Yankees Rumors

Yankees Notes: Skubal, Peraza, Dietrich

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 9:59pm CDT

The Yankees had interest in the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal prior to the deadline, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Given how aggressively the Yankees were looking for pitching help, it isn’t surprising that they at least checked in on a talented and controllable arm like Skubal, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Skubal ended up not being dealt anywhere, as while the Tigers were open to offers for “just about everyone” in the wake of a massively disappointing season, it would’ve naturally taken a huge trade package to obtain a pitcher that still looks like a significant part of Detroit’s present and future.

As poorly as 2022 has gone for the Tigers, they aren’t likely to abandon their plans to contend and immediately re-enter another rebuild phase, especially not with a lot of money already committed to such players as Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. Since Skubal’s strong performance has been one of the few bright spots of Detroit’s season, moving Skubal might be just about the last thing the Tigers would do, so the Yankees’ pursuits might be limited to just monitoring the situation should plans change. Of course, New York landed a big arm at the deadline anyway in Frankie Montas.

Yankees Claim Luke Bard

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2022 at 1:30pm CDT

1:30pm: The Yankees announced the move, adding that Bard has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

1:12pm: The Yankees have claimed right-hander Luke Bard off waivers from the Rays, reports Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tampa Bay designated Bard for assignment earlier in the week. The Yankees opened a spot on the 40-man roster this morning when they outrighted right-hander Carlos Espinal, so there’s a 40-man vacancy for the newly claimed Bard.

Bard, 31, possesses a tidy 1.93 ERA in 14 frames with Tampa Bay this season, though his small sample of work is a good example of how misleading earned run average can be. Bard has fanned only eight of the 56 batters he’s faced (14.3%) and walked seven of them (12.5%) in addition to plunking another pair. He’s been knocked around for a 4.88 ERA in 24 Triple-A innings so far in 2022 and came into the current season with a career 5.05 ERA and 5.32 FIP in 66 big league innings.

That said, Bard has long been able to spin his four-seamer at a higher rate than just about anyone in the game, and that’s again been the case in 2022, when his four-seamer’s spin rate sits in the 99th percentile among big league hurlers, per Statcast. He’s averaging 94.1 mph on the pitch and carries a solid enough 11.8% swinging-strike rate in his career (on all pitches combined). Bard is in his final minor league option year, so he can be sent back and forth between the Bronx and Triple-A Scranton without needing to pass through waivers for the remainder of this year at least.

Yankees Outright Carlos Espinal

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2022 at 12:21pm CDT

The Yankees announced Friday that righty Carlos Espinal went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The team had not previously announced that the right-hander was designated for assignment or that he’d been placed on waivers.

Espinal, 25, had his contract selected to the big league roster Monday, 24 hours prior to the trade deadline, and optioned him back to Scranton the following day. He did not get into a game for his Major League debut before being passed through waivers, and is now once again off the 40-man roster. He hasn’t been outrighted previously in his career, so rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency was not an option.

Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2015, Espinal has steadily climbed through the Yankees’ minor league ranks and generally posted solid results along the way (an ugly 2021 campaign standing as a notable exception). He’s righted the ship in 2022, however, logging a combined 50 2/3 innings of bullpen work between Double-A and Triple-A while recording a sharp 2.66 ERA with a 24.3% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate he’d surely like to pare back a ways.

There’s no immediate corresponding move for Espinal’s subtraction from the 40-man roster, so for now, the Yankees sit at 39 players.

Yankees Notes: Severino, Lopez, Torres

By Darragh McDonald | August 3, 2022 at 4:12pm CDT

On Monday, shortly after the Yankees acquired Frankie Montas, they moved Luis Severino to the 60-day injured list due to his lat strain. That seemed to shine a light on why the acquisition of Montas was so important to the club, as the severity of Severino’s injury wasn’t publicly known at the time. Given that the Yankees don’t expect him to be back before mid-September, it made sense why the rotation upgrade was desired.

However, it seems that the seriousness of the injury came as a surprise to Severino himself, with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reporting that Severino was unhappy with the transfer. “I was not happy. I was not expecting that,” Severino said of being moved to the 60-day IL.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke to Kirschner about the miscommunication. “When we tried to walk through it with a calendar, (Severino) just didn’t want to see it,” Cashman said. “He just wants to pitch. He’s not capable of pitching yet, and it’s going to take time to get him back on line. We both wish he was healthy right now. We both wish he was capable, but he’s not.”

Manager Aaron Boone tells Kirschner that the Yankees still plan to stretch Severino out as a starter when he returns. That suggests that Severino might need some kind of rehab once his lat has healed, to build back into a starter’s workload. Perhaps the confusion arose from the fact that Severino might start throwing again in about a month but then would need a few weeks to get fully geared up. A minor league rehab assignment for a pitcher can last as long as 30 days. “It just comes down to this is the program that gets him back and you can’t speed up or you risk breaking him again,” Cashman said. “That’s not in anyone’s best interest.”

Though it remains to be seen how Severino’s return progresses, the fact that he was surprised by his transfer suggests that he doesn’t expect to be out longer than the 60-day minimum, allowing him to return just in time for the final postseason push.

Elsewhere in Yankee rotation news, Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald relay that the Yankees and Dodgers both pushed the Marlins for a Pablo Lopez trade, with the Yankees getting “closest” to a deal. Though the full trade scenarios that were discussed aren’t know, the report says that Gleyber Torres was mentioned.

It’s unclear if it was the Yankees or the Marlins that wanted to include Torres in trade talks, but it’s understandable why the Marlins would want him. Torres is hitting .257/.312/.466 on the year for a wRC+ of 120. He’s also making just $6.25MM this year and can be retained for a further two seasons via arbitration. However, the Marlins already have a star second baseman in Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is out for the remainder of this season but would be back next year. Torres was a shortstop when he came up but was moved to second by the Yanks after he failed to impress there. Even if the Marlins were willing to give him another try there, that would also be a bit of an awkward fit with Miguel Rojas still around for one more season.

Regardless of the various packages that were discussed, it is notable that the Yanks tried to get yet another starter. As mentioned earlier, they swapped in Montas to take the place of Severino, but then later flipped Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals. That leaves them with a four-man rotation of Montas, Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Jameson Taillon. Domingo German has recently been called up from the minors and has made three starts but has a 6.39 so far.

Acquiring Lopez and bumping German back to the minors surely would have been a boon for the rotation, as Lopez has a 3.41 ERA through 21 starts on the year and fairly similar results in the previous two campaigns as well. A trade for Lopez was always going to be a challenge given that he can be controlled for two more seasons beyond this one, but perhaps the two clubs can revisit talks in the offseason and build off the conversations they’ve already had. Taillon is set to reach free agency after this season, potentially causing the Yankees to look for an extra hurler.

Deadline Recap: American League

By Mark Polishuk | August 2, 2022 at 11:35pm CDT

A wild trade deadline has now passed, with contenders fortifying themselves for a World Series run or a playoff push, rebuilding teams looking towards the future, and some teams in both camps being more cautious in their moves. Here is the recap of every American League club’s most notable trades of the last few days, with the NL wrap-up coming on Wednesday….

New York: Though the Yankees’ rotation had been a big reason for their first-half dominance, the team still added Frankie Montas (one of the biggest trade candidates of the last few months) to reinforce the pitching staff. Bringing in Montas and reliever Lou Trivino cost New York four noteworthy prospects, yet the Yankees were able to hang onto everyone in their true top tier. Beyond Trivino, the Yankees further bolstered the relief corps by landing Scott Effross from the Cubs. Acquiring Montas also gave New York the rotation depth for a fascinating one-for-one trade, as Jordan Montgomery was sent to the Cardinals for Gold Glove-winning center fielder Harrison Bader.

Assuming Bader returns from his current bout of plantar fasciitis in his normal form, he’ll form quite a defensive tandem with another reigning Gold Glover in Andrew Benintendi, acquired from the Royals earlier in the week. The struggling Joey Gallo was subtracted from the outfield mix, as New York sent Gallo (a big get at last year’s trade deadline) to the Dodgers for pitching prospect Clayton Beeter. Gallo is an example of how sometimes the best deadline moves on paper don’t work out, but the Yankees look to have fortified themselves well for a return to the World Series.

Houston: The Astros are in hot pursuit of the Yankees for top spot in the AL, and also made multiple moves to shore up some weaker spots on the roster. With catcher Martin Maldonado and first baseman Yuli Gurriel both struggling at the plate, Houston brought in two longtime faces of AL East franchises — former Oriole stalwart Trey Mancini and former Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, for the combined cost of three prospects and young center fielder Jose Siri.

The Astros also dipped into their rotation depth to move veteran Jake Odorizzi for an experienced bullpen arm, moving Odorizzi to the Braves for Will Smith. One need Houston didn’t address was center field, so it looks like the team will stick with the tandem of Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick down the stretch.

Seattle: The Mariners are chomping at the bit to finally make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and this aggressiveness manifested itself in one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters. After months of speculation, the Reds finally moved Luis Castillo, and it was the Mariners who stepped up with a big package of four prospects (including top-50 types Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo) to land the All-Star right-hander.

Castillo only adds to a rotation that was already among baseball’s best, and on deadline day itself, the M’s patched a few more holes. Curt Casali and Jake Lamb were acquired for bench depth, and Matthew Boyd was acquired from the Giants as an intriguing flier for September. Boyd has missed the entire season rehabbing from flexor tendon surgery, but if he is able to return, he projects as a left-handed option for a bullpen short on southpaws.

Minnesota: Speaking of trading for Reds starters, the Twins nabbed Cincinnati’s other available (and controllable through 2023) righty in Tyler Mahle, after checking in on most of the bigger starters available. While Castillo’s better track record meant the Mariners had to pay more, Minnesota’s concession was nothing to sneeze at, with three young prospects headlined by infielder Spencer Steer. Still, having Mahle for as many as two postseason runs was worth the cost in the Twins’ view, and Mahle should only help a Twins rotation that has already been quite respectable amidst several injuries.

The bullpen was the greater pitching need, and the upgrades came at the cost of a total of five prospects. But, the Twins made two significant trades in landing Jorge Lopez from the Orioles and Michael Fulmer from the Tigers. The duo could instantly step right in as Minnesota’s primary late-game combo, or at least take some of the pressure off rookie Jhoan Duran and second-year hurler Griffin Jax. The Twins also got Sandy Leon in a minor trade with the Guardians, bringing some catching depth on board with Ryan Jeffers still injured.

Toronto: The Blue Jays also mostly checked in on pitching, reportedly coming close to landing Noah Syndergaard and also being linked to such pitchers as Raisel Iglesias, Michael Fulmer, Luis Castillo, and Frankie Montas. Instead of a headline-grabbing move, Toronto settled for reinforcing the bullpen by acquiring the hard-throwing Zach Pop and former Jay Anthony Bass from the Marlins, and getting swingman Mitch White from the Dodgers. The Jays had to move some of their own young pitching to get White, and dealt top-100 prospect (but struggling at Triple-A) Jordan Groshans to Miami.

The Cubs’ Ian Happ was frequently mentioned as a Blue Jays target leading up to deadline day, yet Happ wasn’t dealt anywhere, and the Jays instead obtained longtime Royal Whit Merrifield. The former All-Star is struggling through his worst season, but the Jays are hoping that a change of scenery will help Merrifield get back into form, and add depth at multiple positions around the diamond. The trade with Kansas City was presumably made with the knowledge that Merrifield will be able to play in Toronto, as he recently missed a Royals/Blue Jays series because he wasn’t vaccinated.

Tampa Bay: Beset by injuries in the outfield, the Rays adjusted by acquiring Siri from the Astros (for young righties Seth Johnson and Jayden Murray) and David Peralta from the Diamondbacks (for catching prospect Christian Cerda). While fan favorite outfielder Brett Phillips was designated for assignment and then traded to the Orioles to make room, the Rays feel they’ve reinforced their lineup — the weak link on a wild card contender with excellent pitching.

Garrett Cleavinger and Jeremy Walker also acquired from the Dodgers and Giants to bring a couple more arms into the pipeline. The Rays did at least explore a real eye-opening move in checking in with the Nationals about Juan Soto, and one position left unaddressed was the catching position, though Tampa reportedly had interest in Willson Contreras.

Cleveland: The Guardians are another team with a longstanding need at catcher, and it seemed like Cleveland was getting close to a deal for A’s backstop Sean Murphy — especially since the Guards were reportedly open to making a big move by offering one of their controllable starters. However, though the Guardians were said to be looking hard for pitching of their own and also flirted with the idea of an offer for Juan Soto, all of the talk resulted in a very quiet deadline.

Other than moving Sandy Leon to Minnesota, the Guardians didn’t make a single trade. Especially with so many other contenders fortifying their rosters, the Guards’ inaction was a risky move for a team in the thick of the AL Central and wild card races. Cleveland is counting on its internal mix to step up over the last two months, but if the Guardians fall short of the postseason, there will be some what-ifs asked about this deadline.

Chicago: In somewhat similar fashion to the Guardians, the White Sox are in the AL Central/wild card races, checked in on a big name (Shohei Ohtani), focused on pitching additions (linked to such familiar Chicago names as Jose Quintana, David Robertson, and Mychal Givens) and…ended up coming away without much on deadline day. White Sox GM Rick Hahn even openly stated that he was “disappointed” at his team’s relative inaction. The Sox did add some needed left-handed depth to the bullpen in landing Jake Diekman from the Red Sox in an exchange for backup catching Reese McGuire, even if Diekman’s control problems don’t exactly promise drama-free innings.

Boston: With a dismal July record, the Red Sox were exploring trading their veteran players leading up to the deadline, and to some extent this did happen when Christian Vazquez and Jake Diekman. But, the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez, and Rich Hill are all still in Red Sox uniforms, and the Sox even added two more veterans in Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer. In Pham’s case, he’ll likely be a rental player due to his mutual option for 2023, but Hosmer is signed through 2025.

In an odd turn of events, Hosmer used his no-trade clause to refuse heading to the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster, and has now landed in Boston along with two prospects in exchange for former first-rounder Jay Groome. Since the Padres are paying virtually all of Hosmer’s salary, in a way it’s kind of a no-lose proposition for the Red Sox, except for the fact that Hosmer has been more or less a league-average player for the last four-plus seasons. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Sox look to flip Hosmer again after the season, but for now, the idea is that Hosmer and Pham can help the club regroup and make a late run at a wild card slot.

Baltimore: The surprisingly competitive Orioles entered today’s play 2.5 games out of a wild card berth, but rather than make a true playoff push, the O’s kept their eyes focused on the future. As a result, team leader Trey Mancini and breakout closer Jorge Lopez were each traded, with a total of six pitching prospects coming back as further reinforcements to Baltimore’s minor league system. The three-team Mancini trade involving the Astros and Rays also unofficially netted the Orioles Brett Phillips, as the O’s acquired Phillips as backup outfield depth after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment. It surely isn’t the outcome that Baltimore fans wanted to see after so many years of rebuilding, but with the steps forward the team has made in 2022, it now seems possible that the Orioles could again be on the buyer side of the ledger by the 2023 deadline.

Texas: Another “wait until next year” team, the Rangers spent a ton on its roster in the offseason but 2023 seemed like the real target point for the club’s return to contention. Perhaps reflecting this in-between state, Texas didn’t do much buying or selling at the deadline, apart from moving reliever Matt Bush to the Brewers in a swap for the versatile Mark Mathias and left-handed pitching prospect Antoine Kelly.

Detroit: 2022 was the go-for-it year for the Tigers, yet a swath of injuries and slumping players quickly put the team back into seller mode. Reflecting the disastrous nature of the season, the Tigers were reportedly willing to discuss “just about everyone” in trade talks, but rather than a truly transformative move, Detroit played it pretty safe on the trade front. Impending free agents Michael Fulmer (to the Twins) and Robbie Grossman (to the Braves) were dealt, but though Detroit had plenty of good bullpen arms on offer, GM Al Avila felt “the market was flooded with relievers,” limiting the Tigers’ leverage.

Kansas City: Trading Carlos Santana to the Mariners in late June gave the Royals an early jump on their trade plans, and they ended up making more significant deals in swapping Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees and longtime Royal Whit Merrifield to Toronto. It was pretty easy to figure out Kansas City’s goal — six of the seven young players acquired in those three trades were pitchers, adding more arms to all levels of the farm system. There was plenty of interest in other Kansas City veterans like Michael A. Taylor or Josh Staumont, but the Royals to some extent held steady on a true housecleaning.

The Royals also brought in a more experienced arm in Luke Weaver, giving K.C. a pitcher (who may used either as as a reliever or starter) controlled through the 2023 season. For Weaver, the Royals sent the Diamondbacks Emmanuel Rivera, who was likely an odd man out amidst Kansas City’s multitude of infield options. The Royals also acquired Brent Rooker to help fill the holes in the outfield, landing Rooker from the Padres for backup catcher Cam Gallagher.

Oakland: The Athletics have been in rebuild mode for months, and Frankie Montas was finally moved after countless rumors. As in their offseason moves of star players, the A’s continued to pursue a mix of big league-ready and longer-term prospects, getting four young pitchers back in return from the Yankees for Montas and Lou Trivino. JP Sears has already made his MLB debut and Ken Waldichuk is the highest-ranked prospect of the quartet.

With Montas so widely expected to be dealt, his situation took up much of the buzz surrounding the Athletics, though the club also looked into moving Sean Murphy and Ramon Laureano. Since Murphy and Laureano are each under arbitration control through 2025, however, the A’s didn’t quite have as much urgency in working out a trade immediately. Despite those years of control, it’s probably safe to expect Oakland to continue taking calls on both players this winter as the A’s continue their latest roster overhaul.

Los Angeles: Another disappointing season led the Angels to take perhaps more of a bigger-picture view of their roster, as the team at least heard out other clubs’ offers for Shohei Ohtani, even if nobody met the Halos’ understandably huge asking price. However, the Angels were still quite busy, and reloaded by dealing away Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Marsh to the Phillies, and Raisel Iglesias to the Braves.

Getting Iglesias’ remaining $51MM in salary off the books is itself a win for Anaheim, but the team also obtained a top young catching prospect (Logan O’Hoppe), a controllable starter (Tucker Davidson), a familiar face of a veteran pitcher (Jesse Chavez), an outfield prospect (Jadiel Sanchez) and a lottery ticket of a former first overall pick (Mickey Moniak). It is an interesting array that falls a bit short of a true reload for 2023, but it gives the Angels some options, flexibility, and plans for the future as they work out their next steps.

Minor MLB Transactions: Deadline Day

By Anthony Franco | August 2, 2022 at 8:18pm CDT

As is the case at every trade deadline, there’s a flurry of activity on deadline day. The most high-profile of the moves are the trades themselves, but the aftermath of that activity often results in a shuffle of minor moves of their own. Plenty of clubs have had to fill or create roster spots depending on the deals they’ve made in the last 24 hours. We’ll round up 40-man roster transactions not previously covered on the MLBTR pages here:

AL East

Yankees: Reinstated catcher Ben Rortvedt from 60-day injured list
Blue Jays: Designated left-hander Anthony Banda for assignment; lost left-hander Andrew Vasquez on waivers to Phillies

AL Central

Tigers: Reinstated right-hander Matt Manning from 60-day injured list
White Sox: Claimed right-hander Tobias Myers off waivers from Giants

AL West

Angels: Selected the contract of infielder Jose Rojas; designated infielder David MacKinnon for assignment
Mariners: Designated first baseman Jack Larsen for assignment; released left-hander Tommy Milone
Astros: Transferred catcher Jason Castro to 60-day injured list

NL East

Nationals: Designated left-hander Josh Rogers for assignment; transferred left-hander Evan Lee to 60-day injured list. Selected the contract of first baseman Joey Meneses
Marlins: Reinstated right-hander Anthony Bender from 60-day injured list
Phillies: Claimed left-hander Andrew Vasquez off waivers from Blue Jays

NL Central

Cubs: Claimed right-hander Kervin Castro off waivers from Giants
Brewers: Designated right-hander Luke Barker for assignment

NL West

Giants: Lost right-hander Tobias Myers on waivers to White Sox; lost right-hander Kervin Castro on waivers to Cubs

Yankees, Cardinals Swap Jordan Montgomery For Harrison Bader

By Tim Dierkes | August 2, 2022 at 5:43pm CDT

The Cardinals are acquiring lefty Jordan Montgomery from the Yankees, tweet Ken Rosenthal and Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. Montgomery will be traded for Harrison Bader, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network. The trade, which has been officially announced by both teams, also includes a player to be named later or cash considerations going to the Yankees, conditional on Bader’s playing time as it pertains to the plantar fasciitis that sidelines him at present.

Montgomery, 29, is a big addition to the Cardinals’ rotation. The lefty, a fourth-round draft pick of the Yankees out of the University of South Carolina in 2014, finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting with a fine 2017 debut, but saw his career derailed by Tommy John surgery the following season. Since 2021, he’s settled in as a dependable member of the Yankees’ rotation, posting a 3.77 ERA in 272 innings across 51 starts. While Montgomery’s strikeout rate has been down this year, so too has his walk rate, and he’s continued to keep his ERA south of 4.00.

Montgomery is earning a reasonable $6MM this year, and he’s due a raise through arbitration in 2023 before becoming eligible for free agency. He was not necessarily thought to be available, but the Yankees just added Frankie Montas to the front of their rotation in a trade with the A’s. Montgomery fits in well with the Cardinals’ pitch-to-contact rotation, which currently features Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson, rookie Andre Pallante, and recent addition Jose Quintana. Steven Matz, signed as a free agent in November, is out with a knee injury that could require surgery. Former ace Jack Flaherty won’t be eligible to return from a shoulder strain until late August. Looking ahead to 2023, Adam Wainwright may retire and Quintana could depart as a free agent, but everyone else remains under team control.

At present, the Cardinals sit three games back in the NL Central and are one game back from a wild card spot. In addition to Quintana and Montgomery, the Cardinals also added Chris Stratton to their bullpen via trade. The club reportedly expressed interest in many available starters before landing Montgomery, including Frankie Montas, Jake Odorizzi, Tyler Mahle, and Carlos Rodon. Bader hit the IL for plantar fasciitis in his right foot in late June, with Dylan Carlson starting in center field in his absence. Bader is currently in a walking boot for the injury. Evidently, the Cardinals felt Carlson can handle the gig for at least the remainder of the season. The Cardinals had been involved on Juan Soto, but reportedly hadn’t been willing to pair Carlson with their top prospects.

Bader, 28, is a native of Bronxville, New York, about 11 miles away from Yankee Stadium. He’s served as the Cardinals’ primary center fielder since 2018, when he finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Known for his defense, Bader picked up his first Gold Glove last year and finished second in the Fielding Bible awards voting. Bader’s wRC+ sits at 93 this year, but he was at 111 over 526 plate appearances from 2020-21. Bader, one of the speedier center fielders in the game, was limited to 103 games in 2021 due to a forearm strain and a rib fracture.

The Yankees have deployed the oft-injured Aaron Hicks as well as MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge in equal proportions in center field thus far this year. Once Bader and Giancarlo Stanton are healthy, Hicks figures to see his playing time reduced. The Yankees also recently added a new left fielder via trade, picking up Andrew Benintendi from the Royals.

Like Montgomery, Bader is under control through 2023. However, due to a two-year extension signed in April, Bader’s salary was locked in at $4.7MM for both the 2022 and ’23 seasons, plus performance bonuses. The Yankees will trim several million dollars off next year’s payroll compared to what Montgomery is projected to earn.

In parting with Montgomery, the Yankees have weakened their rotation for the remainder of the 2021 season, seemingly locking Domingo German into the fifth spot until Luis Severino is able to return. With a 12-game lead in the AL East, that difference hardly matters. Montgomery’s loss could be felt in the playoffs, especially if Severino isn’t able to build back up to a starting role, but evidently the Yankees feel the eventual defensive upgrade in center field is a net win. The decision has, at least, elicited some “head-scratching” within the Yankees’ organization, according to Erik Boland of Newsday.

Giants Do Not Trade Carlos Rodon, Joc Pederson Prior To Deadline

By Anthony Franco | August 2, 2022 at 5:00pm CDT

5:00pm: There was no last-minute trade of either Rodon or outfielder Joc Pederson, tweets Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Both remain with the Giants and are now ineligible to be traded with the deadline passed. The Giants can still issue a qualifying offer to both players, with Rodon standing out as a particularly obvious candidate to receive one.

2:20pm: The Yankees have also checked in on Rodon, though they’re seen as a “long shot,” Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic adds that Rodon’s $22.5MM player option has indeed been a complicating factor in talks to this point, given the aforementioned downside it presents an acquiring club.

1:20pm: The Giants are in discussions with teams about Carlos Rodón, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Slusser suggests they’re not motivated to sell low, however, indicating they’d only accept an offer for “full value.” Slusser lists the Phillies, Twins, and Cardinals as interested parties. At 51-52, the Giants sit 4.5 games out for a wild card spot and have 16.6% playoff odds as calculated by FanGraphs.

Rodon dominated through his first 16 starts last year for the White Sox, but then seemed to wear down and was handled carefully the rest of the year. The White Sox chose not to issue a qualifying offer, and Rodon went into free agency as a high-risk, high-reward pitcher. After the lockout, the Giants gave Rodon a two-year, $44MM deal that allows him to opt out of the remaining $22.5MM for ’23 if he reaches 110 innings, a condition the lefty has already met.

So far, Rodon has silenced any concern about his health, as he’s tossed 123 innings without a dropoff in velocity or production, resulting in his second consecutive All-Star nod. Over his last five starts, Rodon has punched out over 36% of batters faced, whiffing ten in each of his last two.

As with any opt-out clause, Rodon will exercise it if he thinks he can top the remaining $22.5MM. Barring a significant injury, it seems likely Rodon will indeed explore free agency again unless he’s extended by a new team. The Mariners and Yankees, respectively, have landed the top two starters on the trade market in Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas. Back-end options Jose Quintana and Jake Odorizzi are off the board as well.

A healthy Rodon is a potential Game 1 or 2 playoff starter, and can impact a playoff race. However, he is owed over $7.5MM for the remainder of the season, plus the downside risk of his opt-out clause and the chance of a repeat of last year’s late fade. He’ll need a suitor with financial flexibility and tolerance for risk. If the Giants don’t find an offer to their liking, they can still tender a qualifying offer to Rodon after the season.

Dodgers Acquire Joey Gallo

By Anthony Franco | August 2, 2022 at 3:00pm CDT

3:00PM: The trade has been officially announced.

1:22PM: The Dodgers are taking a shot on Joey Gallo for the season’s final few months. They’ve reportedly agreed to acquire him from the Yankees in exchange for pitching prospect Clayton Beeter.

Gallo has spent the past year in the Bronx, coming over from the Rangers in a massive deadline deal last summer. At the time, the power-hitting outfielder was fresh off a second career All-Star nod and carried a .223/.379/.490 line with 25 home runs in 95 games. The Yankees no doubt envisioned his left-handed pop playing perfectly in the short right field porch at their home ballpark, but Gallo’s tenure in New York proved a major disappointment.

The 28-year-old stumbled to a .160/.303/.404 line through 58 games after the trade last year. While he’s always been a high-strikeout player, his saw his rate of punchouts spike from 32.2% to 38.6%. He still connected on 13 homers with the Yankees, but the 70 point dip in both his batting average and on-base marks surely wasn’t what general manager Brian Cashman and his staff had had in mind.

The Yankees retained Gallo via arbitration in hopes his production would bounce back towards his career norms. The opposite transpired, as his struggled became even more pronounced in 2022. Gallo’s strikeout rate held near its late-2021 level (38.8%), and his power has taken a step back. He’s hit 12 homers in 82 contests, watching his average exit velocity fall from a strong 91.3 MPH to a near-average 88.4 MPH. Gallo’s still drawing plenty of walks, but merely average batted ball metrics aren’t sufficient for a player who whiffs as often as he does.

New York’s frustrations with Gallo’s continued struggles mounted (as did his own, as he candidly addressed with Lindsey Adler of the Athletic recently). The Yankees began to curtail his playing time in favor of the hot-hitting Matt Carpenter. They then acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Royals for a trio of pitching prospects last week, all but officially ending Gallo’s time in the organization.

It’s an inopportune time to market Gallo, but the Dodgers certainly aren’t anticipating they’re getting a player who’ll hit .159/.291/.368 — as Gallo did in over 500 plate appearances with New York. They’re betting on his pre-Yankees track record, hopeful that a change of scenery and perhaps some desired mechanical tweaks can get him back on track. Gallo is capable of carrying a lineup at his best, as he did during last year’s first half in Texas and during a half-season in 2019 when he hit .253/.389/.598 with 22 homers. He’s also an excellent defensive corner outfielder and baserunner, and he addresses a corner outfield mix that is currently without Chris Taylor due to a foot fracture (although Taylor is expected to return wells in advance of the start of the postseason).

Once Taylor returns, Gallo figures to work off the bench behind Taylor, Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts. He’ll add some left-handed power to a group that also includes Jake Lamb, while he adds a plus defensive outfielder for late-game situations. It’s a short-term pickup for a club that’s certainly headed to the playoffs (and very likely to win the NL West). Gallo is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season. He’s playing this year on a $10.275MM salary, around $3.7MM of which is yet to be paid. The Dodgers will assume the reminder of that money, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link).

In exchange for the final couple months of Gallo’s services, the Yankees pick up a recent supplemental second-round pick. Beeter, a righty from Texas Tech, checked in as the #15 prospect in the L.A. system on Baseball America’s most recent rankings. He generates plus life on his mid-upper 90s fastball and has a good downhill curveball, but his lack of control seems likely to eventually push him to the bullpen. The 23-year-old has spent the season in Double-A, pitching to a 5.75 ERA with a huge 36.1% strikeout rate but an untenable 14.3% walk percentage across 18 appearances (16 starts).

Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated first reported the deal.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rays’ Brett Phillips Drawing Interest From Multiple Clubs

By Steve Adams | August 2, 2022 at 8:42am CDT

The Rays designated outfielder Brett Phillips for assignment yesterday upon acquiring outfielder Jose Siri from the Astros, and while a team normally has a week to trade a player following a DFA, that’s not the case with today’s 6pm ET deadline looming. Phillips seems likely to change hands today, as he’s already drawing interest from multiple clubs. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets that the Red Sox have reached out to the Rays, while Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the Phillies have also shown interest as they look to add some defense in center. Brendan Kuty of NJ.com adds the Yankees as another interested club.

It’s been a dismal season at the plate for Phillips, who’s hitting just .147/.225/.250 through 208 plate appearances and has fanned at a whopping 40.9% rate. He’s never been one to provide much with the bat, but this year’s struggles still represent a pronounced departure from last year’s .206/.300/.427 output and the career .201/.291/.381 Phillips carried into the season.

For all of Phillips’ struggles with the bat, he’s long been one of the game’s premier defenders. He’s not only capable of playing all three outfield spots but is a plus defender across the board, evidenced by career marks of 38 Defensive Runs Saved, 31 Outs Above Average and a 25.3 Ultimate Zone Rating in just 2100 innings of outfield work in his career. The left-handed-hitting Phillips also has displayed plenty of pop and been an excellent base stealer prior to the season. In 675 prior plate appearances, he’d popped 23 homers and gone 29-for-34 in stolen base attempts.

Phillips is earning $1.4MM this season and is controllable for another two years via arbitration, although this year’s struggles at the plate make him an obvious non-tender candidate. Still, as a backup outfielder with power, speed and an elite glove, he could offer plenty of value to a contender off the bench in the season’s final couple months. He’s out of minor league options, so he’ll need to stick on the roster of whatever club potentially acquires him.

Speculatively, there are plenty of other potential fits even beyond the three teams reported to have inquired. The Marlins and Astros are both known to be looking for potential center field upgrades, and Phillips is of course a former Astros farmhand. The Twins’ outfield is banged up beyond recognition at the moment, and Phillips would give them a low-cost stopgap with elite defense to help shore things up. The Blue Jays could see Phillips as a more appealing version of the same skill set that current fourth outfielder Bradley Zimmer offers.

Lack of offensive value notwithstanding, the defense, speed and past power production could very well land Phillips with another team at some point today.

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