Rays Option Brendan McKay, Recall Ian Gibaut
The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled Ian Gibaut to make his major league debut, the team announced (via Twitter). Much-lauded two-way player Brendan McKay has been optioned to Triple-A to make room.
McKay’s first taste of the majors did little to quell the excitement about his eventual arrival as a regular two-way player. He took two turns through the rotation, accumulating 0.3 rWAR in the process and earning his first major league win. After going six scoreless against the Rangers in his sterling debut, he got a no-decision in giving up three earned runs across five innings against the vaunted Yankees. He returns to Triple-A after 11 innings, three earned runs, seven hits, six strikeouts and a walk.
As a batter, McKay remains largely uninitiated, as he went 0-4 in his only start as a designated hitter. McKay is generally regarded as less advanced as a hitter than a pitcher. The Rays do not likely view him as a contributor on that side of the ball until next season at the earliest. On the hill, however, there’s a good chance he will see another opportunity at some point in 2019.
As for Gibaut, the 25-year-old Texan was an 11th round pick by the Rays in 2015. He missed two months of this season with injury, but since returning to Triple-A Durham, Gibaut has been on his game: 9 appearances, 1.93 ERA, 3.9 H/9, 15.4 K/9, 6.8 BB/9. Outside of some location issues, Gibaut has all the makings of a late-game reliever. He has recorded 35 saves in the minors, though the Rays will no doubt look to leverage his opportunities early on given the depth of their relief corps.
Tigers Rumors: Boyd, Castellanos, Jimenez, Greene
The Tigers’ asking price on lefty Matthew Boyd continues to be an impediment for interested teams, Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported this week on the Big Time Baseball podcast. Heyman notes that multiple GMs from other clubs used the phrase “over the top” when describing Detroit’s ask on Boyd, who whiffed 13 hitters in yesterday’s win but also continued his recent struggles with keeping the ball in the park by allowing a pair of homers. Boyd has fanned a ridiculous 32 percent of the hitters he’s faced in 2019 and walked just 4.5 percent of them; that K-BB% of 27.5 trails only Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Chris Sale, so he’s in some elite company with regard to his combined ability to miss bats and avoid walks. However, Boyd also allowed only seven homers through his first 12 starts (72 2/3 innings) but has now served up 12 long balls in 34 1/3 innings dating back to June 2.
Boyd is still just 28 with three and a half seasons of control remaining to go along with his elite K/BB skills (and a $2.6MM salary). His penchant for serving up the long ball also has to be a source of trepidation as teams weigh a pursuit of the lefty, though.
More chatter on the rebuilding Tigers…
- Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press provides an excellent look at a number of trade chips for the Tigers, listing potential suitors and, in some instances, pulling back the curtain a bit on previous trade talks. For instance, Fenech writes that the Tigers and Astros discussed a trade involving Nicholas Castellanos last summer, with Houston offering outfielder Derek Fisher in return. Castellanos’ stock has dipped since last year and he’s now a rental, but Fisher’s stock hasn’t exactly risen itself since last July. That still seems like a lofty ask for the Tigers to make for only two months of Castellanos, but the prior interest is nevertheless noteworthy now that Castellanos appears a near-surefire bet to be traded.
- In addition to closer Shane Greene, who is as obviously available as any player in baseball, right-hander Joe Jimenez is also available in trade talks, per Fenech. Multiple clubs, including the Mets and Rays, have inquired on Jimenez — a 24-year-old once heralded as Detroit’s future close. Jimenez averages better than 95 mph on his heater and has no issue missing bats (12 K/9 since 2017), but his control has long been shaky and he’s averaged 1.93 HR/9 in 2019. He’s also controlled through the 2023 season, so the Tigers have zero urgency to move him. Fenech adds that the Dodgers have inquired on Greene, though if anything it’d be more surprising if the bullpen-needy L.A. club hadn’t done so by now.
Rays Notes: Alvarado, Castillo, Duffy
Rays reliever Jose Alvarado has been a go-to option for the team in high-leverage situations, but the left-hander has struggled since missing almost a month because of a family medical matter. As a result, the Rays will try to use Alvarado in lower impact spots for the time being, manager Kevin Cash suggested (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).
Alvarado boasted a 1.04 ERA as late as May 15, though that figure rose to 3.09 before he took his leave June 1. It’s now up to 4.85 since his June 29 return, largely because of a catastrophic performance in a 9-6 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday. Alvarado entered a 3-3 game in the top of the ninth and proceeded to allow six runs (five earned) on four hits, including a homer, and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
Factoring in his horrific two-out showing, Alvarado has tossed 26 innings with a 3.55 FIP, which is significantly worse than the 2.27 he posted during a great 2018 campaign. Alvarado has continued to pump high-90s heat and strike out upward of 11 batters per nine, though his control has tanked. The 24-year-old’s first-pitch strike percentage has dropped approximately 14 percent since he debuted in the league in 2017, when he walked fewer than three hitters per nine. Alvarado’s BB/9 is now all the way up to 5.88. His home run rate has also fattened by 7 percent since 2018, though it’s still an above-average 9.5 on the year.
Cash noted the Rays will need both Alvarado and fellow flamethrowing reliever Diego Castillo – who lead the team with seven saves each – to return to form if the club’s going to maintain a playoff spot. At 50-38, the Rays are a game up on the AL’s No. 1 wild-card position. Both Alvarado and Castillo helped the Rays’ cause earlier in the season, but the latter also saw his production crater before going to the injured list June 23 with shoulder inflammation. The hope is that he’ll return right after the All-Star break, according to Topkin.
The right-handed Castillo, 25, entered June with a 2.12 ERA, only to see it rocket to 3.93 in a six-appearance span. Like Alvarado, Castillo has battled more control and homer problems than he grew accustomed to last season. Castillo’s walk rate has climbed from 2.86 per nine to 4.19 since then, and he has surrendered HRs on 17.9 percent of fly balls after yielding them at a 12 percent clip as a rookie in 2018. While Castillo has struck out almost 10 hitters per nine and induced ground balls just under 53 percent of the time, his 4.55 FIP still pales in comparison to last year’s 3.30.
As with Alvarado and Castillo, infielder Matt Duffy was an important Rays contributor last year whose 2019 hasn’t gone according to plan. In fact, thanks to back and hamstring injuries, Duffy hasn’t played at all this season. However, Duffy did just restart a rehab assignment for the first time in over a month, per Topkin. The 28-year-old had to halt his previous rehab stint May 22 after re-aggravating his hamstring injury.
Rays Place Brandon Lowe On Injured List
The Rays announced Wednesday that they’ve placed second baseman Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list due to a right shin contusion. Lowe, who was only recently named a All-Star replacement, fouled a ball off his shin Tuesday but remained in the game after talking things over with a trainer. Upon singling to left field with a shift-beating grounder, however, he was unable to run down the line and instead limped his way to first base. He exited the game thereafter. First baseman Nate Lowe is up from Triple-A Durham to take his roster spot. Tampa Bay also optioned righty Austin Pruitt to Durham and recalled fellow righty Jake Faria.
Lowe’s placement on the IL is retroactive to July 3, so he’ll be eligible to return to the club next Saturday for a doubleheader against the Orioles. That said, there’s no immediate timetable placed on his return, so it’s possible he’ll require a bit more than the minimum stay on the shelf. His injury initially looked remarkably similar to that of injured All-Star Tommy La Stella, who’ll miss up to 10 weeks with a fracture, so the Rays surely feel fortunate to have dodged that type of blow.
With Lowe on the injured list, the American League once again had an opening on the All-Star roster. Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres has been named to the All-Star team in place of Lowe, per a league announcement.
Rays Release Nick Ciuffo
July 3: Ciuffo indeed went unclaimed and is now a free agent, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio tweets.
July 1: The Rays have requested unconditional release waivers on catcher Nick Ciuffo, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’ll become a free agent in 48 hours if he clears.
As I noted when Ciuffo was designated for assignment, a release seemed the likeliest outcome for him. Ciuffo underwent thumb surgery last month and could still be sidelined for up to six more weeks. Injured players can’t be passed through outright waivers, and it’s common in these DFA scenarios for the player to be released and quickly re-sign on a minor league contract. That’s not universally the case, of course, and if he does indeed clear waivers, Ciuffo will have the right to talk to other clubs.
Ciuffo, 24, was the No. 21 overall pick by the Rays in the 2013 draft, but his career hasn’t panned out the way that either he or the organization had hoped. He has a .228/.276/.350 batting line in Triple-A Durham this season and has mustered only a .529 OPS in a tiny sample of 50 big league plate appearances dating back to 2018. Ciuffo is a career .250/.292/.369 hitter in 370 Triple-A plate appearances and has a career 42 percent caught-stealing rate in the minors. Ciuffo has also posted above-average framing marks in Triple-A, and catcher is a generally thin position within the Rays organization, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him latch back on there.
Rays Activate, Option Jose De Leon
Rays righty Jose De Leon has at long last returned to active duty, the club announced. But he’ll return to Triple-A on optional assignment as he looks to get his injury-addled career back on track.
De Leon, once a top prospect who is now almost 27 years of age, underwent Tommy John surgery last March. His rehab assignment was twice extended, as is permissible for hurlers working back from TJ procedures, extending it to a total of ninety days. With that time up, the club swung a deal earlier today to clear a 40-man spot for De Leon’s activation from the 60-day injured list.
During his lengthy rehab stint, De Leon threw 34 innings over 11 outings. He worked to a 3.97 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. That’s not a perfect showing, by any stretch, but it seems promising that he was able to generate swings and misses from top-level minor-leaguers.
It’s certainly possible that De Leon will be seen as a MLB option in the near future. Odds are he’d be utilized as less than a full-fledged starter, much like most of the rest of the Tampa Bay staff. In De Leon’s case, he has only once topped one hundred innings in a given professional season (2015).
Rays Place Ji-Man Choi On 10-Day IL
The Rays announced today that first baseman Ji-Man Choi is heading to the 10-day injured list, as MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to cover via Twitter. He’s said to be dealing with a sprained left ankle.
Infielder Mike Brosseau will come up to take the open active roster spot. He’s in the majors for the second time this season after a brief prior promotion. Brosseau has been aflame at Triple-A, where he carries a .317/.408/.590 batting line with 15 home runs and a 51:33 K/BB ratio.
It’s at least a bit interesting to see the Rays tap Brosseau rather than first base prospect Nate Lowe. The left-handed-hitting Lowe struggled in a ten-game stint earlier this year, but would seem to be a more direct replacement for Choi. Perhaps the Tampa Bay club preferred to carry some added defensive versatility; no doubt the fact that they’ll face several lefty starters in the next week was also a factor. The presence of starter/first bagger Brendan McKay on the roster also reduces the need for a lefty bat.
In any event, there’s no indication that Choi will be sidelined for a lengthy stint. He’s slashing a respectable .266/.351/.423 on the season, good for a 111 wRC+. With Choi only commanding league-average money, he’s a cost-efficient player, but it’s certainly possible the club will see cause to pursue an upgrade at some point this summer.
Dodgers Acquire Casey Sadler From Rays, Move Rich Hill To 60-Day IL
The Dodgers have picked up recently designated righty Casey Sadler in a trade with the Rays, per club announcements. Minor-league hurler Nathan Witt is headed back to the Rays in return.
To create 40-man space, the Los Angeles org shifted southpaw Rich Hill to the 60-day injured list. He has been sidelined for about two weeks already with a flexor strain and obviously is going to require a lengthy respite before trying to ramp back up.
Soon to turn 29, Sadler sported a 1.86 ERA and 54.1% groundball rate in 19 1/3 innings with the Rays before getting the boot. His 11:5 K/BB ratio was less than impressive, though Sadler’s 8.9% swinging-strike rate was better than it had been in his prior efforts at the majors.
Sadler will open his tenure with the Dodgers on optional assignment at Triple-A. He’ll represent a depth option if and when a need arises. More significant relief upgrades remain a clear possibility this summer.
The Rays obviously fielded interest from some other teams since they were able to come away with something from the deal. Witt has only advanced to the Class A level at 23 years of age, but does carry 11.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in his 23 2/3 innings there this season.
Indians Acquire Andrew Velazquez From Rays
The Indians have announced a swap with the Rays in which they’ll acquire utility infielder Andrew Velazquez. An unstated amount of international spending capacity will head to Tampa Bay in return.
To create 40-man roster space, the Indians have designated righty Chih-Wei Hu for assignment. The 25-year-old has been hit hard this year at Triple-A, allowing 16 home runs in 48 2/3 innings.
Soon to turn 25, Velazquez is an exceptionally versatile player. In limited MLB action, he has already been trusted to play shortstop, second, third, and all three outfield positions.
Velazquez has shown some stolen-base ability and a bit of pop in the upper minors, though he’s not exactly a premium offensive prospect. He has swung through quite a few pitches in his early exposure to MLB pitching and has gone down on strikes 154 times in 602 career Triple-A plate appearances, over which he carries a .261/.320/.418 slash.
Korea’s NC Dinos Sign Christian Friedrich, Jake Smolinski
6:10pm: Smolinski has been granted his release by the Rays, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.
10:00am: Korea’s NC Dinos are engineering some mid-season changes to their slate of foreign players. The club has wrapped up a deal with the indy ball New Britain Bees to purchase the contract of lefty Christian Friedrich, as first reported by the ALPB News Twitter account (link).
It seems the Dinos have eyes on another former major leaguer as well. Outfielder Jake Smolinski, who has been playing with the Rays’ top affiliate, is nearing a deal with the KBO club, according to baseball writer Sung Min Kim (Twitter link).
Teams in the Korea Baseball Organization are limited to three foreign players, among other regulations on spending. Accordingly, the Dinos will need to part ways with some existing players to facilitate these moves. Former big leaguers Christian Bethancourt and Eddie Butler will evidently be released to make way.
Friedrich, 31, has thrown nearly three hundred MLB innings, but the former top-100 prospect hasn’t cracked the bigs since 2016. He sat out all of last season but had shown well in the Atlantic League, posting 63 frames of 3.00 ERA ball with one strikeout per inning and 2.1 BB/9.
As for the 30-year-old Smolinski, he faced a tough path up to the majors in Tampa Bay. But the five-year MLB veteran has been hitting well this season at Triple-A, where he carries a .270/.360/.504 slash with a dozen home runs in 286 plate appearances.