Roster Notes: Twins, Rockies, Orioles, Yankees
The Twins are likely to be without Taylor Rogers and Randy Dobnak for the rest of the season, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). Rogers has missed most of the second half after spraining a finger at the end of July. Before the injury, Rogers was again effective for the Twinkies, appearing 40 times and posting a 3.35 ERA with nine saves and eight holds, though he does have four blown saves as well. Dobnak has essentially been a non-contributor. He went on the injured list with a finger sprain on June 21, and he struggled to open the year.
Let’s check on a couple of roster moves made early on Saturday…
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- The Rockies have reinstated Robert Stephenson from the paternity list and optioned Ben Bowden to Triple-A, per the team. The 26-year-old Bowden has a 6.56 ERA/4.84 FIP in 35 2/3 innings. Stephenson has been a productive member of the Rockies’ bullpen, tossing 38 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA/4.02 FIP.
- The Orioles have recalled Dean Kremer from Triple-A, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). Kremer joins the club as their 29th man for today’s twin bill against the Blue Jays. Kremer will make his 13th start of the season and look to improve upon a 7.25 ERA/6.52 FIP.
- The Yankees outrighted Jonathan Davis to Triple-A today, per the team. Davis has been an extra man in the Yankees outfield, appearing in just 12 games after being claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays.
Quick Hits: Pujols, Harvey, Bundy, Anderson
The idea of Albert Pujols playing one final season in a Cardinals uniform always seemed a bit fanciful, considering that Paul Goldschmidt now occupies first base in St. Louis, and that Pujols’ dropoff in production created doubt that he would even play beyond the 2021 season. However, Pujols has had a bit of a revival as a specialist against left-handed pitching, crushing southpaws to the tune of a .302/.336/.635 slash line and 13 home runs over 134 plate appearances this season.
As Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, signing Pujols in 2022 has some baseball value to a Cardinals team that may have a DH spot to work with in next year’s lineup. That is on top of the natural symbolism of bringing Pujols back for what would be his 22nd — and quite possibly final — MLB season in what Yadier Molina has already announced will be his own final season. If Adam Wainwright also re-signs with the team and decides to hang it up next winter (which is no sure thing given how well Wainwright continues to pitch), the 2022 season will carry a storybook feel for an entire era of Cardinals baseball, as well as a renewed charge towards another title.
More from around baseball…
- The Orioles placed Matt Harvey on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right knee. O’s manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Rich Dubroff) that Harvey will undergo testing on the knee, and it isn’t yet known if the veteran right-hander will be able to pitch again this season. After signing a minor league deal with the Orioles in the offseason, Harvey ended up spending the entire year on Baltimore’s big league roster, and the oft-injured righty has tossed 127 2/3 innings over 28 starts. That is the silver lining amidst an otherwise tough season results-wise, as Harvey has a 6.27 ERA/4.84 SIERA and one of the lower (16.7%) strikeout rates in the league, not to mention some poor hard-hit ball numbers.
- Dylan Bundy is “very confident” that he’ll be able to return to the Angels before the season is through, the right-hander told The Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher and other reporters. Wednesday saw Bundy throw his first bullpen session since being placed on the 10-day IL with a shoulder strain back on August 25, and Bundy said the plan is for another bullpen on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Bundy will be able to build up enough strength to make it back, or if he has already thrown his last pitch as an Angel, considering Bundy is a free agent this winter. “As far as free agency, the only thing I’m thinking about is not being on the IL at the end of the year,” Bundy said. Bundy has struggled to a 6.06 ERA/4.55 SIERA over 90 2/3 innings,
- “I don’t have a lot of conversations with them on that front,” Brian Anderson told MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters about extension talks with the Marlins. General manager Kim Ng said last December, soon after her hiring, that she wanted a season to personally evaluate Anderson before deciding on a potential extension. By that standard, Anderson hasn’t done much to impress, hitting only .249/.337/.378 and being limited to 264 plate appearances in an injury-riddled year. Anderson is currently considering multiple options in regards to an ongoing shoulder problem, and surgery is a possibility, with Anderson prioritizing playing as close to a full season as possible in 2022. The Marlins control Anderson’s rights through the 2023 season, so an extension could still be in the cards if he is able to recover and get back to his old form next year.
Orioles Select Manny Barreda
The Orioles announced they’ve selected right-hander Manny Barreda to the big league roster. Baltimore also confirmed the previously-reported recall of pitching prospect Mike Baumann, who is in line to make his major league debut. In corresponding moves, reliever Zack Burdi was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and righty Jorge López was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right ankle sprain. To create space on the 40-man roster for Barreda, Baltimore transferred righty Hunter Harvey from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Barreda’s promotion is the culmination of a winding journey up the minor league ranks. He began his professional career as a 12th-round selection of the Yankees way back in 2007. Barreda spent the next seven years in the New York system, topping out at Double-A before being released. From 2015-17, Barrera sandwiched a couple of stints in the Brewers and Braves organizations between work with the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League. He spent the entirety of the 2018-19 seasons with Tijuana.
The fourteen-year pro made it back to affiliated ball this March when he landed a minor league deal with the Orioles. He’s spent almost the entire season with Norfolk, working 34 1/3 innings (almost exclusively in relief) of 4.19 ERA ball. Barreda has managed solid strikeout and walk numbers at the minors’ top level to earn his first big league call just more than a month away from his 33rd birthday.
López left his appearance yesterday afternoon against the Royals after sustaining the injury. Manager Brandon Hyde called it significant and said it could end López’s season (via Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball). If that proves to be the case, the 28-year-old will end the year with a 6.07 ERA/4.64 SIERA over 121 2/3 innings.
Harvey’s IL transfer is a formality. The 26-year-old has been on the IL since July 2 due to a right lat strain. With more than sixty days already logged, moving him to the longer term IL doesn’t have any effect on his eligibility to return. Harvey is on a rehab assignment with Norfolk.
Orioles To Promote Pitching Prospect Mike Baumann
The Orioles are promoting right-hander Mike Baumann to the big leagues, The Baltimore Sun’s Nathan Ruiz reports (Twitter link). Baumann turns 26 later this week, and his first appearance with the Orioles will mark his Major League debut.
A third-round pick out of Jacksonville University in the 2017 draft, Baumann pitched at the Triple-A level for the first time this season, posting a 2.00 ERA over 27 innings with a 24.1% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate. Baumann started all six of his Triple-A games and has worked almost exclusively as a starter during his pro career, so it seems likely that he’ll be given a look in Baltimore’s rotation given how the Orioles have been increasingly desperate for extra arms.
Baumann’s work in Triple-A salvaged what had been a bit of a troubling season, as the righty missed some time with an elbow injury that also led to a shutdown last September and then posted a 4.89 ERA over 38 2/3 innings of Double-A ball. He allowed six homers during that brief time in Double-A, which was more or less the first time the long ball has really been an issue for Baumann in the minors. Subtracting this year’s Double-A numbers and Baumann had given up only 16 home runs over his other 329 innings in Baltimore’s farm system.
Baseball America and MLB Pipeline each rank Baumann within the top ten Orioles prospects, with BA placing him ninth and Pipeline putting him right at the #10 spot. Baumann’s slider and fastball each receive 60-grades from Pipeline’s scouting report, with the heater able to hit the 98-99mph threshold but usually sitting around 94 or 95mph. These two pitches would seem to make “his floor that of an impact reliever,” according to Pipeline, and if Baumann can get something out of his more average curveball or changeup, he can develop as a Major League starter.
Quick Hits: Ohtani, Cron, Dodgers, Blach
Shohei Ohtani was originally scheduled to start today’s game against the Yankees, but the two-way star won’t be pitching due to some soreness in his right hand/wrist area. Ohtani was hit by a Ryan Weathers pitch on Saturday and didn’t sustain any structural damage, though the Angels are being cautious with the right-hander. “He’s fine, he’s just sore,” Angels manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters. “Pitching is problematic, so we’ll just have him hit until he’s ready to pitch.”
Ohtani didn’t leave the lineup after being hit on Saturday, and his batting doesn’t appear to be much affected by his hand/wrist issue. He belted his Major League-leading 42nd home run in last night’s 8-7 win over New York, further strengthening Ohtani’s increasingly airtight bid to be the American League’s MVP. Ohtani is now hitting .264/.362/.626 over 516 plate appearances, augmenting his huge hitting numbers with 20 stolen bases and his excellent numbers on the mound (3.00 ERA, 29.9% strikeout rate over 105 innings). While his injury doesn’t seem overly serious, it isn’t yet known when Ohtani might pitch again.
More from around baseball…
- The Dodgers made C.J. Cron a contract offer last winter, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). The exact nature of the offer isn’t known, but Cron instead opted to take a minors deal with the Rockies that ended up paying him $1MM in guaranteed money once he was selected to the active roster. As noted by Nightengale, it was a “bet on himself” type of move from Cron that has worked out well, as the first baseman has hit .275/.379/.537 with 24 homers over 428 PA. This type of playing time would likely not have been available in Los Angeles, as Cron was able to fill Colorado’s need for an everyday first baseman. Cron will look to convert his big season into a nice free agent contract this winter and possibly some security after playing with five different teams over the last five seasons. Since the Rockies didn’t trade Cron at the deadline, one would imagine the club has some hopes of re-signing the veteran slugger.
- After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2020, left-hander Ty Blach has returned to toss 13 innings in the lower levels of the Orioles farm system. It may be unlikely that Blach gets a call to the majors before the season is over, though the southpaw tells MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski that he is “just excited to be here and face some competition” as he continues his recovery process. “Really thankful for the Orioles to give me this opportunity to rehab, get me into some games this year, knowing that I wasn’t going to throw many meaningful innings this season,” Blach said. “But just to help me get out there, that’s meant a lot. Been nice to be back in a team environment, and I feel really good.” Baltimore initially claimed Blach off waivers from the Giants in August 2019 and then released the lefty last August, before Blach rejoined the club on a minor league deal during the offseason.
Mariners Place Jake Fraley, Anthony Misiewicz On 10-Day Injured List
The Mariners made a handful of roster moves today. They placed Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Anthony Misiewicz was also placed on the injured list because of a left forearm strain.
Fraley has made headway this season in making himself a big league outfielder, slashing .213/.359/.388 in 220 plate appearances, making his season thus far worth 1.5 rWAR. Misiewicz, meanwhile, has made 54 appearances covering 46 1/3 innings. He has a 4.08 ERA/3.32 FIP, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, 5.6 percent walk rate, and 44.9 percent groundball rate.
To fill their roster spots, Wyatt Mills was recalled from Triple-A, and Jimmy Yacabonis had his contract selected. To make room on the 40-man roster, Shed Long was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Long went on the injured list on July 30, so he’s very likely done for the year. Keynan Middleton was also outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.
Yacabonis will make his first appearance in the bigs since last year when he made two appearances with the Mariners. For his career, he owns a 5.71 ERA/6.05 FIP across 104 innings, mostly with the Orioles from 2017 to 2019. The 29-year-old right-hander has been sharp in Triple-A this season, tossing 31 1/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA. He will provide the Mariners with some length out of the bullpen should they need it.
Orioles Release Maikel Franco
The Orioles announced Friday that third baseman Maikel Franco has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent. He can sign with any club for the remainder of the season, and a new team would owe him only the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster.
Franco, who turned 29 yesterday, was designated for assignment earlier in the week amid a series of Orioles roster moves. He’s been the primary third baseman in Baltimore this season but has managed only a .210/.253/.355 output. Franco has homered 11 times and added 22 doubles in 403 plate appearances, but his general lack of offense reached a tipping point and prompted the Orioles to look at younger options.
As ugly as this season has been, Franco posted a very solid .278/.321/.457 slash with the Royals last summer, appearing in all 60 games and connecting on 24 extra-base hits (eight homers, 16 doubles). The former Phillies top prospect has shown flashes of potential at the plate throughout his big league career but has yet to produce on a consistent basis. Overall, he’s a lifetime .246/.297/.423 with 121 home runs through 3185 plate appearances at the MLB level.
With Franco out of the picture, the Orioles’ infield mix is comprised of Trey Mancini at first base, Jahmai Jones at second base, Jorge Mateo at shortstop and Ramon Urias/Kelvin Gutierrez at third base — at least for the time being. Infield prospect Rylan Bannon looked to be having an absolutely lost year in Triple-A but has been doing everything in his power to salvage his season in recent weeks. Bannon clobbered 10 homers in a span of 10 games this month and is batting .356/.431/1.044 over his past 12 games. His overall season batting line is just .185/.281/.441 — thanks in part to a recent 0-for-35 stretch — but manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko earlier this week that there’s “definitely a possibility” of Bannon being summoned to the big leagues in September.
Orioles To Designate Maikel Franco For Assignment, Claim Conner Greene From Dodgers
2:10pm: The Orioles announced that Jones has been recalled, Greene has been claimed, Martin has been optioned and Franco has been designated for assignment. Kubatko now tweets that the Gutierrez move won’t become official until tomorrow, so it seems there’s some additional roster tweaking on the horizon.
1:30pm: The Orioles have also reclaimed right-hander Conner Greene off waivers from the Dodgers, tweets Dan Connolly of The Athletic. The O’s lost him to the Dodgers on waivers earlier this month but have now claimed him back after the Dodgers designated him for assignment themselves.
12:38pm: The Orioles will announce multiple roster moves today, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Baltimore is set to designate third baseman Maikel Franco for assignment and option infielder Richie Martin to Triple-A Norfolk, per Kubatko. They’ll recall second baseman Jahmai Jones and third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez in their place.
Franco, who’ll turn 29 this week, has never really found his footing with the O’s after signing well into Spring Training. He’s been Baltimore’s primary third baseman this season, appearing in 104 games and totaling 403 plate appearances, but he’s mustered only a .210/.253/.355 slash with 11 home runs and 22 doubles in that time.
The O’s were surely hoping for something closer to Franco’s 2020 production, when he appeared in all 60 games for the Royals and batted .278/.321/.457 with eight homers and 16 doubles in 243 plate appearances. Kansas City still non-tendered Franco last winter rather than pay him a raise in arbitration — his second non-tender in as many years — and he lingered in free agency into Spring Training before finally settling on a one-year, $800K deal with Baltimore.
In an ideal setting, the Orioles probably would’ve enjoyed a few reasonably productive months out of Franco and subsequently flipped him at the deadline for whatever return they could get. His minimal salary would’ve made him an affordable addition even as a bench bat with a contending club. His general lack of production this season understandably dried up any real interest on the trade market.
The Orioles will now place Franco on either outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. He’s unlikely to be claimed, as doing so would mean picking up the remainder of his salary, which recently jumped from $800K to $1MM when he recorded his 400th plate appearance of the season. Once he clears waivers, he can become a free agent and sign with any club for the prorated portion of the league minimum from that point through season’s end.
Jones, 24, was acquired in the offseason trade that sent righty Alex Cobb and cash to the Angels. The former second-round pick was once considered one of the best prospects in the Halos’ system and one of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, but his stock had dipped in recent seasons.
After a hot start to the 2021 campaign, Jones has seen his bat tail off considerably in Norfolk. He posted a .311/.435/.516 line through his first 30 games with the Tides but has batted just .201/.257/.370 in 42 games since that time. Jones posted a .349 average on balls in play during the 30-game stretch to open the year and saw that mark fall to .242 over his next 42 games, but a climbing strikeout rate has also been a primary reason for his downturn in performance. Jones walked 22 times (16.8 percent) against 20 strikeouts (15.3 percent) over those first 30 games, but in his past 42 contests he’s fanned at a 29.2 percent rate against a greatly diminished 6.5 percent walk rate.
Recent slump notwithstanding, Jones ranks in the middle tier of the Orioles’ top prospects and will use the remainder of the 2021 campaign as an addition for a larger role next season. The Orioles’ infield is largely unsettled beyond first baseman Trey Mancini, so there should be plenty of opportunity for younger players to stake a claim to some more playing time. Jones does have some experience in center and in left as well. However, the O’s have used him primarily as a second baseman in 2021 and have a much more settled group on the outfield grass than the infield dirt.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/22/21
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- Cesar Valdez has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, per an Orioles team announcement. The righty had been designated for assignment on Friday. After signing a minor league deal in the offseason, the 36-year-old earned his way back into the majors for a second consecutive season. Valdez even served as the Orioles’ closer for a time, racking up eight saves. However, he wasn’t able to maintain his hot start to the year. His 2.50 ERA through 18 innings was then complemented with an ERA of 7.90 over his next 27 1/3. In total, he has a season ERA of 5.76 over 45 1/3 innings. He’ll now get some work in at the Triple-A level and try to make his way back to the bigs again.
- Phillies right-hander Mauricio Llovera has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old had been designated for assignment on Friday. This will allow the Phillies to stash an arm in the minors that has shown enough promise to be considered a prospect of note in recent years. (FanGraphs had him as high as the 11th best prospect in the Philadelphia system, prior to the 2019 and 2020 seasons.) Llovera has struggled in the majors so far, but in a very small sample size of just 7 2/3 innings between 2020 and 2021. At Triple-A this season, he has an ERA of 4.60 over 29 1/3 innings.
David Hess To Rejoin Rays
The Rays are bringing David Hess back into the fold, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Cathy Peek McEwen). In a corresponding move, Chris Mazza has been optioned to Triple-A, per Rays’ host Neil Solondz (via Twitter).
Hess was traded from the Rays to the Marlins earlier this season. After 14 appearances covering 18 innings with a 8.00 ERA, the Marlins designated him for assignment and he elected free agency. Hess will presumably join the Rays bullpen in the near future.
The 28-year-old Hess spent seven seasons in the Orioles organization after being selected in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He debuted with Baltimore in 2018 and was an up-and-down member of their staff over the next three seasons, pitching to a 5.86 ERA through 190 1/3 innings.