AL East Notes: Jansen, Yankees, LeMahieu, Webb, Mountcastle
Kenley Jansen enjoyed ten straight years of playoff baseball before signing a two-year, $32MM free agent contract with the Red Sox during the 2022-23 offseason, and barring a late surge from Boston in the last two weeks of play, Jansen is now on pace for back-to-back without any postseason action. As he heads into free agency this winter, it therefore isn’t surprising that Jansen is “always gonna look for winning. Contending,” the closer told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “That’s going to be my priority…I want to be in a situation where we can contend for a title. That’s it.” This doesn’t necessarily mean Jansen wouldn’t consider a return to the Sox, as Jansen praised the team’s young talent and said he “had a blast wearing this uniform, playing for these fans.”
Even as he approaches his 37th birthday, Jansen has no plans to retire, suggesting that he’d like to pitch “at least until I’m 40-42.” There isn’t much on-field evidence that Jansen is running out of steam, as he remains an effective late-game weapon with a 3.48 ERA in 51 2/3 innings and 26 saves in 30 chances for Boston in 2024. Jansen figures to get a lot of attention in free agency this winter, and Cotillo suggests that the Yankees could look at Jansen as a potential replacement for Clay Holmes. The Red Sox and Giants were the only teams publicly linked to Jansen’s market in his prior stint as a free agent, but Cotillo writes that New York “made a serious run at Jansen before he” joined the Red Sox.
More from around the AL East….
- Sticking with the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu discussed his hip impingement with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, saying that he received a cortisone shot on Thursday to hopefully aid the healing process. LeMahieu hasn’t played since September 3 but he believes he’ll be able to return to New York’s lineup before the season is over. While players generally have a more optimistic view of their injuries, this does represent a more positive outlook than manager Aaron Boone‘s more non-committal answer earlier this week, when the skipper said “I wouldn’t necessarily rule it [a LeMahieu return] out, but I wouldn’t count on it, either.” In between this injury and the foot issue that cost him the first two months of action, LeMahieu has struggled to a .204/.269/.259 slash line over 228 plate appearances this season. Even if he is healthy enough to play, LeMahieu’s lack of production might well cost him a spot on New York’s playoff roster.
- Jacob Webb‘s activation from the Orioles‘ injured list could happen during the team’s current series with the Tigers, manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters. Before a bout of elbow inflammation sent him to the 15-day IL on August 4, Webb was one of Baltimore’s more solid relievers, delivering a 3.08 ERA over 49 2/3 innings and 53 appearances out of the Orioles bullpen. Of the many players on the Orioles’ IL, Webb seems closest to returning, though Danny Coulombe is continuing a minor league rehab assignment and might not be far off. Jordan Westburg has resumed baseball activities and is hitting in a batting cage as he works his way back from a fractured hand.
- Ryan Mountcastle is still in the early stages of a hitting progression, but Hyde wasn’t sure if the Orioles first baseman will be back before the regular season is over. Mountcastle’s IL stint due to a sprained left wrist began on August 23, and he has hit .265/.305/.425 with 13 home runs in 485 PA. As Kubatko writes, the loss of Mountcastle’s steady production has been more glaring since first base replacement Ryan O’Hearn has been caught in an ugly slump.
Yankees To Skip Marcus Stroman’s Next Start
The Yankees are moving Marcus Stroman to the bullpen, at least for the time being. Stroman would have been lined up to make his next start on Sunday against the Red Sox, but manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of The Athletic) that the Yankees plan to skip Stroman’s turn in the rotation. Instead, the right-hander will be available out of the bullpen.
Boone has had six healthy starting pitchers at his disposal since the Yankees reinstated Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt from the injured list this past weekend. At first, it was Nestor Cortes who lost his spot in the rotation; he was scheduled to start last Saturday, but instead, he appeared as a piggyback reliever for Schmidt. However, Cortes returned to the rotation last night, tossing five innings of one-run ball against Boston. Boone says Cortes will remain in the rotation for at least his next start (per Jorge Castillo of ESPN).
Thus, Stroman is the odd man out this time around. Boone suggests the Yankees could stick with a five-man set-up the next time through the rotation as well (per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com), which likely means more time in the bullpen for Stroman. This surely comes as a disappointment for the veteran, who was certainly planning to be a full-time starter – and hopefully start in the postseason – when he signed a two-year, $37MM guarantee with the Yankees last offseason. That said, with the way he has performed this year, the Yankees’ decision shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
On the surface, Stroman got off to a typical start in 2024. Through the All-Star break, he was 7-4 with a 3.51 ERA. However, his underlying metrics were concerning, including a low strikeout rate (17.4%) a high walk rate (10.5%), a high home run rate (1.29 HR/9), and a career-worst 4.94 SIERA. His opponents produced a .330 expected wOBA, significantly higher than the .315 league average this season.
With all that in mind, it’s no wonder Stroman’s ERA has risen dramatically in the second half. He has given up 29 runs (26 earned) in 43 1/3 innings of work, good for a 5.40 ERA. Although he has improved his control (6.7% walk rate) and gotten his home runs in check (0.62 HR/9), he has only struck out 31 of the 195 batters he has faced (15.9% strikeout rate). His 4.48 SIERA marks an improvement from the first half, but it’s still poor. On top of that, Stroman’s expected wOBA has only gotten worse. He is one of 92 pitchers who have thrown at least 750 pitches since the All-Star break. Among that group, his .362 xwOBA ranks last.
Stroman was solid in his latest outing, tossing 5 1/3 and giving up three earned runs against the Royals. However, he lasted just 3 2/3 and gave up five runs on nine hits against the Rangers the start before that. All things considered, Stroman isn’t having a bad season, but simply put, the Yankees have five other starting pitchers who give them a better chance to win games right now.
Reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is a lock atop the rotation, while Gil is enjoying a tremendous rookie campaign. Schmidt was enjoying a breakout of his own before he hit the IL in late May. He looked just as sharp in his return last weekend. Carlos Rodón has had his ups and downs this year, but he has an ace pedigree and strong numbers in the second half (3.33 ERA, 3.17 SIERA). Finally, Cortes has had trials and tribulations of his own this season, but his overall numbers are stronger than Stroman’s, and Cortes has looked especially sharp his last two times out (1 ER, 12 K, 9 1/3 IP).
Funnily enough, Yankees GM Brian Cashman claimed back in 2019 that he didn’t trade for Stroman at that year’s deadline because he “felt [Stroman] would be in [the] bullpen in the postseason.” The righty seemed to take those comments personally, and Cashman ended up apologizing to him during negotiations this past winter (per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press). However, Stroman reportedly took the news that he would be moving to the bullpen with grace (per Hoch). According to Boone, Stroman will be “ready to go” in whatever role the team needs him down the stretch.
Yankees Outright Anthony Misiewicz
Yankees left-hander Anthony Misiewicz went unclaimed on waivers following his recent DFA and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the club announced. He was designated for assignment when the Yankees reinstated utilityman Jon Berti from the injured list. Misiewicz will have the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency if he wishes, though he can also become a minor league free agent at season’s end even if he accepts, given that he has (exactly) three years of service.
The 29-year-old Misiewicz pitched just one inning with the Yankees this season, tossing a shutout frame on June 19 — though he allowed a pair of hits and a walk in that shaky outing. He’s spent the rest of the season in Scranton, where he’s pitched 54 innings of 3.33 ERA ball with a 29.9% strikeout rate and a 6.7% walk rate out of the bullpen. Misiewicz has pitched for five teams across parts of five big league seasons, logging a collective 4.67 ERA with a roughly average 22.8% strikeout rate and a solid 7.6% walk rate.
Misiewicz doesn’t have standout run-prevention numbers in the upper minors, but he has a passable 4.47 ERA in 209 1/3 Triple-A frames. He’s been more impressive in terms of strikeouts and walks, fanning just over one quarter of his opponents there and limiting walks at a tidy 7.7% rate. The long ball has been an issue, though, evidenced by a career 1.42 HR/9 mark at the top minor league level.
James Paxton Planning To Retire
Red Sox left-hander James Paxton plans to retire after this season, he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. The 11-year big league veteran announced the news on Bradford’s Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast (X link).
“I’m hoping that we can squeak into the postseason and I get an opportunity to pitch again. But I think, after this season, I’m going to be retiring and moving on to the next chapter,” Paxton said. The 35-year-old called it a “tough” decision because he remains confident in his ability but indicated he feels it’s the right time to “settle in at home.” Paxton told Bradford he has already gotten to work on building a company focused on addressing athletes’ mental health.
While there’s a small chance he gets back on the mound this year, it’s likely his playing career is over. Paxton tore his right calf in mid-August and was placed on the 60-day injured list last month. He’s ineligible to return until the middle of October. The Sox would need to erase a four-game deficit in the Wild Card race and likely need to make a run into at least the ALCS for Paxton to be able to get on the mound.
Injuries were an unfortunately frequent occurrence. This season was only the fifth in which he reached 100 MLB innings. Paxton was a very productive pitcher when healthy, highlighted by a four-year peak with the Mariners and Yankees at the end of the 2010s.
The Blue Jays initially drafted Paxton, a British Columbia native who’d eventually earn the “Big Maple” nickname. Toronto selected him 37th overall in the 2009 draft. The sides couldn’t agree to contract terms, however, sending the 6’4″ southpaw back to the draft the following year. Seattle selected him in the fourth round, a move that would pay off a few seasons later.
Paxton was immediately one of the M’s top pitching prospects. He got to the big leagues as a September call-up in 2013, firing 24 innings of 1.50 ERA ball. Paxton battled shoulder and finger injuries, respectively, over the following two seasons. He was limited to 13 starts in each year but managed a sub-4.00 earned run average both times. Paxton topped 100 innings and reached 20 appearances for the first time in 2016, turning in a 3.79 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning.
The following season saw Paxton emerge as an upper mid-rotation starter, at least on a rate basis. He fired 136 frames with a career-best 2.98 ERA while striking out more than 28% of opponents. Paxton continued to miss bats in bunches the following year, when he fanned 32.2% of batters faced with a 3.76 ERA across 160 1/3 innings. Among pitchers with 150+ innings, only Chris Sale, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole had a better strikeout rate that year.
That 2018 campaign saw Paxton log the highest workload of his career and included perhaps his two best performances. Paxton no-hit the Jays at the Rogers Centre in May 2018, becoming the second Canadian pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter. That was one of two complete game victories he posted that month, though those arguably weren’t even his best outings. Paxton also struck out a personal-high 16 A’s hitters over seven scoreless innings in the start preceding his no-hitter. Overall, he struck out 51 hitters with a 1.67 ERA across 43 innings that month.
At the end of that season, the M’s traded Paxton’s final two seasons of arbitration eligibility to the Yankees for a three-player return. The headliner, Justus Sheffield, did not pan out. Erik Swanson, included as the secondary piece, developed into a productive reliever. Paxton had a strong first season in the Bronx, tossing 150 2/3 frames of 3.82 ERA ball while punching out nearly 30% of opposing hitters. He started a trio of postseason games for a Yankee team that lost to the Astros in the ALCS. Barring a surprise run from this year’s Sox, those were the only playoff appearances of his career. Paxton fanned 20 while allowing five runs in 13 innings (3.46 ERA).
That was Paxton’s final full season. He sustained a flexor strain during the shortened 2020 season, limiting him to five starts in his walk year. The Mariners brought him back during his first free agent trip on a buy-low $8.5MM deal. Paxton pitched once before his elbow blew out. He underwent Tommy John surgery and wouldn’t pitch again until 2023.
Paxton made 19 starts and logged 96 innings for the Red Sox last season, the second year of a $10MM free agent deal. He returned to the open market and signed with the Dodgers on a contract that eventually paid him $13MM after he hit certain start bonuses. L.A. squeezed him off the roster just before the trade deadline and flipped him back to Boston. Paxton made three starts for the Sox before suffering the calf injury. He’ll finish the year with a 4.40 ERA across 100 1/3 innings between the two clubs.
While the injuries kept Paxton a bit below 1000 innings, he finishes his career with a solid 3.77 earned run average. Paxton recorded his 1000th strikeout against former teammate Justin Turner on July 30. He made 177 appearances, all starts, and compiled a 73-41 record with a pair of complete games. Paxton’s one shutout was a memorable one — the aforementioned no-hitter in his home country. Baseball Reference credits him with roughly 14 wins above replacement, while he was worth 19 WAR at FanGraphs. B-Ref calculates his earnings at nearly $50MM. MLBTR congratulates Paxton on a fine career and sends our best wishes on his worthwhile endeavor to help athletes with their mental health.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
MLBTR Podcast: Matt Chapman’s Extension, Star Prospect Promotions, Bichette’s Future In Toronto
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, pinch-hitting host Mark Polishuk is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Matt Chapman‘s contract extension with the Giants (1:17)
- Jasson Dominguez (finally) returns to the Yankees’ big league roster, and the Rangers are calling up Kumar Rocker (15:01)
- The many major decisions the Blue Jays are facing this offseason, and whether or not Bo Bichette is part of the team’s future (33:21)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- What the heck is up with the AL wild card? Is Minnesota going to be able to hold off the Tigers, or anyone else? K.C. made them look pedestrian and Detroit is, scarily enough, beginning to figure things out. (49:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Royals’ Reinforcements, Promoted Angels, And The Terrible White Sox – listen here
- Scott Servais, Perry Minasian, The Orioles’ Rotation, And Joey Votto – listen here
- Who Could Get Waived, Potential Rule Changes, Austin Riley, And Hector Neris – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Yankees Outright Nick Burdi, Phil Bickford
The Yankees have outrighted relievers Nick Burdi and Phil Bickford, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Both right-handers were designated for assignment over the weekend when the Yanks reinstated Ian Hamilton and Clarke Schmidt from the 60-day injured list.
Burdi, 31, pitched 9 2/3 innings for the Yankees and allowed only two runs (1.86 ERA), but he also walked nine of his 45 opponents and plunked another pair. Put another way, he allowed 24.4% of his opponents to reach base without putting the ball in play, which obviously made that small-sample ERA feel rather unsustainable. The flamethrowing righty and former top prospect still sits 97.7 mph with his four-seamer, but Burdi’s career has been devastated by injuries and this year hasn’t been an exception. He was twice placed on the 15-day IL due to a right hip injury, eventually moving to the 60-day IL after the second of those two placements.
Burdi was the No. 46 overall draft pick in 2014, going to the Twins after a standout career as Louisville’s closer. Multiple arm injuries, including a pair of Tommy John procedures, have derailed him. He’s appeared in 31 big league games and tallied only 25 MLB innings, pitching to a 6.48 ERA with a big 32.5% strikeout rate but also a glaring 16.4% walk rate in that time.
Bickford, 29, pitched in an even smaller slate of 8 1/3 innings for the Yankees this year. He was tagged for nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits and one walk with six strikeouts in that time. Another former top pick — No. 18 overall to the Giants in 2015 — Bickford had a big season with the 2021 Dodgers when he pitched 50 1/3 innings of 2.50 ERA ball out of the Los Angeles bullpen.
He’s been unable to replicate that success in the three seasons since, however, working to a combined 5.07 ERA in 136 1/3 innings while his fastball his dipped by a mile per hour and while his walk and strikeout rates have trended in the wrong direction. Bickford has a lifetime 4.62 ERA in 189 big league frames, but the entirety of his success has been confined to that excellent 2021 showing.
Both Burdi and Bickford can reject their outright assignments in favor of free agency. Even if they accept, they’ll be able to become minor league free agents at season’s end.
Yankees Promote Jasson Domínguez
The Yankees have promoted outfielder Jasson Domínguez ahead of tonight’s game against the Royals at Yankee Stadium, the team announced. To make room on the active roster, they placed infielder DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day IL with right hip inflammation. In addition, the Yankees reinstated utility man Jon Berti from the 60-day IL. They had already cleared a spot for him on the 28-man roster by optioning outfielder Duke Ellis on Sunday. To make room for Berti on the 40-man roster, the team designated left-hander Anthony Misiewicz for assignment.
Domínguez made his hotly-anticipated MLB debut last September, putting up a .980 OPS and 160 wRC+ in eight games as the Yankees’ center fielder before he tore his UCL and required season-ending Tommy John surgery. The team reinstated him from the injured list this past June but optioned him to Triple-A rather than put him back on the active roster. It made enough sense at the time, considering New York’s crowded outfield picture; in addition to mainstays Aaron Judge in center and Juan Soto in right, Alex Verdugo was enjoying a solid season as the starting left fielder (108 wRC+, 1.1 FanGraphs WAR at the time). Moreover, Giancarlo Stanton was playing every day at DH. Thus, the Yankees decided to give Domínguez regular reps with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Yet, Verdugo has struggled tremendously over the past three months, batting .210 with a .568 OPS and 62 wRC+. Meanwhile, Domínguez has thrived over the past month at Triple-A, batting .318 with an .893 OPS and 132 wRC+ across his last 27 games. He has also 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts during that time. The 21-year-old was briefly called up to be the 27th man in a doubleheader last month, but he returned to the minors the next day. With the Yankees holding onto the slimmest lead (0.5 games) of any division leader in MLB right now, their hesitance to call up the star prospect seemed strange, to say the least. Now, however, that point of discussion is finally moot.
Domínguez would not have been called up if he weren’t going to get frequent playing time, a point that GM Brian Cashman emphasized last week (per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Indeed, he will start tonight in center field and bat sixth in the Yankees’ lineup. Judge will DH, while Stanton takes the day off against Royals right-hander Brady Singer. The lefty batting Verdugo remains in the lineup, playing left field. It’s safe to presume that Domínguez will eventually take some playing time away from the floundering Verdugo, but he is also a valuable asset as a replacement for Judge in center field. The MVP candidate has held his own at the position, but he is better suited for a corner outfield spot. Furthermore, Judge could surely benefit from some days as the DH when he can stay off his feet for most of the game.
Berti, whom the Yankees acquired from the Marlins this past offseason, has spent almost the entire year on the injured list, first with a groin strain and more recently with a calf strain. He has played just 17 games for New York this year, 16 of them at third base. However, the 34-year-old can also play second base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions in a pinch. Berti is not in the starting lineup tonight, but he will provide the team with versatility off the bench.
LeMahieu has not played since last Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the veteran’s hip has been an issue for several weeks now, and it’s unclear if he will be able to return before the end of the regular season (per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News). That’s not necessarily much of a loss for the Yankees, considering the former batting champ is hitting .204 with a .527 OPS and 51 wRC+ in 67 games during his age-35 season.
Misiewicz, 29, first joined the Yankees as a waiver claim in July 2023. He re-signed with the organization on a minor league deal this past offseason, and the big league club selected his contract in June. The southpaw made one scoreless appearance for the Yankees before he was returned to Triple-A, where he has pitched to a 3.33 ERA in 54.0 innings this year.
The Yankees claimed Ellis, 26, off of waivers from the Mariners at the end of August. They promoted him to the big leagues when rosters expanded on September 1, and he appeared in three games, collecting one hit and one stolen base. He will return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL Notes: Buxton, Correa, Lorenzen, Cortes
Byron Buxton was feeling discomfort in his hip as recently as Wednesday, and Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that this setback scuttled the Twins‘ plans for Buxton to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. Right hip inflammation has kept Buxton on the injured list since the middle of August, depriving the Twins lineup of a big bat with 16 homers and a .275/.334/.528 slash line over 335 plate appearances. While Minnesota has dealt with a number of injuries this season, losing Buxton seems to have been a particular blow to the roster, as the Twins are only 6-14 over their last 20 games.
Reinforcements are needed, yet there’s no word on when either Buxton or Carlos Correa might be able to start a rehab assignment, as manager Rocco Baldelli told Helfand and other reporters today. Correa hasn’t played since July 12 due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and the shortstop has been feeling good while taking part in running drills. This is “some level of significant, but we still have a ways to go,” Baldelli said. “We’ll see if we can build on that and keep moving in a positive direction.”
Some other items from around the American League….
- While Minnesota is struggling, the Royals rebounded from a seven-game losing streak with a three-game sweep of the Twins this weekend. Kansas City is also getting healthier, as manager Matt Quartaro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that Michael Lorenzen is slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday. Lorezen was placed on the 15-day IL on August 28 due to a left hamstring strain, so the right-hander looks like he shouldn’t miss much time beyond the 15-day minimum. Acquired from the Rangers in a deadline trade, Lorenzen had great results in his first five starts as a Royal, delivering a 1.85 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.
- The returns of Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt gave the Yankees a rotation surplus, relegating Nestor Cortes to a relief role as a piggyback pitcher behind Schmidt on Saturday. “I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry. You’re always going to get my best effort, no matter if I’m happy or not,” Cortes told ESPN and other media, yet the left-hander also made it clear that he was “upset” over the role change. “I felt like I’ve been, amongst all the starters, the workhorse here,” Cortes said. “Once [Gerrit] Cole went down, they picked me to be the Opening Day starter — not necessarily the No. 1, but the Opening Day starter. I had to switch my routine there. Now they do this.” After an injury-plagued 2023 season, Cortes has a 3.97 ERA over 163 1/3 innings this year, with an unimpressive set of Statcast metrics except for an excellent walk rate. Cortes will return to starting duty when the Yankees adopt a six-man staff for the next turn through the rotation, yet it remains to be seen how New York deploys Cortes, Cole, Gil, Schmidt, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Yankees Reinstate Clarke Schmidt, Ian Hamilton; Designate Phil Bickford, Nick Burdi
The Yankees announced that right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Ian Hamilton have both been reinstated from the 60-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Cubs, and Schmidt will take the ball as the game’s starting pitcher. To create roster space, New York has designated right-hander Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi for assignment.
Schmidt was off to a tremendous start in 2024, as the former first-rounder and top-100 prospect had a 2.52 ERA over his first 60 2/3 innings of the season. Unfortunately, that initial success was then cut short by a lat strain, and Schmidt hasn’t pitched in the majors since the end of May. His work during a minor league rehab assignment (3.18 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings) hints that Schmidt has continued to stay in good form, but naturally the real test will come now that Schmidt is once again facing big league hitters.
With Schmidt returning today and Luis Gil throwing six shutout innings in his own return from the IL yesterday, the Yankees’ rotation is getting healthier for the stretch run. The club’s plan is to move to a six-man rotation in order to both ease Schmidt and Gil back into action, and to give Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Nestor Cortes some extra rest.
In Cortes’ case, he will likely work behind Schmidt today in a piggyback capacity, and the next week or so could act as an unofficial competition between Cortes, Schmidt, and possibly Gil to see who retains a starting job once the Yankees return to a standard five-man pitching staff. Obviously further injuries or under-performance from another starter might alter this plan for September and into the playoffs, but simply having more healthy arms available for now gives the Bronx Bombers some flexibility in figuring things out.
Hamilton’s recovery also impacts the bullpen picture, as the right-hander has been out since mid-June with a lat strain of his own. Hamilton posted a 2.64 ERA over 58 innings in 2023 to seemingly cement himself as an important piece of the relief corps, but he ran into a few more stumbles with a 4.55 ERA across 29 2/3 frames this season. It is worth noting that Hamilton allowed eight earned runs over his first 25 2/3 innings this year and then seven ER in his last four innings and four appearances before his IL placement, so it is fair to wonder if Hamilton was hampered by trying to pitch through injury.
Since Clay Holmes‘ hold on the closer’s job is no longer stable, Hamilton could potentially get some high-leverage work if he returns in good form. While Hamilton only has two career saves and it might be asking a lot for a pitcher to become a closer after such a long injury layoff, the Yankees figure to explore all options if Holmes can’t stabilize his performance. Manager Aaron Boone also hinted that even Schmidt or Gil might get consideration as a late-inning reliever.
Burdi has also been through an injury-marred season, as recurring hip problems led to stints on both the 15-day and 60-day injured lists, limiting him to 9 2/3 MLB innings and 13 1/3 innings at Triple-A. In essence, it has been more of the same for a hard-throwing pitcher whose career has been defined by a lot of strikeouts, inconsistent control, and unfortunately a lot of injuries — Burdi’s health record includes two Tommy John surgeries and a thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.
For Bickford, this is the second time New York has DFA’ed the veteran righty in the last three months, and he elected free agency after clearing waivers. Bickford then re-signed with the Yankees on a new Major League contract and rejoined the active roster a couple of weeks ago. One disastrous outing against the Blue Jays (five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning) on June 29 accounted for much of the 8.64 ERA Bickford has posted across 8 1/3 innings in the majors this year, and he has looked much sharper in the minors with a 3.00 ERA in 45 frames for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
If Burdi and Bickford each clear waivers, they have the ability to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of free agency, as both pitchers have previously been outrighted in their careers. It wouldn’t be surprising to see either just re-sign with the Yankees on a new minor league contract, similar to how Bickford previously rejoined the club after his earlier DFA.
Yankees Outright Josh Maciejewski
September 6: The Yankees announced that Maciejewski was outrighted to Triple-A, indicating he cleared waivers. He has the right to elect free agency by virtue of a previous career outright but it’s not yet clear if he’s chosen to do so.
September 1: The Yankees announced this morning that they have designated left-hander Josh Maciejewski for assignment. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Rizzo, whose activation from the 60-day IL was reported on yesterday. Rizzo takes one of four active roster spots created by yesterday’s demotions of Ben Rice and Will Warren as well as today’s expansion from 26 to 28 roster spots. Outfielder Duke Ellis was recalled to the majors alongside right-handers Scott Effross and Ron Marinaccio to fill the other three open spots.
Maciejewski, 29, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster back in June and has made four multi-inning relief appearances for the club in total. He has pitched well in that limited exposure in the majors, with a 2.57 ERA and a 25.9% strikeout rate in his seven innings of work at the big league level. Those strong results contrast sharply with his ugly performance in the minor leagues this year, however, as Maciejewski sports a 6.02 ERA in 46 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level with the Yankees this year. That’s not far off from his career numbers at the level, either, as in 40 career appearances at the highest level of the minors the lefty has struggled to a 5.61 ERA.
Given Maciejewski’s lackluster body of work in the minors, it’s not necessarily a shock that the club opted to part ways with the lefty despite his small sample success in the Bronx. The lefty’s departure makes room for the return of Rizzo, who figures to step into his previous role as the club’s everyday first baseman down the stretch now that he’s recovered from the forearm fracture that kept him sidelined since mid-June. The 35-year-old will look to return to the form he’s shown in previous seasons after struggling to a .223/.289/.341 slash line in 70 games prior to the injury.
He’ll be joined on the roster by Ellis, a 26-year-old rookie who made his big league debut with the White Sox earlier this year. Ellis has just four plate appearances in the big leagues under his belt and hasn’t hit much throughout his career in the minors, but he nonetheless figures to be a worthwhile addition to New York’s positional mix thanks to his blistering speed and solid defense in the outfield. Ellis has already stolen four bases without being caught in his limited time at the big league level, and he’s stolen at least 50 bags at the minor league level in each of the last three seasons.
As for the pitchers, Effross’s first appearance with the club this year will be his first time pitching on a major league mound since 2022, as he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being acquired from the Cubs at the 2022 trade deadline and then had his return to action further delayed by back surgery back in February. The sidearming righty has been very effective at the big league level when healthy enough to take the mound, with a 2.78 ERA and 2.63 FIP in 71 1/3 innings of work. He’ll join the bullpen alongside Marinaccio, who has a 2.53 ERA despite a 4.63 FIP in 21 1/3 innings of work this year.