Jake Faria Elects Free Agency
The Diamondbacks announced last night that Jake Faria has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Arizona designated him for assignment over the weekend.
It’s possible Faria latches on elsewhere in the coming days, but it seems likelier the move brings an end to his 2021 campaign. There are a little less than two weeks to play in the regular season, and Faria is ineligible for postseason play since he’s been let go after August 31. The 28-year-old will presumably field minor league offers with Spring Training invitations from clubs this winter.
Faria began this season on a minors deal with his hometown Angels. He didn’t make it to the big leagues in Anaheim but signed a major league contract with the D-Backs shortly after being released in mid-June. Faria spent the next three months in the desert, posting a 5.51 ERA across 32 2/3 innings (all but three of his appearances coming in relief). The righty threw a decent amount of strikes, but he posted below-average swinging strike and ground-ball rates.
It has been a few seasons since we’ve seen Faria at his best. He broke into the majors with an impressive 3.43 ERA/4.26 SIERA across 86 2/3 frames with the Rays in 2017. He hasn’t been able to consistently build off that promising rookie showing in the years since, owning just a 5.65 ERA since the start of the 2018 season. Faria has a more consistent track record of productivity in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.99 ERA over five seasons with an impressive 27.9% strikeout rate.
D-Backs’ Seth Beer To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Diamondbacks first baseman Seth Beer will undergo left shoulder surgery this week, manager Torey Lovullo informed reporters (including Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). The 25-year-old dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball in a game against the Dodgers last week.
It’s unclear if the procedure will affect Beer’s readiness for Spring Training in 2022, but Lovullo said the recovery process will take “months, not weeks” (via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). While the D-Backs have long since been playing out the string on this year, it’s discouraging news that one of the club’s more promising young bats might be impacted by health issues heading into next season.
Beer just recently got his first call to the majors, appearing in only four games before his injury. He’s gone 4-9 to start his major league career, including a home run off the Mariners’ Diego Castillo in his first big league at-bat. That came on the heels of a strong season with Triple-A Reno, where the lefty-hitting Beer put up a .287/.398/.511 line in 435 plate appearances.
Prospect evaluators have long questioned Beer’s defensive aptitude at first base, but there’s little debate he’s a promising offensive player. The potential introduction of a designated hitter to the National League in the upcoming offseason’s collective bargaining negotiations would figure to be a boon to his chances of playing regularly in Arizona. Barring changes to the service time structure in the next CBA, Beer will be under team control for at least the next six seasons — future optional assignments could push back that trajectory even more — and won’t reach arbitration eligibility until the 2024-25 offseason.
Diamondbacks Designate Jake Faria, Select Ildemaro Vargas
The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Jake Faria has been designated for assignment. Faria will be replaced on the active roster by utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Reno.
The move essentially bookends Faria’s tenure in Arizona, as Vargas was DFA’ed to create roster space when Faria was signed back in June. Faria was inconsistent over 32 2/3 innings with the D’Backs, posting a 5.51 ERA and only a 20.8% strikeout rate.
Now in his fourth MLB season, Faria tried to shuffle the deck by using his curveball more often, though it didn’t lead to any great difference in results. After some promising numbers in his 2017 rookie season with the Rays, Faria has since posted a 5.65 ERA over 116 1/3 innings with Tampa, Milwaukee, and Arizona, and he also spent some time with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this year.
Vargas has already appeared for three different teams during the 2021 season, amassing 55 total plate appearances over 25 games with the Cubs, Pirates, and D’Backs. The veteran utilityman has spent much of his MLB career with Arizona, though he bounced around the league via three different waiver claims in the last year before returning to the Diamondbacks in June.
Diamondbacks Activate Merrill Kelly
The Diamondbacks have reinstated Merrill Kelly from the COVID-19 injured list. He’ll get the start this evening against the Dodgers, his first action in a month after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Tyler Gilbert was placed on the 10-day injured list with elbow fatigue in a corresponding move.
Kelly has been one of the D-Backs’ most reliable starters this year. While his promising 2020 campaign was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome, the 32-year-old has bounced back and remained durable until his positive COVID diagnosis. Kelly has tossed 142 1/3 frames over 24 starts, working to a 4.30 ERA. He’s not missed many bats, but Kelly’s a great strike-thrower and has induced grounders at a roughly league average rate en route to solid production.
The final few weeks will offer Kelly an opportunity to make a handful of starts and hopefully demonstrate he’s returned to prior form after a month away. His contract contains an eminently affordable $5.25MM club option, which looks like a lock to be exercised. At that point, Kelly would become one of the offseason’s more notable trade candidates, with the Diamondbacks unlikely to compete next season. Plenty of more immediate contenders could use the affordable, mid-rotation stability Kelly brings and seem likely to be in contact with the Arizona front office over the winter.
To open space on the 40-man roster, the D-Backs recalled minor league reliever Kevin Ginkel and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. The move officially ends his season, but Ginkel will pick up MLB service time and pay for the final few weeks. The 27-year-old has been up-and-down over the past three years, combining for a 4.72 ERA over 68 2/3 big league frames.
Diamondbacks Outright Jake Hager
The Diamondbacks have outrighted Jake Hager to Triple-A Reno, thus removing the utilityman from the team’s 40-man roster. Hager has spent much of his Arizona tenure in the minors, appear in only nine MLB games since the D’Backs claimed him off waivers from the Mariners on July 30.
The waiver wire has essentially been Hager’s second home for the last four months, as he has been a member of four different organizations in that time. After beginning the season with the Mets, he has been designated for assignment and then claimed three times, going from the Mets to the Brewers to the Mariners before finally landing with the Diamondbacks.
Hager made his MLB debut this season while playing with the Mets, and the 28-year-old’s rookie season has seen him amass 14 games and 30 total plate appearances (batting .115/.233/.115) with New York and Arizona. Drafted 32rd overall by the Rays back in 2011, Hager has hit .258/.313/.385 over 3508 career PA in the minor leagues, with the bulk of that time coming in Tampa and Milwaukee farm systems.
NL Notes: Brewers, Tellez, Naquin, Smith
Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combined on Major League Baseball’s record-setting ninth official no-hitter of the season, as the Brewers recorded a 3-0 victory over the Indians. Burnes struck out 14 Cleveland batters over eight dominant innings, though since Burnes amassed 115 pitches, Hader was brought in to finish things off with a perfect ninth inning. It was the second no-hitter in Brewers franchise history, since Juan Nieves’ gem on April 15, 1987.
Baseball’s “Year Of The No-Hitter” hasn’t been kind to the Indians, who have now set a record by being no-hit three times in a single season. Zach Plesac has been the Tribe’s starting pitcher for all three of those games, and Plesac matches Jim Perry as the only hurler in baseball history to be on the mound opposite three no-hitters in his career (let alone in a single season).
The latest from around the senior circuit…
- It wasn’t a perfect night for the Brewers, as first baseman Rowdy Tellez left the game prior to the bottom of the second inning due to a knee injury. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that Tellez has been bothered by the nagging injury for some time, and he will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of the problem. Acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays in early July, Tellez hit .265/.325/.464 with seven home runs over his first 166 plate appearances in a Milwaukee uniform. Tellez has become the Brew Crew’s top first base option, though if he has to miss time on the injured list, the team can turn to a combination of Daniel Vogelbach, Eduardo Escobar, and Jace Peterson at first base.
- A sixth-inning collision between Reds teammates Tyler Naquin and Jose Barrero resulted in Naquin leaving the game with bruised ribs. Naquin and Barrero were both in pursuit of a short fly ball from the Cardinals’ Dylan Carlson, but the ball eluded the duo in painful fashion, resulting in an RBI double for Carlson. In positive news, Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic) that there weren’t any concerns that either Naquin or Barrero suffered a concussion. The Reds don’t play on Monday, so it seems likely that Naquin will get two full days off to recuperate, and it remains to be seen if the injured list will ultimately be required.
- Caleb Smith lost the appeal of his 10-game suspension, and began serving that suspension today. The Diamondbacks southpaw was hit with the 10-game ban after umpires discovered a foreign substance on his glove during an August 18 game. Smith strongly protested his ejection from the game and subsequent suspension, though his appeal didn’t result in a change of the league’s initial decision. Smith has a 5.04 ERA/4.68 SIERA over 105 innings this season, moving between Arizona’s rotation and bullpen amidst a lot of control problems.
Diamondbacks Promote Seth Beer
4:54 pm: The team has officially announced Beer’s promotion. Infielder Drew Ellis was optioned to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.
3:21 pm: The Diamondbacks are planning to select first base prospect Seth Beer to make his major league debut during this weekend’s series against the Mariners, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Arizona already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster after releasing righty Seth Frankoff earlier in the week.
Beer was a first-round pick of the Astros back in 2018. The left-handed hitter had a monstrous three-year run at Clemson leading up to the draft, and he’s continued to mash in pro ball. Beer has hit well at every minor league level over the past couple seasons, with that success continuing after he was traded to Arizona in July 2019 as part of the Zack Greinke blockbuster. (The three other players Arizona acquired — utilityman Josh Rojas and right-handers J.B. Bukauskas and Corbin Martin — have also reached the majors).
After spending last season at the D-Backs’ alternate training site, Beer was assigned to Triple-A Reno this year. Over 435 plate appearances there, the 24-year-old owns a .287/.398/.511 line with sixteen home runs. Those numbers are aided by a hitter-friendly environment, but Beer’s production still checks in twenty-six percentage points above the Triple-A West league average. Coupled with his previous track record of success, there’s little left for Beer to prove against minor league arms.
Despite his draft pedigree, Beer isn’t regarded as an elite prospect due to concerns about his limited defensive value. Baseball America slotted him seventeenth in the Arizona system on their midseason update, praising his offensive acumen while questioning whether Beer could develop into even a serviceable defender at first base. Many expect the National League to adopt the designated hitter in 2022 as part of the next round of collective bargaining negotiations, and few would seemingly stand to benefit more from a potential NL DH than Beer.
The Diamondbacks would have had to add Beer to the 40-man roster this offseason or else risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft. They’ll get an early look at a potential long-term option as they play out the string on a terrible year. Beer could seemingly take some playing time from the struggling Christian Walker, who has hit just .234/.308/.356 in 373 trips to the plate.
Diamondbacks Release Seth Frankoff
The Diamondbacks announced this afternoon that they’ve released right-hander Seth Frankoff. Frankoff had been on optional assignment to Triple-A Reno. The move clears a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster.
Frankoff inked a minor league deal with the D-Backs over the offseason and was selected to the big league club in mid-May. The 32-year-old made four appearances (three starts) and tossed 14 2/3 innings of 9.20 ERA ball before landing on the injured list with forearm soreness. He’s worked 21 frames with Reno, posting an 8.14 ERA at the minors’ top level before being let go.
While Frankoff has seen MLB action in parts of three seasons, he’s only pitched a total of 19 1/3 innings at the big league level. Frankoff spent the 2018-19 seasons with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization, posting a 3.68 ERA with a fine 22% strikeout rate and a strong 7.6% walk percentage. That solid work overseas should get Frankoff a look from another club on a minor league deal despite his struggles this season.
Diamondbacks Select Brandyn Sittinger
SEPTEMBER 7: Arizona officially announced Sittinger’s promotion. Veteran reliever Tyler Clippard was placed on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.
SEPTEMBER 6: The Diamondbacks are planning to select the contract of reliever Brandyn Sittinger, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Arizona will need to make corresponding active and 40-man roster moves.
Sittinger originally entered pro ball as a 17th-round pick of the Tigers in 2016 out of Division II Ashland University. The right-hander spent the next couple seasons in the Detroit organization but was released in July 2019, having topped out at Double-A. After being let go, he landed with the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League, where he spent a couple months. He impressed D-Backs’ evaluators enough in indie ball to land a minor league deal over the 2019-20 offseason.
Because of last year’s canceled minor league season, Sittinger didn’t pitch professionally. He was assigned to Double-A Amarillo to open the 2021 campaign and earned a bump to Triple-A Reno in mid-June. Across the two levels, Sittinger has worked to a solid 4.03 ERA over 38 innings. He has punched out a very impressive 32.9% of opponents across the top two levels, although he has struggled a bit with walks upon getting moved up to Reno. The Diamondbacks will give the 27-year-old an opportunity to try to carry over that bat-missing success against MLB hitters.
Diamondbacks Select Henry Ramos
The Diamondbacks have selected the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos, per a team announcement. Fellow outfielder Stuart Fairchild was optioned to make room on the active roster. The 40-man roster already had a vacancy, meaning a corresponding move will not be necessary there.
As soon as Ramos gets into a game, he will make his major league debut. It’s been a long journey for the 29-year-old, who was originally selected by the Red Sox way back in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. He hasn’t made much noise since then, with his only appearance on a team top 30 at Baseball America coming back in 2015, when he ranked #29 on Boston’s list. He climbed to Triple-A in the Boston system in 2016 before reaching free agency after that season. Since then, he has spent time in the minors with the Dodgers and Giants, before signing on with the Diamondbacks this year.
Ramos earned his way to this promotion by absolutely mashing in Triple-A this season. In 294 plate appearances over 75 games, Ramos has slashed .371/.439/.582, good enough for a wRC+ of 153. For a Diamondbacks team that is nowhere near contention, they can use some of their remaining season to see if he can transfer any of that production to the big leagues.