Mets To Promote Francisco Alvarez
The Mets will promote catching prospect Francisco Álvarez in advance of the team’s pivotal weekend series against the Braves, reports Daniel Álvarez Montes of El ExtraBase (Twitter link). The 20-year-old is one of the sport’s best minor league talents, checking in sixth on Baseball America’s most recent Top 100 prospects list.
It’ll be the first major league call for Álvarez, who entered the professional ranks as an amateur signee out of Venezuela. One of the better prospects in the 2018-19 international signing period, the 5’10” backstop has only raised his stock in pro ball. He hit very well in rookie ball during his first minor league season, but he lost a year of game action with the cancelation of the minors in 2020. Álvarez opened the ’21 campaign in Low-A but quickly proved himself far too advanced for the level, and he spent most of the year in High-A.
Álvarez hit .247/.351/.538 with 22 home runs in 84 games at that level, astonishing production for a 19-year-0ld catcher. It vaulted him near the top of prospect lists entering this season, with Álvarez cracking the preseason top 15 at Baseball America, The Athletic, ESPN and FanGraphs. He opened the year at Double-A Binghamton and connected on another 18 round-trippers in 67 games. His overall .277/.368/.553 line across 296 plate appearances earned him a bump to Triple-A Syracuse in early July.
The minors’ top level has given Álvarez his toughest challenge to date, but he’s still generally held his own. Over 199 plate appearances there, he carries a .234/.382/.443 slash with another nine homers. He’s striking out at a career-worst 26.1% clip, contributing to the mediocre batting average, but the rest of his profile has remained strong. Álvarez has walked in a stellar 17.1% of his trips to the plate there, and he’s collected six doubles in addition to the longballs.
Between the two upper levels, Álvarez owns a .260/.374/.511 line with 27 homers and 22 doubles over 495 plate appearances this season. That excellent showing has been enough to convince the Mets front office he can hold his own against big league arms, even at his age. Installing him into a pennant race and directly in advance of the Mets’ biggest regular season series of the year is a strong show of faith, but Álvarez has performed well at every rung on the ladder thus far.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the club is likely to break him as a right-handed option at designated hitter. The Mets acquired Darin Ruf from the Giants at the trade deadline in hopes he could fill that role, but that acquisition hasn’t yet panned out. Ruf has a putrid .152/.216/.197 line in 29 games as a Met. He hit a serviceable .216/.328/.373 in 314 plate appearances before the trade, but his struggles since landing in Queens have led to some questions about how manager Buck Showalter will use the DH role. Fellow deadline acquisition Daniel Vogelbach has excelled since coming over from the Pirates and will continue to pick up the playing time against right-handed pitching. Álvarez gives Showalter an alternative to the struggling Ruf for at-bats against left-handers.
It doesn’t seem likely he’ll step directly in as the primary catcher, however. The Mets have veteran James McCann as the starter, with Tomás Nido backing him up. McCann is hitting only .190/.256/.264 in 180 plate appearances, his second straight down year offensively. The veteran has rated as a slightly above-average defender, and he’s drawn strong reviews for his work with the pitching staff. Sending Álvarez behind the plate for the final few games of the season is more than the front office and coaching staff appears to be comfortable with, particularly given McCann’s longstanding familiarity with the staff.
Scouting reports on Álvarez have long suggested he’s more of a bat-first catcher. That’s largely a testament to his offensive potential, but evaluators have expressed some concern about his defense. BA’s scouting report notes that he’s had some inconsistency as a pitch framer and ball blocker. The outlet also suggests that Álvarez’s plus raw arm strength can play down because of some flaws in his throwing mechanics.
There’s general optimism that Álvarez can eventually iron out those concerns and become at least a competent defender. That’s more of a long-term question, though. The immediate pressing issue for the Mets is whether he can make an impact offensively. New York enters the weekend set holding a one-game advantage over Atlanta. New York would also hold the tiebreaker over the Braves if they can take even one of the three contests, so they’d head into next week at the top of the division unless they get swept. Securing their first NL East title since 2015 would come with a corresponding first-round bye, making these final six contests crucial.
Álvarez’s promotion for such important regular season games raises the possibility he’ll also crack the postseason roster. Only players on a team’s 40-man roster by September 1 are automatically eligible to partake in the playoffs. However, players in an organization but not on the 40-man by September 1 can be added to a playoff roster in place of someone on the injured list via petition to the commissioner’s office. That situation is fairly common every postseason, so the Mets shouldn’t have much issue getting Álvarez onto the playoff roster if they desire.
New York will have to add him to their 40-man roster before tomorrow evening’s game. Their roster is currently full, so they’ll need to make a corresponding transaction. He’d have been added to the 40-man after the season anyhow to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, so there’s little harm in bringing him up a few weeks early. Álvarez will collect his first few days of major league service but won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season at the earliest. His fastest path to arbitration-eligibility is after the 2025 campaign, and it’s certainly possible he’ll spend more time in the minors polishing up his defense and at least delaying his free agency trajectory.
In the meantime, Mets fans will get their first glimpse at a player they hope to be a key piece of the franchise’s future. McCann is under contract for two more seasons, due $12.15MM annually through 2024. It stands to reason Álvarez will have an opportunity to supplant him on the depth chart at some point next year. For now, he’ll get his feet in the majors as a bat-first option for the stretch run — with some postseason action perhaps on the horizon.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Rays Activate Tyler Glasnow, Transfer Brandon Lowe To 60-Day Injured List
The Rays announced Wednesday that righty Tyler Glasnow has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Brandon Lowe, already known to be out for the season due to a back injury, was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The Rays optioned righty Cristofer Ogando to Triple-A Durham to create a spot on the active roster.
Glasnow’s return gives the Rays a high-octane arm to add to the rotation mix both down the stretch and, more pivotally, in the postseason. Glasnow, who tossed seven minor league rehab innings prior to today’s activation, will be capped at two or three in his first start back from last summer’s Tommy John surgery. He could feasibly build up to a larger, less-restricted workload if Tampa Bay can put together a deep playoff run.
A healthy Glasnow unequivocally improves the Rays’ odds of doing just that, as he’d broken out following a trade from the Pirates, finally developing into the front-of-the-rotation talent he was billed as during his top prospect days. The 6’8″ righty started 37 games for Tampa Bay from 2019-21, pitching to a 2.80 ERA with a massive 35.9% strikeout rate and solid 7.8% walk rate over the life of 206 innings. The only pitchers in baseball with a higher strikeout rate during that three-year stretch were Gerrit Cole and Jacob deGrom, and only Shane Bieber had a higher percentage of combined called and swinging strikes than Glasnow’s 32.9%.
The Rays and Glasnow came to terms on a somewhat surprising two-year, $30.35MM extension earlier this summer — one that’s reflective both of Glasnow’s injury/missed time and his Cy Young-caliber upside. Glasnow will $5.35MM in 2023, which would’ve been his final arbitration year, representing a modest increase over this season’s $5.1MM salary. He’ll then be guaranteed a $25MM salary in 2024 — what would’ve otherwise been his first free-agent season. It’s the most the perennially cost-conscious Rays have ever paid for a single season of a player, so there’s surely a bit of trepidation on their end of things. At the same time, it’s rare for any player with Glasnow’s service time –and particularly one of Glasnow’s caliber — to sign away just one free-agent year, even on the heels of an injury-wrecked season. There’s some compromise from both parties, and Glasnow said after the contract that he’s “exactly where I want to be.”
The returning Glasnow will now join Shane McClanahan, Corey Kluber, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs in a formidable rotation. Each of McClanahan, Rasmussen and Springs will be options alongside Glasnow through at least the 2024 season, and the Rays will have several impressive young hurlers to vie for the fifth starting spot next season (barring a free-agent or trade addition). Luis Patino, Yonny Chirinos, Josh Fleming and prospect Taj Bradley will all be in the mix, though their most touted arm, righty Shane Baz, will likely miss all of the 2023 season following his recent Tommy John surgery.
Mariners Sign Luis Castillo To Extension
SEPTEMBER 26: Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports the financial breakdown. Castillo receives a $7MM signing bonus and a $10MM salary for next season, followed by successive $22.75MM salaries between 2024-27. The ’28 options vests if Castillo throws 180 innings in 2027 and receives confirmation from an independent physician after the season that he hasn’t suffered an injury that’d require him to begin the following year on the injured list. The deal also contains a $1MM assignment bonus that’d kick in if he were traded at any point between 2025-27.
SEPTEMBER 24: Luis Castillo has gone from trade deadline prize to franchise cornerstone, as the right-hander has signed a five-year, $108MM extension with the Mariners. The deal could be worth up to $133MM based on a vesting option for the 2028 season, and that option vests if Castillo throws at least 180 innings in 2027. The Mariners can also receive a $5MM club option Castillo’s services for 2028 should he miss more than 130 days in 2025-27 due to a UCL repair procedure. Castillo will also receive a full no-trade clause for the extension’s first three seasons.
Castillo was slated to become a free agent after the 2023 season, but the Republik Sports client will instead stick with the Mariners for at least four years beyond that original date. The Mariners’ official announcement of the extension included statements from both Castillo and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto.
“Luis has been one of the top pitchers in MLB over the past six seasons,” Dipoto said. “He is a dynamic power pitcher in the prime of his career with a track record of consistency. Bringing him to Seattle represented a key moment in our ongoing efforts to build a championship roster. Similarly, this deal illustrates our continued commitment to both the present and future of this team.”
“I feel great,” Castillo said. “Every baseball player wants to have a dream like this become a reality. I’m happy I was able to accomplish this with the Mariners and I want to thank everybody in the organization for treating me so well.”
Castillo, 29, began his major league career with the Reds, establishing himself as an excellent starting pitcher. From his 2017 debut through 2021, he made 123 starts and pitched to an ERA of 3.72. That mark is all the more impressive given the hitter-friendly nature of Great American Ball Park, with both Statcast and ESPN ranking it second behind Coors Field in that department. He was able to attain that level of success by getting ground balls on 53.9% of batted balls while striking out 26.2% of hitters faced, both of those numbers being much better than league average. He also displayed adequate control, walking 8.8% of hitters who came to the plate, a mark that’s roughly league average. He produced 14.5 wins above replacement in that time, according to FanGraphs, a mark that ranks among the top 20 among all pitchers in the league.
The most recent offseason got off to an ominous start for the Reds, as general manager Nick Krall said that the club “must align our payroll to our resources and continue focusing on scouting and developing young talent from within our system” in the wake of Tucker Barnhart‘s trade to the Tigers. Trade rumors immediately began swirling around Castillo, along with his rotation mates Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle. Gray would be dealt to Minnesota in March but the Reds hung onto Mahle and Castillo to start the year. Castillo was slowed by some shoulder soreness early in camp but returned to the mound in May and didn’t show any rust when retaking the hill. Through 14 starts with Cincy, he had an ERA of 2.86 along with a 47.1% ground ball rate, 25.8% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate.
Despite Castillo’s contributions, the Reds unsurprisingly got poor results overall with their ongoing selloff. Castillo was once again the focus of trade rumors as the deadline approached, with the Padres, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Cardinals and Astros among those showing interest. Ultimately, the Mariners won the bidding by sending prospects Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore to Cincinnati. Since the trade, Castillo has continued his excellent season by making another nine starts with a 2.83 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate and 46% ground ball rate. It seems the M’s got exactly what they wanted out of Castillo and locked him up long-term.
The price point is something of a surprise, given the most recent comparison is probably José Berríos. After being acquired by Blue Jays last year, Berríos was heading into his final year before free agency but agreed to a seven-year, $131MM extension. Berríos is having a terrible year here in 2022 but was actually on pretty similar footing to Castillo when he signed that deal. From 2017 to 2021, Berríos produced 15.2 fWAR, the same stretch that saw Castillo produce 14.5. Castillo has agreed to delay his free agency in exchange for less money and fewer years, though a higher average annual value. Berríos’ deal comes with an AAV of $18.7 whereas Castillo’s is $21.6MM, though if he vests the option it would take it up to $22.17MM.
For the Mariners, it’s still a significant investment in a starting pitcher, their second in the past year. They signed Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115MM deal back in November. Those two will now continue forming a core in the rotation for at least the next four seasons after this one. Logan Gilbert, whom the club drafted and developed, isn’t slated to reach free agency until after the 2027 season. George Kirby is one year behind Gilbert and should be around through the 2028 campaign, giving the M’s a core four that can anchor the rotation for quite some time. There’s also Marco Gonzales, whose contract runs through 2024 with a club option for 2025. The club is so awash in starting pitching that Chris Flexen, who triggered a vesting option for 2023, has been bumped to bullpen duty despite a 3.69 ERA on the season.
The Mariners haven’t made the postseason since 2001, the largest active playoff drought in the majors. They are well-positioned to snap that streak here in 2022, currently holding down the final American League Wild Card spot with a three-game cushion over the Orioles. With their rotation seemingly set for years to come and a position player core that includes Julio Rodriguez, J.P. Crawford, Eugenio Suarez and others, they should continue competing into the future as well.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter links) was the first to report about Castillo’s extension, and the clause related to the UCL injury. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported the 180-inning threshold for the vesting option, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the details of Castillo’s no-trade protection.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Don Mattingly Won’t Return As Marlins Manager In 2023
Don Mattingly and the Marlins have mutually agreed that 2022 will be his final season as the club’s manager, according to a press release from the team.
The team released a statement from chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman as well as Mattingly. Sherman’s portion reads: “We are fortunate to have had Don Mattingly leading our team on the field over the last seven years. He has represented the Marlins, our players, our fans, and the South Florida community with unmatched dignity and pride. Over the course of our recent conversations with Don, we both agreed not to pursue a new contract for the 2023 season and that the time is right for a new voice to lead our clubhouse. He will depart with the most wins and most games managed in franchise history and we are proud of Don’s many accomplishments, including winning National League Manager of the Year in 2022 when he guided the Marlins to the postseason after a 16-year absence.”
Mattingly’s portion of the press release reads: “Today I am announcing that I will not be seeking a contract extension with the Miami Marlins. After meeting with Mr. Sherman and discussing with Kim Ng, all parties agreed that it was time for a new voice for the organization. I am proud and honored to have served as manager of the Marlins for the past seven years and have enjoyed my experiences and relationships I’ve developed within the organization. I look forward to spending time with my family in Evansville, and to any future endeavors.”
Mattingly, 61, got his first taste of managing with the Dodgers from 2011 to 2015 before coming over to the Marlins prior to the 2016 season. Of course, a lot has changed for the franchise during that time. The Fish were near-ish to .500 in Mattingly’s first two seasons as skipper, finishing 79-82 in 2016 and then 77-85 the following year.
It was towards the end of that 2017 campaign that the club was sold from Jeffrey Loria to a group headed by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman. The new ownership group immediately set out to slash the team’s budget, trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich that winter and J.T. Realmuto one year later. That unsurprisingly led the team into a stretch of poor results, finishing in the basement of the NL East in 2018 and 2019. They surprised with a 31-29 finish in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, with Mattingly winning Manager of the Year in the process, but then were back to being bad again in the two subsequent campaigns. They went 67-95 last year and currently sport a record of 63-89 here in 2022.
Those trades landed several prospects, including Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Daniel Castano, Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz, Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro and others. Very few of those players found success in Miami, however, with many of them having since moved on to other organizations. The club still felt like it had enough young pitching talent to take an aggressive approach this offseason, bringing in Avisail Garcia, Jorge Soler, Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle for 2022. Unfortunately, all of those players have had disappointing seasons, meaning the post-rebuild era still seems illusive.
Mattingly currently sports a record of 437-583 while at the helm in Miami, though it would be difficult to place the blame squarely on him for all that losing given that the franchise has been intentionally bad for much of that stretch. It’s also probably not what Mattingly had in mind when he first joined the team, as the exciting bunch of young and talented MLB players that were present when he was first hired were sent packing in exchange for even younger prospects. Given that his departure has been reported as a mutual decision, it doesn’t seem like he was particularly enthused about continuing with the ongoing rebuild efforts. His statement indicates that he will go home to his family in Indiana, though it’s unclear if he would be interested in or pursue any other opportunities in baseball.
The Marlins will head into the offseason with much work to do this offseason in order to improve for 2023, but now they will have to add a managerial search to the list. General manager Kim Ng and her staff will be competing with the Blue Jays, Phillies, Angels and Rangers, who all fired their managers this year, though some of them could potentially retain their interim skippers into the future.
Craig Mish and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reported on Mattingly’s departure prior to the official team announcement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Shane Baz To Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Brandon Lowe Won’t Return In 2022
The Rays got two pieces of bad news today, with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relaying both (Twitter links). Right-hander Shane Baz will undergo Tommy John surgery which will keep him out of action through the end of the 2023 campaign. Furthermore, Brandon Lowe won’t return here in 2022 due to an ongoing back issue.
Baz will end his 2022 season with only 27 innings pitched over six starts, as arthroscopic elbow surgery and then an elbow sprain (which has kept him on the injured list since July) limited his ability to get onto the mound. Unfortunately, those elbow problems have now resulted in the worst-case scenario of TJ surgery, and Baz now faces another completely lost season in 2023.
It was just over a year ago that Baz made his MLB debut, making three starts for the Rays at the end of the 2021 season and then getting another start in their playoff rotation during the ALDS. While entrusting an inexperienced pitcher with a big postseason start didn’t work out well for Tampa Bay, it was a sign of just how much faith the Rays have in Baz as one of the key arms of their future. The righty had become one of baseball’s top pitching prospects during his excellent 2021 minor league season, and thus entered 2022 as a favorite for AL Rookie Of The Year honors.
Instead, Baz will now be out of action until Opening Day 2024. It is a testament to the Rays’ pitching depth that they are still in prime position to return to the playoffs even without Baz or several other notable injured hurlers (such as another Tommy John patient in Tyler Glasnow, who has missed all of 2022 but might be close to returning for some bullpen work late in the regular season or in the postseason). Still, losing Baz to TJ surgery is naturally a blow to the Rays’ present and future plans, given how young and controllable pitching is such a key plank of Tampa Bay’s strategies.
Between 2022 and 2023, Baz will bank two full seasons of Major League service time while on the injured list, though he still isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2024 season. Assuming he is able to return from rehab in good form, he can use 2024 as a platform for a decent arb payday, but obviously Baz’s first priority is just getting healthy.
In regards to 2022 alone, having Lowe for only 65 games was an even bigger short-term problem for the Rays than losing Baz, given how Lowe is an established big league talent. After top-10 finishes in AL MVP voting in each of the last two seasons, Lowe hit only .221/.308/.383 over 266 plate appearances, as he was limited by three separate stints on the IL. One of those absences was a minimal 10-day stint due to a biceps contusion, but Lowe was mostly hampered by his lower-back problem.
It remains to be seen if Lowe might require a surgical fix to fully solve his back problems, and if so, such a procedure might impact his readiness for the start of the 2023 campaign. Arbitration isn’t a factor for Lowe, who had two guaranteed seasons remaining on a six-year, $24MM extension he signed back in March 2019, and he is owed at least $15MM more on that deal (which includes two club options). Given how the Rays are always open to dealing veteran players, it would seem like Lowe’s injury and down year would certainly lessen the chance of a trade, but a move cannot be entirely ruled out.
Such a decision would hinge on how comfortable the Rays are with their other options at second base. Isaac Paredes, Taylor Walls, Jonathan Aranda, and Vidal Brujan have handled most of the workload with Lowe out, with varying degrees of success. Walls is a premium defender who hasn’t hit much, while Paredes has shown some pop in his first season with the Rays, and Aranda has gotten off to a solid start in his first month in the big leagues. Tampa will now be counting on this mix to help them in the postseason, with Lowe no longer a possibility.
Dodgers Sign Daniel Hudson To One-Year Extension
The Dodgers are keeping another of their potential free agents, announcing agreement on an extension with reliever Daniel Hudson. Los Angeles will reportedly exercise their $6.5MM option on his services for next season, and the sides have agreed to tack on a 2024 team option with a $6.5MM base value that can max out at $7.3MM, based on his number of appearances next season, MLBTR has learned. Hudson is a Wasserman client.
Hudson returns for a second consecutive season in L.A. (third overall) after signing a one-year guarantee last winter. That deal paid the veteran a $6MM salary for this season and came with a $6.5MM option or a $1MM buyout for next year. That left the Dodgers with a $5.5MM decision based on Hudson’s performance this year. The 35-year-old looked well on his way to making that an easy call, dominating opposing hitters for the first two and a half months.
Over 25 appearances, Hudson tallied 24 1/3 innings of 2.22 ERA ball. His peripherals were similarly dominant. He fanned 30.9% of opposing hitters and generated swinging strikes on a whopping 16.3% of his total offerings. Hudson’s average fastball checked in north of 97 MPH, and his high-80s slider was an excellent putaway offering. Hudson also induced ground-balls at a fantastic 53.4% clip and rarely dished out free passes.
By virtually any measure, the right-hander was one of the more dominant late-game arms around. He picked up nine holds and carved out a key high-leverage role for skipper Dave Roberts, positioning himself among the most important bullpen pieces on the club. Unfortunately, Hudson’s stellar year was cut short in late June, when he tore the ACL in his left knee while trying to get off the mound to field a weakly-hit grounder.
Hudson underwent season-ending surgery, at least raising the possibility of the Dodgers letting him go if they were pessimistic about his recovery outlook. Los Angeles has frequently embraced high risk-reward plays (particularly on shorter-term deals), though, and they’ll take a shot on Hudson regaining his form for next season. In exchange for that bet, they’ll add a 2024 option that’d look like a bargain if he pitches anywhere near the level he had been over the first few months for a full season.
The Dodgers have taken similar courses of action with both Blake Treinen and Max Muncy. In each case, Los Angeles agreed to preemptively trigger a 2023 option in exchange for tacking on a similarly-priced club option for the ’24 campaign. Treinen, like Hudson, was on the injured list at the time of his deal. Muncy was on the active roster but struggling from a performance perspective, seemingly battling ill effects of last season’s elbow injury. Treinen has continued to deal with shoulder issues in the few months since signing his extension, while Muncy has played well over the few weeks since inking his new deal.
Los Angeles is surely hopeful both Treinen and Hudson will be back at full strength by the start of 2023. If healthy, they’d join Brusdar Graterol, waiver claim turned breakout Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia and Yency Almonte as candidates for mid-late inning work next season. The Dodgers will see Craig Kimbrel hit free agency after an up-and-down year, and deadline acquisition Chris Martin is headed to the open market as well. The team holds a $1.1MM option on Jimmy Nelson, who’s still rehabbing from last August’s Tommy John surgery.
It’s a talented group, although the Dodgers are sure to bring in a veteran or two from outside the organization this winter. Between the health uncertainty surrounding Treinen, Hudson and Nelson and the spotty pre-2022 track records for Phillips and Almonte, there’s room on the roster for additional veteran stability. There’s also plenty of payroll flexibility, as Hudson’s deal only brings the club shy of $98MM in guaranteed player commitments for next season, according to Roster Resource. The club’s estimated competitive balance tax ledger now sits just above $112MM.
The Dodgers have shattered the CBT threshold for two straight seasons, and they’re set to pay around $29.4MM in overage fees after this season. Next year’s base tax threshold will be set at $233MM, giving the Dodgers plenty of flexibility before even reaching the lowest tier. They’re facing another robust crop of impending free agents, with Trea Turner, Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson, Justin Turner, Andrew Heaney and Kimbrel among those ticketed for the open market.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the Dodgers were exercising Hudson’s option, and that the sides had added a 2024 club option in the $6.5MM range.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Yankees Designate Miguel Andujar For Assignment
The Yankees announced they’ve designated Miguel Andújar for assignment. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Zack Britton, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. To open a spot for Britton on the active roster, New York placed southpaw Wandy Peralta on the 15-day IL, retroactive to September 19, with thoracic spine tightness.
Andújar’s designation is likely to bring an end to his time as a Yankee. Signed as an amateur free agent back in 2011, he developed into one of the organization’s better prospects a few years later. Andújar hit well on his way up the minor league ladder, earning a cup of coffee late in the 2017 season. The right-handed hitter was widely regarded among the sport’s top prospects heading into 2018, and he very quickly seized the job as New York’s primary third baseman.
During his age-23 rookie season, Andújar hit .297/.328/.527 through 606 plate appearances. He connected on 27 home runs and 47 doubles, tying for third in the majors in the latter category. It wasn’t a flawless season — he didn’t walk much and his defensive marks were subpar — but it was an unquestionably impressive effort that looked as if it’d cement him in the middle of the Yankees order for years to come. He picked up a second place finish in that year’s American League Rookie of the Year balloting, collecting the five first-place votes that didn’t go to Shohei Ohtani.
Impressive as that debut season was, Andújar hasn’t gotten an extended chance to build upon it in the four years since then. That’s in large part due to injury, as he suffered a labrum tear in his right shoulder early in the 2019 campaign. He played in only 12 games before undergoing season-ending surgery. By the time he returned to health for 2020, Gio Urshela had broken out and staked a claim to the hot corner in the Bronx. Andújar was relegated to a depth role, bouncing between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and New York as needed but never appearing in more than 45 games in a season.
Andújar hasn’t done much in those brief stints to warrant more regular playing time. Dating back to the start of the 2020 campaign, he owns just a .244/.272/.346 line with eight homers in 327 trips to the plate. That’s obviously not sufficient for a bat-first player, but it’s fair to wonder whether he’d have been able to perform better if the Yankees had more consistent at-bats to give him. Instead, he’s been caught in something of a catch-22 for three seasons: never playing well enough to earn everyday reps on a win-now team and thus not having a window of opportunity to get back on track.
The constant shuffling on and off the roster made Andújar a frequent subject of trade speculation, and the 27-year-old has reportedly requested to be traded on multiple occasions in search of a new opportunity. While the Yankees were open to offers at this summer’s deadline (and quite likely at periods before this August), they didn’t find a deal to their liking. Instead, they’ve kept Andújar around as a depth player while getting him some more experience in the corner outfield in addition to his infield work.
The lack of apparent playing time available has become so glaring the Yankees now decide to take him off the roster entirely. With the trade deadline having passed, they’ll have no choice but to place him on waivers in the next few days. It appears likely another team will put in a claim. Not only has Andújar had some MLB success a few years back, he owns a solid .285/.330/.487 line with 13 longballs in 297 Triple-A plate appearances this season. He’s only gone down on strikes in 11.8% of those trips, showcasing the blend of contact and power that once made him such a promising offensive player.
Andújar is making $1.3MM this season, but less than $100K of that remains to be paid out. He’s likely to finish this season with four-plus years of MLB service, meaning he’ll be eligible for arbitration twice more after this year. This is Andújar’s final minor league option year, so he’d have to break camp with another team next season or again be designated for assignment.
As for the other players involved, it’s a notable return for Britton. The veteran southpaw hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch this season after undergoing UCL replacement surgery last September. That brought a disheartening end to what had already been a rough season, as Britton posted just a 5.89 ERA over 18 1/3 innings while battling multiple injuries in 2021. He has made eight appearances on a minor league rehab stint and now returns to the active roster with a little less than two weeks to try to earn a playoff roster spot.
Britton is making $14MM this season, the final year of a contract he signed in January 2019. The 34-year-old is headed back to free agency at the end of the season. He won’t approach that kind of salary on his next deal, but a strong showing down the stretch and into the playoffs could earn him a few million dollars on the open market.
With Britton stepping in as a left-handed option for manager Aaron Boone, Peralta heads to the shelf. He’s had a quietly excellent 2022 campaign, working to a 2.72 ERA over 56 1/3 frames while holding southpaws to a meager .155/.211/.211 line in 77 plate appearances. He’d be a nice situational weapon for the postseason, and Boone told reporters this afternoon the club anticipates he’ll be back before the end of the regular season (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).
Stephen Vogt To Retire After 2022 Season
Two-time All-Star and fan-favorite Stephen Vogt has decided to retire from Major League Baseball at the end of the 2022 season. The veteran catcher shared his plans to call it a career after ten years in the big-leagues with Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.
Originally a twelfth-round pick by the Rays in 2007, Vogt made his MLB debut with Tampa in 2012 at age 27, going hitless in all 25 of his at-bats during his first season. Traded to Oakland the following April, Vogt saw his hitless streak extend to 0-for-32 before finally connecting on his first hit (a home run).
Despite his slow start, Vogt quickly endeared himself to A’s fans with his heroics in the 2013 postseason. In the ninth inning of a scoreless Game 2 of the ALDS, Vogt lined a single with the bases loaded to walk off the Tigers and even the series at one game apiece.
Vogt’s role expanded during the 2014 season, logging a total of 84 games as a catcher, first baseman, left fielder, right fielder, and designated hitter. To the tune of a .279/.321/.431 slash, Vogt helped propel the A’s to a wild card berth. To this day, cheers of “I believe in Stephen Vogt!” continue to ring out at RingCentral Coliseum during his plate-appearances — a callback to his original stint in green and gold.
The next few years would see Vogt develop into one of the most dependable and productive catchers in the league. From 2014 to 2016, he swatted 41 home runs, drove in 162 runs, and posted a wRC+ of 105, good for seventh amongst catchers. Though he spent most of his prime years behind the dish, Vogt continued to collect innings at first base, left field, and right field, for Oakland. His blend of offensive production with defensive versatility earned him nods to the American League All-Star team in 2015 and 2016.
The A’s designated Vogt for assignment in June of 2017 after he struggled during the first half. He finished the season in Milwaukee, where he accumulated a .789 OPS for a contending Brewers team. Just when Vogt looked as if he was back on track, a shoulder injury kept him out for all of 2018, threatening his career. When the Giants gave him an opportunity by signing him to a minor-league deal at the beginning of 2019, Vogt relished it. He slashed .263/.314/.490, hit 10 home runs in 99 games, and re-established himself as a productive big-leaguer.
Vogt went on to spend the COVID-shortened 2020 and the beginning of 2021 with the Diamondbacks, before being traded to the Atlanta Braves, with whom he earned a World Series ring. Oakland welcomed him back on a one-year contract at the beginning of 2022, where he will finish his playing career. Altogether, Vogt will have amassed with well over 700 games played, more than 500 hits, and nearly $14MM earned by the time his season ends. Vogt himself summed up his roller coaster career, telling McCauley:
“I haven’t always been the best player. I’ve been one of the best players in the league, I’ve been one of the worst players in the league. I’ve been injured and everywhere in between, I’ve been DFA’d twice, I’ve been traded, I’ve been non-tendered, you name it. I’ve been the guy that knew he was going to have a job next year to the guy that had to fight for his job next year, and just always go out and earn it.”
Though his retirement spells the end of his playing career, it seems that Vogt will not be able to stay away from the game for long. Renowned for his clubhouse presence and reputation as a beloved teammate, Vogt drew high praise from former A’s (now Padres) manager Bob Melvin, who told McCauley that he is bullish on Vogt’s managerial potential: “What he means to a clubhouse is immeasurable… [Vogt] definitely has a future in managing.”
Vogt himself said in 2020 that he’s “always wanted to manage,” so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him mentioned in potential coaching and managerial searches down the line.
Rockies Promote Ezequiel Tovar, Place Brendan Rodgers on Injured List
Sep. 22: The Rockies have officially announced Tovar’s promotion. In a corresponding move, infielder Brendan Rodgers will be placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain, retroactive to September 19. With only 13 games left in Colorado’s schedule, Rodgers may be sidelined for the rest of 2022.
Sep. 21: The Rockies are going to promote shortstop prospect Ezequiel Tovar, according to Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. Tovar is already on the club’s 40-man roster, though the Rockies will need to open a spot for him on the active roster.
Tovar, 21, signed with the Rockies as an international amateur in 2017. He was certainly a notable signing at the time, agreeing to a bonus of $800K, the highest given out by the club that year. But the youngster has increased his stock tremendously in recent years.
Through the end of the 2019 season, he had shown some decent plate discipline but little power. He hit only two long balls over 118 games in rookie ball and A-ball in 2018 and 2019. However, as Baseball America notes in their scouting report on Tovar, he bulked up during the pandemic shutdown in 2020 and has been on a meteoric rise up prospect lists ever since. He began this year in Double-A and played 66 games for the Hartford Yard Goats. In that time, he hit 13 home runs, stole 17 bases and hit .318/.386/.545 for a wRC+ of 153. He was recently promoted to Triple-A but only got into four games before being launched up to the big time.
Tovar already had a strong reputation for his speed, bat-to-ball skills and shortstop defense, which means the development of his power at the plate has the potential to turn him into an all-around superstar. Based on his tremendous breakout, he’s shot up to the #13 slot on Baseball America’s list of top prospects in the league, #28 at MLB Pipeline, #36 at FanGraphs, #25 on Keith Law’s list at The Athletic and #40 at ESPN.
For the Rockies, they have a legitimate opening at shortstop for the first time in a long time. Troy Tulowitzki manned the position from 2006 until his trade in 2015. That was followed by the Trevor Story era, which lasted until he reached free agency just under a year ago. This year, the club signed Jose Iglesias to take over, but only on a one-year deal. He’s been on the IL the past few weeks, with utility player Alan Trejo taking over. Tovar will have the last few weeks of the season to show the Colorado brass how he handles the big leagues, with the possibility of cementing himself as the shortstop of the future. Though the club is well out of contention at this point of the season, the chance to see what Tovar can bring to the table will give Colorado fans something to watch as the season winds down.
If Tovar can indeed earn himself a permanent spot with the big league club, there could be some domino effects. There’s not enough time remaining in the season for Tovar to get to 130 at-bats, meaning he will hang onto rookie/prospect status into the offseason. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, players with less than 60 days of service who appear among two preseason Top 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline can net their team a bonus amateur draft choice based on their early-career finishes in awards voting, so long as their club carries them on the MLB roster for a full service year. If Tovar can get himself a Rookie of the Year award or some MVP votes during his first couple of full seasons, he could net the club an extra draft pick.
Royals Fire President Of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore
The Royals have fired president of baseball operations Dayton Moore, according to a report from Andy McCullough and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman then confirmed the move in a press conference and announced that general manager J.J. Picollo is now in charge of baseball operations, per Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star.
“Dayton’s 16 years of leadership here will always mark the transformation into a World Series championship club,” Sherman says in a press release announcing the move. “Our fans, our region, and our community will never forget the excitement we shared in back-to-back pennants and the World Series Championship in 2015. He always put the Kansas City Royals first, and we’re stronger today because of it.”
Moving onto Picollo, Sherman says: “J.J.’s experience in baseball has prepared him for the challenges ahead. He has played a key role in evaluating and developing many of our franchise’s most talented players, including the core that won the 2015 World Series and the young core on the major league team today. He will brings a new lens and approach to leading our baseball operations. I look forward to working with J.J. as we continue to build and develop our team to compete at a high level.”
Moore, 55, was hired by the Braves as a scout in 1994, eventually working his way up to assistant general manager. The Royals hired him to be their general manager in 2006. As mentioned, Moore eventually led the Royals to a title in 2015, but it wasn’t a smooth ride. The Royals were one of the worst teams in baseball for an extended stretch that started before Moore joined the club, posting a losing record in nine straight seasons from 2004 to 2012.
However, the upside of all that losing was that the club was able to stockpile young talent through drafting and trading, eventually slingshotting itself to success. They used the second overall pick of the 2005 draft to grab Alex Gordon, the second overall pick of the 2007 draft to grab Mike Moustakas and the third overall pick in the 2008 draft on Eric Hosmer. Moore traded Zack Greinke in 2010, then one of the best pitchers in baseball, for a four-player return that included Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. That trade also netted Jake Odorizzi, who was later part of a trade that netted the Royals James Shields and Wade Davis from the Rays. Those players, along with international signees like Salvador Perez and Yordano Ventura, formed a core that allowed the club to return to contention. The Royals got above the .500 mark in 2013, then won the AL Pennant in 2014 and won the World Series in 2015.
It’s been a rough tumble from those heights, though, with the club posting an even 81-81 record in 2016 and falling below it in each season since. The franchise was hoping to use the same playbook of building a strong stable of young players around which to build a winning ballclub, but it’s yet to be as successful this time around. Some of the club’s most recent first round draft picks have reached the majors, including Brady Singer, Bobby Witt Jr., Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch. The team was hoping that 2022 would be a season where they returned to contention but they are currently sporting a record of 59-89, better than just five other clubs around the league and guaranteed a sixth-straight losing campaign.
Moore can’t entirely be blamed for the team’s recent failures, of course, just as he can’t claim all of the credit for its previous successes. The Royals, like all MLB teams, employ dozens of analysts, scouts and other executives to make their baseball decisions. But the organization has decided that it was time for change and set their sights on the person at the top of the pyramid.
The new face of the front office will now be Picollo, who isn’t a new name for fans of the club. The 51-year-old was also a Braves scout but was brought along by Moore to be the Royals’ director of player development. He will now step into the spotlight and try to steer the franchise forward. Despite the club’s recent struggles, there are reasons to think he might be well-positioned to correct course in short order. The poor results in recent seasons have led to a pile of young talent on the team, though the Royals will have to find better ways of maximizing their skills. Financially, the club has limited commitments, with Salvador Perez and Hunter Dozier the only two players on the books beyond 2023. Of course, the Royals have never been a high-spending club, meaning that they will likely want to see improvements from their player development operations before they decide to start writing big checks. The franchise is clearly looking for change, but Picollo might start by looking inside the house before he looks outside.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.