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MLBTR Podcast: Baseball Is Back, Will Smith’s Extension, Mike Clevinger And Jon Berti

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

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

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Let’s say it’s trade deadline time and the Diamondbacks are basically a longshot to make the playoffs and want to dump payroll. Do you think there could be a reunion for Jordan Montgomery to be traded to the Rangers? The contract is right with the option or does he have a no-trade clause? (31:40)
  • Are international free agents eligible for extensions right away or is there a certain waiting period? I ask this because of the impending Roki Sasaki situation. Could he sign with an MLB team next year and play that first year for peanuts knowing that he has a handshake mega deal agreement in place that kicks in the following year? (34:10)
  • Is there a particular reason that you can’t trade a draft pick in the MLB the same way you can in leagues like the NFL? I know you there is a system in place for trading competitive balance picks, but I mean for just normal picks. I ask because I am a Mets fan and a Gators fan and it hurts that Jac Caglianone probably isn’t going to fall to 18. (41:55)

Check out our past episodes!

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

Yankees Sign Phil Bickford To Minors Contract

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The Yankees signed right-hander Phil Bickford to a minor league deal, as announced by the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link) reports that Bickford will earn $1.1MM if he makes New York’s active roster.

Bickford is moving from one Big Apple borough to another, as the Mets just released the right-hander last week.  Bickford won an arbitration case (for a $900K salary in 2024) with the Mets in February, but as per the terms of the CBA, going to a hearing meant that the salary wasn’t fully guaranteed until Opening Day.  As a result, the Mets only owed Bickford around $217K, representing 45 days’ worth of termination pay.  The $1.1MM salary linked to his minors deal could be prorated based on the amount of time (if any) Bickford actually spends on the Yankees’ roster, yet between the Yankees’ money and the termination pay, Bickford might now be in line to make more than the $900K he was slated to receive if he’d just made the Mets’ active roster.

After making two MLB appearances with the Brewers, a trade to the Dodgers in 2021 seemed to inspire a breakout, as Bickford posted a 2.50 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and nine percent walk rate over 50 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen.  However, Bickford benefited from some BABIP and strand rate-related good fortune that year, and reality seemed to set in when he posted a 4.84 ERA in 128 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and Mets over the 2022-23 seasons.  L.A. dealt him to the Mets at last year’s trade deadline, and the Mets ultimately deemed Bickford expendable amongst the many other relief options they acquired this past offseason.

The Yankees are forever on the lookout for bullpen arms, and the team’s recent ability to get good results from multiple unheralded or off-the-radar relievers perhaps bodes well for Bickford’s chances at success if he makes the 26-man roster.  For now he’ll bide his time at Triple-A as depth in the event of an injury, or if the Bronx Bombers shuffle up their bullpen to move fresh arms back and forth from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Dodgers Acquire Nick Ramirez, Transfer Brusdar Graterol To 60-Day Injured List

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The Yankees have traded left-hander Nick Ramirez to the Dodgers for cash considerations, per announcements from both clubs. Ramirez had been designated for assignment on the weekend. The Dodgers opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring righty Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list.

Ramirez, 34, was a bit of a surprising cut from the Yankee roster. He tossed 40 2/3 innings last year with an earned run average of 2.66. His 16.3% strikeout rate was on the low side but his 47.4% ground ball rate was a bit better than average and his 5.2% walk rate was excellent. But the club used a number of pitchers in their first two games of the season and wanted to add Tanner Tully as a fresh arm and Ramirez got squeezed out.

Perhaps they were a bit skeptical of the sample size, as Ramirez had a career ERA of 4.55 coming into last year, with a 9.5% walk rate that was much closer to average than what he did in 2023. But he’s always had good results at Triple-A, having posted a 2.98 ERA in 200 appearances over seven different seasons at that level.

He’ll give the Dodgers another left-handed relief option, which is a bit of a weak spot on the roster at the moment. Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough are the two other southpaws in the bullpen, but the latter is used more for long relief as opposed to situations where a manager would specifically want a lefty. Ramirez also has an option remaining and can be kept in the minors until needed.

The Dodgers had a 40-man roster spot to use since they evidently don’t expect Graterol to return prior to the middle of May. He battled hip soreness and shoulder soreness throughout the spring and only made one official appearance. He has reportedly been making progress of late but will effectively need to redo Spring Training by spending a few weeks ramping up and getting into game shape.

Since the Dodgers started their season early with the Seoul Series, he was placed on the 15-day IL back on March 19, meaning he’s already two weeks into his 60-day count and can return about six weeks from now if he’s healthy and build up by then.

Yankees To Select Jake Cousins

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The Yankees are planning to add right-hander Jake Cousins to their roster, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports. The righty was just acquired from the White Sox yesterday. He’s not yet on the 40-man and will require a corresponding move.

Cousins, 29, is coming off a challenging season. He was only able to toss 9 1/3 innings in the majors, allowing five earned runs, while getting frequently optioned to the minors and also landing on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation at one point. He went from the Brewers to the Astros via a waiver claim and had a 6.35 earned run average in the minors between those two clubs.

But he had thrown 43 1/3 innings for the Brewers over 2021 and 2022 with a much nicer ERA of 2.70. His 14.7% walk rate was on the high side but he was able to strike out 35.3% of opponents. His poor performance in 2023 led to him being outrighted by the Astros and then settling for a minor league deal with the White Sox. He appeared to be in good form in the spring, tossing seven innings with just one earned run allowed, striking out 11 opponents while walking just two.

The Yanks seem to think the strong results from the Cactus League are a good sign that Cousins can put last year behind him and get back on track. They sent cash to the Sox yesterday to get Cousins in their system and will now give him a roster spot as well. Cousins still has an option, so he can provide the bullpen with a fresh arm and also give the club the flexibility to send him to the minors at some point later in the year. He has just under two years of service time and can therefore be retained for future seasons if he sticks on the 40-man through the year.

Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals Among Teams Scouting Roki Sasaki

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Eight MLB teams sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki’s latest start, according to articles from Sports Hochi and Yahoo Japan, as relayed by Dylan Hernández of The Los Angeles Times and Andy Martino of SNY, respectively. Among those teams were the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

Sasaki is just 22 years old and already one of the best pitchers in Japan. Over three NPB seasons, he has thrown 283 2/3 innings with 376 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. The ace made headlines last winter when he reportedly asked to be posted for MLB teams well ahead of the typical timeline – MLB does not allow players under 25 years old and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything more than a minor league contract. Ultimately, Sasaski re-signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines, temporarily putting a stop to any talk of his being posted. Still, he could make the same request this coming offseason. While he might be forfeiting a massive free agent payday if he is posted before his 25th birthday, he has made no secret of his desire to pitch in MLB.

It’s no surprise, then, that several MLB teams are showing interest in Sasaski. However, the two-time NPB All-Star might have already decided where he wants to pitch in 2025 and beyond. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “several GMs” are under the impression that Sasaki “already has plans to sign with the Dodgers” during the 2024-25 offseason.

According to one general manager, “There’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.” While that particular comment was spoken in no uncertain terms, it also sounds more like conjecture than insider knowledge. Indeed, this entire report may be more speculation on the part of the executives than anything else. After all, at least seven teams besides the Dodgers are actively scouting Sasaski, and they wouldn’t be doing so if they didn’t think they had a chance to secure his services in the future. Moreover, even if Sasaki truly does have his sights set on the Dodgers, the rest of the league will still have an opportunity to change his mind.

Yankees Acquire Jake Cousins

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The Yankees have acquired right-hander Jake Cousins from the White Sox, both teams announced. The White Sox will receive cash considerations in return. Cousins signed a minor league contract with Chicago in December and was not on the 40-man roster.

Cousins, 29, is coming off an impressive spring in which he struck out 11 and walked just two in seven innings of work. He gave up a lone earned run on five hits, although he also allowed three unearned runs. Despite his strong spring stats, the righty was unable to crack the White Sox Opening Day roster.

Drafted by the Nationals in 2017 and released less than two years later, Cousins rebuilt his value with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League over the first few months of the 2019 season. He pitched well enough to catch the Brewers’ attention that summer, and two years later, he made his MLB debut with Milwaukee. In 30 appearances during the 2021 season, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 3.60 SIERA, with seven holds and an impressive 35.2% strikeout rate.

Cousins got off to a bumpy start in 2022 before suffering a UCL injury. However, he opted not to have Tommy John surgery and returned a few months later. He looked quite sharp upon his return, putting up a 2.66 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 22 minor league appearances and tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings at the MLB level. Unfortunately, he struggled to recapture that success in 2023. Cousins gave up 15 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings with the Brewers between the minors and majors. He was DFA’d at the trade deadline and claimed by the Astros. He did not make it back to the majors with Houston and gave up another 10 earned runs in 15 innings at Triple-A.

Presumably, Cousins will report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Given his previous major league experience and brief run of success with the Brewers, he could certainly see time in the Yankees bullpen this year. He has one option year remaining.

Yankees Designate Nick Ramirez For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated lefty Nick Ramirez for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to fellow lefty Tanner Tully, whose contract is being selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager Aaron Boone announced not long ago that Tully would be selected but didn’t divulge a corresponding move.

It’s a somewhat surprising DFA, given Ramirez’s solid performance in 2023 and strong spring showing. The 34-year-old logged 40 2/3 innings out of Boone’s bullpen last year and recorded a 2.66 ERA. His 16.3% strikeout rate was well shy of the league average, but Ramirez’s 5.2% walk rate was outstanding and his 47.4% grounder rate was sharp as well. This spring, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with nine strikeouts and a huge 62% ground-ball rate.

Ramirez didn’t make the Opening Day roster with the Yankees, however, and it seems that for the time being anyhow, they prefer to turn to Tully to add some length in the bullpen rather than the more straightforward move to recall Ramirez. In doing so, they’ll now have a week to trade Ramirez, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’s been outrighted previously in his career, so he’d be able to reject an outright assignment even if he clears waivers.

In parts of four big league seasons between the Tigers, Padres and Yankees, Ramirez has tallied 151 1/3 innings with a 4.04 ERA and fielding-independent marks that more or less support that level of performance (4.15 FIP, 4.33 SIERA). He doesn’t throw hard, sitting 90-91 with his fastball, and his 19.3% strikeout rate is below par. But Ramirez has solid control and ground-ball tendencies, just as he showed in 2023, and has virtually no platoon split. Ramirez is in his final minor league option year and has four years of club control remaining.

Yankees To Select Tanner Tully

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The Yankees are set to option right-hander Clayton Beeter and select the contract of left-hander Tanner Tully, manager Aaron Boone announced before today’s game (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move, but the Yankees have not yet announced what that’ll be.

Tully, 29, has just six major league innings under his belt — all coming with the 2022 Guardians. He allowed four runs on eight hits and six walks in that short sample of work. Cleveland selected Tully in the 26th round back in 2016, and he spent the next seven seasons in their system, working primarily as a starting pitcher in the minors. Following that cup of coffee in the majors in ’22, he was removed from the 40-man roster and became a free agent, ultimately signing a minor league deal with the Yankees.

It proved to be a brief stint with the Yankees, as Tully made 19 starts in Triple-A before being granted his release to sign with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. He made 11 starts for the Dinos in the final couple months of the season, tossing 64 2/3 frames of 2.92 ERA ball with a 17.7% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 59.6% ground-ball rate. The Yankees brought Tully back on a minor league deal over the winter, and he’ll now make his first appearance on the big league roster.

The Yankees burned through five relievers yesterday after Carlos Rodon lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the year. They also needed four innings from the ’pen following a five-inning Opening Day outing by Nestor Cortes. Tully will provide a multi-inning option to give them some length in the event of a short start from Marcus Stroman or should the game get out of hand one way or another. In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Tully has a 5.06 ERA with an 18.7% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. He pitched six innings for the Yankees this spring and yielded one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

DJ LeMahieu Diagnosed With Fracture In Foot

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Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu opened the season on the injured list with what the team termed a foot contusion after he fouled a ball into himself late in camp. The team said yesterday he’d been slated for a second MRI because the swelling had taken so long to go down, and it appears this new round of imaging revealed a more notable injury. Manager Aaron Boone told the Yankees beat today that the new round of imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture (X link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks but is now clearly facing a lengthier absence than originally anticipated.

The Yankees made a late-spring trade to acquire utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins, sending catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Rays and outfield prospect John Cruz to the Marlins in a three-team swap. Berti’s presence on the roster will be all the more important now. The Yankees didn’t provide a timeline beyond that two-week reevaluation, but at the very least LeMahieu will be sidelined into late April — although an absence extending beyond that seems likely.

LeMahieu, 35, is in the fourth season of a six-year, $90MM contract. He came to spring training hoping to rebound from a down year at the plate, by his standards (.243/.327/.390, 101 wRC+), but he struggled in 29 spring plate appearances and will now face an prolonged absence to begin the year.

With LeMahieu and prospect Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) both on the injured list for what’s likely to be a notable period, the Yankees will use Berti and fellow utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner early in the season. Cabrera has started each of the team’s first two games and gotten out to a hot start, going 6-for-9 with a home run and a double.

Yankees Acquire JT Brubaker From Pirates

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The Yankees have acquired right-hander JT Brubaker and international bonus pool space from the Pirates for a player to be named later, per announcements from both clubs. Prior to the official announcements, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported on that Brubaker was going to the Yanks for a PTBNL. The righty is on the 60-day injured list, recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He won’t need a roster spot with the Yankees but won’t be available to them immediately. Per Stumpf, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Brubaker is targeting a return around the All-Star break. He’s controllable via arbitration through the 2025 season. The bonus pool money is worth $550K, per Francys Romero.

Brubaker, 30, missed the entire 2023 season after requiring Tommy John in mid-April. In the three preceding seasons, he had been one of the steadier arms on Pittsburgh’s staff. He tossed 315 2/3 innings over the 2020 to 2022 campaigns, one of which was shortened by the pandemic, with an earned run average of 4.99.

Though that ERA may not be terribly exciting, it’s possible that it doesn’t represent his true skill level, with some underlying metrics painting a more favorable picture. He struck out 23.3% of batters faced in that stretch and walked 7.8%, with both of those numbers being slightly better than average for a starting pitcher in the modern game. His 44% ground ball rate was also right around typical league average.

The discrepancy may be down to luck, as his .313 batting average on balls in play and 70.1% strand rate have both been on the unfortunate side of par. ERA estimators like his 4.43 FIP and 4.04 SIERA suggest he may have deserved better. That was especially true in 2022, when he had a 4.69 ERA but a 3.92 FIP and 3.97 SIERA.

But it’s also possible the difference is down to Brubaker’s struggles with lefties, something explored by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco prior to Brubaker’s surgery. He only throws his changeup about 5.5% of the time and hasn’t had great results with it, meaning he doesn’t have a great weapon for tackling lefty hitters. They have hit .269/.339/.481 against him, compared to a line of .272/.342/.391 from righty-swinging opponents.

Whether the Yankees can help Brubaker find another gear remains to be seen, but there’s likely some appeal even if he remains a back-of-the-rotation kind of guy. The Yankees were looking for starting pitching this offseason, even after signing Marcus Stroman. Their need for rotation reinforcements was only increased with the recent news that Gerrit Cole is going to miss some time with an elbow issue.

Cole and Brubaker may be on somewhat similar timelines, as Cole was also placed on the 60-day IL, putting him on the shelf until at least late May but with an uncertain timeline after that. Brubaker won’t be able to help out during Cole’s absence but other injuries could crop up throughout the season that could require reinforcements. The Yankees currently have Stroman, Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodón in three rotation spots, all three of whom missed significant time last year. Luis Gil won a rotation spot out of camp despite missing most of the past two seasons recovering from his own Tommy John surgery.

Brubaker comes into 2024 with exactly four years of service time. He first qualified for arbitration going into 2023 and earned a salary of $2.275MM. After sitting out the whole campaign, he agreed to the same mark this year, with one more arbitration season remaining.

For the Bucs, they were looking at another season and a half of Brubaker’s services, including next year and the post-All-Star portion of 2024. Once healthy, he would have been entering a rotation mix that currently consists of Mitch Keller, Martín Pérez, Marco Gonzales, Jared Jones and Bailey Falter, but prospects like Paul Skenes and Quinn Priester might be in there by midseason. Bubba Chandler will be a bit behind that group and Johan Oviedo, who will miss 2024 due to his own Tommy John, will be back in the picture next year.

General manager Ben Cherington spoke to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, saying that the club preferred to get something in return now. That return is unknown at this time but will become more clear when the PTBNL is revealed. In the meantime, they will save a small amount of money.

The Yanks will be taking on slightly more than the Bucs are saving, since they are over the fourth line of the competitive balance tax and a third-time payor. That means they are paying a 110% tax on any money they add to the payroll at this point. On top of Brubaker’s $2.275MM salary, they will also have to pay $2.5025MM in taxes.

If Brubaker is healthy in a few months but the Yankee rotation is in decent shape, he has a couple of options and could be sent to Triple-A. That could provide the club with some extra depth, it could also give them an extra year of control. As mentioned, Brubaker is coming into 2024 with exactly four years of service time. He’s currently accruing more service time while on the 60-day IL but an optional assignment of a few weeks would prevent him from getting to the five-year mark this year.

Regardless of how that plays out, the Yankees are adding some rotation depth for the latter half of this year and for the future as well. Additionally, they’ve added some unknown amount of international bonus pool space. The Bucs have saved a bit of money and bolstered their system with another player who is presumably younger and more controllable than Brubaker, though the details of their return have not yet emerged.

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