White Sox Activate Trayce Thompson From 60-Day IL
The White Sox today activated outfielder Trayce Thompson from the 60-day injured list, adding him back to their roster. They had plenty of openings after trading away several players prior to this week’s trade deadline. Their 40-man count is now up to 38.
Thompson, 32, returned to his original organization this week, coming to the Sox as part of the deal that sent Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers. The outfielder was drafted by the White Sox in 2009 but went into journeyman status as a big leaguer, bouncing to the Dodgers, Yankees, Athletics, back to the White Sox, Cleveland, the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Padres. Most of those stops saw him struggle, either due to injuries or underperformance or both.
Last year, he returned to the Dodgers for a second time and finally was able to stay healthy and productive for a decent stretch. He got into 74 games of Dodger baseball and hit 13 home runs, slashing .268/.364/.537 for a wRC+ 153. He was also graded well for his defense, playing all three outfield slots, leading to a tally of 2.8 wins above replacement from FanGraphs.
That showing was strong enough that the Dodgers tendered him an arbitration contract for 2023, settling on a salary of $1.45MM. Unfortunately, things haven’t been going as well this year, as he hit .155/.310/.366 for a 91 wRC+ through early June before landing on the IL due to a left oblique strain, an injury that he has just now returned from.
The White Sox are out of contention this year and just sold off a number of pieces at the deadline, so they can give Thompson some time to get back on track. He’s in today’s lineup, batting sixth and playing center field as Luis Robert Jr. takes the day off. They also have Andrew Benintendi, Eloy Jiménez and Óscar Colás in the outfield mix, though Jiménez mostly serves as the designated hitter and each guy will likely get some days off as the non-competitive season winds down. Thompson is out of options but the Sox can retain him via arbitration for two more seasons beyond this one if they so choose.
Luke Voit Opts Out Of Mets Deal, Becomes Free Agent
First baseman Luke Voit, who’d been with the Mets on a minor league contract, has exercised an out clause in his deal, tweets Mike Mayer of Metsmerized. Opt-out dates in minor league deals, once triggered, typically give the team 48 hours to either select the player’s contract or release him. Mayer specifies that Voit has already been granted his release and is once again a free agent.
Voit, 32, had a dismal showing with the Brewers earlier this season, batting just .221/.284/.265 — albeit in a tiny sample of 74 trips to the plate. He’s been nothing short of outstanding with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse since signing there, slashing a hefty .264/.415/.643 (155 wRC+) with 14 home runs and a massive 18.9% walk rate in 167 plate appearances. Voit has fanned at a 26.8% clip in Syracuse, which is a clear red flag, but punchouts have always been part of the slugger’s profile, even during his peak years with the Yankees.
That peak, while brief, was excellent. From 2018-20, Voit tallied 892 plate appearances with the Yankees and batted .279/.372/.543 with 57 home runs — including an MLB-leading 22 round-trippers during the shortened 2020 season. His 2021 season was ruined by injuries. A meniscus tear in his left knee during spring training eventually required surgery. He returned in mid-May but made it just two weeks before suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain. Voit raced back from that injury in far quicker fashion than most who suffer an oblique strain of that severity, and within three weeks he was back on the shelf with inflammation in his surgically repaired knee. He returned from the IL once again but was placed back on the shelf in September — again due to knee pain.
Since the end of that outstanding 2020 season, Voit has taken 883 plate appearances — nearly identical to his tally during that three-year peak — and batted .229/.311/.399 (100 wRC+). While he was prone to strikeouts earlier in his career, his 31.7% mark from 2021-23 is considerably higher than the 26.2% clip he posted from 2017-20.
Other clubs will now have to determine whether Voit’s production in Syracuse marks a legitimate improvement in his approach and contact abilities or whether it’s merely some small-sample success against lower-caliber pitching. Someone will surely give him a look, however, even if it’s only on another minor league deal at first. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, there are very few paths to acquiring additional talent and depth to prepare for a postseason push. Voit’s performance in Syracuse and track record of past performance will get him another opportunity.
Marlins Select Devin Smeltzer
The Marlins have selected the contract of lefty Devin Smeltzer from Triple-A Jacksonville, tweets David Wilson of the Miami Herald. Noah Berger of Fish On First had previously pointed out the Smeltzer was in the team’s clubhouse this morning. The Marlins optioned right-hander Edward Cabrera earlier this week, and he’d been slated to start one of their games in Texas this weekend, so Smeltzer could potentially step into that spot (if he’s not used in long relief prior to that point). The Marlins optioned right-hander Huascar Brazoban to open a spot for Smeltzer on the active roster. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster. Smeltzer’s addition brings them to capacity in that regard.
Smeltzer, 27, has had a couple of stints with Miami this season already, pitching 15 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA and a 10-to-4 K/BB ratio in that small sample. The southpaw spent the four prior season in Minnesota, pitching to a 3.99 ERA in 140 innings between the Twins’ rotation and bullpen, fanning a well below-average 16.6% of his opponents against a strong 6.4% walk rate.
Things haven’t gone much better for Smeltzer in Jacksonville this year. He’s pitched 65 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp but been tagged for a 5.95 ERA, thanks in no small part to an uncharacteristic 12.6% walk rate. He’s had better run-prevention numbers of late, working to a 3.58 ERA in his past six Triple-A starts, but the improvement in ERA comes despite an ugly 15.5% walk rate in that time.
It could be a short stay on the roster for Smeltzer once again. The Marlins have selected him to the big league roster twice this season but designated him for assignment twice as well. Smeltzer has accepted an outright assignment to Jacksonville on both occasions, despite the fact that he has the right to reject an assignment in favor of free agency. Smeltzer is out of minor league options, so if the Fish want to send him back down at any point, he’ll need to be designated for assignment for the third time this season alone.
Charlie Culberson Elects Free Agency
Aug. 3: Culberson has rejected his outright assignment in favor of free agency, reports Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He’s now free to sign with any club, although it’s certainly possible that he’ll return to the Braves on a new minor league contract — just as he did back in June, following his last DFA and subsequent outright.
Aug. 2: The Braves announced this afternoon that utilityman Charlie Culberson was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett. He went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment on Monday.
Culberson has had a very atypical season. The Braves have carried him on the MLB roster for around two months over a pair of stints. Remarkably, he’s only appeared in one big league game during that stretch — singling as a pinch-hitter on July 16. Culberson is clearly a well-liked figure in the Atlanta clubhouse, but they’d had little desire to get him onto the field around a star-studded infield.
The Braves acquired Nicky Lopez from the Royals last week to serve as a glove-first depth infielder. That pushed Culberson off the roster for the second time this season. Last time, he elected free agency but quickly returned to the organization on a minor league contract. He’ll again have the right to test free agency after clearing waivers.
Culberson has struggled in a limited look with Gwinnett this season, hitting .204/.234/.255 in 34 games. He’s appeared in 11 MLB seasons as a bench player. He’s a career .283/.311/.429 hitter against left-handed pitching but has a .218/.278/.349 line versus righties.
The Opener: McClanahan, Traded Starters, Keuchel
As MLB’s regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. McClanahan to visit team doctor:
Rays lefty Shane McClanahan exited his start after just four innings in yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Yankees. As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, McClanahan felt tightness in his forearm while warming up ahead of the fourth inning. While the southpaw managed to complete the fourth inning, Topkin adds that he’ll fly back to Tampa to have the issue examined by the team’s doctor. Missed time for McClanahan would be a devastating blow to the Rays, who have fallen to a game and a half behind the Orioles in the race for the AL East crown thanks primarily to a brutal 8-16 record in the month of July. In the event that McClanahan misses time, youngster Taj Bradley seems likely to return to the club’s rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, and the newly-acquired Aaron Civale.
2. Traded starters making their club debuts:
A trio of starters are poised to make their debut with their new club today. Things will kick off at 11:10am CT, when right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3.58 ERA in 18 starts) will make his first start with the Phillies after the club acquired him from the Tigers on the day of the trade deadline. He’ll face the Marlins in Miami for his first start as a Phillie. Next on the docket will be veteran ace Max Scherzer‘s debut at Globe Life Field following his trade from the Mets to the Rangers, which begin at 1:05pm CT.
Scherzer’s struggled relative to his Hall of Fame-caliber standards this year with a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts, but will have the opportunity for a fresh start with a new club today against the White Sox. Wrapping up the trio of debuts will be right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was acquired by the Orioles in a deal with the Cardinals just before the trade deadline. Like Scherzer, Flaherty has also struggled somewhat in 2023, with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts, but will look to make a strong impression on his new club at 2:07pm CT during a start against the division-rival Blue Jays in Toronto.
3. Keuchel decision:
Former AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins on Tuesday, giving Minnesota 48 hours to add him to its 40-man roster or else grant him his release. The 35-year-old lefty had a disastrous decline in 2021-22, pitching to a 6.35 ERA in 222 2/3 innings while playing out the final two seasons of a three-year, $55.5MM deal he originally signed with the White Sox. Keuchel signed with the Twins earlier this summer after spending months working out at Driveline Baseball, and the results in Triple-A have been genuinely intriguing: 32 innings of 1.13 ERA ball with a 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and huge 61.5% ground-ball rate. The Twins will have to decide today whether to select Keuchel’s contract to the Major League roster or cut him loose. Given that trades are now no longer permitted, most clubs will be looking for ways to bolster their pitching depth. Based on his pre-2021 track record and small-sample intrigue in Triple-A this year, it’s easy to see Keuchel latching on elsewhere if the Twins choose not to make room for him on the active roster.
Steve Cohen Discusses Mets’ Outlook
The Mets were among the biggest sellers of the deadline. Impending free agents like Tommy Pham and David Robertson seemed obvious trade targets for weeks. The Mets signaled a larger retool when they dealt Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander for prospects, moving on from players they’d envisioned as co-aces of a contending team just a few months ago.
Scherzer told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal yesterday that Mets’ higher-ups had informed him they were shifting their focus toward 2025-26, a key reason the future Hall of Famer agreed to waive his no-trade clause. Owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler more or less expressed similar sentiments in response to Scherzer’s comments.
Cohen met with reporters this afternoon and elaborated on the organizational plans. “Max asked me straight: ‘Are you going to be all-in on free agency next year?’ And I couldn’t give him that promise,” Cohen told the New York beat (relayed by Tim Britton and Will Sammon of the Athletic). “It doesn’t mean we’re not going to bring in free agents. It may not be to the extent that we did in the past because I’m carrying a lot of dead money.”
The owner added he wanted next year’s team to be “very competitive” but conceded the 2024 club isn’t likely to carry the same expectations as this season’s group. Philosophically, he noted it “won’t be as star-studded a team as it was, but stars don’t necessarily make for wins.”
Unsurprisingly, Cohen didn’t elaborate on what kind of spending range he anticipates for the club going into 2024. It certainly seems as if they’re preparing to scale back from this year’s MLB record levels. New York opened the season with a player payroll pushing $331MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Their player spending was nearing half a billion dollars after factoring in their immense luxury tax bill.
Next year’s club has around $204MM on the books and a $219MM competitive balance tax figure, as calculated by Roster Resource. That’s before factoring in a $6.5MM club option for Brooks Raley or arbitration salaries — the most notable of which by far is that of Pete Alonso, who’ll be due a raise on this year’s $14.5MM tab.
The Mets don’t have many impending free agents of note at this point. Carlos Carrasco is headed to the open market after a down year. Adam Ottavino and Omar Narváez have player options they seem likely to exercise, although Ottavino could plausibly test the market. They’re going to head into the offseason projected above next year’s $237MM base luxury tax threshold, but they’d be well below this year’s spending levels.
Of course, they’ll need to tap into free agency, even if it’s not at the top of the market. A projected rotation of Kodai Senga, José Quintana, Tylor Megill, David Peterson and either Joey Lucchesi or José Butto is nowhere near sufficient. They’ll need to sort out the corner outfield after dealing Pham and Mark Canha, particularly if Starling Marte is still battling the migraine issues that have plagued him this year. They could look for an upgrade at designated hitter. Edwin Díaz’s return would be huge for the bullpen, but they’ll need to add middle inning depth.
Given that messaging, it seems those additions will be more modest than the star pursuits of the past two winters. It’s not a truly unpredictable turn of events. Cohen has spoken on a few occasions about considering the club’s recent level of spending unsustainable over the longer haul and talked about building through the farm system. Paying down huge chunks of the Scherzer and Verlander contracts to land Luisangel Acuña, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford demonstrates genuine commitment to stockpiling younger talent. Yet it’s undoubtedly a sharp pivot from the organizational approach of the past couple seasons.
Even if they’re not planning to concede 2024 entirely, the acknowledgement they’ll enter the season with diminished expectations naturally leads to a question about Alonso’s future. The star first baseman is going into his final season of arbitration eligibility. If the Mets view themselves as longer shots for a playoff spot, there’s an argument to shop him this winter (particularly since the upcoming free agent class is so light on impact hitters beyond Shohei Ohtani).
Cohen declined to go into specifics on Alonso’s status but called him “an integral part of the Mets” and said he hopes they can “work things out” on a long-term contract. There’s nothing to suggest talks are ongoing or imminent, though. Cohen pointed out that the Mets re-signed Brandon Nimmo after he’d reached free agency last winter. (Díaz was also within a few days of the open market when he re-upped.) Alonso didn’t feature prominently in trade rumors this week, but concurrent speculation about both extension or trade possibilities figure to be key storylines next winter.
Blue Jays Sign Rowan Wick To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays signed reliever Rowan Wick to a minor league contract. He made his organizational debut with Triple-A Buffalo this evening.
Wick’s transaction log at MLB.com indicated he’d agreed to a minor league deal with the Braves last week. He was released three days later without making an appearance. That quick turnaround led to a shot with Toronto.
The 30-year-old appeared in the majors with the Cubs every season between 2019-22. He combined for a 3.66 ERA across 137 2/3 innings, missing bats at a slightly above-average rate but issuing a few more walks than ideal. The Cubs ran him through outright waivers in Spring Training and had kept him in Triple-A for the first half before releasing him last month.
Wick has had a tough season at the top minor league level. He’s been tagged for more than a run per inning through 30 1/3 frames. His 24.1% strikeout percentage was fine, but he’d walked upwards of 13% of batters faced and allowed nine home runs. Wick is making $1.55MM this season; the Cubs are on the hook for that tab, as Toronto will only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K minimum salary if he spends any time on the big league roster.
Toronto has had a solid relief corps this year. They entered play Wednesday ranked 10th with a 3.80 ERA and fourth at a 26.2% strikeout rate. A pair of trades with St. Louis to bring in Jordan Hicks and Génesis Cabrera further deepened the group. There’s no harm in taking a change-of-scenery flier on Wick to add some veteran depth to the upper level of the minor league system.
How To Acquire Players After The Trade Deadline
Not long ago, every August at MLBTR kicked off by reminding longtime MLB fans (or explaining to new fans) how the dizzying rules regarding August trade waivers worked. It was a convoluted process — one that saw nearly every player in the league placed on revocable trade waivers at some point (heavy emphasis on “revocable”) — but one that front offices increasingly used as creative means to pull off significant acquisitions after the supposed “deadline.”
In reality, under the old rules, the first “trade deadline” was never the actual deadline — it just wasn’t as catchy to use the full term, “non-waiver trade deadline.” As time progressed, the month of August increasingly served as a means of swapping out higher-priced talents in waiver trades that were still quite noteworthy. If you’re seeing Justin Verlander, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson and others change hands in late August, just before the deadline for postseason eligibility, then was the non-waiver deadline really a trade “deadline” at all? Not so much.
Back in 2019, Major League Baseball opted to quash the ever-growing process of August roster reconstruction. The league put an end to waiver trades that often served as a means of teams hitting the “eject” button on notable contracts and saw larger-payroll clubs take on those deals simply because they possessed the financial wherewithal to do so. MLB implemented a more concrete “true” trade deadline that prohibited players on Major League contracts — or any who had previously been on Major League contracts earlier in the season (i.e. since-outrighted players) — from being traded after the deadline.
Does that mean teams can no longer acquire new players or address injuries as they arise? No, but their avenues to do so are substantially narrower. Here’s a look at how Major League front offices can still augment their roster now that the “true” trade deadline has passed:
1. Trades!
Wait, what? I thought we just–
Yes, we did. But it turns out that the “true” trade deadline is really only the “true” trade deadline for Major League players! Fun how that works, right? In all likelihood, you’ll still see several players change hands this month, they just won’t be very exciting. But, veterans who’ve been playing the entire season on a minor league contract and haven’t at any point been added to the 40-man roster or been on the Major League injured list are still fair game to be traded.
Will you see any huge, blockbuster names flipped? Of course not — but there are still some recognizable names eligible to be traded. The Tigers have Matt Wisler (4.40 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 12.4% walk rate in 47 Triple-A innings) and Johan Camargo (.263/.346/.456) in Triple-A. Matt Adams is hitting .280/.336/.488 with 13 homers against right-handed pitching for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate. Looking for some outfield defense and speed off the bench? Bradley Zimmer is with the Red Sox’ Triple-A club and hasn’t yet been on a 40-man roster this year. Those veterans — and many others — are eligible to be traded, so long as any player(s) going back the other way have also not been on a 40-man roster or Major League injured list. Of course, it’s common for August deals to be simple cash swaps, as well.
Last August didn’t feature much in the way of trades, though the Giants did acquire Lewis Brinson and quickly give him a big league look. The Phillies picked up right-hander Vinny Nittoli in a trade as well, and he pitched a pair of shutout innings for them in September. A year prior, the slate of trades saw a handful of recognizable names dealt: Delino DeShields (twice!), Brad Peacock, Dustin Garneau, Mallex Smith, John Axford and Andrew Vasquez were all on the move for either marginal prospects or cash.
Just to speculate a bit — and we haven’t really seen this in the past, but it’s technically possible — teams technically can engineer minor league trades, so long as the players involved have not been on the 40-man roster at any point in a given season. It’s doubtful we’ll see any top prospects change hands in this regard, but it’s not expressly forbidden, either.
And, just to rain on your parade, no — teams cannot game the system using players to be named later. The rules pertaining to the “true” trade deadline made sure to include the following language:
“The Commissioner’s Office will prohibit any transaction (or series of transactions) that, in the judgment of the Commissioner’s Office, appears (or appear) designed to circumvent the prohibitions of Rule 9(b).”
Nice try, folks, but don’t get your hopes up.
Just remember, anyone acquired after Aug. 31 isn’t postseason-eligible with his new club, so minor swaps of any relative note will likely take place before the calendar flips to September.
It won’t lead to any exciting trades, but we’ll likely still see some trades this month. You’ll just have to wait until the offseason for the chatter on Dylan Cease, Salvador Perez, Corbin Burnes and others to fire back up in earnest.
2. Outright and Release Waivers
Revocable trade waivers are no longer a thing, but regular old outright waivers and release waivers are alive and well. Any time a player is designated for assignment now, the team’s only recourse will be to place him on outright waivers or release waivers. At that point, the other 29 teams will have the opportunity to claim that player … and the entirety of his remaining contract. Of course, a team doesn’t need to announce a DFA or even announce that a player has been put on waivers. It’s fairly common for a team to just announce that a player cleared waivers and was outrighted to a minor league affiliate without ever publicly declaring a DFA.
An important reminder on waivers now that it’s the primary means of acquiring talent from another organization: waiver priority is determined based on overall record (worst record to best record) and, unlike the now-retired “revocable trade waivers,” is not league-specific. If the A’s want right-hander Joe Barlow, whom the Rangers designated for assignment upon acquiring Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton, they’ll have first dibs. The Royals would be up next, followed by the Rockies, then the White Sox, then the Nationals, Cardinals and Tigers — and so forth.
Teams who didn’t find sufficient interest in veteran players prior to the trade deadline and thus held onto them could eventually place those players on outright waivers in August, hoping another club will claim said player and simply spare the waiving team some cash. This is likelier to happen late in the month — when there’s less cash owed on those veteran contracts. For instance, in 2022, the Giants claimed Jose Quintana from the Angels and the Reds claimed Asdrubal Cabrera from the D-backs. This could also be viewed as a means of granting a veteran player on a non-contender the opportunity to join a postseason race.
As with any minor league trades, players claimed off waivers will only be postseason-eligible with their new club if claimed before 11:59pm ET on Aug. 31.
3. Sign Free Agents
Same as ever. Anyone who gets released or rejects an outright assignment in favor of free agency will be able to sign with a new team and, so long as the deal is wrapped up prior to Sept. 1, they’ll be postseason-eligible with a new team. It’s certainly feasible that a once-productive veteran enjoys a hot streak with a new club or fills a useful part-time role.
No team is going to claim the remaining money on the contracts of Trey Mancini or Kolten Wong, both of whom were designated for assignment yesterday. But once the pair clears waivers and is inevitably released, a club looking for some second base depth could roll the dice on Wong, and a team that believes it can get Mancini back to form might be willing to take a shot on his right-handed bat. It’s a similar story with catcher Manny Pina and utilityman Josh Harrison. Willie Calhoun, who elected free agency earlier today, will probably land somewhere on a minor league deal before too long.
There will also be several veterans on minor league deals who trigger opt-out clauses and reenter the market. Dallas Keuchel, who’s pitched to a 1.13 ERA with a 61% ground-ball rate in 32 Triple-A innings for the Twins, just triggered such a clause in his deal yesterday. Minnesota has 48 hours from the time he exercised that provision to add him to the big league roster, and if not, he’s a free agent. Some other veterans will likely force teams into this same decision throughout the month.
The same postseason eligibility date applies to incoming free agents as well.
4. Scour the Independent Leagues
Roll your eyes all you want, but the Atlantic League, Frontier League and American Association (among other indie circuits) are all teeming with former big leaguers. Need a speedy fourth outfielder who can provide some late-game defense and baserunning during September roster expansion? A platoon bat off the bench? An extra southpaw to stash in the bullpen? There will be experienced names to consider.
Former Guardians top prospect Bobby Bradley has 22 homers and a .923 OPS with the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds. Jose Marmolejos and Alex Dickerson have similarly impressive numbers with the Atlantic League’s Spire City Ghost Hounds and Long Island Ducks. Mickey Jannis, who chatted with MLBTR readers earlier this year, has a 3.55 ERA and is still chucking knuckleballs for the High Point Rockers. The Red Sox signed one of his teammates, former big leaguer Kyle Barraclough, earlier this summer.
It’s unlikely anyone finds a true impact player on the indie scene, but then again, people cracked jokes when the 2015 Red Sox signed then-35-year-old Ducks lefty Rich Hill, who’s less than 24 hours removed from being traded to his 13th big league club and is gearing up for a 20th season in the Majors next year. He’s earned nearly $80MM and tossed more than 900 innings in the Majors since joining the Red Sox under similar circumstances to the ones described here.
5. Look to Foreign Leagues
We don’t often see players return from the KBO, NPB or CPBL to sign with big league clubs midseason, but there’s precedent for it happening. There are also quite a few former big leaguers playing down in the Mexican League, creating another area for front offices to scout as they mine for depth options. Interest won’t be limited solely to former big leaguers, either. Last year, the Mariners signed lefty Brennan Bernardino after a strong nine-start run in Mexico, watched him dominate through 12 2/3 innings in Triple-A Tacoma, and selected him to the Major League roster by the end of July. He made his MLB debut with Seattle last July, was claimed off waivers by he Red Sox earlier this year, and has a 2.50 ERA in 36 frames for Boston this season. You never know.
Eduardo Rodriguez Discusses No-Trade, Opt-Out Rights
Among the biggest stories of yesterday’s deadline was a trade that didn’t happen. The Tigers and Dodgers lined up an agreement that would’ve sent left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers were among the 10 teams on a no-trade list which Rodriguez had built into his free agent deal with Detroit, however. The hurler blocked the trade and Detroit ended up holding him past the deadline. He’ll finish the year in the Motor City, though it remains to be seen what the future holds beyond that.
Rodriguez is able to opt out of the final three years and $49MM on his contract at season’s end. From a strict financial perspective, it looks as if doing so will be a fairly easy choice. The 30-year-old has a 2.96 ERA through 94 1/3 innings while striking out more than a quarter of opponents. He’s been inconsistent since returning from a finger injury but looked like the #2 caliber starter Detroit had envisioned earlier in the year.
Rodriguez met with reporters after today’s win over Pittsburgh. He understandably declined to delve into the reasons behind the veto, saying he “wasn’t feeling really comfortable with (the trade)” and made the decision to stick in Detroit after “thinking about my future and my family” (link via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press).
The southpaw’s agent, Gene Mato, released a statement on Twitter in response to fan criticism leveled at Rodriguez in the wake of his decision:
“I negotiated a no-trade clause in his contract for a reason,” Mato wrote. “With all of the money, glamor and fame that comes with being a professional athlete there is also a very difficult, personal side. … Eduardo is one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in baseball but he is also a human being who wants stability for his family. They are comfortable living in the Detroit area and have adjusted well.
As for the Dodgers in particular, once I was granted permission to speak with them regarding the trade, we did our best to come up with a way to make it happen where everyone was comfortable with the outcome. We just ran out of time.”
Rodriguez also said he was quite happy in Detroit but declined to answer when asked if blocking the trade would have any bearing on his opt-out decision. “If I had a magic ball and I could tell you what was going to happen in the future, I’d probably tell you right away,” he told reporters. “But right now I’m here, I’m with this organization. I’m signed here for a long time. I feel happy with everything. My family feels happy in Detroit. I feel happy with the teammates and everything, the organization. I’d really love to stay here, and that’s why I made that decision.”
Barring a second-half collapse, Rodriguez should be in position to easily top $49MM on the open market. Pitchers like Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman have beaten nine figures at the age Rodriguez is now. Jameson Taillon and Taijuan Walker got four-year deals worth $68MM and $72MM, respectively, coming off less impressive platform seasons than the one Rodriguez is putting together.
Rodriguez’s ERA is much better than it was two years ago, when he landed $77MM and the opt-out clause, although his peripherals are largely the same. He’s obviously older but wouldn’t cost a signing team a draft choice this time around. Rodriguez rejected a qualifying offer preceding his first trip to free agency; he can’t receive another QO since the CBA prevents a player from getting more than one in their careers.
It all points towards a likely opt-out. Still, the Tigers have a couple months of exclusive negotiating rights if they’re interested in opening conversations about keeping him off the market. Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic wrote last night that Rodriguez could be open to restructuring his contract — presumably discussing a pay bump that’d get him to waive the opt-out clause — but there’ve only been cursory talks between the Tigers and the pitcher over the course of the season.
Whether there’ll be more serious negotiations over the next couple months remains to be seen. In the interim, Rodriguez will continue taking the ball every fifth day as the anchor of an otherwise fairly young Detroit rotation. The Tigers shipped out Michael Lorenzen yesterday, leaving them with a starting five of Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, Matt Manning and Joey Wentz. Righty Spencer Turnbull is on a rehab stint and could soon bump Wentz from the group.
Liam Hendriks Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
The White Sox announced this evening that star closer Liam Hendriks has undergone Tommy John surgery. According to the club, he’ll require a 12-14 month recovery timeline.
Hendriks has been on the injured list since the second week of June with what the team initially called elbow inflammation. There’d been no prior indication surgery was under consideration. As of a couple weeks ago, the righty had been throwing simulated games. He apparently suffered a setback during that rehab work and will now miss the majority or all of next season.
It’s a disheartening blow. Hendriks’ quick return from an offseason non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis has been one of the best stories of the 2023 season. He announced his diagnosis in early January. Within roughly three and a half months, he’d completed chemotherapy and been declared cancer-free. He was remarkably back on a major league mound by May 29.
Certainly, the revelation he’d require elbow surgery pales in comparison to the life-threatening news he’d gotten (and overcome) just months before. Yet it’s an obviously tough development for his playing career. Hendriks turns 35 next February. There’s a good chance he’s unable to return to pitching until his age-36 campaign.
Between the late start to the season and the subsequent elbow injury, the three-time All-Star only made five MLB appearances this year. He was one of the top handful of relievers in the sport between 2019-22. Hendriks broke out late in his career with Oakland and maintained that elite performance for his first two seasons with the Sox. Over that four-year stretch, he posted a 2.26 ERA with an elite 38.8% strikeout rate across 239 innings.
With this revelation, it’s possible Hendriks has thrown his last pitch for Chicago. His three-year, $54MM free agent contract contained a $15MM club option for 2024. The deal came with a matching buyout figure — it was built in largely as an accounting measure to frontload the contract’s competitive balance tax hit — that’ll now come into play. If the Sox buy Hendriks out, they’ll be able to defer that payment over the next 10 years.
That’s the course of action they’ll almost certainly take. With Hendriks unlikely to pitch in 2024 regardless, there’s little reason for the Sox not to pay the $15MM in installments. Hendriks figures to return to free agency next winter, where he could field two-year offers from teams with an eye towards the 2025 campaign.