Giants Place Pablo Sandoval On Release Waivers
1:00pm: The Giants announced that Sandoval has been placed on release waivers.
12:32pm: The Giants are designating infielder Pablo Sandoval for assignment today, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). The move will create space for fellow veteran Justin Smoak, who signed with the Giants yesterday.
Sandoval, 34, lasted just two and a half seasons in Boston under an ill-fated five-year deal but surprised many with a resurgent showing upon returning to the Giants after being cut loose. From 2018-19, Sandoval tallied 548 plate appearances over 200 games with his original club, hitting .259/.311/.466 with 23 homers, 33 doubles and a triple. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction in 2020, however, as Sandoval has logged a miserable .220/.278/.268 slash through 90 trips to the plate.
The 33-year-old Smoak hasn’t exactly fared well in 2020 himself, hitting just .186/.262/.381 in 126 plate appearances with the Brewers before being released. Even amid those struggles, however, Smoak has shown much more power at the dish and a better walk rate. He’s been more prone to strikeouts than Sandoval but gives the Giants a better defensive option at first base and more pop on days he serves as designated hitter or a late-game pinch-hitter.
With Sandoval hitting well in 2018-19 and Hunter Pence returning after a resurgent year with his hometown Rangers, Giants fans might’ve had visions of one last productive run from the fan-favorite duo that fueled so much of their “Even Year” dynasty from 2010-14. Both Pence and the Panda struggled mightily in what now looks to have been their San Francisco farewell tours, however, leaving their futures within the game somewhat up in the air.
Had the Giants been languishing in the NL West cellar, perhaps they’d have kept Sandoval around to close out the season. San Francisco, though, has rattled off five straight wins to surge back to current possession of the No. 7 playoff seed in this year’s expanded postseason format. It’s in some ways reminiscent of last year’s July hot streak. Last year’s club wasn’t able to sustain the pace and convert that hot streak into a playoff berth, but the 2020 Giants will look to parlay their current 8-2 stretch into the organization’s first playoff berth since 2016.
Giants Sign Justin Smoak
1:35PM: The Giants have announced the signing, noting that Smoak signed a minor league deal and has been added to the 60-man player pool.
1:01PM: The Giants have agreed to sign free agent first baseman Justin Smoak, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Smoak was released by the Brewers yesterday.
Smoak came to Milwaukee on a one-year contract worth $5MM in guaranteed money ($4MM in salary, and $1MM on a buyout of a $5.5MM club option for 2021). Over 126 plate appearances this season, Smoak simply never got on track, hitting .186/.262/.381 with five home runs and eventually becoming an expendable piece. The Brewers will eat the remainder of the salary owed to Smoak this season, minus the prorated minimum salary that will be paid by the Giants for however much time Smoak sees in the big leagues over the final two-plus weeks.
The 22-21 Giants are currently in possession of a wild card berth, in part due to major contributions from such unheralded acquisitions as Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, and Alex Dickerson. 2020 numbers aside, Smoak has more of a proven track record, and was an All-Star as recently as the 2017 season. His numbers have been on the decline since that breakout year, though his pedestrian 2019 statistics were underlined by some very impressive Statcast numbers that have generally not carried over to this season.
A change of scenery could perhaps be what Smoak needs to spark his bat, and on paper, a revived Smoak would help the Giants replace the production they expected from Hunter Pence — another veteran who had a tough 2020 season and was recently released. Smoak could occasionally spell Brandon Belt at first base and also see some time at DH. Since Mauricio Dubon has now essentially become San Francisco’s full-time center fielder, it creates a bit more room for Smoak to join Pablo Sandoval as the team’s primary backup infielders, with Belt, Solano, Brandon Crawford, and Evan Longoria starting around the diamond and Wilmer Flores also seeing a good chunk of time at first base, second base, and DH.
Cardinals Activate Carlos Martinez, Option Dylan Carlson
The St. Louis Cardinals announced the activation of pitcher Carlos Martinez from the injured list today. Martinez has been on the COVID-19 injured list since July.
The plan had been for Martinez to return to the rotation this year after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2019. Martinez made just one start before the outbreak of COVID-19 shut down his season. He’ll likely return to the rotation for one of today’s doubleheader games.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Ryan Meisinger was designated for assignment. Meisinger, 26, made two appearances, logging 2 2/3 scoreless frames, allowing 1 hit and 4 walks, while striking out 3. After making his major league debut with the Orioles in 2018, the Cardinals selected Meisinger off waivers and stored him in Triple-A for 2019, where he put up 35 frames of a 3.09 ERA.
Dylan Carlson has also been optioned to the team’s alternate training site to make room on the active roster. The move was made primarily because of a lack of playing time for Carlson, per Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The 21-year-old outfielder slashed .162/.215/.243 across 79 plate appearances during his first taste of the show.
Given the other options available, it’s a little suspect that the Cardinals couldn’t find playing time for Carlson – should that have been their goal. Fellow outfielders Dexter Fowler and Austin Dean remain out following COVID-19 protocols. Other options in the outfield have struggled for the Cardinals. Lane Thomas (52 wRC+, 225 PA) and Tyler O’Neill (76 wRC+, 98 PA) are options to flank Harrison Bader (140 wRC+) in the grass, though Tommy Edman and Rangel Ravelo could also see time in the outfield. Brad Miller has some experience in the outfield, but the Cardinals have yet to play him there.
Minor League Baseball President Announces Retirement
President of Minor League Baseball Pat O’Connor will retire at the year’s end, per The Athletic’s Evan Drellich (via Twitter). O’Connor has served as President since 2007, while spending 24 years in total with the minor league baseball offices and 34 years in professional baseball.
Minor League Baseball released a statement, provided by JJ Cooper of Baseball America. The statement reads, in part: “During his presidency, O’Connor oversaw a period of unprecedented increase in revenues and franchise values as Minor League Baseball attracted over 40 million fans in each of the last 15 seasons (2005-19), and in 2008, Minor League Baseball drew over 43 million fans for the first time since 1901.”
The future of Minor League Baseball remains very much in the air after losing this season to the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, however, tensions were rising the between Major and Minor League Baseball offices. MiLB has resisted contraction, but instead of losing a couple of teams, the whole system is in danger of falling under the control of Major League Baseball. All of which led MiLB to change their negotiation team early in August. Of course, the team that was brought in was said to be more in line with O’Connor – as opposed to Minor League Baseball team owners – so O’Connor’s retirement could foretell the end of MiLB as presently constituted.
Braves Place Max Fried On IL, DFA Charlie Culberson, And Other Roster Moves
The Atlanta Braves announced a number of roster moves this morning, the most consequential of which was placing ace Max Fried on the injured list, retroactive to September 6th, the team announced. Also, Kyle Wright was recalled and Jacob Webb reinstated from the injured list. Fan favorite utility man Charlie Culberson was designated for assignment.
Fried might be the single most important player on the Braves roster right now as the only reliable high-end arm in the rotation. In the wake of Mike Soroka‘s season-ending injury, Mike Foltynewicz‘s demotion, and Cole Hamels‘ injury, Fried has ably stepped up and developed into an ace for the Braves. He’s currently a top contender for the Cy Young in the National League with a 6-0 record through 9 starts, 50 innings, a 1.98 ERA/2.47 FIP, and zero home runs allowed.
A worrying drop in velocity hit a season low in his last start on Saturday, as illustrated here by PitcherList.com (via Twitter), averaging just 91.7 mph after being as high as 94.1 mph for his first two starts of the year . The injury listed is a left-side muscle spasm of the lumbar spine, aka back spasms. The Braves are obviously hopeful that some rest and treatment can get him back on the hill.
In the meantime, Hamels is on the comeback trail, and he could be activated as soon as next Monday, per Baseball America’s Gabe Burns (via Twitter). For now, Wright will return from their alternate training site in Lawrenceville to re-join the rotation. The Braves will hope for better results this time around for the 24-year-old, who was hit with a 7.20 ERA/6.48 FIP while going 0-3 in 4 starts earlier this season – though The Athletic’s David O’Brien reports that Wright is just up for a spot start. Still, Wright is highly regarded, their 4th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, Baseball America, and MLB.com.
The 27-year-old Webb could provide boost to Atlanta’s right-side relief corps. Webb has yet to appear in 2020, but he put up a 1.39 ERA in 39 games in 2019 – his first big league experience. The 6’2″ right-hander brings a 95 mph heater buttressed by a curveball and 86 mph change that generated a 40% Whiff% in 2019.
Culberson, 31, only appeared in 9 games this season going 1 for 7 with a double and RBI. The utlilty man has mostly been used as a pinch-runner this season. Culberson had some big hits for the 2019 Braves, but he took a Fernando Rodney fastball to the cheek on a bunt attempt in Washington which broke his cheekbone and ended his season. Culberson hasn’t seen regular playing time since the injury.
Lou Brock Passes Away
Cardinals legend Lou Brock passed away today at age 81. According to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hall-of-Famer had been dealing with “a number of medical conditions in recent years.”
Over 19 seasons in the majors, Brock displayed nothing less than mastery of the basepaths, recording 938 stolen bases (from 1245 total chances). Brock is the National League’s all-time stolen base leader, and his 118 steals in 1974 is also the league’s single-season record. Only Rickey Henderson has more career steals in Major League history, and given how the stolen base has become a less-popular tactic in recent years, it certainly seems like Henderson and Brock will continue to reign atop the all-time steals list for decades to come.
Beyond the stolen bases, Brock was a big contributor all over the field. Brock hit .293/.343/.410 over 11240 plate appearances and his 3023 career hits rank him 28th on the all-time hit list. Brock was a six-time All-Star and won two World Series rings with the Cardinals, coming up big for St. Louis in the postseason. Over 92 career World Series plate appearances, Brock hit a whopping .391/.424/.655 with four homers (while also going 14-for-16 on stolen base attempts).
A little over 15 and a half of Brock’s MLB seasons were spent with the Cards, and his 2289 games played in a St. Louis uniform is second behind Stan Musial on the franchise’s all-time list. Ironically, Brock’s arrival in St. Louis was met with little fanfare, as he was part of a six-player trade with the Cubs in June 1964 that saw Brock and two other players join the Cardinals, while three other players (most notably accomplished starter Ernie Broglio) headed to Chicago. As Hummel noted, many Cards fans and even players weren’t pleased at the trade, yet it has now gone down as one of the more famously lopsided deals in baseball history, not to mention a major plank of the ever-heated Cardinals/Cubs rivalry.
Brock went into Cooperstown as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in 1985, and his post-playing endeavors included some TV commentary work and a special instructor role for the Cardinals. All of us at MLB Trade Rumors sent our condolences to Brock’s family, friends, and many fans.
Nationals, GM Mike Rizzo Agree To Three-Year Extension
The Nationals have agreed to a contract extension with general manager Mike Rizzo, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. He had been working under the final year of his existing contract. Rizzo’s new deal will be for three years, per Rosenthal, keeping him at the helm of the Nats through at least 2023.
Rizzo, 59, took over as the Washington GM in 2009, first in the interim before earning the permanent title. During his 11-plus years as the lead decision-maker, Rizzo’s Nats teams have made five postseason appearances, including last year’s famous run to the World Series. Of course, last year’s success largely erased the Nationals’ reputation as playoff disappointments, which they garnered after four NLDS exits (three of which required a decisive fifth game) in a six-year stretch from 2012-2017. The Nationals have an overall 951-867 (0.523) W-L record during Rizzo’s tenure.
Under his leadership, the Nats have drafted stars like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, and others. They’ve had success in the international amateur market, signing the likes of Juan Soto, Victor Robles, and the emerging Luis Garcia as teenagers.
Furthermore, Washington hasn’t been shy about handing out significant contracts in free agency. The Nats’ starting pitching corps, especially, was built through free agency, with Max Scherzer, Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin earning a combined $595MM in guaranteed contracts from the Nationals on the open market.
Rizzo has been instrumental in guiding the Nationals through tumultuous losing seasons (which allowed the club to acquire talent early in the draft) and elevating the team to contending status, with eight consecutive winning seasons under their belt (though that streak is likely to end this year).
With Rizzo locked up for the foreseeable future, the Nationals will likely turn their attention to another top employee, manager Dave Martinez. Washington holds a $1.2MM club option over Martinez for the 2021 season, which would be Martinez’s fourth as the Nats’ skipper. In fact, the franchise hasn’t had a manager last more than three seasons since Frank Robinson’s five years leading the Expos and Nats.
Yankees Reinstate Gleyber Torres
The New York Yankees have reinstated star shortstop Gleyber Torres from the injured list, per a team release.
Torres hit the injured list on August 24th with a left hamstring strain. The move was retroactive to August 21st. It had been a slow start on the year for Torres, who was hitting just .231/.341/.295 when he went on the injured list. The 23-year-old Torres was an All-Star his first two seasons in the league while posting a combined triple slash of .275/.338/.511 with 62 home runs in 267 games.
Tyler Wade has stepped in at shortstop while Torres has been out. The 25-year-old hasn’t done much at the plate, slashing .170/.250/.264 across 60 plate appearances. Wade is a fine utility piece for New York, but he has nowhere near the upside of Torres, who will look to regain his power stroke upon returning to the field.
In a corresponding roster move, right-hander Albert Abreu was optioned to the team’s alternate training site. The 24-year-old Abreu made two appearances, surrendering 3 earned runs across 1 1/3 innings. Abreu is the Yankees’ 13th-ranked prospect per Baseball America.
Juan Soto Out With Elbow Soreness
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez is giving Juan Soto a couple of days off, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com (via Twitter). Soto has been experiencing some elbow soreness. The Nationals’ young superstar underwent and MRI, but the results were good, so Martinez is just giving Soto a couple of days to rest and recover.
Though the Nationals have face-planted in their title defense season, there’s been no such hangover for the 21-year-old Soto. Soto is currently the major-league leader in slugging (.758) and OPS (1.211). He’s slashing .354/.453/.758 with 11 long balls in 117 plate appearances. Soto has more walks (17) than strikeouts (16) while registering in the top 1% for exit velocity (94.2 mph) and top 2 percent for hard hit percentage (55.4%).
Soto rested for both games of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Braves, and he figures to get another day or two to rest his elbow. Especially since the Nats are just one game ahead of the Pirates for the worst record in the National League, they are likely to value Soto’s long-term health over any benefit they’ll get from rushing him into action over the final few weeks of what’s bound to be a lost season. Washington sits 5 games out of a wild card spot, and while that deficit isn’t impossible to overcome, they would need to turn around their play drastically enough to leapfrog five other teams in the NL.
Soto missed the first couple of days of the season after testing positive for COVID-19, though he was asymptomatic.
Yankees Promote Clarke Schmidt
The Yankees have selected right-hander Clarke Schmidt‘s contract, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News was among those to report. They optioned righty Ben Heller in a corresponding move.
The 24-year-old Schmidt, whom the Yankees chose 16th overall in the 2017 draft, has become one of their highest-regarded prospects, owing in part to impressive minor league production. He divided last season between High-A and Double-A, combining for a 3.47 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 90 2/3 innings.
In the wake of his 2019 performance, Schmidt earned top 100 prospect rankings at The Athletic (No. 51), Baseball America (No. 64), ESPN.com (82), and MLB.com (94). Keith Law of The Athletic wrote that the former Tommy John patient has a chance to turn into a No. 3-4 starter in the majors.
If Schmidt’s able to provide mid-rotation type of production immediately, it would be a boost to the playoff-contending Yankees, whose starting staff hasn’t lived up to expectations in 2020. Gerrit Cole hasn’t given the club the elite production it anticipated when it signed him to a nine-year, $324MM contract last winter; James Paxton has dealt with injuries and struggled when healthy; and J.A. Happ and Jordan Montgomery have fallen flat. The Yankees’ best starter has been Masahiro Tanaka, who has logged a 3.38 ERA/3.85 FIP over 26 2/3 innings.