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Yankees Outright Ryan Weber

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TODAY: The Yankees outrighted Weber to Triple-A

JULY 6: The Yankees announced Wednesday that right-hander Ryan Weber has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to righty Miguel Castro, who’s been reinstated from the paternity list.

Weber, 31, appeared in just one game in his latest Yankees stint, tossing a scoreless inning of relief on just 11 pitches. He’s totaled 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball with the Yankees this season, spending the remainder of the season with their Triple-A affiliate in Scranton. This is the second time Weber has been designated for assignment this season. He cleared waivers, elected free agency and quickly re-signed with the Yankees the first time around. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the same sequence play out once again, as it’s fairly common for journeyman pitchers of Weber’s nature. (See also: Drew Hutchison in Detroit this season)

The Yankees are the seventh Major League team for which Weber has pitched since debuting with the Braves back in 2015. He’s logged big league time each season since that debut but has never appeared in more than 14 games and has maxed out at 43 Major League innings in any given season. Through 171 2/3 innings as a Major Leaguer, Weber has a 5.19 ERA with a well below-average 14.8% strikeout rate but an excellent 5.3% walk rate and a strong 52.9% grounder rate.

The Yankees will have a week to trade Weber, attempt to pass him through waivers or release him.

Reds Select Buck Farmer, Place Ross Detwiler On 15-Day Injured List

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The Reds placed Ross Detwiler on the 15-day injured list and selected the contract of Buck Farmer, per the club.

The veteran Detwiler experienced a kind of renaissance last season, appearing in more than 20 games for the first time since 2015. If he’s healthy, the Reds will likely listen to offers for the southpaw, should there be a contending team looking for a low-cost southpaw to add to the pen. Detwiler has a 4.20 ERA/4.97 FIP in 18 appearances totaling 15.0 innings for the Reds this season.

Farmer, 31, pitched for Detroit from 2014 until 2021, an eight-year span that included 241 appearances (21 starts). He left the Tigers with a 5.33 ERA/5.04 FIP over 320 2/3 innings. He was most prolific from 2018-2019 when he made 139 appearances with a solid 3.94 ERA/4.17 FIP.

He has made 10 appearances with the Reds this season, giving up nine earned runs in 12 innings with a 17-to-7 strikeout to walk ratio. He’s been solid in Triple-A, however, with a 3.63 ERA across 22 1/3 innings in relief.

Rays Acquire Christian Bethancourt

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Christian Bethancourt said his goodbyes to his Oakland teammates today, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The A’s traded Bethancourt to the Rays in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). In exchange for Bethancourt, the Rays sent outfielder Cal Stevenson and right-hander Christian Fernandez to Oakland, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). Both teams have announced the deal.

Bethancourt, 30, made it back to the Majors for the first time since 2017. His career began, however, all the way back in 2013 with the Braves. Atlanta eventually traded him to the Padres, where he played from 2016-2017. To that point in his career, Bethancourt owned a .222/.252/.316 line across 489 plate appearances. Since then, Bethancourt has been stuck in Triple-A – with the Brewers in 2018 and the Pirates in 2021.

This season, Bethancourt has burst back onto the scene for an Oakland club that’s largely treading water. The right-handed hitter has slashed .249/.298/.385 in 182 plate appearances while catching and playing first base. He’s also spent ten games as the designated hitter.

For the Rays, they’re getting a versatile defender who can handle the catching spot. Tampa loves defensive versatility, and Bethancourt’s ability to move around the diamond will at least make it possible to keep three catchers on the roster when Mike Zunino returns from injury.

Of course, the Rays haven’t gotten much offense from any catcher on the roster. Zunino registered a measly 43 wRC+ at the dish before going on the injured list, with backup Rene Pinto posting a 27 wRC+ in 51 plate appearances and Francisco Mejia topping the group with a 74 wRC+. Bethancourt’s 99 wRC+ improves upon that lot, but more than that, he gives the Rays some depth at a position where it was previously lacking.

The Rays were thought to have some interest in Willson Contreras, perhaps the top trade available trade target on the market, though The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noted a reticence on Tampa’s part to pay high-end prospects for a rental like Contreras. Acquiring Bethancourt doesn’t necessarily take Tampa out of the running for Contreras, but it gives them plenty of leverage in later negotiations.

In many ways, Bethancourt represents a sort of everyman version of Contreras. He’s an offensive upgrade who bats right-handed and can move around the diamond when needed. To his advantage, Bethancourt doesn’t carry the financial obligations that Contreras does, perhaps giving Tampa another reason to consummate this deal now. By making the move today, the Rays give themselves a month to reassess their situation and decide if a bigger splash is necessary.

The Rays designated David McKay for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Bethancourt. After spending most of the spring with the Rays, McKay latched on with the Yankees to start the season. The Rays claimed him off waivers, but he has spent most of the season in Triple-A. He’ll again now be exposed to waivers.

As for Oakland, they’ll pick up a pair of minor leaguers for a veteran that probably didn’t fit on their next contender. MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos provides this quote from manager Mark Kotsay, who said, “Christian did a great job while he was here. It’s tough trading a player who has had an impact on and off the field. He’s been a leader in that clubhouse. .. I’m happy for him that he’s going to a team in contention and in need of catching.” Kotsay still has two catchers on the roster in Sean Murphy and Stephen Vogt.

For Oakland, neither player coming back is a top prospect, but that doesn’t mean they have no future in the bigs. Besides, considering Oakland’s minimal investment in Bethancourt, two minor leaguers is a solid return for the utility catcher.

Stevenson isn’t a top prospect, but he’s a fast-enough outfielder whose ability to play centerfield provides a cleaner path to the Majors than most, despite already being 25 years old. Originally a 10th-round draft choice by the Toronto Blue Jays, Stevenson has spent the past two seasons in the Rays farm system. In Triple-A this year, the southpaw has hit .265/.376/.353 in 203 plate appearances.

Fernandez was signed originally by the Rays out of Venezuela back in 2016. The 22-year-old registered a 2.79 ERA across 58 innings for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs. He will go to High-A where he will join the Lansing rotation.

Reds Activate Tyler Stephenson, Option Mark Kolozsvary

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The Reds have activated catcher Tyler Stephenson from the injured list. In a corresponding move, Mark Kolozsvary was optioned to Triple-A, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

Kolozsvary, 26, made just 11 plate appearances in the Majors, doubling once and striking out five times. The Reds drafted him in the seventh round of the amateur draft back in 2017. He’s made his way through the ranks of Cincinnati’s system, reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2021.

Stephenson has arguably been the Reds’ best offensive performer this season. The 25-year-old backstop was handed the full-time starting gig last winter when Tucker Barnhart was traded to Detroit. Stephenson responded by slashing .305/.361/.468 over 155 plate appearances.

Cardinals Activate Corey Dickerson, Option Conner Capel

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The Cardinals have activated Corey Dickerson from the injured list and optioned Conner Capel to Triple-A to open a roster spot, per MLB.com’s John Denton (via Twitter).

Dickerson has been out for a little more than a month with a calf strain. Prior to the injury, Dickerson was off to a slow start. The outfielder was hitting just .194/.245/.286 through 106 plate appearances. Despite his current 50 wRC+, the veteran has a long track record of success in the bigs, with a 112 wRC+ over the span of his career.

Capel, 25, was up long enough to appear in nine games. He went just 3-for-17 at the plate with one walk and two strikeouts. In Triple-A, Capel is slashing .271/.361/.466 in 252 plate appearances. This is Capel’s third consecutive season appearing in the level of the minors.

Red Sox Release Hansel Robles

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July 9: Boston has released Robles, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He is now a free agent.

July 5: The Red Sox are designating reliever Hansel Robles for assignment, reports Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal. The move frees an active roster spot for pitching prospect Brayan Bello, who will be recalled to make his major league debut tomorrow against the Rays. Boston’s 40-man roster tally will drop to 39.

Originally acquired from the Twins at last summer’s deadline, Robles spent the past couple months of the 2021 season in Boston. Despite erratic control, he was a generally serviceable late-game arm for manager Alex Cora. Through 25 innings, Robles posted a 3.60 ERA while striking out more than 30% of batters faced. After an offseason spent lingering on the open market, the right-hander returned to the organization on a minor league deal in Spring Training.

Robles made Boston’s Opening Day roster, locking in a $2.25MM salary in the process. He’s posting one of the worst seasons of his career, though, struggling to a 5.84 ERA across 24 2/3 frames. Robles has continued to battle spotty control, walking 12.6% of opponents. Yet the swing-and-miss promise he showed late last season has virtually evaporated, as he’s punched out under 19% of batters faced. Robles has also been tagged for five home runs, an issue with which he’s struggled in the past given his fly-ball propensity.

The 2022 season has generally been disappointing, and the extent of his struggles has apparently led the Sox to move on. The 31-year-old does have plenty of big league success on his resume, however. He posted a sub-4.00 ERA in four of his first five big league campaigns, including a 2.48 mark through 72 2/3 innings with the 2019 Angels. Before this season, Robles had generated swinging strikes and punchouts at an average or better clip in virtually every year of his career (aside from a downturn with the Mets in 2017). He still possess plenty of arm strength, averaging 96 MPH on his heater and just under 89 MPH on the slider that serves as his primary secondary pitch.

Robles’ combination of pre-2022 body of work and extant arm strength will surely attract the interest of other teams, although that’s likely to come after he clears waivers. He’s still due around half of this season’s salary (a bit north of $1MM). Any team that claims him off waivers would assume the remainder of that obligation, a development that seems unlikely given his underperformance through the first three months of the year.

If he clears waivers, Robles would have the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency while still collecting the remainder of his salary. (That’s afforded under the CBA to outrighted players with five-plus years of MLB service time). At that point, another team could add him for just the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent in the big leagues. The Red Sox would remain on the hook for the rest of the sum.

Orioles Recall Bruce Zimmermann, Option Beau Sulser

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The Orioles have optioned Beau Sulser to Triple-A, recalling Bruce Zimmermann to claim his roster spot, the team announced.

Sulser made his Major League debut this season, pitching for both the Pirates and Orioles. In total, he has made six appearances between the two clubs, totaling 14 innings of work and registering a 3.86 ERA/3.82 FIP with a 12-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Zimmermann has spent most of the season in Baltimore’s rotation. Over 13 starts, the 27-year-old southpaw has a 5.94 ERA/5.82 FIP across 66 2/3 innings. He’s tossed an additional 18 innings with a 4.50 ERA in Triple-A.

The Orioles have been surprisingly competent. Despite being in last place, they’re currently only three games under .500 overall. The rotation, however, hasn’t been a particular strength. Orioles’ starters rank 23rd overall with a 4.64 ERA.

Red Sox Designate Michael Feliz For Assignment

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The Red Sox have designated Michael Feliz for assignment, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (via Twitter). Reliever Kaleb Ort will be added to the roster today to take Feliz’s roster spot, adds Cotillo.

Boston originally signed Feliz last August, but the Athletics claimed him off waivers just a month later. The Red Sox signed Feliz again this offseason. The 29-year-old has just one appearance on the year. In Triple-A, Felix logged 24 2/3 innings across 18 outings (three starts) with a 3.28 ERA.

The bullpen is one area where Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom may look to upgrade the roster before the August 2nd trade deadline, writes Cotillo. Garrett Whitlock is working his way back through a rehab assignment, so there’s at least one internal improvement on the way. The Red Sox also expect Josh Taylor to come back and be a weapon from the left side.

As for Feliz, the 29-year-old will again be exposed to waivers. Feliz has spent time with the Astros, Pirates, Reds, and Athletics, in addition to the Red Sox. He has now appeared in the Majors for eight straight seasons, compiling an overall 5.29 ERA/4.17 FIP in 228 appearances totaling 250 innings.

Ort, 30, made his Major League debut last season for the Red Sox, facing just three batters. He has a 3.12 ERA across 33 appearances in Triple-A this season, however.

Giants Claim Colton Welker From Rockies

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The Giants announced to reporters, including Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com, that they have claimed infielder Colton Welker off waivers from the Rockies. Welker was designated for assignment by the Rockies on the heels of season-ending shoulder surgery. The Giants have recalled him from the minors and placed him on the 60-day injured list.

Welker was in the minors at the time of his injury but was occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. The Rockies could have opened that roster spot by recalling Welker and placing him on the 60-day IL. However, doing so would have entitled Welker to MLB pay and service time. The Rockies evidently preferred to clear up that roster spot without paying Welker and designated him for assignment.

The Giants, on the other hand, were willing to pay Welker in exchange for adding him to their system, something that has become a pattern of theirs in recent years. They added Luis Gonzalez and Darien Nunez in similar situations, making this the third such occasion in the past year. Welker will now collect MLB pay and service time but won’t take up a spot on the Giants’ roster.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, Welker didn’t take long to be noticed by prospect evaluators. Baseball America placed him on their list of top 30 farmhands in the Rockies’ system in 2017 and he’s been there ever since. However, he’s been slowed in recent years, as he was hit with an 80-game suspension in May of 2021 after testing positive for a banned substance. Between the pandemic wiping out the minor leagues in 2020, last year’s suspension and this year’s injury, he’s only played 62 games over the past three years.

The Giants are apparently still high on Welker, despite those setbacks. The last extended stretch of play he had was in Double-A in 2019. In 98 games there, he hit .252/.313/.408 for a wRC+ of 109. This year, he only got into ten Triple-A games but was excellent in that small sample, hitting .324/.422/.514, 135 wRC+.

Phillies Designate Sam Clay For Assignment

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The Phillies announced that left-hander Kent Emanuel has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To create room on the 40-man roster, fellow lefty Sam Clay has been designated for assignment.

Drafted by the Twins in the fourth round in 2014, Clay eventually reached minor league free agency at the end of the 2020 season without ever getting selected to the big league team. However, the Nationals liked him enough that they gave him a major league deal a couple of weeks later.

The Nats were likely hoping for better results than they got, as Clay put up a 5.60 ERA over 45 MLB innings last year. That came with a 15.9% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate, both of those numbers being worse than typical averages and Clay’s own track record in the minors. He did continue inducing ground balls, though, getting them at a 60.1% rate.

This year, it’s been a mixed bag for the 29-year-old, as he has a bloated 10.38 ERA in the big leagues, but in a tiny sample of just 4 1/3 innings. In 20 1/3 Triple-A frames, it’s a 3.10 ERA with a 64.5% ground ball rate, 21.7% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate.

This is the second DFA for Clay in the past week, as he was just cut from Washington’s roster and claimed by the Phillies in recent days. The Phillies likely knew that Emanuel was nearing a return from the injured list, making it possible that they claimed Clay with the express purpose of trying to pass him through waivers and retaining his services but without him taking up a roster spot. Regardless of their intentions, they will have one week to work out a trade, pass Clay through waivers or release him.

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