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Rockies Acquire Corey Oswalt From Phillies For Cash Considerations

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The Rockies have acquired Triple-A right-hander Corey Oswalt from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb (via Twitter).

Oswalt was drafted by the Mets in the seventh round of the June draft back in 2012. He worked his way through the system and made his Major League debut with New York back in 2018 as a 24-year-old. By the time he made his debut, he was the Mets’ 16th-ranked prospect, per Baseball America.

He made 12 starts and five relief appearances en route to totaling 64 2/3 innings in his rookie season, but only received spot time in the bigs since then, never making more than a handful of appearances. He did, however, appear in each of the last four campaigns with the Mets, and they remain the only professional organization he has appeared with in the bigs. In total, Oswalt owns a 5.89 ERA/5.39 FIP at the game’s highest level.

He started this season with the Giants Triple-A affiliate before the Phillies purchased his contract. Between the two clubs, the now-28-year-old Oswalt posted a 6.11 ERA over 35 1/3 innings. With the Rockies, he should have a clearer path to Major League innings.

Giants Acquire Willie Calhoun From Rangers For Steven Duggar

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The Giants and Rangers have agreed to a swap of position players. The Rangers will send Willie Calhoun to the Giants in exchange for outfielder Steven Duggar, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Giants will also receive cash considerations from Texas, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

San Francisco had a decision to make on Duggar, who needed to be added back to the 40-man roster after completing his rehab assignment. Calhoun himself just recently passed through waivers unclaimed.

The plan is for Duggar to join the active roster. The Rangers will designate Spencer Patton for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Duggar, per the team. They will need to make one more move to make room on the active roster for Duggar. Patton, 34, had made seven appearances for the Rangers, posting a 3.86 ERA/5.70 FIP across seven innings.

In Duggar, the Rangers are acquiring a player with more defensive utility than Calhoun, who never really found a defensive home. Duggar can play all three outfield spots. He had been on the injured list since April 21 with a strained oblique, however. He has appeared in each of the past five seasons for the Giants, accruing an overall line of .242/.297/.377 over 805 plate appearances with a too-high 29.4 percent strikeout rate and too-low 7.0 percent walk rate.

With Luis Gonzalez going on the injured list today, the Giants could easily have brought Duggar back to the Major League roster, so it’s interesting that they decided to move on. As a left-handed hitter, Duggar’s skill set doesn’t compliment the Giants’ current cohort of outfielders that includes Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, and LaMonte Wade Jr., who himself is almost ready to return from the injured list. Only Slater among that group bats right-handed.

Of course, Calhoun bats lefty as well, so he’s less of a fit acquisition and more of a rehabilitation project for the staff in Triple-A. Broadly speaking, the Giants work wonders finding roles for players who have been previously unable to find a defined role on a big-league club. Players like Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf, and Thairo Estrada are players that have found a home in San Francisco’s system. Calhoun has had his opportunities in the bigs, and while he’s no longer a prospect, the Giants are as promising a landing spot as a young vet like Calhoun can hope to find in this league. For now, the Giants can send him directly to Triple-A without adding him to their 40-man roster.

Astros Place Josh James On 60-Day Injured List

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The Astros have reinstated first baseman/corner outfielder Taylor Jones from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 (via Twitter). To make room on the 40-man roster, the club recalled reliever Josh James and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list.

Jones has yet to play in the majors this season, as he began the year on the IL with a lower back injury. That kept him out for a few months, but he began a minor league rehab assignment on June 3. Position players are allotted up to 20 days on a rehab stint, so the time came for the Astros to reinstate him. He’s struggled over 14 rehab games with Sugar Land, however, and the club will keep him with the Space Cowboys on optional assignment.

The 28-year-old Jones saw some big league action in Houston during both the 2020-21 seasons. He’s tallied 130 plate appearances at the highest level, compiling a .236/.262/.398 line with a trio of home runs. The Gonzaga product has a more impressive .279/.373/.487 mark across parts of four Triple-A seasons. Assuming he spends 20+ days on optional assignment this season, he’ll exhaust his final option year.

James is dealing with a right lat strain. He hasn’t pitched in eight days and will now be ruled out for at least another two months. The right-hander broke into the big leagues late in the 2018 season, impressing with a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings while averaging over 97 MPH on his fastball. He struck out 37.6% of opponents over a career-high 61 1/3 frames the following year, but he paired that swing-and-miss stuff with home run troubles and wobbly control en route to a 4.70 ERA.

Issues with his left hip cost James much of the 2020-21 seasons, and he struggled during his limited looks on the mound. He’s spent the entire 2022 campaign with Sugar Land, posting a 7.59 ERA through 21 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate has plummeted to 20.6% in the minors, while he’s walked almost 16% of opponents. He won’t be back until mid-August at the earliest, and it’s possible his time in the organization could be nearing its end.

James is making $800K this season after avoiding arbitration over the winter. While he’ll accrue service time during his IL stint, he’s already spent enough time in the minors he won’t eclipse four-plus service years this season. Theoretically, he’s controllable through 2025, although he’ll probably be a non-tender candidate next offseason considering his minor league performance and renewed injury concerns.

Roster Moves: Brewers, Red Sox, Twins

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The Brewers have acquired Triple-A infielder Patrick Dorrian from the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). Dorrian, 25, hit .161/.256/.269 over 169 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk this season. As recently as last year, however, Dorrian posted a solid .246/.362/.475 in 473 plate appearances in Double-A. The Brewers will see if they can rekindle some of that magic in Triple-A.

  • The Red Sox have optioned Jeter Downs back to Triple-A. The move comes in anticipation of activating Christian Arroyo tomorrow, per Christopher Smith of masslive.com. Downs spent just three days on the active roster, going 0-4 in his debut with three strikeouts. Arroyo is on the COVID injured list but is expected back for Friday’s game. Arroyo has gotten off to a slow start, slashing .187/.227/.319 over 98 plate appearances.
  • The Twins optioned Josh Winder to Triple-A, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Winder just completed a rehab assignment, so he had to be returned to the active roster and optioned. The 25-year-old right-hander made three starts and pitched four times out of the bullpen this season, pitching to a 3.68 ERA/4.36 FIP over 29 1/3 innings. Winder has three options remaining, so the Twins can easily give him more time in the minors.

White Sox Place Danny Mendick On Injured List With Torn ACL, Select Lenyn Sosa

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The White Sox have placed infielder Danny Mendick on the 10-day injured list with a torn ACL, the team announced. Infielder Lenyn Sosa will have his contract selected from Double-A as he joins the active roster. In other moves, Adam Engel was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring and Gavin Sheets has been recalled from Triple-A. Eloy Jimenez was also moved to the 60-day injured list.

Mendick was having a bit of a breakout season, at least through 31 games, slashing .289/.343/.443 over 106 plate appearances. That’s not really enough playing time to call it a true “breakout,” but Mendick was nevertheless filling an important void at shortstop while Tim Anderson was out. There was at least the possibility that Mendick would take over at second base now that Anderson returned. Josh Harrison and Leury Garcia have been splitting time at the keystone, but Harrison has produced just a 79 wRC+ while Garcia has produced an even more abysmal 25 wRC+.

To take over at second, the White Sox could turn to promoted prospect Lenyn Sosa from Double-A, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Sosa has played all over the infield in the minors for the White Sox. Sosa was Chicago’s 11th-ranked prospect, per Baseball America, ranked 21st by MLB.com, and 14th by Fangraphs. Sosa has seen his stock rise this season with his power as he has posted a .197 ISO on the year. He is not a big tools player, but he’s nonetheless posted an impressive .331/.384/.549 line in 289 plate appearances in Double-A this season. If he can continue to produce, Sosa could solve the White Sox issues at the keystone. That’s a lot to expect of a 22-year-old without Triple-A experience, however.

Sheets returns to the big league roster, stationed in right field for tonight’s ball game. In Triple-A, he appeared in nine games, slashing .270/.308/.541. That kind of production in the bigs would keep Sheets in the lineup. After all, right field has been a collective effort this season for the White Sox, with Sheets, Engel, AJ Pollock, Adam Haseley, and Andrew Vaughn all getting starts. Nobody has started more than four consecutive games in right field this season, with Vaughn reaching that mark just once.

Engel had started the past three games in right, but he now heads to the injured list. The 30-year-old has slashed .240/.297/.349 over 158 plate appearances, good for just an 86 wRC+. Engel has long been considered a solid defensive outfielder, which is where he adds his value. That’s been no less true this season when he’s posted 5 DRS across the three outfield spots.

Rays Acquire David McKay From Yankees For Cash Considerations

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The Rays have acquired right-handed pitcher David McKay from the Yankees in exchange for cash considerations, per the Yankees. McKay will be added to the Rays’ 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Manuel Margot is going on the 60-day injured list, opening a slot for McKay.

McKay was recently designated for assignment by the Yankees as they made room for Albert Abreu, claimed off waivers from the Royals. As part of this deal, the Yankees announced that Abreu has been placed on the active roster. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt was optioned to Triple-A last night after the game, freeing up a spot on the active roster.

McKay actually spent spring training with the Rays, so he’ll be familiar with his new club. The 27-year-old made just two appearances for the Yankees, both scoreless innings. He has also appeared in his career with the Mariners and Tigers, totaling 28 2/3 innings over 28 appearances since 2019 with an overall 5.65 ERA/4.78 FIP.

For the Yankees, they’ll pick up some cash from a division rival while returning to a former prospect in Abreu. Still just 26, Abreu made seven appearances with the Rangers and another four with the Royals this season, and while he has posted a 3.46 ERA over those 13 innings, an 8.44 FIP belies some underlying issues with the overall body of work. Namely, Abreu has struggled from a lack of command, giving out 16 free passes in those 13 innings.

Bullpen Moves: Marlins, Cubs, Guardians

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Given the way the game is played these days, bullpens are dynamic entities constantly changing shape. Though longer injured list stints and option limits were intended to somewhat slow this ebb-and-flow of arms moving in and out, the game of musical chairs continues. Let’s check in on some of the changes being made in bullpens around the game today…

  • The Marlins have placed Louis Head on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, recalling Zach Pop from Triple-A, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com (via Twitter). Head’s contributions on the year haven’t necessarily been additive, as the 32-year-old reliever owns a 7.23 ERA/5.29 FIP across 23 appearances totaling 23 2/3 innings. The injury is a bit peculiar as well since it’s not his throwing arm. Pop was a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles by the Diamondbacks, whom the Marlins then acquired via trade. He appeared in 50 games for the Fish last season, pitching to a 4.12 ERA/3.77 FIP across 54 2/3 innings.
  • The Cubs have placed veteran southpaw Daniel Norris on the 15-day injured because of a finger strain. To take his roster spot, they have recalled Adrian Sampson from Triple-A, per Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Norris hasn’t had a great season, but if he’s healthy, he made draw some trade interest simply as a veteran southpaw. Currently, however, he owns a 7.24 ERA/5.73 FIP in 24 appearances covering 27 1/3 innings. Sampson has been up and down, designated for assignment, and brought back. Despite his frequent travels, he has tossed just 5 2/3 innings with the Cubs this season without giving up an earned run.
  • The Guardians have optioned Anthony Castro to Triple-A and recalled right-hander Yohan Ramirez, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com (via Twitter). Castro, 27, with his third team in three years, has slogged through eight appearances, surrendering eight earned runs in eight innings on 11 hits and seven walks to 10 strikeouts. The Guardians acquired Ramirez from the Mariners via trade for cash and a player to be named later. He made seven appearances with the Mariners, posting a 7.56 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work.

Giants Place Luis Gonzalez On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Donovan Walton

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The Giants have placed outfielder Luis Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain (retroactive to June 22). Veteran utility man Donovan Walton has been recalled to claim his roster spot, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Gonzalez was picked up as a waiver claim last year from the White Sox, but he has made a strong play to be a permanent fixture in the San Francisco outfield. The 26-year-old Gonzalez has already posted 1.2 rWAR/1.0 fWAR in 180 plate appearances on the season. While splitting his time across all three outfield spots, he has hit .302/.361/.447 with three home runs and seven stolen bases.

Walton, 28, made at least one appearance with the Mariners in each of the past four seasons, but with 58 plate appearances with the Giants this year, he’s already close to matching his career-high of 69 plate appearances.

Walton fits a classic San Francisco bench player mold with his ability to play multiple positions. Unfortunately for Walton, the Giants lineup currently leans heavily to the left, giving Walton less utility as a platoon player or spot starter. For now at least, Austin Slater would seem to step into the starting lineup, which could give Walton an opportunity for a game in the grass against a particularly tough right-hander.

Roster Moves: Twins, Angels, Rockies

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The Twins have activated Kyle Garlick from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, Trevor Megill was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. The latter move is retroactive to June 16th. Megill has made just eight appearances, but he’s looked good with a 2.08 ERA/2.99 FIP over 13 innings with a 15-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Garlick had been hitting with some pop before he went down. He owns a .250/.324/.567 line with six home runs in 68 plate appearances. He’ll jump back into the mix against southpaws for the Twins. In other moves…

  • The Angels have optioned infielder Jack Mayfield to Triple-A and recalled southpaw Kenny Rosenberg, per the team. Mayfield just joined the club two days ago, and now he’s on his way back to Triple-A. Rosenberg gives them a much-needed fresh arm after yesterday’s doubleheader. The southpaw has made two appearances for the Angles this year, his first two in the bigs, tossing six innings and giving up five earned runs.
  • The Rockies made a trio of roster moves today. Garrett Hampson was activated from the COVID Injured List, Alan Trejo was optioned back to Triple-A, and Tyler Kinley was moved to the 60-day injured list, per Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette (via Twitter). Trejo, 26, has appeared in just 11 games for the Rockies, slashing .231/.250/.333 over 40 plate appearances. Hampson, once a highly-touted prospect, has been unable to establish himself as a cornerstone piece, slashing just .236/.321/.375 over 83 plate appearances.

Nationals Release Dee Strange-Gordon

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The Nationals have requested unconditional release waivers for Dee Strange-Gordon, per the team. The infielder/outfielder was designated for the assignment last week. This means two things: no team put a claim in on him, and Strange-Gordon did not want to accept an assignment to the minor leagues.

Given those two facts, it’s not easy to see where Strange-Gordon will find his way back to the Majors. That said, his speed is a truly exceptional talent, and there’s always room in the game for it on a limited basis. We have seen speedsters like Strange-Gordon used as playoff specialists in the past, so that’s a potential role for him down the line. For now, however, it would seem unlikely that he finds a long-term home.

Strange-Gordon was signed by the Nationals this winter on a non-guaranteed minor league deal. He went on to hit .305/.305/.356 in 59 plate appearances with three stolen bases in five attempts. For Strange-Gordon it was more of the same, with low walk rates and minimal power limiting his offensive utility. His speed is dynamic, and if he can get on base enough to utilize it, he has a weapon worth unleasing. Right now, however, the 34-year-old will have to wait and look for a new opportunity.

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