Voit Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With The Brewers
First baseman Luke Voit has opted out of his minor league deal with Milwaukee in what Brewers manager Craig Counsell described to reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) as a “procedural move.” Though Voit is no longer with the club, it remains possible that the Brewers re-sign him to a major league deal in the coming days. Until and unless that happens, however, Voit is now free to explore opportunities with other organizations.
Voit’s decision comes on the heels of yesterday’s announcement that Keston Hiura will not make the Opening Day roster in Milwaukee, which seemingly left Voit in prime position to take his place as a slugging right-handed complement to first baseman Rowdy Tellez. While that could still be the ultimate outcome, it won’t happen without Voit having the chance to field opportunities from the other 29 organizations.
Voit stands as one of the better hitters available in the run-up to Opening Day, sporting a career 123 wRC+ highlighted by a 144 wRC+ in 221 games across the 2018-2020 seasons. As he opened the 2022 season with the Padres, Voit was a solid, above-average bat at first base even though he wasn’t reaching the heights of previous seasons, slashing .225/.317/.416 (good for a wRC+ of 110) in 82 games. Unfortunately for Voit, he slashed just .228/.295/.381 (90 wRC+) down the stretch following a trade to the Nationals, leading Washington to non-tender Voit this past winter.
Even after struggling in 53 games for the Nationals last year, however, Voit seems likely to latch onto a major league roster somewhere as a quality, right-handed bat. Aside from the Brewers, the Phillies stand out as a potentially interesting possibility following the loss of first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who suffered a torn ACL last week. Though slugging lefty Darick Hall figures to get the lion’s share of plate appearances at first, Voit could be a right-handed complement to Hall at first base and draw starts at DH, where the Phillies figure to have no set regular until Bryce Harper returns from Tommy John surgery.
Blue Jays Notes: White, Bullpen, Pearson
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters today, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, that right-hander Mitch White is dealing with elbow inflammation. The injury seems likely to force White to start the season on the injured list, as he had already been slowed earlier this spring by a shoulder impingement.
White, 28, was acquired by Toronto in a deal with the Dodgers last summer and struggled down the stretch, posting a 7.74 ERA in 43 big league innings with the Blue Jays last year. Despite those concerning numbers, White pitched a fair bit better than they would indicate. A sky-high BABIP of .368 and a strand rate of just 54.3% during his time pitching for Toronto last year help to explain his solid 3.76 FIP even as his strikeout rate dropped to just 15.3% with the Blue Jays. White also looked better in the first half of the year with Los Angeles, posting a 3.70 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate in 56 innings of work for the Dodgers.
Given his success with the Dodgers and unfortunate luck in his first stint with the Blue Jays, White seemed likely to make the bullpen as the primary long relief option for the club. With that no longer feasible, Matheson notes that right-hander Zach Pop appears poised to make the Opening Day roster. Pop impressed in 39 innings of work in 2022 split between Toronto and Miami, recording a sterling 2.77 ERA largely backed up by his 2.96 FIP.
While this set-up would leave the Blue Jays without a traditional long reliever in their bullpen, Schneider seems unperturbed by this, telling reporters that both Pop and fellow righty Trevor Richards, who opened four games for the Jays last year as a spot starter, can both be options to go multiple innings if necessary.
Schneider’s comments come on the heels of another round of cuts from Blue Jays camp, including former top prospect Nate Pearson. The right-handed Pearson, now 26, missed most of the 2022 season with mononucleosis after struggling to a 5.18 ERA in 33 big league innings across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Now a full-time reliever, Pearson figures to get another chance in the big leagues at some point this season, but that opportunity will not come on Opening Day.
Also among today’s cuts was right-hander Zach Thompson, who Toronto acquired from the Pirates earlier this offseason after pitching to a 5.18 ERA in 121 2/3 innings in a swing role for Pittsburgh last year. Thompson figures to be a depth option for the Blue Jays’s rotation this year alongside players like Thomas Hatch and Bowden Francis, who were also among today’s cuts from big league camp.
The Opener: Opt-Outs, Phillies, Lynch
Headed into the final weekend before Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Article XX(B) veterans on minor league deals have opt-out opportunity tomorrow:
Tomorrow is the first date that Article XX(B) free agents (i.e. six-plus years of MLB service, finished the 2022 season on a Major League roster or injured list) who settled for minor league deals will have that opportunity to opt out of those contracts. A few dozen players qualify for this distinction. With the looming opt-out date on the horizon, clubs will need to make decisions on whether or not to add members of this group to their 40-man roster soon. As such, certain camp battles and Opening Day roster decisions will come into focus over the next day, in addition to the free agent market potentially receiving an influx of veteran players looking for a new opportunity. Article XX(B) free agents who do not opt out tomorrow will also have opt-out opportunities on May 1 and June 1.
2. External options for the Phillies following Hoskins’s injury:
Yesterday, first baseman Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL, requiring surgery that puts his season in danger before it even begins. The Phillies have enough depth to weather the injury, with Darick Hall standing as a suitable first baseman while Alec Bohm or Nick Castellanos could slide over to first against southpaws if the lefty-swinging Hall is utilized as a platoon player. That said, it would certainly make sense if the Phillies were interested in adding a veteran right-handed first baseman to complement Hall, who has just 41 games of MLB experience.
Currently, Miguel Sano is the only free agent that fits that profile, but tomorrow players like Yuli Gurriel and Hanser Alberto could join the free agent market as XX(B) veterans with opt outs, providing the Phillies with additional options. Perhaps the most interesting potential addition the Phillies could make, however, would be Luke Voit, the slugging first baseman who’s been in camp with the Brewers on a non-roster invite. Voit had an out clause in his contract originally scheduled for last week but agreed to push that date back until today. If the Brewers don’t add him to the 40-man roster by the end of the day, he’ll have the opportunity to opt out and could be a fit for the Phillies if he does.
3. Lynch undergoing tests:
Royals lefty Daniel Lynch exited yesterday’s game with discomfort in his left shoulder, and manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, that Lynch would undergo testing to determine the nature of the discomfort. Lynch made 27 starts for the Royals last year, posting a 5.13 ERA in 131 2/3 innings of work. With the offseason additions of Jordan Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough, Lynch did not figure to be a member of the Opening Day rotation. However, an early-spring injury to Yarbrough opened the door for Lynch to recapture a rotation spot, with Yarbrough seemingly ticketed for multi-inning relief. Should Lynch be forced to miss time, that could open the door for Yarbrough to return to the rotation, or allow fellow southpaw Kris Bubic to claim the spot rather than head to Triple-A to open the season.
The Opener: WBC, Extensions, MLBTR Chats
With just one week remaining until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC players return to camp
With the World Baseball Classic now in the rearview mirror, many of its late-round participants are set to return to camp today to participate in the final week of Spring Training with their MLB clubs. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto of the Phillies and Paul Goldschmidt and Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals are among a few of the players who participated in the WBC final Tuesday night who have returned to camp and are expected to participate in spring games today.
2. Will any last minute extensions happen before Opening Day?
Opening Day is fast approaching, and players often look at the start of the regular season as a deadline for extension discussions. Cristian Javier, Manny Machado, and Corbin Carroll are among the players who signed extensions throughout the spring to this point, but plenty of other players have been rumored to participate in extension talks throughout the spring as well, including Josh Hader, Nico Hoerner, and Aaron Nola. The Cardinals are also known to have interest in extending some players in their starting rotation, while Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has implied the club is looking into extending some of its young players. Of course, there’s always the possibility that an extension that hasn’t been rumored publicly is in the works as well; neither Carroll nor Keibert Ruiz were in the rumor mill much ahead of their extensions this spring, after all.
3. MLBTR Chats Today
A pair of morning live chats are on the docket today for MLBTR readers. At 9am CT, Tim Dierkes will be hosting a Cubs-centric live chat in conjunction with the Cubs edition of our Offseason in Review series. You can click here to submit a question in advance, participate live when the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat has concluded.
Then, at 10am CT, MLBTR is excited to welcome recently retired catcher Ryan Lavarnway for a live chat with readers. Lavarnway had a journeyman’s career in the big leagues, suiting up for eight major league teams across parts of ten seasons, though 97 of his 165 career games in the big leagues came as a member of the Red Sox, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. Lavarnway ended his career with a slash line of .217/.272/.345 in the big leagues while posting a .792 OPS in 690 career games at the Triple-A Level. You can click here to submit a question for Lavarnway, participate live, or read the transcript of the chat once it has concluded.
The Opener: WBC, Rule Changes, MLBTR Chats
With just eight days remaining until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Storybook ending to the WBC
Last night’s World Baseball Classic final proved to be an instant classic as Team Japan beat Team USA 3-2. Japan, undefeated during the tournament, jumped out to an early lead. Trea Turner‘s WBC-record fifth home run and an eighth-inning bomb from Kyle Schwarber following a 10-pitch at bat against Yu Darvish made it a one-run game headed into the ninth, when Shohei Ohtani took the mound to close out the game. After a leadoff walk to Jeff McNeil, Ohtani induced a double play from Mookie Betts to bring his Angels teammate and fellow superstar Mike Trout to the plate as both the potential final out and tying run. Trout and Ohtani battled to a full count before Trout ultimately struck out swinging on a slider, giving Japan their third WBC championship.
Trout and Ohtani are both planning to play in the WBC again when it returns in 2026. “I already told [Team USA] I’m doing the next one, so I’m already in,” Trout said on FS1’s pregame show last night. “If I’m DHing, playing left field, whatever they want, I’m in, I’m in.” Ohtani, the WBC MVP, called last night’s win “the best moment in my life” and said he would “love to enter [the WBC] again.”
2. Tweaks to new rules incoming
Yesterday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters, including The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli, that adjustments to the new rules being implemented for the 2023 season were on the way ahead of Opening Day. These adjustments, which are being made at the behest of the MLBPA, are expected to be fairly minor. Even minor changes would have to be implemented very soon, as with barely a week left before Opening Day, teams and players will want as much time as possible to acclimate to any changes made. Manfred notes that the changes will be announced in the coming days, so clubs could be informed as soon as today.
3. MLBTR chats today
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is hosting a pair of live chats with readers today. First up, at 10am CT, is a Braves-centric chat in conjunction with the Braves edition of MLBTR’s Offseason in Review series. You can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link allows you to follow along when the chat goes live or read the transcript when it’s completed. Later today, at 5pm CT, Anthony will also be hosting his weekly live chat with an MLB-wide focus. You can click here to leave a question, participate live, or read the transcript of that chat.
Twins Planning To Use Byron Buxton Primarily As Designated Hitter Early In The Season
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters, including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, that Byron Buxton will work primarily at designated hitter early in the season. According to Baldelli, while Buxton is “doing great” health-wise, the club wants to use him as a DH early in the year in order to hopefully keep him healthy for the full 2023 season. Baldelli did not specify how long that would last beyond noting that the club planned to more slowly build him up to center field work.
This decision is sure to cut into Buxton’s value early in the year, as despite his excellence at the plate (150 wRC+ across the 2021-22 campaigns), a great deal of his value comes from being among the very best defensive center fielders in the sport. That being said, it’s an understandable plan for the Twins to go into the season nonetheless. Buxton has only played 100 games once in his career, in 2017.
He has played just 307 games since then, reaching only 92 contests last year before suffering a right hip strain in August. Buxton also played through right knee issues until that point, eventually electing to shut things down once the Twins were knocked out of playoff contention. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in September.
The defensive drop-off that comes from using Buxton as a DH might not be as severe as one would expect considering the Twins’ excellent outfield defense. Michael A. Taylor, whom the Twins acquired from the Royals earlier this offseason, has posted +22 Outs Above Average over the past two seasons. With Taylor manning center field while flanked by Joey Gallo and Max Kepler in the outfield corners, the Twins will retain Gold Glove caliber defense across the outfield even while Buxton isn’t playing the field.
The Twins don’t go into 2023 with an established everyday designated hitter. Corner infielders Alex Kirilloff and Jose Miranda can rotate through those spots, while utility infielders Nick Gordon and Donovan Solano could also get reps there. With Jorge Polanco potentially beginning the season on the injured list, the Twins might have to rely on that duo at second base in the early going. Polanco has ramped up slowly this spring after his 2022 campaign was cut short by a left knee issue.