Brandon Guyer Announces Retirement
Veteran outfielder Brandon Guyer announced his retirement as a player on Monday. In a statement to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), Guyer wrote:
As I sit here and think about my baseball journey, I am so grateful for the life baseball has given me. I met my wife and raised three children in the game, made friendships that will last a lifetime, played on some amazing teams, and traveled the world making memories. None of it would have been possible without all my former teammates, coaches, trainers, friends, and family. Thank you all for being by my side during this amazing ride.
Guyer goes on to make clear that he isn’t walking away from the game entirely — just his time as a player. He’s launched an online training platform, FullyEquippedAthlete.com, and now strives to help shape the careers of a new generation of baseball players with that venture.
A veteran of seven Major League seasons, the now-34-year-old Guyer hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2018. He spent the 2019 season in the White Sox organization but was on the Triple-A injured list for most of the year, and he was cut loose by the Giants right around the time the league initially shut down. He’d signed a minor league pact with San Francisco over the winter.
Guyer split his career between the Rays and the Indians, tallying 517 games and 1487 plate appearances while hitting .250/.339/.388 with 32 home runs, 72 doubles, five triples and 22 stolen bases. While he was never a full-time outfielder, the right-handed-hitting Guyer was a constant thorn in the side for opposing lefties, as evidenced by a career .274/.376/.449 slash against them. Guyer was particularly adept at getting on base when holding the platoon advantage, in no small part due to his league-leading penchant for getting hit by pitches (as explored at great length by FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom back in 2016). He was also a notable contributor in the Indians’ 2016 World Series run, going 6-for-18 with three RBIs, a double, four walks and, yes, a pair of hit-by-pitches that postseason.
The former fifth-round pick banked more than $7MM in his career (prior to agent fees, taxes, etc.) and will now step into a hands-on role in developing younger talents. Best wishes to Guyer in whatever the game has in store for him next.
Astros Cancel Monday Workouts Due To Testing Delays
10:45am: Astros GM James Click issued the following statement on today’s cancellation:
The safety of our players and staff remains our top priority at the Astros. The team is still awaiting results from the COVID-19 tests taken on Friday. Due to the delay in receiving these results, coupled with the contagious nature of the virus, we felt it was prudent to cancel today’s workouts at Minute Maid Park and the University of Houston. Players and staff continue to participate fully in the screening and testing protocols while we await these results. Despite these delays over the holiday weekend, we’re optimistic that this process will be ironed out and we’ll be back on the field and ready to compete for a championship soon.
10:10am: The Astros have canceled this morning’s workout due to delays in the results from their COVID-19 intake testing, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). They’re the second team to do so, joining the Nationals. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Astros, like the Nats, have yet to receive their results from last week’s initial wave of testing. Kaplan and Ken Rosenthal add that the Astros weren’t tested either Saturday or Sunday but are expected to be tested again today.
At this point, it seems that the logistical challenges in mass testing are greater than MLB had anticipated. Through only three official days of “Summer Camp” we’ve now seen at least two teams cancel workouts due to a lack of test results, with others still possible given the snafus surrounding the Angels (whose testers didn’t show over the weekend) and Athletics (whose test results reportedly weren’t shipped on time by MLB and CDT).
Breakdowns like this in the testing cycle might be able to be overcome during Summer Camp as the league irons out its processes, but this is clearly a detriment both to avoiding broad-reaching infections and to readying for the tentative 2020 season. Today’s struggles also more loudly raise the question of what would happen if such an instance were to occur once the season is underway. It’s likely that games would need to be delayed or postponed absent the most recent testing data for a given team, and with the league aiming for 60 games in a span of 65 days, the margin for error is quite thin.
Nick Markakis Opts Out Of 2020 Season
Braves outfielder Nick Markakis has opted out of playing this season, manager Brian Snitker announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). In doing so, he’ll forgo this year’s $4MM salary and the year of service time he’d have otherwise accrued.
Markakis himself tells reporters that there were multiple factors that ultimately led to his decision (Twitter links via Burns and Mark Bowman of MLB.com). Markakis says that a talk with Braves star Freddie Freeman, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, proved pivotal. “That opened my eyes,” said Markakis. “He didn’t sound good.” Playing in the absence of fans was also a notable factor in his decision to sit out the season.
The 36-year-old Markakis has spent the past five seasons with the Braves, serving as a veteran guide and mentor through a rebuild that has seen the Atlanta organization return to perennial contender status in the NL East. Though he’s no longer the elite-level outfielder he was at his peak, Markakis was described by Snitker this morning as “the backbone of our club” — a nod to the veteran’s influence and standing in the clubhouse.
Markakis has surely thought long and hard over the decision, which comes just two day after Freeman, Will Smith, Touki Toussaint and Pete Kozma tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, teams throughout the league have been delayed in getting test results back from Major League Baseball, which has resulted in the cancellation of workouts for two teams thus far.
Though he’s not playing in 2020, Markakis added that he hopes this won’t spell the end of his career (Twitter link via David O’Brien of The Athletic). Playing in 2021 will be another decision for another day, though, and will be dependent on the status of the pandemic and what the 2021 season will look like.
The absence of Markakis from the Braves lineup will remove a steadily productive hitter from the Atlanta outfield and designated hitter rotation. The 2018 All-Star has batted .284/.359/.403 in his five years with Atlanta and would’ve shared corner outfield/DH duties — likely working in a loose platoon setting with Adam Duvall. The Braves still have Marcell Ozuna, Ender Inciarte and wunderkind Ronald Acuna Jr. in the outfield picture, but the loss of Markakis still thins out their depth in notable fashion. Prospects Drew Waters and Cristian Pache loom on the horizon and could conceivably see accelerated paths to the big leagues as a result.
Markakis joins David Price, Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross, Tyson Ross, Welington Castillo, Ian Desmond, Mike Leake and brief teammate Felix Hernandez in opting not to participate in the 2020 season amid public health concerns.
Nationals Cancel Monday Morning Workouts Due To Testing Delays
The Nationals have canceled their Monday morning workouts due to delays in Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 testing processes, general manager Mike Rizzo announced this morning. Rizzo issued the following statement:
Per MLB’s protocol, all players and staff were tested for Covid-19 on Friday, July 3rd. Seventy-two hours later, we have yet to receive the results of those tests. We cannot have our players and staff work at risk. Therefore, we have cancelled out team workout scheduled for this morning. We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their families. Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with Summer Camp. Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, Summer Camp and the 2020 Season are at risk.
The Nationals are just one of several clubs experiencing delays in receiving the results of their COVID-19 intake testing. The Athletics’ test samples didn’t arrive at MLB’s lab in Salt Lake City until 1:30am MST today, Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reported. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted that testers who were assigned to the Angels and two other, yet-unknown clubs simply didn’t show over the weekend.
The Nats have already had three players — Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross and non-roster invitee Welington Castillo — opt out of playing in 2020. Closer Sean Doolittle has been outspoken about his conflicted feelings on the matter and the need for improved health-and-safety and testing protocols. Doolittle revealed yesterday that while he’s already been tested a second time, he’s still not received the results from his first test. That does not appear to have changed in the 24 hours since that revelation.
Several Teams Experiencing Testing Delays
While most teams are already hosting full workouts and beginning to schedule intrasquad games at “summer camp,” multiple clubs are still experiencing delays in their COVID-19 test results that are preventing them from taking the field just yet. The Athletics are in a particularly frustrating spot, it seems. Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reported last night that many of the team’s tests, incredibly, had yet to even be shipped to Major League Baseball’s lab in Salt Lake City.
Alex Coffey of The Athletic obtained a message from A’s general manager David Forst to team employees, in which he voiced considerable frustration over the lack of communication and the inexplicably delayed shipping of the team’s tests, which weren’t due to arrive at the lab for processing until 1:30am MST earlier today.
“Despite having our schedule a week ahead of time, [testing company CDT and MLB] didn’t alert us to the possibility of any complications around July 4th,” Forst wrote within a lengthier message, adding that the A’s were only made aware of the delays after he and the training staff pressed MLB and CDT for information. “…If possible, I’m as frustrated and pissed as you are.”
Perhaps more remarkably, the testers assigned to the Angels’ facility simply didn’t show up to perform tests, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). Angels players instead “did saliva tests on their own,” per the report, and it’s not clear when the tests will ultimately be processed. At least two other teams throughout the league had this issue over the weekend, Rosenthal adds.
The Nationals, too, have had their testing results delayed. Left-hander Sean Doolittle told reporters yesterday that despite being tested for a second time Sunday morning, he’d yet to even receive the results from his first test (link via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post).
“We’ve got to clean that up, right?” Doolittle asked rhetorically. “That’s one thing that makes me a little nervous.” Doolittle added that Nationals players and staff were waiting on the N95 masks and gloves that were supposed to be delivered to the team. The left-hander praised the organization’s medical staff for their processes and protocols, but it’s clear that the Nats, like the A’s and Angels, are being impacted by significant logistical issues that have emerged in the early stages of the cobbled-together 2020 season.
All of this comes at a time when players are still debating whether to play at all in 2020. At this point, we’ve seen David Price, Felix Hernandez, Ryan Zimmerman, Joe Ross, Tyson Ross, Welington Castillo, Ian Desmond and Mike Leake all decline to play in 2020. Others, Doolittle included, have voiced a desire to play while also expressing their uneasiness with taking the field in an uncertain environment. Mike Trout acknowledged last week that he still doesn’t feel comfortable — and that was seemingly before the testers assigned to the Angels’ facility didn’t show.
These logistical shortcomings will be imperative to iron out if the 2020 season is to take place. Players are expected to be tested every other day, and delays in results will be all the more problematic if they occur when the season is underway. Right now, most of the Athletics’ position players simply aren’t able to begin working out at the team’s stadium. That’s a disadvantage to the Oakland organization, to be sure, but the team has been able to manage by keeping those players away from the pitchers and catchers who have reported. During the season, that won’t be possible. Efficient testing procedures will be vital for the season to not only get underway but to have any real chance at being played to completion.
At this point, the Athletics’ best-case scenario would be for their players to report tonight, per Rubin, but they could yet be delayed until Tuesday. Rosenthal notes that today’s Angels workout has already been delayed in order to ensure that testers are actually present.
Welington Castillo Opts Out Of 2020 Season
Veteran catcher Welington Castillo has opted out of the 2020 season, Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Friday (Twitter link via the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty). Castillo inked a minor league contract with the Nationals back in January and was originally announced as part of the team’s 60-man player pool. However, it appears he’ll opt not to play during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Castillo likely wouldn’t have opened the year in the Majors, barring an injury to Yan Gomes or Kurt Suzuki, but as a 10-year Major League veteran, he was quite likely the first line of defense should either Gomes or Suzuki need to miss time. With Castillo forgoing the season, he won’t be paid and won’t accrue service time. Catchers Raudy Read, Tres Barrera and Jakson Reetz are all still in the Nationals’ 60-man pool.
The 33-year-old Castillo wrapped up a two-year deal with the White Sox last year. Chicago inked him at a $15.5MM total over two years, and while he hit reasonably well in limited action in 2018 (.259/.304/.406), his 2019 season was the worst of his career at the plate. In 251 plate appearances, Castillo mustered just a .209/.267/.417 slash.
Castillo becomes the third member of the Nationals organization to sit out the 2020 season, joining first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end and likely return to the open market in search of another minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. In 2701 career plate appearances, Castillo is a .254/.313/.426 hitter with 98 home runs.
Rangers’ Brett Martin Tests Positive For COVID-19
Rangers left-hander Brett Martin tested positive for COVID-19, the team told reporters Friday (Twitter link via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). It’s also notable that Martin is diabetic — although to this point the Rangers have thankfully indicated only mild symptoms for the southpaw. The team also has three minor league trainers conducting contact tracing for Martin, who arrived for summer camp earlier this week, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
As with Delino DeShields Jr. and the Indians this morning, it seems quite likely that Martin gave his consent for his diagnosis to be made public. Player cases aren’t to be disclosed to the media or public without the individuals consent.
Martin, 25, made his Major League debut with the Rangers last year and pitched 62 1/3 innings across 51 appearances (49 out of the bullpen). In that time, he worked to a 4.76 ERA but a more encouraging 3.65 FIP with a strong 62-to-18 K/BB ratio. If he’s able to get back to full strength without lingering complications, Martin would quite likely be in line for a relatively prominent bullpen role — particularly given this year’s expanded rosters. He’ll need a pair of negative tests with at least 24 hours between them before he is medically cleared to return.
Padres To Add Cole Wilcox To 60-Man Player Pool
The Padres will add recently signed third-round pick Cole Wilcox to their 60-man player pool today, tweets Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The former University of Georgia right-hander was considered a potential first-round talent but, as a draft-eligible sophomore, came with some signability concerns. The Friars paid him a $3.3MM bonus that stands as a record for a third-round pick. That bonus falls roughly in line with the slot value for the No. 20 overall selection, so Wilcox ultimately did get paid at a mid-first-round level.
Wilcox will join top Padres pick Robert Hassell III in the organization’s 60-player pool, although neither is likely to be viewed as a big league option in 2020. Still, with no minor league season this year, the Padres are understandably interested in getting the top two talents they secured in this year’s draft some additional development reps — even if they’re only in a simulated game setting. There’s obvious benefit to getting the pair some in-person time with minor league coaches and player development staff as well.
Wilcox, who’ll turn 21 next week, got out to a ridiculous start to his 2020 season, pitching to a 1.57 ERA with a 32-to-2 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 frames for the Bulldogs before the NCAA season was halted. The lack of walks was a particularly notable development for Wilcox, who’d issued 38 free passes in 59 2/3 frames as a freshman. The Athletic’s Keith Law was must bullish on Wilcox prior to the draft, ranking him 14th in the class and noting the 6’5″, 232-pound righty’s No. 1 or 2 starter upside while cautioning that there’s considerable development needed to reach that ceiling.
San Diego is now up to 53 players in its initial player pool.
Trout: “I Still Don’t Feel Comfortable”
Angels superstar Mike Trout reported to the team’s summer camp today, but the three-time American League MVP made clear that he’s still feeling conflicted about playing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Honestly, I still don’t feel comfortable with the baby coming,” Trout told reporters today on a Zoom call (link via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale). “There’s a lot of things on my mind. I’m trying to be the safest and most cautious way to get through the season. It’s going to be tough.”
Trout’s wife is currently pregnant with the couple’s first child, and the 28-year-old center fielder says that they’re “playing it by ear” with the baby due to be born in August. “I’ve got to keep Jess safe,” says Trout. “I’ve got to keep the baby safe.” He adds, too, that in the event of a positive test, he’d need to go at least 14 days without seeing his newborn child, which also weighs on his mind.
“We all want to play,” Trout continued. “It’s going to come down to how safe we are going to be. If there’s outbreak or something happens these next few weeks, we’ve got to reconsider.”
Trout is far from the only player in the game with this type of concern. Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman voiced similarly thoughtful concerns last week before officially opting out of the 2020 season earlier this week. Washington closer Sean Doolittle, whose wife is high-risk, has regularly voiced concerns and yesterday told Scott Abraham of ABC7 News that he’s “leaning toward playing” but is “not entirely” sure he’ll ultimately do so (Twitter link, with video).
To this point, Zimmerman, Joe Ross, Tyson Ross and Mike Leake are the four players who have opted out of playing the 2020 season amid public health concerns.
Indians Sign David Hernandez, Jake Elmore, Steven Baron
The Indians announced this morning that they’ve signed veteran right-hander David Hernandez, utilityman Jake Elmore and catcher Steven Baron to minor league contracts. Hernandez and Elmore will report to Summer Camp in Cleveland, while Baron will head to the team’s alternate training site in Eastlake, at their Class-A affiliate’s facility. All three have been added to Cleveland’s player pool, bringing their total to 58 players.
Hernandez, 35, wrapped up a two-year deal with the Reds in 2019. He was brilliant in the first season of that contract, pitching to a pristine 2.53 ERA and 3.38 FIP with 9.1 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 over the course of 64 innings. Unfortunately, the second season of the deal was as ugly as the first was impressive; in 42 2/3 innings, Hernandez was clobbered for an 8.02 ERA.
That’s an alarming number, of course, but it should be pointed out that Hernandez was plagued by a sky-high .393 average on balls in play — more than 100 points higher than his career mark. As was the case with many pitchers during last year’s juiced-ball campaign, Hernandez also saw his home-run rate soar (0.76 HR/9 in 2017-18; 1.48 HR/9 in 2019). He’d been in the original Spring Training with the Nationals but was cut loose.
The 32-year-old Elmore has appeared in 217 games and logged 527 plate appearances at the MLB level. Elmore is just a .215/.292/.275 hitter in that time, but he’s demonstrated substantial versatility; in 2013, the Astros used him at every position on the diamond — including catcher and pitcher. Elmore has at least 106 innings at all four infield spots, 234 innings in the outfield (including 14 in center) and has also caught 4 1/3 innings and pitched two frames (one run allowed) in the Majors.
Baron, 29, was the No. 33 overall pick by the Mariners back in 2009 but has never gotten much of a look in the big leagues. In 26 plate appearances, he’s batted .115/.115/.154. Baron is a veteran of 11 minor league seasons, though, and is widely regarded as a strong defensive backstop. He routinely posts strong framing marks in the minors and boasts a huge 39 percent caught-stealing rate in those 11 seasons. In 678 Triple-A plate appearances, Baron is a .237/.299/.313 hitter.