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Cubs Claim Frank Schwindel Off Waivers From Athletics

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The Cubs announced they’ve claimed first baseman Frank Schwindel off waivers from the Athletics and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa. Oakland designated Schwindel for assignment earlier this week. The Cubs had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

Oakland signed Schwindel to a minor league deal over the winter and selected him to the big league roster late last month. He only tallied twenty plate appearances with the A’s before they removed him from the 40-man when Mitch Moreland returned from the injured list.

Schwindel hasn’t yet had much of a look at the MLB level, but the 29-year-old has had a fantastic Triple-A season. Through 207 plate appearances with the A’s top affiliate in Las Vegas, Schwindel has hit .317/.362/.630 with sixteen home runs. Those numbers are no doubt aided by Vegas’ extremely hitter-friendly environment, but it’s eye-opening production nonetheless.

At the moment, the Cubs have first base spoken for in franchise icon Anthony Rizzo. An impending free agent, Rizzo has obviously come up in trade speculation with the Cubs looking likely to sell off from the big league roster over the coming weeks. Claiming Schwindel doesn’t make a Rizzo trade any more likely; Schwindel still has all three minor league option years remaining and is probably being brought on as a right-handed hitting bench bat. If the Cubs do wind up dealing Rizzo, though, that could afford Schwindel a greater path to playing time than he had in Oakland, where Matt Olson had first base locked down.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reported the news shortly before the official announcement.

Blue Jays Select Breyvic Valera

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The Blue Jays announced they’ve selected the contract of infielder Breyvic Valera. Lefty Nick Allgeyer was designated for assignment to open 40-man roster space.

Valera will be making his first major league appearance since 2019. He tallied 138 plate appearances between 2017-19 with five different clubs, compiling a .223/.294/.298 line with one home run. Valera missed all of last season when the pandemic prevented him from being able to leave his native Venezuela to report to the team. The Jays passed him through waivers this spring and he’s spent the year at Triple-A, hitting a robust .313/.406/.460 with more walks than strikeouts over 180 trips to the plate.

Allgeyer got his first big league call in May, working a scoreless inning of relief. He’s otherwise spent the campaign at Triple-A. Across eleven appearances (six starts), the 25-year-old has tossed 45 1/3 innings of 4.37 ERA ball. While Allgeyer has struck out opposing hitters at a decent 23% clip, he’s also issued walks to an alarming 12.9% of batters faced.

The Jays will have a week to trade Allgeyer or expose him to waivers. He’s never been a premium prospect, but he has a generally solid minor league resume and still has a pair of option years remaining beyond this season. That could intrigue another team with room to stash Allgeyer on the back on the 40-man roster.

Mets Place Francisco Lindor On 10-Day Injured List

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4:37PM: Speaking to The Athletic’s Tim Britton and other reporters, Lindor said he has a Grade 2 oblique strain, and indicated that he’ll miss time well beyond the 10-day minimum.  “I would love to say I’m day-to-day but I’m not.  This is more like week-to-week at the beginning and we’ll see how I bounce back,” Lindor said.

3:24PM: Shortstop Francisco Lindor has been placed on the 10-day injured list, the Mets announced.  Lindor has been sidelined due to a right oblique strain, a day after he exited a game because of soreness in his side.  Infielder/outfielder Travis Blankenhorn has been called up from Triple-A to take Lindor’s spot on the active roster.

No announcement has yet been made about the severity of the strain, and given the timing, a more serious oblique issue could threaten the remainder of Lindor’s regular season, and perhaps into the postseason should the Mets reach the playoffs.  This is only the second time Lindor has been placed on the IL during his seven Major League seasons, as the shortstop’s durability has added to his status as one of the game’s better all-around players during that stretch.

Lindor’s first season in New York, however, has come with some difficulties.  After being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Indians and then signing a whopping ten-year, $341MM contract extension, Lindor has begun his Mets tenure by hitting only .228/.326/.376 in 364 plate appearances.  This modest slash line represents a small step down from Lindor’s average numbers in his final season with the Indians — since the start of the 2020 campaign, Lindor has roughly a full season’s worth of playing time (630 PA, 148 games) and delivered an exactly average 100 wRC+ while hitting .241/.330/.393 with 19 home runs.

With an .821 OPS over his last 130 PA, Lindor was starting to heat up at the plate, which surely makes his injury all the more frustrating.  It also adds another layer of intrigue to the Mets’ trade deadline plans, since shortstop may become a need if Lindor is indeed facing a long absence.  New York was already rumored to be looking at such infielders as Kris Bryant and Asdrubal Cabrera to address a need at third base, and that search could potentially expand to such trade candidates as Trevor Story, Javier Baez, or Andrelton Simmons.  Jonathan Villar and Luis Guillorme are the in-house shortstop option, and Villar has been solid as the Mets’ regular third baseman this year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/17/2021

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The latest minor league moves from around the sport…

  • The Red Sox outrighted Austin Brice to Triple-A Worcester after the reliever cleared waivers.  Brice was designated for assignment yesterday to create roster room for Jarren Duran’s promotion to the big leagues.  Since this is the second time Brice has been outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster this season, he had the option of opting for free agency, but the right-hander has apparently decided to remain with the Red Sox.  Over two seasons with the Sox, Brice has a 6.21 ERA over 33 1/3 innings.
  • The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Victor Santos from the Phillies, both teams announced.  The move officially completes the January trade that saw infielder C.J. Chatham dealt to Philadelphia way back in January.  Santos will report to Boston’s Double-A affiliate, and will change organizations less than a week after celebrating his 21st birthday.  The righty has looked good over 41 combined innings at high-A and Double-A ball this season, posting a 2.20 ERA and 24.24% strikeout rate while working exclusively as a starter in four Double-A outings.

Phillies Sign First-Rounder Andrew Painter, 10 Other Top Picks

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7:36PM: Painter signed for a $3.9MM bonus, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports, landing under the $4,197,300 slot value.  As for Philadelphia’s other picks, MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports that second-rounder Ethan Wilson signed for a $1,507,600, matching the slot price for the 49th overall pick.

6:15PM: The Phillies have made quick work of the top end of their 2021 draft class, announcing that they have come to terms with all 11 of their picks through the draft’s first 11 rounds.  This includes first-round pick Andrew Painter, the high school right-hander selected 13th overall.  No financial terms were announced for any of the signings — the 13th overall selection has an assigned slot price of $4,197,300.

Baseball America ranked Painter 15th on their list of prospects in this year’s draft class, while MLB Pipeline and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel each had Painter 18th, Fangraphs 22nd, and The Athletic’s Keith Law put the righty in 24th.  As McDaniel notes, the additional risk involved in drafting high school pitchers might be the only red flag against Painter, since “basically everything Painter…does grades as a 55 or 60, and the frame, delivery and feel all check out.”

To that point, Pipeline and BA’s grades give high marks to Painter’s four-pitch arsenal, headlined by a fastball that sits in the 93-97mph range and is already considered a plus pitch.  There could be more potential for future velocity since the 18-year-old is already either 6’6″ or 6’7″ and weighs between 210-230 pounds.  Painter’s control is also very highly regarded, which Baseball America notes is something of a rarity for a high school arm.

Brewers Place Devin Williams On 10-Day Injured List

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The Brewers have placed right-hander Devin Williams on the 10-day injured due to discomfort in his right elbow.  The team also announced that southpaw Angel Perdomo has been called up from Triple-A to take Williams’ spot on the active roster.

Milwaukee president of baseball operations David Stearns provided some background on the injury to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters, saying that Williams felt some soreness while warming up yesterday.  (The righty, as you might expect, didn’t end up pitching in the Brewers’ 11-6 win over the Reds.)  An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, Stearns said, noting “We do not expect this to be a lengthy absence and are treating this with caution.”

The reigning NL Rookie Of The Year has taken a probably inevitable step back from his otherworldly 2020 numbers, but Williams has still been solid with a 2.97 ERA and a 36.1% strikeout rate that ranks in the 96th percentile of all pitchers.  While Williams has continued to miss bats, however, his 13.9% walk rate ranks as one of the lowest (sixth percentile) in baseball.

Those control problems aside, Williams has continued to be a big piece of the Brewers’ end-of-the-game puzzle, combining with Brad Boxberger and Brent Suter to set up All-Star closer Josh Hader.  While Williams’ injury could end up being as relatively innocuous as Stearns suggests, it’s probably safe to assume the Brewers (like any contender) are still interested in adding further relief depth to the bullpen for the pennant race.

Braves Designate Jonathan Lucroy For Assignment

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The Braves announced that catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up a roster spot for another veteran catcher in Stephen Vogt, who was acquired in a trade from the Diamondbacks.

Lucroy signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in May, and appeared in two games for the Braves after his contract was selected 10 days ago.  In 23 total plate appearances with the Braves and Nationals this season, Lucroy has a .316/.409/.368 slash line, though it isn’t clear whether that small sample size might earn Lucroy a look with another team if the Braves do indeed part ways with the 35-year-old.

The former All-Star has appeared in eight total Major League games since the start of the 2020 season, and apart from a second-half outburst as a member of the Rockies in 2017, he hasn’t been an above-average hitter since the last of those All-Star campaigns in 2016.  With catching depth always a scarcity around baseball, the odds are probably in favor of Lucroy landing elsewhere on another minor league deal, or a team could even claim him off DFA waiver or arrange a trade with Atlanta.

Lucroy is one of six different catchers who have suited up behind the plate for the Braves this season, as injuries (particularly to projected starter Travis d’Arnaud) have turned the catching position into a big weak spot for the team.  D’Arnaud is expected to return at some point in August, while the combo of Vogt and Kevan Smith will hold the fort in the interim.

Royals Sign First-Rounder Frank Mozzicato

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The Royals have announced a deal with left-hander Frank Mozzicato, selected seventh overall by K.C. in last week’s amateur draft.  MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports (Twitter link) that Mozzicato signed for a bonus of $3.55MM, considerably below the $5,432,400 slot value attached to the seventh overall pick.

The savings will allow to the Royals to spend more of their $10,917,700 bonus pool on their other picks, and there was some expectation that Mozzicato would take a below-slot deal since Kansas City exceeded the projections of draft pundits by taking Mozzicato with the seventh pick.  There was a fairly wide range of opinion about Mozzicato’s draft stock, with ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel coming in highest by ranking Mozzicato as the 21st-best prospect in the class.  (Fangraphs had the left-hander 29th, MLB Pipeline 39th, Baseball America 41st, and The Athletic’s Keith Law 54th.)

Mozzicato elevated his profile with an outstanding finish to his Connecticut high school career this spring, including a rather incredible stretch of four consecutive no-hitters.  As noted in Fangraphs’ scouting report, “it’s tough to measure the performance of Northeast prep players due to the level of competition,” but clearly the Royals feel Mozzicato’s potential was worthy of such a high pick.

A plus curveball is Mozzicato’s signature pitch, receiving a 60 grade (on the 20-80 scouting scale) from both Pipeline and BA.  McDaniel even writes that some scouts were even more bullish on Mozzicato’s curve, putting it in the 65-70 range.  “Mozzicato already manipulates speeds on his curveball based on the situation like a veteran, with an ability to consistently execute and command the pitch well beyond his years,” according to Baseball America.  Beyond the big breaking ball, Mozzicato has a fastball that sits in the early 90’s but with the potential for more velocity to be added.

Padres Reinstate Blake Snell, Drew Pomeranz From 10-Day IL; Place Ryan Weathers On 10-Day IL

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The Padres have reinstated left-handers Blake Snell and Drew Pomeranz from the 10-day injured list, the team announced.  Right-hander James Norwood was optioned to Triple-A, and yesterday San Diego officially placed southpaw Ryan Weathers on the 10-day IL due to a right ankle fracture.

Both Snell and Pomeranz are returning as expected after minimal 10-day IL stints, and Snell (who had gastroentiritis) is lined up to start tonight’s game with the Nationals.  Pomeranz had inflammation in his throwing forearm, though this somewhat ominous injury wasn’t considered particularly serious, as Padres manager Jayce Tingler indicated to reporters at the time of Pomeranz’s placement.

The Padres will welcome all the arms they can get in the wake of multiple pitching injuries, with Weathers representing the latest absence.  On the plus side, Weathers’ ankle issue seems a little less serious than it first appeared when he had to be helped off the field last Sunday, and the left-hander might potentially be able to return before July is over.  Even with Snell back and Weathers perhaps not a long-term concern, San Diego is still expected to focus on adding pitching help prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

Marlins Place Pablo Lopez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Marlins have placed right-hander Pablo Lopez on the 10-day injured list due to a right rotator cuff strain.  The placement is retroactive to July 14.  Right-hander John Curtiss has been reinstated from the 10-day IL to take Lopez’s spot on the active roster, while righty Jordan Holloway was optioned back to Triple-A after serving as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader with the Phillies.

Lopez heads to the IL in the aftermath of a history-making achievement, as his last start on July 11 saw Lopez become the first MLB pitcher to ever strike out his first nine batters faced in a game.  That entry into the record books has been the highlight of an overall strong season for the righty, who has a 3.03 ERA/3.48 SIERA over 101 innings for Miami and above-average strikeout (27.1%) and walk (6.1%) rates, to go along with a 47.3% grounder rate.

Lopez’s 2020 numbers were also good, and the 25-year-old is now looking like a nice building block within a Marlins pitching mix that has plenty of intriguing arms.  As Man On Second’s Joe Frisaro notes, however, several of these pitchers are already nearing career highs in innings pitched, so particularly in the wake of the shortened 2020 season, it remains to be seen how the Marlins will manage their rotation innings the rest of the way.

In Lopez’s case, his previous career high was 145 1/3 IP in A-ball back in 2017, so this 10-day IL stint might act as something of a natural rest point that allows him to pitch regularly the rest of the season, assuming a relatively quick return.  That said, Lopez has also had shoulder issues in the past, and the Marlins will undoubtedly carefully monitor his condition to prevent any further injury.  Depending on the severity of his rotator cuff strain, it’s possible Lopez could be shut down entirely for the season, considering that Miami already seems to be looking ahead to 2022.

If the Marlins opted for a starter-by-committee or an opener/bulk pitcher approach to fill Lopez’s rotation spot, Curtiss might be in line for more “starts,” after receiving a few opener assignments with the Rays and Marlins over the last two years.  Curtiss was placed on the 10-day IL due to neck stiffness back on July 4, and he has pitched well in his first season as a Marlin — a 2.67 ERA over 33 2/3 innings, despite some lackluster hard-hit ball numbers.  Curtiss is controlled through the 2025 season, so the Marlins are probably less likely to move him before other relievers in potential deals prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

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