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Giants Designate Joe Panik For Assignment

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The Giants announced Tuesday that they’ve designated second baseman Joe Panik for assignment and optioned lefty Sam Selman to Triple-A Sacramento. Southpaws Conner Menez and Williams Jerez were recalled from Sacramento in their place.

Panik’s future with the Giants looked to be in question when the club not only acquired well-regarded second base prospect Mauricio Dubon from the Brewers but also veteran second bagger Scooter Gennett from the Reds. Panik, a former first-round pick, has been the Giants’ regular second baseman since debuting in 2014 but has seen his production crater over the past two seasons. In 780 plate appearances dating back to 2018, he’s managed only a .245/.308/.325 batting line.

Injuries have hampered Panik’s career in recent seasons, as he’s missed time due to thumb, groin and back injuries in addition to (most notably) multiple concussions. Panik made the 2015 All-Star team when he hit .312/.378/.455, but he’s never come close to replicating those offensive heights. He’d have been a non-tender candidate this winter by virtue of the fact that he’d be in line for a raise on this season’s $3.8MM salary.

Normally, the Giants would have a week to trade Panik or put him on outright or release waivers. However, with the elimination of August trades, San Francisco’s only recourse will be to waive Panik — likely in the hopes that another club will save them some money by claiming the remainder of his salary. Panik is owed about $1.12MM through season’s end, and any team to claim him would be responsible for the entirety of that sum. If he goes unclaimed, Panik can become a free agent without forfeiting any of that salary. At that point, any team to sign him would only owe him the prorated league minimum through the end of the year — about $164K.

There’s an obvious connection between the Mets, who have lost Robinson Cano to the injured list, and the New York-born Panik. Whether the Mets deem him an upgrade over internal options, based on his past two seasons of play, remains to be seen though. New York could simply slide Jeff McNeil from the outfield back to second base and pursue an additional outfielder, which figure to be in greater supply in the coming weeks.

Tim Beckham Receives 80-Game PED Suspension

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Mariners infielder Tim Beckham has been suspended for eighty games under the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, according to a league announcement. The league says that Beckham tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol.

The 29-year-old Beckham was the first overall pick of the 2008 draft. He joined the Seattle organization on a one-year, $1.75MM contract over the winter after struggling last season with the Orioles.

In a statement, Beckham places the blame on a “tainted” substance he was given by “a trusted source.” (Twitter link via MLBPA.) But his appeal to the league was already considered and rejected.

Beckham had been in the midst of a solid bounceback season. He has continued to struggle to reach base consistently, but made up for that with sufficient pop to produce at a league-average rate. Over 328 plate appearances in Seattle, he owns a .237/.293/.461 slash with 15 home runs.

It had seemed that Beckham was a candidate to be traded at the deadline — or, perhaps, to move via waiver claim this month. Instead, he’ll spend the rest of the year on the restricted list and seek a new chance next year. Beckham will still have to sit out for 32 games to begin the 2020 season.

Nationals To Sign Asdrubal Cabrera

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Not long after his formal release by the Rangers, veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera has agreed to join the Nationals, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s a major-league deal, per the report.

Because Cabrera was cut loose, the Rangers will remain obligated to him for the remainder of his $3.5MM salary. But they’ll save a pro-rated portion of the league minimum for whatever time Cabrera remains with the Nats.

It has been a few years, but Cabrera is a familiar face in D.C. He spent the last few months of the 2014 season with the club after a trade from the Indians, his long-time team. Cabrera has appeared with four additional teams in the intervening years.

The match is a clear one given the current roster demands faced by the Nationals. Howie Kendrick just joined Ryan Zimmerman on the injured list, leaving the team with light-hitting utilityman Adrian Sanchez as its lone reserve infielder.

It remains to be seen whether Cabrera will be a temporary fill-in or key roster piece down the stretch. His performance will no doubt help dictate the situation.

The switch-hitting Cabrera will be looking to bounce back from a brutal run with the Rangers. Not only did he limp to a .235/.318/.393 batting output, one of the worst extended runs of his career, but Cabrera was actually fortunate to post those numbers in light of the low-quality contact he made (.308 wOBA, .287 xwOBA).

Reds Claim Kevin Gausman

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1:00pm: The teams have announced the move. Atlanta also announced that Mike Foltynewicz is up from Triple-A Gwinnett, so he’ll take Gausman’s spot in the rotation.

12:25pm: The Reds have claimed right-hander Kevin Gausman off outright waivers from the Braves, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That’s not to be mistaken with the now-defunct revocable August trade waivers, to be clear. The claim means that Gausman is now a member of the Reds, who by claiming him are agreeing to take on the remainder of the right-hander’s $9.35MM salary — a sum of about $2.815MM between now and season’s end.

Cincinnati is obviously banking on a return to form following a change of scenery, as Gausman is mired in the worst season of his big league career. The former No. 4 overall draft pick (Orioles, 2012) joined Atlanta last season in a deadline trade that saw Atlanta take on the remainder of Darren O’Day’s salary while also shipping out international bonus allotments and minor leaguers Brett Cumberland, JC Encarnacion, Bruce Zimmermann and Evan Phillips.

Gausman performed admirably down the stretch in 2018 and was a big part of the Braves’ rotation (2.87 ERA in 59 2/3 innings), but he’s been among the league’s least effective pitchers in 2019. Through 80 innings, he’s pitched to a 6.19 earned run average with 9.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 1.35 HR/9 and a career-low 37 percent ground-ball rate.

There’s little denying that Gausman has had his share of poor fortune in 2019. His .345 average on balls in play is well north of both his career mark (.313) and the league average (.299), and his 59.3 percent strand rate appears fluky and due for some positive regression toward his lifetime mark of 74.1 percent. Fielding-independent metrics peg him as a candidate for considerable improvement (4.20 FIP, 4.40 SIERA, 4.47 xFIP).

Gausman’s average fastball velocity (93.8 mph) is down from its 95 mph peak, however, and he’s allowing line drives at a career-worst 24.7 percent clip. Opposing hitters are barreling up Gausman’s offerings at a higher rate than ever before, per Statcast, and the increased number of hard-hit balls in the air has come back to bite him.

The Reds don’t appear to have an immediate need for starting pitching, with Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer, Sonny Gray, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood all in the rotation at the moment. It’s possible that Cincinnati could utilize Gausman out of the bullpen or deploy a six-man rotation to keep their arms fresh down the stretch.

The move could very well have been made with an eye toward 2020 as well — as was the case with their acquisition of Bauer. Gausman is controllable via arbitration for the third and final time this winter, although at present he looks like a potential non-tender candidate. Still, perhaps a strong showing to the season will convince the Cincinnati front office that Gausman is deserving of the $10MM+ salary he’d command in arbitration this offseason. If he is able to return to form, Gausman would slot in fourth behind the formidable trio of Bauer, Castillo and Gray.

Marlins To Promote Isan Diaz

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After placing outfielder Cesar Puello on the injured list, the Marlins are prepared to call up minor-league second baseman Isan Diaz to make his Major League debut, per Craig Mish of FNTSY Sports Radio. Diaz is already on the 40-man roster. Mish would add in a later Tweet that Lewis Brinson has also been recalled from Triple-A.

Diaz, 23, joined the Marlins as one of the pieces in the package that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Diaz is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Marlins’ fifth-best prospect and No. 86 in all of baseball. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com tout his raw power as his carrying skill, with his “bat speed and the strength in his compact frame translating into hard-hit balls to all fields.” However, it bears mentioning that there will be some pressure on the bat to produce, given his unremarkable defense and baserunning. If his Triple-A numbers are to be believed, there’s plenty of reason to believe in the power and overall offensive potential: Diaz has slugged 26 home runs this year, not to overlook a pretty .305/.395/.578 batting line. Though his strikeout numbers are high, he’s sporting a tidy 12.3% walk rate in his minor league career, which began in 2014 when the D-Backs made him a second-round draft choice.

On the diamond, second base looks like the best spot for Diaz, and the keystone might be the smoothest fit on the Major League roster. With Brian Anderson playing right field, the Marlins could give Starlin Castro a look at third base, leaving the door open for Diaz to get regular at-bats at second.

Diaz’s promotion to the big leagues may put him on the vanguard of a burgeoning Miami farm system that added touted 21-year-olds Jazz Chisholm and Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline. FanGraphs ranks the Marlins’ farm as the fifth-best in baseball, and it’s stocked with a number of high-ceiling, volatile athletes who will determine the precise timeline of Miami’s rebuild. Either way, the organizational depth is a massive improvement over its state after dealing Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton, and Marcell Ozuna, all of whom brought arguably light returns.

Given Lewis Brinson’s struggles, Diaz may be the piece to salvage the much-maligned Yelich trade, which has already returned some value to the Marlins in the form of promising rookie Jordan Yamamoto. If Brinson’s results to date are representative of his true talent, Diaz may end up being the headliner of Miami’s return, though the verdict is still out on Monte Harrison, who has yet to debut.

The book’s not closed on Brinson, either: since his demotion, the 25-year-old has played 81 games at Triple-A, where he’s swatted 16 home runs and posted an overall .871 OPS. He’s managed a solid 9.4% walk rate in that same span, a skill that has completely vanished in his stints in the Majors. Just 25 years old, there’s still time to show that he can carry that success to the Major League level, but early returns have made the acquisition look like a misstep.

Angels Place Simmons, Canning And Pena On IL

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11:20 am: DiGiovanna provides further updates on Simmons (via Twitter). The star shortstop has a bone bruise and left ankle sprain (in a different area of the ankle which sidelined him earlier in the season) and will be out “a least a couple of weeks,” according to manager Brad Ausmus.

10:36 am: Peña and Canning each have worrisome prognoses, DiGiovanna relays. Peña tore his ACL and is out for six to nine months, ending his season and putting his 2020 start in jeopardy. Canning, meanwhile, has inflammation in his throwing elbow. Fortunately, DiGiovanna adds that Canning’s UCL does not appear to be injured, so it seems he’ll avoid an especially serious absence.

9:38 am: The Angels have lost three key contributors, announcing the IL placements of Andrelton Simmons, Griffin Canning and Félix Peña, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). To replace that trio on the active roster, the club has recalled Wilfredo Tovar, Jared Walsh and Luke Bard, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

The news represents a devastating series of blows for the Halos, particularly the loss of the unmatchable Simmons. The defensive whiz was scratched from yesterday’s lineup with foot soreness, which has evidently proved more serious than initially hoped. It’ll be the second IL stint of the season for Simmons, who has otherwise put together a decent season. His .274/.315/.382 slash (88 wRC+) is unremarkable, but even that is reasonable when coupled with his otherworldly glove. Simmons also boasts one of the league’s lowest strikeout rates and had been a slightly above-average hitter over the past two seasons, so there was reason to believe he could offer even more offensively. That’ll be on hold for an undisclosed amount of time.

Peña left yesterday’s start with a sprained right knee, so it’s unsurprising to hear he’ll hit the shelf. He’s been serviceable in a swing role for the club this season, logging 96.1 innings with a 4.58 ERA. Peña’s strikeout, walk and ground ball rates are all solid but unremarkable.

The Canning news comes most surprisingly, as he just polished off a strong start against the Tigers Tuesday, although it explains the upcoming call-up of prospect Patrick Sandoval to start tomorrow night in his place. Canning, a former first-rounder, had some injury concerns as a draft prospect stemming from a heavy workload at UCLA, but his professional health record had been spotless until today. Regarded as a potential #3 starter as a prospect, Canning hasn’t been quite that good as a rookie but has nevertheless been dependable. Like Peña, Canning’s strikeout and walk numbers have hovered around average, although his 37.3% ground ball rate has led to some home run worries. Canning’s injury and prognosis aren’t yet clear.

Tovar is a utility infielder who can offer some shortstop assistance in Simmons’ absence. He’s never hit much, but he’ll be on hand to back up David Fletcher, who seems likely to handle the position in the near term. Walsh is a two-way player, a power bat who has raked in Triple-A this season and has come out of the Angel bullpen four times this year. He’s a uniquely versatile asset for the club. Bard, meanwhile, is a more traditional, fastball-slider reliever who’s been up-and-down during a challenging season.

Cubs Place Willson Contreras On IL

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The Cubs announced today they’ve placed catcher Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list, as expected. Taylor Davis has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa to take his spot on the 25-man roster.

Contreras came up hobbling in yesterday’s game and was diagnosed with a hamstring strain. The team decided it needn’t wait until receiving the results of tomorrow’s MRI to shut him down. It’s dreadful timing for the first-place Cubs, who lead the NL Central by a mere half-game and just traded away catcher Martín Maldonado. Contreras has been one of the Cubs’ best players, slashing .275/.365/.525 over 340 plate appearances.

In his absence, the club will turn to Víctor Caratini, who has hit well himself in limited time and might be a superior defender to Contreras but can’t match the latter’s offensive track record. Caratini’s no doubt a better reserve backstop than what most teams can run out, but it’s never good news to lose a top five player at one’s position.

Behind Caratini will be Davis, a 29 year-old who’s seen sporadic big league action the past three seasons. Davis has never shown much punch with the bat, and his .250/.358/.350 line in Triple-A in 2019 is fairly underwhelming, considering the high-powered offensive environment he’s played in.

Angels Designate Jonathan Lucroy

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The Angels have designated veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot goes to just-acquired receiver Max Stassi.

Additionally, the Halos announced that southpaw Adam McCreery was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. McCreery was designated for assignment recently.

Lucroy. 33, was designated for assignment right on the heels of his activation from the injured list. He had suffered a concussion and broken nose in a scary collision at the plate.

While the Halos forewent a chance to swap Lucroy at the deadline, it would have been tough to swing a deal due to the quick succession of transactions. Stassi only became available after the Astros added Martin Maldonado earlier that day. And it was the first game back for Lucroy.

Now, Lucroy can’t be traded. If and when he’s placed on outright waivers, rival organizations will have a chance to claim his contract, which would mean taking on the remainder of the $3.35MM he’s guaranteed this year. (The deal also includes bonuses based upon games started as a catcher and plate appearances.) If he clears, Lucroy can reject an outright assignment and keep his guaranteed money, signing on with another club as he chooses. In that case, the Halos would stand to save a pro-rated version of the MLB minimum salary for any time Lucroy spends on the MLB roster of a different team.

While Lucroy likely won’t be seen as a difference-maker, he’s an experienced veteran who could improve some contenders — or, at least, bolster the depth at a key position. Through 268 plate appearances this year, Lucroy carries a marginal .242/.310/.371 batting line that’s only slightly better than his output from the prior season.

Ben Zobrist To Begin Rehab Assignment

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AUG. 1: Zobrist’s rehab will begin this weekend at the Single-A level, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to report.

JULY 26: Cubs veteran Ben Zobrist is slated to begin a rehab assignment, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells reporters including ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers (Twitter link). Zobrist has been on the restricted list for much of the season for personal reasons.

It’s notable news for the Cubs, who are in a dead heat in a tightly contest NL Central. The club has struggled to find consistent production at second base and in the corner outfield — the two spots that Zobrist has appeared at most frequently. He’ll presumably step right back into the mix as soon as he is back up to full speed.

The Cubs likely won’t welcome back Zobrist right away. Though he has been working out, the 38-year-old has been inactive for so long that he’s likely to need a physical ramp-up along with a good bit of time getting back up to game speed. He wasn’t exactly at top form when he stepped away, having compiled 99 plate appearances of .241/.343/.253 hitting to open the season. While he carried a strong 12:14 K/BB ratio in that span, Zobrist managed just one extra-base hit.

There are also some payroll considerations to be accounted for. During his absence, Zobrist has foregone payment of his $12.5MM annual salary. But he’ll start earning again. (Whether that will take place once his rehab assignment starts or once he’s activated isn’t clear.) That means that the club cannot reallocate all of Zobrist’s remaining salary obligations to other players at the deadline.

It seems an early September target may make the most sense for all involved. That’d be an optimal time from a roster perspective, as the Cubs would be able to take advantage of the expansion of the active roster to ease Zobrist back in. He will need to come off of the restricted list by the end of August in order to be eligible for the postseason.

Jameson Taillon Expected To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon is tentatively scheduled to undergo surgery on his elbow flexor tendon sometime in the next few weeks, The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel reports (subscription required).  The procedure will keep Taillon out of action for roughly seven to nine months, so he could be back on the mound for Pittsburgh sometime in May if everything goes according to plan.

While Taillon faces a lengthy recovery period, it represents a more optimistic timeline than Tommy John surgery, which was the initial concern when Taillon was shut down with forearm pain last week.  Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like a TJ procedure (which would be Taillon’s second) is necessary, outside of “a small chance” more damage is found within Taillon’s elbow during the tendon surgery.  Taillon’s elbow, however, appeared to be intact after being examined by Dr. David Altchek earlier this week; Altchek also performed Taillon’s original Tommy John surgery back in 2014.

Injuries have limited Taillon to just 37 1/3 innings this season, a disappointing follow-up to what seemed like a breakout year for the right-hander in 2018.  Taillon posted a 3.20 ERA over 191 innings for the Pirates last year, and certainly seemed to be stepping up as the ace of Pittsburgh’s rotation.  Hopes that Taillon would pitch again in 2019 were dashed by last week’s news, though it seems as if he’ll be able to return to active duty for at least most of the 2020 campaign.  Tommy John surgery, of course, would have sidelined Taillon for 12-15 months, all but certainly keeping him on the injured list until 2021.

Taillon’s abbreviated 2019 campaign will obviously have a significant impact on his future salary, as he will be eligible for arbitration for the first of three times this offseason.  He’ll still receive a big bump beyond the minimum salary, albeit much less than he would have earned if he’d been able to replicate his 2018 numbers this season.

The Pirates can go into their offseason plans with the expectation that Taillon will, for now, be back at the front of the rotation for much of 2020, though the team is likely still going to look into adding pitching (almost surely of the lower-cost variety) over the winter.

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