Braves Promote Ian Anderson, Activate Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of top pitching prospect Ian Anderson and reinstated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and start tonight’s game. In a pair of corresponding moves, right-hander Touki Toussaint and catcher Alex Jackson were optioned to Atlanta’s alternate training site.
Anderson, 22, was the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2016 and has steadily ranked among the game’s 50 or so best prospects over the past three years. He spent the 2019 season with the Braves’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 44 percent grounder rate. Like so many pitchers, Anderson was blown up in the explosive offensive setting in Triple-A last year, surrendering five homers in 24 2/3 frames. However, he only yielded eight big flies in 111 innings of Double-A work.
Scouting reports on Anderson peg him as more of a mid-rotation starter than a frontline ace. His fastball climbs to 96 mph, and Anderson garners praise for a plus curveball and a changeup that’s a bit behind that offering, though all three are considered above-average pitches.
Given the considerable rotation woes they’ve experienced in 2020, there’s some pressure on Anderson to put forth a strong debut effort. It’s not exactly fair to put such lofty expectations on a young prospect, but Atlanta has lost Mike Soroka (torn Achilles), Cole Hamels (triceps tendinitis), Felix Hernandez (opted out of 2020) and Mike Foltynewicz (outrighted after his fastball velocity dipped 6 mph) from its expected early-season rotation. Sean Newcomb, meanwhile, was optioned to the alternate site after surrendering 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. Kyle Wright and Toussaint both posted underwhelming numbers in four starts apiece as well. The Braves have recently leaned on swingman Josh Tomlin and waiver claim Robbie Erlin to start games for them.
The Braves waited on Anderson long enough that he’ll miss out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accrue a full year of Major League service in 2020. As such, even if he’s in the big leagues for good, Anderson won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Future optional assignments could further impact those timelines, of course, though the organization surely hopes that he pitches his way into a permanent rotation spot.
The return of Acuna is obviously a major boon for the Braves as well. He’s missed the past 10 days due to a left wrist injury but had rebounded from a slow start to boost his line to .258/.372/.515 at the time of his IL placement. In 10 August games, Acuna was hitting .364/.488/.818 with four homers and three doubles.
Angels Receiving Trade Inquiries On Dylan Bundy
The Angels’ 2020 season hasn’t gone according to plan whatsoever, and at 9-20 on the year they look like one of the few clear-cut sellers in the game. A faulty starting rotation is again at the root of the issue, as the team’s starters rank 28th in MLB with a combined 5.84 ERA.
None of that can be blamed on right-hander Dylan Bundy, however, whose offseason acquisition looks like one of the best moves made by any team. But Bundy is only controlled through the 2021 season, and with the current campaign looking lost for the Halos, teams have already been placing calls on the right-hander’s availability, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The 27-year-old Bundy doesn’t have the blazing fastball he had as an elite prospect who was selected by the Orioles with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2011, but he hasn’t needed it to dominate in 2020. Through 38 1/3 frames, Bundy has logged an outstanding 44-to-8 K/B ratio while pitching to a 2.58 ERA and 3.06 FIP. He ranks in the 80th percentile or better in fastball spin rate, hard-hit rate, opponents’ exit velocity, expected batting average against and expected wOBA, per Statcast. Bundy is throwing his slider more than ever before and has scaled back the usage of his four-seam fastball to a career-low 30.1 percent. His 38 1/3 innings are the third-most of any Major League pitcher, among whom he ranks 10th in bWAR and 13th in fWAR.
Because his prior seasons have been punctuated by inconsistency, Bundy has yet to see his arbitration price balloon up too high. He’s on a $5MM salary for 2020, which is prorated to $1.8MM. Of that sum, he’s still owed about $914K. Bundy would be owed one final arbitration raise before he hits the open market following the 2021 season, but it’s still a plenty reasonable price if clubs buy into the new and improved version he’s presented so far this year.
Making a trade of this nature would be a difficult about-face for an Angels club that has been in the market for top-end pitching for years and seems to have found it in Bundy, but his dwindling club control will likely force the team to make a tough decision. The package the Angels gave up to get Bundy was not regarded as overly expensive in terms of prospect capital, and it’s eminently feasible that GM Billy Eppler could get more than he parted with to acquire Bundy in the first place.
Bundy is very arguably one of the top arms on the market, and that’s particularly true given his control beyond 2020. Teams are expected to be stingier than ever in terms of what they’re willing to part with for pure rental players in 2020, as they’d only be acquiring one month of said player for a crack at an expanded postseason that some view as something of a novelty.
Giants Acquire Daniel Robertson, Designate Hunter Pence
The Giants have acquired infielder Daniel Robertson from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Robertson has been assigned to the Giants’ alternate training site. To clear 40-man roster space, outfielder Hunter Pence has been designated for assignment, reports Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
Robertson was designated for assignment himself earlier this week. The 26-year-old looked like a solid rotational piece back in 2018, when he hit .262/.382/.415 (128 wRC+) in 340 plate appearances while playing all across the infield. Unfortunately, Robertson’s power completely disappeared last season, as he stumbled to .213/.312/.295 line (71 wRC+) in 237 plate appearances. Still, as a versatile, optionable 26-year-old one year removed from a quality offensive season, it’s easy to see the appeal for San Francisco. Indeed, that the Giants affirmatively swung a trade suggests the front office feared he’d get claimed had they tried to wait out the waiver wire.
The Robertson acquisition marks the end of Pence’s second stint with S.F. Thanks at least partially to swing adjustments he made in the 2018-19 offseason, Pence made a remarkable return to form with the Rangers. He hit .297/.358/.552 (128 wRC+) in Texas last season, earning an improbable All-Star bid. That set the stage for the fan favorite to return to San Francisco, where he shined for the better part of eight seasons.
Unfortunately, the 37-year-old has gotten off to a terrible start this year. He’s hitting just .096/.161/.250 with two home runs through 56 plate appearances. That likely wiped out any hope the rebuilding Giants would’ve had of flipping him to a contender before the August 31 deadline.
Assuming he’s amenable, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pence latch on with a minor-league deal elsewhere if he’s eventually released. There’d be little harm in bringing the amiable veteran to an alternate training site to see if he can recapture his 2019 form at the dish.
Rays Place Nick Anderson On Injured List With Forearm Inflammation
10:48 am: Both Anderson and manager Kevin Cash downplayed the severity of the injury this morning (via Topkin). The hurler says he’s 99.0% certain it isn’t major, while Cash said initial evaluations were “very encouraging,” so the club doesn’t anticipate a long-term absence.
9:45 am: Elite Rays reliever Nick Anderson is headed to the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right (throwing) forearm, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com (Twitter link). Fellow reliever Edgar García, acquired this week from the Phillies, has been recalled to replace Anderson on the active roster, adds Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Anderson’s IL placement is retroactive to August 20.
The late-blooming Anderson may not be a household name, but he’s emerged as one of the sport’s top late-inning arms over the past two years. As a 29-year-old rookie, he shined with the Marlins, prompting the Rays to send top prospect Jesús Sánchez and reliever Ryne Stanek to Miami for Anderson and right-hander Trevor Richards. Since the trade, he’s doubled down on that initial success.
Now 30, Anderson is off to one of the best starts to this season among relievers. In 9.1 scoreless innings across eleven games, he’s struck out fifteen against just one walk. That lowered his career ERA to 2.91 in 74.1 innings, with a sparkling 2.09 FIP backing up that stout run prevention.
Needless to say, an extended absence for their top reliever would be a big blow to a Rays’ staff that just lost starting pitcher Yonny Chirinos to Tommy John surgery. Forearm injuries can sometimes portend elbow surgery for pitchers, but there’s no indication a surgical procedure is under consideration in Anderson’s case. Tampa has not provided a timetable for his return.
Latest On Mets’ COVID-19 Testing
TODAY: According to a press release from the team, all Mets players and personnel who returned to New York from Miami have registered negatives on tests taken both Thursday and Friday. “Test results of close contacts for those that remained in Miami also came back negative,” the statement said.
AUGUST 20, 6:52pm: A Mets position player and a coach tested positive, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
5:08pm: Most Mets will fly out of Miami tonight, Andy Martino of SNY first reported. Only the two members of the organization who tested positive and those who aren’t delayed by contact tracing will stay behind. The belief is that the Mets did not violate protocols on the road, per Martino.
4:07pm: A Mets player and a staff member have tested positive for the coronavirus, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Tim Healey of Newsday. As a result, their road game against the Marlins tonight has been postponed, as has their matchup against the Yankees on Friday.
This is the latest COVID-related setback in a season chock-full of them for Major League Baseball, which has seen numerous games postponed as a result of the illness. The Marlins and Cardinals have been hit especially hard so far, and the league has tightened up its protocols of late in an effort to prevent outbreaks and make sure each team completes its 60-game regular-season schedule.
For now, it’s unknown how Thursday’s development will affect these three teams’ schedules. Thursday was supposed to be the last Mets-Marlins game in Miami this year, but they’ll have to make it up at a later date. The Mets are slated to host the Yankees on Saturday and Sunday, so there could be a doubleheader on one of those days. However, the Mets will have to receive clearance to return to the field first.
Stephen Strasburg Diagnosed With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Aug. 22: To make room for Wil Crowe as the 29th man in today’s doubleheader, the Nationals moved Strasburg to the 60-day injured list, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. It’s a big blow for the defending champs who will be without their World Series MVP for the rest of the 2020 season. Strasburg will undergo surgery next week, per MASN.com’s Mark Zuckerman (via Twitter).
Aug. 21: After meeting with a nerve specialist, the initial diagnosis of carpal tunnel has been confirmed, Martinez tells reporters (Twitter link via Dybas). Strasburg and the team are weighing their options, one of which is surgery.
Aug. 15: The Nationals will place Stephen Strasburg on the injured list, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman. Strasburg’s still dealing with nerve irritation, according to manager Dave Martinez (via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The diagnosis appears to be carpal tunnel neuritis of the right hand, per Todd Dybas of NBCSW.
Strasburg’s early season injury issues continued Friday in a start against the Orioles. Strasburg departed in the first inning, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. The Nationals replaced him with righty Erick Fedde.
Strasburg made his 2020 debut last Sunday and yielded five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles. The O’s Anthony Santander smacked a home run off Strasburg on Friday before he had to leave his rematch against the club. Before losing his command in the 4th, however, Strasburg looked like his old self, pulling the chain on changeups and placing his fastball around the edges of the zone.
This has no doubt been an alarming way to open the season for Strasburg, whom the Nationals re-signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract in free agency last winter. Strasburg earned that mega-deal on the heels of a brilliant season that he finished as the World Series MVP for the Nationals, who won their first-ever championship. Like Strasburg, though, Washington has begun the season in less-than-ideal fashion, as it entered Friday with a 6-10 record.
With Strasburg out, Fedde is likely to move back into the rotation. The 27-year-old right-hander has been in and out of the rotation for the better part of the past two seasons. He was in contention for a rotation spot at the start of the season, but that spot went to Austin Voth. The Nationals rotation has been in flux for the entirety of the season, starting with a hamstring issue that bothered Max Scherzer. Anibal Sanchez, another mainstay from last year’s team, has struggled out the gate.
Ryne Harper will return to the Nats to fill Strasburg’s roster spot, per Dybas. Harper’s been used quite a bit this season, but he’s been shelled of late. In total, the 31-year-old former Twin owns a 8.10 ERA/6.13 FIP, though a 10.8 K/9 gives at least a little hope that Harper can become a reliable source of outs for the NAts.
Phillies Acquire Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree
9:25pm: Philadelphia will also receive a player to be named later or more cash from Boston, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets.
8:14pm: The Phillies and Red Sox have announced a trade that will send two veteran relievers – Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree – as well as $815K to Philadelphia in exchange for right-handers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold. That sum should enable the Phillies to stay under the luxury tax, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia observes.
This deal has seemed inevitable since reports emerged Friday afternoon that the Phillies and Red Sox were in serious discussions regarding Workman and Hembree, who should improve a bullpen that has been horrific in 2020. Phillies relievers entered Friday with easily the league’s worst ERA (8.07) and the game’s 27th-ranked FIP (5.61). Worsening matters, they placed their most effective reliever, Jose Alvarez, on the 10-day injured list Friday after he took a 105 mph line drive off his groin on Thursday.
In Workman, the Phillies are getting a 32-year-old who, since last season, has struggled mightily with his control (5.63 BB/9) but has still found a way to handle opposing offenses. Dating back to 2019, Workman has logged a stingy 2.07 ERA/2.47 FIP with 12.87 K/9 and a 50 percent groundball rate over 78 1/3 innings. However, as a soon-to-be free agent, Workman may only amount to a few-week rental for a Philadelphia club that’s just 9-12 but still hoping to contend.
Hembree, 31, is on a prorated $1.61MM salary this season and still has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. At his best, Hembree combined for 113 innings of 3.19 ERA/3.68 FIP ball with 9.32 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9 from 2016-17. His numbers have dipped since then, though a four-run blowup in his final Boston appearance Tuesday against, of all teams, Philadelphia has played a big part in that. He was off to an effective start before then, but now owns a lackluster 5.59 ERA through 9 2/3 innings this year. Hembree has, however, notched 10 strikeouts against three walks.
With the Red Sox well out of contention this year, it made sense for the club to part with a pair of 30-something relievers for a couple pitchers who could have a greater long-term impact on their roster. For now, Pivetta and Seabold will report to their alternate training site.
The 27-year-old Pivetta was a swingman in Philadelphia from 2017-20, during which he stumbled to a 5.50 ERA across 396 1/3 frames. FIP (4.64), xFIP (4.03) and SIERA (4.10) suggest he has deserved better, but the Phillies clearly got tired of waiting on his run prevention to head in the right direction. And Pivetta sealed his fate with the club this year by opening with three relief appearances in which he yielded a whopping 10 earned runs on 10 hits (including three homers) in 5 2/3 innings. The good news for Boston is that Pivetta isn’t costly – he’s on a minimum salary this year and will go through the first of three potential arbitration trips during the offseason – so there’s not much risk on the club’s end in taking on Pivetta as a reclamation project.
Seabold, the lone player in this trade who hasn’t reached the majors, became a pro when the Phillies chose him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He reached Double-A for the first time in 2019, and though an oblique injury held him to 40 innings, Seabold turned in excellent numbers in that span. The 24-year-old posted a 2.25 ERA/2.77 FIP and recorded 8.1 K/9 and 2.25 BB/9 in his first try at the level. Before Philly shipped him out, Seabold ranked as the team’s 23rd-best prospect at MLB.com, which suggests he could turn into a back-end starter in the majors.
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reported the teams were finalizing the trade. Robert Murray reported the deal was done. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the cash sum Philly received. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Phillies, Red Sox Discussing Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree
2:46pm: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports that the two sides have also discussed right-hander Heath Hembree. Unlike Workman, the 31-year-old Hembree is controlled through 2021, so he’d give the Phils an option for this year and next. Hembree has yielded six runs through 9 2/3 innings in 2020, but he carries a solid 3.65 ERA with 10.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 through 222 innings dating back to 2016.
2:06pm: The Phillies and Red Sox are actively discussing a deal involving “multiple players,” including Workman, tweets Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
12:47pm: The Phillies have spoken to the Red Sox about right-hander Brandon Workman as they look to upgrade their bullpen, Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic report (via Twitter).
The Phils just picked up David Hale in a small deal with the Yankees, and it’d hardly be a surprise to see them aggressively target additional bullpen arms. Philadelphia’s offense, fueled by monster seasons from Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, has been among the best in the game.
The rotation, led by huge efforts from Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, has pitched to a combined 4.10 ERA, although the unit beyond that top duo has been rather shaky. Jake Arrieta‘s past two starts were rough, and top prospect Spencer Howard has yet to complete five frames. Righty Zach Eflin has missed bats at a surprising rate but has also yielded eight earned runs in his 14 innings.
Phillies relievers, on the other hand, have been the worst collective unit in baseball. The Philadelphia bullpen has produced an astonishing 8.07 ERA — nearly two runs worse than the 29th-ranked Reds — and also ranks 27th in FIP and 20th in xFIP. No Phillies reliever has even thrown 10 innings, and the only sub-4.00 ERAs among pitchers with at least three appearances belong to veteran Blake Parker, who was only recently added to the big league roster, and lefty Jose Alvarez, who was carted off the field in yesterday’s game.
As an impending free agent on the 8-18 Red Sox, Workman is among the likeliest players in MLB to change hands before the Aug. 31 trade deadline. He’s pitched to a 4.05 ERA in his tiny sample of 6 2/3 frames this year, but the 32-year-old also logged a 1.88 ERA with 13.1 K/9 and 16 saves for the Red Sox in 2019. He averaged 5.7 walks per nine frames last year, which is obviously unpalatable, but his control prior to that season was generally sharp.
In all, since moving to the Red Sox’ bullpen on a full-time basis in 2017, Workman has compiled 159 1/3 frames with a 2.65 ERA, 10.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate.
If a deal involving Workman does ultimately come together, it’ll be telling to see what type of return the righty brings. Boston won’t be making a qualifying offer regardless, so the Sox are better off moving him than holding. But the Phillies (or any other team) would only be acquiring about a month of regular-season innings from Workman. The general expectation has been that rental players like Workman will yield relatively minimal returns due to that fact. To this point, however, we’ve not yet seen any such deals come together, so the first couple deals that come to fruition could conceivably serve as a barometer for other potential rental swaps.
Mets/Yankees Weekend Series Postponed
This weekend’s series between the Yankees and Mets has been postponed due to the recent positive Covid-19 tests within the Mets organization, Major League Baseball announced in a press release. Newsday’s Tim Healey reported minutes beforehand that the league would be taking this step (Twitter link). Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was also postponed.
There have been some degree of cancellations stemming from positive Covid-19 tests each weekend in MLB since the Marlins played in the wake of a few positive tests on opening weekend. That led to a team outbreak which ultimately resulted in a reported 18 cases for the Marlins, and the league has since been more diligent and proactive in postponing games in an effort to avoid similarly widespread instances of the virus. While the Cardinals had an outbreak of their own, the Reds and Mets are the only other clubs to have had positive tests during the season. The Reds only saw three games postponed, and the hope here is obviously that the Mets will see a similarly brief stoppage of play.
When the game against the Marlins and the series against the Yankees will be made up isn’t yet determined, although the East-centric nature of this year’s schedule gives ample opportunity for doubleheaders and other makeup games. The Mets are scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 28-30, and they’re slated to host the Marlins at Citi Field from Aug. 25-27. The Athletic’s Tim Britton points out that Aug. 24, Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 are all mutual off-days for both the Mets and Yankees.
Marlins To Promote Sixto Sanchez, Jesus Sanchez
1:18pm: Miami is also promoting top outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez, Heyman tweets.
1:02pm: The Marlins are calling up top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The flamethrowing righty will likely step into Miami’s rotation.
Sixto Sanchez was the centerpiece of the trade package the sent J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins to Philadelphia. He immediately became one of the Marlins’ top prospects and didn’t disappoint in 2019, his first full season with the team. Last year, as a 21-year-old, he pitched to a combined 2.76 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 in 114 frames between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. Sanchez can reach triple digits with his fastball and also garners praise for a wipeout changeup that is regarded as a plus offering. He’s considered to be among the best pitching prospects in all of baseball, ranking No. 18 at Baseball America, No. 24 at MLB.com and No. 48 at FanGraphs. Keith Law’s preseason rankings at The Athletic had him at 49, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel listed him at No. 55.
Jesus Sanchez, who is about 300 days older than Sixto but still 22 himself, came to the Marlins alongside Ryne Stanek in the trade that sent Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to the Rays last summer. He’s a top 100 prospect himself on most lists, garnering praise for exceptional bat speed, plus raw power and a feel for hitting. He’s played some center field but is more likely to end up in a corner. The hope for Sanchez is that he’ll eventually be a quality corner defender who hits for power and average, but he’s yet to see that raw power manifest in game settings. He split last year between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .260/.325/.398 in 465 plate appearances. He’s not a big strikeout concern, but Sanchez also only walks in about six percent of his plate appearances.
Both players will be controlled through at least the 2026 season even if they’re in the Majors to stay, and they’ve been promoted late enough in the year that they should fall shy of Super Two status when arbitration rolls around for them in a few years’ time.