Guardians Outright Zack Collins
Guardians catcher Zack Collins went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Columbus, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment earlier in the week, when Cleveland claimed Eric Haase off waivers from the division-rival Tigers. Collins has been outrighted in the past and will thus have the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.
Selected by the White Sox with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2016 draft, Collins was viewed a bat-first catching prospect with plus raw power and a keen eye at the plate. Questions about his hit tool and ability to stick behind the plate have long existed, but Collins has displayed that ability to draw free passes and put the ball in the seats in pro ball. He’s walked in 13.1% of his big league plate appearances and boasts an even heartier 17.5% walk rate in the minors. Strikeout issues have cut into his power potential, but Collins still popped 19 homers in 471 trips to the plate between High-A and Double-A in 2017 and slugged 22 long balls between Triple-A and the big leagues in 468 plate appearances back in 2019.
Collins has just 11 home runs in 465 trips to the plate at the MLB level, and that’s due largely to a huge 33.5% strikeout rate. When Collins does make contact, it’s typically scalding; Statcast credits him with an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph and a 10.6% barrel rate in his career. He’s clobbered nearly 46% of his batted balls at 95 mph or greater — he’s just swung and missed too much to capitalize on that knack for hard contact. He’s a career .188/.300/.329 hitter in the big leagues but carries a much better .252/.371/.468 slash in 1040 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
Defensively, Collins has drawn below-average grades in framing and blocking. He posted strong caught-stealing rates earlier in his minor league career but has struggled over the past two seasons — particularly under the new rules in 2023 (4-for-32). Collins has begun to log more time at first base and designated hitter in recent seasons.
The Opener: Ohtani, Suarez, Dodgers/Guardians
On the heels of last night’s disappointing news for baseball fans everywhere, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Will Ohtani require surgery?
As previously alluded to, Angels GM Perry Minasian indicated to reporters yesterday that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will not pitch again this season after suffering a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Ohtani, of course, is in the midst of his third-straight sensational two-way campaign and appears to be the front-runner for the 2023 AL MVP award even in spite of his injury. Ohtani and the Angels are, as noted by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, looking for second opinions before any decision on surgery is made. Tommy John surgery would wipe out Ohtani’s chances of pitching in 2024, though an internal brace procedure could leave the door open for him to pitch next year. Any such decisions will depend on the severity of the tear and its placement on the ligament, and all of baseball will be awaiting updates from the Angels as they gather more information.
2. What’s next for Suarez?
Padres right-hander Robert Suarez was thrown out of yesterday’s game against the Marlins before throwing a pitch following a foreign substance check. First base umpire Todd Tichenor explained after the game that the righty’s left wrist was the area at issue, though Suarez countered that he had simply applied sunscreen for protection during the day game in San Diego. Given players who are ejected after a foreign substance check are automatically subjected to a 10-game suspension, it’s all but certain Suarez will receive one from the league today. The 32-year-old has the right to appeal the suspension, a course of action he told reporters he’s considering. Should the suspension go through, it would be a major blow for the Padres, who will not only lose a solid reliever for ten days but will be unable to replace him on the active roster.
3. Dodgers, Guardians to complete suspended game:
Yesterday’s Dodgers-Guardians game was suspended in the top of the third inning due to rain, and will resume at 11:10am CT this morning. Once the suspended game is completed, the clubs will square off in a today’s regularly scheduled game later in the afternoon. The makeshift doubleheader opens the door for Dodgers right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who made his season debut with the big league club over the weekend, to take the ball in today’s second game opposite Guardians righty Gavin Williams as the club’s 27th man. Since a club’s 27th man is not subject to minimum stays in the minors when optioned, the Dodgers will have the opportunity to start Pepiot today and then option him back to the minor leagues without losing the ability to use him in the next turn through the rotation. Fans with tickets to yesterday’s game can find information about ticket exchange options here.
Shohei Ohtani Diagnosed With Tear In UCL, Will Not Pitch Again This Season
Shohei Ohtani has been diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his pitching elbow, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). He will not pitch again in 2023. It isn’t clear if he’ll require surgery; Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes that Ohtani is seeking a second opinion before making that decision.
Ohtani started the first game of today’s doubleheader against the Reds. He departed in the second inning with what the team initially announced as arm fatigue. Minasian told the Halos’ beat that he underwent imaging between games and learned of the ligament damage. He nevertheless played in the nightcap as the designated hitter, going 1-5.
The extent of the injury isn’t clear. A full tear of the UCL typically requires a complete Tommy John repair. Partial tears can sometimes be resolved by either a less invasive internal brace procedure or by non-surgical rehab altogether. The Angels will surely provide more details on Ohtani’s treatment options in the days and weeks to come.
Even if he avoids going under the knife, it’s a seismic development for the market’s top impending free agent. The two-way superstar has been trending towards shattering the MLB contract record. While that could well still be the case, teams will now have to carefully weigh his arm health in formulating offers.
Ohtani’s elbow delayed his emergence as a generational superstar at the MLB level. He was diagnosed with a UCL tear at the end of his debut campaign in 2018. He underwent Tommy John surgery in October of that season, limiting him solely to designated hitter work for the ’19 season. Ohtani only pitched twice during the shortened 2020 schedule while battling major command woes. It wasn’t until 2021 that he was able to pitch at a top-of-the-rotation level for a full season, securing his first MVP award in the process.
Over the past three seasons, the three-time All-Star has been an ace-caliber hurler. He owns a 2.85 ERA in 427 innings going back to the start of ’21. He finished fourth in Cy Young balloting a season ago when he posted a 2.33 ERA while striking out just under a third of opponents in 166 innings.
His pitching performance had taken a slight step back this year, although he was still one of the best in the sport. In 22 starts entering play Wednesday, he’d worked to a 3.17 ERA across 130 2/3 frames. Ohtani fanned an excellent 31.4% of batters faced but battled some inconsistency in his command, walking 10.3% of opponents.
That’s of course only half the story. As was the case after his first UCL injury, he’ll be able to continue working as a designated hitter. He has been the best offensive player on the planet this year. Ohtani is hitting .304/.405/.664 through 556 plate appearances. He leads the majors with 44 homers, handily leads qualified batters in slugging and trails only Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman in on-base percentage.
Even were Ohtani strictly a hitter, he’d have a strong argument to win AL MVP. His pitching accomplishments make that honor a lock. He’ll remain the clear #1 free agent in next winter’s class even if surgery winds up being necessary. A DH-only version of Ohtani, if it comes to that, would still be far and away the best player on the open market. Yet there’s no doubt the elbow injury makes him a tougher evaluation for clubs. Not only might there be a possibility that Ohtani is unable to pitch for part of next season, teams will have to attempt to project how deep into his career he’s capable of carrying a workload unprecedented in modern baseball.
How the injury affects Ohtani’s market value will become clearer a few months from now. In the short term, he’ll remain in the batting order as a DH. Even if his offensive performance is no worse for wear, that’ll be a modest consolation for an organization that couldn’t have drawn up a worse August.
Since pushing in two of their top prospects for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López at the trade deadline, the Halos have gone 9-18. They’re a season-worst six games under .500 after being swept by the Reds. Their playoff hopes had all but evaporated even before tonight’s news both that Ohtani would no longer be able to pitch and that Mike Trout was headed back to the injured list. It has been a staggeringly brutal few weeks even for a franchise no stranger to disappointment.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Reds Sign Trey Mancini To Minor League Deal
The Reds have signed first baseman/corner outfielder Trey Mancini to a minor league contract, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The veteran was released by the Cubs after being designated for assignment on deadline day.
Mancini’s tenure with Chicago lasted only a few months. Signed to a two-year, $14MM free agent pact last offseason, he played in 79 games. Mancini slumped to a career-worst .234/.299/.336 batting line through 263 trips to the plate. He homered only four times and struck out at a lofty 29.7% clip. He particularly struggled in the two months preceding the deadline, hitting .200/.247/.318 in 93 plate appearances from June 1 onwards.
Chicago added Jeimer Candelario once they played their way into buying, bumping Mancini from the roster. He spent a few weeks on the open market but will now join one of their top competitors in a tightly-packed playoff bubble. The Cubs currently occupy the second Wild Card slot in the National League but are just half a game clear of the Giants, Reds and D-Backs — all of whom are tied for the last spot. Both Chicago and Cincinnati are still within four games of the Brewers in the NL Central.
Mancini doesn’t step right back into the playoff chase, as he’ll begin on a non-roster deal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s added to the MLB team in relatively short order, though, as the Reds could use a right-handed bat in a first base/corner outfield mix that skews toward the left side.
While Mancini’s stint in the Windy City was unquestionably a disappointment, he’d been an above-average hitter in his three prior seasons. The Notre Dame product connected on 35 home runs with a .291/.364/.535 slash in 2019. He’s never replicated quite those heights but has topped 20 longballs on three other occasions. Between 2021-22, Mancini combined for a decent .247/.323/.412 showing in a little over 1200 plate appearances.
While Mancini has struggled against pitchers of either handedness this year, he had a quality .263/.334/.450 mark against left-handed pitching in the two prior seasons. The Reds have Joey Votto at first base and lefty-swinging Will Benson — whom they’ve almost entirely shielded from unfavorable platoon matchups — in right field. Righty-swinging Kevin Newman and Stuart Fairchild both recently landed on the injured list, while Nick Senzel was optioned a few weeks ago. TJ Hopkins, Michael Siani and Nick Martini are currently on the MLB roster in a depth capacity.
If they call Mancini up, he’d add a much more accomplished bat to the bench. He’s also regarded as a strong clubhouse leader, which would surely be welcome in a generally young Reds’ locker room as they vie for an unexpected postseason berth. Since he joined the organization before September 1, Mancini would be eligible for the playoffs if the Reds find their way into October.
The Cubs are on the hook for Mancini’s respective $7MM salaries in each of the next two years. If the Reds select his contract, they’d only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum for whatever time he spends in the majors. That amount would come off the Cubs’ ledger.
Guardians, Daniel Norris Agree To Minor League Contract
The Guardians have brought veteran lefty Daniel Norris back to the organization on a minor league pact, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He had elected free agency over the weekend, a few days after Cleveland designated him for assignment.
Norris has spent the 2023 campaign with the Guards. He signed a minor league deal at the end of Spring Training and was called up in mid-June. Norris was DFA within a few days, stuck around after clearing outright waivers, and returned to the bigs at the end of July. He again lost his roster spot last week, as an injury to Cam Gallagher led Cleveland to temporarily devote a 40-man roster spot to Zack Collins as a depth catcher.
The 30-year-old has made six appearances on the year, allowing seven runs (four of them earned) across 10 1/3 innings. Norris has worked out of the bullpen at the MLB level but started 12 of 18 appearances with Triple-A Columbus. He carries a 5.60 ERA across 53 innings there. Norris has a slightly below-average 19.9% strikeout rate and has walked nearly 11% of batters faced at the top minor league level. His fastball has averaged a personal-low 89 MPH in his limited MLB work.
While Norris hasn’t posted great numbers at either the MLB or Triple-A level in 2023, the Guardians are clearly comfortable with him as a depth arm. The one-time top prospect has pitched parts of 10 years in the majors with five clubs. The bulk of that time was spent in Detroit, where he got extended run out of the rotation between 2016-19.
Norris has worked almost exclusively in relief as a big leaguer over the last three seasons but has stayed stretched out as a starter in the minors. He’ll again serve as a non-roster depth option in Columbus down the stretch and will return to free agency at the start of the offseason.
Carl Edwards Jr. Shut Down With Stress Fracture In Shoulder
Nationals reliever Carl Edwards Jr. was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder, tweets Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. He’ll be shut down from throwing indefinitely.
The Nats haven’t officially ruled Edwards out for the season. With less than six weeks remaining, it’d nevertheless be a surprise if he makes it back to an MLB mound this year. Edwards has already been out of action since June 20 on account of shoulder inflammation. He seemed on his way to a return, making three rehab appearances last week. He felt renewed discomfort following an appearance with High-A Wilmington on Saturday, leading to further testing that revealed the stress fracture.
It’s not the most consequential news for a Washington club that, while playing better of late, has no playoff aspirations. It’s a tough break for Edwards, though, as the right-hander is headed back to the open market next offseason. Missing the final few months of his platform year — if that indeed proves the case — would be an unfortunate way to hit free agency.
Edwards, 32 next month, has been an effective middle innings arm for Washington over the past two seasons. He provided 62 innings of 2.76 ERA ball a year ago. Even with middling strikeout and walk marks, that was enough to secure a $2.25MM contract for his final season of arbitration. Edwards pitched 31 2/3 innings before the injury this year, turning in a 3.69 ERA.
That respectable run prevention mark belied underlying numbers that went in the wrong direction. Edwards’ strikeout percentage fell five points to 16.9%. His walks jumped from 9.8% a season ago to 12% this year. He kept the ball on the ground at a decent 46% clip but saw his swinging strike rate dip to a career-low 9.6% rate. Between that strikeout/walk profile and the shoulder concerns, Edwards could be limited to minor league offers during the winter.
Mets Designate Tyson Miller For Assignment
The Mets announced to reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that right-hander Tyson Miller has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to righty Sean Reid-Foley, whose selection was reported earlier today. Righty Reed Garrett was optioned to open a spot for Reid-Foley on the active roster.
Miller, 28, has donned quite a few jerseys in the past year. He finished the 2022 season with the Rangers but went to the Brewers via a waiver claim in November. He was then traded to the Dodgers in July before coming to the Mets earlier this month via a waiver claim. In between all of that, he’s managed to throw 13 1/3 major league innings for three different teams this year with a 5.40 earned run average.
He’s spent more time in the minors, with all of those clubs having used him as optional pitching depth this year. In 30 combined innings for the Triple-A teams of the Brewers, Dodgers and Mets, he has a 3.30 ERA, 26.8% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate.
Miller is in his final option year and will therefore be out of options in the 2024 season. Perhaps he wasn’t in the long-term plans in Queens and has been nudged out of the picture. The Mets are out of contention and will likely be using the rest of their schedule to evaluate players for jobs on next year’s club, which apparently won’t include Miller.
With the trade deadline long gone, the Mets will have no choice but to put Miller on waivers in the coming days. He has a very limited major league track record of just 15 appearances but has clearly intrigued teams around the league with his minor league results, based on how often he’s been shuffled around. Although he’ll be out of options next year, he could be kept in the minors as depth for the rest of this season. He has a previous career outright and would be eligible to reject another such assignment and elect free agency in the event he were to clear waivers.
Phillies Acquire Brewer Hicklen From Royals
The Royals announced that outfielder Brewer Hicklen has been traded to the Phillies. The return on the deal wasn’t listed, though trades of this nature usually see cash considerations going the other way. Hicklen was eligible to be traded after the deadline because he wasn’t on a 40-man roster or major league injured list at any point this season.
[Related: How to Acquire Players After the Trade Deadline]
Hicklen, 27, will join a new organization for the first time in his career, as he was drafted by the Royals in 2017 and has been with them ever since. He has climbed to the upper levels of the minors and even got to make his major league debut in 2022, getting into six games as a COVID replacement player but striking out in all four of his plate appearances.
He has occasionally been considered one of the Royals’ top 30 prospects, with his best attribute being his speed. He’s racked up double-digit steals in each of his professional seasons, often getting into the 30-40 range. He also has notable power at the plate but has often paired home runs with big strikeout totals.
He spent most of last year at Triple-A, getting into 130 games there. He hit 28 homers and swiped 35 bags but was also punched out in 36.1% of his plate appearances. His .248/.348/.502 batting line still amounted to a wRC+ of 122, despite the strikeout concerns. Here in 2023, he’s been back in Triple-A, getting into 61 contests. He’s reduced his strikeout rate to 24.6% but with diminished production overall. His .233/.338/.451 line translates to a wRC+ of 93, though he’s added another 15 steals in that time.
Rosters are set to expand from 26 to 28 players in September, a time when many clubs like to add a speedy player to the bench for pinch running purposes, a role that Hicklen would certainly be a good candidate for. By acquiring him prior to September 1, he will also be eligible to join the Phils in the postseason. He will qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end if not added to the 40-man roster. For now, he’ll add some minor league depth behind the club’s regular outfield of Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Johan Rojas and Jake Cave.
Oneil Cruz Has “Plateaued” In Attempt To Rejoin Pirates
Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has been on the injured list since undergoing left ankle surgery in early April, which came with an estimated recovery time of four months. That timeline has now elapsed but it doesn’t seem like he’s close to returning, which is starting to put his season in jeopardy.
The club’s director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk provided an update today, with Justice delos Santos of MLB.com and Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relaying the details. Tomczyk said Cruz has “plateaued” and hasn’t been running for the past seven to ten days, still battling some general soreness in his leg. Regarding the infielder’s chances of returning later in the year, Tomczyk says “It’s tough to tell right now, but we are running out of days.”
Cruz, now 24, has flashed some elite tools in his time in the majors while also showcasing some concerning elements in his game. In 87 contests last year, his exit velocities, arm strength and sprint speed were all at or near the top of the charts in the league. But he also struck out in 34.9% of his plate appearances and got mixed reviews for his shortstop defense, with one Defensive Run Saved but -9 Outs Above Average and a grade of -7.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Given his youth and relative inexperience, the Pirates were surely hoping to give him plenty of reps in the majors in order to see how he developed, but it now appears that 2023 is going to go down as a mostly lost season.
The young shortstop played nine games to open the year but suffered a left ankle fracture when attempting to score in a game against the White Sox, colliding with catcher Seby Zavala. The news of his surgery and expected absence were a tough blow, but it has long been hoped that he could return and get some more major league action before the winter arrived.
Now it’s looking less and less likely that he will get that opportunity. Even if his leg pain suddenly evaporated in the next week or so, he would still need to ramp up and go on a rehab assignment, effective redoing Spring Training. Since that process would take a few weeks and there’s just over a month left on the schedule, it’s possible that window will close on him. That’s surely frustrating for him on a personal level but also deprives the Pirates of another chance to evaluate Cruz and his development before the offseason, a process that now seems to be getting kicked down the road to next year.
The Bucs showed some flashes of emerging from their rebuild earlier this year but faded from contention and are now 57-69. The Cruz situation will be a notable unknown going into next year, as it still hasn’t been determined whether he’s a viable big league shortstop or if he would be better served moving to another position. They have some other options on the roster but Cruz remains the one with the highest ceiling, giving his obvious athleticism.
With Cruz out, the club gave some significant shortstop time to players like Rodolfo Castro and Tucupita Marcano, but Castro has since been traded to the Phillies and Marcano is out for the year due to ACL surgery. More recently, youngsters Alika Williams and Liover Peguero have been getting some time there. Williams is hitting .230/.309/.295 in a small sample of 25 games while Peguero has hit .241/.305/.437 in 28 major league contests, including one last year.
Both Williams and Peguero will still be optionable next year, so it’s possible the Pirates could go into 2024 planning on having Cruz getting the regular reps with those two behind him on the depth chart, either in the minors or on the bench at the major league level. They could also supplement that group with an offseason trade or a signing, bringing in a veteran for some extra security. A sudden improvement in Cruz’s health in the next few weeks could change things but it seems like the Pirates will go into the winter essentially back to where they were at the start of the year, with an uncertain future outlook at the shortstop position.
Marlins Reinstate Tommy Nance, Place Avisaíl García On IL
The Marlins made some roster moves today, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Right-hander Tommy Nance has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson recalled from Triple-A. In corresponding transactions, outfielder Avisaíl García has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain and left-hander Ryan Weathers has been optioned. There was already a vacancy on the 40-man roster for Nance’s activation.
Nance, 32, began the season on the injured list due to a strain in his throwing shoulder, an injury that has kept him away from the major league team until today. Now that he’s back, he’ll look to build off a solid showing last year. He tossed 43 2/3 innings for the Marlins, allowing 4.33 earned runs per nine frames. He issued walks at a high rate of 10.7% but also struck out 29.1% of batters faced and kept the ball on the ground at a 46.4% clip.
For Garcia, 32, this continues an incredible frustrating season. He’s only been able to play 37 games this year, missing almost all of the May-July portion of the season due to a back injury. When healthy enough to take the field, he’s hit just .185/.241/.315. It’s the second straight disappointing season for the outfielder since signing a four-year, $53MM contract with the Marlins, as he hit .224/.266/.317 in 2022 while being limited by various injuries to 98 games. He still has another two years and $29MM left on that contract.