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Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

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The Mariners are currently 41-38 and in possession of the final American League Wild Card spot, putting them in position to add at the deadline. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports that the club is looking to add an impact bat at a corner infield spot, though he adds that they could also just get the best bat available and worry about the positioning later. An extra leverage arm for the bullpen is another reported target. Kramer also reports that “ownership will green light increased spending” at this year’s deadline.

The note about the payroll is quite relevant. Throughout the offseason, reporting indicated that the club had about $15MM of spending capacity for upgrading the roster. The M’s then spent a combined $11.25MM on signing Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano. In early May, they claimed Leody Taveras off waivers from the Rangers, taking on the roughly $3.7MM he had left to be paid out on this year’s salary. The M’s later outrighted Taveras to Triple-A.

Given that the M’s had seemingly spent their budget, it would have been fair to wonder about their ability to make deadline additions. While it’s unclear exactly how much increased spending ownership is willing to approve, any extra pocket money should help the front office pursue external additions.

As for the specific targets, they are not surprising, as the M’s have question marks at both infield corners. Ben Williamson has received the lion’s share of playing time at third base this year and has been solid with the glove, but has hit just .255/.291/.311 for a 77 wRC+. At first base, Rowdy Tellez was the regular there before his subpar bat got him bumped off the roster. He was designated for assignment last week and put on release waivers today.

Solano is now getting most of the playing time at first. He’s not having a great season overall but has been heating up after a dreadful start. He was hitting .131/.156/.148 through May 17th but has a massive .420/.463/.640 line since then. That latter line is a small sample of just 54 plate appearances and inflated by an unsustainable .474 batting average on balls in play but there’s no harm in riding the hot hand in the short term. He also slashed .294/.353/.413 for a 112 wRC+ from 2019 to 2024, so he has a track record of strong offense.

Considering that he’s 37 years old and slumped early in the year, it’s understandable that the M’s may not want to be totally reliant on him. A lot of his damage has also come against lefties in recent years, so they could consider a platoon, though he has reverse splits in this year’s small sample of work.

As for specific targets, Kramer relays that the Mariners have considered a reunion with old friend Eugenio Suárez, currently of the Diamondbacks. Suárez played for Seattle in 2022 and 2023, hitting a bunch of home runs but also striking out a lot. The M’s made a concerted effort to reimagine their offense with fewer punchouts and traded him to Arizona ahead of the 2024 season.

With the Snakes, Suárez got out to a rough start but has been one of the best hitters in baseball for about the past year. He had a .216/.302/.366 line and 87 wRC+ in the first half of 2024 but then exploded for a .307/.341/.602 showing and 153 wRC+ in the second half. Here in 2025, he already has 25 home runs, a .251/.323/.569 line and a 141 wRC+. He’s also been striking out less in the process. He struck out more than 30% of the time as a Mariner but dropped that rate to 27.5% last year and is down to 25.7% so far this year.

His defense isn’t as strong as Williamson’s but he would obviously provide a huge boost to the lineup from the third base spot. Suárez is making a notable salary of $15MM this year, which would leave about $5MM left to be paid out as of the deadline. As mentioned, it’s unknown how much wiggle room the M’s will have to take on money.

It’s possible the Diamondbacks would be willing to eat some of the money but it’s also not entirely clear if they want to make Suárez available at all. Despite a rash of injuries, they are currently 41-39 and just three games out of a playoff spot in the National League. If they fall back in the next few weeks, the possibility of a Suárez trade should increase.

There’s also an argument for Arizona to trade Suárez even in a win-now move. They have lost several arms to injury and could flip him for help on the pitching staff, with Jordan Lawlar then taking over at third. However, there is risk in that path. Lawlar is a top prospect and keeps hitting in the minors but hasn’t yet taken advantage of his major league chances.

Kramer also mentions Arizona first baseman Josh Naylor, noting that he had been linked to the M’s prior to being traded from Cleveland to Arizona in the offseason. Naylor, like Suárez, is an impending free agent. He is making $10.9MM this year while slashing .307/.363/.479 for a 132 wRC+.

Kramer also mentions some other players as possible fits, including Jarren Duran of the Red Sox as well as Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Félix Bautista of the Orioles, though those appear to be more speculative suggestions. He also throws out Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates and Jesús Sánchez of the Marlins as other possibilities.

Duran and Mullins are outfielders but, as mentioned, the Mariners might just grab the best bat they can and figure out the defense later. Luke Raley is currently spending most of his time in the outfield corners but could perhaps spend more time at first base if the M’s added an outfielder.

O’Hearn and Mullins are both impending free agents on a struggling Baltimore club, so they seem likely to be moved. O’Hearn is having a terrific year, with a .301/.384/.485 line and 149 wRC+. His $8MM salary is not nothing but it’s barely half of what Suárez is making. Mullins was hot to start the year but has gone cold lately. He had a .278/.412/.515 line and 168 wRC+ at the end of April but has since put up a line of .167/.201/.348 for a wRC+ of 50. He is making $8.725MM this year.

Duran is still controllable for three years after this one but the Sox have a crowded long-term outfield mix that also includes Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida and Jhostynxon Garcia. Perhaps the Sox would consider making Duran available as a way to preemptively clear out that logjam while simultaneously adding talent somewhere else. They are currently 40-42 and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

As for the bullpen, all contenders generally look for upgrades at the deadline. Bautista should be highly attractive if the O’s are willing to make him available but it’s unclear if they would. Unlike Mullins and O’Hearn, he can be retained for two more seasons beyond this one. But given the general volatility of relievers, Baltimore might think about cashing him in during a down year for the club overall.

After missing the 2024 due to Tommy John surgery recovery, Bautista’s control has been a problem, with a 15% walk rate. But he’s still been effective overall, with a 2.60 earned run average and 33.6% strikeout rate. It’s possible he is reining in his command as the season goes along as he has dropped that walk rate to 9.4% in June.

Kiner-Falefa is a glove-first utility guy, hitting .273/.319/.346 this year for the Bucs, which translates to a wRC+ of 85. He is making $7.5MM this season but the Blue Jays are on the hook for part of that as part of the trade that sent him to Pittsburgh at last year’s deadline. Sánchez has generally been a league average hitter for the Marlins. He is in his sixth big league season and has a .240/.309/.425 line and 99 wRC+. He is making $4.5MM this year and can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration.

There are many possibilities for Seattle, which should make for a very interesting deadline. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has a reputation as being one of the most trade-happy executives in the sport and the Mariners have one of the best farm systems. Reportedly, they wanted to deal prospects for big leaguers during the offseason but found few clubs willing to make that kind of pact since so many teams came into the year hoping to contend. As the season goes along and some clubs fall back in the standings, they might be more willing to take some of those prospects off the Mariners’ hands.

Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images.

Alex Bregman Open To Extension Talks With Red Sox

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Alex Bregman has an upcoming opt-out in his contract but he is willing to talk with the Red Sox about sticking around longer. “I always tell the team — and Alex directs me to tell them — we’re always open to any conversation,” Bregman’s agent Scott Boras said to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “Any player who plays well somewhere, it’s something that’s important for the team and important for the player. It’s an additive.” Boras also mentioned that Bregman and his family have been happy with their time being in Boston so far.

It’s not especially surprising that Bregman and Boras would be open to a long-term offer. While Boras clients have a reputation for being averse to extensions, that’s normally for early-career players who don’t want to give up future earning power by delaying their path to free agency. In Bregman’s case, he already reached free agency after last season. He didn’t quite get the long-term deal he was looking for, so he pivoted to a short-term pact. He and the Sox signed a three-year deal with a $120MM guaranteed, though with notable deferrals that knocked the net present value closer to $90MM, with opt-out chances after each season.

The goal in signing a contract of that nature is to bank some high earnings on an annual basis while still maintaining the ability to get a larger guarantee down the line. The Bregman situation has a lot of parallels with that of Matt Chapman, another Boras client. Chapman also found the offers lacking in his first foray to free agency, settling for a three-year, $54MM deal with the Giants. His first season in San Francisco was going well enough that they didn’t want him to return to free agency, so they signed him to a six-year, $151MM deal in September of last year.

Bregman would presumably be happy with a similar sequence of events playing out for him and he has mostly done his part so far. By all accounts, he has been a positive force in taking on a clubhouse leader role on a roster with plenty of young players. He has also hit .299 /.385/.553 for a 158 wRC+ this season, his best offensive showing in years. He’s been out of action for about a month due to a quad strain but should be back in the not-too-distant future. Manager Álex Cora recently said Bregman would likely stay on the IL through the All-Star break, per Healey.

Given his contributions on and off the field, the Sox are naturally happy with Bregman as well. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently discussed the matter with The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. Breslow declined to get into specifics on the contract negotiations but heaped praise on Bregman and expressed an openness to having future talks. “What I’m very comfortable saying is Alex has been everything we could have asked for both on the field,” Breslow said, “but also in the clubhouse from a leadership standpoint. Not just in the way he’s helped younger players and our staff but in the ways that he’s helped me and many of us in the front office. And so right now while we’re focused on doing everything we can to get him back on the field as quickly as possible, when the right time comes to have those conversations, very, very confident that we will.”

When Bregman first signed, it was fair to wonder if it was going to be a short-term arrangement. The Sox had Rafael Devers at third, signed for years to come. Bregman could have played second base for a year, opted out and signed elsewhere.

Much has changed since then, of course. The Sox moved Devers to a designated hitter role and put Bregman at his natural third base position. That appeared to sour the relationship between Devers and the club, which eventually led to him getting flipped to the Giants earlier this month.

That trade blew a big hole in the Boston lineup but it also freed up a lot of spending capacity, with Devers still owed about $250MM at the time of the swap. The Sox also took on Jordan Hicks and the roughly $30MM remaining in his deal but they nonetheless opened up a lot of money that was previously tied to Devers.

In the wake of that swap, the baseball world immediately began speculating if the Sox pivot to locking up Bregman with that money. That seems to be a distinct possibility, though the two sides will have to agree on a price point.

In the winter, Bregman apparently got long-term offers of $156MM from the Astros and around $170MM from the Tigers, though the latter would have come with some amount of deferred money. Bregman was reportedly looking for something around $200MM but couldn’t quite get there, which is why he accepted the short-term deal with the Sox.

Getting offers in that range again may be enough to get it done. If Bregman were offered something around $160MM on a new deal, he and Boras could argue that he hit the $200MM target, when factoring in this year’s $40MM salary. That doesn’t account for the deferrals lowering the net present value of that salary, but that’s generally the point of deferrals, to mask the true value of a contract.

Perhaps the two sides will start talking again as Bregman’s potential opt-out looms. If the Sox want Bregman locked up for the long term, they might want to get it done while he’s under contract, like the Giants did with Chapman. The Sox could always re-sign him in the offseason but then they would face competition from other clubs. In the meantime, Bregman will focus on getting healthy for a second half push.

Marcelo Mayer has largely been covering third base in Bregman’s absence but he has also started dabbling at second base, as Nate Eaton has played third, with Kristian Campbell having been recently optioned to the minors. Campbell has been playing some first base on the farm and could be a candidate to slide over there if Bregman is the long-term third baseman, though Triston Casas will be back from his injury next year. The DH spot is now open with the Devers trade though the Sox also have a crowded bunch of outfielders spilling into that spot.

Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images

Poll: AL Cy Young Race Check-In

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While days off and postponements leave clubs around the league without a uniform number of games played, one of the games in this week’s slate will represent the halfway point in the season for every team across MLB. Earlier this week, we checked in on the MVP race in both the American League and the National League as players around the game gear up for the second half. Those races are dominated by position players, so today we’ll turn our attention more firmly towards the league’s pitchers. Who are the frontrunners for the Cy Young Award in both leagues? We’ll be taking a look at some of the top candidates this week, starting with the American League today:

Tarik Skubal

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner tops the list of contenders again this year. Somehow, Skubal has been even more dominant than he was last year. Through 16 starts and 102 innings, he has improved his ERA (2.29), FIP (2.11), strikeout rate (32.1%), walk rate (3.3%), SIERA (2.46), and xERA (2.61) relative to his full season numbers last year. He’s even pitching slightly deeper into games so far this year, averaging 6.37 innings per start as compared to last year’s 6.19.

For a hurler who won the pitching Triple Crown in the AL last year to improve upon that performance the very next year is remarkable, and Skubal figures to remain the favorite to win the award for a second consecutive season if he can maintain this level of production going forward. There’s plenty of competition in the AL, however, so even a minor slip up down the stretch could give the edge to another candidate.

Garrett Crochet

Crochet has been nearly as dominant as Skubal in many respects. After breaking out with the White Sox last year and getting traded to the Red Sox over the offseason, he’s turned in a 2.06 ERA and 2.53 FIP across 17 starts. Crochet leads the majors with 109 1/3 innings pitched, and while his 31.3% strikeout rate is just behind that of Skubal, he’s still struck out more batters (135) than any pitcher in baseball this year. While Crochet and Skubal appear to be more or less equals on paper, with Crochet having a lower ERA and an extra start under his belt while Skubal has stronger peripheral numbers, there are some other factors working against Boston’s ace.

Crochet is more or less untested in the second half after throwing just 40 2/3 innings after July 6 last year. After that date, the lefty never recorded an out in the fifth inning or later and topped out at just 77 pitches in an outing. Even with that less strenuous workload, his numbers suffered as he posted a 4.87 ERA down the stretch. Chicago’s decision to handle Crochet gently down the stretch last year was an understandable one given his injury history, but it creates some uncertainty about how he’ll handle the first true full-season starter’s workload of his career. Additionally, Crochet has a 7-4 record on a team that might wind up selling at the trade deadline this year. While the Cy Young is an individual award, some voters consider a pitcher’s record and their team’s success, which could benefit other candidates with more dominant records on clear playoff teams.

Max Fried

Signed to the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history this past offseason, Fried has stepped up as the Yankees’ new ace while Gerrit Cole rehabs from Tommy John surgery. Fried has a sterling 1.92 ERA in 17 starts (108 innings), though he’s done so without the gaudy strikeout numbers of other top Cy Young contenders. His 24.5% strikeout rate is above-average but not otherworldly, but he makes up for that by walking just 4.9% of his opponents and generating grounders at a 53.1% rate.

Even with a career-high 6.5% barrel rate allowed this year, Fried remains one of the sport’s best hurlers when it comes to pitching to contact. His 2.74 FIP and 3.17 SIERA are both elite as well, and more traditional voters will love his 10-2 record, which is good for the most pitcher wins in baseball this year and the best winning percentage in the AL.

Hunter Brown

Brown is in the midst of an exciting breakout season with the Astros at just 26 years old. His 1.88 ERA is the lowest figure in all of baseball among qualified starters, and while he has just 91 innings of work under his belt so far, he’s still averaging more than six innings per start. Brown’s heroics have helped push the Astros back to the front of the pack in the AL West after a tough start to the year.

There are some reasons to doubt Brown’s ability to sustain quite this level of dominance. He’s benefited from a .244 BABIP and an 88.4% strand rate. That good fortune on batted balls and sequencing is very likely to regress toward the mean eventually, though his 2.84 FIP and 2.96 SIERA are still excellent thanks largely to a 31.6% strikeout rate, an 8.1% walk rate and a strong 46.8% ground-ball rate.

Kris Bubic

Bubic has picked up the slack for injured ace Cole Ragans in the Kansas City rotation and has put together an elite season that rivals any of his competition on this list. He’s posted an excellent 2.18 ERA, fanned 26% of his opponents and kept his walk rate down at a sharp 7.3%. Bubic has had some good fortune when it comes to home runs, however; only 4.8% of the fly-balls he’s allowed have cleared the fence, as compared to the 15.1% homer-to-fly-ball rate he carried into the season. It’s doubtful he can continue quite that level of home run suppression, but he has the makings of a front-line arm even if a few more of those flies start leaving the yard.

Bubic has tossed 91 innings in 15 starts, averaging just a hair over six frames per outing. It’s worth wondering how he’ll hold up as the season wears on. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and pitched just 66 combined innings between the big leagues and minors. His 91 frames are already his most in a season since he pitched 142 2/3 innings in 2022.

Jacob deGrom

This is the healthiest deGrom has been in a half decade, but you wouldn’t notice virtually any layoff based on the results. The multi-time Cy Young winner has posted a 2.08 ERA and 3.02 FIP across 95 1/3 innings in his age-37 season. He’s set down 25.9% of his opponents on strikes and only walked 5.5% of the batters he’s faced. deGrom had some short starts early, but he’s averaging nearly 6 1/3 innings per outing with a 1.67 ERA dating back to April 18.

As with Bubic, there are workload questions. This is already the most innings deGrom has pitched in a season since 2019. He’s only 33 1/3 innings away from matching his combined total from 2022-24 (majors and minors included).

Other Options

The field of potential AL Cy Young candidates this year is a very deep one. Framber Valdez remains one of the sport’s top ground ball pitchers with a 59.5% grounder rate to go alongside his 2.88 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 16 starts. Joe Ryan has a 2.86 ERA, including a 2.38 mark over the past two months. Drew Rasmussen boasts a 2.45 ERA, but his 84 1/3 innings place him more than 30 frames behind the league leaders. They’re all pitching well enough that a big second half could get them in the conversation. Nathan Eovaldi has an absurd 1.56 ERA on the season, but he’s missed the past month with triceps inflammation. Relievers Andrés Muñoz (18 saves, 1.21 ERA), Aroldis Chapman (14 saves, 1.36 ERA) and Josh Hader (21 saves, 1.73 ERA) have all been brilliant, but it’s hard enough for relievers to get consideration in a normal season — let alone one where the top group of starters has performed this well.

Who do you think will ultimately come out on top in AL Cy Young voting? Will Skubal reign supreme once again, or could another challenger step up to claim the trophy? Have your say in the poll below:

Who Will Be The AL Cy Young Winner In 2025?
Tarik Skubal 45.94% (2,917 votes)
Max Fried 25.34% (1,609 votes)
Garrett Crochet 10.69% (679 votes)
Hunter Brown 8.36% (531 votes)
Jacob deGrom 6.88% (437 votes)
Other (Specify In Comments) 1.45% (92 votes)
Kris Bubic 1.32% (84 votes)
Total Votes: 6,349

Diego Segui Passes Away

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Former ERA champion Diego Segui has passed away. He was 87.

Born in Cuba and a natural left-hander, Segui nevertheless began throwing a baseball right handed. He initially signed with the Reds but never got an opportunity in the Cincinnati farm system. He spent some time pitching for an independent team before the A’s purchased his contract. Segui would spend three seasons climbing the minor league ladder and reached the big leagues in 1962. The A’s, based in Kansas City at the time, used him mostly as a starting pitcher.

The 6’0″ hurler ate a lot of innings but didn’t have great numbers. The A’s sold his contract to the Washington Senators in 1966 before reacquiring him the following year. A move to the bullpen seemed to spark him, as he posted a 3.09 ERA over 70 innings. He turned in a career-low 2.39 mark over 52 appearances the following year, the franchise’s first in Oakland.

After that season, the Seattle Pilots — a team that played one season before moving to Milwaukee and rebranding as the Brewers — selected Segui in the expansion draft. He worked to a 3.35 ERA while logging 142 1/3 frames in an age when relievers frequently threw multiple innings. The Brewers traded him back to Oakland the following offseason.

The A’s third acquisition of Segui was their most successful. He had a career year in 1970, firing 162 innings across 47 appearances (including 19 starts). He led all qualified pitchers with a 2.56 earned run average. The A’s reached the postseason the following year, allowing Segui to make his playoff debut. He got the start in an elimination game against the Orioles during the AL Championship Series. He was outpitched by Jim Palmer and the A’s dropped the game 5-3.

Segui’s time with the organization ended for good the following season, as they dealt him to the Cardinals midway through the ’72 campaign. That unfortunately immediately preceded Oakland’s run of three consecutive titles in 1972-74. Segui spent a couple seasons in St. Louis before being traded to the Red Sox. He didn’t post great numbers with Boston but was on the ’75 team that ended his former club’s three-peat in the ALCS.  While Segui did not appear in that series, he tossed a mop-up inning in a Game 5 loss to the Reds in the World Series. An inherited runner scored on a sacrifice fly, but he retired George Foster, Dave Concepcion and Cesar Geronimo in order.

The Sox dropped the ’75 World Series in a classic seven-game set, which kept Segui from ever winning a championship. He finished his big league career in 1977 with the expansion Mariners. He was the first pitcher in team history as the Opening Day starter and earned the distinction of appearing for both Seattle franchises. Thanks to his age (39) and previous Seattle ties, he received the fantastic nickname “The Ancient Mariner.”

Segui’s MLB playing days concluded after the ’77 season. He pitched in parts of 15 seasons and logged a 3.81 ERA in more than 1800 innings. Segui won 92 games, recorded nearly 1300 strikeouts, and collected 71 saves. His playing days stretched far beyond the end of his big league time, though. He pitched in the Mexican League until 1984, going through age 46. Segui also had an extended run in the Venezuelan winter league during his MLB career, for which he was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. His son David Segui would go to a 15-year MLB career of his own as a first baseman/outfielder. MLBTR sends our condolences to the Segui family and others affected by his loss.

Kutter Crawford To Undergo Wrist Surgery, Likely Done For The Year

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Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford is going to have surgery on his right wrist. Manager Alex Cora told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe today and added that the righty is “most likely” done for the year. He’s already on the 60-day injured list and will stay there for the remainder of the season.

It’s the latest development in what has been a very frustrating season for Crawford. Back in mid-February, he was behind schedule to due soreness in the patellar tendon of his right knee. He began the season on the 15-day IL, with his ailment listed as patellar tendinopathy.

Earlier in June, it was reported that Crawford was dealing with wrist pain, with an unknown cause. Cora revealed today, per Healey, that the injury was a result of some off-field accident. He didn’t provide any specifics but said it wasn’t due to anything “irresponsible” on the part of Crawford.

Perhaps more light will be shed on this accident in time. Regardless, 2025 will probably be a lost season for Crawford, though Cora’s use of the phrase “most likely” seemingly leaves the door open for some work late in the year.

Crawford has been establishing himself as a viable piece of the Boston rotation in previous years. From 2022 to 2024, he gave Boston 390 1/3 innings with a 4.47 earned run average. His 23.9% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate in that time were both a bit better than average. Ideally, he would have continued to build on that performance in 2025 but that won’t be coming to pass.

He qualified for arbitration for the first time this past offseason as a Super Two player. He and the Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.75MM salary for this year. An arbitration-eligible player who misses an entire season will often end up making the exact same salary in the following year, so that is perhaps what will play out here.

For the Sox, they have received nothing from Crawford this year and have also lost Tanner Houck and Hunter Dobbins to the IL during the campaign. Their rotation mix currently consists of Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Walker Buehler and Richard Fitts. Houck is currently on a rehab assignment and could be back soon. Dobbins isn’t expected to be out long. The Sox also added some rotation depth by acquiring Kyle Harrison in the Rafael Devers trade. Patrick Sandoval could get back into the mix later in the year once he recovers from last year’s elbow surgery.

Crochet is the only one in that group currently putting up really strong numbers, so it’s possible the Sox will look to bolster the rotation at the deadline if they stay in the race. They are currently 40-41 and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day Injured List

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7:45PM: Dobbins didn’t receive an MRI, as he downplayed the seriousness of the elbow strain when speaking with reporters (including the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey).  “Just some tightness that we’ve been grinding through for a little bit.  It hasn’t been bouncing back how we would like, so [we’re] just trying to give it a couple for weeks,” Dobbins said, noting that his elbow soreness increased in his last start and didn’t get better in the subsequent days.  Regardless, Dobbins said he expects to resume throwing bullpen sessions in “a couple of days.”

3:34PM: The Red Sox announced that right-hander Hunter Dobbins has been placed on the club’s 15-day injured list due to right elbow strain.  Righty Richard Fitts was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

The placement is retroactive to June 21, a day after Dobbins allowed four earned runs on five walks and four hits over a four-inning start against the Giants.  It is fair to guess that Dobbins’ elbow issue impacted his performance, as he was throwing with less velocity than usual and his control was uncharacteristically off — the rookie had issued just 11 walks over his previous 55 1/3 innings and 11 games prior to Friday’s struggles.

Multiple injuries in Boston’s rotation opened the door for Dobbins to make his MLB debut this season, and (Friday’s start notwithstanding) he has made a solid showing for himself in his first taste of the majors.  Dobbins has a 4.10 ERA over 59 1/3 frames, with an above-average 47.1% grounder rate and 6.5% walk rate, though he doesn’t miss many bats with a modest 17.3% strikeout rate.

An eighth-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2021 draft, Dobbins would likely have been selected earlier had his junior year at Texas Tech not been wiped out by a Tommy John surgery.  That past procedure adds a bit of extra weight to another elbow-related injury for Dobbins, though the severity of the strain isn’t yet known.

Fitts has made five starts for the Sox this year and will at least the short-term replacement for Dobbins in the rotation.  Tanner Houck is on a Triple-A rehab assignment but is expected to make at least two more minor league appearances before returning from the injured list, so Fitts will have to hold down the fort until Houck is ready.  That might also roughly line up with a potential return date for Dobbins, though one would imagine that even a minor elbow sprain would keep him out beyond the minimum 15 days just for precautionary reasons.

Red Sox Notes: Crawford, Bregman, Second Base

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The Red Sox have been without right-hander Kutter Crawford all year after he began the season on the injured list due to soreness in his knee, and today the righty was dealt a frustrating setback. As noted by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, manager Alex Cora told reporters yesterday that Crawford has been shut down from throwing. That’s not due to a flare up in his knee, however, but due to a wrist issue that’s cropped up during his rehab. Crawford began experiencing pain in his wrist earlier this month, and while he spent the past few weeks attempting to work his way back in spite of the issue Cora told reporters that the organization became worried that it would create additional arm issues if Crawford continued trying to push through it.

It’s a frustrating setback for Crawford, who pitched through soreness in his knee last year and has now spent over a year impacted by that issue. The right-hander pitched to a 4.23 ERA and 4.31 FIP in 313 innings across the 2023 and ’24 seasons, serving as a solid back-of-the-rotation arm for the Red Sox in that time. It’s fair to wonder if his numbers could’ve been even stronger if he was healthy given his excellent performance in the first half last year, when he pitched to a 3.00 ERA with a 3.77 FIP and a 24.3% strikeout rate in 114 innings. Regardless, he’ll now be sat back down for the foreseeable future until the wrist soreness that had developed dissipates and he can once again resume his attempt to return to the big league mound. Fortunately, the Red Sox have a deep group of starting options that has allowed them to weather the loss of Crawford so far this year.

Turning to the position player side of things, Healey relayed comments Cora told reporters this afternoon that suggested star third baseman Alex Bregman could be returning “sooner rather than later.” Cora did not provide a specific timeline, but he did acknowledge that Bregman probably wouldn’t return this coming week or the week after. Even so, that leaves the door open for the Red Sox to have their third baseman back in the lineup before the All-Star break. Bregman was tentatively expected to miss around two months due to the injury, and has so far been out for just over a month. For the idea of the infielder returning to the lineup to be floated by Cora at this stage suggests he could beat that initial timeline.

It would be a huge boost to the Boston lineup, particularly after the loss of Rafael Devers in a trade with the Giants last weekend. Bregman has a 158 wRC+ through 51 games this year, but his return could also take a lesser hitter out of the lineup. Following Kristian Campbell’s recent demotion to the minor leagues, Cora told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive) that David Hamilton would likely see the lion’s share of reps at the keystone for the time being due to his superlative defense. Hamilton is hitting just .180/.212/.300 (33 wRC+) in 106 plate appearances this year, however, and Bregman’s return could open the door for rookie Marcelo Mayer to shift over to second base and offer a stronger offensive option.

As for Campbell, the youngster told reporters (including Katie Morrison O’Day of MassLive) yesterday that learning first base is his “priority” while he’s at Triple-A, although he acknowledged that he would continue to get reps at second base and in center field as well. Campbell was in the conversation for starts with the big league club and had begun taking grounders there prior to his demotion, so it’s hardly a shock that he would continue those efforts in the minors. Still, the possibility for Campbell to start at first on a regular basis when he returns to the big leagues would seemingly open the door even more widely for Mayer to handle the keystone upon Bregman’s return to action.

Dodgers Acquire Zach Penrod From Red Sox, Transfer Roki Sasaki To 60-Day IL

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2:50pm: The Dodgers have made it official, announcing that they acquired Penrod in exchange for cash considerations. Right-hander Roki Sasaki has been transferred to the 60-day injured list as the corresponding active roster move. Sasaki has been on the IL since mid-May due to a shoulder impingement. He can be reinstated 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be mid-July. He was recently shut down from throwing and has an uncertain timeline.

1:37pm: The Dodgers and Red Sox have agreed to a trade that’ll send left-hander Zach Penrod from Boston to Los Angeles, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Sox designated Penrod for assignment earlier this week in the wake of the Rafael Devers blockbuster, as they were acquiring two 40-man players (Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison) and only trading away one.

Penrod, 28, is an interesting story. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Rangers in 2018 and pitched briefly in their system before being cut loose during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He then spent three years pitching in the independent Pioneer League before catching the eyes of Red Sox scouts and returning to affiliated ball.

A nice minor league showing across multiple levels in 2024 pushed Penrod up onto the 40-man roster. He tossed 62 2/3 frames across three levels and logged a 4.16 ERA with a huge 34.8% strikeout rate but a similarly hefty 12.4% walk rate. The Sox summoned him to the majors in the season’s second half, and he pitched four innings down the stretch, holding opponents to a run on three hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

Penrod was in the mix for a bullpen spot heading into the 2025 season, but an elbow injury in spring training knocked him out for nearly three months. He returned to the mound in late May and has pitched 7 1/3 minor league innings. It’s been a mixed bag. He’s allowed four runs and only seven hits while punching out nine of 36 batters (25%). However, he’s also issued seven walks, plunked a batter and tossed three wild pitches.

Command has never been a particularly strong suit, but it’s also understandable if there’s some rust after he was initially diagnosed with elbow inflammation in late February and didn’t get back onto a mound in a game setting until May 24. Penrod’s 95 mph average fastball this year is a match for his 2024 mark, and he’s posted a huge 15% swinging-strike rate after logging a even more-impressive 16.6% mark in that regard during last year’s minor league run.

Penrod will give the Dodgers a hard-throwing lefty with clear bat-missing ability and, as critically, a full slate of three minor league option years remaining. Los Angeles churns through the final few spots of its bullpen as much as — if not more than — any other team in the sport, so flexible arms with Penrod’s general skill set are always going to be somewhat appealing to the Dodgers.

Red Sox Option Kristian Campbell

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June 20: The Red Sox have now made it official, announcing they have optioned Campbell and reinstated Abreu.

June 19: The Red Sox are sending infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell to Triple-A, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu will likely be activated off the injured list tomorrow, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The Sox are off today but start a series in San Francisco tomorrow.

It’s been an eventful year-plus for Campbell. He tore through the minors in 2024, slashing .330/.439/.558 for a wRC+ of 178, climbing from High-A to Double-A and Triple-A in the process. That vaulted him up prospect lists coming into 2025 and put him in position to make his major league debut this year.

Not only did he crack the Opening Day roster but the Sox committed to him for the long term. Campbell and the club agreed to an eight-year, $60MM extension in early April, with the deal also containing club options for 2033 and 2034.

Campbell’s big league career got out to a strong start, at least offensively. Through April 29th, he was sitting on a line of .313/.420/.515 for a 161 wRC+. He was striking out at a 25.2% clip but also walking in 16% of his plate appearances. But since then, he’s gone ice cold, with a .154/.236/.215 line and 25 wRC+. He has been punched out in 29.2% of his plate appearances in that latter stretch while only drawing walks at a 6.9% pace.

His glovework has also been less than ideal, to put it mildly. In 471 2/3 innings at second base, he has been credited with -14 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average, making him one of the worst defenders in the majors this year. He has also played some outfield and the Sox had him try some first base work in the wake of the Triston Casas injury, but he still hasn’t played there in any game action.

Despite his former prospect status and big contract, Campbell is still fairly inexperienced as a professional baseball player. He had just 137 minor league games under his belt prior to this year and has now added 67 major league contests. Even the top prospects can sometimes struggle when first exposed to major league play, so Campbell may still have a bright major league future ahead of him, despite his recent cold stretch. But the Sox are playing meaningful baseball right now, currently tied for the final American League Wild Card spot, so they’ll send him down to the minors in an attempt to get him back on track.

The Sox have had a fairly crowded roster this year, thanks to the presence of prospects such as Campbell as well as Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony. Additionally, they signed Alex Bregman to cover third base and bumped Rafael Devers into the designated hitter slot.

In recent weeks, things have become far less crowded. Bregman is now on the injured list and Devers has been traded to the Giants. David Hamilton has started the past three games at second base but is hitting .172/.206/.269 this year, so he should not be cemented into the position. Mayer is covering third but could perhaps slide over to second when Bregman is ready to come off the IL, though a return from Campbell will be a possibility down the road as well.

Abreu will join an outfield mix that also includes Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Anthony, though the open DH spot could allow all four of them to share a lineup regularly. Masataka Yoshida could further crowd that group if he can come off the IL, which could put some pressure on Anthony, who is hitting just .074/.194/.222 so far. That’s a tiny sample of nine games but he wouldn’t be immune from getting the same treatment as Campbell. The Sox are expected to buy at the deadline if they hang in the Wild Card race and their goals may be impacted by how this game of musical chairs plays out.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images

Giants Notes: Devers, Eldridge, Payroll

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The baseball world was stunned by Sunday’s Rafael Devers trade and further details have continued to spill out in subsequent days. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Red Sox asked for prospect Bryce Eldridge in trade talks but the Giants quickly rebuffed that.

Eldridge is clearly a talented prospect, making it understandable that the Sox would ask about him, and that the Giants preferred to keep him. The 16th overall pick of the 2023 draft, he has since taken 845 plate appearances in the minors, hitting 39 home runs with an 11.5% walk rate. His 26.5% strikeout rate is a bit on the high side but he’s also been facing far older competition basically the whole time. He’s now in Triple-A even though he’s still only 20 years old.

He started this year at Double-A and mashed, putting up a line of .280/.350/.512 in 34 games. That got him quickly promoted to Triple-A, where his production has stalled a bit. He is hitting just .160/.232/.340 at the top minor league level so far with a 33.9% strikeout rate. But it’s a small sample of 13 games and, as mentioned, he is extremely young for the level.

By keeping Eldridge in the fold, the Giants may have a bit of a squeeze in the first base/designated hitter mix over the long run. It appears that Devers’ days of being a third baseman are effectively done. Matt Chapman is one of the top defensive third basemen in the league and is signed through 2030. Devers is now learning first base and could be a viable option at that spot in the coming weeks.

Whenever Eldridge earns his way up to the majors, he and Devers will have to share the first base and DH spots, though that may not be a short-term problem if Eldridge still needs some time to develop against Triple-A pitching. The Giants are presumably fine with the long-term fit, since they seemingly took a hard line against even considering Eldridge being included in the deal.

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area also reports on the Sox asking for Eldridge and notes that players like Hayden Birdsong and Carson Whisenhunt also came up at times during the talks. It’s unclear if the Giants were opposed to dealing those guys or if the Sox just preferred Kyle Harrison and James Tibbs, who ultimately were included in the completed deal.

Beyond the players, money was a key component of this trade, with Devers having about $250MM still to be paid out over the eight and a half years remaining on his contract. Jordan Hicks is still owed about $30MM in the two and a half years remaining on his deal, which offsets that somewhat, but the Giants still took on roughly $220MM in the swap. Considering the largest contract the Giants have ever signed in the history of the franchise is the $182MM free agent deal for Willy Adames, absorbing the money in the Devers trade was no small matter.

With that kind of financial commitment changing hands, ownership would naturally have to be involved. Giants chairman Greg Johnson spoke to John Shea of The San Francisco Standard, noting that he and Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy spoke about the pact fairly early in the process, at the urging of Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

“I talked to [Kennedy] at the (owners’) meetings (in early June) in New York, and I talked to him this week. Just put the message in that we’re serious. It’s not just chatter. Nobody wants to do all this work and then say, ’Oh, now we’ve got to sell it to our owners.’ We wanted to let the other owners know ’these guys are serious. They want to get something done.’ That changes the urgency. Buster was very smart to recognize that point. That goes back to his sense. He’s got a good nose for how people think and operate. It’s one of his strengths.”

RosterResource currently estimates the Giants to have a competitive balance tax number of almost $223MM, roughly $18MM below the $241MM base threshold. That should leave the club plenty of wiggle room to continue adding to the roster ahead of the deadline, whether they plan to avoid the tax or not.

Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images

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