AL Central Notes: Twins, Guardians, Blitzer, Ilitch, Tigers
The bullpen will be a focus for the Twins heading into the trade deadline, even though “the reliever (trade) market is always the toughest one to navigate and always the toughest one to pin down,” chief baseball officer Derek Falvey told The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman and other reporters. “It all depends on what’s available, but this year we’ll be more open-minded to adding whatever what we think will be something that will help us more toward the middle or the back end, ideally.”
However, it doesn’t seem like a trade may come together quickly, as with a month still left before the trade deadline, Falvey noted that many teams still haven’t decided if they’ll be buying or selling. “You can’t really accelerate that part of the conversation,” Falvey said. “Sometimes it’s ‘all right, we’ll wait and see, we’ll put you down as interested in Player X and we’ll circle back if we’re moving in that direction.’ ” While the Twins could push the market with an aggressive offer, that only increases the risk of overpaying for a player now when they could get the same pitcher for less in a few weeks’ time. Getting at least one of Emilio Pagan or Tyler Duffey pitching well would greatly help Minnesota’s bullpen and trade leverage, but until that happens, the club may need to continue to explore outside options.
More from around the AL Central…
- The Guardians figure to make some middle-infield prospects available at the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Zack Meisel writes that the club has such a surplus that some names will eventually need to be moved by this offseason at the latest. In terms of deadline targets, Meisel figures Cleveland will look to add in the bullpen and perhaps at catcher, though the rotation (for the first time in a while) could also be an area of need. Adding one more quality starter would help reinforce a rotation that has been only okay this season, rather than its normal above-average quality.
- David Blitzer is now officially a minority owner of the Guardians, though GM Mike Chernoff told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal and other reporters that “I wouldn’t expect our operating philosophy to change. The industry economic model is what it is and so we know what our challenges are being a small market. We don’t shy away from those at all.” While the financial status quo will remain in place for now, it remains to be seen what could happen if Blitzer eventually becomes the Guards’ majority owner — in six years’ time, Blitzer has an option to buy a majority share of the franchise.
- The Tigers have a disappointing 29-46 record, but owner Christopher Ilitch is still “very pleased with the progress” of his team. “Despite a very slow start this season with our team, there’s actually some good progress happening with some of the young guys that have come up and developed and so on and so forth,” Ilitch told reporters, including Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press. After years of rebuilding and a big offseason spending spree, the Tigers were expected to take a big step forward this season, but Ilitch sees these struggles as another natural part of “a process that takes time.”
Guardians Announce Series Of Roster Moves
The Guardians announced a batch of roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader. Left-hander Kirk McCarty has been recalled as the club’s “27th man” for the twin bill. The club also recalled infielder Gabriel Arias, with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez going on the 10-day injured list as a corresponding move. Furthermore, right-hander James Karinchak was reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A, with fellow righty Tobias Myers being designated for assignment to open a spot for Karinchak on the 40-man roster.
The Guardians haven’t yet announced an injury designation for Gonzalez, but he was reportedly dealing with some abdominal tightness recently. This IL placement will put a pause on his nice breakout campaign, as the rookie has hit .285/.315/.431 through his first 32 big league games. Despite a 3.8% walk rate that’s less than half the league average, he’s hit enough to produce a 112 wRC+, indicating he’s been 12% better than the league average hitter overall. With him out of action, Richie Palacios could potentially be line for more regular playing time next to Steven Kwan and Myles Straw in the Cleveland outfield. Manager Terry Francona tells Mandy Bell of MLB.com that an MRI on Gonzalez revealed some swelling near his ribs that will shut him down for about a week.
Myers, 23, was first added to the club’s 40-man roster in November as part of a huge shuffle. At the deadline to add players prior to the Rule 5 draft, which ended up not happening, the Guardians designated seven players for assignment in order to add ten prospects to the squad. In addition to all of that, they acquired Myers from the Rays and added him to the roster as well. Originally drafted by the Orioles, he was traded to the Rays for Tim Beckham in 2017. Since then, he climbed the ladder in Tampa’s system, pitching in Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. He made 22 starts last year with a 3.90 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. That surely enticed Cleveland to bring him aboard as rotation depth, though he hasn’t been able to maintain those results this year. In 14 Triple-A starts, he has an ERA of 6.00, along with a 14.1% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate. Based on those diminished results, he has lost his roster spot and has now entered DFA limbo. The club will have one week to trade him or place him on waivers. Despite his poor season thus far, teams may be willing to take a chance on him on the hope he can rebound into his previous form.
As for Karinchak, 26, he seemed to emerge as an elite bullpen weapon in the shortened 2020 season. He threw 27 innings that year with a 2.67 ERA and an absurd 48.6% strikeout rate, though a concerning 14.7% walk rate as well. In 2021, he came back down to earth with a 4.07 ERA over 55 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate fell to 33.2%, still very good, but was also still issuing free passes at a 13.6% rate. He has yet to pitch in the majors this year as he began the season on the IL due to a teres major strain. He’s been rehabbing for the past month, throwing 11 Triple-A innings with a 5.73 ERA. He’s still getting Ks 32.1% of the time but also giving a free trip to first base to 20.8% of batters faced. There’s surely some rust to deal with after a long injury layoff, which he will try to shake off by staying in Columbus.
Dodgers Claim Ian Gibaut From Guardians
The Dodgers have claimed reliever Ian Gibaut off waivers from the Guardians, according to an announcement from GuardsInsider. Los Angeles has transferred reliever Daniel Hudson from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Cleveland designated Gibaut for assignment on Tuesday, just one day after selecting him to the big league roster. The righty did make an appearance, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings during a blowout loss to the Twins. Gibaut averaged 96.9 MPH on his fastball during that lone stint, two ticks harder than his average heater from last season. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, the 6’3″ righty had otherwise spent the season with Triple-A Columbus. He tossed 19 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, striking out a fine 24.1% of opponents against an elevated 10.1% walk rate.
Gibaut induced grounders on over the half the batted balls he allowed with the Clippers. Between his capable minor league showing and seeming 2022 velocity uptick, the Dodgers were intrigued enough to give him a look. Gibaut is out of minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on Los Angeles’ active roster or be designated for assignment. Also a former Ray, Ranger and Twin, the 28-year-old owns a 5.19 ERA in 34 2/3 big league innings over the past four years.
Hudson’s IL transfer is a formality. The veteran righty suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee last week.
Guardians Outright Tanner Tully
The Guardians have outrighted left-hander Tanner Tully to Triple-A Columbus, tweets GuardsInsider. He’d been designated for assignment on Monday, just two days after being selected onto the roster.
Tully, 27, also saw brief major league action in April. That promotion came as a designated COVID-19 substitute, while he was added as a more traditional call-up over the weekend. The Ohio State product has made a pair of big league appearances, allowing four runs in five innings with five walks and a strikeout. He soaked up three innings out of the bullpen during Sunday’s loss to the Red Sox.
A former 26th-round pick, Tully will remain in the upper levels of the farm system. He’s never previously been outrighted and doesn’t have the requisite service time to refuse an assignment, so he’ll head to Columbus. He’s spent much of the season there, making 12 starts and tossing 63 2/3 innings of 5.23 ERA ball. Tully only has a 14.9% strikeout rate at the minors highest level, but he’s walked a meager 3.5% of opponents and induced grounders on over the half the batted balls against him.
Guardians Acquire Sandy Leon, Designate Ian Gibaut For Assignment
The Guardians announced this morning that they’ve acquired veteran catcher Sandy Leon from the Reds in exchange for cash. He’s being added directly to the Major League roster, and right-hander Ian Gibaut has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Leon’s acquisition comes in conjunction with catcher Austin Hedges being placed on the 7-day concussion list. Meanwhile, righty Anthony Castro has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus to join the bullpen, and lefty Konnor Pilkington has been tabbed as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the division-leading Twins. He’ll start the second game today for Cleveland.
Leon, 33, was with Cleveland for the 2020 season and also spent the bulk of Spring Training with the Guardians this season before being granted his release. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in mid-April and has spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Louisville, where he’s batted .222/.321/.306 in 84 plate appearances.
A career .212/.277/.319 hitter who’s never hit much outside of a magical 2016 campaign in Boston, when he slashed .310/.369/.476 in 283 plate appearances, Leon is a respected veteran who is generally lauded for his game-calling and defensive prowess. He’s thwarted one-third of the stolen-base attempts against him in his big league career and regularly drawn positive marks for his framing and pitch blocking. In 3621 innings behind the dish, Leon has totaled 36 Defensive Runs Saved.
Cleveland clearly places a premium on defense behind the plate, which is obvious when looking at the glove-first nature of their catching corps in recent years. Beyond Leon, they’ve relied primarily on Hedges, Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes for the better part of a decade — all of whom are considered premium defenders even though they’ve rarely contributed much with the bat. (Perez and Gomes each had a brief run of plus offense but graded out below-average over their Cleveland tenures as a whole.)
Given the nature of his acquisition, Leon could be in for a brief stay with the Guardians. Then again, Luke Maile has batted just .180/.268/.279 through 71 plate appearances this season, so even if Hedges returns in short order, it’s perhaps possible that Leon could supplant Maile as the backup to Hedges.
Leon’s return to the big leagues comes at the expense of Gibaut, who’d only just returned to the Majors himself yesterday. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in last night’s blowout at the hands of his 2021 Twins teammates but will now be traded or placed on outright waivers within a week’s time.
Gibaut, 28, has pitched in parts of four Major League seasons, totaling 34 2/3 innings of 5.19 ERA ball between the Rangers, Rays, Twins and Guardians. He’s notched a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus this season and carries a career 4.15 ERA, 29% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate in 136 2/3 frames at that level.
Between that solid track record and the fact that Gibaut sat at 97.1 mph with his heater last night — a huge jump from the 95.3 mph he averaged from 2019-21 — it’s possible a bullpen-needy club will look to claim him or strike up a small trade with Cleveland. If not, he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, should he choose, by virtue of the fact that he’s previously been outrighted in his career.
Phillies Claim Oscar Mercado
The Phillies have claimed outfielder Oscar Mercado off waivers from the Guardians, per a team announcement. They opened a spot on the 40-man roster by recalling lefty Damon Jones from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and placing him on the Major League 60-day injured list due to a shoulder impingement.
Mercado, 27, will be the Phillies’ latest attempt to patch their longstanding hole in center field. He was a Rookie of the Year candidate with Cleveland back in 2019 and looked like he might become a foundational piece in the outfield, hitting .269/.318/.443 with 15 home runs, 25 doubles, three triples, 15 steals and strong defensive ratings over the course of his 115-game debut. The notion of Mercado hitting waivers at any point in the near future following that season would’ve seemed outlandish, but in two and a half seasons since that showing, virtually every element of his game has trended in the wrong direction.
During the shortened 2020 season, Mercado fell into a disastrous slump at the plate and was never able to pull himself out of it, finishing the season with 93 plate appearances and a .128/.174/.174 batting line. His strikeout rate nearly doubled from that strong rookie showing, as did his rate of infield pop-ups. The 2021 season was a step back in the right direction, but Mercado was still a well below-average hitter. That’s again been the case so far in 2022, and his overall batting line dating back to Opening Day 2020 checks in at just .198/.254/.331. He’s still posted above-average marks in both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average over that time, but the abrupt disappearance of his offense was too much for the Guardians to overlook and led to a DFA last week.
The Phillies entered the 2021-22 offseason with a glaring hole in center field but instead doubled down on their longstanding defensive woes by signing corner sluggers/designated hitters Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. The primary solution in center wound up being a low-cost reunion with Odubel Herrera, whom they signed with visions of a platoon alongside Matt Vierling. (The Phils also thinned out their center field depth by trading Adam Haseley to the ChiSox prior to the season.)
While the team’s defensive struggles certainly aren’t the only reason (and arguably not even the main one) for this year’s generally disappointing season, there’s little denying that the club’s woeful defense has again been a substantial detriment. The Phillies, who neglected shortstop and center field upgrades in favor of the aforementioned duo of lumbering sluggers, are tied with the rebuilding Nationals for the worst Defensive Runs Saved mark in the Majors (-30). They’re also 29th in Outs Above Average (-27).
Bringing Mercado into the fold should help by giving them at least one solid defensive player to install into the lineup, but his feeble production at the plate is a questionable fit with what has been a surprisingly middle-of-the pack offense. The Phils are batting .247/.316/.413 as a collective unit — about three percent better than league average after adjusting for park and league (103 wRC+). That production, however, includes Bryce Harper’s absolute powerhouse .318/.385/.599 batting line, and Harper will be absent for the foreseeable future after sustaining a fractured thumb over the weekend.
If Mercado is indeed able to turn things around following a change of scenery, he could be a multi-year option in the Philadelphia outfield. He’s yet to reach arbitration eligibility and still has three seasons of club control remaining beyond the current campaign.
David Blitzer Purchases Minority Stake Of Guardians Franchise
June 27: The Guardians formally announced Blitzer as a new minority owner this morning.
June 16: Major League Baseball owners have approved the sale of a minority stake of the Guardians organization to David Blitzer, commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed to various reporters this afternoon (via Bob Nightengale of USA Today). The agreement is still pending a closing, but Zack Meisel of the Athletic writes that it’s expected to be finalized in the coming days.
According to The Athletic, Blitzer will own somewhere between 25% – 30% of the team initially. Of greater interest is that he’ll have an option to acquire a majority stake six years from now, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets. The sale price of the deal has not been announced.
None of this comes as a new development, as Sportico and Heyman reported last December that Blitzer was set to acquire a minority stake in the franchise with a long-term path to majority ownership. It’s nevertheless a notable step for the organization that the sale process appears to be reaching its end.
The Dolan family purchased the franchise back in 1999. They’ve remained in majority control since that point, but the Dolans have sought to sell a stake since former minority owner John Sherman divested his interest to purchase the Royals in August 2019. That search process eventually led to Blitzer, who also has stakes in the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Blitzer and partner Josh Harris had previously entered the fray during the 2020 sale of the Mets that eventually went to Steve Cohen; Meisel writes that, at least as of last week, Harris was not involved in the Guardians purchase.
Last summer, the Cleveland organization agreed to extend its lease at Progressive Field through at least 2036. Meisel writes that Blitzer could eventually oversee development projects around the ballpark, although it’s unclear if that’d take place before he assumes majority control.
It also remains to be seen whether Blitzer’s addition will have any impact on the team’s spending habits, although that seems unlikely to come into play unless/until he takes majority control. Dolan has come under fire throughout his tenure for the team’s low payrolls. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Guardians opened this season with an approximate $68.2MM player payroll. That’s the league’s fourth-lowest mark, ahead of only the noncompetitive Orioles, A’s and Pirates.
Guardians Select Tanner Tully
The Guardians announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Tanner Tully. To create space on the active roster, right-hander Yohan Ramirez was optioned to Columbus. The 40-man roster already had a vacancy, thanks to Oscar Mercado being designated for assignment earlier this week.
This will be Tully’s second stint with the Guardians, though this one will be more official. As the club was dealing with a COVID outbreak in April, Tully was one of several players select to join the team and help fill in. Three days later, he was returned to the minors. As a COVID replacement player, Tully was deemed eligible to be removed from the 40-man roster without first being exposed to waivers.
Tully, 27, was able to make his MLB debut in that short window of time where he was on the roster. He made one appearance, logging two innings with one earned run. He’s been working out of the rotation in Triple-A, starting all 12 of his appearances. He’s thrown 63 2/3 Triple-A innings on the year with a 5.23 ERA. His 14.9% strikeout rate is well below average, but his 3.5% walk rate is quite good. He’ll likely be deployed as a long man out of the bullpen.
Bullpen Moves: Marlins, Cubs, Guardians
Given the way the game is played these days, bullpens are dynamic entities constantly changing shape. Though longer injured list stints and option limits were intended to somewhat slow this ebb-and-flow of arms moving in and out, the game of musical chairs continues. Let’s check in on some of the changes being made in bullpens around the game today…
- The Marlins have placed Louis Head on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, recalling Zach Pop from Triple-A, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com (via Twitter). Head’s contributions on the year haven’t necessarily been additive, as the 32-year-old reliever owns a 7.23 ERA/5.29 FIP across 23 appearances totaling 23 2/3 innings. The injury is a bit peculiar as well since it’s not his throwing arm. Pop was a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles by the Diamondbacks, whom the Marlins then acquired via trade. He appeared in 50 games for the Fish last season, pitching to a 4.12 ERA/3.77 FIP across 54 2/3 innings.
- The Cubs have placed veteran southpaw Daniel Norris on the 15-day injured because of a finger strain. To take his roster spot, they have recalled Adrian Sampson from Triple-A, per Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Norris hasn’t had a great season, but if he’s healthy, he made draw some trade interest simply as a veteran southpaw. Currently, however, he owns a 7.24 ERA/5.73 FIP in 24 appearances covering 27 1/3 innings. Sampson has been up and down, designated for assignment, and brought back. Despite his frequent travels, he has tossed just 5 2/3 innings with the Cubs this season without giving up an earned run.
- The Guardians have optioned Anthony Castro to Triple-A and recalled right-hander Yohan Ramirez, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com (via Twitter). Castro, 27, with his third team in three years, has slogged through eight appearances, surrendering eight earned runs in eight innings on 11 hits and seven walks to 10 strikeouts. The Guardians acquired Ramirez from the Mariners via trade for cash and a player to be named later. He made seven appearances with the Mariners, posting a 7.56 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work.
Guardians Designate Oscar Mercado For Assignment
The Guardians announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s contest with the Twins (relayed by Mandy Bell of MLB.com). Outfielder Oscar Mercado has been designated for assignment, while reliever Nick Sandlin was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. The moves clear active roster space for starter Aaron Civale and designated hitter Franmil Reyes, each of whom has been reinstated from the injured list. The series of transactions clears a spot on the 40-man roster, which now totals 39.
Mercado has been a member of the Cleveland organization for nearly four years. The club acquired him from the Cardinals at the 2018 trade deadline in a rare prospect-for-prospects swap, sending lower level outfielders Jhon Torres and Conner Capel the other way. Mercado reached the big leagues the following May, and he quickly cemented himself as Terry Francona’s primary center fielder. Over 482 plate appearances during his debut season, Mercado hit .269/.318/.443 and tallied 15 home runs and stolen bases apiece.
Paired with highly-regarded defensive metrics, the former second-round pick looked to have emerged as a member of the long-term core. His low walk totals and modest power always capped his offensive upside, but he showed above-average contact skills and the athleticism to make an impact on the basepaths and with the glove. That hasn’t proven the case, however, as Mercado’s productivity at the plate has taken a nosedive since his rookie year.
He didn’t hit at all during the abbreviated 2020 season, and Cleveland sent him back to Triple-A on optional assignment to open the 2021 campaign. He had a capable but unspectacular showing over 45 games with Columbus, but he was nevertheless recalled at the end of June. Mercado spent the rest of the season in the majors but managed a modest .224/.300/.369 showing through 238 plate appearances.
2021 was Mercado’s final minor league option year, meaning the Guardians had to keep him on the big league roster this season. They’ve done so for the first two and a half months, but he’s posted just a .202/.227/.377 line through 49 contests. The continued offensive difficulties eventually proved too much for the front office to ignore, particularly with Reyes now healthy and rookie outfielder Oscar González off to an impressive start to his MLB career. Cleveland acquired Myles Straw last summer to serve as the everyday center fielder, while Steven Kwan has held his own as the primary starter in left field.
The Guardians will now have a week to trade Mercado or try to run him through outright waivers. He’s still just 27 years old, and his combination of bat-to-ball skills and defensive acumen could lead another team to acquire him. Any club that does so would have to keep Mercado on their active roster or DFA him themselves, but he’s yet to reach arbitration eligibility and has some MLB success on his resume. That’d make him an interesting depth flier for a team searching for a fourth or fifth outfielder.