Cubs Acquire Andrew Chafin
2:27pm: Arizona’s getting a player to be named later, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The D-backs could also include money in the swap, per Nightengale.
2:16pm: The Cubs have acquired Chafin, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
2:10pm: The Cubs are working to acquire Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Chafin, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
To this point in his career, the 30-year-old Chafin has only been a member of the Diamondbacks, who drafted him 43rd overall in 2011 and who has largely pitched well in their uniform since he made his debut in 2014. Chafin owns a 3.68 ERA/3.20 FIP with 9.54 K/9, 3.88 BB/9 and a 52.2 percent groundball rate in 271 2/3 innings, but keeping offenses at bay has been a problem this season. He has already given up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks (10 strikeouts) through 6 2/3 frames in 2020. Chafin has also been on the injured list for about two weeks because of a left finger sprain.
If he returns to health soon, Chafin’s history suggests he’ll give the NL Central-leading Cubs another credible reliever – which they certainly need. They’ll enter Monday’s action with a replacement-level bullpen that has recorded a 5.42 ERA/5.10 FIP over a month into the season. Chafin may not be long for the Cubs organization, though, as he’s due to reach free agency after the season. In the meantime, he’s earning a prorated $3.045MM.
Cubs Sign A.J. Ramos To Minors Contract
The Cubs have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander A.J. Ramos, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reports (Twitter link). Ramos was most recently with the Dodgers on a minors contract, but was released a few days ago.
This is the latest step in Ramos’ comeback attempt, as he sat out the entire 2019 season after undergoing shoulder surgery midway through the 2018 campaign. Ramos was reportedly throwing in the 93-95mph range, actually a touch faster than the 92.7mph average fastball velocity he posted from 2012-18.
Ramos had a 6.41 ERA over 19 2/3 innings with the Mets in 2018, so it has been some time since he has pitched effectively at the MLB level. For the first six seasons of his career, however, Ramos was a very effective bullpen arm, posting a 2.88 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 2.18 K/BB rate over 346 1/3 innings with the Marlins and Mets while recording 99 saves. Ramos’ six-year stint in Miami was highlighted by an All-Star appearance in 2016.
There’s little risk for the Cubs in seeing what Ramos has during this second act of his career. Chicago has risen to the top of the NL Central despite getting very little from its bullpen; Cubs relievers rank 27th of 30 teams in ERA (5.68), HR/9, and BB/9.
Central News & Rumors: Hader, Burnes, Twins, Norris, Romine, Tigers, Chatwood, Gio
The Brewers are receiving a lot of interest on Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (all links to Twitter), though there isn’t any sign that Milwaukee would consider moving either reliever for anything less than a major offer, particularly for Hader. Brett Anderson or David Phelps are perhaps more realistic options to be dealt if the Brewers opt to move an arm. The Yankees and Twins are two of the clubs who have been in touch with the Brew Crew about Hader, but there hasn’t been much indication that talks led anywhere.
Let’s dive into some news and trade buzz from around both the NL and AL Central divisions…
- The Tigers are drawing interest in catcher Austin Romine and left-hander Daniel Norris, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports in both a tweet and a longer notes column. The Rays are one team linked to Norris, who has impressed by posting a 2.40 ERA, 7.2 K/9, and 4.00 K/BB rate over 15 innings. The former second-round draft pick has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and missed part of Summer Camp recovering from a positive COVID-19 test, though he has performed well as a multi-inning reliever for the Tigers this year. Romine has also enjoyed a strong season with a .291/.309/.418 slash line over 81 PA, though his trade chip status could have a late wrinkle — the Tigers scratched him from today’s lineup due to right knee soreness.
- Tyler Chatwood left today’s outing due to right elbow discomfort, according to the Cubs. The righty bounced a pitch to the plate in the third inning, with manager David Ross telling ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers and other reporters that Chatwood initially felt a problem while throwing a breaking ball on the previous pitch. Chatwood was making his second start back from the injured list after missing much of August with a back strain. Elbow problems aren’t good news for any pitcher, though it is particularly concerning in Chatwood’s case since he already has a Tommy John surgery on his record.
- The injury bug also struck on the south side of Chicago, as the White Sox placed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 27) with a right groin strain. Gonzalez’s first year with the Sox hasn’t been a smooth one, as he has a 5.11 ERA over 24 2/3 innings and a 1.5 HR/9 that is almost twice his 0.8 career average. His most recent outing was, intriguingly, 3 2/3 inning of shutout relief against the Cubs, which could hint at Gonzalez’s role for the White Sox when he returns from the IL.
Cubs Acquire Jose Martinez From Rays
The Cubs are acquiring designated hitter José Martínez from the Rays, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). Chicago is sending two players to be named later or cash considerations in exchange. Catcher Josh Phegley has been designated for assignment to clear roster space.
Martínez burst onto the scene with the Cubs’ archrival Cardinals between 2017-18, hitting .306/.369/.478 over those two seasons. Since the start of 2019, Martínez has put up a more pedestrian .264/.339/.406 mark split between St. Louis and Tampa Bay, although he’s continued to feast on left-handed pitching in that time.
The Rays just picked Martínez up from St. Louis over the offseason in a trade that sent top pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore to the Cardinals and also brought back outfielder Randy Arozarena. He played a little bit of first base in Tampa but will obviously be seen almost exclusively as a DH in Chicago, where Anthony Rizzo has first locked down. Martínez will make just over $320K the rest of this season, followed by two additional years of arbitration control. With Martínez gone, Tampa figures to lean more heavily on Yoshi Tsutsugo and Ji-Man Choi at first base/DH.
Cubs Asked Tigers About Cameron Maybin
Cameron Maybin‘s name has emerged as part of trade discussions between the Tigers and Cubs, the Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Brittany Ghiroli report (subscription required). Maybin would be a pure rental piece, as the outfielder is only signed through the 2020 season and is owed roughly $280K for the remaining month of action.
Now a veteran of 14 MLB seasons with eight different teams, Maybin signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Tigers last winter in the wake of one of his most productive years at the plate. Maybin his .285/.364/.494 with a career-best 11 home runs over 269 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2019, becoming one of several unheralded bench players to step up big for the injury-riddled Bronx Bombers roster.
Thus far in 2020, Maybin has hit .256/.310/.436 over just 42 PA, as he missed two weeks of action due to a quad injury. Albeit in a very small sample size, Statcast metrics such as hard-hit percentage and barrels indicate that Maybin is continuing the improved solid contract he played last year in New York. Detroit has used Maybin only as a right fielder this season, and while he can still play center in a pinch, the 33-year-old is probably best suited for corner outfield duty at this point in his career.
This might be all the Cubs would be looking for in a depth piece, as Chicago’s outfield corps has been thinned by injuries to Steven Souza Jr. and part-time outfielder Kris Bryant. In theory, Maybin’s right-handed bat would provide cover against left-handed pitching (particularly since the left-handed hitting Jason Heyward and Kyle Schwarber have both struggled against southpaws), but Maybin has been something of a reverse-splits hitter for much of his career.
Cubs Release Kelvin Herrera
The Cubs have released veteran reliever Kelvin Herrera from their alternate site, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune was among those to report. Their 60-man pool now includes 57 players.
Herrera wasn’t long for the Cubs, who signed the former Royal, National and White Sox right-hander to a minor league contract Aug. 6. That came just a few days after the White Sox released Herrera, whom they signed to a two-year, $18MM contract before 2019. Herrera delivered a subpar 6.14 ERA/4.58 FIP with a career-worst 4.03 BB/9 across 51 1/3 innings in his lone full season with the White Sox, though, and after he opened this year with 2 1/3 frames of four-earned run ball with a personal-low 94.3 mph average fastball velocity, the club decided to cut ties.
Despite Herrera’s struggles of late, he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding another low-risk opportunity soon, considering he’s still just 30 and has been quite successful in the majors. Even factoring in his difficulties with the White Sox, Herrera owns a more-than-respectable 3.21 ERA/3.44 FIP with 8.94 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 61 saves and 119 holds in 513 2/3 career innings.
Cubs Activate Jose Quintana, Tyler Chatwood
The Cubs announced that they have activated left-hander Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood from the injured list. The club optioned righty Jason Adam and outfielder Ian Miller to its alternate site in corresponding moves.
Quintana hasn’t pitched this season after undergoing left thumb surgery in early July, though he’s known for consistently providing solid production over a large number of innings. The 31-year-old will head into this season with a 3.72 ERA/3,65 FIP in 1,485 innings divided between Chicago’s two teams. While 246 of Quintana’s lifetime 250 appearances have come as a starter, he seems likely to function as a reliever this year, at least in the early going.
Chatwood, meanwhile, will rejoin the Cubs’ rotation after missing a couple weeks with a back strain. The former Rockie has largely been a disappointment since he signed a three-year, $38MM contract with the Cubs before 2018, but his platform season has brought some encouraging signs. Chatwood’s 5.40 ERA through 15 innings is unsightly, though he has turned in two very good starts versus one clunker this season. He has so far logged an excellent 13.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9, and put up a 2.60 FIP/2.71 xFIP/2.91 SIERA.
The Cubs will give Chatwood another chance to hang on to a rotation spot alongside Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Alec Mills. However, if he flops upon his return, Quintana could move back into their starting five.
Pitching Notes: D-backs, Cubs, Verlander
Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray is drawing interest from “a few teams” as a bullpen possibility, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. The 28-year-old left-hander has only made three relief appearances in his career (none since his first season in 2014); however, after several respectable seasons as a starter, the soon-to-be free agent has tanked in 2020. He owns an awful 8.33 ERA/7.77 FIP with 8.33 BB/9 across 27 innings this year, though some clubs may have hope that Ray’s high-strikeout ways will lead to success in the bullpen during the stretch run of the season. That said, there’s no guarantee the Diamondbacks will move Ray before the Aug. 31 deadline, as they entered Monday a manageable two games back of a wild-card spot.
- More on the Diamondbacks, who made righty Merrill Kelly a late scratch before his start Monday. It was easy to speculate on a potential trade when that happened, but it turns out Kelly is dealing with a nerve impingement in his pitching shoulder, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. The club has placed Kelly on the 10-day injured list as a result and recalled righty Riley Smith. Kelly has been quite effective this season, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained Monday, so losing him is a blow to the D-backs’ playoff hopes and perhaps a less-than-ideal development heading into the deadline.
- Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood will come off the injured list Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports. Quintana, who has been out all season after undergoing left thumb surgery, will work from the bullpen upon his return. That’s relatively new territory for Quintana, who has totaled just four relief appearances out of 250 in his career. As Wittenmyer notes, though, Quintana could find himself back in a starting role soon if Chatwood or Alec Mills falters (Mills didn’t in a win over Detroit on Monday). Chatwood, who will start Tuesday, turned in a pair of great outings to open the season, but he went on the IL with a back issue after the Royals shellacked him for eight earned runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings on Aug. 6. He’s now set to rejoin Mills, Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester in the Cubs’ rotation.
- It has been nearly a month since the Astros shut down ace Justin Verlander because of a right forearm strain, but the reigning AL Cy Young winner continues to make progress in his recovery. Manager Dusty Baker issued an update on Verlander on Monday, saying to Mark Berman of Fox 26 and other reporters: “I think he threw 20 pitches yesterday. He said he felt pretty good. That’s a positive sign.” It’s still unknown whether Verlander will make it back this year, especially with only about a month remaining in the regular season. Houston has started 15-13 despite only one appearance from Verlander (and several other notable injuries), putting the team two games back of a wild-card spot.
Cubs Select Ian Miller, Sign Patrick Wisdom
The Cubs selected the contract of outfielder Ian Miller prior to today’s game against the White Sox. Righty James Norwood, already on the 10-day injured list since August 2 due to elbow inflammation, was transferred to the 45-day injured list to create roster space for Miller.
Miller appeared as a pinch-runner in the 2-1 Cubs victory, marking Miller’s first MLB appearance of the season and the 13th of his career. The outfielder made his Major League debut in 2019, receiving 17 plate appearances (with a .412 OPS) over 12 games with the Twins.
Originally a 14th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2013 draft, Miller has only a .274/.340/.357 slash line over 3011 career minor league plate appearances, though is much better regarded for his speed (243 steals from 294 chances in the minors) and defense. Miller’s ability to play all three outfield positions will aid a Cubs outfield that is lacking in depth with Kris Bryant and Steven Souza Jr. both on the injured list.
The Cubs also announced the signing of infielder Patrick Wisdom to a minor league contract, and he will report to the club’s alternate training site as the 58th current member of Chicago’s 60-man player pool. Wisdom signed an MLB contract with the Mariners during the offseason but was released on August 14 before ever officially suiting up in a Seattle uniform.
Wisdom’s Major League resume remains at 41 games with the Cardinals and Rangers over the 2018-19 seasons, though he has posted some solid numbers (.252/.328/.478 with 82 homers) over 1674 career PA at the Triple-A level. Wisdom, who celebrates his 29th birthday later this week, was the 52nd overall pick of the 2012 draft.
Cubs Place Kris Bryant On 10-Day Injured List
The Cubs announced that Kris Bryant has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left ring finger. The placement is retroactive to August 19. There is no corresponding move for now, so the Cubs will play tonight’s game against the White Sox with only 27 players on their 28-man active roster.
Bryant has been battling finger and left wrist issues for over a week now, ever since an attempt at a diving catch during the Cubs’ 7-2 win over the Indians on August 12. After a game off, Bryant attempted to play through the injury but still seemed bothered, as evidenced by his 2-for-16 performance over a four-game stretch. Bryant hasn’t played since Monday, though as noted as ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers, manager David Ross said just earlier today that putting Bryant on the IL was “not the plan right now.” Clearly those plans changed, and Bryant will now get some more time off to fully heal up.
The time away might also serve as something of a restart for Bryant after a slow beginning to the 2020 season. The slugger has hit only .177/.271/.323 over his first 70 plate appearances, though Bryant has been dealing with a number of minor health issues (a sore back, sore elbow, and some gastrointestinal illness) since Opening Day.
David Bote will likely continue to be the top choice at third base until Bryant returns, with Nico Hoerner and Hernan Perez also available as hot corner options.