Clayton Kershaw Slated To Return This Week
Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw around 70 pitches in a simulated game yesterday, and feels ready to make his return from the 15-day injured list. Lower back pain forced Kershaw to the IL on August 5, and the Dodgers took a cautious road to recovery with their veteran ace.
“The situation we’re in, this is more kind of a roster decision more than anything,” Kershaw told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “I’ve felt pretty good for a while now. We took it slow, did two sim games and now ready to go. Sometimes you can’t decide when you get to pitch. They tell you.”
However, Kershaw now seems on track for a slightly earlier return than expected, considering the initial plan was to activate him from the IL around the second week of September. Now, Kershaw is likely to pitch on either Thursday (against the Mets in New York) or on Friday when the Dodgers open a homestand by facing the Padres.
There is plenty of reason for the Dodgers to take a measured approach to Kershaw’s return, given his checkered health history — that history includes another IL stint earlier this season, when Kershaw missed a little over a month this season due to hip inflammation. While the Dodgers would certainly be careful with Kershaw under any circumstances, the team’s runaway lead in the NL West does allow some extra luxury when it comes to managing workloads and keeping players healthy for the postseason.
To that end, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) today that Los Angeles will use a six-man rotation for “a couple weeks at the bare minimum” once Kershaw is activated. This will allow Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Tyler Anderson a bit of extra rest between starts, and since Dustin May and Andrew Heaney are both back from lengthy injury absences themselves, they’ll get to stay in the rotation and stay stretched out, rather than be relegated to bullpen work.
Now in his 15th MLB season, Kershaw is still a top-tier starter when healthy, posting a 2.64 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate, and 4.5% walk rate over 85 1/3 innings. The left-hander’s first-half performance earned Kershaw an All-Star nod for the ninth time in his outstanding career.
Walker Buehler Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Dodgers star hurler Walker Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery and a repair to his flexor tendon this afternoon, according to announcements from the team and Buehler himself (h/t to Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). The club had already announced that Buehler would undergo an elbow procedure that would end his 2022 season, although it hadn’t been clear whether he’d require a complete UCL reconstruction.
While the team has not yet provided a specific timetable on Buehler’s recovery, the revelation comes as a brutal blow. A Tommy John procedure will obviously cost him far more than the remainder of this season. It’s now hard to envision him returning at any point in 2023. Tommy John recoveries often take upwards of 14 months, and Buehler’s rehab process only figures to take longer considering his personal history.
The righty also underwent Tommy John not long after being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. He lost the remainder of that season and virtually all of the following year recovering, making just three brief appearances late during his first full pro campaign. He’ll now be faced with a second extended rehab process.
In between the surgeries, Buehler has established himself as one of the sport’s best arms. The Vanderbilt product has a 3.02 ERA in 638 1/3 MLB innings, striking out a quality 27% of batters faced against a meager 6.3% walk percentage. He posted an ERA of 3.44 or lower each season between 2018-21, earning a pair of All-Star nods in the process. Buehler picked up a fourth place finish in NL Cy Young balloting last year — his highest finish to date — after eclipsing 200 innings with a sparkling 2.47 ERA.
The 2022 season hadn’t been Buehler’s best, as he saw his strikeout rate fall to a personal-worst 21.2% rate through 12 starts. Not coincidentally, he allowed more than four earned runs per nine innings for the first time in his big league career, with opponents bizarrely teeing off on a fastball that had previously been one of his better offerings. Buehler’s velocity remained strong, with his fastball checking in at its customary 95 MPH range, and any efforts to get the pitch’s spin and overall effectiveness back on track were put aside when he left an early June outing with elbow discomfort. That was quickly revealed to be a flexor strain, and the team announced last week that he’d need to undergo surgery after rehab efforts proved unsuccessful.
Relative down year notwithstanding, Buehler would certainly have had a key role on next year’s staff had he been healthy. Now that he’s seemingly unlikely to factor into the mix at any point, the Dodgers figure to aggressively target rotation help during the upcoming offseason. Clayton Kershaw will be a free agent after signing a one-year deal last winter. The club would no doubt welcome him back if Kershaw wants to return, but it remains to be seen how the future Hall of Famer will choose to proceed. The Dodgers will also see free agent pickups Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson return to the open market.
Julio Urías is one of the sport’s top pitchers, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible for a final time next year. The Dodgers recently welcomed back flamethrowing Dustin May from a Tommy John rehab of his own, while Tony Gonsolin has carried over his smaller-sample excellence through a career-high 22 starts this season. That’s three rotation spots accounted for, and young hurlers like Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller could be ready for key roles relatively early in the year. There are still plenty of in-house options, but the Dodgers have aggressively stockpiled pitching depth in recent offseasons. Between efforts to re-sign one or more of Kershaw, Anderson and Heaney plus pursuits of external free agents, the Dodgers are likely to be active in adding to their strong collection of young in-house arms.
Buehler will remain on the 60-day injured list during the seasons, although he’ll need to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster over the winter. He’ll finish this season with more than four years of service time and be in line for a salary boost relative to this season’s $4.25MM figure via arbitration. Buehler is arb-eligible twice more, so the Dodgers are likely to tender him a contract and pay next year’s salary with an eye towards getting him back on the mound for the 2024 campaign.
Dodgers Re-Sign Tony Wolters To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers are in agreement with backstop Tony Wolters on a new minor league contract, according to an announcement from Triple-A communications director Alex Freedman (Twitter link). He’ll return to their top affiliate in Oklahoma City, where he’s spent virtually all of the 2022 season.
Wolters, 30, originally signed a minor league deal with L.A. last summer. He opened the year in Triple-A and has appeared in 50 games there. Across 193 plate appearances, the lefty-hitting catcher posted a .216/.311/.269 line. He didn’t connect on a home run and struck out at an elevated 26.4% rate, although he did draw free passes at a quality 11.4% clip.
Two weeks back, Wolters made his team debut at the big league level. Selected onto the roster when regular backup Austin Barnes was away from the team to tend to a family matter, Wolters spent a weekend as the #2 behind Will Smith. That always looked like a temporary arrangement until Barnes returned to reassume his customary role, and the Dodgers designated Wolters for assignment and released him a few days later. It’s not uncommon for veterans of his ilk to go unclaimed on waivers after brief stints as a depth option in the majors, then to return to the organization on a new minor league arrangement.
Wolters’ tepid offensive output in Triple-A is in line with his body of work at the big league level. He’s never been an impactful hitter, compiling a career .235/.321/.314 line over parts of seven MLB seasons (the bulk of which came with the division-rival Rockies). He’s a highly-rated defender, however, having checked in 24 runs better average in just shy of 3000 MLB innings behind the dish, in the estimation of Defensive Runs Saved. Wolters consistently posts strong pitch framing marks and has thrown out an above-average 30.5% of attempted base-stealers in the majors. That defensive prowess makes him a good fit for the upper level depth role to which he’ll return with Los Angeles.
Dodgers Sign Max Muncy To One-Year Extension
The Dodgers and infielder Max Muncy have agreed to a contract extension, according to an announcement from the team. Under the previous extension he signed with the Dodgers, they had a $13MM club option for his services in 2023. That will now become guaranteed at $13.5MM, with the Dodgers now holding a $10MM club option for 2024, plus incentives. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports that there’s no buyout on the 2024 option.
Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic (Twitter link) provides a breakdown of the escalators on Muncy’s option, which are based on his plate appearance tally in 2023. The option price would increase by $250K apiece for reaching 50, 250, 300 and 350 plate appearances next season, followed by an additional $500K at 400 and 450 plate appearances and an extra $1MM at each of 500 and 550 PA.
This extension is a bit of an early birthday present for Muncy, as he will turn 32 years old on Thursday. The lefty slugger was a late bloomer by major league baseball standards, having his breakout season in 2018 at the age of 27. That year, he hit 35 home runs and slashed .263/.391/.582 for a wRC+ of 162, indicating his offense was 62% better than league average. In 2019, he proved that it was no fluke, hitting 35 homers again and slashing .251/.374/.515 for a wRC+ of 133. He also provided defensive versatility in that time, moving between first, second and third base.
After those two strong seasons, Muncy finally reached arbitration for the first time in his career, at the age of 29. He and the club didn’t come to an agreement, with the club filing for $4MM while Muncy’s camp submitted a $4.675MM figure. Before the hearing took place, the two sides agreed to a longer-term pact, running through 2022 with the option for 2023. Since Muncy was on pace to reach free agency after 2022, that extension effectively relinquished one year of free agency while allowing him to guarantee himself $26MM in future earnings, and potentially more.
Muncy slumped a bit during the shortened 2020 campaign but was excellent in the postseason, helping the Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988. Last year, he got back to the pace he established in 2018 and 2019, as he hit 36 home runs and produced a batting line of .249/.368/.527, wRC+ of 140. Unfortunately, he injured his arm in a collision at the end of the season, an injury which prohibited him from participating in last year’s postseason.
That injury has seemingly lingered into 2022, as Muncy spent time on the injured list due to left elbow inflammation and struggled over the early parts of the season. However, the good version of Muncy has been roaring back recently. Through the end of July, he was hitting .161/.310/.303 for a wRC+ of 82. Since the calendar flipped to August, though, he’s hit seven home runs and slashed .328/.409/.776, increasing his wRC+ for the season to 105.
That August line is still a small sample of just 66 plate appearances, but the Dodgers evidently have enough faith in Muncy that they are willing to re-up with him for one more year. If that show of faith pays off, they will be rewarded by having the ability to keep Muncy around for yet another season. It also helps reduce a bit of uncertainty in the club’s infield picture. The Dodgers held club options over both Muncy and Justin Turner, while Trea Turner is slated to become a free agent in a few months’ time. While it was possible to envision a scenario where all three ended up in new uniforms next year, now the club knows that it at least can count on Muncy to take a spot somewhere on the diamond. There’s also uncertainty in the outfield, with Joey Gallo heading into free agency and Cody Bellinger a potential non-tender candidate. With players like Muncy, Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and others bringing that multi-positional skillset, they’re in a good position to navigate their options in the offseason.
For Muncy’s part, he can finish the season and go into the playoffs with the peace of mind of having his 2023 salary locked in with a slight raise. The details of the incentives aren’t yet known, but that potentially provides him a chance to secure some more earnings as well.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was among those to report the extension before the official announcement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Diamondbacks Claim Reyes Moronta, Designate Jake Hager
The D-Backs announced they’ve claimed reliever Reyes Moronta off waivers from the Dodgers. Infielder Jake Hager has been designated for assignment in a corresponding 40-man roster transaction.
Moronta’s stay in the NL West continues. The big right-hander’s most productive seasons came as a member of the Giants, the organization with which he began his career. Between 2018-19, Moronta was one of the better relievers in the game. He tossed 121 2/3 innings of 2.66 ERA ball over that stretch, striking out a strong 29.3% of opponents. He issued a few more walks than ideal, but he nevertheless held opponents to a pitiful .175/.292/.266 line over 508 plate appearances.
Unfortunately, that marked Moronta’s last extended run of action until this year. He missed the entire shortened 2020 campaign with a shoulder problem, then landed on the IL to start last season with a flexor strain in his forearm. Moronta returned late last year but the Giants designated him for assignment after just four MLB appearances. He passed unclaimed through waivers, became a minor league free agent after the season, and signed a non-roster pact with the Dodgers during the offseason.
Los Angeles selected him onto the MLB roster in May, and the 29-year-old has gotten into 22 games. Moronta had an alright run, working 23 2/3 frames with a 4.18 ERA. He fanned an above-average 27.6% of batters faced on a solid 12.7% swinging strike rate, but he also surrendered five home runs and continued to walk batters at a higher than average (albeit improved, relative to his time in San Francisco) 10.2% clip. As part of a Dodger bullpen that ranks third in the majors with a 3.05 ERA, it’s easy to see how Moronta was squeezed off the roster. He should have a clearer path to a regular role with an Arizona club that has a 4.31 reliever ERA that checks in 24th leaguewide.
Moronta is due the prorated portion of a $1.5MM salary (around $370K) for the remainder of this season. He entered the 2022 campaign with exactly four years of service time but spent the season’s first three weeks in Triple-A. That was enough that he won’t reach a full year of service this season, meaning he’ll be arbitration-eligible once more after the year. He’s also in his second minor league option year, so the Snakes can freely shuttle him between Phoenix and Triple-A Reno — although he’d earn the right to refuse any optional assignments once he reaches his fifth year of big league service, likely early in 2023.
Hager, meanwhile, re-signed with Arizona on a minor league deal over the winter after finishing the 2021 campaign in the system. The D-Backs selected the righty-hitting utilityman to the majors in May, and he’s appeared in 28 games. Over 59 plate appearances, Hager owns a .240/.345/.280 line. He’s had a longer run in Reno, hitting .230/.330/.365 through 212 trips to the plate in one of affiliated ball’s more hitter-friendly environments. He’s spent the bulk of his minor league defensive action at shortstop but has played more second and third base in the big leagues.
Arizona will place Hager on outright or release waivers within the next few days. He’s previously been outrighted in his career, so he’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment and test free agency if he goes unclaimed.
NL Notes: Kimbrel, Fedde, Cavalli, Nationals, Junis
The Dodgers used Craig Kimbrel for the last inning of today’s 10-3 win over the Marlins, and the reliever delivered a perfect frame to mop things up. While not a save situation for Kimbrel, manager Dave Roberts told J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group (Twitter links) and other reporters that Kimbrel and the team have agreed to base the right-hander’s workload going forward not on save chances, but rather on just getting regular outings. This wouldn’t preclude Kimbrel being used in save opportunities, of course, and Roberts said he could still choose to use Kimbrel in consecutive games.
It has been a shaky year for the veteran reliever, as between a subpar walk rate and a lot of hard contact allowed, Kimbrel has only a 4.46 ERA over 42 1/3 innings. A big .388 BABIP is responsible for some of these struggles, but consistency has been hard to come by in Kimbrel’s first season in Los Angeles. It has turned the ninth inning into a question mark for the Dodgers heading into the postseason, and it could be that Kimbrel’s adjusted role could be the team’s way of auditioning some other relievers for the closer’s job as October looms. It is also possible the Dodgers will rotate Kimbrel and many other pitchers into save situations as circumstances dictate, which may concern L.A. fans who have seen late-game breakdowns doom the Dodgers in past postseason trips.
More from around the National League…
- The Nationals rotation will get a jolt this week, as both Erick Fedde and top prospect Cade Cavalli might be in the mix. Fedde is the surer thing, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that Fedde will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start Tuesday’s game with the Mariners. Right shoulder inflammation put Fedde out of action back on July 27, and the right-hander had a 4.95 ERA over 92 2/3 innings and 19 starts for Washington before going on the IL. Fedde is a potential non-tender candidate as he enters his second year of arbitration eligibility, though he’ll have a few more starts to make his case for another contract, plus the Nationals might be open to giving a former first-rounder another chance anyway as the team looks to rebuild. Cory Abbott will be moved to the bullpen to fit Fedde into the rotation.
- Cavalli was the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 draft, and is ranked within the top 60 on updated prospect lists from Baseball America (52nd) and MLB Pipeline (58th). It has been just a few days since Cavalli’s 24th birthday, and the right-hander has a 3.71 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 97 Triple-A innings this season. Control is the biggest question facing Cavalli, who otherwise has four plus pitches, highlighted by a 97mph fastball that earned a 70 grade from both BA and Pipeline. The Nationals‘ rotation plans are somewhat unknown due to three off-days in the next eight-day span, but Zuckerman thinks Cavalli might be promoted during the team’s August 26-September 1 homestand.
- X-rays were negative on Jakob Junis‘ left hand after the Giants starter was hit by a line drive in today’s game. Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado) that Junis will also get a CT scan tomorrow to further check for any damage. The discomfort was severe enough for Junis to be forced out of the game in the sixth inning. Since Junis is a right-handed pitcher and because San Francisco doesn’t play on either Monday or Thursday this week, it seems possible Junis might not need an IL trip or even technically any missed starts, if the off-days just push the rest of the rotation back. Junis has had a solid first year with the Giants, posting a 3.58 ERA over 78 innings despite a hamstring string that cost him over a month of action.
Injury Notes: Abreu, Britton, Kershaw
The Yankees placed right-hander Albert Abreu on the 15-day injured list today due to right elbow inflammation. The club didn’t provide any estimated timeline for Abreu’s absence, but an issue with a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always somewhat concerning.
Abreu went from the Yankees to the Rangers in the offseason as part of the Jose Trevino trade. He lasted less than two months in Texas, getting designated for assignment and then traded to the Royals. About three weeks later, he was designated again and returned to the Yankees on waivers. Between the three teams, he has a 3.32 ERA on the year in 38 innings.
Other injury notes from around the league…
- Though losing Abreu isn’t good news, the Yankees got much better news elsewhere on the roster. Manager Aaron Boone tells Joe Trezza of MLB.com that lefty Zack Britton recently threw a bullpen and is nearing a rehab assignment. Now 34, Britton was one of the best relievers in all of baseball from 2014 to 2016 while with the Orioles. His strikeout rate tapered off after that, though he still got grounders on over 70% of balls in play. 2021 was a down season, as he registered a 5.89 ERA before hitting the injured list in August. He eventually required surgery to repair his UCL, which wiped out what was left of that season and threatened his 2022 as well. In November, general manager Brian Cashman said it was “probable” that Britton would miss all of this season, though it seems he’s still got a shot of returning. There’s just over six weeks remaining in the regular season, but the Yanks are a virtual lock for the postseason, giving Britton a bit more time to make an impact. He’d no doubt love to get back on the hill and help the team, while also showcasing his health before reaching free agency this winter.
- The Dodgers could potentially get Clayton Kershaw back sooner than expected. Just yesterday, it was reported that he could soon go out on a rehab assignment and return in the second week of September. Manager Dave Roberts now tells J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group that the plan is for the lefty to throw a bullpen on Monday, followed three or four innings in a simulated game later in the week before being activated without a rehab assignment. That would seem to open the door to Kershaw returning before the month of August is complete. Kershaw’s return would only further strengthen the rotation, which also welcomed Dustin May back yesterday. Kershaw’s been dealing with back issues this year, but has a tremendous 2.64 ERA in 85 1/3 innings when healthy.
Dodgers Release Pedro Baez
The Dodgers have released Pedro Baez, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Baez made his return to the organization when he signed a minor league contract in May.
Baez appeared in three games with the Astros before being released in late April, but didn’t return to the mound until July, when he pitched with the Dodgers’ Arizona Complex League affiliate. Moving to Triple-A Oklahoma City at the end of July, Baez struggled to a 14.29 ERA over 5 2/3 innings in OKC, with much of that damage coming in his final outing. Just yesterday, Baez allowed five runs without recording a single out against the Sugar Land Skeeters.
From 2014-20, Baez was a very dependable member of the Los Angeles bullpen, posting a 3.03 ERA over 356 innings with the Dodgers and helping the team capture the World Series in 2020. However, Baez’s strikeout rate and fastball velocity both started to decline during that 2020 season, but that didn’t stop Houston from inking the right-hander to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $12.5MM.
That deal ended up being a bust for the Astros, as Baez threw only 6 2/3 innings in a Houston uniform before being released in April. Shoulder problems kept Baez on the sidelines for the majority of the 2021 season, and given his near-total lack of results over the last two years, there is certainly a fear that Baez may no longer be effective as a big league pitcher (or perhaps even as a Triple-A pitcher) at age 34.
The Dodgers would’ve only owed Baez the prorated portion of the Major League minimum salary if he’d reached their active roster, so with this release, the Dodgers cost themselves nothing by seeing if a familiar face could regain his old form. The Astros are responsible for what remains of Baez’s $5.5MM salary for the 2022 season, and that figure will only lessen by a prorated minimum salary if another team should sign Baez and add him to the MLB roster.
Danny Duffy Begins Minor League Rehab Assignment
TODAY: It seems as though Duffy’s setback may not have been all that serious, as he officially began his minor league rehab assignment today by tossing an inning for the Dodgers’ Arizona Complex League team. While it remains to be seen how long it will take Duffy to ramp up, it looks like there could still be some hope that he pitches in the majors before the season is out.
AUGUST 16: Dodgers left-hander Danny Duffy suffered a recent setback in his rehab from a flexor injury, manager Dave Roberts announced to reporters (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya). While the Dodgers aren’t completely ruling Duffy out for as an option down the stretch, Roberts conceded that it is “pretty unlikely” that Duffy will pitch in a game this year.
The setback — Duffy experienced “discomfort” when facing live hitters — is the latest in a series of health woes that have combined to keep Duffy off a Major League mound since July 16, 2021. The Dodgers are clearly intrigued by Duffy’s solid track record and perhaps by a raw arsenal they feel they can better maximize than the Royals were able to over the course of Duffy’s 11-year tenure there; Los Angeles traded for Duffy at last year’s deadline (despite him being on the injured list at the time) and re-signed him to a one-year, $3MM deal with a team option for the 2023 season this past winter.
Prior to the season, Duffy voiced a belief that he could be back on a Major League mound sometime in June. The plan was to bring him back as a relief pitcher, at least for the current season, though a return to the rotation in ’23 might have been in the cards had things gone according to plan. That, of course, didn’t happen, and it’s difficult to imagine a world where the Dodgers pick up a $7MM club option on him. In all likelihood, that option will be turned down and Duffy will again set out into free agency. If the team remains intrigued by the idea of Duffy taking the mound at Dodger Stadium, they could always circle back and show interest in bringing him aboard on a smaller guarantee or a minor league deal.
Duffy, 34 in December, has never pitched for a team other than the Royals, despite now technically spending a season and a half as a member of the Dodgers. He’s made 204 big league starts plus another 30 relief appearances, at times flashing signs of brilliance but also struggling with inconsistency. From 2014-17, Duffy logged 612 innings and pitched to a 3.47 ERA with a 21% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. On the whole, he carries a 3.95 ERA in 1172 1/3 innings at the big league level.
Dodgers Reinstate Dustin May, Designate Reyes Moronta
The Dodgers announced that right-handed pitcher Dustin May has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Reyes Moronta was designated for assignment.
May, 24, has finished his long journey back from Tommy John surgery. It was reported earlier this week that the club was planning to reinstate May to take the hill today. He will jump back into a rotation that certainly has its strengths but also has its concerns. Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson are all having great seasons, but Walker Buehler is done for the season. Clayton Kershaw is also on the IL, currently working his way back. Andrew Heaney is currently with the club but has only made eight starts on the year between various IL stints.
As for Moronta, 29, he had a tremendous showing with the Giants in 2018 and 2019 but has faced adversity in the subsequent seasons. Over that ’18-’19 stretch, he threw 121 2/3 innings with a 2.66 ERA and 29.3% strikeout rate. That also came with a high 13.8% walk rate, though it was still a very encouraging breakout, with Moronta racking up 27 holds in that stretch.
Since then, shoulder surgery kept him from appearing in the 2020 season before a flexor strain limited him to just four innings last year. He was outrighted by the Giants and elected free agency, signing with the Dodgers on a minor league with a $1.5MM guarantee if he made the active roster.
Moronta did indeed crack the roster, getting selected towards the end of April. Since then, he’s thrown 23 2/3 innings for the Dodgers, though he hasn’t quite returned to his previous form. Through 23 2/3 innings, he has a 4.18 ERA. He’s still getting strikeouts at a healthy 27.6% clip, but is also still giving out walks at a 10.2% rate. The key difference might be the long ball, however, as Moronta has allow five this season after only allowing eight over that two-year stretch with the Giants.
Despite that increase in homers, Moronta could find plenty of interest on the waiver wire, given that he still has the ability to set down batters on strikes. He’s still owed roughly $370K for the remainder of the season, not a huge sum by MLB standards. He could also be retained into the future for any team that believed in him. He came into this year with exactly four years of MLB service time but wasn’t called up until a few weeks into the season. That means he could be retained via arbitration for another two seasons by any club that wanted to give him a shot. Since the trade deadline has now passed, the Dodgers will have no choice but to put him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days.