Royals Win Arbitration Case Over Nicky Lopez
The Royals have won their arbitration hearing over infielder Nicky Lopez, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link). Lopez will earn $2.55MM in salary for the 2022 season, instead of the $2.95MM he was seeking in his first trip through the arb process.
Lopez has somewhat quietly established himself as an everyday player in Kansas City, despite the presence of other more heralded infielders in the Royals’ system. Adalberto Mondesi‘s injury struggles opened the door for Lopez to get regular work in the Royals’ middle infield mix, and Lopez’s excellent glovework earned him a Gold Glove nomination as a second baseman in 2020.
This set the stage for a breakout season in 2021, as only 10 players in all of baseball had a higher fWAR than Lopez’s 6.0 mark last year. Much of that value came from defense, as over 1233 2/3 innings at shortstop, Lopez posted +24 Outs Above Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved, and +4.6 UZR/150. He also had his best year at the plate in the majors, batting .300/.365/.378 (106 wRC+) with 78 runs scored and 22 steals in 23 chances.
Given that arbiters put more weight on standard counting stats than advanced metrics, Lopez’s lack of power and lack of a real offensive track record prior to 2021 probably contributed to the Royals’ victory in the hearing. The arbiter was also only regarding Lopez’s 2021 numbers, so the infielder’s big struggles this season (.214/.286/.251 in 209 PA) weren’t supposed to be a factor. Lopez’s top-flight speed helped him beat out many a grounder in 2021, but his .347 BABIP was a hint that regression was inevitable, as reflected by his .253 BABIP this season.
The Royals’ 2021-22 arbitration class is now finally settled, after the lockout pushed baseball’s arb business (and several hearings) deep into the season. Lopez was the second arb-eligible Royal who went to a hearing, and Andrew Benintendi earned a victory in his case last month.
Royals Release JaCoby Jones
The Royals are releasing outfielder JaCoby Jones from his minor league contract, reports Anne Rogers of MLB.com (Twitter link). The 30-year-old had been with their top affiliate in Omaha after signing a non-roster deal over the offseason.
Jones struggled at the dish over his stint with the Storm Chasers. He suited up in 38 games but hit only .214/.270/.357 with four home runs through 137 trips to the plate. Perhaps even more concerning than the slash line is that he struck out in just over 40% of his plate appearances while only drawing a walk 6.6% of the time. Kansas City added former Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn to the organization on a minors pact last week, and it seems he’ll step in as a center field-capable depth option in Omaha.
While Jones didn’t reach the big leagues with the Royals, he suited up with the division-rival Tigers in each season from 2016-21. A former third-round draftee of the Pirates, the LSU product was Detroit’s primary center fielder for a few seasons. He flashed some power potential and rated well defensively at times, but he posted a higher than average strikeout percentage in every year of his career. Detroit began to curtail his playing time in recent years and eventually outrighted him off their 40-man roster last June.
Jones heads back to free agency in search of a new opportunity. He’ll certainly again be limited to minor league offers after his rough stretch in Omaha, but it seems likely he’ll catch on somewhere as a depth option based on his raw power and athleticism.
Royals Select Daniel Mengden
The Royals announced they’ve selected right-hander Daniel Mengden onto the major league roster. In a corresponding move, reliever Joel Payamps has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list.
Mengden is now in position to make his first MLB appearance in two years. The Texas A&M product pitched in the majors with the A’s each season from 2016-20, starting 48 of his 60 outings. Not a particularly hard thrower, Mengden rarely missed many bats but looked like a viable back-of-the-rotation arm at times based on the strength of his control. He posted a 3.80 ERA through 158 2/3 innings from 2017-18, and while the A’s pitcher-friendly home ballpark and excellent team defenses no doubt aided him, Mengden walked a meager 5.4% of batters faced during that stretch.
By 2019, however, Mengden began to struggle with his control. Oakland outrighted him off the roster in 2020, and he signed on with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization last winter. He proved a solid pickup, tossing 120 frames of 3.60 ERA ball with a 20.7% strikeout rate and a 7% walk percentage for the Gwangju-based club. Mengden returned to the United States this past offseason, inking a minors pact with Kansas City in March.
The 29-year-old has spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with Triple-A Omaha. He’s worked almost exclusively as a starter, opening 11 of his 12 outings. Mengden has a 5.47 ERA across 52 2/3 frames for the Storm Chasers, posting worse than average strikeout and walk numbers (21.3% and 12.6%, respectively) while struggling with home runs. Nevertheless, Kansas City will give him another crack in the majors, presumably as a multi-inning relief option for skipper Mike Matheny.
Royals Transfer Jake Brentz To 60-Day IL
The Royals announced some roster moves today, reinstating lefty Amir Garrett from the COVID-related injured list. To make room for him on the active roster, fellow southpaw Angel Zerpa was optioned to Triple-A. Yet another lefty, Jake Brentz, was transferred to the 60-day IL in order to create room for Garrett on the 40-man roster.
Brent made it to the major leagues for the first time last year and had a strong debut season. He threw 64 innings with a 3.66 ERA, 49% ground ball rate and 27.3% strikeout rate, though his walks were on the high side at 13.3%. This year, however, things got off to a disastrous start, with Brentz allowing 14 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, which included an awful 28.9% walk rate. He landed on the injured list in late April due to a left flexor strain. At the time, manager Mike Matheny said that Brentz had been ailing for some time, which perhaps explains those struggles.
Today’s transfer means he won’t be eligible to return until 60 days from the initial IL placement, which would be late June. Matheny tells Anne Rogers of MLB.com that this doesn’t affect the timeline for Brentz, who wasn’t going to be ready to return at that point anyway. The club could use the roster spot because of their COVID situation. Garrett was one of three players on the COVID list, meaning he wasn’t occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. Moving Brentz to the 60-day cleared up a spot for him, though the club still has Matt Peacock and Gabe Speier on the COVID-IL, meaning further roster maneuvering will be required down the line.
Royals Sign Roman Quinn To Minor League Deal
The Royals have signed outfielder Roman Quinn to a minor league deal, according to a tweet from the Omaha Storm Chasers, the club’s Triple-A affiliate.
Quinn has spent the vast majority of his career with the Phillies so far, as they drafted him back in 2011. Although he was considered a very noteworthy prospect, even taking the final spot on Baseball America’s Top 100 list in 2013, he’s been slowed by injuries at the big league level. Despite appearing in six MLB seasons to this point, he’s gotten into just 201 total games in that time, never getting into more than 50 in any individual season. He’s never been able to get into much of a groove at the plate in his stop-and-start career, with an MLB batting line of .223/.300/.343, wRC+ of 74. Despite that tepid production at the plate, he’s still provided value with his speed, as Statcast estimates his glovework to have been worth 7 Outs Above Average in his career. Quinn also has 43 stolen bases in his limited MLB action so far.
The Phillies designated him for assignment at the end of last year, with Quinn eventually electing free agency. He signed a minors deal with the Marlins but returned to the open market after not making the club’s Opening Day roster. A few days later, he went back to the Phillies’ organization on a minor league deal, getting selected back to the big league team in late April. He’s stayed healthy so far this year but still hasn’t found much success at the plate. His batting line in 40 plate appearances this year is currently .162/.225/.189, wRC+ of just 20. He’s also struck out in 37.5% of his plate appearances. He was designated for assignment last week, clearing waivers and electing to return to free agency.
Quinn won’t have a clear path back to the big leagues with the Royals immediately, though it’s possible that could change in the coming months. The Royals are currently 18-37, which is the worst record in all of baseball. Although there’s still over six weeks until the trade deadline, they will need an incredible turnaround in that time to avoid the fate of being deadline sellers. The club’s primary outfield consists of Whit Merrifield, Michael A. Taylor and Andrew Benintendi, none of whom have extensive windows of club control. Merrifield is controlled through 2023 with a mutual option for 2024, though he’s unlikely to be moved. He’s been the subject of trade rumors for years but the organization has continued to hold onto him. Given that he’s having the worst season of his career, it’s doubtful the club would suddenly change course and sell while his value is at a low ebb. Benintendi, however, is headed towards free agency at season’s end, while Taylor is controlled through 2023. If the Royals end up pulling the trigger on a trade, they’ll have Quinn on hand as an option to spend some time on the grass in the post-deadline portion of the season.
Outrighted: Menez, Hall, Blanco
We’ll track some recent DFAs who’ve cleared waivers here (and update with any others throughout the day)…
Latest updates
- Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Triple-A Omaha. It’s the first career outright for the 29-year-old, so he doesn’t have the right to refuse the assignment. Blanco appeared in five games with the big league club after being selected to the majors last month, when Kansas City lost starting center fielder Michael A. Taylor to the COVID-19 injured list. Taylor returned last Friday and the Royals designated Blanco for assignment. He’ll return to the Storm Chasers, with whom he has a .263/.381/.442 line through 31 games this year, and try to play his way back to the majors.
Earlier news
- Lefty Conner Menez went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Iowa, according to the Cubs. The 27-year-old southpaw pitched just one inning upon being called to the Majors last month but has a solid track record in parts of three seasons with the Giants. A former 14th-round pick, Menez sports a 3.95 ERA and 24.9% strikeout rate in the big leagues, though he’s also walked nearly 11% of his opponents and has been quite homer-prone (1.66 HR/9). In parts of four Triple-A seasons, he carries a 4.96 ERA and has walked 12% of his opponents, both of which surely contributed to him clearing waivers. Menez has yet to allow a homer in 17 1/3 Triple-A frames this year, however, while pitching to a 2.08 ERA with a 28.3% strikeout rate. If he continues producing anywhere near that level, he could find himself with another big league opportunity in Chicago.
- Brewers catcher Alex Hall cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to the team’s Class-A Advanced affiliate, as indicated on their transactions log at MLB.com. The 22-year-old Hall signed out of Australia as an amateur back in 2017 and has spent the bulk of his Brewers tenure in the lower levels of the team’s system. Hall was selected to the big leagues in emergency fashion when catcher Omar Narvaez was scratched from the Brewers’ lineup following a positive Covid-19 test. Backup Victor Caratini got the start that day, but the Brewers didn’t have time to summon Alex Jackson or another catcher from their Triple-A club in Nashville. The proximity of their High-A club — located in Appleton, Wisc. — wound up getting Hall his first few days of big league service time. He’ll head back to that level, where he has a .275/.333/.451 slash in 15 games, and continue working toward a more permanent addition to the 40-man roster.
Royals Recall Kris Bubic, Option Ronald Bolanos
The Royals recalled Kris Bubic to start today’s ballgame and optioned Ronald Bolanos to Triple-A, per the Athletic’s Alex Lewis (via Twitter).
Bubic, 24, got off to a disastrous start this season with a 12.83 ERA over five starts and one relief appearance totaling 13 1/3 innings. He fared little better over three starts in Triple-A, surrendering 10 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. His peripheral numbers did improve, however, with a 4-to-17 walk-to-strikeout ratio after posting a 11-to-10 such mark in the bigs.
Bolanos, 25, has made eight appearances out of the bullpen this year while serving as a bulk reliever. He has a 4.42 ERA/5.71 FIP over 18 1/3 innings of work with 12 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. Bolanos has primarily served as a starter while in the minors.
Royals Designate Dairon Blanco For Assignment
The Royals announced they’ve designated outfielder Dairon Blanco for assignment. Kansas City also reinstated center fielder Michael A. Taylor from the COVID-19 injured list, activated newly-acquired reliever Albert Abreu and optioned southpaw Foster Griffin to Triple-A Omaha.
Blanco spent about two weeks on the roster, coinciding with Taylor’s absence. The speedster picked up a pair of starts in center field and tallied his firsts seven big league plate appearances, collecting a pair of singles. Prior to his call-up, Blanco hit 113 times with the Storm Chasers and had a solid .263/.381/.442 slash line. The 29-year-old swiped 13 bases in only 31 games, hitting five home runs with an excellent 15% walk rate but a lofty 25.7% strikeout percentage.
Kansas City will have a week to trade Blanco or place him on waivers. A Cuba native, he didn’t make his affiliated debut until his age-25 season. His advanced age has diminished his prospect status, but he draws praise for blistering speed and has a solid track record in the upper minors.
Taylor returns after a couple weeks out of action, where he’ll presumably assume his standard everyday center field role. Signed to a two-year, $9MM extension shortly before he would’ve hit free agency last winter, he’s gotten off to a nice start this year. Taylor is hitting a roughly league average .238/.333/.337 with a pair of homers.
That kind of offensive production is more than sufficient considering his status as one of the sport’s top defensive outfielders. With the Royals at the bottom of the American League standings, Taylor could draw some trade interest this summer from contenders looking for center field help. He’s under cheap control through 2023, though, so the Royals won’t feel pressured to move him for a mediocre return.
Royals Acquire Albert Abreu From Rangers
The Royals have acquired reliever Albert Abreu from the Rangers for minor league pitcher Yohanse Morel, according to announcements from both clubs. Kansas City will announce additional corresponding moves once Abreu reports to the team in the coming days.
Abreu, 26, spent around two months in Arlington. Texas acquired him from the Yankees in exchange for backstop Jose Trevino in the week leading up to Opening Day. The Rangers had acquired Mitch Garver to join a catching group that also included Jonah Heim and Sam Huff, and they felt that freed them to deal from their group behind the plate in hopes of adding a potential long-term bullpen piece.
The acquisition didn’t pan out as the team had hoped, as Abreu struggled mightily over seven appearances. He only allowed three runs in 8 2/3 innings, but he walked 12 batters and surrendered a pair of homers in that limited time. There’s little chance of Abreu sustaining an acceptable ERA so long as he’s struggling with free passes to that extent, and Texas designated him for assignment on Monday.
Strike-throwing has been a problem for Abreu throughout his professional career, albeit not quite to the extent it was during his limited time as a Ranger. A well-regarded prospect during his time in the Astros and Yankees farm systems, he was nevertheless forced to the bullpen because of a lack of control. That has been borne out in his big league work, as the Dominican Republic native walked an elevated 12.2% of opponents over 36 2/3 frames with New York last season — his first with an extended workload at the big league level.
That Abreu has attracted interest from a handful of teams in spite of his control problems is a testament to his high-octane stuff, however. He’s averaged nearly 98 MPH on his fastball in each of his past two seasons, showcasing elite arm speed. He backs that up with an upper-80s slider and changeup that each drew strong reviews from prospect evaluators, and the breaking ball has been a quality swing-and-miss offering at the MLB level.
With that kind of arsenal, it’s not hard to dream on Abreu carving out a future in a big league bullpen. Even if his spotty control limits him to lower-leverage work, the Royals can hope to coax better results out of his intriguing pitch mix. If they can, Abreu could be a long-term option. He won’t eclipse his first full year of MLB service until this season, meaning he’d be controllable through the end of the 2027 campaign. He’s out of minor league option years, though, meaning Kansas City needs to keep him on the active roster or make him available to rival clubs themselves.
That the Royals parted with a young arm to acquire Abreu suggests they’re prepared to afford him that opportunity. Kansas City is near the top of the league in waiver priority, but they parted with Morel to ensure no other team acquired Abreu via a trade of their own. It’s the second trade of Morel’s career, as he was dealt from the Nationals alongside Kelvin Gutierrez and Blake Perkins in the 2018 swap that sent Kelvin Herrera to Washington.
Morel, 21, was a fairly well-regarded prospect very early in his professional career. He twice appeared among Baseball America’s ranking of the top 30 minor league talents in the Kansas City system, but he hasn’t garnered a mention in either of the past two years as he’s struggled at High-A. Morel moved to the bullpen last season but was tagged for a 6.66 ERA through 50 innings. The Royals decided not to add to him to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft (which never ended up transpiring), and he’s repeated the level in 2022.
Through 17 2/3 innings this season, Morel has a more suitable 4.09 ERA. He’s punched out 25.9% of opponents with an elevated 12.3% walk rate. Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin of Fangraphs wrote last week that his arsenal is headlined by a plus split-changeup. He’ll again be Rule 5 eligible this winter if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Texas 40-man roster.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
16 Impending Free Agents Off To Slow Starts At The Plate
The Padres cut ties with Robinson Cano this morning, just as the Mets did before them. It was a tougher decision for the Mets, given the financial obligation they have toward Cano through the 2023 season. However, his lack of production and the presence of younger, better options forced the hand of both parties.
We’re coming up on a third of the way through the 2022 season, and it’ll become increasingly difficult for teams with struggling veterans in the Cano mold to continue trotting them out there. That’s especially true of players who are impending free agents. While fans can (and do) disagree with the thinking, a player like Aaron Hicks, whom the Yankees owe $30.5MM from 2023-25, will get a longer leash than an impending free agent due to that multi-year commitment. So while there are plenty of struggling veterans on long-term deals, those with the thinnest grasp on their current roster spots are those who’ll be off the books at season’s end anyhow.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some names to watch and, when applicable, some of the names behind them who could aid in pushing them out the door (all stats entering Thursday’s play):
Carlos Santana, Royals: I’m not sure anyone other than the Royals’ front office understands the thinking behind continuing to trot Santana out to the field at this point. The 36-year-old is hitting .161/.293/.250 through 147 plate appearances, and it’s not as though that enormous slump is an entirely new development. Santana hit just .214/.319/.342 while playing in 158 of 162 games for the Royals last year and .199/.340/.350 in Cleveland during the shortened 2020 season.
Santana’s very presence on the Royals is due to the team’s effort to return to win-now mode after a rebuild focused on drafting college arms. He signed a two-year, $17.5MM contract heading into the 2021 season but hasn’t been able to bounce back to the form that long made him one of the game’s biggest on-base threats and most underrated offensive performers.
Signing Santana might’ve been a “win-now” move, but it’s hard to argue that continuing to run him out there is in the Royals’ best interest. That’s doubly true with top prospects Nick Pratto and Vinnie Pasquantino mashing in Triple-A Omaha. Both are in the same first base/designated hitter mold as Santana, and both Pratto (55) and Pasquantino (61) rank prominently in Baseball America’s updated Top 100 prospect rankings. Pratto got off to a slow start but is hitting .246/.392/.483 over his past 148 plate appearances. Pasquantino burst out of the gates and hasn’t slowed down; he’s hitting .298/.392/.667 with 15 home runs in 204 plate appearances.
The Royals owe Santana the balance of his $10.5MM salary whether he’s on the roster or not, but he’ll start racking up incentives when he reaches 300 plate appearances.
Joey Gallo, Yankees: Gallo was one of the Yankees’ biggest trade-deadline additions in recent years, but he’s never found his footing in the Bronx. His status as a three-true-outcomes player is well-documented, but he’s trended more aggressively toward the least-desirable of those outcomes since donning pinstripes. Gallo has fanned in 38% of his plate appearances as a Yankee while seeing both his power and his walk rate dip. Since the Yankees acquired him, he’s batting .167/.295/.370.
Even with the short porch in right field, Gallo has only five home runs through 141 plate appearances this season. He’s also seen his average exit velocity, launch angle and barrel rate drop in 2022. Gallo is still making loads of hard contact when he hits the ball in the air, per Statcast, and perhaps that’s helping to keep him both in the lineup and on the roster. New York isn’t getting any real offense from Hicks, Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Kyle Higashioka, however. Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson are once again on the injured list. Anthony Rizzo had a massive April but is batting just .162/.274/.303 in his past 117 plate appearances. The Yankees’ AL East lead has begun to shrink, as the Jays have rattled off eight straight wins, and they can’t realistically count on Aaron Judge to carry the offense all season long.
Gallo doesn’t have a high-end outfield prospect breathing down his neck, but if he can’t get things going at the plate, the calls for change are only going to grow louder. He’s earning $10.275MM in his final arbitration season before free agency, and another club might view him as a change-of-scenery candidate with the hopes that he’ll be the position-player equivalent of Sonny Gray and thrive following a rocky stint in the Bronx.
Adam Duvall, Braves: Like Gallo, Duvall’s skill set and offensive profile were well established when the Braves opted to retain him via arbitration. He was coming off a 38-homer campaign, so there was never much doubt he’d be tendered a contract, but Duvall’s brand of huge power/bottom-of-the-scale OBP always left him with a pretty low floor should the power ever evaporate.
That’s been the case in 2022, as Duvall still isn’t walking or hitting for average, and he’s only slugged two homers on the season. Paired with a career-worst 31.9% strikeout rate, those troubling trends have resulted in a .191/.257/.272 slash for Duvall, who has also already been tasked with playing more center field in 2022 than he had in his entire career to date.
Atlanta has already called up Michael Harris II, one of the sport’s fastest-rising outfield talents, and former top prospect Drew Waters is at least putting together respectable, if unexciting results in Triple-A. The Braves have also tinkered with catcher William Contreras in the outfield. Duvall has been MLB’s second-worst qualified hitter, by measure of wRC+, and it’s fair to wonder how long the leash will be.
Miguel Sano, Twins: Sano isn’t technically a free agent at season’s end, but barring a Herculean push to finish the season, it’s nearly impossible to fathom the Twins picking up a $14MM option on him. To Sano’s credit, he hit quite well from June through season’s end (.251/.330/.503, 21 homers, 21 doubles in 373 plate appearances), but he looked absolutely lost at the plate in 2022 before landing on the injured list due to a torn meniscus. Sano hit just .093/.231/.148 in 65 plate appearances.
When Sano does return, he’ll come back to a retooled roster that has seen versatile Luis Arraez rake while picking up regular at-bats at first base. Former No. 1 pick Royce Lewis is getting looks at third base and in left field — though Lewis is on the 10-day IL himself now — and top outfield/first base prospect Alex Kirilloff is hitting well in Triple-A following his return from a wrist injury.
The Twins can keep Sano in Triple-A for 20 days on rehab assignment when he’s ready, and they may want to do just that to give him a chance to show he can recapture some of his late 2021 form. But the clock on Sano’s three-year, $30MM deal is running out, and the first-place Twins have plenty of options to fill out the lineup. None of them have Sano’s raw power — almost no one in MLB does — but the big man’s ongoing contact issues tend to lead to protracted slumps like the one he slogged through earlier this year. If he can’t turn it around quickly upon his return, it’d be difficult to justify playing him over Arraez, Kirilloff and others.
Enrique Hernandez & Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox: Hernandez was a revelation in 2021 when he smacked 20 homers, hit .250/.337/.449, and delivered all-world defense in center field. But as good as year one of his $14MM contract was, the second and final campaign of that deal has been nightmarish. Hernandez is hitting .203/.269/.340 with a career-low hard-hit rate and exit velocity. He’s still playing great defense in center and helping shoulder the second base workload, but the offensive deficiency is glaring.
That’s also somewhat true of Bradley Jr., who returned to Boston after one ill-fated season in Milwaukee. To Bradley’s credit, he has actually picked up the pace quite a bit, hitting .291/.328/.491 since mid-May, but that surge still only brings his overall season line to .227/.284/.353. If Bradley can sustain some of this production, he’ll surely hang onto his roster spot, but it’s hard not to look at young Jarren Duran‘s .309/.391/.523 output in Triple-A and start thinking of ways to insert him into the big league lineup. Duran struggled in his debut last year but is still a touted young prospect whom the Sox envision as a long-term building block.
Hernandez is earning $8MM this season. Bradley is on a $9.5MM salary and is still owed an $8MM buyout on a mutual option for the 2023 season.
Yuli Gurriel, Martin Maldonado & Jason Castro, Astros: Gurriel won a batting title and looked like one of the game’s best pure hitters in 2021, but he’s started his 2022 season with a woeful .223/.261/.361 performance through 176 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is up about four percentage points, while his walk rate has halved and his hard-contact numbers have plummeted. Gurriel is also chasing more pitches off the plate (36.4% in 2022, 29.8% in 2021) and making contact on pitches out of the zone at a far lower rate (74.5% in 2022, 81.9% in 2021).
Houston’s catchers, meanwhile, have been the least-productive in baseball. Maldonado has never been much of a hitter but is batting only .133/.208/.239 this season. Castro hasn’t even been able to match that, batting .104/.228/.146. If catching prospect Korey Lee weren’t enduring immense struggles of his own in Triple-A, a change might’ve already been made.
It seems unlikely that the Astros would cut bait on Gurriel, who’s been a prominent presence and one of the team’s most productive hitters since signing more than a half-decade ago. A reduced role is something they’ll have to consider if he can’t right the ship, however. The catchers seem far more vulnerable, and there figure to be some prominent names available on the trade market (Willson Contreras, most notably). That Houston is leading the AL West by 5.5 games despite having the least-productive catchers (29 wRC+) and 29th-ranked offensive output from its first basemen (74 wRC+) is both a testament to their pitching and indictment on the play of their divisional opponents thus far.
Gurriel is being paid $8MM in 2022, while Maldonado is earning a $5MM salary and Castro is at $3.5MM.
Andrew McCutchen, Brewers: Milwaukee added McCutchen on a one-year, $8MM contract this offseason with the idea of installing him as their primary designated hitter. McCutchen tormented the Brewers during his early years with the Pirates, which included an NL MVP win, but he’s hitting .214/.263/.312 to begin his tenure in Milwaukee. Even McCutchen’s typically outstanding production against lefties has gone up in smoke this year, as he’s managed a .196/.224/.391 slash against them.
Despite McCutchen’s ineffectiveness, the Brewers are leading the Majors in homers (70) and sit fifth in total runs scored (238). But if McCutchen, who’s hitless in six straight and has been 73% worse than average at the plate since a return from the Covid list (27 wRC+ in 57 plate appearances), can’t begin to show some signs of life, the Brewers could be on the lookout for some offensive help as the Aug. 2 trade deadline draws nearer.
Robbie Grossman & Tucker Barnhart, Tigers: Between Grossman, Austin Meadows and Victor Reyes, the Tigers have an entire outfield on the injured list. Underwhelming play from young options like Daz Cameron, Akil Baddoo and Derek Hill will probably extend Grossman’s leash, but he was hitting a career-worst .199/.311/.241 in 167 plate appearances prior to landing on the IL due to ongoing neck soreness. Grossman has a solid track record, but the Tigers will also want to get a look at top prospect Riley Greene soon, and they’re giving Kody Clemens an opportunity after a nice start down in Toledo.
Behind the plate, the Tigers are probably content with Barnhart’s glovework and leadership. There was talk of a potential extension after he was acquired, but a .229/.263/.257 start might have tempered that. Backup Eric Haase isn’t hitting enough to force a change, and the Tigers’ Triple-A catchers are journeymen Dustin Garneau and Ryan Lavarnway. They have a well-regarded prospect at Double-A in Dillon Dingler, but Barnhart shouldn’t be in imminent danger of losing his spot at this time.
Maikel Franco, Nationals: Franco is probably only in this everyday role because Carter Kieboom suffered an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery, but he hasn’t done much with his latest opportunity. The former Phillies, Royals and Orioles third baseman is hitting .258/.284/.374 (82 wRC+) through 208 plate appearances. The Nats have an ultra-thin farm system without much in the way of third base options in the upper minors, and they’re clearly not winning anything this year anyhow. That might keep Franco safe, but if an even semi-interesting option presents itself on the waiver wire, there’s little reason not to take a look.
Corey Dickerson, Cardinals: Prior to the 2022 season, Dickerson had never been worse than five percent below-average with the bat in any full year (by wRC+). That’s all but certain to change now, as the typically steady lefty has posted an uncharacteristic .183/.238/.215 slash in 101 plate appearances. For a lifetime .283/.327/.488 hitter who was coming off a solid 2021 campaign, it’s a rather astonishing swoon.
Dickerson has been in a platoon with Albert Pujols at DH for the most part, logging only 110 innings on defense in the outfield corners recently due to injuries elsewhere on the roster. He’s also only on a one-year, $5MM contract, so if he can’t find his swing in the near future, it’s easy to see the Cards giving more at-bats to Pujols’ long-shot chase for 700 home runs and to young standout Juan Yepez. Dickerson is safe for now with both Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson on the injured list, but he needs a hot streak sooner than later.
Mike Zunino, Rays: Zunino’s career-high 33 home runs from a year ago feel like a distant memory, as he’s off to a .147/.193/.294 start in 109 plate appearances in 2022. He’s still drawing excellent marks for his defensive contributions, which the Rays value heavily, but Zunino isn’t even hitting against lefties, whom he’s handled well throughout his career — particularly in recent seasons.
Backup Francisco Mejia isn’t hitting much himself, going just 6-for-42 without a walk over the past month or so. Were he producing at the plate, it’d be more tempting for Tampa Bay to significantly reduce Zunino’s playing time. The Rays do have 25-year-old Rene Pinto mashing in Triple-A, and he’s made his big league debut already this year. As with the Astros, however, the Rays are in firm win-now mode and entered the season with World Series aspirations. If the in-house options aren’t performing up to par, the trade market beckons.
Austin Hedges, Guardians: Hedges has never hit and has always been one of the game’s premier defensive players, so his 2022 season is nothing new. Still, a .155/.223/.282 output from your primary catcher is just difficult to stomach, no matter how strong the defense is. Veteran backup Luke Maile has hit well in a tiny sample of 35 plate appearances, but he’s a career .208/.264/.317 hitter himself.
Prospect Bryan Lavastida got a brief MLB cup of coffee in April and is hitting .225/.330/.360 so far in Triple-A. His performance will bear monitoring, because if the Guardians are intent on pulling into the playoff picture, Hedges’ production might be too light to overlook. And if they end up selling at the deadline, Hedges could draw interest from a team seeking a glove-first backup option — which could open a door for Lavastida.