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Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:

  • Righties Ray Black and Ian Gardeck have reached minor-league agreements with the Giants after clearing waivers, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Both 26-year-old relievers were moved off the 40-man recently. Black possesses a huge fastball and has shown big strikeout tallies at times, but he also has yet to demonstrate anything close to the command needed to succeed in the majors. Gardeck, meanwhile, is returning from Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he pitched to a 3.54 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 86 1/3 innings at High-A.
  • The Mets have reached a minors deal with first baseman Cody Decker, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Decker, 30, has also spent some amount of time at most every other spot on the diamond. He earned a brief call-up in 2015 with the Padres, the organization he had been with for his entire career until last season. Last year, Decker bounced between the Royals, Rockies, and Red Sox organizations, hitting a combined .230/.284/.484 with 19 home runs in 335 plate appearances in the upper minors.
  • Joining the Cardinals on a minor-league deal is first baseman Rangel Ravelo, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The 24-year-old played most recently in the Athletics organization, where he was known for his high-contact approach and solid on-base abilities. Ravelo struggled last year, though, slashing just .262/.334/.395 with eight long balls in 416 Triple-A plate appearances.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Rockies, L. Robert, Orioles, Mariners

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Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez left Saturday’s game in Baltimore with a right biceps strain, per a team announcement. There’s no timetable for his return, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, but it’s worth noting that Angels righty Garrett Richards landed on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a right biceps strain. It’s possible Sanchez’s injury will be more severe, of course, which would be a terrible development for the Yankees. The 24-year-old deservedly entered the season with significant hype surrounding him after hitting an astounding .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs in 229 plate appearances as a rookie in 2016.

More from Rosenthal:

  • When it comes to potentially acquiring starting pitching help this summer, the Rockies could be a team to watch, says Rosenthal (video link). Colorado might have enough young talent to swing a deal for White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana or Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray, posits Rosenthal, who notes that Baseball America regards its farm as the 10th-best system in the majors (ESPN’s Keith Law ranks it an even better ninth).
  • The White Sox, Astros, Padres, Reds and Cardinals are the teams with the most interest in highly touted outfield prospect Luis Robert, reports Rosenthal. If he’s cleared to sign by June 15, the 19-year-old will go down as the last Cuban amateur to sign for big money – should the new collective bargaining agreement rules remain in place for a while, that is. Ben Badler of Baseball America has reported on multiple occasions that the White Sox are the favorites to land Robert. Unlike the ChiSox, all of the Astros, Padres, Cardinals and Reds have already exceeded their 2016-17 international bonus pools.
  • With Manny Machado, Zach Britton and Adam Jones slated to become free agents after next year, the Orioles might look far different on the field by the 2019 season. Changes could be coming off the field, too, as both GM Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter will also see their contracts expire when the 2018 campaign concludes, per Rosenthal. Showalter isn’t looking to leave Baltimore, according to Rosenthal, though he’ll turn 61 next month, leading to questions as to whether he’ll transition to a front office job sometime soon.
  • The Mariners’ competitive window might only stay open through next season, observes Rosenthal, who points out that Nelson Cruz, Jean Segura, Drew Smyly, Hisashi Iwakuma and Leonys Martin are scheduled to hit free agency after the 2018 campaign. General manager Jerry Dipoto made it clear over the winter that the Mariners are in “win-now” mode, which makes sense considering those soon-to-be free agents, not to mention that integral players such as Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Felix Hernandez are either in their 30s or will be soon. The Mariners don’t have a deep farm system, either, as both Baseball America and Law place it in the majors’ bottom 10.

NL Central Notes: Lynn, Pirates, Garza

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Right-hander Lance Lynn, who will make his return from 2016 Tommy John surgery this week, told the St. Louis media today that he hopes to spend his entire career with the Cardinals and is open to negotiating a new contract (via Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Lynn, however, acknowledged that the Cardinals may not be open to such a concept until he’s proven that he’s back to full health, suggesting the All-Star break as a possible time. “I don’t want to be a free agent,” said Lynn, “but if that comes up then I’ll take it and run with it and see where it goes.” Lynn hasn’t pitched since the 2015 playoffs and is in the final season of a three-year, $22MM contract that he signed prior to the 2015 season to buy out all of his arbitration years. In 791 1/3 career innings, Lynn has a 3.37 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate.

More from the division…

  • Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes an interesting look at the Pirates’ relationship with star outfielder Andrew McCutchen after exploring trades all winter. It’s a good read that features many people who are close to the 30-year-old, who’s under contract for the coming season and can be controlled for another year via club option. While McCutchen is all but certain to remain in Pittsburgh at least through the trade deadline, it’s still anybody’s guess whether he’ll remain thereafter.
  • The Pirates aren’t fretting over the fact that they’re without three of their top home run hitters from the 2016 season, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. While Sean Rodriguez, Jung Ho Kang and Matt Joyce combined to hit 34 percent of the team’s round-trippers last year, manager Clint Hurdle emphasized that one way to offset the loss is simply for his club to allow fewer runs. Hurdle adds that he believes there’s some untapped power in his lineup — Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell, in particular, seemingly have the potential to up their home run output, for instance. Biertempfel also notes that while some wondered whether the typically data-driven Pirates would begin to focus more on fly-balls and launch angle — an increasingly popular approach at the plate — hitting coach Jeff Branson strongly suggested otherwise. “I don’t get into all the launch-angle stuff,” Branson tells Biertempfel. “…if you start telling guys to hit the ball in the air, there are too many things that can go wrong, too many things that can get out of whack.” Branson later notes that he doesn’t dismiss launch angle entirely but also isn’t an expert on the matter. “We’re going to teach and talk about things we’re familiar with, things that we know work,” he adds.
  • Matt Garza is ahead of schedule as he looks to return from a groin strain that landed him on the 10-day disabled list to open the season, writes MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The veteran Brewers righty could begin a rehab assignment as soon as early next week, manager Craig Counsell tells McCalvy, adding that Garza will require at least two rehab outings before being reinstated. Milwaukee just lost Opening Day starter Junior Guerra for the next six weeks, at minimum, so the return of Garza will make for a welcome addition. While the 33-year-old hasn’t lived up to the four-year, $50MM deal he signed with Milwaukee, he quietly worked to a very solid 3.72 ERA with 6.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 57.5 percent ground-ball rate over the life of his final dozen starts in 2016 (65 1/3 innings).

Poll: Grading The Cardinals’ Extension Of Yadier Molina

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Yadier Molina exudes excellence and personifies the Cardinal Way. He’s one of the best and most durable catchers in the game. He’s coming off a year in which he slashed a robust .307/.360/.427 and continued to earn plaudits for his work behind the plate and guidance of the pitching staff.

So, the three-year, $60MM deal he just signed to stay with the Cardinals through 2020 would seem at first glance to be a slam dunk. It’s a top-of-the-market AAV for a catcher, true, but also just a three-year commitment. For a player who’s an arguable Hall-of-Famer and undisputed franchise icon — and, reputedly, a clubhouse leader without peer — it seems like an easy gamble to make.

On the other hand, Molina will turn 35 in the middle of the season that just kicked off. He hasn’t hit double-digit home runs since 2013, which is also the last time his isolated slugging mark exceeded .120. Molina’s surge at the plate last year was fueled by a career-high .335 BABIP. His defensive productivity seems likely to slow down at least somewhat as the wear and tear catches up; his durability is a feather in the cap, on the one hand, but he has also logged 1,583 games behind the dish (including today’s game) in the majors.

Consider, too, the opportunity cost. Around this time last year, the division-rival Pirates got Francisco Cervelli — then on the heels of an outstanding 2015 season and having just begun his age-30 campaign — to agree to a three-year deal at nearly half ($31MM) the guarantee Molina received. While Molina certainly has a claim to receiving the league’s top annual salary for a catcher, it’s tough to promise that rate at his age, and it’ll certainly tie up payroll that could’ve gone elsewhere. Remember, too, that the Cards have one of the game’s best catching prospects in Carson Kelly waiting in the wings at Triple-A.

There’s a middle ground here, of course. Molina has always been fairly reliant on batting average to reach base, because he doesn’t walk all that much. But he has continued to carry an outstanding contact rate and showed no signs of slowing in that regard in 2016. While the power won’t likely return to even average levels, perhaps he can keep hitting at a solid-enough rate so long as he maintains his hand-eye coordination. Likewise, the dark arts of the catcher — receiving, blocking, throwing, calling pitches, and managing a staff — are perhaps more dependent upon a blend of mental acuity, hard-earned experience, and ingrained reflexes than are the tools of any other position. And Kelly’s presence can be seen as a positive; perhaps he’ll help keep Molina fresh while learning from the game’s top catching sensei. The Cardinals have acted to lock up other core players to more manageable salaries, so the team can probably afford a bit of an extravagance to keep a key veteran who’ll provide continuity and unrivaled leadership.

So, there are several ways to characterize this signing. How do you view it? (Link for app users.)

How do you view the Cardinals' extension of Yadier Molina?
It may be a bit of an overpay for his on-field contributions, but makes sense for the Cards. 50.84% (4,847 votes)
It's a good decision -- he's a key player who'll make what he's worth. 24.65% (2,350 votes)
It only would have made sense at a lower rate or a shorter term. 16.89% (1,610 votes)
It was time to move on and prepare for a Yadi-less future. 7.63% (727 votes)
Total Votes: 9,534

Cardinals Extend Stephen Piscotty

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The Cardinals have formally announced a new long-term pact with another key contributor: outfielder Stephen Piscotty has signed a six-year extension with an option for a seventh season.

Stephen Piscotty | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Piscotty, who is represented by CAA Sports, will reportedly be guaranteed $33.5MM on the deal. That includes a $2MM signing bonus, salaries of $1MM in 2017-18, $7MM in 2019-20 and $7.25MM in 2021-22. There’s also a $1MM buyout on a $15MM option for the 2023 season. Furthermore, Piscotty will earn $500K if traded prior to the completion of the 2021 season and $1MM if he is traded thereafter. Performance escalators can boost the value of the option, giving him a chance to top out at $50.5MM over seven years.

The Piscotty contract marks the third notable extension since the end of the 2016 campaign for Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak and his staff. St. Louis has also extended burgeoning ace Carlos Martinez this winter, and franchise icon Yadier Molina wrapped up a three-year contract extension of his own over the weekend.

The 26-year-old Piscotty was the 36th overall selection in the 2012 draft and has blossomed from one of the Redbirds’ top prospects to their everyday right fielder over the past two seasons. In that time, Stanford product has established himself as a well-above-average bat, hitting a combined .282/.348/.467 with 29 home runs through his first 216 MLB games (905 plate appearances).

From a defensive standpoint, Piscotty has been four runs above average in right field per both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating to this point in his young career. He’s also demonstrated a bit of versatility, logging 76 innings in center field and 57 at first base over his first two seasons. While he’s probably not going to see much time in center field moving forward — Dexter Fowler is signed to a five-year deal, and left fielder Randal Grichuk would probably slide over in the event of a Fowler injury — the ability to occasionally spot Piscotty there or at first base certainly carries a bit of value for the Cards.

Piscotty has just one year, 76 days of Major League service time, meaning he wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2018 season and wouldn’t have been a free agent until the 2021-22 offseason. Piscotty falls shy of the current record for a player in the one-plus service class, which is held by Andrelton Simmons at seven years and $58MM (as can be seen in MLBTR’s Extension Tracker). Christian Yelich’s seven-year, $49.57MM pact is tops among all one-plus outfielders. Piscotty falls shy of both of those marks, though he’s also two to three years older than either of those players were when they inked their respective deals.

Today’s extension means that Piscotty can’t become a free agent until the completion of his age-31 season and, if he remains productive, that he likely won’t reach the open market until he is entering his age-33 campaign. That certainly limits his future earning power, though one can hardly fault a 26-year-old that is still five full years from reaching the open market and two years from reaching arbitration for electing to lock in his first eight-figure payday. Piscotty’s deal is the eighth-largest ever signed by a player with one-plus years of service, so while he didn’t establish any new sort of precedent, the deal falls within the range of reasonably plausible outcomes.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the two sides were progressing on a deal (Twitter link). FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted that the two sides had reached an agreement and also tweeted the guaranteed portion of the contract. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first suggested the six-year term (Twitter link). FOX’s Ken Rosenthal provided the year-to-year breakdown (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To The Yadier Molina Extension

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Here’s a collection of reactions to the Cardinals’ new three-year, $60MM extension with Yadier Molina:

  • The Cardinals originally wanted Molina’s extension to be a two-year deal, while Molina’s camp preferred four to five years, Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman writes. The two sides met in the middle at three years. Heyman acknowledges the deal is long and expensive for a catcher in his mid-30s, but says if the Cardinals were going to bend the rules for anyone, it should be for a “legend” like Molina.
  • Many fans seem to think the Cardinals overpaid, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports disagrees. Like Heyman, Rosenthal argues that Molina’s value is greater than statistics like WAR would suggest, given the hard-to-quantify value Molina creates in his work with the Cardinals’ pitching staff. Rosenthal also points out that the Cardinals franchise and the game in general are awash in money, and he describes Molina’s new deal as being partially a reward for what he’s already accomplished for the team. That last argument, of course, seems unlikely to sway fans who believe the Cardinals overpaid, although there’s no arguing his point that the Cardinals can afford to pay Molina a robust salary.
  • Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch also points out that the Cardinals’ new $1 billion television contract should insure the Cardinals against worries that they can’t afford Molina. Hochman describes the deal as a “statue signing” and links Molina to a line of all-time-great catchers that also includes Johnny Bench and St. Louis native Yogi Berra.
  • The deal is not a “legacy contract,” says Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “We believe he can compete at the highest level, and we still feel that Yadi is one of the best catchers in the game,” Mozeliak says. “Today is not about a sun-setting career. This is about us retaining the greatest catcher ever to wear the Cardinals uniform.”

Cardinals Extend Yadier Molina

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The Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina have finalized a three-year extension that will guarantee the seven-time All-Star $60MM, making him the majors’ highest-paid catcher by average annual value. Molina will collect $20MM in each season of the deal, which doesn’t include any deferred money.

Yadier Molina | Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis and Molina were reportedly in serious talks over the duration of Spring Training, with an update last weekend suggesting that the two sides had “made progress” on a deal. Molina is represented by MDR Sports Management.

The new contract will keep the franchise icon in St. Louis through the 2020 campaign rather than allowing him to hit free agency at season’s end. Though he’s set to turn 35 years of age in July, Molina remained a productive backstop in 2016, hitting .307/.360/.427 with eight homers and 38 doubles in 581 plate appearances.

Molina also retained well above-average marks in terms of pitch-framing — a trend that has followed him throughout a career that has seen him earn eight Gold Glove nods, four Platinum Glove Awards and a Silver Slugger. He’s garnered MVP votes on five occasions, including a pair of Top 4 finishes in 2012 and 2013.

Of course, Molina is hardly without his red flags. He’s already 34 years of age and will turn 35 this July, meaning he’ll be 38 years of age for the final three months or so of this contract in 2020. Beyond that, Molina has seen his power numbers dip since his 2011-13 peak.

While some of that could potentially be attributed to a surgeries to repair torn ulnar collateral ligaments in each of his thumbs, and he did demonstrate an uptick in pop last year, there’s no guarantee that he’ll return to his previous levels of power output. And, if his power production trends in the other direction, as it did in 2015, Molina’s limited on-base skills (6.2 percent walk rate since 2013) create the possibility that he could be a decidedly below-average hitter. In fact, dating back to 1900, only nine qualified catchers have turned in even a league-average batting line between their age-35 and age-37 seasons (hat tip: Fangraphs leaderboards).

On the defensive side of the coin, though his framing marks remained excellent, Molina threw out a career-worst 21 percent of attempted base thieves during the 2016 campaign. His career 42 percent caught-stealing rate lends plenty of reason to expect a rebound, but the surprising dip in effectiveness is nonetheless worth monitoring.

Molina joins Buster Posey, Brian McCann and Russell Martin as catchers with average annual values of more than $16MM on their respective contracts. Molina suggested last week that there are “too many” catchers earning more than him. Posey’s $18.56MM annual rate had been tops among backstops, but he’ll slide to second in the wake of the Molina extension.

From a bigger-picture perspective, the move to extend Molina effectively blocks top catching prospect Carson Kelly for another three seasons, which will inevitably lead to some degree of trade speculation surrounding the talented 22-year-old. Kelly rates as a consensus Top 100 prospect, with MLB.com rating him 39th overall in the game. ESPN’s Keith Law ranked him 51st on his Top 100 this offseason, while Baseball America tabbed him at No. 65 overall and Baseball Prospectus placed him 81st in the game.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported the two sides were nearing a deal. FanRag’s Jon Heyman first reported an agreement was in place, and he reported the exact value. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the yearly salaries. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/31/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:

  • Utilityman Munenori Kawasaki is heading back to Japan after inking a deal with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, his former NPB club, as Nikkan Sports reports (Japanese language link). The 35-year-old has enjoyed an interesting stint in North America, drawing plenty of attention for his clown prince role in the dugout. But he hasn’t played all that much, particularly over the past two seasons. If this is it for Kawasaki stateside, he’ll stand on a .237/.320/.289 slash line with one single dinger over 738 plate appearances.
  • Righty Mark Montgomery has landed a minor-league deal with the Cardinals after being released by the Yankees, Josh Norris of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). The 26-year-old has battled control problems at times, but has also shown his share of promise. Last year, over 45 2/3 innings in the upper minors, he worked to a 2.56 ERA with 12.4 /9 against 4.3 BB/9 while allowing only 31 hits.
  • The Indians released slugger Wily Mo Pena, the team announced. The 35-year-old hasn’t played in the majors since 2011, but had been quite productive during a stint in Japan. Over four years with three different NPB clubs, he slashed .264/.355/.460 with 71 long balls. Pena did not play last year and didn’t get much of a look this spring; it’s not clear at this point what his future intentions are.
  • Plenty of other players have also been set free by organizations that do not have anywhere to put them. Among them, the Braves have released first baseman Balbino Fuenmayor, MLBTR’s Steve Adams tweets. He has put up big numbers at times, most recently in the Venezuelan winter league, but has yet to receive a shot at the majors. Also hitting the open market, after spending camp with the Rangers, is righty Anthony Carter. (Also per Steve, via Twitter.) The 30-year-old, who’s also looking to stamp a ticket to the majors for the first time, did at least show that he’s back to health. And seven-year MLB veteran southpaw James Russell followed Pena out the door. He was cut loose today by the Indians, per a club announcement.

Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Lindor, Rays, Rangers, Coghlan, Nathan

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The Cardinals have shown at least some interest in White Sox lefty Jose Quintana, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, though he makes clear there’s no indication that Chicago is likely to strike a deal for the lefty before the start of the season. It seems that the Cards’ interest is something worth bearing in mind as the season progresses and their rotation needs come into focus, though certainly other teams will also continually monitor the asking price for Quintana. St. Louis, of course has already lost young Alex Reyes for the year due to Tommy John surgery and will reportedly place Trevor Rosenthal on the disabled list to open the season.

Heyman also has new notes columns on both the American League and National League, and here are a few highlights from those pieces…

  • Extension talks between the Indians and star shortstop Francisco Lindor do not appear to have gained much traction, per Heyman. There’s just not enough incentive for him to take a deal, Heyman suggests, due at least in part to the fact that Lindor has landed a significant marketing contract with New Balance. It’s also perhaps worth noting that Lindor received a $2.9MM signing bonus when he was drafted eighth overall back in 2011.
  • The Rays are still on the hunt for outfield help, though the addition of Peter Bourjos to the organization gives them one potential fourth outfield option. Heyman lists free agent Angel Pagan and the Cubs’ Matt Szczur as speculative fits, though the out-of-options Szczur made Chicago’s Opening Day roster, which seemingly lessens the chance of a trade. Heyman also notes that the Rays “came close” to locking up right-hander Alex Cobb on an extension on multiple occasions in the past, but the deal was never quite completed. Given Cobb’s arm troubles over the past two years, perhaps that’s somewhat of a dodged bullet for the Rays (though the 29-year-old is certainly a candidate to bounce back).
  • Rougned Odor’s representatives were prepping a counter-offer to the Rangers’ six-year, $49.5MM extension proposal when they were informed, firmly, that the $49.5MM sum was the team’s best and final offer, according to Heyman. Ultimately, the 22-year-old and his reps at the Beverly Hills Sports Council elected to take the deal, locking in the powerful young second baseman’s first massive payday. While there have been talks with another promising young Rangers talent, Nomar Mazara, Heyman adds that there’s “nothing substantive” between the two sides to this point.
  • Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill suggested he has high hopes in comments to Heyman. He says he believes the team’s rotation is “solid” and that its pen “is the best in the league, collectively.” While some may raise an eyebrow at that statement, given the lack of name value in the Marlins’ relief corps, the Fish do have a rather deep collection of bullpen arms. As it stands, A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough, Brad Ziegler, Junichi Tazawa and David Phelps make a formidable one through five in that ’pen. Also of note is the fact that the Marlins are hopeful that injured third baseman Martin Prado, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in the World Baseball Classic, will be back at some point in April. The team plans to use Derek Dietrich, who hit .279/.374/.425 in 412 plate appearances last year, in Prado’s absence.
  • It seems the Phillies would have carried veteran Chris Coghlan, except that he declined to sign a 45-day advance consent form. While not an oft-discussed clause, the 45-day advance consent allows a team to cut or option a healthy veteran — the clauses can only be offered to players with five or more years of service — for any reason within the first 45 days of the season. Former MLBTR scribe Zach Links (now the editor of our sister site, Pro Football Rumors) took a much deeper look at advance consent clauses back in 2014 after veteran left-hander Randy Wolf somewhat surprisingly requested his release from the Mariners when asked to agree to such a condition.
  • Veteran righty Joe Nathan is still looking to latch on elsewhere after being released by the Nationals earlier this week. The former All-Star was appreciative that the Nationals allowed him to pitch once more in a game even after that decision was made, as it allowed scouts from other clubs to see him in a game setting. The 42-year-old Nathan logged a 3.86 ERA with 15 hits, three walks and nine strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings this spring. That showing comes on the heels of 6 1/3 shutout frames between the Cubs and Giants last year as well as a 2.35 ERA in 15 1/3 minor league innings. Despite his age, Nathan is attempting to reestablish himself after undergoing Tommy John surgery as a 40-year-old in 2015.

Trevor Rosenthal To Open Season On DL

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Cardinals righty Trevor Rosenthal will open the season on the DL, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). Sam Tuivailala will take his place on the active roster. St. Louis has three other righties heading to the DL as well: Alex Reyes (who’ll miss the year after Tommy John surgery), John Gant and Tyler Lyons.

A lat issue had slowed Rosenthal earlier in camp, but he had seemed on track to start the year back in the bullpen. Though he had been working to stretch out as a starter, the club did not seem to have a rotation spot open — and Rosenthal’s delay apparently nixed that idea.

It seems that the lat injury is to blame, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes on Twitter, though it’s not apparent whether there was any kind of setback. Rosenthal had been able to throw ten spring frames, allowing two earned runs on ten hits while compiling 11 strikeouts against five walks.

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