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Guardians, Daniel Norris Agree To Minor League Contract

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The Guardians have brought veteran lefty Daniel Norris back to the organization on a minor league pact, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He had elected free agency over the weekend, a few days after Cleveland designated him for assignment.

Norris has spent the 2023 campaign with the Guards. He signed a minor league deal at the end of Spring Training and was called up in mid-June. Norris was DFA within a few days, stuck around after clearing outright waivers, and returned to the bigs at the end of July. He again lost his roster spot last week, as an injury to Cam Gallagher led Cleveland to temporarily devote a 40-man roster spot to Zack Collins as a depth catcher.

The 30-year-old has made six appearances on the year, allowing seven runs (four of them earned) across 10 1/3 innings. Norris has worked out of the bullpen at the MLB level but started 12 of 18 appearances with Triple-A Columbus. He carries a 5.60 ERA across 53 innings there. Norris has a slightly below-average 19.9% strikeout rate and has walked nearly 11% of batters faced at the top minor league level. His fastball has averaged a personal-low 89 MPH in his limited MLB work.

While Norris hasn’t posted great numbers at either the MLB or Triple-A level in 2023, the Guardians are clearly comfortable with him as a depth arm. The one-time top prospect has pitched parts of 10 years in the majors with five clubs. The bulk of that time was spent in Detroit, where he got extended run out of the rotation between 2016-19.

Norris has worked almost exclusively in relief as a big leaguer over the last three seasons but has stayed stretched out as a starter in the minors. He’ll again serve as a non-roster depth option in Columbus down the stretch and will return to free agency at the start of the offseason.

Guardians Claim Eric Haase, Designate Zack Collins

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The Tigers announced Monday that catcher Eric Haase, whom they designated for assignment over the weekend, has been claimed off waivers by the Guardians. Cleveland designated fellow catcher Zack Collins for assignment in a corresponding move.

Haase, 30, goes from his hometown team back to the team that originally drafted him and gave him his Major League debut back in 2018. Cleveland selected Haase in the seventh round of the 2011 draft but traded him to Detroit for cash in Jan. 2020. He appeared in just seven games during the shortened 2020 season but broke out in 2021 and has seen semi-regular playing time over the past three seasons.

In 2021-22, Haase turned in a .242/.295/.451 batting line, swatting 36 home runs, 29 doubles and a pair of triples in 732 plate appearances. That offense clocked in about six percent better than league average, by measure of wRC+, and Haase showed some defensive versatility along the way. In addition to his work behind the plate, the Tigers frequently used him in left field (in addition to a pair of one-off appearances in right field and at first base).

The 2023 season has been a rough one for Haase, however. In 286 trips to the plate, he’s slashing .201/.246/.284. Haase has seen his ground-ball rate increase, while his exit velocity and hard-hit rate have both trended in the wrong direction. He’s also popping the ball up to the infield at a career-high rate.

Guardians catchers rank dead-last in offense this season, batting a combined .184/.258/.312. Even a small step toward Haase’s 2021-22 production would clear that remarkably low bar. For now, Haase will split time behind the plate with top prospect Bo Naylor. If he shows well down the stretch, Haase can be retained for another three years via arbitration, so there’s potential for him to stick around for awhile in his original organization. He’s out of minor league options, however, meaning he can’t be sent down without first clearing waivers.

Collins, 28, was the No. 10 overall draft pick by the White Sox out of Miami back in 2016 but has yet to establish himself at the MLB level. He’s spent parts of five seasons in the Majors and tallied 465 plate appearances during that time. His .188/.300/.329 slash is illustrative of his struggles to make contact, though. Collins has a huge 13.1% walk rate in his career, but he’s also fanned in 33.5% of his plate appearances. He’s a .252/.371/.468 hitter in 1040 Triple-A plate appearances.

Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, the only action the Guardians can take with Collins is to attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’ll be placed on either outright waivers or release waivers within the next few days.

Daniel Norris Elects Free Agency

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Left-hander Daniel Norris has cleared waivers and elected free agency, per an announcement by the Guardians. Norris was designated for assignment by Cleveland earlier this week to make room for catcher Zack Collins on the 40-man roster.

Norris, 30, is in his veteran currently in the midst of his tenth major league season. Initially selected in the second round of the 2011 draft by the Blue Jays, Norris spent the first several seasons of his career primarily as a starting pitcher, drawing starts in 82 of his 97 appearances between 2014 and 2019. During that time, Norris was a roughly average arm for the Blue Jays and Tigers. His 4.54 ERA clocked in just 1% below league average by measure of ERA+ and was largely backed up by his 4.47 FIP. That being said, Norris eclipsed 100 innings just twice during this period.

Those low innings counts resulted in Norris moving to a relief role starting with the shortened 2020 season, to fairly mixed results. His debut campaign as a reliever went quite well, with a 3.25 ERA (140 ERA+) and an even better 2.87 FIP. He struck out a solid 24.1% of batters faced, while his 6% walk rate was the lowest of his career. Norris struggled in both 2021 and 2022, however, combining for a 5.68 ERA and 5.01 FIP in 97 appearances for the Cubs, Tigers, and Brewers.

Those struggles led Norris to latch on with the Guardians on a minor league deal prior to the 2023 campaign, to familiarly mixed results. While he’s performed acceptably in limited chances with the big league club this year, notching a 3.38 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work, he carries an untenable walk rate of 21.2% in the big leagues this year, leaving him with a 5.98 FIP. While he’s posted a more manageable 10.8% walk rate in 53 innings at Triple-A this year, his 5.60 ERA at the level doesn’t provide much reason for confidence as Norris returns to free agency.

Despite those rather glaring concerns, it seems reasonable to expect Norris to find a spot somewhere on a minor league deal. With the trade deadline having come and gone, pitching depth is a constantly sought-after commodity, particularly in the days leading up to September, at which point players added to the organization are no longer eligible to participate in the postseason.

As for the Guardians, the club has plenty of left-handed options available to them for the stretch run, including Sam Hentges, Tim Herrin, and Joey Cantillo all on the 40-man roster. Amir Garrett and Randy Labaut are also upper-level depth options the club has at its disposal, though either one would require a 40-man roster move to make use of at the big league level.

Alex Cole Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league outfielder Alex Cole recently passed away. He was 58 years old. The club also announced the passing of Dick Tomanek, who you can read about here.

Cole was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1965. He attended the State College of Florida and was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 1984 draft but didn’t sign. The next year, the Cardinals took him in the second round and he put pen to paper this time around. He climbed the minor league ladder with the Cards but was twice traded in 1990, first going to the Padres and then the Indians.

It was with that latter club that he made his major league debut, getting into 63 games in that 1990 season. He didn’t show much power, not hitting any home runs in his 256 plate appearances that year. But he produced a batting average of .300 and stole 40 bases in just 63 games.

He carved out regular playing time in the seasons to come and generally produced in a similar fashion, not providing much power but using his speed to propel himself around the basepaths. He stayed in Cleveland in 1991 before being traded to the Pirates midway through the 1992 campaign. After that season, he was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft, becoming an inaugural member of that franchise. He would eventually reach free agency, signing with the Twins for 1994-1995 and Red Sox for 1996, which would prove to be his last season in the big leagues.

Over parts of seven seasons, Cole got into 573 major league games and made 2,012 plate appearances. He batted .280 in that time, racking up 493 hits, including 58 doubles, 26 triples and five home runs. He stole 148 bases in 207 attempts. He scored 286 runs and drove in 117.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Dick Tomanek Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league left-hander Dick Tomanek recently passed away. He was 92 years old. They also announced the passing of Alex Cole, who you can read about here.

Tomanek was born in 1931 in Avon Lake, Ohio, a city about 17 miles west of Cleveland. He joined his local club and made his major league debut with the Indians in 1953, tossing a complete game in his only appearance that year, allowing two earned runs. Despite that strong debut, he made just one appearance in the 1954 season and missed the next two campaigns entirely.

He was able to carve out a larger role starting in 1957, working primarily as a reliever. He tossed 69 2/3 innings over 34 games, posting a 5.68 ERA in that time. The year after, he logged 130 innings over 54 outings, registering a 4.50 ERA. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics alongside Roger Maris and Preston Ward, with Woodie Held and Vic Power going the other way. Tomanek made another 16 appearances in 1959, which ultimately proved to be his final big league season.

Over parts of five big league seasons, he got into 106 major league games and tossed 231 innings with a 4.95 ERA. He threw four complete games, recorded seven saves and struck out 166 batters.  We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Guardians Release Phillip Diehl

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The Guardians announced that left-hander Phillip Diehl has been released. He’ll head to free agency in search of his next opportunity.

Diehl, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Guards in the offseason and has been pitching for Triple-A Columbus this year. Unfortunately, the results haven’t been pretty, as he posted an earned run average of 6.89 in 32 2/3 innings for the Clippers. His 48.1% strand rate has probably made that ERA look worse than it should, but he’s also walked 13.5% of batters faced this year. It seems the Guards have decided to move on and have let him go.

The southpaw has a bit of major league experience under his belt, having made 21 appearances between the Rockies and Reds. But he didn’t fare too well in those, with a 9.47 ERA in that small sample. Although he struggled this year, his track record on the farm is strong overall. He had a 3.50 ERA in the minors prior to this season, striking out 29.8% of hitters and walking just 7.3%. He was in especially good form in 2021, as he had a 2.47 ERA in Triple-A along with a 33% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate.

He will now return to the open market and see what kind of offers are out there for him. His struggles this year will undoubtedly tamp down the interest somewhat, but left-handed relief is always in demand and Diehl is not too far removed from an impressive Triple-A showing.

Guardians Designate Daniel Norris For Assignment, Select Zack Collins

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The Guardians made a series of roster moves today, with Zack Meisel of The Athletic among those to relay them. Catcher Zack Collins has been selected to the roster while left-hander Tim Herrin has been recalled. In corresponding moves, Cam Gallagher was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list while lefty Daniel Norris was designated for assignment.

Gallagher was removed from last night’s game with a potential head injury, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. It appeared to stem from being struck by a foul ball earlier in the contest, per Bally Sports Cleveland. It seems the issue is significant enough that the club will give him a breather for at least a week.

The Guards have had Gallagher and Bo Naylor as their catching duo in recent days, with David Fry having been placed on the IL due to a left hamstring strain last week and Mike Zunino released earlier in the summer. With Gallagher now set to miss some time, the club needed an extra backstop and has opted for Collins.

The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Guards in the offseason and has been with Triple-A Columbus all year so far. In 109 games at that level this season, he’s hit .255/.364/.437 for a wRC+ of 101. He’s struck out in 31.5% of his plate appearances but walked at a 14.5% clip and launched 15 home runs.

That’s somewhat similar output to what he’s done in the majors so far. In 150 games dating back to 2019 with the White Sox, Blue Jays and Pirates, he’s been punched out at a 33.6% clip while walking in 12.9% of his trips to the plate. He has 11 home runs in 459 plate appearances while slashing .185/.295/.327 for a 74 wRC+. He has generally received poor marks for his defense in the big leagues, with -23 from Defensive Runs Saved so far and a score of -16.7 from the FanGraphs framing metric.

Collins is out of options but can be retained for future seasons via arbitration if he continues to hang onto his roster spot. He came into this year with a service time tally of two years and 95 days. He won’t have enough time to reach the three-year mark this year and could therefore be controlled for four future seasons.

In order to get Collins onto the 40-man, the Guards have bumped off Norris. The 30-year-old southpaw signed a minor league deal with Cleveland in the offseason and has twice now been selected and then designated for assignment shortly thereafter. He’s made six appearances for the Guards with a 3.38 ERA but has been helped by a .172 batting average on balls in play in that time. He has a 5.60 ERA in 53 Triple-A innings this year.

With the trade deadline now in the rearview, the Guards will have to put Norris on waivers in the coming days. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, but he accepted his outright when he was DFA’d in June and could perhaps do the same again this time around.

Tim Anderson’s Suspension Reduced To Five Games

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White Sox infielder Tim Anderson’s six-game suspension has been reduced to five games, per a league announcement. He was going to appeal but reached a settlement with the league, eliminating the need for a hearing. He’ll begin serving his suspension tomorrow. José Ramírez of the Guardians had his three-game suspension reduces to two games, which he served this past weekend.

Both suspensions stemmed from the same incident. In the August 5 game between the Sox and Guards, Ramírez slid into second base and took umbrage with the way Anderson attempted to tag him out. “He tagged me really hard, more than needed, and his reaction was like, ‘I want to fight,'” Ramirez said, per Mike Brehm of USA Today. “And if he wants to fight, I wanted to defend myself.”

The two came to blows, with Ramirez knocking Anderson to the ground as the benches cleared. That led to the aforementioned suspensions for Anderson and Ramírez, as well as one-game suspensions for Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase, manager Terry Francona, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and White Sox skipper Pedro Grifol. Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias and White Sox righty Michael Kopech were also each fined an undisclosed amount.

The news won’t have a significant short-term impact on the Sox, who are well out of contention. They will have a decision to make on Anderson this winter, as they have a $14MM option for his services next year that comes with a $1MM buyout. He’s hitting a dismal .238/.285/.284 this year for a 58 wRC+ and with poor defensive grades to boot. But he hit .318/.347/.473 over the previous four seasons for a 123 wRC+, stealing 53 bases and producing 13.6 fWAR.

Elvis Andrus will likely cover shortstop for the next few days, moving over from second. Zach Remillard figures to jump into the second base job for that stretch. The Sox don’t have another obvious middle infield candidate on the active roster, so they may have to make a move before tomorrow’s game so that they at least have a bench option. Lenyn Sosa is on the 40-man roster and could perhaps be recalled, though a corresponding move would be required. Players suspended for on-field infractions continue to occupy a roster spot, so the Sox will have to play with a 25-man active roster until Anderson’s suspension is complete.

Guardians Outright Chris Vallimont

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The Guardians have sent pitcher Chris Vallimont outright to Triple-A Columbus, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Monday when Cleveland claimed Ramón Laureano from Oakland.

Vallimont hasn’t thrown a big league pitch with the Guardians. His sole major league experience came last month as a member of the Orioles, when he recorded two outs in a scoreless appearance against the Yankees. Baltimore designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and sold his contract to Cleveland.

The 26-year-old righty has spent parts of five seasons in the minors. Split between four organizations — Minnesota, Miami, Baltimore and Cleveland — he owns a 4.97 ERA in 422 1/3 minor league frames. That includes a 5.65 mark between the O’s and Guardians’ Triple-A clubs in 2023. Vallimont has a serviceable 22.7% strikeout rate over that stretch, but a 12.7% walk rate is suggestive of strike-throwing concerns that have been present for much of his career.

This is the second time Vallimont has cleared waivers in his career. Baltimore outrighted him over the offseason before re-selecting his contract and then designating him again. Players with multiple career outrights have the right to test minor league free agency. It’s not clear whether Vallimont will do so or stick with Columbus and try to pitch his way back onto the MLB roster before season’s end.

Guardians Designate Chris Vallimont For Assignment

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The Guardians announced this afternoon they’ve designated minor league right-hander Chris Vallimont for assignment. The move cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Ramón Laureano, who was claimed off waivers from Oakland.

Vallimont, 26, landed in Cleveland in a cash trade with Baltimore a month ago. The Mercyhurst product didn’t make an appearance with the Guards. He spent the past month on optional assignment to Triple-A Columbus, working 10 1/3 innings over seven appearances. He allowed nine runs while walking eight and only striking out four.

The former fifth-round draftee had somewhat better numbers while pitching with the O’s top affiliate earlier in the season. He’d started seven of 10 outings there, pitching to a 5.02 ERA over 57 1/3 frames. Vallimont struck out almost 26% of batters faced with Baltimore’s top affiliate but walked over 12% of opponents. He made the lone big league appearance of his career to date for the O’s on July 3.

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, Cleveland has to place Vallimont on waivers. He’s gone unclaimed once in his career already. As a result, he’d have the ability to declare minor league free agency if he clears the waiver wire this time around.

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