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Tender Deadline Signings: 11/30/21

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With the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players looming tonight at 8pm ET — the MLBPA and MLB jointly agreed to move the deadline up a couple days due to the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement — we’ll likely see a slew of arbitration-eligible players signing one-year deals.

It’s commonplace for a large batch of players to sign deals in the hours leading up to the tender deadline. “Pre-tender” deals of this nature often fall shy of projections due to the fact that teams use the looming threat of a non-tender to enhance their leverage. Arbitration contracts at this juncture are often take-it-or-leave-it propositions, with the “leave it” end of that arrangement resulting in the player being cut loose. Given the widely expected lockout, there could be more incentive than usual for borderline non-tender candidates to take those offers rather than being cast out into free agency just hours before a transaction freeze is implemented.

As a reminder, arbitration contracts are not fully guaranteed. In a typical year, a team can cut a player on an arb contract at any point before the halfway point in Spring Training and only be responsible for 30 days’ termination pay (about one-sixth of the contract). Releasing a player in the second half of Spring Training bumps the termination pay to 45 days of his prorated salary.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for each team’s arbitration-eligible players last month, although for many of the players listed below, this isn’t so much avoiding arbitration as it is avoiding a non-tender. Here’s a look at today’s agreements…

  • The Yankees have agreed to deals with infielder Gio Urshela and right-hander Domingo German, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter links). Urshela will make $6.55MM, while German has agreed to a $1.75MM deal. Urshela has two seasons of control remaining; German is controllable for three years. Urshela is coming off a .267/.301/.419 showing while playing third base and shortstop. German tossed 98 1/3 innings of 4.58 ERA ball.
  • The Twins have signed three arbitration-eligible pitchers, per reports from Feinsand and Darren Wolfson of SKOR North (on Twitter). Right-hander Jharel Cotton signed for $700K, reliever Caleb Thielbar lands $1.3MM and reliever Tyler Duffey signs for $3.8MM. Thielbar and Duffey were both productive members of the Minnesota relief corps in 2021. Cotton was recently claimed off waivers from the Rangers.
  • The Giants have agreed to terms with outfielder Austin Slater on a $1.85MM deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link). The 28-year-old (29 next month) appeared at all three spots on the grass while hitting .241/.320/.423 over 306 plate appearances in 2021.
  • Reliever Emilio Pagan and the Padres have agreed on a $2.3MM deal, reports Rosenthal (on Twitter). The 30-year-old worked 63 1/3 innings of 4.83 ERA/3.93 SIERA ball this past season.
  • The Diamondbacks agreed to a $2MM deal with left-hander Caleb Smith, reports Zach Buchanan of the Athletic (via Twitter). The 30-year-old posted a 4.83 ERA/4.68 SIERA across 113 2/3 innings in a swing capacity in 2021.

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Mariners Designate Rafael Montero For Assignment

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The Mariners announced Friday that they’ve designated right-hander Rafael Montero for assignment. His spot on the active and 40-man rosters will go to righty Casey Sadler, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list.

Acquired from the Rangers in an offseason trade that sent a pair of 18-year-old prospects — righty Jose Corniell and infielder Andres Mesa — to the Rangers, Montero opened the season as the closer in Seattle. He struggled early in the year and eventually relinquished that ninth-inning job to breakout righty Kendall Graveman.

Montero never found much consistency, even in a setup capacity, but his results dating back to the end of June have just become too much for the club to overlook. Montero has not only been scored upon in seven of his past eight appearances — he’s given up multiple runs in each of those seven outings. Since June 25, he’s pitched to a whopping 13.09 ERA in 11 innings — surrendering 16 runs on 25 hits and four walks with 11 punchouts in that time. That brutal stretch has ballooned his season ERA all the way to 7.27.

As rough as the 2021 season has been for Montero, the former Mets farmhand was quite good in his two seasons with Texas. He signed with the Rangers while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and eventually made his debut partway through the 2019 season, slowly earning the team’s trust in higher-leverage spots. By the 2020 season he was the primary closer in Arlington, leading the club with eight saves. Montero’s two years in Texas produced a 3.09 ERA with a strong 28.6 percent strikeout rate against just a 5.9 percent walk rate.

Things clearly didn’t work out in Seattle, and the Mariners will now have a week to trade Montero, place him on outright waivers or simply release him. He’s on a $2.25MM salary, making it highly unlikely that a team would either trade for him or claim him on waivers if placed there. And, even if Montero goes unclaimed, he reached five years of Major League service time in 2021, giving him the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency — without forfeiting the remaining guarantee on his deal.

As such, it seems quite likely that today will spell the end of Montero’s time with the organization. If he does either receive his release or reject an outright assignment, he’ll hit the open market in search of a change of scenery and fresh opportunity. Given how well Montero pitched in 2019-20, other clubs would surely have interest on what would essentially be a free look.

As for the 31-year-old Sadler, he’ll return to the Mariners and look to build on what was a strong start to his time with the club. Seattle plucked him off waivers out of the Cubs organization in 2020, and he’s proceeded to give them 21 innings of 3.00 ERA relief work dating back to the time of that claim. Sadler has fanned exactly a quarter of the 88 batters he’s faced as a Mariner and kept the ball on the ground at a roughly 44 percent clip as well.

Mariners Place Erik Swanson On Injured List

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Before last night’s game against the Rangers, the Mariners announced they were placing right-hander Erik Swanson on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain. Reliever Will Vest was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list to replace Swanson on the active roster. To create 40-man roster space for Vest’s return, righty Casey Sadler was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.

Swanson, who was acquired from the Yankees as part of the 2018 James Paxton deal, has gotten off to a nice start for Seattle this year. He’s pitched in nine games (including two brief starts) and combined for thirteen innings of one-run ball, striking out fourteen while issuing six walks. He won’t continue to strand every baserunner that reaches against him (the only run allowed came on a Joey Gallo homer) or benefit from a .115 opponents’ batting average on balls in play. However, Swanson has generated swings and misses on a strong 13% of his offerings and was once a decently-regarded prospect, so he looks like a solid middle innings option once he returns to health.

Vest went on the COVID IL alongside a few other Seattle relievers on May 21. He’s pitched 21 1/3 innings of 4.22 ERA/4.93 SIERA ball this season. As a Rule 5 draftee, Vest must remain on the Mariners active roster all year if Seattle wishes to keep his contractual rights long-term.

Sadler went on the IL on May 1 with an impingement in his throwing shoulder. Yesterday’s transfer means he can’t return for at least 60 days from the date of his initial IL placement, so he’ll be out through the end of June at a minimum.

Mariners Place Casey Sadler On Injured List, Recall Erik Swanson

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The Mariners announced today that they have recalled Erik Swanson from their alternate site for his second stint of the year with the big-league club. Swanson takes Casey Sadler’s roster spot, who heads to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Sadler’s placement is retroactive to May 1st.

Sadler has been an asset for the M’s this season, picking up three holds while allowing just two earned runs in 11 innings of work. Though he’s not exactly a household name and he doesn’t boast the high velocity of many of his peers, Sadler has shown some promise as a middle reliever over the years. He owns a career 3.64 ERA in 96 1/3 innings spread out over six seasons dating back to 2014 with the Pirates, Rays, Dodgers, Cubs, and Mariners.

Swanson, 27, came to the Mariners from the Yankees as part of the James Paxton trade. He has one scoreless two-inning appearance this season, making 2021 the third consecutive season that he has appeared in the Majors with the Mariners. For his career, Swanson has a 6.38 ERA/6.06 FIP over 67 2/3 innings across 37 games (including eight starts).

Mariners Activate Casey Sadler, Place Sam Haggerty On IL

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The Mariners have added Casey Sadler to their active roster. Sadler was claimed off waivers from the Cubs a couple of days ago. In a corresponding move, Sam Haggerty has been placed on the 10-day IL, per a team release.

Sadler has bounced around in his professional career, suiting up for the Pirates, Rays, Dodgers, and Cubs prior to the Mariners. Last season was the busiest of his career: he made 33 appearances between the Rays and Dodgers with a 2.14 ERA/4.39 FIP across 46 1/3 innings. He was less effective for the Cubs this year as he struggled to find the plate (7.7 BB/9). He came out of the Cubs’ pen 10 times this year, finishing with a 5.79 ERA/6.58 FIP before being placed on waivers.

Haggerty was another waiver claim made by the Mariners this past January. The Mariners snagged the utlity man from the Mets, who had in turn acquired him from the Indians along with Walker Lockett for catcher Kevin Plawecki.

The 26-year-old Haggerty can play all over the field, but he mostly settled into left field for the Mariners this season. The switch-hitter held his own with a triple slash of .260/.315/.400 over 54 plate appearances, racking up 0.4 rWAR. The Mariners are flush with multi-positional athletes who can take the at-bats that otherwise would have gone to Haggerty. Dylan Moore will see time in left as could Dee Strange-Gordon or Shed Long Jr., who appeared in 16 games in left last season, though he has yet to play there this year.

Mariners Claim Casey Sadler

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The Mariners claimed right-hander Casey Sadler off waivers from the Cubs, according to an M’s press release.  Chicago designated Sadler for assignment earlier this week.

Sadler had an impressive (if, according to advanced metrics, deceptive) 2.14 ERA over 46 1/3 combined innings with the Rays and Dodgers in 2019, and the Cubs acquired him in an January trade hoping the righty could emulate that performance.  Instead, Sadler struggled with a 5.79 ERA over 9 1/3 innings for the North Siders, walking eight batters over that limited span of action.

Appearing in parts of five MLB seasons with the Cubs, Rays, Dodgers, and Pirates, Sadler has a career 3.82 ERA, 1.83 K/BB rate, 51.5% grounder rate, and 6.6 K/9 in 75 1/3 Major League innings.  Originally a 25th-round pick for Pittsburgh in the 2010 draft, Sadler’s grounder-heavy approach has led to success at the minor league level, with a 3.43 ERA over 757 1/3 career frames on the farm.

Since Sadler is out of options, the Mariners won’t be able to send him to their alternate training site without exposing him against to the DFA wire.  Given how the M’s are already looking ahead to 2021, there isn’t any harm in giving Sadler some innings to see if he could factor into next season’s plans, even if the 30-year-old isn’t a long-term piece.

Cubs Activate Kris Bryant, Steven Souza Jr.

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The Cubs have activated Kris Bryant and Steven Souza Jr. off the 10-day injured list amidst a flurry of roster moves this afternoon.  To make room for Bryant, Souza, and their trade deadline acquisitions, the Cubs also placed right-hander Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day IL with a right forearm strain, optioned outfielder Albert Almora to their alternate training site, and designated righty Casey Sadler for assignment.

Bryant hasn’t played since August 17, as he suffered a sprained left ring finger (the official cause for his IL stint) and a wrist injury while trying to make a diving catch five days prior.  This was the latest in rather a long list of minor health problems for Bryant this season, as he had also previously dealt with some stomach issues as well as back and elbow soreness.  Given all of these problems, it probably isn’t surprising that Bryant hasn’t been himself at the plate, hitting only .177/.271/.323 over his first 70 plate appearances.

The Cubs are in first place in the NL Central even without much of a contribution from Bryant, and they’re also hoping to finally get some kind of extended look at Souza, as injuries (a right hamstring strain) and his part-timer status have limited him to just 24 PA this season.  Injuries have plagued Souza throughout his career, most notably a major knee operation that sidelined him for the entire 2019 season.  The right-handed hitting Souza and new acquisition Cameron Maybin are likely to get some playing time when a left-handed starter is on the mound, spelling the lefty-swinging Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward in the outfield.

Chatwood’s placement is retroactive to August 31, and he left his start on the previous day in the third inning due to elbow discomfort.  While any forearm problem will be closely monitored, the Cubs do have some expectation that Chatwood will be back before the end of the season, though manager David Ross described Chatwood’s situation as “a long wait-and-see” in a chat with reporters (including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune) today.  The righty has a 5.30 ERA over five starts and 18 2/3 innings for Chicago this season.

Sadler appeared in 10 games for the Cubs in 2020, posting a 5.79 ERA and almost matching his walk total (8) with his strikeout total (9) over 9 1/3 innings of work.  The 30-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers over the winter, and hasn’t been able to replicate in Chicago what he achieved over 46 1/3 innings with Los Angeles and Tampa Bay in 2019 — a 2.14 ERA, 6.0 K/9, and only a 2.5 BB/9, though advanced metrics were less impressed by Sadler’s overall performance.

Cubs Acquire Casey Sadler

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The Cubs have acquired right-hander Casey Sadler from the Dodgers, per team announcements. Minor league infielder Clayton Daniel is headed back to L.A. Sadler lost his spot on the Dodgers’ 40-man when the club signed Alex Wood. The Cubs’ 40-man roster now sits at 39.

Sadler, 29, pitched to a stellar 2.14 ERA in 46.1 innings between the Rays and Dodgers in 2019. As might be expected, his peripherals hardly supported that level of run prevention. A below-average 9.1% swinging strike rate and 16% strikeout rate contributed to a 4.38 FIP. To Sadler’s credit, he did limit walks and features elite spin on his fastball and curveball. Perhaps he’ll be able to overcome some likely regression in his BABIP allowed and strand rate if he can better actualize his raw stuff in Chicago. Sadler’s out of options, so he’ll have to stick on the Cubs’ active roster or else again be traded or exposed to waivers.

Daniel, 24, has reached Double-A, albeit briefly. In 501 professional plate appearances, mostly in the low minors, the Jacksonville State product has compiled a .290/.367/.379 line with nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (53). The former 31st-rounder has logged starts at second, short, and third base, with much of that work coming in the middle infield.

Dodgers Designate Casey Sadler

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The Dodgers have designated right-hander Casey Sadler for assignment, the team announced. The move clears roster space for left-hander Alex Wood, whose deal with the team is now official.

This could go down as a short Dodgers stint for Sadler, whom they acquired from the Rays last July. In terms of bottom-line results, though, Sadler was quite effective with both teams in 2019. The 29-year-old put up a stingy 2.14 ERA over 46 1/3 innings between the clubs, also notching a terrific 51.8 percent groundball rate and walking only 2.53 batters per nine.

Sadler also posted a career-high 95 mph average fastball velocity in the majors last season, but he barely struck out six hitters per nine. He also managed a bel0w-average 9.1 percent swinging-strike rate, and ERA indicators such as FIP (4.38), xFIP (4.78) and SIERA (4.58) weren’t high on his work.

Last year may have been a mixed bag at the MLB level for Sadler, but there’s no disputing that he was a standout in the minors. Sadler worked 38 2/3 innings innings in Triple-A ball and recorded a 3.26 ERA with 12.3 K/9 against just 1.4 BB/9. That performance, not to mention Sadler’s run prevention in the majors last season, may put him on other teams’ radars. However, the fact that Sadler’s out of minor league options could work against him.

Dodgers Activate Hyun-Jin Ryu, Option Casey Sadler

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The Dodgers have activated injured starter Hyun-Jin Ryu from the injured list, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. To clear a roster spot for Ryu, right-handed pitcher Casey Sadler has been optioned to Triple-A. Ryu will start Sunday’s series finale versus the Diamondbacks.

Ryu landed on the IL in early August owing to a minor neck issue. He last pitched on July 31, but he’ll return to the Dodgers’ rotation after the minimum ten days out of commission. Ryu has emerged as one of the National League’s premier starters, tossing 135 2/3 innings while maintaining a minuscule 1.53 ERA, placing him among the frontrunners for the NL Cy Young Award. After signing the qualifying offer last offseason, Ryu will have the chance to enter free agency in the winter following a career year.

Sadler’s demotion, meanwhile, can’t be attributed to a lack of results. Since joining the Dodgers in an early-July trade with the Rays, the 29-year-old has surrendered just one run in 12 1/3 innings of work. However, his peripheral numbers paint a slightly less rosy picture, as he’s struck out just 5.8 batters per nine innings. Still, Sadler has no doubt shown that he is deserving of a spot on a Major League roster, but the state of Dodgers’ deep pitching staff will squeeze him out of the mix for the time being.

Gurnick would add in a subsequent Tweet that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would like to get a look at other relief options as the postseason approaches. The Dodgers’ expansive lead in the division should afford them greater flexibility to give opportunities to young pitchers who hope to claim a spot on the postseason roster. In addition to young standouts Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, pitchers like Caleb Ferguson and JT Chargois look like fringe candidates to crack the October roster, and Sadler’s demotion should give Roberts a chance to figure out exactly what he has in Ferguson and Chargois.

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