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Twins Grant Jeff Hoffman His Release

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The Twins have granted right-hander Jeff Hoffman his release, Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets. He’d been in camp on a minor league deal but had an out clause in his contract if he did not make Minnesota’s Opening Day roster.

Hoffman, 30, allowed a pair of runs on two hits and three walks with eight punchouts in five Grapefruit League innings for the Twins. He spent the 2022 season with the Reds, pitching to a 3.83 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate and a bloated 11.7% walk rate. In 348 1/3 innings at the big league level, Hoffman has a 5.68 ERA with a 20.3% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate.

That said, he’s also a former No. 9 overall draft pick and an extreme fly-ball pitcher who’s had the task of pitching his home games at two of baseball’s most hitter-friendly venues: Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park and Denver’s Coors Field. As one might expect, home runs have been an issue. He’s yielded 1.63 homers per nine innings pitched in his career, though he dropped that to 1.01 in 2022 with the Reds.

Hoffman has elite spin on his fastball, above-average spin on his breaking ball and in two seasons with Cincinnati posted solid swinging-strike rates that could portend a greater ability to miss bats than he’s shown for much of his career. He’ll head back to the market in search of a new opportunity with a clearer path to a spot on the big league roster.

Red Sox Notes: Tapia, Duran, Bullpen

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Outfielder Raimel Tapia is with the Red Sox on a minor league deal, but it was reported recently that he had the ability to opt out of that deal if not added to the roster. That opt-out was yesterday and it’s still not known if he triggered it or how the club responded, but he did tell Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe yesterday that his agent was looking into opportunities with other clubs.

The 29-year-old Tapia is a light-hitting but speedy outfielder who spent his entire career with the Rockies before getting traded to the Blue Jays last year. His career batting line of .277/.318/.392 amounts to a wRC+ of 80. What’s perhaps most pertinent to his situation in Boston is his ability to play center field. It was reported last week that the club is increasingly viewing him as a viable option there, despite most of his career being spent in left field thus far. Tapia has 2587 1/3 left field innings at the big league level to this point, compared to just 439 1/3 in center. Defensive metrics like his work up the middle more, which is strange since it’s generally considered the more demanding position. His center field work has resulted in +3 Defensive Runs Saved, +5 Outs Above Average and -1.6 Ultimate Zone Rating, compared to +1 DRS, -1 OAA and -1.1 UZR in left.

That’s relevant to the Sox since they have moved Enrique Hernández to shortstop to cover for the injured Trevor Story. To replace Hernández in center, they signed Adam Duvall, who is 34 years old, has less than 600 career innings in center and had his 2022 ended by wrist surgery. If Tapia were on the roster, he would give them some cover in the event Duvall doesn’t take well to regular work at the position or gets hurt. They also could potentially co-exist on the roster, given Duvall’s right-handed power-based approach and Tapia’s left-handed contact-based style.

Tapia’s main competition for that bench spot seems to be Jarren Duran. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported this morning that Duran is flying with the club to Boston but it’s still unclear if he’s going to be starting the year in the big leagues or Triple-A. He still has a couple of option years and could easily be sent down, though they would then have to find a 40-man spot for Tapia. If they’re able to do that, it might make sense for the 26-year-old Duran to get more reps in the minors as opposed to sitting on the bench in the big leagues. He has hit very well in the minors and even cracked Baseball America’s top 100 list a year ago, but his 91 MLB games have resulted in just a .219/.269/.354 batting line and 68 wRC+ thus far.

With the start of the season now just about 48 hours away, the Sox will have to make a decision shortly, whether it’s Tapia or Durran getting that final bench spot. They also might still shuffle around their relief mix a bit, as manager Alex Cora tells Chris Cotillo of MassLive that they are still looking at external options for the bullpen. “There’s a lot of stuff that is going on right now,” Cora says. “There’s a lot of guys out there. If we see an opportunity to take advantage of it, we’ll do it. If not, we’ll stay in house.”

The club has already been fairly active in changing its bullpen mix over the past few months, signing free agents like Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely Rodríguez. On the trade front, they dealt Matt Barnes for Richard Bleier, while also shipping out Josh Taylor, Darwinzon Hernández and Franklin German, among other deals. Despite that, it seems they may still find another move or two in the next little while. At this time of year, teams around the league are making their tough roster decisions, leading to intriguing players getting cut or perhaps opting out of contracts. Given all that, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Sox put in a waiver claim or make another trade in the coming days.

Rays Acquire Tony Locey From Rockies

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The Rays announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired right-hander Tony Locey from the Rockies in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. He’s not on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary.

Locey, 24, is one of four players the Rockies acquired from the Cardinals in the trade that sent Nolan Arenado to St. Louis. The Cardinals also sent Austin Gomber, Elehuris Montero and minor league infielder Mateo Gil to Colorado in that swap.

In 2022, Locey reached the Double-A level for the first time but saw his longstanding command issues continue while opponents hit him harder than ever before. After beginning the ’22 season with a 3.09 ERA through 67 innings in High-A (despite a 13.9% walk rate), Locey was hammered for a 12.11 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. He yielded 48 runs on 60 hits, 28 walks and five hit batters, striking out just 28 of his 197 opponents along the way (14.7%).

Overall, Locey has walked 14.7% of the opponents he’s faced since being selected in the third round by the Cardinals out of the University of Georgia back in 2019. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote in his 2021 report on Locey that he had a heater that could run up to 97 mph but noted the following year that his velocity had dipped. Locey was used as a starter in 20 of his 26 appearances with the Rockies this past season, but it’s possible the Rays will shift him into a bullpen role, given the ongoing command troubles and poor results in the rotation.

Cristian Pache Will Not Make Athletics’ Roster; A’s Exploring Trade Scenarios

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The Athletics will not carry Cristian Pache on the team’s Opening Day roster, manager Mark Kotsay announced late last night (link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Because he’s out of minor league options, Pache will need to be traded or placed on outright waivers. The A’s will likely designate him for assignment prior to Opening Day, which would remove Pache from the 40-man roster and buy them a few days to explore possible trades. Outfielders Brent Rooker and Conner Capel will be on the roster, Kotsay added.

Effectively moving on from Pache after one year in the organization is a clearly suboptimal outcome for the A’s, who acquired the slick-fielding center fielder as one of the main pieces (alongside headliner Shea Langeliers) in the trade that sent Matt Olson to Atlanta. The 24-year-old appeared in 91 games for the A’s last year but posted an anemic .166/.218/.241 batting line through 260 plate appearances, exhausting his final minor league option year in the process. Things didn’t go much better in Triple-A, evidenced by a tepid .248/.298/.389 slash (68 wRC+) in an extremely hitter-friendly Las Vegas environment.

That lack of minor league options, lack of production, and the Athletics’ offseason acquisition of speedster Esteury Ruiz sealed Pache’s fate, it seems. Pache has had a productive showing in spring training, hitting .302/.362/.419 in 47 plate appearances, but the A’s already informed Ruiz last week that he’ll make the roster. It’s possible they’re confident in their ability to deal Pache for a return of modest value, but if the eventual transaction is a waiver placement, it’ll be a rather damning outcome for the team, given that Pache was a pivotal part of the prospect return in the A’s latest fire sale.

Pache is still just 24 years old, and he remains an elite defender (5 Defensive Runs Saved, 8 Outs Above Average in just 646 innings in 2022). As recently as the 2020-21 offseason he was considered among the 20 best prospects in the sport. However, his bat hasn’t developed at all, leaving the A’s in a tough spot this spring. The dilemma wasn’t exactly unforeseeable, though, given Pache’s prior struggles in Atlanta and the fact that he had only one option year remaining at the time of the trade.

Kotsay candidly acknowledged back in February that Pache could be showcasing himself for the other 29 teams in baseball this spring, and it appears that’s indeed been the case. The best-case scenario for the A’s would be to find a trade partner, and Kotsay indicated to Kawahara last night that the front office is exploring the possibility. Speculatively speaking, both the Rockies and Marlins have been in search of help at in center for awhile now, though Miami moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the outfield this year in hopes of patching that longstanding need. Rebuilding clubs with injured center fielders like the Royals (Drew Waters) and Reds (Nick Senzel) are also logical fits. It’s also possible certain contending clubs could look at Pache’s glove and see him as a valuable fourth outfielder, even if the bat never comes around.

As far as Oakland is concerned, it seems clear now that Ruiz will get the everyday nod in center field, while Ramon Laureano lines up in right field. The left-handed-hitting Capel and right-handed-hitting Rooker could form a platoon in left field, and many of Oakland’s infielders (Tony Kemp, Seth Brown, Aledmys Diaz) have experience in the outfield as well.

Tigers Release César Hernández

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The Tigers announced that infielder César Hernández has been granted his release. He had been in camp on a minor league deal but had an opt-out opportunity this past weekend.

Hernández, 33 in May, spent many years as a solid infielder for the Phillies, mostly as a second baseman. In four straight years from 2015 to 2018, he walked at a rate of 8.8% or higher and stole at least 15 bases. His power also gradually ticked up in that time, going from a single long ball in 2015 to 15 homers in 2018.

He’s been a bit less consistent in recent years as he’s gone into journeyman mode. He split 2021 between Cleveland and the White Sox, hitting 21 home runs but still finishing with a tepid .232/.308/.386 batting line and 90 wRC+. With the Nationals last year, he hit just a single home run and batted .248/.311/.318 for a wRC+ of 79.

He had to settle for a minor league deal this year, joining a Tigers club with some infield uncertainty. Javier Báez was going to be the shortstop despite a disappointing 2022 campaign. Spencer Torkelson also struggled last year but seemed likely to get another shot to at first. Jonathan Schoop was lined up to play second base after a strange 2022 where he was awful at the plate but great in the field, though he could also move over to first if Torkelson’s struggles continued. Jeimer Candelario was non-tendered but Nick Maton was acquired from the Phillies to take over at third.

Hernández could have been behind those guys in a bench role, as he’s played second, third and short in his career, as well as some outfield work. However, they also have Ryan Kreidler and Zack Short on the roster, and acquired Zach McKinstry from the Cubs just yesterday. Tyler Nevin will start the season on the injured list but will jump into this mix once healthy.

The minor league deal that Hernández signed with Detroit would come with a base salary of $1.5MM if he had made the team, but it seems the Tigers would rather pocket that money and fill out their bench with those other options. He was one of several veterans that had automatic opt-outs in their respective contracts, with the first opportunity being this past weekend. Whether he triggered that opt-out or not, it seems he wasn’t going to crack the roster in Detroit and will now be free to pursue opportunities with all 30 clubs.

The Opener: Guardians, First Base, MLBTR Chats

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With just two days until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Will Cleveland name a new fifth starter today?

With Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie at risk of missing as much as two months to open the season, the club will need announce a replacement in the rotation, a move that could be made as soon as today. Left-hander Konnor Pilkington, who posted a 3.88 ERA in 58 innings of work in the majors last season, could be the most logical option. Righties Hunter Gaddis and Xzavion Curry both made a pair of starts for the club in 2022 and are on the 40-man roster as well. Others on the 40-man roster include Jason Bilous and Joey Cantillo, though both have limited experience above Double-A. Chris Archer and Anibal Sanchez are among the depth starters who might be available to the Guardians on a minor league deal, but it seems unlikely that Cleveland would add a free agent at this point, as that pitcher wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day anyhow. It’s always possible that another option could present itself via waivers or a veteran opt-out, but the Guardians are known for their ability to turn out quality pitching and already have several in-house options.

2. Will Hiura and Ruf find new teams?

Yesterday, both Keston Hiura and Darin Ruf were designated for assignment by their respective teams. The two are both right-handed hitting first baseman with experience at other spots (Ruf in the outfield corners, Hiura at second base and in left field) who were late cuts from their club’s Opening Day bench mix. Hiura, 26, has youth on his side and posted a 115 wRC+ in 266 plate appearances last year, albeit with a concerning 41.7% strikeout rate. Ruf, meanwhile, had a solid track record of success with the Giants before a disastrous 29-game stint with the Mets following last year’s trade deadline. Despite their warts, both could be bench options for a team short on right-handed pop.

3. MLBTR Chats

A pair of live chats with MLBTR readers are planned for today. At 10am CT, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is set to host a Cardinals-centric chat with readers in conjunction with St. Louis’s installment of our Offseason in Review series. You can ask a question in advance using this link, and the same link will allow you to participate live or review the transcript once the chat is complete. Meanwhile, at 1pm CT, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a live chat with an MLB-wide focus. Click here to ask a question in advance.

A’s Notes: Allen, Diaz, Noda, Oller, Sears

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The A’s are planning to open the season with a platoon arrangement at shortstop, manager Mark Kotsay said over the weekend (link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Aledmys Díaz will get the bulk of the reps, taking playing time against right-handed pitching. Nick Allen will work on the short side of the platoon, with the right-handed hitting Díaz moving to another infield position against southpaws.

Allen picked up 57 starts at shortstop and 35 games at second base last season. The defensive specialist rated highly with the glove at both positions. Longstanding questions about his offensive impact continued during his rookie season, however. The 24-year-old hit only .207/.256/.291 in his first 326 big league plate appearances. Allen made a decent amount of contact but rarely hit the ball with any kind of authority, at least against right-handed pitching. He mustered only a .179/.232/.226 line with one home run in 232 plate appearances without the platoon advantage. Allen connected on a trio of longballs with a .276/.315/.448 slash in 96 trips to the dish against southpaws.

Despite those glaring small-sample splits, it’s a little surprising a rebuilding Oakland club plans to limit Allen’s exposure against right-handed pitching. He’d need to take a significant step forward against northpaws if he’s to emerge as a potential bottom-of-the-lineup regular down the line. Nevertheless, the A’s are set to give the majority of the playing time to Díaz, who signed a two-year free agent deal over the winter. The seven-year MLB veteran has been a solid hitter against left and right-handed pitching alike in his career, though he’s never played particularly good defense at shortstop.

Díaz has rated as a solid gloveman at second and third base, where he figures to take some reps against left-handed pitching. Tony Kemp and Jace Peterson both hit from the left side and have struggled against southpaws in their careers. That’s also true of first base/corner outfield option Seth Brown.

Rule 5 draftee Ryan Noda also hits from the left side and will factor into the infield at first base. The club recently informed the former 15th-round pick he’s made the Opening Day roster, Kawahara tweets. Noda, who turns 27 on Thursday, will get an MLB crack after six seasons in the minors. He spent the 2022 campaign with the Dodgers’ top affiliate in Oklahoma City, hitting .259/.395/.474 with 25 home runs and a huge 16% walk rate over 574 trips to the plate. The Cincinnati product struck out in 25 of 52 at-bats this spring, but that wasn’t enough for the Oakland front office to look past his strong offensive track record against minor league pitching.

The A’s will have to carry Noda on the MLB roster or injured list for the entire season in order to permanently obtain his contractual rights. If Oakland decided to take him off the roster, they’d have to make him available on waivers and then offer him back to L.A. if he goes unclaimed.

Another question facing the coaching staff and front office this week is how to align the starting rotation. Paul Blackburn was already known to be headed to the injured list and Kotsay indicated over the weekend that Drew Rucinski would join him. The A’s have tabbed left-hander Kyle Muller as the Opening Day starter, with Ken Waldichuk, James Kaprielian and Shintaro Fujinami also in the rotation. The fifth spot is still up for grabs between Adam Oller and JP Sears, though Kotsay said tonight that both pitchers will be on the season-opening active roster (via Kawahara).

One of that duo will move to long relief, with Oller seeming the likelier bet. He’s come out of the bullpen for three of his six outings this spring, while Sears has started four of five appearances. Both pitchers made their big league debuts in 2022, with Sears having a better first crack. Oller surrendered a 6.30 ERA in 74 1/3 innings; Sears pitched to a 3.86 mark over 70 frames, albeit with a modest 17.7% strikeout percentage.

Tyler O’Neill Expected To Open Season As Cardinals’ Starting Center Fielder

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The Cardinals are planning to open the season with Tyler O’Neill in center field, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He’s expected to be flanked by Lars Nootbaar and rookie Jordan Walker in the corners, with Dylan Carlson pushed into a fourth outfield role out of the gate.

O’Neill has primarily played left field over the course of his career. He’s logged over 2500 MLB innings in the corners while playing just 210 2/3 frames over 26 starts up the middle. In spite of that lack of experience, O’Neill entered camp with his sight set on the outfield’s most demanding position. While he didn’t play much in Spring Training — he logged just 41 defensive innings thanks in large part to his commitment to Canada in the World Baseball Classic — the Cardinals are confident he’ll be able to assume a larger role.

It’s a bet on O’Neill’s physical tools. He’s an excellent runner with an above-average throwing arm. O’Neill has typically fared very well as a left fielder in the eyes of public metrics, securing consecutive Gold Glove awards there in 2020-21. It’s not out of the question he carries much or all of that production a notch up the defensive spectrum. O’Neill could well have gotten more reps there in prior years had the Cards not rostered a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder in Harrison Bader for much of that time.

Carlson was the primary center fielder during last year’s second half. The 24-year-old slid over from right field once Bader landed on the injured list last June; he held that role following Bader’s trade to the Yankees. Carlson played 530 innings at the position, rating as an above-average if not quite elite defender in the eyes of both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average. He paired that solid defense with a .236/.316/.380 line over 488 plate appearances, exactly league average offense as measured by wRC+.

The switch-hitting Carlson was a top prospect a few years ago. He’s been a solid player since debuting in 2020 but not made quite the impact evaluators may have anticipated, particularly from a power perspective. The transition to fourth outfield work has to register as a disappointment but certainly doesn’t preclude Carlson from playing his way back into a larger role.

It’d require good fortune for all three starting outfielders to make it through the entire season without any injuries. There’s also at least some amount of uncertainty regarding each of the players now ahead of him on the depth chart. Walker is seen as a potentially elite talent but has yet to take a regular season at-bat above Double-A. O’Neill is assuming the largest defensive responsibility of his career. Nootbaar set a career mark with 347 plate appearances last season. Nolan Gorman, who appears the early favorite for designated hitter work, has 89 games of MLB experience. There’ll be some amount of variability throughout the season depending on players’ health and performance that should afford Carlson another everyday opportunity at some point. Headed into the season, though, it appears Nootbaar, O’Neill and Walker represents the starting outfield.

Red Sox Reassign Jorge Alfaro To Minors, Option Bobby Dalbec

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The Red Sox announced to reporters, including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, that catcher Jorge Alfaro has been reassigned to minor league camp while infielder Bobby Dalbec has been optioned. That seemingly paves the way for catcher Connor Wong and infielder Yu Chang to make the club in reserve roles.

Alfaro, 30 in June, signed a minor league deal with the Sox in the offseason and seemed to have a legitimate chance to make the roster. Reese McGuire and Wong are the only two catchers currently on the club’s roster and the latter suffered a hamstring strain early in camp that seemed to open a path for Alfaro. However, Wong has since recovered and will be with the team on Opening Day.

It had been reported this offseason that Alfaro’s deal has an upward mobility clause, which meant that the Sox would have to contact the other 29 teams to see if any of them wanted to give him a roster spot, in the event he didn’t get one from Boston. As Abraham notes, he didn’t get an opportunity elsewhere and will seemingly head to Triple-A Worcester to start the season. He’ll give the club some experienced catching depth for the start of the season, though he has further opt-out opportunities on June 1 and July 1.

As for Dalbec, 28 in June, he debuted with a tremendous showing in 2020 but has dropped off since. He hit eight home runs in just 20 games in the shortened season, though with a concerning 42.4% strikeout rate. Those punchouts have continued to be an issue, as he’s posted rates above 33% in each of the past two seasons. His batting line last year ended up at .215/.283/.369 for a wRC+ of 80. The strong debut of Triston Casas last year has knocked Dalbec off the first base gig at Fenway and he’ll now head down to the minors to try to get in a good groove.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Dalbec will move all around the infield for the WooSox, perhaps allowing him to return to the big leagues in a utility role somewhere down the line. Dalbec has played all four infield spots in the majors but mostly at first, followed by some decent time at third and very brief spells in the middle. The club is on firmer ground at the corner, especially with Rafael Devers at third. Casas is inexperienced but will have first base locked down for years to come if he hits major league pitching. But the departure of Xander Bogaerts and the injury to Trevor Story leave the club with Enrique Hernández and Christian Arroyo as their main duo up the middle. Hernández has played a decent amount of shortstop but as a utility guy and not on an everyday basis, while Arroyo has mostly served as a backup to this point in his career. If Dalbec can become a serviceable defender up the middle, that would improve his chances of finding a path back to the club.

For now, the backup infield job will fall to Chang, who is out of options. He has struggled to hit in his major league time thus far but continues to intrigue teams due to his defensive versatility. He bounced around from the Guardians to the Pirates, Rays and Red Sox last year, eventually getting non-tendered by Boston but returning later in the offseason. He hit just .208/.289/.315 between those four clubs but is coming off a strong showing in the World Baseball Classic. He hit .438 while representing Chinese Taipei and won the Most Valuable Player award in Pool A. Adalberto Mondesi will also be in the mix for a backup infield role at some point, though he’s slated to begin the year on the injured list as he’s still recovering from last year’s ACL tear.

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