Chi Chi Gonzalez Elects Free Agency
The Brewers announced over the weekend that right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez has chosen to become a free agent, rather than accept an outright assignment to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate. Gonzalez was designated for assignment last week and cleared waivers, and he had the ability to test the open market again because he has already been outrighted during his career.
The 30-year-old Gonzalez is now en route to pitching for his third different organization of 2022, after already seeing action with the Brewers and Twins in 18 1/3 combined innings. Minnesota signed Gonzalez to a minor league deal in March, and Gonzalez pitched in two games before being DFA’ed and then claimed off waivers by the Brewers a month ago. This brief tenure in Milwaukee consisted of four games for Gonzalez, two of them starts.
All told, the righty has a 6.87 ERA over his 18 1/3 IP, continuing a string of disappointing results over four consecutive seasons. Gonzalez didn’t pitch in 2017-18 due to Tommy John surgery, and since returning in 2019, the righty has a posted a 6.17 ERA over 202 2/3 innings. Home runs have been a persistent issue for Gonzalez, and that trend has continued in 2022 with five homers allowed in his brief sample size of work.
Gonzalez did have a 3.44 ERA in 36 2/3 innings with the Twins’ Triple-A club this year, also delivering a 23.2% strikeout rate that (while modest) represented a step up for a pitcher who doesn’t miss many bats. Gonzalez also had a 55.7% grounder rate at St. Paul, though while he has pretty consistently delivered excellent groundball numbers at the minor league level, the righty has only a career 42.4% grounder rate at the big league level — naturally, a setback for a homer-prone pitcher who doesn’t record many strikeouts.
It seems likely that Gonzalez will catch on somewhere, though his lack of minor league options makes him a candidate for further trips to the DFA wire down the road. A turn to full-time relief pitching could eventually be required for Gonzalez to try and find a consistent niche for himself on a Major League roster, yet with clubs always on the lookout for rotation depth, Gonzalez will probably get another opportunity to make starts.
Latest On Royals’ Trade Candidates
The Royals are one of the relatively few teams who look like clear-cut sellers heading into the trade deadline, and there has already been buzz about several of their veteran players. Two new teams have joined the mix, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Dodgers have shown some interest in Whit Merrifield, while the Brewers are among the teams considering Andrew Benintendi.
Such clubs as the Padres and Mets have already been linked to Benintendi in trade rumors, though his non-vaccinated status has apparently removed such suitors as the Blue Jays and Yankees from his market — Benintendi wouldn’t be able to play in Canada altogether, while the Yankees wouldn’t want Benintendi unavailable for remaining regular-season games or potential postseason games in Toronto.
That is less of an obstacle for NL teams like the Brewers, since if Milwaukee eventually had to worry about Benintendi’s status for a potential World Series matchup against the Jays, that would count as a nice problem to have for a team battling for the NL Central lead. The Brew Crew heads into the All-Star break with a narrow half-game lead over the Cardinals, but the Brewers are only 18-24 since the start of June.
An inconsistent offense has plagued Milwaukee, and Benintendi’s strong bat (127 wRC+) would certainly help in that regard. A regular center fielder would probably be a better fit considering that Christian Yelich and Andrew McCutchen are already splitting left field duty, but Benintendi could get the bulk of time in left, while Yelich and McCutchen are rested, used at DH, or McCutchen could also play right field.
Merrifield has long been mentioned as a trade chip, yet while the Royals have resisted overtures in the past, they are reportedly now more open to considering a deal. Of course, Merrfield’s trade value has also tumbled, as the 33-year-old is in the midst of the worst of his seven MLB seasons, hitting .240/.292/.343 over his first 373 plate appearances.
With Los Angeles, Merrifield likely wouldn’t be asked to adopt an everyday role, but rather be toggled around the diamond in a utility role. Since Chris Taylor is on the injured list, Merrifield would more or less take Taylor’s role as an option at second base and all three outfield positions. The Dodgers could also primarily use Merrifield against only left-handed pitching, though his splits against all pitchers have been underwhelming over the last two seasons.
Merrifield is also controlled through at least the 2023 season, as his contract (which was reworked back in April) calls for a $6.75MM salary next year, as he has already hit his health-based escalator clause. He is also owed roughly $2.7MM in salary for 2022, and there is a $500K buyout of an $18MM mutual option for 2024. Even though payroll or luxury-tax concerns aren’t a big obstacle for the Dodgers, it is possible that the Royals might be willing to kick in some money to cover Merrifield’s contract, as a reflection of his struggles this year.
Brewers Select Connor Sadzeck, Option Keston Hiura
The Brewers announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Connor Sadzeck from Triple-A Nashville. Infielder Keston Hiura has been optioned to Nashville to open a spot on the active roster. Milwaukee already had an open 40-man spot after designating Chi Chi Gonzalez for assignment last night.
A promising prospect with the Rangers earlier in his career, the now-30-year-old Sadzeck hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2019. Injuries, including Tommy John surgery early in his minor league career and a flexor mass issue back in 2019, have slowed the right-hander and kept him off the mound for significant portions of his career.
When healthy, Sadzeck is a legitimately intriguing arm who boasts a triple-digit heater, impressive strikeout abilities and, as is often the case for flamethrowers like this, some problematic command issues. He’s pitched just 33 Major League innings and boasts a 2.18 ERA but a concerning 17.4% walk rate in that time. Sadzeck is currently sporting an outstanding 0.86 ERA and 30.7% strikeout rate in 28 Triple-A innings, however, and this year’s 10.5% walk rate is more manageable than several of his prior seasons.
Hiura, meanwhile, has gone from former first-round pick and potential building block to a defensively limited slugger who’s regularly optioned by the Brewers. He’s hitting .238/.354/.451 this season — solid overall production — but has also yet to rectify the alarming strikeout issues that have plagued him throughout his career. Hiura has fanned in a sky-high 43.8% of his plate appearances this season, making even that modest .238 average unsustainable. (He’s currently benefitting from a .412 BABIP.)
That said, the decision to option Hiura couldn’t have been an easy one. He’s been on a tear at the plate over his past 12 games, batting .324/.435/.595 with three long balls and a double in that time. For now, Hiura will return to Nashville and continue working to improve his bat-to-ball skills and overall plate discipline. In all likelihood, he’ll get another big league look (or multiple looks) between now and season’s end.
Brewers Designate Chi Chi Gonzalez For Assignment
The Brewers announced that outfielder Hunter Renfroe has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. To make room for him on the active roster, right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez has been designated for assignment. Their 40-man roster is now at 39.
Gonzalez, 30, has been filling up transaction logs this year, as this is his second DFA, in addition to once being removed from the roster as a COVID “substitute”. He started the year on a minor league deal with the Twins, getting added to the big league roster in early June for a series in Toronto in which four unvaccinated players couldn’t cross the border. He was removed a day later but selected back to the roster in mid-June. That second stay also just lasted a single day, with his first DFA of the season leading to a waiver claim from the Brewers.
Milwaukee’s pitching staff had been a bit dented at the time by Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta landing on the injured list. They subsequently also lost Aaron Ashby and Adrian Houser to the IL, but Woodruff and Ashby have now returned, diminishing the need for Gonzalez’s services after close to a month on the team.
Gonzalez didn’t do much to warrant sticking around, as he’s put up a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 innings this year. That’s is a small sample, but his 15.2% strikeout rate is well below league average, although he did limit walks to a 5.1% pace. Gonzalez is out of options, making the Brewers unable to send him to the minors.
He did spend some time in the minors with the Twins before being selected, where he showed enough promise to get called up. In 36 2/3 frames in Triple-A this year, he had a 3.44 ERA, 23.2% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 55.7% ground ball rate. The Brewers will have one week to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him. If he clears waivers, he would have the ability to reject an outright assignment by virtue of having been previously outrighted in his career.
Brewers Release David Dahl
The Brewers announced that outfielder David Dahl has been released from his minor league contract. The 28-year-old heads back to free agency in search of another opportunity elsewhere.
Selected by the Rockies with the #10 overall pick a decade ago, Dahl developed into one of the sport’s top prospects. He reached the majors in 2016 and hit at an above-average level (even after accounting for Coors Field) for his first few seasons. Various injuries limited him to 239 MLB games through the end of the 2019 campaign, but the lefty-swinging Dahl compiled a strong .297/.346/.521 line when he was healthy enough to take the field.
That seemed to position him as a key piece of Colorado’s long-term future, but the Rox made the surprising decision to cut bait after the 2020 season. Dahl had a woeful 24-game stretch and missed extended chunks of action with back and shoulder injuries that year. The Colorado front office nevertheless came under some fire for not retaining him for an arbitration salary that would’ve still been fairly modest.
The Rangers signed Dahl that offseason, buying low on a $2.7MM guarantee. Texas hoped they’d unearth a long-term outfield contributor, but he instead continued to scuffle. Dahl hit only .210/.247/.322 across 220 plate appearances, seeing his power numbers take a dramatic step back. Texas released him last August, and Milwaukee brought him aboard on a multi-year minor league deal last summer.
Dahl has spent the past year with the Brewers’ top affiliate in Nashville. He’s shown well at the dish, hitting .327/.375/.536 in 31 games down the stretch last season. He’s had another quality performance this year, posting a .294/.357/.468 mark with nine round-trippers in 280 trips to the plate. Milwaukee has Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe as their primary corner outfielders, leaving them without a clear path to at-bats for Dahl in the outfield. Center field has been a problem area, but Dahl has played almost exclusively in right field with Nashville.
Milwaukee could’ve given him a look at designated hitter, but they’ve stuck with righty-hitting veteran Andrew McCutchen in that role. Instead, the Brewers will let Dahl search for other opportunities. Between his prospect pedigree, strong minor league performance and history of big league success, he shouldn’t have much problem latching on somewhere else on a minor league pact.
Brewers Reinstate Pedro Severino
The Brewers announced that they have reinstated catcher Pedro Severino from the restricted list. To create space on the active roster. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor has been placed on the seven-day concussion IL, retroactive to July 2. The club already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, meaning no corresponding move was required in that regard.
Severino spent the past three years with the Orioles but was non-tendered at the end of last season. The Brewers signed him in November to a one-year, $1.9MM deal, hoping that the right-handed-hitting Severino could form a platoon with the left-handed-hitting Omar Narvaez. However, in early April, Severino was given an 80-game suspension after failing a PED test. Severino didn’t challenge the results, admitting that the presence of Clomiphene in his system was due to fertility treatments he was undergoing in the Dominican Republic.
Knowing that they would be without Severino for an extended stretch, the club bolstered the catching position by trading for Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson. Jackson has been on the shelf for about a month with a sprained finger, but the Brewers still have a three-catcher situation now, with Severino, Caratini and Narvaez. Caratini has stepped up admirably and is hitting .248/.375/.448 this year for a wRC+ of 132. That might make it hard for Severino to force his way back into the mix.
“We’re going to have to be creative a little bit,” manager Craig Counsell told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com about the logjam. “Look, the two guys we’ve got are playing really well. That’s going to factor into it as well.” Severino played a few games at first base during his rehab, but it doesn’t seem like Plan A will involve a lot of time there for him. “I don’t think initially he will be a big option,” Counsell said. “We’ll continue to have him do some work there, and if we get to a situation where we need it, he’ll be a guy with some experience there.”
Due to his suspension, Severino is ineligible to play in the postseason. However, if he plays well for the remainder of the season, he can be retained for next year via arbitration.
Brewers Activate Aaron Ashby From 15-Day IL
The Brewers reinstated left-hander Aaron Ashby from the 15-day injured list today, as Ashby is slated to start today’s game against the Pirates. Righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A to open up a 26-man roster spot.
Following his (retroactive) IL placement on June 17, Ashby ended up missing only a minimal amount of time — a sigh of relief, given that Ashby had been sidelined by forearm inflammation. The injury wasn’t considered to be too serious at the time, and Ashby will indeed make a pretty quick return to help a Milwaukee rotation that has been shorthanded for much of the season. Even with Ashby and (earlier this week) Brandon Woodruff returning, Freddy Peralta is still on the 60-day IL until late July, and Adrian Houser was just placed on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a flexor strain.
Ashby will try to pick up the slack by continuing what has been a pretty solid sophomore year in the big leagues. Beginning the season as a swingman, Ashby’s last five outings were all as a starting pitcher. The left-hander has a 4.25 ERA over 55 total innings, posting a 62.6% grounder rate and an impressive array of Statcast numbers, apart from a 10.7% walk rate that is well below the league average. Control has been something of an issue for Ashby at both the MLB and minor league levels, but his ability to miss bats and generate grounders makes him yet another intriguing product of the Brewers’ pitching development system.
In other Brewers injury news, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that Luis Perdomo is “struggling to get going” from an elbow injury that sent him to the IL back in late May. Perdomo underwent a Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2021 season, though Counsell didn’t give any indication that Perdomo’s current issue was also season-threatening, or something that could require another surgical procedure.
Hunter Renfroe will also still miss a bit more time, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Renfroe has yet to start running on the field following a calf strain that sent him to the injured list over a week ago. Renfroe’s 10-day minimum IL time expires on Sunday, but the Brewers will continue to be cautious in bringing Renfroe back, for fear of exacerbating the injury. Renfroe had 13 home runs and a .247/.300/.490 slash line over his first 217 plate appearances this season.
Brewers Place Adrian Houser On IL With Flexor Strain
JULY 1: Milwaukee placed Houser on the IL with a flexor strain. Counsell characterized testing as positive, suggesting the organization is hopeful Houser could begin a throwing program again within a few weeks (via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com).
JUNE 30: Brewers righty Adrian Houser departed tonight’s start in Pittsburgh in the third inning after experiencing tightness in his throwing elbow. Manager Craig Counsell said after the game that Houser was headed back to Milwaukee for further examination but was sure to land on the 15-day injured list (via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).
That’s an alarming turn of events, although more will obviously known once Houser goes through testing over the coming days. The 29-year-old has generally been an effective and durable arm over the past three and a half seasons. Aside from a brief absence due to COVID-19 protocols last summer, Houser had avoided the IL since recovering from a 2016 Tommy John procedure.
The sinkerballer has typically been one of the game’s preeminent ground-ball pitchers. Houser induced worm-burners on almost 60% of batted balls in both 2020 and ’21. That rate has dipped to a solid but not elite 47.1% this season, and he’s not coincidentally posted a 4.72 ERA through 76 1/3 innings. Slightly disappointing showing aside, Houser’s reliability in taking the ball 15 times has proven quite valuable for a Milwaukee staff hit hard by injuries.
The Brew Crew will be without Freddy Peralta until August because of a shoulder issue. Brandon Woodruff just returned from a month-long absence, while Aaron Ashby has missed the past ten days with forearm tightness. The southpaw could make his return as soon as this weekend, but getting Woodruff and Ashby back comes right at the time as the club loses Houser for at least a couple weeks. Jason Alexander and Chi Chi González are the top candidates to step into Houser’s rotation role alongside Woodruff, Ashby, Corbin Burnes and Eric Lauer.
Injury Notes: Eflin, Brantley, Woodruff, Polanco
The Phillies placed starter Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 26, with a bruised right knee. Outfielder Oscar Mercado, claimed off waivers from the Guardians yesterday, has been added to the active roster in a corresponding move. Eflin told reporters he’s hopeful he could return after a minimal IL stay, which would only cost him two starts (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). The 28-year-old underwent surgery on both knees back in 2016, and he underwent another procedure to correct patellar issues in his right knee last September. His current injury doesn’t seem to be anywhere near as concerning, but the Phillies figure to be particularly cautious in bringing him back given that history.
An impending free agent, Eflin has made 13 starts this season. He owns a 4.37 ERA over 68 innings, striking out 19.6% of opposing hitters against a minuscule 5.3% walk rate. That kind of strike-throwing stability has made the former Padres farmhand a reliable member of the Philadelphia rotation for the past six-plus years. The Phils plan to recall left-hander Bailey Falter to start Friday night’s game in Eflin’s place, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic.
Some other injured list moves from around the game:
- The Astros placed left fielder Michael Brantley on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, due to right shoulder discomfort. Chas McCormick, who’d been optioned over the weekend, has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. (Position players typically need to spend a minimum of ten days in the minors after being optioned, but they can be recalled earlier if replacing an injured player). Brantley downplayed any long-term concerns, telling reporters (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com) he was hopeful he could make it back after a brief stint. The 35-year-old continues to perform very well at the plate, carrying a .288/.370/.416 line through 277 plate appearances this season.
- The Brewers welcomed a pair of key contributors back from the injured list this evening. Righty Brandon Woodruff and second baseman Kolten Wong have each been reinstated, with Trevor Kelley and Pablo Reyes optioned out in corresponding moves. Woodruff will get the start during today’s game with the Rays, while Wong steps back in at the keystone. It’s the first MLB start in a month for Woodruff, who’s been out while dealing with a high ankle sprain and some hand numbness stemming from Raynaud’s syndrome. Wong has been out for three weeks on account of a calf strain.
- Between games of today’s doubleheader with the Guardians, the Twins brought back second baseman Jorge Polanco from the injured list. Outfielder Mark Contreras was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to open active roster space. The switch-hitting Polanco is hitting fifth for the nightcap against Cleveland. He missed a little less than two weeks with some lower back tightness. Through 250 plate appearances, Polanco is hitting .245/.340/.389 with seven home runs. His return figures to push Luis Arraez back to first base and designated hitter, perhaps freeing Alex Kirilloff to see more time in left field. Minnesota lost primary left fielder Trevor Larnach to a core muscle injury over the weekend; he’s undergoing surgery and expected to miss six weeks.
Brewers Place Hunter Renfroe On IL With Calf Strain
The Brewers announced that outfielder Hunter Renfroe has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 23, with a left calf strain. Infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes was recalled to take his place on the active roster.
Losing Renfroe’s bat is a notable blow to the Brewers’ lineup, as he’s been arguably the club’s best hitter this season. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, Renfroe is hitting .247/.300/.490. His wRC+ of 116 is the highest among Milwaukee hitters with at least 200 plate appearances.
The club hasn’t provided any updates about the severity of the issue or an expected timeline, but it’s perhaps worth pointing out that calf strains are notoriously tricky to deal with. For example, Mike Trout landed on the IL with a calf strain in May of last year. Although he was expected to return in 6-8 weeks, it ended up wiping out the remainder of his season. Of course, every injury is different and it’s entirely possible that Renfroe is dealing with a much milder issue than the one Trout faced last year.
The Brewers are 41-33, tied with the Cardinals for the NL Central lead. However, they are a pitching-heavy team that doesn’t have an elite offense. The entire team’s batting line on the season is .232/.311/.401. That amounts to a wRC+ of 99, just a hair below league average. With one of their most-productive hitters now sidelined for an undetermined amount of time, that’s likely to go in the wrong direction.
This also further depletes an outfield mix that already subtracted Lorenzo Cain in recent weeks. With Renfroe sitting out the past few days, the club has slotted Christian Yelich, Andrew McCutchen, Tyrone Taylor and Jonathan Davis through the outfield positions and designated hitter role. All four of that group have a wRC+ between 83 and 101, fitting the team’s theme of mediocre offensive output.
Even before this injury, the outfield stood out as an area where the Brewers could look to improve at the trade deadline. If this injury should linger and keep Renfroe out of action through the August 2 cutoff, it should only enhance Milwaukee’s resolve to make an addition of some kind on the grass.