Reds Designate Hunter Renfroe For Assignment
The Reds announced that they have reinstated outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the COVID-19 injured list with outfielder Hunter Renfroe designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Renfroe, 31, joined the Reds just over two weeks ago. He began the year with the Angels, who went for it at the deadline but then fell out of contention in August. Since they no longer had the ability to trade anyone, they put six players on waivers in an attempt to save some money and dip under the luxury tax. Renfroe was one of those players, allowing the Reds to grab him for nothing other than taking on the remainder of his salary. They also grabbed Harrison Bader from the Yankees in a similar scenario, allowing them to add two outfielders for the stretch run without giving up any talent in return.
Unfortunately, Renfroe has struggled immensely since coming to Cincinnati, hitting .128/.227/.205. It’s still a surprise to see the club move on so quickly. Those poor results have come in a small sample of just 44 plate appearances, a time in which he has a .154 batting average on balls in play that would be bound for regression. Nonetheless, it seems the club has decided to quickly cut bait.
Earlier today, the Reds placed Bader on the injured list, meaning they are now without either of their waiver pickups from a few weeks ago. The club was willing to add roughly $2.76MM to their payroll in order to get those two outfielders for the final month of the schedule but will now be proceeding without either of them, at least until Bader can get healthy again.
With the trade deadline having passed, the Reds will put Renfroe on waivers in the coming days. Whether or not he will garner any interest will be an interesting situation, as it’s an unusual time of year for such a player to be on the wire. With the season winding down and Renfroe an impending free agent, only a contending club would have any incentive to put in a claim. But even for a contender, Renfroe wouldn’t be postseason eligible since it’s after the September 1 cutoff. He still has about $893K left on his $11.9MM salary, with any claiming club having to take that on just to add Renfroe for the less than two weeks left in the regular season. If he were to clear, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while retaining what’s left of his salary.
Recent struggles aside, Renfroe’s career offensive production is notable. Dating back to his 2016 debut with the Padres, he has hit 177 home runs and has slashed .239/.300/.478 for a wRC+ of 106. However, his defense is considered subpar, which subtracts some of the value of his bat. Despite that power potential, his glovework and poor plate discipline have capped his value and turned him into a journeyman in recent years. After sticking with the Padres through 2019, he’s since been traded to the Rays, Red Sox, Brewers and Angels, before landing with the Reds via waivers.
Guardians Place Tanner Bibee On Injured List
The Guardians have placed right-hander Tanner Bibee on the 15-day injured list due to right hip inflammation, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Right-hander James Karinchak has been recalled in a corresponding move. With only two weeks remaining on the schedule, this move brings Bibee’s season to an end.
The Guards came into 2023 with their sights set on contention after winning the Central last year, but it seems they will ultimately fall short of that goal, currently seven games back of the Twins in the division and further out in the Wild Card picture. A significant issue for the club’s disappointing season has been the starting rotation. Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill all missed significant time due to injuries, while other pitchers struggled to fill the void.
The club fell in the standings and seemed to wave a white flag when they traded Aaron Civale to the Rays at the deadline. But they hovered close enough to contention in August that they grabbed Lucas Giolito off waivers from the Angels to try to mount a late-season charge that hasn’t really come to fruition.
The club was forced to turn to rookies like Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen in order to fill the void earlier in the year. Bibee has been the relative workhorse of the staff, with his 25 starts and 142 innings pitched both leading the club amid all the turmoil. It was a very successful first season for him, as he posted a 2.98 earned run average in that time, striking out 24.1% of opponents while limiting walks to a 7.7% clip.
Since he’s going to miss the remainder of the year, those stats will now go down as the totality of his work for the season. The Guardians should now be able to go into the winter with their 2024 rotation picture looking strong, at least on paper. Bieber and McKenzie are both currently on rehab assignments and will hopefully have better injury luck next year. McKenzie will qualify for arbitration this winter while Bieber is set for his final arb year. Bieber has been speculated as a trade candidate since the Guards frequently trade away pitchers as they get more expensive and closer to free agency, but his value is at a low ebb due to his health concerns and diminished results this year. He’ll also be making a significant salary, due a raise on this year’s $10.01MM figure.
But alongside those two and Quantrill, who is also arb eligible, the Guards should be encouraged by the development of their rookies. In addition to Bibee’s aforementioned results, Allen posted a 3.60 ERA over 23 starts while Williams has a 3.29 ERA in his 16 outings. That gives them six viable starters in next year’s mix.
Without Bibee, the Guards may need another starter to slot into the rotation for the final two weeks alongside Williams, Allen, Giolito and Quantrill. As mentioned, Bieber and McKenzie are on rehab assignments and could be reinstated. Joey Cantillo, Hunter Gaddis and Cody Morris are also on the 40-man and in Triple-A, though Morris has been pitching shorter stints out of the bullpen lately.
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Reds Place Harrison Bader On IL, Select Connor Phillips
The Reds announced a series of roster moves today, with left-hander Alex Young reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list and right-hander Connor Phillips selected to the roster. In corresponding moves, outfielder Harrison Bader was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain while righty Carson Spiers was optioned to Triple-A. To open a 40-man spot for Phillips, righty Graham Ashcraft was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
It’s unclear when or how Bader sustained his injury. He started yesterday’s game and made three trips to the plate and was replaced in the seventh inning. TJ Friedl batted for left fielder Nick Senzel that inning and then took over in center, with Will Benson taking Bader’s spot in the order and taking over in left. In addition to the unknowns of when the issue cropped up, the severity isn’t clear either. But with just two weeks left in the season, it’s possible Bader’s season is in jeopardy.
Regardless, it’s an unfortunate blow for the Reds and Bader personally. The club claimed him off waivers from the Yankees at the end of August, adding about $783K in salary to their books just have one month of his services. He hasn’t been having a good year at the plate, now hitting just .232/.274/.348 between the two clubs, but still provides value thanks to his speed and defense. He has 20 stolen bases on the year, despite playing just 98 games, while continuing to get great reviews for his glovework in the outfield.
The Reds will now proceed without Bader for at least the next 10 days, with Friedl likely taking on most of the center field playing time as Benson, Senzel, Nick Martini and Hunter Renfroe share the corners. The club is sitting on a record of 78-73, bunched into an extremely tight National League Wild Card race that seems destined to come down to the wire.
Bader is an impending free agent and will head into the open market at an inopportune time, given his slumping offensive production and mounting injury concerns. He hit .258/.327/.457 over 2020 and 2021 for a wRC+ of 110 but slipped to .250/.294/.356 and a wRC+ of 85 last year, while his aforementioned performance this year amounts to a wRC+ of just 70.
Meanwhile, he’s made trips to the IL over the past three years due to a right rib hairline fracture, right foot plantar fasciitis, a left oblique strain, a right hamstring strain and now this groin strain. He was only able to play 103 games in 2021, 86 last year and 98 so far this year. If he heals up and the Reds make the postseason, perhaps he has time to change the narrative. But for now, it seems he will be trying to market himself at a time when prospective clubs will have various concerns about his long-term projections.
Phillips, 22, came up to the big leagues earlier this month as a COVID replacement. He made two starts with an earned run average of 8.31 before being returned to the minors and has now had his contract selected in the more traditional fashion. In 105 innings in the minors this year, he has a 3.86 ERA, striking out 33.3% of opponents but also walking 12.3%. He’ll jump into a Cincinnati rotation that has been beset by various injuries this year, with each of Ashcraft, Justin Dunn, Vladimir Gutierrez, Nick Lodolo and Connor Overton currently on the 60-day IL. That leaves them with Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson, Ben Lively and Phillips in the rotation as they make their final postseason push.
As for Ashcraft, it was reported over the weekend that he will require season-ending toe surgery, making this transfer an inevitable formality.
Royals Select Tyler Cropley
11:30am: Quatraro tells Anne Rogers of MLB.com that further testing revealed Perez does indeed have a mild concussion.
10:25am: The Royals announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Tyler Cropley. He will take the active roster spot of Salvador Perez, who has been placed on the seven-day concussion list, retroactive to September 17. To open a spot on the 40-man, catcher Freddy Fermin was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Perez departed Saturday’s game after being struck in the mask by a foul ball. The Royals later announced that he had avoided a concussion, with manager Matt Quatraro saying that the backstop “got his bell rung a little bit” but felt fine after the game. It now seems that either the situation has changed or the club is merely deciding to be cautious in the late stages of a lost season.
The club will now be without its two primary catchers from this season, at least for a few games, as Fermin suffered a fracture of his right middle finger earlier this month. He underwent surgery last week and is done for the season, making his transfer to the 60-day injured list an expected formality.
With Perez and Fermin both unavailable, Cropley will get back to the majors. He was briefly selected to the club’s roster earlier this month when Fermin suffered his injury but he was designated for assignment a few days later, without getting into a game, when Logan Porter was promoted. He cleared waivers and was outrighted, allowing him to rejoin the roster today. At least for the time being, it seems as though Porter and Cropley will be sharing the catching duties.
Aside from that brief time on the big league roster, Cropley has split his time between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He has walked in 11.5% of his plate appearances and hit a combined .233/.329/.367 for a wRC+ of 87. He’ll make his major league debut as soon as he is put into a game.
Braves Select Lucas Luetge, Designate Dereck Rodríguez For Assignment
The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Lucas Luetge, with right-hander Dereck Rodríguez designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Luetge, 36, was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade but hasn’t secured a firm place in Atlanta. He has struggled in brief looks at the major league level, with an earned run average of 8.49 in 11 outings. That has come in sporadic fashion, as he was twice been designated for assignment and passed through waivers, with today being the second time he’s been added back to the roster.
That’s a very small sample and his work outside of that has been much better. He has a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings at the Triple-A level this year and he also posted a 2.71 ERA for the Yanks at the major league level across 2021 and 2022, tossing 129 2/3 innings in that time. He’ll give the club a third left-handed option in the bullpen, alongside A.J. Minter and Brad Hand.
Rodríguez, 31, was selected to the club’s roster just yesterday and was immediately thrust into action. Charlie Morton started the game against the Marlins and didn’t have his best outing, allowing six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. Rodriguez was put into the game and absorbed two innings, but allowed eight earned runs in that time while throwing 54 pitches. In order to save the bullpen, the club had infielder Nicky Lopez throw an inning and a third before the game ended with a 16-2 score.
Rodríguez will now be placed on waivers in the coming days, the third time for him this year. He was signed by the Twins to a minor league deal in the offseason, getting selected to the big league club in May. After just one appearances, he was claimed off waivers by Atlanta, who mostly kept him on optional assignment. He made one appearance for them in May and another in July, getting designated for assignment after the latter. After rejoining the club yesterday and getting shelled, he has an ERA of 15.19 in the majors this year, along with a 5.91 ERA in the minors.
The Opener: Wainwright, Rodriguez, Phillies/Braves
As the 2023 regular season enters the home stretch, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Wainwright goes for #200:
After securing his 199th career win in Baltimore last week, Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright is slated to take the ball at home against the Brewers with a chance to become the 122nd player in MLB history to reach 200 wins in his career, joining the likes of Jon Lester and Chuck Finley. Pitching opposite Wainwright in what could be his final career start at Busch Stadium figures to be right-hander Freddy Peralta (3.79 ERA). The final season of Wainwright’s career has been a very difficult one, as the 41-year-old has posted a 7.95 ERA and 6.20 FIP in 94 innings of work across 20 starts. Wainwright’s Cardinals are struggling similarly, with the club facing just their second season below .500 since Wainwright debuted in 2005 with the possibility of their first 90-loss campaign since 1990.
2. Rodriguez heads to LA:
The Tigers are headed to Dodger Stadium for a three game set today. Despite the Dodgers having already clinched the NL West and the Tigers being all but eliminated from postseason contention, there’s still plenty of intrigue surrounding today’s game. That’s because left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who made waves in the baseball world at the trade deadline this year by using his no-trade rights to veto a deal that would have sent him to the Dodgers, will be taking the mound tonight against right-hander Lance Lynn, LA’s lone rotation addition at the deadline this year. With Lynn sporting an ugly 8.18 ERA over his last four starts and much of the Dodgers rotation injured ahead of the club’s impending postseason run, Rodriguez’s 3.99 ERA in eight starts since the trade deadline would surely have been a major boost to the club in the final weeks of the season and have given them a third veteran arm to pair with Lynn and Clayton Kershaw this postseason.
3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Braves
A pair of division rivals are set to begin a three-game set that could prove to be a preview of what’s to come this postseason as the Phillies make their way to Truist Park in Atlanta. It’s the second series between the clubs in as many weeks, with the Braves having clinched the NL East crown by taking three of four in Philadelphia last week. Since then, however, the Braves suffered a brutal sweep at the hands of the Marlins while the Phillies took a series win against the Cardinals over the weekend, indicating momentum may have shifted to favor the Phillies headed into this week’s series. The coming set has no shortage of intriguing pitching matchups, starting with righties Zack Wheeler and Kyle Wright facing off this evening. Tuesday will see youngsters Spencer Strider and Cristopher Sanchez clash, while the final game of the series will see Aaron Nola take the mound opposite Bryce Elder.
Latest On Kim Ng’s Contract Status
The terms of Kim Ng’s contract with the Marlins weren’t made public when she was hired as general manager in November 2020, but Barry Jackson, Jordan McPherson, and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report that Ng’s deal is up at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. There hasn’t been any public word about extension talks, though that seems to be by design, as Marlins owner Bruce Sherman prefers for the focus to be on the club’s playoff chase.
Sherman did give the GM a vote of confidence, stating that “Kim and the baseball operations team have worked diligently throughout the year to identify players that can help us succeed. Through continuous investments by our ownership group, our club has been able to make key additions to this promising roster that is now competing for the playoffs. The additions of Josh Bell and Jake Burger at the deadline have been a great spark to our lineup as well as great individuals in the clubhouse.”
Over the previous 19 seasons, the Marlins have reached the playoffs only once (in the shortened 2020 season) and have posted only five winning records. With that downbeat recent history in mind, it counts as a notable achievement that the 2023 squad has a 78-72 record and is challenging for a wild card position. There have been plenty of ups and downs in the Marlins’ season, yet at the very least, South Beach fans can look forward to two more weeks of pennant-race baseball and potentially some postseason action.
In general, it is a little unusual to see top executives go into a true lame-duck year, as the Marlins apparently don’t have even a club option over Ng’s services for 2024. Given how Miami was 137-188 in Ng’s first two seasons, it makes sense that Sherman might have wanted a full year to see if Ng could turn things around, plus in a sense 2023 is Ng’s first true season in charge of baseball operations.
Ng was initially hired when Derek Jeter was calling the shots as the Marlins’ CEO, plus VP of scouting/player development Gary Denbo (a longtime Jeter confidant) had an outsized influence within the front office, and manager Don Mattingly was continuing in the dugout as a holdover from the Jeffrey Loria era. However, Jeter shockingly parted ways with the Marlins in February 2022, Denbo was fired a few months later, and Mattingly wasn’t retained as skipper last fall.
Ng hired Skip Schumaker as Miami’s new manager, then embarked on her first relatively normal offseason as GM, free of front office tumult, the pandemic’s disruptive elements, or MLB labor disruptions. The focus was on upgrading the offense, and while the Fish still aren’t a big-hitting group, the acquisition of Luis Arraez was a clear win, and (as Sherman observed) Bell and Burger have both hit well since coming to Miami in deadline deals. As well, Jorge Soler bounced back from his very disappointing debut season in 2022 to post quality numbers this season.
Given the Marlins’ success this year under Ng, the Herald writers unsurprisingly note that “it would be surprising if she’s not invited back” on a new contract. As we saw with James Click and the Astros last year, no amount of on-field success can guarantee employment for a general manager if the owner isn’t entirely satisfied with how things are going, and it is possible Sherman might want to install an executive free of any past association with Jeter. That said, the Marlins have such a checkered history of ownership and front office upheaval that Sherman might not want to add to that history by changing GMs in the wake of what is shaping up as a successful turn-around.
Waiting to negotiate with Ng creates some risk for the Marlins since another team could conceivably emerge to offer her another front office position, though it is perhaps instructive to remember that Ng was an assistant GM under Brian Cashman with the Yankees in 1998-01. Through Cashman’s long stint in New York, he has routinely fully completed his employment contracts before signing new deals, even waiting until weeks or months into the offseason before officially putting pen to paper on his own contract since there always an understanding that he would be returning. If such an understanding similarly exists between Ng and Sherman, an announcement of a new contract for the GM might just be a matter of time.
NL Notes: Fried, Anderson, Braves, McGough, Wiemer
Max Fried‘s next start is being pushed back, as the Braves southpaw won’t next pitch until sometime during Atlanta’s upcoming series with the Nationals that starts on Thursday. In Fried’s last outing on September 12, he developed a hot spot on his finger, and manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that the club was being cautious to prevent Fried from developing a blister. With the NL East clinched, the Braves naturally want to make sure their roster is healthy and set for the playoffs, especially a front-of-the-rotation arm like Fried.
Nick Anderson‘s participation on a postseason roster has yet to be determined, as the righty has missed over two months due to a shoulder strain. Anderson will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, but as Toscano notes, the reliever won’t have a lot of time to ramp up since the Triple-A season ends next weekend. Atlanta will get some extra time to decide on Anderson, Jesse Chavez (also on a rehab assignment) and other players on the borderline of its roster due to the first-round bye in the playoffs, and the pitching mix figures to get particular attention. The Braves’ hurlers have been quite good for most of the season, but have a collective 5.60 ERA since August 31 — the fifth-highest in baseball in that span.
More from around the National League…
- The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Scott McGough on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, and McGough might only pitch again if Arizona makes the postseason, manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other reporters. Signed to a two-year, $6.25MM free agent last winter, McGough was making his return to North American baseball after an impressive four-year run in Japan, and the D’Backs had designs on using McGough in high-leverage relief situations. The results were mixed, as McGough displayed some shaky control and allowed a lot of hard contact in posting a 4.73 ERA over 70 1/3 innings, though his 28.6% strikeout rate and 49.2% grounder rate were both strong. The righty had nine saves while getting some looks in the closer role before Arizona acquired Paul Sewald at the trade deadline.
- The Brewers activated outfielder Blake Perkins from the 10-day injured list today, as Perkins returned to the roster after missing about five weeks due to an oblique strain. In the corresponding move, Milwaukee optioned Joey Wiemer to Triple-A, as Wiemer has been mired in a lengthy lengthy slump of just three hits in his last 38 plate appearances. This will mark Wiemer’s first Triple-A action of 2023, as he has spent the rest of his rookie season in the bigs, hitting .204/.283/.362 over 410 plate appearances. Injuries within the Brewers’ outfield have led to regular playing time for the former top-100 prospect, and while Wiemer hasn’t contributed much at the plate, his glovework in center field has been well above average. However, Sal Frelick has gradually taken over regular center field duty, as Wiemer hasn’t hit enough to retain his spot in the lineup. With the Brewers heading towards the NL Central title, it remains to be seen if Wiemer might return to the active roster before the season is out, or if his defense might merit him a postseason roster slot.
NL West Notes: Hazen, Red Sox, Cobb, Freeland
The Red Sox have started looking for a new front office boss, and a familiar face might be on their radar since ESPN’s Buster Olney (X link) reports that Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen “is one of the names discussed” as a potential candidate. Hazen is a Massachusetts native and he previously worked for the Sox from 2006-16, including a stint as the club’s general manager during the 2016 season. Hazen was the top lieutenant under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski that year before Arizona hired him away to lead their front office.
Hazen’s time in the desert has included the lows of two brutal seasons in 2020-21, and the highs of a playoff appearance in 2017, three winning records in six full seasons, and a club that is fighting for another postseason berth with a 79-72 record this year. Between this season’s success and the wealth of quality young talent in Arizona’s farm system, Hazen might not necessarily be too eager to consider a job change, especially considering that the D’Backs have him under contract through the 2024 season (with a club option for 2025).
As Olney notes, Hazen could potentially leverage any interest from the Red Sox into a new extension from the D’Backs, though one would imagine that Arizona was already looking to retain an executive who has seemingly gotten the team back on track. Since the Diamondbacks would have to give permission for Hazen to be interviewed by another club, it’s possible Boston’s interest might go unexplored if the D’Backs aren’t willing to give that consent. It also isn’t known if Hazen is seen as a prime candidate for the Sox, or if they were doing some natural due diligence early in their front office search on an experienced executive with many past Boston ties.
More from around the NL West…
- Alex Cobb recently revealed that he has been pitching through hip discomfort for over three months, though he has still posted a respectable 4.20 ERA over his last 13 starts and 70 2/3 innings pitched. The Giants have been trying to manage the injury with a cortisone shot and some extra rest, as Cobb had eight days between his most recent two starts, and will be working on eight more days of rest when he is scheduled to take the mound Tuesday for a big game with the Diamondbacks. Cobb underwent hip surgery in 2019, though he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he doesn’t believe he’ll need another procedure to address his current impingement (which is in his left hip, whereas his right hip previously received the surgical repair). However, Cobb did add “I should get more clarity on it, honestly,” which is something of an ominous admission for the veteran hurler. Trying to tough it out carries some extra risk for Cobb since he technically isn’t under contract for 2024 — San Francisco holds a $10MM club option ($2MM buyout) on his services for next year.
- The Rockies placed left-hander Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list today due to a right oblique strain, so Freeland won’t pitch again during the 2023 season. The oblique injury forced Freeland to make an early exit from Saturday’s game, and continued the season-long string of pitching injuries that has devastated the Rockies’ staff. It was a frustrating year overall for the veteran southpaw, who posted a 5.03 ERA and one of the sport’s lowest strikeout rates (13.9%) over 155 2/3 innings.