Dodgers Claim Tyson Miller, Move Tony Gonsolin To 60-Day IL
The Dodgers announced that they have claimed right-hander Tyson Miller off waivers from the Mets. To create roster space, Tony Gonsolin was moved to the 60-day injured list, officially ending Gonsolin’s season.
Gonsolin was placed on the 15-day IL on August 19 due to right forearm inflammation, and since manager Dave Roberts said at the time that Gonsolin probably wouldn’t pitch again in 2023, the shift to the 60-day IL isn’t a surprise by any means. The exact nature of Gonsolin’s injury isn’t quite known, and Roberts today told the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett and other reporters that the right-hander had undergone an MRI. Some type of surgical procedure is being considered, and if Gonsolin did get this surgery, it would impact when he might able to return to the mound in 2024.
The possibility of a longer-term injury is obviously an unfortunate setback for Gonsolin, who has already struggled through a difficult 2023 season that included a sprained ankle in Spring Training and some recurring elbow pain that led to his placement on the IL. Gonsolin was an All-Star in 2022 but clearly wasn’t himself this year, finishing with a 4.98 ERA over 103 innings.
The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West despite a storm of pitching injuries this season, and the possibility of Gonsolin now missing at least some time next year creates another wrinkle in their 2024 plans. Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw will be free agents, Lance Lynn could be a free agent if L.A. doesn’t exercise an $18MM club option on his services, and Dustin May will be out until midseason after undergoing flexor tendon surgery this past July. That leaves Walker Buehler (who aims to be back from Tommy John surgery before this season is over) and a host of youngsters like Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, and Michael Grove all in the mix for rotation jobs. Los Angeles certainly isn’t going into a season with such an unproven set of pitchers, so adding some front-of-the-rotation experience will be a key part of the Dodgers’ winter business.
Miller is back with the Dodgers less than a month after he was claimed away by New York off waivers. Los Angeles previously acquired Miller from the Brewers in July after Milwaukee designated the righty for assignment, so it has quite a whirlwind of organizational change for the 28-year-old in less than two months’ time.
Amidst all these moves, Miller has a 5.40 ERA over 13 1/3 combined innings with the Brewers, Dodgers, and Mets this season. Now in his third MLB season, Miller previously appeared with the Cubs in 2020 and the Rangers in 2022, with his 2021 campaign split between the Cubs’ and Rangers’ Triple-A affiliates. Miller has a 4.04 ERA over 594 2/3 career minor league innings, including a 4.11 ERA in 30 2/3 frames of Triple-A work this season.
Astros Notes: Brantley, Maton, Blanco
Michael Brantley‘s long absence from the Astros lineup could finally be nearing its end, as GM Dana Brown told Robert Ford of 790 AM radio today (hat tip to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that Brantley will visit the team Monday in Boston when the Astros begin a series with the Red Sox. After what would presumably be a final checkup with team doctors, Brantley would “then hopefully…maybe, potentially, in the lineup by Tuesday. We’re feeling really good about him coming back,” Brown said.
Brantley’s last big league game took place on June 26, 2022, as shoulder problems eventually required a surgery that cost Brantley the rest of the season and a chance to participate in Houston’s run to the World Series title. Initially, Brantley was expected to be ready for Opening Day, though a need for a more gradual build pushed his target date to around the start of May. Unfortunately, a pair of setbacks kept delaying matters, but things finally seem to be going fairly smoothly for Brantley during his current minor league rehab assignment. Over seven games with Triple-A Round Rock, Brantley has a fantastic 1.010 OPS in 27 plate appearances, hinting that he can still deliver at the plate when healthy.
Brown said the Astros will gradually ease Brantley back into action, as a part-time role with several off-days built into his workload should hopefully keep the bothersome shoulder in good condition. Brantley has been regularly playing left field at Triple-A, so while the Astros are likely to give him a good chunk of DH at-bats, it doesn’t look like he’ll be limited to just a bat-only role.
Houston is fighting both the Rangers and Mariners in a three-pronged AL West battle, and the upcoming series in Boston carries added importance since the Red Sox are in the wild card hunt. Between this crowded postseason picture, the Astros could still finish anywhere from a first-round bye as the AL West champ to missing the playoffs altogether. It might be a lot to expect Brantley to resume his previous All-Star form after such a long layoff, but if he can post anything close to his old numbers, that’s still a big help to an already potent lineup.
Though it’ll still be at least a day before Brantley’s potential return, the Astros made an addition to the roster today, as Phil Maton was activated from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Ronel Blanco was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move, and as the Athletic’s Chandler Rome noted (via X), Blanco has now hit the maximum number of five minor league options in a single season. If Blanco is recalled and the Astros wanted to eventually send him back to the minors, they would first need to expose the righty to waivers.
Maton hasn’t pitched since August 11, when Eduardo Escobar drilled a line drive up the middle into Maton’s throwing elbow. Fortunately, there wasn’t any damage besides a bruise and some soreness, so Maton was able to return after the minimum 15 days. The veteran reliever is enjoying a nice season, with a 3.04 ERA over 53 1/3 innings and some of the best soft-contact numbers and spin rates of any pitcher in baseball.
NL Central Notes: Ashby, Fulmer, Senzel, Zuniga, Naile
Aaron Ashby underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in April, which threatened to keep the Brewers southpaw out of action for the entirety of the 2023 season. However, Ashby is set to hit an important checkpoint in his recovery, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Ashby will throw a live bullpen session this week, and possibly be in line to start a minor league rehab assignment next weekend. The rehab assignment is likely to be pretty lengthy given Ashby’s long layoff, though since he’ll almost certainly be brought back as a reliever, he won’t need quite as much work in rebuilding his arm strength.
Moving to a bullpen role will help Ashby’s chances of pitching before the season is over, and it potentially gives Milwaukee an intriguing relief weapon down the stretch. Ashby has worked as both a starter and reliever over his first two MLB seasons, posting a 4.47 ERA, 57.8% grounder rate, 27.1% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 139 innings in the big leagues. The Brewers were impressed enough to lock Ashby up to a five-year contract extension last year, and while the lefty is a big part of Milwaukee’s future, the Brew Crew also hope he can contribute to their present push for the division title and some October success.
Other items from around the NL Central…
- The Reds explored trading Nick Senzel prior to the deadline but couldn’t find a deal, and thus Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks Senzel might not be tendered a contract this winter. Senzel is arbitration-eligible for a second time and wouldn’t be hugely expensive to retain (he has a $1.95MM salary in 2023), but the larger issue is that the Reds seem to have moved on from the former top prospect in favor of their new crop of standout youngsters. Injuries have plagued Senzel throughout his career, and he has hit only .236/.301/.364 over 1307 career MLB plate appearances since debuting during the 2019 season. The Reds even demoted Senzel to the minors two weeks ago before recalling him again when Joey Votto went on the IL. In regards to his future in Cincinnati, Senzel said he is just focused on trying to help the team win, and that “I’m not going to be pessimistic about any situation. I’m optimistic wherever the game takes me.”
- The Cubs placed Michael Fulmer on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a forearm strain, a particularly concerning injury for a pitcher with a lengthy history of arm problems. Manager David Ross and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy spoke with reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times) about Fulmer’s injury, saying that he had been trying to pitch through discomfort, with the team trying to accommodate the issue with some extra rest in between bullpen outings. “It wasn’t something we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, if we pitch him, we’re in trouble.’ It was stuff we were monitoring,” Hottovy said. “It’s no different than what we do with a lot of guys. But he’s been grinding for a few weeks.” Fulmer will undergo tests on his forearm, but the hope is that some extended rest in the form of an IL stint can get him back onto the mound soon.
- Speaking of forearm injuries, the Cardinals placed right-hander Guillermo Zuniga on the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain of his own. The placement is retroactive to August 25, and right-hander James Naile was called up from Triple-A Memphis to take Zuniga’s roster spot. Zuniga has been up and down from Memphis a few times this season, and he also spent time on the minor league IL in June. The hard-throwing righty has thrown two innings over two appearances for St. Louis, which marks the first Major League experience of Zuniga’s career.
Diamondbacks Designate Nabil Crismatt, Select Ryan Thompson
The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Nabil Crismatt has been designated for assignment. The move opens 40-man and 26-man roster space for Ryan Thompson, as Arizona has selected Thompson’s contract from Triple-A.
Crismatt’s own contract was selected to the active roster just last week, and the righty threw two scoreless innings in yesterday’s game for his lone appearance in this stint with the D’Backs. For the 2023 season as a whole, Crismatt has an 8.31 ERA over 13 innings with Arizona and San Diego, as Crismatt selected free agency after being DFA’ed and then outrighted by the Padres back in June. Catching on the Diamondbacks on another minors contract, Crismatt at least made it back to the big leagues for one game but now might be on the move again.
Should Crismatt again clear waivers, he still has the right to elect free agency rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Reno. It isn’t necessarily the case that Crismatt will pursue this route again after choosing to leave the Padres, as there are any number of reasons Crismatt might be more comfortable biding his time with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate. September roster expansion could provide another opportunity in due course, or Crismatt might get another look simply by dint of how the D’Backs have been cycling through many relievers this season in search of any bullpen stability.
This search for relievers led the Diamondbacks to a minor league deal with Thompson earlier this week. The Rays designated and subsequently released the right-hander this month, adding to a difficult season that included a 6.11 ERA over 17 2/3 innings and a recent minor elbow injury.
Arizona’s contract with Thompson had an August 28th opt-out date, so the clock was ticking on the team’s decision to bring him up to the Major League roster. While the results haven’t been there for Thompson this season, he had a 3.17 ERA over 76 2/3 frames for Tampa Bay in 2021-22, making him an interesting acquisition for the D’Backs. Thompson is also controllable through the 2026 season, so he is a potential long-term option for Arizona beyond how they might deploy him down the stretch.
Blue Jays Place Erik Swanson On 15-Day Injured List
The Blue Jays announced that Erik Swanson has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to thoracic spine inflammation. Swanson will be replaced with another right-handed reliever in Jay Jackson, who has been called up from Triple-A Buffalo.
Swanson left yesterday’s game due to what was described at the time as right mid-back discomfort, so it isn’t a surprise to see him land on the IL. The reliever sounded fairly optimistic about his recovery in speaking with The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath, so while back injuries can have a fluid timeline, it seems possible that Swanson might only miss the minimum 15 days.
That said, 15 days is still a big chunk of what remains of the 2023 season, so the Blue Jays will have to continue their fight for a wild card berth without one of their top relievers. During the offseason, the Jays acquired Swanson from the Mariners as part of the Teoscar Hernandez trade in the hopes that Swanson would help stabilize the bullpen, and the 29-year-old has done just that in posting a 3.10 ERA over 58 innings. His metrics this year aren’t as impressive as his elite numbers in Seattle in 2022, as his walk and hard-hit ball rates are both around league average, though Swanson’s 29.4% strikeout rate and 5.6% barrel rate are both still very good. Swanson’s .261 xwOBA is also one of the league’s best.
The Blue Jays have somewhat surprisingly been carried by their pitching this season, and the bullpen in particular has been one of the top relief units in baseball. Jordan Romano, Tim Mayza, Trevor Richards, and Yimi Garcia have all been good to great, Genesis Cabrera still hasn’t allowed an earned run in his 14 2/3 innings with the team, and Jordan Hicks has looked solid since coming over from the Cardinals in a deadline deal. Jackson has a 1.64 ERA over 22 innings, despite a few trips back and forth from Triple-A and some major off-the-field concerns in regards to the premature birth of his son.
With all this in mind, Toronto is theoretically better equipped than most teams to withstand the loss of a key reliever, even if Swanson has been a workhorse for the club. Swanson’s 60 appearances this season rank fourth among all pitchers, and Mayza and Garcia are just a step behind with 59 games apiece. The Blue Jays’ lack of offense has led to a lot of tight games, and Swanson has been the point man in many of these high-leverage situations.
Mets Designate Adam Kolarek, Abraham Almonte For Assignment
The Mets announced four roster moves today, including the news that outfielder Abraham Almonte and reliever Adam Kolarek have been designated for assignment. The transactions create roster space for Mark Vientos and Jeff Brigham, as Vientos was activated from the 10-day injured list and Brigham was called up from Triple-A Syracuse.
Almonte and Kolarek are no strangers to the DFA process, as this is the second time that each player has been designated this season — Kolarek by the Dodgers in June, and Almonte by the Mets just two weeks ago. In both cases, the players cleared waivers and were outrighted off the 40-man roster, and both chose to accept the outright assignment rather than test free agency. Should either of the duo clear waivers this time around, either Almonte or Kolarek could again opt for free agency or decide to head to Syracuse.
Kolarek has only been with the Mets for less than a month, after the Dodgers traded the southpaw and right-hander Phil Bickford to New York in what was essentially a roster-clearing move for Los Angeles at the deadline. The Mets selected Kolarek’s contract last week and he has made four appearances without allowing a run. In fact, Kolarek has a perfect 0.00 ERA for the 2023 season to date, though only over six total innings with L.A. and New York.
Almonte signed a minor league deal with the Mets during the offseason and made his 2023 debut earlier this month. The veteran outfielder has one hit over 16 plate appearances, playing as a late-game defensive sub and pinch-hitter. The Mets brought Almonte up for depth purposes, as their outfield ranks have been thinned by trades and injuries.
Rockies Release Jurickson Profar
The Rockies have released outfielder Jurickson Profar, The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders reports (X link). Profar’s spot on the roster will be taken by prospect Hunter Goodman, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A. Goodman’s impending big league promotion was first reported yesterday by the Blake Street Banter X feed.
Profar’s tenure in the Mile High City ends after 111 games, 472 plate appearances, and a disappointing .236/.316/.364 slash line. Only three qualified hitters have a lower wRC+ in 2023 than Profar’s 72 wRC+, and his -1.9 fWAR is the lowest of any qualified hitter in baseball. It wasn’t at all what Profar or the Rockies were hoping when they agreed to a one-year, $7.75MM free agent deal back in March, and Colorado has now chosen to part ways with Profar entirely in order to open up more time for younger players.
Today’s news will again put a spotlight on Profar’s decision to enter the free agent market last winter, as he opted out of the final year of his previous contract with the Padres in search of a longer-term and more lucrative pact. However, the market didn’t deliver such a deal, and Profar ended up having to wait until the middle of March to sign with Colorado. Between his Rockies salary and the $1MM buyout he received from opting out, Profar ended up making a bit more money than if he’d just remained in his Padres contract for a $7.5MM salary for the 2023 season, yet it is hard to view the situation as a win given Profar’s season-long struggles.
The long wait in free agency likely contributed to those struggles, as Profar didn’t really have much of a Spring Training, though he did get some high-level competition while playing for the Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic. Rockies manager Bud Black also recently said that Profar had been “been battling that [left] knee for a little,” so it possible this nagging injury might have been a factor in Profar’s lack of production.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Profar’s 2023 fortunes might have been different if he’d stayed in San Diego, had a full spring, or stayed healthy. Given the up-and-down nature of Profar’s career, his dropoff this season can’t be viewed as a total surprise, as Profar’s last six seasons have alternated positive wRC+ numbers to below-average offensive production. His solid work with the Padres in the shortened 2020 season led to his re-signing with the club on a three-year, $21MM free agent deal that winter, though Profar again didn’t hit well in 2021, which led him to decline his first opt-out opportunity in the 2021-22 offeason. He then bounced back to hit .243/.331/.391 over 658 PA in 2022, translating to an 111 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR, and giving Profar the confidence to test the open market again.
With this in mind, Profar might well rebound for another good year in 2024, though it is possible he might be able to catch on with another club before this season is out. Despite his rough numbers this year, his track record of success as recently as 2022 and his past status as an elite prospect might still catch the attention of a club in need of outfield depth. Signing Profar would cost a team only a prorated minimum salary, as the Rockies are on the hook for the remainder of the $7.75MM owed.
Goodman is set to make his MLB debut today, suiting up at catcher in Colorado’s lineup. The 23-year-old has an interesting defensive skillset, as he has seen plenty of time as a catcher, first baseman, and left fielder over his three professional seasons. However, Goodman’s power bat is what punched his ticket to the majors, as he is hitting .259/.338/.581 with 34 homers over 467 combined PA at Double-A and Triple-A. Goodman has only 15 games and 67 PA under his belt with Triple-A Albuquerque, but he has a 1.321 OPS over his brief stint with the Rockies’ top affiliate.
A fourth-round pick for the Rox in the 2021 draft, Goodman is ranked 10th by Baseball America and 12th by MLB Pipeline in their listings of Colorado’s best prospects. There is no doubt about his power potential, as BA’s scouting report gives him a 70-grade in power and notes that Goodman “produces big-time bat speed with a violent, leveraged swing.” This pop has helped Goodman be very productive at the plate despite a relatively lacking average and OBP, as he still need more overall polish to his approach. Defensively, Goodman can play multiple positions but he might top out at average whenever he lines up on the diamond.
With the Rockies well out of contention, the team has looked to several youngsters early in their big league careers in order to get a head start on evaluations heading into 2024. If Goodman can hit well in his first trip to the Show, he’ll earn consideration as an interesting bench or part-time option heading into next season, as he wouldn’t be relegated to only backup duty behind starting catcher Elias Diaz.
Have The Tigers Found A Hidden Gem Of A Slugger?
The 2022 Tigers were baseball’s worst offensive team, as the lineup’s near-total lack of production was the chief cause (even beyond a staggering number of pitcher injuries) for a hugely disappointing 66-96 record in what was supposed to be a return to contention. “Best batter on the 2022 Tigers” is pretty faint praise, and Kerry Carpenter‘s 113 plate appearances last season didn’t even make him a qualified hitter, yet Carpenter still took the dubious honor by posting a team-leading 124 wRC+ over his 31 games of work in his rookie season.
While Carpenter hadn’t really been on Detroit’s radar last year amidst the bigger-name veterans or more highly-touted prospects on the roster, a club so suddenly desperate for hitting could hardly afford to look past a promising bat. This earned him a larger share of playing time heading into 2023, though Carpenter had a modest .217/.280/.464 slash line over his first 75 PA this season. He was then dealt another setback when he sprained his right shoulder at the end of April, resulting in about six weeks on the injured list.
Upon returning from the IL, however, Carpenter has not just been the Tigers’ best batter, but also quietly one of the most productive bats in baseball. Since Carpenter was activated on June 9, only nine qualified hitters have topped his 159 wRC+, as he has slashed .317/.380/.575 over 245 PA. He joined the 20-homer club this past Wednesday, with a grand slam that represented all of Detroit’s offense in a 6-4 loss to the Cubs.
These types of numbers are impressive for anyone, but especially for a 19th-round draft pick from the 2019 draft. Carpenter hit well in his first pro season, but likely due to the canceled 2020 minor league campaign, he took a bit of a step back in 2021 with a .752 OPS over 461 PA for Double-A Erie. Carpenter returned to Erie to begin the 2022 season, but he started to tear up pitching at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels, finishing 2022 with a .313/.380/.645 line and 30 homers over an even 400 PA for the two affiliates.
In this sense, Carpenter didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, though few would’ve predicted that he would’ve kept swinging a hot bat in the majors. And, it is worth noting that Carpenter has still totaled only 433 PA in the big leagues — too small a sample size to clearly state that he is truly for real. Carpenter’s walk and strikeout rates are also a bit below the league average, and he has some significant splits, as his left-handed swing is lot more productive against right-handed pitching (.938 OPS) than against southpaws (.724 OPS). Carpenter has also benefited from a .328 BABIP this season, and his .382 wOBA is well above his .362 xwOBA.
That said, a .362 xwOBA ranks in the 87th percentile of all batters, so Carpenter’s production would be very notable if he was “only” delivering at that expected level. His contact and barrel rates are both well north of average, so it isn’t like he is getting lucky on soft contact. And, while we’re still operating within a small overall sample size of career at-bats, Carpenter is doing much better against left-handed pitching in 2023 than he did in 2022.
On the defensive side, Carpenter has made some positive strides as a corner outfielder, spending most of his time in right field this year. A Gold Glove isn’t necessarily in Carpenter’s future, but public metrics have rated his right field work as just a touch below average. The UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics have been more impressed by his 72 1/3 innings in left field, though Carpenter’s solid throwing arm probably makes him a better fit in right field. While more DH at-bats will be available in Detroit once Miguel Cabrera retires, Carpenter certainly looks like at least a passable corner outfielder, which gives the Tigers more flexibility in how they’ll manage their roster going forward.
Detroit’s 2023 offense is still near the bottom of the league, but there have at least been some signs of life with Carpenter’s production, and solid showings from former top draft picks Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson. Blue-chip star prospects like Greene and Torkelson have been the faces of the Tigers’ lineup of the future, but striking paydirt on a less-regarded player or two has always been a key element of any successful rebuild. It looks like the Tigers might have found at least an MLB regular with their 19th-round selection, and Carpenter’s elite production over the last few months might also hint at a higher ceiling.
Phillies Sign Hector Perez To Minor League Contract
The Phillies have signed right-hander Hector Perez to a minor league deal, as per MLB.com’s official transactions page. Perez will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin his tenure with his new team.
The 27-year-old Perez is a veteran of two MLB seasons, albeit in cup of coffee form. He debuted with one game and 1 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2020, and then didn’t reach the majors again until this season, when he threw a third of an inning for the Rays in one appearance. That Rays game took place just on August 16, and since then Perez was designated for assignment, outrighted off Tampa’s 40-man roster, and he chose free agency over accepting the assignment (he had that right due to a previous outright in his career).
A pro since 2015, Perez has been a member of five different organizations during his career, and he’ll now try to gain a bit of stability with Philadelphia. From the Phillies’ perspective, Perez offers some bullpen depth at the minor league level. The club’s next offday isn’t until September 7, so Perez might get another shot in the big leagues during this stretch if the Phils want to cycle a fresh arm into the mix.
Perez has a 3.78 ERA over 583 career innings in the minors, with a 4.81 ERA over 63 2/3 frames at the Triple-A level. Working mostly as a reliever in recent years, Perez has a 26.7% strikeout rate and 14.35% walk rate during his time in the minor leagues.
Felix Bautista Placed On Injured List With “Some Degree” Of UCL Injury
Orioles GM Mike Elias addressed reporters this afternoon regarding the status of right-hander Felix Bautista, who exited yesterday’s game against the Rockies with what was termed at the time as “arm discomfort.” It now appears that discomfort was something far more severe than initially indicated, as Elias told reporters (including MASN’s Roch Kubatko) that Bautista is dealing with “some degree of injury” to his ulnal collateral ligament. Naturally, Bautista is headed to the injured list, with Andy Kostka of of the Baltimore Banner reporting that left-hander DL Hall will take Bautista’s place on the Orioles’ roster. Baltimore has since made that move official, placing Bautista on the 15-day IL with a “right UCL injury” while recalling Hall.
While a prognosis is not yet known and no timetable regarding Bautista’s injury has been announced, it seems at least possible that the news brings an end to a season that has been nothing short of sensational for the 28-year-old righty. Bautista made his debut in the major leagues for the Orioles last year and produced an excellent season, with a 2.19 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 15 saves and a 34.8% strikeout rate across 65 appearances. Those numbers from his rookie season were impressive enough to convince Elias and his front office to ship then-closer Jorge Lopez to Minnesota at the trade deadline last year, with Bautista looking to be the club’s closer of the future.
The 2023 campaign has seen Bautista not only make good on that promise, but make a case for himself as the best reliever in the entire sport this year. In 61 innings of work this year, Bautista has racked up 33 saves (just one less than league leaders Alexis Diaz and Emmanuel Clase) while posting an unbelievable 46.4% strikeout rate with ERA (1.48) and FIP (1.89) marks below 2.00. His 2.8 fWAR this season puts him 20th in baseball among all pitchers, a figure that puts him in the same conversation as front-end arms like Luis Castillo and Kodai Senga despite offering less than half the volume of those starters.
Bautista’s heroics this season have catapulted Baltimore’s bullpen to or near the top of plenty of leaderboards this season. They collectively sport the sixth-best ERA (3.55), the best FIP (3.51) and fWAR total (6.8), and the third-highest strikeout rate (26.5%) in the majors this year, even in spite of middling performances from the likes of Shintaro Fujinami, Austin Voth, and Cionel Perez. The loss of Bautista naturally complicates the future for the club’s relief corps, though the addition of Hall, a former first-round pick who has posted gaudy strikeout totals in both the majors and minors despite limited big league experience, could provide a boost down the stretch.
Fellow right-hander Yennier Cano, who was acquired as part of the return in the aforementioned Lopez deal last year, seems primed to step into the closer’s role in Bautista’s stead. Cano is in the midst of what has been an excellent season of his own, with a phenomenal 1.62 ERA and 2.68 FIP. He’s managed to post those numbers in spite of a far less impressive strikeout rate of 24.2% thanks to a combination of a sensational groundball rate of 58.5% and a minuscule 4.2% walk rate.
Still, even in spite of the potential upside of Hall and the excellent performance of Cano, the loss of Bautista is a potentially catastrophic blow for the Orioles, who currently lead the AL East with an 80-48 record that trails only the Braves in all of MLB. Baltimore opted against any impact additions to a relatively weak starting staff that ranks just 19th in the majors in terms of fWAR and 15th by measure of ERA, instead only adding right-hander Jack Flaherty (91 ERA+ in 23 starts this season) to the mix. The club’s dominant bullpen, led by Bautista, surely played a role in the club’s decision not to more aggressively pursue an impactful arm like Eduardo Rodriguez or Jordan Montgomery.
With Bautista’s season now seemingly in peril, the club will have to lean more heavily on its rotation group going forward. Flaherty has struggled in three starts with the Orioles to this point, with a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings of work, but has a history as an excellent mid-rotation arm in the not-to-distant past. Kyle Bradish (3.03 ERA in 23 starts) has emerged as a clear playoff-caliber rotation arm this season, while rookie Grayson Rodriguez has posted a 3.24 ERA in seven starts since rejoining the team last month. Veteran righty Kyle Gibson has managed to keep the team in games despite a middling 4.89 ERA thanks to fourteen quality starts, a figure that places him in the top 10 among all AL pitchers this season.