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Phillies Designate Neil Walker, Select Ronald Torreyes

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The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve designated veteran infielder Neil Walker for assignment and swapped him out for fellow veteran Ronald Torreyes, whose contract has been selected from their alternate training site. Additionally, southpaw Adam Morgan has been reinstated from the injured list, and righty Ramon Rosso is up as the 29th man for today’s twin bill.

Walker, who turned 35 yesterday, beat out a crowded field to secure a bench spot with the Phillies during Summer Camp. In addition to Torreyes, the Phils had Josh Harrison, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin and T.J. Rivera on minor league deals. Walker and Gosselin won backup spots, but Walker struggled to a .231/.244/.308 slash through 18 games and 41 plate appearances prior to today’s move.

Obviously, Walker wasn’t a heavily used piece in Philadelphia, where top prospect Alec Bohm has impressed through his first 25 big league games at third base. With Jean Segura holding his own at second base and Rhys Hoskins raking at first, playing time has been hard to come by for Walker. The addition of Torreyes in his place will give the club another option to handle shortstop — one of the few positions that Walker has never played at the MLB level.

Although Walker didn’t hit much in his short time with Philly, he’s just a season removed from posting a solid .261/.344/.395 batting line in a utility role with the Marlins. And, of course, Walker was a consistently strong producer from 2010-17, when he hit a combined .273/.342/.439 in just shy of 4300 plate appearances between the Pirates, Mets and Brewers.

The 28-year-old Torreyes, meanwhile, will be reunited with former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi. Torreyes was a fan favorite with the Yanks from 2016-18 when he hit .281/.308/.374 through 221 games as an oft-used bench piece. He spent the 2019 season in the Twins organization but hit poorly in Triple-A and saw only a very brief look in the big leagues.

Nationals Place Sean Doolittle On Injured List

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Nationals lefty Sean Doolittle has been diagnosed with a right oblique strain, manager Dave Martinez tells reporters (Twitter link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The exact results of his MRI aren’t yet available, but Martinez described Doolittle’s injury as a “pretty good” strain. Left-hander Ben Braymer is up from the Nats’ alternate site to take his spot on the roster, and the Nats have formally announced that Doolittle is on the 10-day injured list.

It’s a tough blow for the 33-year-old Doolittle, who missed about three weeks in August due to knee troubles. He hadn’t looked right prior to his first IL stint, but Doolittle didn’t allow an earned run in 4 2/3 innings upon activation late last month. His velocity was down early in the year, and while it hadn’t yet returned to its typical levels, Doolittle’s heater had shown some more life this month.

There’s no specific timeline provided for his return, but even low-grade oblique strains can sideline players for around a month at a time. Given that there are only 16 days remaining in the regular season, it’s eminently possible — if not probable — that Doolittle will not return before the 2020 campaign draws to a close. With the Nats all but out of postseason contention and Doolittle slated to become a free agent this winter, one can’t help but wonder whether yesterday’s early departure marked the end of what has been a highly successful tenure in D.C.

Acquired alongside Ryan Madson back in 2017, Doolittle has spent parts of four seasons in the Nationals organization — much of it as the team’s closer. He’s racked up 142 2/3 innings of 3.03 ERA ball with 10.3 K/9 against just 2.1 BB/9 en route to 75 saves during the regular season. Doolittle’s postseason work has been even better, as he’s allowed just two runs on seven hits and a walk with 12 punchouts in 13 1/3 innings across the 2017 and 2019 playoffs. Doolittle tallied three saves and three holds in that time.

The trade cost the Nationals a then-19-year-old Jesus Luzardo, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time. Still, it’s hard to say that it hasn’t worked out for the Nats. Madson was brilliant down the stretch in ’17, and Doolittle has been a mainstay in the bullpen since the time of his acquisition, ultimately closing out Game 1 and Game 6 in last year’s World Series.

Marlins Select Johan Quezada, Release Justin Shafer

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The Marlins announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Johan Quezada from their alternate training site and appointed right-hander Robert Dugger as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader. Miami added that fellow righty Justin Shafer, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week, has cleared waivers and been granted his unconditional release.

Quezada, 26, spent his entire career prior to the 2020 season in the Twins organization but never advanced beyond Class-A Advanced. He spent the 2019 campaign with Minnesota’s Florida State League affiliate in Fort Myers, tossing 52 1/3 innings with a 3.44 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 4.9 BB/9 and a 53.4 percent ground-ball rate.

Listed at an NBA-esque 6’9″, Quezada possesses a powerful fastball but has seen his development arc slowed by shoulder surgery that wiped out his 2017 campaign and by the lack of a minor league season in 2020. He inked a minor league deal with the Fish back in December and clearly did enough at their alternate site to earn a look in the big leagues.

Shafer, 27, was claimed from the Reds earlier this season and tagged for eight runs in 5 2/3 frames out of the Miami ’pen. He posted a solid 3.75 ERA in parts of two seasons with the Blue Jays from 2018-19, but the 32 walks and two hit batsmen he tallied in 48 innings with Toronto serve to underscore the control problems that have hampered him to this point in his MLB career. Shafer is now a free agent and eligible to sign with any team for the final couple weeks of the season.

Boone Provides Updates On Judge, Stanton, Paxton

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The Yankees’ season has again been punctuated by injuries for high-profile players, but manager Aaron Boone tells reporters that both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton could get at-bats at the alternate training site this weekend and return “shortly after that” if all goes well (Twitter link, with video, via SNY). On a less-optimistic note, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweets that Boone also acknowledged it will be “challenging” for lefty James Paxton to return this season.

Judge missed nearly two weeks early last month due to a calf injury and returned for just one game before heading back to the IL with further troubles in that same calf. Stanton, meanwhile, has played only 14 games in 2020 due to a hamstring strain that has sidelined him for more than a month now.

It’s the second consecutive injury marred season for the pair of former 50-homer sluggers. Both have been excellent when on the field — Judge is hitting .292/.343/.738 and Stanton .293/.453/.585 — but they’ve combined for only 125 trips to the plate. The timing of their return next week is pivotal. The Yankees are set to host the Blue Jays for three games beginning Tuesday, and they’ll travel to face them in a four-game set the following week. The Jays recently leapfrogged the Yankees in the standings and now hold a two-game lead over Boone’s club, which is clinging to the No. 8 seed after dropping seven of its past ten contests.

The news on Paxton isn’t good but also isn’t unexpected after last night’s update that he’d be shut down from throwing for a few days following soreness in his most recent throwing session. Paxton, who also underwent back surgery in February, has been limited to five ineffective starts for the Yankees so far in 2020 and has been out since Aug. 21 due to a Grade 1 flexor strain.

Boone didn’t completely rule out a return in 2020, and a lengthy postseason run for the Yankees would obviously improve his odds of healing up enough to make it back to the mound. However, the uncertainty surrounding his return date also creates the possibility that Paxton, a free agent this winter, has thrown his final pitch for the Yankees.

Cardinals Outright Ryan Meisinger

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Cardinals right-hander Ryan Meisinger cleared waivers and was assigned outright to the team’s alternate training site, according to the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment when St. Louis reinstated Carlos Martinez from the injured list earlier this week.

Meisinger, 26, was a waiver claim out of the Orioles organization prior to the 2019 season and has had some strong performances in the upper minors. However, although he boasts a 2.73 ERA and 78-to-20 K/BB ratio through 62 2/3 Triple-A frames, Meisinger has received minimal opportunity in the big leagues. He’s logged just 23 2/3 innings in the big leagues, most of which came with the 2018 Orioles. He hasn’t found success to date, but it’s obviously a rather small sample of work.

That solid body of work in Triple-A apparently didn’t get him claimed by another club in search of bullpen depth, however. He’s been outrighted previously, so he could reject the assignment in favor of free agency. If he accepts, Meisinger will rejoin the Cardinals’ 60-man player pool and remain eligible to return to the club in the final couple weeks of the 2020 season.

Latest On Potential Postseason Bubble

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Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have spent considerable time negotiating a postseason “bubble” format in recent weeks, and it appears the two sides are moving toward a deal — although some notable hurdles remain in place. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Rangers’ Globe Life Field would host the World Series and the NLCS under the currently proposed format, while San Diego’s Petco Park would be in line to host the ALCS. The ALDS would take place in two NL parks: Dodger Stadium and Petco Park. The ALDS would be split between Globe Life Park and Houston’s Minute Maid Park. That alignment of games played would allow all series to be held at neutral sites.

As was the case with negotiations on a return to play and on this year’s expanded postseason format, however, talks between the two sides haven’t been seamless. The league is seeking to adopt similar health-and-safety protocols to those in the NBA and the NHL, which would require some strict guidelines for the family members of players — specifically, a seven-day quarantine prior to entering the bubble. That has been met with some pushback from players.

Dodgers union rep Justin Turner voiced his disapproval of the notion to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal this week, pointing to the number of successful games played throughout the season and minimal outbreaks that were due to “poor choices by individuals.” The quarantine for family members would represent a departure from in-season protocols, as Turner points out, noting that he’s spent the entire season with his family when home. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote yesterday that Turner and the Dodgers aren’t alone in their belief that the proposed protocols for family are too stringent; other clubs are similarly resistant to the notion.

The league’s current proposal would even see contending clubs who finish the season playing at home isolating at hotels for seven days leading up to the playoffs rather than spending them at home. Family members would have the option of quarantining over that same period and then entering the bubbles after the Wild Card round of play. Alternatively, they could quarantine at a later date and enter the bubble beginning with the LCS round of play.

There’s still time for the two sides to align on an agreement, but it’s not a surprise to see MLB borrowing from what have been successful bubble formats in other sports — particularly given that reports have indicated the postseason could generate upwards of $800MM in television revenue (including a reported $200-300MM in additional revenue thanks to the expanded format). The 2020 playoff expansion included a $50MM pool for the players, representing a departure from the typical player pool, which is driven by gate but not television revenue.

Yankees Sign Ryan Buchter

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The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter to a minor league contract and assigned him to their alternate training site. Buchter, who recently elected free agency over an outright assignment from the Angels, will join the Yankees’ 60-man player pool and immediately become a viable depth option.

Buchter, 33, pitched just six innings with the Halos before being designated for assignment. He surrendered three runs and just five hits in that time, but his six walks probably didn’t encourage the team’s decision-makers. That said, Buchter has a track record as a solid bullpen piece dating back to his 2016 debut campaign with the Padres. The southpaw posted a sub-3.00 ERA each season from ’16-’19, logging a combined 2.87 ERA and 4.01 FIP with 9.9 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9 and a 26.5 percent grounder rate along the way.

Despite those strong numbers, Buchter was non-tendered by the Athletics over the winter and had to settle for a minor league pact with the Angels in free agency. Last year’s results might’ve been a bit more smoke-and-mirrors than seasons prior, as Buchter’s 4.6 BB/9 and 1.59 HR/9 marks were easily career-worsts. His 2.98 ERA looked to be largely a function of a 91.4 percent strand rate, with fielding-independent metrics like FIP (4.96) and xFIP (5.08) casting considerably more negative light on his work.

That said, his track record and ability to miss bats in bunches makes him a fine depth pickup. An extreme fly-ball pitcher like Buchter isn’t necessarily an ideal fit for Yankee Stadium and the AL East in general, but it’s worth pointing out that he generates harmless infield flies at a higher rate than most pitchers. From 2016-19, 16.4 percent of the fly-balls he allowed were characterized as infield flies — just shy of seven percent better than the league average in that span. He’s surely benefited from playing his home games at the pitcher-friendly parks in San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland for much of his career, but the extreme fly-ball tendencies may not be quite as concerning as one would initially expect.

Nationals Select Yadiel Hernandez

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The Nationals are selecting the contract of outfielder Yadiel Hernandez after placing veteran Howie Kendrick on the injured list yesterday, manager Dave Martinez announced to reporters today (Twitter link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The team’s recent DFA of Wilmer Difo left them with a vacancy on the 40-man roster.

Whenever Hernandez gets into a game, it’ll mark the MLB debut for the 32-year-old. A high-quality performer for los Cocodrilos de Matnzas in the Cuban National Series from 2009-14, Hernandez defected from Cuba back in 2015 and began the lengthy process of establishing himself as a free agent for Major League clubs. He signed with the Nats for $200K more than a year after leaving Cuba and spent the 2017-19 seasons climbing through their minor league system.

That rise through the Nats’ farm included a monstrous .324/.406/.604 showing in Triple-A last year (139 wRC+), during which Hernandez slugged 33 homers, 22 doubles and a triple while going 7-for-12 in stolen base attempts. We don’t see too many soon-to-be 33-year-old rookies of note, but Hernandez has performed at a high level in Cuba’s top league and throughout three full minor league seasons, so he’ll carry a bit more intrigue than the standard journeyman receiving a September cup of coffee.

Giants Place Pablo Sandoval On Release Waivers

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1:00pm: The Giants announced that Sandoval has been placed on release waivers.

12:32pm: The Giants are designating infielder Pablo Sandoval for assignment today, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). The move will create space for fellow veteran Justin Smoak, who signed with the Giants yesterday.

Sandoval, 34, lasted just two and a half seasons in Boston under an ill-fated five-year deal but surprised many with a resurgent showing upon returning to the Giants after being cut loose. From 2018-19, Sandoval tallied 548 plate appearances over 200 games with his original club, hitting .259/.311/.466 with 23 homers, 33 doubles and a triple. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction in 2020, however, as Sandoval has logged a miserable .220/.278/.268 slash through 90 trips to the plate.

The 33-year-old Smoak hasn’t exactly fared well in 2020 himself, hitting just .186/.262/.381 in 126 plate appearances with the Brewers before being released. Even amid those struggles, however, Smoak has shown much more power at the dish and a better walk rate. He’s been more prone to strikeouts than Sandoval but gives the Giants a better defensive option at first base and more pop on days he serves as designated hitter or a late-game pinch-hitter.

With Sandoval hitting well in 2018-19 and Hunter Pence returning after a resurgent year with his hometown Rangers, Giants fans might’ve had visions of one last productive run from the fan-favorite duo that fueled so much of their “Even Year” dynasty from 2010-14. Both Pence and the Panda struggled mightily in what now looks to have been their San Francisco farewell tours, however, leaving their futures within the game somewhat up in the air.

Had the Giants been languishing in the NL West cellar, perhaps they’d have kept Sandoval around to close out the season. San Francisco, though, has rattled off five straight wins to surge back to current possession of the No. 7 playoff seed in this year’s expanded postseason format. It’s in some ways reminiscent of last year’s July hot streak. Last year’s club wasn’t able to sustain the pace and convert that hot streak into a playoff berth, but the 2020 Giants will look to parlay their current 8-2 stretch into the organization’s first playoff berth since 2016.

Rangers Promote Sam Huff

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11:40am: The Rangers have formally selected Huff’s contract, per a team announcement. Outfielder Scott Heineman was optioned to the alternate training site to open a spot on the active roster.

10:40am: The Rangers are set to promote catching prospect Sam Huff to the Major League roster in the wake of Jose Trevino’s left wrist injury, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter). Manager Chris Woodward acknowledged last night that promoting Huff was at least something the team would discuss (Twitter link via T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com).

Huff, 22, entered the season ranked as the game’s No. 99 prospect at Baseball America — the infusion of 2020 draftees has since pushed him off the list — and currently ranks second among the organization’s prospects there. He ranks 75th overall at MLB.com. Other outlets, such as FanGraphs, aren’t as bullish given questions about his ability to stick behind the dish and his lofty strikeout rates. There’s no questioning Huff’s raw power, however, which draws 70 grades on the 20-80 scale in most scouting reports.

A seventh-round pick back in 2016, Huff split the 2019 season between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, where he hit a combined .278/.335/.509 with 28 homers, 22 doubles, a pair of triples and six steals (albeit in a dozen attempts). He’s been an average or better offensive producer at every minor league stop — well above average, in most cases — and boasts a career 34 percent caught-stealing rate thanks to a plus arm that generally receives 60 grades.

On the negative side of the coin, Huff has punched out in 29.7 percent of his minor league plate appearances to date and walked at just a 7.3 percent clip. MLB.com’s scouting report notes recent improvements in his framing and footwork but also observes that only five players as large as the 6’5″, 240-pound Huff have ever caught 300 games in the Majors. Given that lack of precedent, a broad range of outlooks is to be expected.

Huff has yet to play a game against Double-A pitching, so Major League opposition should present a particularly formidable test. Even if Huff returns to the minors at some point, the club is hopeful that he can emerge as a viable long-term piece of the puzzle. The Rangers have leaned heavily on 36-year-old veteran Robinson Chirinos since 2014 (last year’s one-year departure for the Astros notwithstanding), but Texas traded him to the Mets at the deadline.

The hope at one point may have been that Trevino could’ve been next in line, but he’s now 27 years of age and yet to produce in the upper minors or at the MLB level. Broadly speaking, the Rangers have lacked a top-tier catching prospect for quite some time. Huff is their most well-regarded young backstop in recent memory, and he’ll now get his first big league audition over the next few days. If he sticks in the Majors, he’d be controllable all the way through the 2026 season and wouldn’t be arbitration-eligible until the 2023-24 offseason, but further optional assignments could alter those timelines.

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