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Astros Acquire Spenser Watkins From Orioles

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The Astros announced this afternoon they’ve acquired righty Spenser Watkins from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Baltimore receives cash in return. Houston also selected outfielder Bligh Madris onto the big league roster, as previously reported. In order to create 40-man roster space, they transferred Michael Brantley and José Urquidy to the 60-day injured list.

Watkins has had a tough year in Triple-A. He’s started six of eight games and worked to a 7.27 ERA through 26 innings. The former 30th-round pick has a modest 15.7% strikeout percentage and has walked a lofty 13.4% of opponents. Watkins has kept the ball on the ground at a massive 55.3% clip, but the strikeout and walk numbers and overall ERA pushed him off Baltimore’s 40-man roster on Tuesday.

The Astros will take a change of scenery flier to add some experienced rotation depth to the upper minors. Injuries to Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Urquidy have pushed depth arms J.P. France and Ronel Blanco into the rotation. Brandon Bielak and Bryan Garcia are the most experienced Triple-A starters, so Watkins is a sensible acquisition.

Now 30, Watkins has appeared in two big league seasons with the O’s. He’s made 30 starts in 39 outings, posting a 5.85 ERA across 160 frames. Watkins hasn’t missed many bats, but he’d walked just under 7% of opponents at the MLB level. He had a quality 6.1% walk percentage in Triple-A last season.

His control has been erratic this season, but his broader track record is that of a strike-throwing depth arm. This is Watkins’ final minor league option year; the Astros can keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the season but would have to carry him on next year’s Opening Day roster if he holds his 40-man spot until then.

Brantley’s and Urquidy’s IL moves are procedural transactions. Brantley has already been on the IL for well past 60 days as he works back from last summer’s shoulder surgery. Urquidy landed on the shelf on May 1 with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He’s not expected to return until next month.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Astros’ acquisition of Watkins.

Nationals, Orioles Reach Settlement On 2012-16 MASN Rights Fees

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The Nationals and Orioles have settled their dispute regarding MASN rights fees between 2012-16, as first reported by Chelsea Janes and Ben Strauss of the Washington Post. The agreement comes two months after a New York appellate court ruled in favor of the Nationals and MLB as part of a longstanding legal battle with the O’s.

According to the Washington Post, the network is paying out a little less than $100MM to each franchise. (Andy Kostka and Dylan Segelbaum of the Baltimore Banner specify the payment around $99.2MM.) As Janes and Strauss note, the deal requires the network to pay equal rights fees to each organization. The payment still represents a win for Washington since the O’s have a much greater ownership stake in MASN.

The Nationals and Orioles jointly own the network, which carries local broadcasting rights for both clubs. The Baltimore organization has a majority share (presently around 76%, dropping to 67% by 2032). That came as part of the agreement between the Orioles and MLB to facilitate the relocation of the Expos from Montreal to Washington — into the Orioles’ territorial range — nearly two decades ago.

As part of that deal, the sides agreed to share telecasting money owed by MASN to the clubs for broadcasting rights. An arbitration panel was created to resolve possible disputes between the franchises in calculating those fees. After the sides failed to come to an agreement for the period covering 2012-16, the issue went to arbitration. The panel — a committee made up of representatives from three other MLB teams — ruled closer to the Nationals’ desired number than the Orioles had found appropriate (albeit nearer to the O’s proposed figure than Washington’s). Baltimore and MASN appealed, questioning the league’s impartiality.

A court found in the Nationals’ and league’s favor on that issue back in 2019. The court ruled the network owed the Nationals roughly $105MM in unpaid rights fees. The Orioles appealed that decision, but the appellate court agreed there were no grounds for contesting the arbitration panel’s findings.

However, the appellate court found the lower court had overstepped its authority in awarding the $105MM in past damages. That put the onus back on the franchises to calculate damages. They have apparently found the approximate $99.2MM figure mutually agreeable.

To be clear, this does not permanently resolve the dispute between the organizations. They’re still divided on fees for the 2017-21 period. Janes and Strauss report that MLB is preparing to put that issue before its revenue sharing committee. The sides negotiate rights fees every half-decade, so they’ll also have to figure out the 2022-26 numbers in due time.

Finding a long-term solution could be especially welcome for the Washington franchise. The Lerner family announced in April 2022 they were looking into selling the team. Negotiations with a group led by Ted Leonsis were put on pause over the winter, in large part on account of the TV rights uncertainty.

Orioles Outright Noah Denoyer

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The Orioles announced this afternoon that minor league righty Noah Denoyer went unclaimed on waivers. He has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

Denoyer was designated for assignment a week ago. That ended what proved a fairly brief initial stay on the 40-man roster. Baltimore selected his contract over the offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old has spent the entire season on optional assignment to Norfolk, working mostly as a multi-inning reliever. He has pitched to a 5.04 ERA across 30 1/3 innings, striking out an average 23.3% of batters faced against a huge 15.1% walk rate.

He’d been much more effective at throwing strikes last season. Denoyer walked only 5.6% of opponents with a massive 35.4% strikeout rate in Double-A a year ago. He hasn’t managed to find that form so far in 2023.

Denoyer had never previously cleared waivers and has yet to make his MLB debut. He doesn’t have the ability to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency. He’ll stick in Norfolk and look to recapture last season’s level to put himself back on the radar for an MLB bullpen job.

Orioles Select Anthony Bemboom

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The Orioles on Tuesday announced that they’ve selected the contract of catcher Anthony Bemboom from Triple-A Norfolk. As was previously reported, the team designated righty Spenser Watkins for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster. Baltimore also announced that catcher Jose Godoy has been optioned to Norfolk, while righty Logan Gillaspie has been recalled in his place. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported that Bemboom’s contract was being selected back to the 40-man roster.

The 33-year-old Bemboom appeared in two games with the O’s earlier this season received just three plate appearances. He’s a career .158/.233/.268 hitter in 206 Major League plate appearances split between the Rays, Angels and Orioles, though he’s had quite a bit more success than that in Triple-A. That includes so far in 2023, when the journeyman backstop has delivered a .278/.366/.389 slash with a home run and as many walks (nine) as strikeouts in 82 trips to the plate.

Bemboom has typically served as a backup, both in the big leagues and in the upper minors. He’s generally lacking in power but carries a strong 33% caught-stealing rate (22% so far in 2023). Bemboom regularly delivers average or better marks in terms of pitch-framing and in Defensive Runs Saved. Backup catcher James McCann was recently placed on the injured list due to an ankle sprain, and Bemboom will head to the big leagues to back up Adley Rutschman.

The Orioles could have designated Godoy for assignment and kept Watkins as pitching depth, though they perhaps feel Watkins has the better chance at passing through waivers and thus remaining with the organization. They could also have kept Godoy as the backup to Rutschman, though Bemboom has more familiarity with the staff dating back to his time with the O’s last season.

Orioles To Designate Spenser Watkins For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated right-hander Spenser Watkins for assignment, Robert Murray of FanSided reports (via Twitter). Watkins has been pitching with their Triple-A Norfolk affiliate this season and has not yet pitched at the MLB level this season, though he was recalled to the big leagues over the weekend. The O’s have not yet formally announced the move, nor the corresponding 40-man and 26-man transactions that figure to accompany it.

The 30-year-old Watkins spent parts of the 2021-22 seasons on Baltimore’s big league staff, getting hit hard in his debut campaign before stepping in as a solid rotation member for much of the 2022 season. While a rough patch at the end of last season weighed down Watkins’ numbers and left him with a 4.70 ERA in 105 1/3 frames, he pitched to a 3.96 ERA through his first 17 big league starts of the 2022 campaign.

Even at his best, Watkins doesn’t miss bats or produce grounders in droves. His 13.7% strikeout rate was tied for the lowest among the 156 pitchers who tossed at least 150 innings from 2021-22. Watkins has above-average command, evidenced by a 6.9% walk rate in that stretch, and his career 38.7% grounder rate clocks in several percentage points south of league average.

It’s been an even tougher season for Watkins in Norfolk so far, where he’s pitched to a 7.27 ERA in 26 frames with nearly as many walks (17) as strikeouts (20). Murray notes that Watkins has been tinkering with a new splitter, which perhaps helps to explain the huge uptick in grounders he’s seen (55.3%), but Watkins’ 13.4% walk rate is a career-worst and his strikeout rate hasn’t seen any gains over his prior Triple-A levels.

The Orioles will have a week to trade Watkins, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or simply release him. He’s been outrighted once in the past, so even if the O’s succeed at passing him through waivers, he’d have the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.

Dick Hall Passes Away

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The Orioles have announced that former major leaguer Dick Hall has passed away. He was 92 years old.

Hall underwent many transitions in his career, which began as an outfielder and third baseman for the Pirates in 1952. But in 1955, he moved to the mound, tossing 94 1/3 innings over 13 starts and two relief appearances, registering a 3.91 ERA that year. He continued serving as a pitcher for the Bucs and also for the Kansas City Athletics in 1960.

In April of 1961, he was acquired by the Orioles. He would go on to spend most of his career with Baltimore, including his best seasons, gradually shifting into the relief role that he thrived in. From 1961 to 1966, he made 244 appearances for the O’s with a 2.82 ERA over 599 2/3 innings.

That final season of that stretch was the beginning of a golden age of Orioles’ baseball, as the 1966 Orioles went 97-63, led by future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson. They won the American League pennant and then swept the Dodgers to win the first World Series in franchise history, though Hall didn’t appear in that series.

Hall was with the Phillies in 1967 and 1968 as the O’s missed the playoffs in those two seasons. But he returned in 1969 and so did the success of the club. They made it back to the World Series in three straight years beginning in 1969, winning a second title in 1970. He made one appearance in that second title-winning series, tossing 2 1/3 scoreless frames as the O’s topped the Reds. 1971 proved to be his final season in the big leagues.

Hall ultimately pitched 1259 2/3 regular season innings in his career with a 3.32 ERA. He went 93-75 while racking up 68 saves, striking out 741 opponents in the process. He helped the club win four pennants, earned two World Series rings and was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. MLBTR joins those in the baseball world in sending condolences to all those mourning him today.

Orioles Make Three Roster Moves

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The Orioles placed catcher James McCann on the 10-day injured list due to a left ankle sprain.  This was one of a trio of moves announced by the club, as the O’s also selected the contract of catcher Jose Godoy and designated right-hander Reed Garrett for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Godoy’s arrival.

McCann suffered the injury in yesterday’s game while sliding into first base for an infield hit.  The sprain forced McCann to make an early exit, and while it isn’t considered to be a serious injury, the Orioles have opted to place McCann on the IL just to provide him with enough time to fully heal.  Teams only have so much flexibility with catchers with day-to-day types of injuries, especially in Baltimore’s case when Adley Rutschman is already playing basically every day as either a catcher or designated hitter.

Reflecting Rutschman’s workload, Godoy now looks to be the fifth different catcher to get some time behind the plate for the O’s this season.  McCann has seen the bulk of the backup duty, though this is his second IL stint of the season, after he began the year with a brief absence due to a minor oblique strain.  McCann has hit only .194/.232/.344 over an even 100 plate appearances, but as long as he continues his solid defense (including throwing out nine of 16 baserunners attempting to steal) as Rutschman’s understudy, the veteran will retain his backup spot.

Godoy was acquired in a trade with the Yankees earlier this month, and the 28-year-old figures to get his first MLB action of the season while McCann is sidelined.  Godoy has appeared in 26 big league games with the Mariners, Pirates, and Twins since the start of the 2021 season, and he has also bounced around to several other clubs on waiver claims and minor league deals over the last three years.

The Orioles just selected Garrett’s contract earlier this week, and his tenure in Baltimore has thus far consisted of three runs allowed over 2 2/3 innings of relief work.  Garrett signed a minors deal with the O’s in the offseason, and he has posted a 1.59 ERA and a 28.4% strikeout rate in 22 2/3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk.  Garrett has been outrighted before, so if he clears DFA waivers and Baltimore wants to outright him off the 40-man roster, Garrett can opt to decline that assignment and become a free agent.

Mark Kolozsvary Elects Free Agency

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Catcher Mark Kolozsvary has elected minor league free agency after being waived by the Orioles, according to an announcement from Baltimore. The O’s had designated him for assignment on Wednesday.

Kolozsvary had a quick turnaround this week. Baltimore selected him onto the big league roster on Tuesday. He played once as a defensive substitute before being cut loose. Kolozsvary had otherwise spent the year with the O’s top affiliate in Norfolk. He hit .162/.250/.265 in 20 games.

A University of Florida product, Kolozsvary has appeared in 11 MLB games between the Reds and Orioles. He’s played six seasons in the minors, including parts of three years in Triple-A. He owns a .171/.283/.290 line in 81 career contests at the top minor league level. He’ll look for minor league opportunities elsewhere.

Don Hood Passes Away

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Former major league pitcher Don Hood passed away last Saturday, according to an obituary from a South Carolina funeral home. He was 73 years old.

A native of Florence, South Carolina, Hood was a first-round pick of the Orioles in the 1969 draft. He reached the majors within four years, debuting during his age-23 season. The left-hander started four of eight appearances for Baltimore as a rookie. He’d make 20 appearances (18 in relief) the next season.

After the 1974 campaign, the O’s dealt Hood alongside former MVP Boog Powell to the Indians for catcher Dave Duncan. Hood would spend the bulk of his career in Cleveland, pitching there for four-plus seasons. His best year came in 1977, when he pitched to an even 3.00 ERA over 105 innings. He worked mostly in long relief for the Indians but twice started 19 games in a season, including a career-high 154 2/3 frames during the ’78 campaign.

Halfway through the 1979 season, Cleveland flipped Hood to the Yankees for first baseman Cliff Johnson. Hood posted a 3.07 ERA in 67 1/3 frames during his only partial season in the Bronx. He bounced around late in his career via free agency, signing with the Cardinals and Royals. He closed his career with a personal-best 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 frames for the 1983 Royals.

Hood played parts of ten years in the big leagues. He pitched in 297 games, starting 72 of them. Over 848 1/3 innings, he worked to a 3.79 ERA with 374 strikeouts. Hood won 34 contests and finished 84 games.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • Marcus Stroman lobbying for an extension with the Cubs (1:40)
  • The struggling Mets lose Pete Alonso to the injured list (6:00)
  • The Astros seem more focused on getting bats than arms at the deadline (10:05)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Other than a pure prospect, I don’t see a difference making middle of the order bat being available at the trade deadline. Be it a 2 month rental or even someone with 1 or 2 years of control. Do you? If so please tell me about him. (14:45)
  • Could this be the year in which the O’s get a starter? They’re notoriously cheap when it comes to big contracts or giving up the farm, but I can’t see any team going deep into the playoffs with Kyle Gibson or Tyler Wells as their Game One ace. If so, who are the top candidates, knowing that the O’s will have to compete on the market with any team with a winning percentage over .500? (19:45)
  • The Cardinals are full of young players that may not be stars in the making, but probably get a fairer shot at regular playing time on many other rosters to prove their worth. If the Cards ultimately become sellers at the deadline, do they really get much value in moving guys like Iván Herrera, Juan Yepez, Luken Baker, Moises Gomez, and/or one of their outfielders? Or are they content to have that depth if the returns are minimal? (22:35)

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