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Phillies Claim Kyle Tyler, DFA Nick Nelson

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The Phillies have claimed right-handed pitcher Kyle Tyler off of waivers from the Marlins, the Phillies announced. He was been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Nick Nelson has been designated for assignment.

Tyler, 27, was designated for assignment on Friday, when the Marlins selected southpaw Kent Emanuel to the 40-man roster. Tyler had pitched 31 2/3 innings over eight appearances (seven starts) for Miami. He had a 5.40 ERA and a 5.11 SIERA. The righty also made 11 appearances (nine starts) for Triple-A Jacksonville with much better results, pitching to a 3.06 ERA and 4.04 FIP. His performance for the Jumbo Shrimp represented a step in the right direction for a pitcher who had a 5.60 ERA over 135 innings last season at Double-A.

Tyler is probably just an organizational depth piece for the Phillies, but that is certainly something the team could use with Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker the IL. While Walker and Suárez are on their way back, a little extra pitching depth is always valuable. What’s more, Tyler has another option year remaining, so the Phillies could easily retain him at Triple-A in 2025.

As for Nelson, 28, the right-hander has spent most of the past two seasons in the minors. He was a capable mop-up man for Philadelphia in 2022, but he struggled to transition back to a starting role at Triple-A in 2023. Over 26 appearances (five starts) with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, he has a 7.52 ERA and a 6.32 FIP. The Phillies clearly have not trusted him to pitch meaningful major league innings over the past two years, so it was only a matter of time before his roster spot went to a fresh arm.

East Notes: Grissom, Suarez, Volpe, Lowe, De La Cruz, Shim

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The Red Sox activated Vaughn Grissom from the 10-day injured list today and optioned the infielder to Triple-A, a move that The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported the team was considering last week.  Grissom hasn’t played in the majors since June 1 due to a right hamstring strain, adding to his troubled first season in Boston.  Between this injury and a left hamstring strain in Spring Training, Grissom has been limited to 23 Major League games, and a dismal .148/.207/.160 slash line in 87 plate appearances.

Some kind of decision was required since Grissom’s 20-day minor league rehab assignment was up tomorrow, but his .604 OPS in 58 Triple-A PA during that assignment didn’t exactly force Boston’s hand for a promotion.  Even as the Sox continue to look for answers at second base, Grissom will need to perform better to earn another call-up, and it remains to be seen when (or even if) he might be back in the majors before 2024 is over.

More from both the AL and NL East…

  • Ranger Suarez has been on the Phillies’ 15-day injured list since July 24, and manager Rob Thomson told Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer and other reporters that Suarez isn’t expected back until after the end of the Phils’ next homestand (August 13-18).  Suarez does appear to be making decent progress in his recovery from lower-back soreness, as he threw a 36-pitch bullpen session today.  Perhaps another bullpen session and at least one live batting-practice session will be in order, and Suarez’s return could be delayed a bit longer if the Phillies opt to send him on a minor league rehab assignment.  The left-hander was arguably the best pitcher in baseball over the first three months of the season before his back problems started to surface, and Suarez struggled to a 7.71 ERA in his last 21 innings prior to his IL placement.
  • Anthony Volpe fouled a ball off his left foot during a plate appearance in the second inning of tonight’s 9-4 Yankees loss to the Angels, and the shortstop was eventually forced out of the game in the eighth inning.  Manager Aaron Boone told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce and other reporters that x-rays were negative and Volpe just received a contusion, though more will be known in the coming days if Volpe will need to miss any time.  Volpe has an exactly average 100 wRC+ over 516 PA this season, with a lot of streakiness baked into a .257/.304/.410 slash line.  The second-year player has been hot at the plate recently and is still delivering standout defense at shortstop, so the Yankees can only hope the injury isn’t serious.
  • It was a similar story for Rays outfielder Josh Lowe, as x-rays were also negative on Lowe’s right knee after he fouled a ball off himself in the first inning of tonight’s game.  Lowe was in enough discomfort that he couldn’t take the field for the bottom of the first, but his injury was also deemed a contusion.  A pair of oblique strains have already sent Lowe to the IL twice this season, and he has hit .236/.296/.410 over 213 plate appearances thus far in 2024, playing almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers.
  • The Marlins made several trades during their pre-deadline selloff, and the deal that sent Bryan De La Cruz to the Pirates drew some “disagreement and discussion internally,” according to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Craig Mish.  De La Cruz isn’t arbitration-eligible until this coming offseason and is now under the Pirates’ control through 2027, but the Marlins’ analytics department wasn’t impressed by his long-term potential, “and a belief that De La Cruz wasn’t going to be a starter [in Miami] when the team is ready to contend.”  The Fish also had a particular interest in prying right-hander Jun-Seok Shim away from Pittsburgh, as Shim’s spin rates and pitching arsenal impressed Miami evaluators.  A Marlins source told Jackson/Mish that the team isn’t concerned about the shoulder issue that has thus far kept Shim from pitching in 2024.

Phillies Release Simón Muzziotti

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The Phillies have released outfielder Simón Muzziotti, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer on X. The outfielder was outrighted off the Phillies’ roster in February, so this won’t impact the club’s 40-man count.

Muzziotti, now 25, was originally an international signing of the Red Sox out of Venezuela but then Boston was found to have violated international signing rules. As a punishment, the Sox were not allowed to make any international signings in the 2016-17 period and five players they had previously signed were declared free agents, one of whom was Muzziotti.

He then landed a new deal with the Phillies and worked his way up through their system. The Phils placed him on their 40-man roster in November of 2020 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft but he ended up missing most of 2021 due to visa issues.

In 2022, he was able to make his major league debut, getting into nine games. He hit just .143./.250/.143 in those, but in just nine plate appearances. He spent most of his time in the minors but that season was ended prematurely due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

Due to the pandemic canceling the minor leagues in 2020, Muzziotti’s visa issues in 2021 and injuries in 2022, he was able to play just 66 minor league games in that three-year stretch. Last year, he stayed healthy enough to get into 124 Triple-A games and hit .296/.358/.404 in those. That translated to a 93 wRC+, indicating he was 7% below league average, but that’s passable production for Muzziotti since he’s been considered a strong defender and a speedster on the bases.

Despite finally having a steady season, the Phillies designated him for assignment in February of this year and the 29 other clubs passed on the chance to grab him off waivers. He didn’t have the right to elect free agency so he stuck with the Phils in a non-roster capacity but his results have tapered off this year. He’s slashed .235/.297/.373 in his 61 Triple-A contests for a wRC+ of 70, prompting the Phils to move on and let him go.

Muzziotti and his representatives will now look for opportunities elsewhere. Though his results have been poor this year, he’s still quite young and provides a decent floor with his speed and defense. Coming into this year, Baseball America still ranked him as the #22 prospect in the Phillies’ system.

MLBTR Podcast: Fallout From The Trade Deadline And Mike Trout Injured Again

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Phillies Sign Ryan McKenna To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have signed Ryan McKenna to a minor league contract, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The outfielder was recently released by the Giants, who claimed him off of waivers from the Orioles in May. He will report to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

McKenna, 27, made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2021, six years after the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Across 284 games and 508 plate appearances with Baltimore from 2021-23, McKenna slashed .221/.299/.318 with a 75 wRC+. While his bat was underwhelming, he stole eight bases on nine attempts thanks to well-above-average sprint speed. He also provided 7 OAA with his glove while spending time at all three outfield positions. Ultimately, however, he could never secure a full-time position with the big league club, and the Orioles shuttled him back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk several times each year.

Out of options in 2024, McKenna was designated for assignment on Opening Day and sent outright back to the Norfolk Tides. The Orioles selected his contract less than a month later, but despite his impressive performance in a brief stint with the club (3-for-8 with two home runs), he was DFA’d again in mid-May. The Giants claimed him off of waivers, but his cup of coffee with San Francisco wasn’t nearly as productive; McKenna went o-for-6 over four games before the Giants, too, designated him for assignment. This time, however, he passed through waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. Unfortunately, things continued to go downhill for McKenna after that. He missed some time with an injury, and when he was healthy, he hit just .227/.308/.348 with a 62 wRC+ for the Sacramento River Cats. He played his last game in the organization on August 1.

McKenna will provide the Phillies with a bit of additional outfield depth at Triple-A. His ability to play all three outfield positions could make him an asset on the bench in case of an injury.

Orioles To Acquire Gregory Soto

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The Phillies traded reliever Gregory Soto to the Orioles, reports Jim Salisbury (on X). Pitching prospect Seth Johnson is going to Philadelphia, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (X link). Pitching prospect Moises Chace is also going to the Phils, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (on X).

Soto, a 29-year-old lefty, has a 4.08 ERA, 26.7 K%, 12.1 BB%, and 50% groundball rate in 35 1/3 innings for the Phillies this year.  Manager Rob Thomson has moved Soto down the bullpen depth chart in recent months, well before the club added Carlos Estevez and Tanner Banks in recent trades.  Still, Soto averages 98.4 miles per hour on his fastball and is under team control next year as an arbitration eligible player.  He’s earning a decent salary of $5MM on the season.  Soto, who came up with the Tigers, joined the Phillies in a January 2023 trade.

With the Phillies’ CBT payroll sitting right around the second luxury tax threshold of $257MM, perhaps he was a luxury in a bullpen with Jeff Hoffman, , Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, and Estevez.

Just four days ago, the Phillies shipped reliever Seranthony Dominguez to the Orioles for outfielder Austin Hays.  It’s been an interesting pair of swaps between first-place clubs, and with the Orioles turning to the Phillies to supplement their bullpen behind Craig Kimbrel and Yennier Cano.  The Orioles, who also added starters Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers in deadline deals, don’t share the Phillies’ payroll concerns.

Johnson, a 25-year-old righty, sports a 2.63 ERA, 22.6 K%, 13.0 BB%, and 40.4% groundball rate in 18 Double-A starts.  Drafted 40th overall by the Rays in 2019, Johnson went to the Orioles at the trade deadline two years ago in a three-team deal involving Trey Mancini and Jose Siri.  MLB.com gave him a 45 grade, noting, “He maintains the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter, though his age and placement on the 40-man roster could push Johnson into a bullpen role in the short term.”  Prior to the season, Baseball America assigned Johnson a 50 grade and had a similar outlook.

Chace, 21, has mostly had 3-4 inning outings in High-A this year.  He’s missed a healthy amount of bats with a 34.2 K%, but allowed plenty of walks with a 13.5 BB%.  Chace’s pitching coach, Jordie Henry, said to Baseball America’s Jon Meoli, “Even when he does have those [command] hiccups, knowing that we already know his ceiling at this level is really, really exciting.”

Phillies Acquire Tanner Banks

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The White Sox have traded left-handed reliever Tanner Banks to the Phillies. Philadelphia is sending 19-year-old infield prospect William Bergolla to Chicago in return.

Banks, 32, has been a solid middle reliever for the White Sox over the past three seasons, with a 3.89 ERA and 3.67 SIERA in 162 innings pitched. He has an unremarkable 4.13 ERA this year, but his 26.8% strikeout rate, 3.23 xERA, and 3.12 SIERA are the best marks of his career. Of further note, Banks has gone multiple innings in 16 of his 41 appearances this season. Matt Gelb of The Athletic notes he will be a multi-inning arm out of the Phillies’ bullpen and “could return to starting at some point.” The southpaw has also been a menace against same-handed opponents this season, with a 33.7% strikeout rate and a 1.90 FIP. Lefties have hit just .184 against him.

The Phillies had already made one big bullpen acquisition ahead of the deadline, trading for Angels closer Carlos Estevez over the weekend. However, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic noted on Monday that Philadelphia was still seeking bullpen help. After adding the righty Estevez, it stood to reason they would seek a southpaw, especially given José Alvarado’s recent struggles. The move to add Banks makes even more sense given the news that the Phillies have traded fellow left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to the Orioles, which broke shortly after the report that the Phillies had acquired Banks. Soto has put up solid underlying numbers throughout his season and a half with Philadelphia (3.63 SIERA), but his 4.42 ERA over 95 2/3 innings pitched is less inspiring. Evidently, the Phillies decided they saw more that they liked in Banks. Not only does he have better splits against left-handed batters this season and a proven ability to pitch multiple innings, but as a pre-arb player, he is significantly less expensive than Soto and comes with significantly more team control.

Bergolla signed with the Phillies as an international free agent in January 2022. Entering the season, he was the team’s No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America and No. 13 according to FanGraphs. Keith Law of The Athletic was not as high on the young infielder, leaving him off of his list of the top 20 prospects in the Phillies’ system. Ultimately, different evaluators disagree about Bergolla’s throwing arm, speed, and power potential, but just about everyone seems to agree that his ability to put the ball in play is his most important skill. He had a 7.5% strikeout rate at Single-A last season, and he is currently running an 11.2% strikeout rate at High-A in 2024.

Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report that the Phillies were acquiring Banks from the White Sox. Scott Merkin of MLB.com first suggested that Bergolla could be headed back to the White Sox, and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com later confirmed the report.

Garrett Crochet Rumors: Deadline Day

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White Sox ace Garrett Crochet has been the hottest name on the trade market this month, both because of the Sox’ own failed attempt to extend him and because his camp has since indicated that the left-hander wants an extension before pitching in October for a new club. Crochet’s 114 1/3 innings this season have already eclipsed his prior career total. He’s said to be against a move to the bullpen, believing that staying on a starter’s routine is best for his health, and aiming for financial security before pushing his workload even deeper into postseason waters.

It’s rubbed many fans the wrong way to see such a business-like approach, and it’s taken many in the industry aback — White Sox GM Chris Getz included, apparently. Via Sox Machine’s James Fegan, Getz spoke with reporters yesterday and acknowledged that he was “surprised and taken back” by how Crochet’s camp handled the situation, particularly as he’d had a conversation with the left-hander’s agent at CAA just the night before.

“I think most fans and even players without knowing everything, it makes sense,” said Getz. “We understand why a stance would be taken. Now how you go about expressing that is what was a bit hurtful, quite honestly, considering I felt like we could have handled it a little bit differently and still I think everyone accomplished what they wanted to accomplish. … But Garrett and I are fine, we are good. I’ll continue to be one of his top supporters. In regard to how it affects the coming days, tough to tell.”

We’ll round up today’s Crochet chatter here and break out any major developments into their own posts…

  • USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the White Sox have become increasingly optimistic that they’ll find someone to meet their asking price on Crochet even in the wake of his extension revelation. Per Nightengale, the Sox believe that they’ll trade Crochet between now and the 5:00pm CT deadline but expect to hang onto center fielder Luis Robert Jr. — as was reported to be the case regarding Robert just last night.
  • Both Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Bruce Levine of 670 The Score suggest that Crochet’s market remains strong. Rosenthal lists the Padres, Dodgers, Braves, Phillies, Red Sox and Orioles as teams with varying levels of interest. Levine echoes much of that same list and quotes an executive from a rival AL club stating the relative obvious: “You don’t get a chance to find a top pitcher like that often. You must get creative.”
  • The Yankees inquired on Crochet at some point but were told in those initial talks that the two parties “didn’t match up” in a trade, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Yankees could always revisit talks, particularly with so many alternative rotation options off the board. New York has been tied to Tigers righty Jack Flaherty as well, and the Yankees are seeking a rotation upgrade as they simultaneously explore the possibility of moving Nestor Cortes in a separate deal.

Phillies Still Exploring Bullpen Market

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The Phillies landed arguably the best reliever on the market when they sent two highly-regarded pitching prospects to the Angels for closer Carlos Estévez. That hasn’t stopped the front office from continuing to search for bullpen help. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote Monday afternoon that the Phils remain engaged in the relief market.

Philadelphia’s relief group has been around average overall, but their 6.08 ERA this month is better only than the Red Sox’s 6.38 mark. Estévez should solidify the ninth inning, but the Phils could try to get another setup option to pair with Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. The Phils subtracted some of their middle relief depth with the trade sending Seranthony Domínguez to Baltimore for Austin Hays. Philadelphia has José Ruiz and Yunior Marte in low-leverage roles at the moment.

The Phils have arguably the strongest all-around roster in MLB. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and his staff are among the league’s most aggressive front offices. They continued that trend in the Estévez trade. They don’t have many obvious holes beyond the bullpen. Center field is arguably a weak point, but it’d be a thin market if the White Sox do indeed hold Luis Robert Jr.

Tanner Scott is the top reliever who is almost certain to move by tomorrow evening. The Phils probably aren’t going to land both of the best rental closers on the market. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel very loosely tied the Phillies to A’s flamethrowing setup man Lucas Erceg this morning. Estévez’s old teammate (and former Phillie) Luis García should move, as could John Brebbia and Austin Adams.

Lucas Erceg “Drawing Significant Interest”

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Hard-throwing Athletics righty reliever Lucas Erceg is “drawing significant interest,” according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.  Erceg, 29, is controllable for five seasons beyond this one.

Erceg, a second round pick by the Brewers back in 2016, had served as a two-way player in college but didn’t get serious about pitching until 2021.  This year, his second for the A’s, Erceg has cut his formerly worrisome walk rate down to 8.3%.  That’s paired with a healthy 26.3 K% and a 98.8 average fastball velocity that ranks 13th in MLB.  Erceg also has a strong 50.5% groundball rate and excellent barrel and hard-hit rates, so the ingredients are in place for an ERA lower than his current 3.68 mark.

Erceg spent a couple weeks on the IL for forearm tightness earlier this season.  He’s shown no ill effects with his fastball velocity, but did struggle for a couple of weeks upon his return.  Erceg’s past three outings have been scoreless, however, including a save Friday in Los Angeles.

Erceg’s bullpen-mate Mason Miller, one of the few relievers in baseball who throws harder, fractured his left pinkie a few days ago.  That moves Erceg up in the pecking order for A’s manager Mark Kotsay, along with fellow trade candidate Scott Alexander.  According to Rosenthal, the A’s have also “exchanged names” with teams on Alexander, a veteran lefty who bears little resemblance to Erceg as a pitcher.

Michael Kopech, who sits just above Erceg on the velocity rankings, landed with the Dodgers in a three-team deal Monday afternoon.  ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel connected the Phillies to both relievers earlier today, though he was unsure how the Phillies’ acquisition of Carlos Estevez affects their interest. Erceg, who will not be arbitration-eligible 2026 at the earliest, could be of particular appeal to teams with competitive balance tax concerns.

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