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The Opener: Orioles, Milestones, MLBTR Chat

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Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for throughout the day today:

1. Orioles catching conundrum:

Orioles catcher Chadwick Tromp was pulled from yesterday’s game due to lower back tightness, a move that forced the Orioles to lose the DH for the remainder of the game so Gary Sánchez could come into the game to take over behind the plate. That suggested Tromp might be dealing with something serious, and interim manager Tony Mansolino confirmed as much to reporters (including Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner) after the game. Mansolino suggested that Tromp was “likely” headed to the IL due to a back strain. That creates a real issue for the Orioles given that they’ve already lost Adley Rutschman and Maverick Handley to the injured list recently. The club will need to add a fourth catcher to the 40-man roster in order to have a healthy backup to Sánchez. Jacob Stallings would seem to be the top candidate, although 20-year-old top prospect Samuel Basallo is already knocking on the doors of the majors with fantastic offense in Triple-A: .264/.390/.579, 16 home runs in 218 plate appearances.

2. Milestones on the horizon:

Several veteran players are on the cusp of crossing some milestone thresholds. Phillies shortstop Trea Turner is sitting on 299 steals in his career, placing him just one shy of becoming the 171st player in MLB history to reach the 300 milestone. He’ll tie B.J. Upton and Frank Taveras when he gets that 300th bag, though he currently has 42 fewer attempts than Upton and 56 fewer than Taveras. Turner is at 20 steals on the season right now — already one more than he tallied in 2024. Starling Marte and Jose Altuve are the only active players with more steals than Turner.

Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana, meanwhile, is just one two-bagger away from becoming the 198th player to reach 400 doubles in his career. He’d join Nolan Arenado (who just reached that milestone Sunday), Altuve, Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen and Freddie Freeman as the only active players with 400-plus doubles — not bad company!

Over in San Diego, the countdown to 2000 hits is on for Manny Machado, who currently sits just six knocks shy of that threshold. He won’t get there tonight, but within the next few days Machado could become the 298th player in MLB history to reach that illustrious round number. He trails only Freeman, McCutchen, Goldschmidt and Altuve for the lead among active players.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

It’s now July 1, which means we’re officially just a month away from this year’s trade deadline. Chatter about trade season has already begun in earnest, with clubs on the fence between buying and selling nearing decision time. While it will be difficult for another in-season blockbuster to top the Rafael Devers deal from June, a handful of smaller deals have started to come together around the league as well. Whether you’re looking ahead to the deadline or still trying to sort between the contenders and pretenders, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Ross Atkins Discusses Deadline Needs, Santander

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The Blue Jays have finally put the lengthy Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension saga behind them and are in the midst of a resurgent season with a 45-38 record that puts them in third place in a competitive AL East, just two games back of the Yankees for the division lead. In the Wild Card race, they’re in the second of three spots with a 2.5 game cushion over the Mariners. Despite all of that success in the standings, there’s plenty of cracks in their performance. That’s best represented by their (slightly) negative run differential of -3. That would suggest they should be around .500 rather than seven games over at this point, so there’s clearly work to be done on the roster.

Club GM Ross Atkins acknowledged as much to reporters (including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet) earlier today, when he said that the Blue Jays “can obviously be better” before adding that the front office will “focus on that” ahead of the trade deadline. As noted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Atkins also added that the club has the financial support of ownership headed into the deadline and will have the ability to “flex that muscle” this summer. That suggests at least some willingness to take on salary in trade, which is notable for a club that’s already well into luxury tax territory this year. It was a somewhat roundabout way of confirming that his team figures to buy this trade season, but that didn’t stop Atkins from mentioning a pair of needs: pitching help and a right-handed bat.

That those would be needs on the team’s wish list is hardly surprising. The Blue Jays have a bottom-five rotation in the majors by both ERA and FIP this year, and that seems unlikely to change any time soon with Bowden Francis on the injured list and Max Scherzer still working through his nagging thumb issue. As noted by Matheson following Scherzer’s 71-pitch start earlier this evening, manager John Schneider told reporters after today’s game that Scherzer is battling through some “fatigue” in his thumb. That seems to be a day-to-day issue that could be managed without a trip to the shelf, but even if he can avoid the injured list Scherzer may be limited by his ailing thumb going forward.

That should make adding starting pitching a priority for the Jays. Potential front-of-the-rotation arms who could be available this summer include Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen, but both players are going through down seasons and aren’t exactly surefire bets to put up elite numbers. More stable veterans like Merrill Kelly and Mitch Keller could be attractive alternatives for a team like the Jays that’s in need of steady innings, but Atkins has suggested the club is more focused on adding depth to its pitching staff. Perhaps that means wading only into the shallow end of the starting market and focusing on relatively low-cost veteran rentals like Andrew Heaney and Michael Lorenzen.

The club’s search for a right-handed bat, then, could take priority. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez and DH Marcell Ozuna are perhaps the top righty hitters who could be available this summer, though neither Arizona nor Atlanta is guaranteed to sell. Even if they do, there’s some questions to be asked regarding either player’s fit in Toronto. George Springer is best served acting as a DH for the Jays, and Addison Barger has enjoyed something of a breakout season while splitting time between right field and third base for the club. If the Blue Jays are looking for a lower cost addition with more versatility, perhaps someone like Nationals infielder Amed Rosario or Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez could be of interest.

One other way to help the club hit against lefties would be a healthy and effective return from switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander. Santander is a career 112 wRC+ hitter against lefties who posted an even stronger 121 figure against them last year, but he’s been on the injured list for a month now due to inflammation in his left shoulder. Atkins revealed today (as relayed by Davidi) that Santander actually suffered a subluxation (partial separation) in his left shoulder after crashing into the outfield wall in Anaheim in early May. Atkins notes that Santander initially tried to play through the injury, but he hit just .122/.265/.195 between the end of the club’s series against the Angels and his placement on the IL three weeks later. MLB.com adds that Atkins is “optimistic” that Santander could resume hitting soon and adds that he may be able to return to the Jays in late July.

Tucker Barnhart To Retire

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Former Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart is set to retire, as agent Steve Rath of the Ballengee Group tells Robert Murray of FanSided. Barnhart played for the Reds, Tigers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Rangers across his 12 seasons in the majors.

Born and raised in Indiana, Barnhart was drafted by the Reds in the tenth round of the 2009 draft out of Brownsburg High School, just two hours from Cincinnati. As a high school catcher, his path to the big leagues was a long one. Barnhart didn’t make his debut until 2014, and only appeared in 21 games when he did finally make it to the show. The 2015 season saw him take on a much larger role, however, as Devin Mesoraco was sidelined by injury. That left the catcher position to Brayan Pena and Barnhart, the latter of whom proved to be a strong defender but hit a fairly lackluster .252/.324/.326 in 81 games.

Despite that unimpressive offense, Barnhart’s work behind the plate was impressive enough that he became Cincinnati’s primary catcher starting in 2016. His offense trended upwards enough from 2016 to 2018 that he was more or less on par with the average catcher in the league (87 wRC+), and he won the first Gold Glove award of his career in 2017 amid a 3.6 bWAR season. That 2017 campaign was enough to convince the Reds to sign Barnhart to a $16MM extension, locking him in with the club for at least the next four seasons. His offense took a step backwards starting in 2019, as he hit just .235/.318/.375 (79 wRC+) over his final three seasons with the Reds, but he remained a stalwart defender and won his second career Gold Glove during the shortened 2020 season.

After parts of eight seasons in Cincinnati, Barnhart was traded to Detroit ahead of the 2022 season, giving the Tigers the opportunity to exercise a $7.5MM team option on his services for that year. Barnhart struggled in his lone season with the club, however, hitting just .221/.287/.267 (67 wRC+) while his defense behind the plate slipped somewhat. Barnhart was still able to secure a two-year, $6.5MM guarantee from the Cubs that offseason, but he posted just a 55 wRC+ in 43 games before being designated for assignment by the club. Since then, Barnhart has caught for the Diamondbacks and Rangers in the majors after signing minor league deals with both organizations and also spent a brief stint in the Dodgers’ farm system. He’s appeared in 39 MLB games over the past two seasons with a .181/.294/.213 that’s offset somewhat by his continually solid defense.

Barnhart was let go by the Rangers earlier this month but re-signed with the club on a minor league deal shortly thereafter. Evidently, he’s decided he’d rather call it a career than play out the season in the minors. He’ll finish his career with 920 games played in the majors, two Gold Glove awards, 6.9 bWAR/5.8 fWAR, 662 hits, and 53 home runs. He hit .241/.318/.351 overall during his time in the majors. MLBTR congratulations Barnhart on a fine career in the majors and wishes him all the best in whatever comes next.

Poll: Should The Pirates Trade Mitch Keller?

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The second year of the Paul Skenes era in Pittsburgh is not going well. The Pirates are currently 35-50, leaving them buried in both the NL Central and the Wild Card race. The Bucs stand as one of the few clear sellers this summer, and it seems as though the team is operating with very few untouchables. One of the names that’s gotten the a good bit of buzz this summer is right-hander Mitch Keller, who has drawn attention as one of the few established, controllable starting pitchers with a chance to be dealt.

The Cubs have come up as a potential suitor for Keller, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported yesterday that the sides have been discussing a deal for more than a week. That’s not necessarily an indication that a trade, whether with the Cubs or otherwise, is particularly close. Still, it lends credence to the idea that the Pirates are serious in their willingness to consider moving the right-hander. That’s at least a mild surprise, given that he’s in just the second season of a five-year contract, but there’s a case to be made that the Pirates should capitalize right now.

After all, Keller is making $54.5MM over the final three years of his contract. That’s a below-market sum for a solid mid-rotation veteran but still steep for the perennially low-budget Pirates. Pittsburgh has already assembled an impressive group of young pitching talent with Skenes, top prospect Bubba Chandler, and injured-but-talented righty Jared Jones leading the pack. With affordable arms like Mike Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington already having debuted, and well-regarded prospect Hunter Barco not far behind, the Pirates are amassing some enviable pitching depth. (That doesn’t include left-hander Bailey Falter, who’s affordably controlled for three more seasons.)

Pittsburgh would arguably be better off spending Keller’s salary on some sorely needed offense. Teoscar Hernandez, for example, signed with the Dodgers for a similar amount: $66MM over three years, with enough money deferred to lower the net present value of the contract to just under $60MM. Gleyber Torres, Tyler O’Neill, Christian Walker, and Pete Alonso are among the other hitters who signed for $60MM or less guaranteed this past winter. Not all of those deals have worked out, and there are always dangers of spending on even mid-range free agents like this, but the Pirates could have made reasonably competitive bids for some notable veterans on the open market with a sum comparable to what they still owe Keller.

Aside from the ability to reallocate financial resources, moving Keller would surely come with a solid return. Cost-controlled starting pitching is typically the most valuable commodity on the trade market, and while Keller is hardly elite given his 109 ERA+ this year, his affordable contract and year-to-year stability would give the acquiring club additional long-term certainty in their rotation that a rental pitcher like Zac Gallen could offer.

Using the Cubs’ system as an example due to their status as a rumored suitor for Keller, it’s easy to see why the Pirates might be willing to deal within the division. Chicago has a number of quality position player prospects knocking on the door of the big leagues. Outfielder Owen Caissie has 12 home runs and a 125 wRC+ at Triple-A Iowa as a 22-year-old this year. Catcher/DH Moises Ballesteros, outfielder Kevin Alcantara, and infielder James Triantos are all close to MLB-ready as well. Triantos’ stock is down after a difficult and injury-marred start to the 2025 season, but a package centering around one of those other young hitters could be appealing for a Pirates club that is looking to players like Andrew McCutchen and Spencer Horwitz to fill out the middle of its order at present. Other clubs with upper-level position player prospects have undoubtedly inquired on Keller, too.

As appealing as some of the arguments for trading Keller may be, there are real concerns that would come with making a deal. Keller was once looked at as a potential No. 2 starter during his prospect days and, while he hasn’t lived up to that potential yet, he’s not far removed from a three-WAR season wherein he struck out 25.5% of his opponents. His 4.21 ERA that year was pedestrian, but his 3.83 SIERA was 18th-best in baseball among qualified starters, just behind Logan Gilbert and ahead of players like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Dylan Cease. Keller is still just 29 years old, and he certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher to take a step forward in the middle of his prime. If the Pirates believe Keller still has another gear, they might prefer to hold onto him in hopes that he can unlock it and increase his trade value or his value to the Pirates themselves.

Aside from the possibility of selling at less than peak value, it’s worth noting how much uncertainty there is when it comes to developing pitching. The Tigers drafted Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize back in 2018 but only began to truly see the fruits of that labor last year after both players were derailed by injuries early in their career. Jones is already recovering from elbow surgery, and with pitching injuries seemingly more frequent than ever, it can be hard to part with a steady arm like Keller. Given the soaring price of pitching in free agency, the Pirates would likely have to keep scoring deals on low-cost veterans like they did with Andrew Heaney this year in order to fill out and create depth behind their young rotation mix.

How do MLBTR readers think the Pirates should act regarding Keller? Should they move to trade him in order to help boost the offense for their young arms, or should they hang onto him as a veteran presence and hope he can increase his value from here? Have your say in the poll below:

Should The Pirates Trade Mitch Keller?
Yes, they should trade him before this year's deadline. 69.42% (3,510 votes)
No, he should be a building block in their rotation. 21.93% (1,109 votes)
Yes, but they should wait until the offseason or next year's deadline. 8.64% (437 votes)
Total Votes: 5,056

The Opener: Brown, Waldron, Schmitt

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Brown to sign?

Outfielder Seth Brown elected free agency last week after being designated for assignment by the Athletics, and a report from MLBTR’s Anthony Franco yesterday afternoon indicates that Brown is deciding between three teams and is likely to sign somewhere within the coming days. The 32-year-old outfielder struggled badly through 38 games with the A’s this year, slashing just .185/.303/.262 across 76 plate appearances. Tough as this season has been for Brown, however, he hit a respectable .225/.289/.426 with 73 homers and 102 wRC+ from 2021 to 2024. He also boasts a career 109 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, so a club that struggles to produce against righties could benefit from his services if they’re willing to look past his poor start to the year.

2. Waldron to make season debut:

Right-hander Matt Waldron is set to make his season debut later today, per a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Waldron will be on the mound for the Padres in Philadelphia when they take on the Phillies at 6:35pm local time (3:35pm CT). The knuckleballer posted a pedestrian 4.91 ERA (84 ERA+) in 146 2/3 innings of work last year, but his 4.26 FIP and a 4.13 SIERA both indicated that he could benefit from some positive regression in the future. He’s made five starts at Triple-A this year since returning from an oblique strain that sidelined him at the beginning of the season, and now that he’s back in the big leagues he’ll face off against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (2.45 ERA).

3. Schmitt to undergo MRI:

The Giants’ infield has been stretched thin lately as third baseman Casey Schmitt has been forced to sit since he was hit in the wrist by a pitch on June 25. A CT scan showed no fracture and he was diagnosed with a bone bruise, but Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Schmitt is set to undergo an MRI once they arrive in Arizona for tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks. That could mean that more details on Schmitt’s injury and whether or not he’ll ultimately require a trip to the injured list will be available as soon as today. Christian Koss has been at third base with Brett Wisely at second while Schmitt has been on the mend so far, though a trip to the IL would mean a tough loss for the Giants’ lineup as Schmitt has slashed .276/.360/.439 in 34 games this year.

White Sox Place Luis Robert Jr. On 10-Day Injured List

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The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The move is retroactive to June 26. Chicago will make a corresponding roster move prior to Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers, but will have just 25 players available for this afternoon’s game against the Giants.

The fact that Robert needs an IL stint is hardly a surprise given that he’s missed each of the club’s last three games, but (as noted by Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun Times) the timing of the move is a bit unusual. Robert was participating in light baseball activities before today’s game against the Giants, and he was expected to be evaluated further on Monday in order to determine whether or not an IL stint would be necessary. Perhaps Robert’s pregame activities today made it clear to the Sox that a trip to the shelf would be needed. It’s also worth noting that IL stints can be backdated a maximum of three days, so any time spent waiting after today would’ve effectively lengthened the minimum amount of time that Chicago would be without their outfielder.

The White Sox are surely hoping this will be a minimum stint or close to it. The possibility for a Robert trade has been a major topic of the rumor mill for years now, and after the club declined to trade him at various other points throughout their rebuild for fear of selling low on their mercurial and oft-injured star, his value may now be at its lowest point ever.

Robert has hit just .185/.270/.313 across 73 games this year. While he’s swiped 23 bases and is walking at a career-high 10.2% clip, he’s striking out more than 30% of the time and has the worst power numbers of his career. Even his once-elite center field defense isn’t holding up quite as well as it has in previous years. While his +3 Outs Above Average is certainly a solid number, it’s a far cry from the +13 OAA Robert posted back in 2023.

Between Robert’s declining offense and high salary, it could be difficult for the White Sox to find takers on the outfielder this summer. Perhaps that’s why the Sox are reportedly willing to include cash alongside Robert in order to facilitate getting a deal done. Robert is due around $7.5MM for the remainder of this season, but if the White Sox were willing to pay a significant amount of that down it might be easier for them to work out a trade.

After all, Robert’s offensive potential is still immense even amid his recent stretch of injuries and ineffectiveness, and even if he doesn’t reach that ceiling adding a plus defensive center fielder with speed to the lineup could be valuable for a team like the Guardians or Braves that has struggled to find production in center field this year. Robert is also still hitting a robust .268/.406/.464 against left-handed pitching this year, so perhaps a team like the Rangers or Giants that struggles against southpaws could have interest in bringing him into the fold as well.

All of this, of course, will hinge on Robert returning in relatively short order with enough time to prove himself reasonably healthy and effective before the trade deadline. Even mild hamstring strains can often require at least a couple of weeks of recovery, and if Robert isn’t ready to go by the time the White Sox come back from the All-Star break that could leave the club in a bit of a bind as they try to get what they can for the former All-Star. In the meantime, they’ll continue turning to Michael A. Taylor to cover center field while Robert recovers.

Latest On Luis Severino

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Luis Severino is scheduled to take the mound for the Athletics later today, and he certainly seems to be relieved that this start will come on the road. Severino recently went public with criticism of the team’s stadium situation. After departing the Coliseum in Oakland at the end of the 2024 campaign, the A’s have temporarily moved into Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Severino compared the feeling of pitching at his current home ballpark to a Spring Training game, as noted by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

“Because we play in a big-league stadium on the road,” Severino said when asked why his road splits are significantly stronger than his home numbers, as relayed by Kuty. “We don’t have that at home right now. It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”

If those home/road splits are anything to go by, it’s hard to disagree with Severino that he’s been impacted by the new stadium situation. The right-hander has looked solid in seven road starts with a sparkling 2.27 ERA, but that same figure balloons up to 6.79 when looking at his ten starts in Sacramento. Aside from the criticism Severino mentioned in the above quote, it’s undeniably that Sutter Health Park heavily favors hitters. According to Statcast, it has an overall park factor of 112 this year, making it the most offense-friendly ballpark in the majors ahead of Coors Field (111) and Camden Yards (110). The environment is only likely to improve further for hitters as the summer continues, with temperatures sure to continue rising in a park that has little protection from the sun.

Severino’s comments seem to have been noticed by Athletics brass, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale writes that the A’s “can’t wait” to trade Severino after his recent comments about the ballpark in Sacramento. For a 34-51 ballclub like the A’s, a seemingly unhappy veteran starting pitcher who might welcome a change of scenery would seem like a no-brainer as a trade candidate on the surface. That’s especially true given the fact that many clubs, even including some buried in the standing like the Orioles, are still holding out hope that they might be able to fight their way back into the postseason picture before the season comes to a close. That lack of surefire sellers is sure to limit the supply of quality arms on the market, and it’s easy to see why the A’s might want to take advantage.

With all of that being said, there’s some very clear obstacles standing in the way of a Severino trade actually coming together. Severino’s numbers are undeniably lackluster, with a 4.83 ERA and 4.00 FIP to this point in the season, While his ERA is much better on the road, his already weak 15.5% strikeout rate is actually even lower (12.9%) on the road this year. He’s also posting the lowest ground ball rate of his career, and his 7.7% home run to fly ball ratio is far below his career norms in spite of calling the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park home. Severino’s 4.73 SIERA is the seventh-worst figure among qualified starters this year, and rival clubs would be justified in proceeding cautiously regarding the righty.

Poor performance by itself isn’t enough to make a player an unrealistic trade candidate. Plenty of clubs are willing to buy low on players they think they could help turn things around, happy to pay a lower acquisition cost and bank on their own internal development to make up the difference in quality. That figures to be a much tougher sell with Severino specifically due to the nature of his contract. He’s set to make around $10MM for the remainder of the 2025 campaign, which is already a hefty price to pay for clubs with limited payroll space available. He’s then due $25MM guaranteed for 2026 and holds a $22MM player option for the 2027 season on top of that.

Perhaps taking on upwards of $57MM in salary over the next two-and-a-half seasons could be worth it for a team with money to spend and confidence that they can turn Severino into a reliable, playoff-caliber starter, but if Severino is healthy and successful in 2026 he’d be likely to simply opt out of the 2027 campaign entirely for another bite at the apple in free agency. It seems very unlikely that there will be a significant number of teams interested in taking on Severino for more than a marginal return without the A’s eating substantial money on the deal, and it’s unlikely that a team with competitive aspirations in the medium term and a $78MM payroll in 2025 (per RosterResource) would have much interest in taking on dead money.

Even if there was a deal to be made, it’s an open question whether or not it would actually behoove the A’s to make it. After all, A’s brass acknowledged outright that convincing free agents to join a club that had averaged more than 102 losses over the previous three years and would play the next few seasons in a minor league ballpark was a tough sell. That’s likely a big part of the reason they made such a lavish offer to Severino in the first place. It’s hard to imagine the A’s being able to replace him via free agency this winter following what looks to be another unsuccessful season where high-profile players like Severino, Zack Wheeler, and Carlos Correa have criticized the ballpark conditions and pitchers have seen first-hand what a difficult environment the park creates for pitchers. All of that makes a Severino deal seem unlikely even before considering the fact that the A’s would reportedly risk a grievance if their luxury tax payroll for 2025 were to fall below $105MM, a threshold which they would fail to clear if they traded Severino without retaining substantial salary.

Dodgers Designate Luis Garcia For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced today that they’ve designated right-hander Luis Garcia for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to right-hander Noah Davis, who has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Garcia’s 40-man roster spot was used to activate right-hander Edgardo Henriquez from the 60-day injured list, though he was optioned to Triple-A rather than added to the big league roster.

Garcia, 38, is in his 13th season as a big leaguer. He’s pitched for the Phillies, Angels, Rangers, Cardinals, Padres, Red Sox, and now Dodgers across his lengthy career, though he’s never spent a significant amount of time as a high leverage reliever with just 15 total saves across his 573 career appearances. Taken together, Garcia has been just about league average over the course of his career with a 4.20 ERA (98 ERA+) with a 3.97 FIP. He’s taken a step backwards in recent seasons, however, with a 4.62 ERA in 146 innings of work with a 4.06 FIP.

Zooming in on just this year, Garcia’s time with the Dodgers has been uneven. His 5.27 ERA in 27 1/3 innings this year has certainly been lackluster, and his peripherals are a mixed bag. His 19.0% strikeout rate is lackluster, especially when compared to his elevated 12.7% walk rate. With that being said, it does seem as though there’s some poor fortune baked in. His .388 BABIP allowed is extremely elevated, and a 54.1% ground ball rate suggests his relatively low home run rate should be able to remain static. Garcia has a 3.54 FIP and 4.24 SIERA, which when taken together suggest he hasn’t been all that different from his usual self. The Dodgers will have one week to either trade Garcia or attempt to pass him through waivers, though he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.

Garcia’s spot on the active roster will go to Davis, who had a 7.71 ERA in 51 1/3 innings with the Rockies across parts of three seasons with the club. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox over the offseason and was traded to the Dodgers just before Opening Day. He’s made four appearances for the Dodgers since then and has surrendered four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings of work after walking two and hitting three batters to go with five strikeouts. His 40-man roster spot is set to go to Henriquez, who had been rehabbing at Triple-A. Henriquez made his big league debut last year and posted a 2.70 ERA and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work. It would hardly be a shock to see Henriquez join the big league club at some point this year, though he’ll need more time to shake off the rust after posting a 6.75 ERA in 12 rehab innings at Triple-A this year.

Orioles Select Matt Bowman

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The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman this morning, according to a team announcement. Right-hander Kade Strowd was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bowman on the active roster, while right-hander Luis Castillo was activated from the minor league injured list and designated for assignment.

Bowman, 34, made his big league debut in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Cardinals and Reds before injuries sidelined him for several years. He returned to the majors in 2023 and bounced between four other teams before settling with the Orioles in 2024. He’s been a frequent rider on the shuttle between Triple-A Norfolk and the big league club in Baltimore since then, and this is the fourth time Bowman’s had his contract selected by the Orioles this season alone. In total, he’s pitched to a roughly league average 4.10 ERA with a 4.22 FIP across 37 1/3 innings of work as a member of the Orioles over the past two seasons.

This latest stint for Bowman in the majors comes at the expense of Castillo, who departs the Orioles organization without making an appearance for the big league club. The 30-year-old righty was acquired from the Mariners in early May after he was designated for assignment by Seattle, but he was optioned to the minors immediately and has spent most of his time in the organization on the injured list with just two appearances at even the minor league level. Castillo began his pro career in the Diamondbacks organization and briefly pitched in the Tigers organization as well before departing affiliated ball for Nippon Professional Baseball. He spent two years in Japan and pitched to a 3.01 ERA across 143 1/3 innings of work before returning stateside to sign with the Mariners on a minor league deal prior to the 2025 season.

Going forward, the Orioles will have one week to either work out a trade involving Castillo or place him on release waivers. Castillo was on the injured list at the time of his DFA today, meaning that the Orioles cannot attempt to outright him to the minor leagues and that he will have to be released when his DFA window expires. That makes a trade somewhat unlikely, and if the Orioles do end up releasing Castillo he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. His 7.71 ERA in the majors this year isn’t exactly inspiring, but it’s a sample of just seven innings of work. It’s not at all difficult to imagine clubs having interest in getting Castillo into their organization on a minor league deal given his success overseas.

As for Strowd, the right-hander made his debut earlier this year and has looked solid in three appearances for the Orioles, with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. He’ll head to Triple-A as an optionable depth piece for Baltimore going forward and seems likely to get another opportunity in the majors at some point. If the Orioles opt to sell this summer, that could open up spots in the club’s bullpen and offer players like Strowd and Yaramil Hiraldo more regular opportunities at the big league level.

Mets Sign Richard Lovelady To Major League Deal

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The Mets announced a pair of roster moves this morning. Southpaw Richard Lovelady has signed with the club on a one-year deal. Lefty Colin Poche was designated for assignment to create room for Lovelady on both the 40-man and active rosters.

Lovelady returns to the Mets after being designated for assignment by the club last week and electing free agency shortly thereafter. The 29-year-old has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons but has not yet had an extended period of substantial success. A career 5.35 ERA pitcher in 102 2/3 innings, Lovelady’s surrendered six runs in 3 1/3 innings of work with the Blue Jays and Mets this year with four walks and four strikeouts. It’s not an especially inspiring profile, but Lovelady has long been viewed as an intriguing, high-ceiling arm given his quality stuff from the left side. He’s shown flashes of that potential in the past, most recently when he pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 28 2/3 innings of work for the Rays last year.

Making room for Lovelady on the roster is Poche, who is not too far removed from substantial success as a member of the Rays organization himself. He posted a strong 3.27 ERA in 156 2/3 innings of work for Tampa during the 2022-24 seasons, though he posted pedestrian peripherals in two of those three years. His 2023 was utterly dominant, as he posted a sterling 2.23 ERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate and a barrel rate of just 5.6%, though he did walk opponents at an elevated 9.8% clip. Those peripherals regressed last year, however, and the Rays non-tendered him over the offseason as a result.

Since being non-tendered, Poche has signed with both the Nationals and the Mets but has struggled badly with both teams. Poche made 13 appearances in D.C. but left the nation’s capital with 12 runs (11 earned) allowed in just 8 2/3 innings that saw him walk (12) as many batters as he struck out (10). His stay with the Mets was much briefer, as he made just one appearance and surrendered two runs in two-thirds of an inning of work while walking two and striking out one. The Mets will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Poche or pass him through waivers, at which point he would have the option to either accept an outright assignment to the minors or elect free agency. Perhaps Poche’s past success with the Rays will keep getting him attention from big league clubs despite his deep struggles with his command this year, but it seems likely he’ll remain limited to minor league deals until he can turn things around.

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