The Opener: Verlander, Tigers’ Arms, Flaherty, Mariners, Padres, Yankees
The trade deadline is upon is! Teams have until 5pm CT today to complete trades. This is the fifth year of the one true trade deadline — it’s been a half decade since MLB officially did away with revocable August trade waivers and capped all trades of Major League players (i.e. anyone presently on a 40-man roster or who has, at some point, previously been on a 40-man roster at any point in the current season). With so much possible activity, today’s Opener will be asked to cover more than one inning, so to speak. Here are six things we’ll be watching most keenly today…
1. Will Verlander be on the move?
The Mets already traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers, David Robertson to the Marlins and Mark Canha to the Brewers. Major League Baseball’s largest-ever payroll has begun to be whittled down as a wildly disappointing Mets roster is picked apart and sold off at the trade deadline. There’s no bigger name on the Mets — and perhaps no bigger name in the sport — on the trade market right than Justin Verlander now. Mets general manager Billy Eppler has spoken to his counterparts with the Astros, Dodgers and others about a potential deal involving Verlander. The three-time Cy Young winner is still owed about $14.444MM of this year’s salary, plus $43.333MM for the 2024 campaign — his age-41 season. And, if Verlander reaches 140 innings in 2024, he’ll trigger a $35MM player option for the 2025 season. Verlander has a full no-trade clause that only further complicates a potential deal.
The Mets will also be active elsewhere. Outfielder Tommy Pham is a free agent at season’s end and a veritable lock to be traded. Lefty Brooks Raley is controlled through 2024 via club option but could easily be dealt. Catcher Omar Narvaez and righty Adam Ottavino both have player options for the 2024 season (though the former has struggled badly and seems likely to exercise his).
2. The Tigers’ inevitable trade(s)
There aren’t many likelier players to be traded today than Tigers righty Michael Lorenzen. The team’s lone All-Star representative is playing on a one-year, $8.5MM deal and has delivered a solid 3.58 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 42.2% grounder rate in 105 2/3 innings for a selling Tigers club. He’s drawn interest from the Orioles, Marlins and Astros, among others.
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez isn’t as straightforward a trade candidate, given the three years and $49MM remaining on his contract after the current season. He can opt out of that remaining sum at season’s end, however, which creates ample risk for any acquiring team; Rodriguez would only forgo that opt-out if he pitched poorly enough and/or suffered a notable injury following a trade to warrant it. Effectively, if he pitches well, he’s a rental. If he flames out or gets hurt, the new team is on the hook for this year’s remaining salary plus another three years and $49MM. E-Rod has still pitched well enough to merit widespread interest, though he’s struggled in two of four starts since returning from a six-week absence due to a tendon injury in his finger.
3. All eyes on Flaherty, Carlson, DeJong in St. Louis
The Cardinals’ widely expected sell-off has already seen Jordan Montgomery, Chris Stratton and Jordan Hicks shipped out — and by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s own admission, it’s likely not over. Right-hander Jack Flaherty is right up there alongside the aforementioned Lorenzen when talking about the likeliest players to be traded today. The 27-year-old righty is a free agent at season’s end who has posted a decent (if unspectacular) 4.43 ERA in 109 2/3 innings. Flaherty’s fastball, strikeout rate and walk rate have all gone the wrong direction since his 2018-21 peak, but the demand for pitching is strong and the Cardinals will likely find a deal.
Shortstop Paul DeJong‘s glove and ability to hit lefties should lead to him being moved, too, and the Cardinals have ostensibly been shopping outfielder Dylan Carlson after pushing him to a bench role.
4. What’s next for the Mariners?
The Mariners won more games than any team in baseball in July. They also traded closer Paul Sewald to the D-backs yesterday, shipped struggling veteran AJ Pollock to the Giants, and have reportedly at least listened on Teoscar Hernandez, Ty France and some members of their outstanding young rotation. The Mariners are only 3.5 games out of the AL Wild Card spot. Many will assume they’re straight sellers after the Sewald trade and the rumors of listening on several veterans, but Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto added Major League-ready help in the Sewald talent and could very well end up blurring the line between “buyer” and “seller,” as he’s done multiple times in the past. As usual, the Mariners are one of the most interesting teams to watch as the deadline looms.
5. How will the Padres approach the deadline?
The Padres swept the AL West-leading Rangers over the weekend and have pulled themselves to within three games of the .500 mark. In a largely underwhelming season, they’ve begun to turn the tide and now sit just five games back in the NL Wild Card hunt. Owner Peter Seidler pushed back on the notion of “reversing course” and selling players earlier this month, and San Diego is reportedly on the lookout for bullpen help and upgrades to the offense. There’d been talk of potential trades involving free-agents-to-be Blake Snell and/or Josh Hader, but the team’s recent play and Seidler’s commitment to the 2023 season set the stage for president of baseball operations AJ Preller to once again add to the roster.
6. Will the Yankees sell?
The Yankees don’t have much to sell, but they’re said to be open to offers on impending free agents. That opens the door for possible deals of center fielder Harrison Bader, southpaw reliever Wandy Peralta and/or utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa; the rest of the Yankees’ rental players (Josh Donaldson, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas) haven’t been healthy enough and/or productive enough to carry much in the way of trade value. If the Yankees were willing to take it a step further and sell off players controlled/signed through the 2024 season, that’d be far more interesting. Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes, in particular, would be intriguing trade candidates in that scenario.
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There are, of course, plenty of other storylines to watch throughout the day. The White Sox could continue to sell. The Brewers want another bat. Neither the Reds nor the Orioles have added the pitching they’ve reportedly sought. The Twins have been looking for bullpen help and a right-handed bat. Do the Angels or Rangers have another move up their sleeve? The Phillies have been looking at right-handed bats. Will the Braves get the bullpen arm they’re seeking? And the possibility of a last-minute, unexpected entrant joining the trade market always looms on deadline day.
As always, we’ll be covering all of the day’s action here at MLBTR. Follow us on Twitter, download our free iOS and Android app (and set up notifications for your favorite teams and/or trade targets of interest), and or just go the traditional route and mash the refresh button throughout the day! If you like the coverage we provide, consider an ad-free subscription to support our efforts.
Padres Exploring Market For Offense, Bullpen Help
The Padres remain one of the league’s most interesting edge cases going into deadline day. After tonight’s loss to the Rockies, San Diego sits five games out in the Wild Card picture.
Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted Monday afternoon the Friars are evaluating the market for help in the outfield/designated hitter mix and the bullpen. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of the New York Post relayed (on Twitter) the Padres’ asking price in talks on Josh Hader is so high that other clubs believe they’re likely to hold him past the deadline.
San Diego brass has been clear they preferred to add for a playoff push rather than tear things down after another aggressive offseason. It seems that remains the case, with last weekend’s sweep of the AL West-leading Rangers perhaps giving the front office the ammunition to buy.
In that case, adding position player depth is a sensible target. The Friars have gotten excellent seasons from Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim, while Manny Machado has been on a tear since a slow start. The bottom half of the lineup has struggled, however. Catcher was a major question mark for a while, although Gary Sánchez has provided a strong power threat there since San Diego nabbed him off waivers.
Jake Cronenworth has had a poor season at first base, while the veteran collection of Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz and Rougned Odor off the bench didn’t work. Cruz and Odor have already been released; Carpenter is hitting .166/.296/.302 over 207 trips to the plate.
The bullpen has been solid, even though tonight’s loss dropped them to a staggering 0-10 in extra-inning contests. San Diego relievers entered play Monday ranked ninth in ERA (3.78) and fourth in ground-ball percentage (48.1%). They’re 21st in strikeout rate (23.2%) and 19th in swinging strikes (11.4%), though, so adding some swing-and-miss could be welcome. Getting Robert Suarez back after he missed the first half of the season helps. He and Hader would form an excellent high-leverage duo — assuming the Friars indeed hold onto the latter — but Steven Wilson is the only other San Diego reliever with 10+ innings who’s striking out over a quarter of opponents.
Yankees Open To Offers On Impending Free Agents
The Yankees dropped tonight’s 5-1 contest to the Rays. They’re at 55-51 heading into the deadline, last place in the AL East despite being four games above .500. New York is only 3.5 out of a Wild Card spot and recently welcomed Aaron Judge back, but they’ve gone 21-27 since the start of June.
With around 18 hours before the deadline, general manager Brian Cashman and his front office find themselves with a difficult balancing act. Whether to add for a playoff push, entertain offers on veterans, or attempt to walk the line by doing both is in question. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported before tonight’s loss that the Yankees were telling other clubs they’re willing to entertain trade offers on their impending free agents.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem the Yankees are strictly bucketing themselves as “sellers.” Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted this afternoon New York was still searching the market for outfield help. Meanwhile, Derrick Goold of the St, Louis Post Dispatch reports the Yanks are among the teams that have reached out to the Cardinals on starter Jack Flaherty — though it isn’t clear how recent that interest is.
It seems Cashman and his front office could entertain multiple moves that blur the line between buying and selling. Their impending free agents are having relatively disappointing seasons, though they could find varying levels of interest in each (not including Frankie Montas and Josh Donaldson, whose injuries and high salaries make them essentially impossible to move).
Harrison Bader has continued to battle injury issues, missing time with oblique and hamstring problems. He’s gotten into 57 games, connecting on seven homers but with a modest .283 on-base percentage. While it’s his second straight below-average offensive showing, Bader is an elite center fielder and has stolen 10 bags in 12 attempts. He’s playing on a $4.7MM salary and should have a decent amount of appeal on a trade market light on position player talent.
Left-hander Wandy Peralta would be a fairly straightforward target for clubs seeking relief depth. He’s holding same-handed hitters to a putrid .091/.242/.091 batting line in 67 plate appearances. Peralta has a 2.29 ERA in 37 1/3 innings overall. His strikeout and walk numbers are both subpar but he’s picking up grounders at an elite 64.1% clip while averaging 96 MPH on his sinker. He’s making $3.35MM in his final arbitration season.
There’d be less appeal with either Luis Severino or Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The former is playing on a lofty $15MM salary and having a nightmarish season. He’s been tagged for a 7.49 ERA across 12 starts. His formerly plus strikeout rates have fallen to a meager 18% clip. Severino’s velocity remains intact, but he’s not missing bats on either his changeup or slider at typical levels and is giving up tons of hard contact.
Kiner-Falefa, playing on a $6MM arbitration salary, has moved into a multi-positional role after serving as the primary shortstop in 2022. He’s spending the bulk of his time in the outfield, where he has slightly below-average reviews from public defensive marks. Kiner-Falefa is hitting .257/.322/.374 in 240 trips to the plate, making plenty of contact without much power.
Flaherty, of course, is an impending free agent himself. If New York’s interest in the Cards’ righty was somewhat recent, it’d obviously be with this season in mind. It’s hard to imagine the Yankees completely throwing in the towel in 2023. Each of their impending free agents is having a middling (or downright poor) enough season that they could move someone in the group while still looking for immediate help in other areas.
There could also be financial considerations at play. Roster Resource projects the Yankees’ competitive balance tax number just above $294MM. That’s a bit north of the $293MM that marks the highest tier of luxury penalization. Offseason reports indicated Yankees’ ownership was reluctant to go above that mark, although there are no non-monetary penalties for doing so. Offloading the money still owed to the likes of Bader or Peralta could allow them to dip below that number.
Players like Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes are into arbitration and would surely attract interest from other clubs, though there’s nothing to suggest the Yankees on taking offers on players who can be controlled beyond this season. Both Torres and Holmes are eligible for arbitration once more.
Diamondbacks Acquire Jace Peterson
The Diamondbacks acquired infielder Jace Peterson and cash from the A’s for minor league pitcher Chad Patrick, the clubs announced. Arizona had an opening on the 40-man roster after dealing Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone in this afternoon’s Paul Sewald trade.
Peterson is largely a Rojas replacement. He’s a left-handed hitting infielder who splits most of his time between third and second base. Between Rojas’ departure and the recent injury to Evan Longoria, the D-Backs had lost some depth at the hot corner. Emmanuel Rivera is the primary starter. He’s a right-handed hitter who has been quite a bit better against southpaws, so Peterson makes sense as a matchup complement.
The 33-year-old joined the A’s on a two-year, $9.5MM free agent deal last winter. He’d been a roughly league average hitter — albeit with minimal exposure to left-handed pitching — over three seasons with Milwaukee. Peterson hasn’t maintained that form over a more regular role in Oakland. He’s hitting .221/.313/.324 with six homers over 324 trips to the plate.
That below-average offense is largely thanks to a dip in batted ball quality. Peterson is still walking at an excellent 11.1% clip, while his 23.8% strikeout rate is in line with prior marks. Yet he’s making hard contact on only 28.4% of batted balls — well below the 35-36% range of the prior couple seasons.
Much of those poor numbers are attributable to a dreadful start. The 10-year veteran carried a meager .192/.289/.278 batting line into June. He’s a .254/.340/.377 hitter over the last two months with more typical batted ball metrics. The Arizona front office isn’t much concerned by the slow start and adds Peterson to the infield mix.
Peterson is playing on a $4.5MM salary for 2023, $1.5MM of which is still to be paid out. He’s due $5MM for next season. The A’s will reportedly pick up $2M of next year’s salary while Arizona takes on what remains of this year’s sum. The deal pushes Arizona’s projected payroll just shy of $123MM, per Roster Resource.
In return for their relatively modest free agent investment and willingness to pay down some of the deal, the A’s add minor league rotation depth. Patrick was a fourth-round draftee out of Purdue-Northwest in 2021. The 6’1″ righty carries a 4.71 ERA with roughly average strikeout and walk numbers (22.9% and 9.2%, respectively) over 19 starts in Double-A. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs suggested last month he profiled as a spot starter on the strength of his slider command. Patrick turns 25 in August and won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until after next season.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the financials.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants Have Shown Interest In Teoscar Hernandez
The Phillies, Giants and Blue Jays are among the teams that touched base with the Mariners regarding Teoscar Hernández, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). Morosi indicates upwards of six teams have been involved and that a deal involving Hernández before tomorrow’s deadline looks increasingly probable.
None of that registers as a surprise. Seattle has hinted at potentially dealing short-term veterans for a couple weeks. They began that by sending Paul Sewald to Arizona for three controllable hitters this afternoon. While Sewald had an extra year of arbitration, Hernández is a few months from the open market.
The veteran outfielder is amidst a down season. He carries a .238/.288/.408 batting line through 441 plate appearances into play Monday night. He’s connected on 16 home runs but is striking out a lofty 32% clip, his highest mark since 2019. Hernández got off to a dreadful start to his Seattle tenure. He’d seemed to turn the corner with a .303/.376/.573 showing in June before a massive .198/.248/.287 slump this month.
Despite the middling season, Hernández is a straightforward change-of-scenery target. He hit .283/.333/.519 through his last three years in Toronto. While his offensive numbers have collapsed this year, he’s arguably playing the best defense of his career. Hernández has rated as a below-average right fielder for the bulk of his career but gotten solid marks (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +1 run above average per Statcast) across 801 1/3 innings there this year.
Each of the teams linked to his market has expressed an interest in adding some right-handed punch. It’d be a bit surprising to see the Blue Jays circle back on Hernández nine months after trading him, but the acquisition cost this summer would be much lower than what they received from Seattle (reliever Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko). Toronto has left-handed hitting Daulton Varsho and Brandon Belt at left field and designated hitter, respectively, though Varsho has been better against same-handed pitching this season.
Philadelphia is openly targeting a right-handed hitting corner outfielder. With Bryce Harper able to play first base, they’re looking to move Kyle Schwarber to DH and add some pop in left field. They’ve also been linked to the Mets’ Tommy Pham and Red Sox’s Adam Duvall.
San Francisco and Seattle are frequent trade partners. They just lined up a deal this evening that sent AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias to the Bay Area. Pollock is having a poor enough season that Hernández could still be of interest. San Francisco will be without Mitch Haniger into September and just placed Mike Yastrzemski on the injured list for the third time this season. They have Austin Slater on hand as a right-handed hitting outfielder but enough short-term uncertainty in left field to make Hernández a potential fit.
Hernández is making $14MM this season. He’s due around $4.67MM through year’s end.
Red Sox Reportedly Inclined To Keep Alex Verdugo
July 31: Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter) that rival clubs inquiring on Verdugo’s availability have gotten the impression the Sox plan to retain him past the deadline.
July 30: As the Red Sox remain in the wild card race and seem likely to add pieces before Tuesday’s trade deadline, the club has already dealt Enrique Hernandez and might also move other regulars in an effort to upgrade the roster as a whole. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam report that the Sox are open to at least listening to offers for outfielder Alex Verdugo, and one unknown AL team in discussions with the Red Sox said the Sox brought up Verdugo’s name as part of ongoing trade talks.
Whether the Red Sox are in listening mode or might be more actively shopping Verdugo, it seems that there is a possibility the right fielder might be in another uniform by Wednesday. Such an outcome might have seemed unlikely as recently as June 27, when Verdugo was hitting .307/.379/.477 over his first 322 plate appearances and seemed on the way to the best season of his seven-year MLB career. However, the last month of play has been rough for Verdugo, as he followed up that dream start by hitting .143/.212/.234 over his next 85 PA.
Overall, the 27-year-old has a .272/.345/.424 slash line in 412 PA, good for a 108 wRC+ that is still above league average. And, Verdugo’s glovework hasn’t slumped, as his +15.8 UZR/150 and +11 Defensive Runs Saved rank him among the best defensive right fielders in the game in 2023. In a deadline season where available pitchers far outnumber available hitters, the Red Sox would be sure to find plenty of interest in a productive bat who is controlled through 2024 via his final year of arbitration eligibility.
Even if Verdugo is retained beyond the deadline, it isn’t clear if he is in Boston’s long-term plans. The outfielder told McAdam earlier today that “there’s been zero talks about an extension….they haven’t come to me with anything. So there’s not one way to lead me to believe that they’re interested in that, you know what I mean? There’s no real talks of an extension, so since there’s no real talk of getting anything done, there’s nothing to get done.”
Adam Duvall has also been mentioned as a possible Red Sox trade chip at the deadline, since the veteran outfielder is a free agent after the season. However, in the event of a Verdugo trade, Duvall would step in as the new right fielder, joining Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran as the regular starters. If chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom felt particularly bold, he could aim to both move Verdugo and Duvall in separate transactions, and look to obtain another outfielder with more long-term control. Top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela might also factor into Boston’s immediate plans, as he has been playing well in his first taste of Triple-A ball.
From Verdugo’s perspective, he said he wants to remain with the Red Sox but is understanding about the realities of the trade market. Noting that he came to the Red Sox in the first place as part of the blockbuster Mookie Betts trade, Verdugo told McAdam, “I thought I wouldn’t get traded and I ended up getting traded. This isn’t my first time and I feel like once you get traded, you don’t care….You don’t take no hard feelings. You just go out there to play, play hard. Wherever you are in the big leagues, it’s a blessing.”
Mets, Astros Continue To Discuss Justin Verlander
8:39pm: Andy Martino of SNY tweets that a deal between the Astros and Mets is not imminent, though it’s certainly possible talks could yet pick up steam.
7:14pm: The Astros and Mets continue to discuss possible Justin Verlander trades, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Rosenthal writes that New York is trying to deal the future Hall of Famer before tomorrow evening’s deadline. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that talks between Houston and the Mets have accelerated within the past day.
It’s unclear how likely a deal is to pull off. Nightengale notes the Dodgers remain in the picture, for one. There’s also the matter of Verlander’s hefty contract and full no-trade rights, although the reigning AL Cy Young winner is certainly plenty familiar with Houston. Astros GM Dana Brown said on MLB Network Radio this afternoon the club was no longer prioritizing adding to the rotation; Rosenthal writes that Houston owner Jim Crane could get involved in discussions to try to bring Verlander back though.
More broadly, Chandler Rome of the Athletic tweets that Houston is now again focused on the rotation. The Astros expect to welcome José Urquidy back from the 60-day injured list this week, reducing the need for a depth pickup. Of course, a Verlander acquisition would be far more than that.
It’s a fascinating situation two days after the Mets traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers. Verlander could well follow his former teammate out of Queens, and it seems there’s genuine interest on the Astros’ part in making them direct competitors for an AL West title. Verlander has a 3.15 ERA despite an average 21% strikeout rate through 16 starts. He’s making $43.333MM in each of the next two seasons and has a $35MM vesting/player option for the 2025 campaign. The Mets would certainly have to kick in some money, as they did with Scherzer, but figure to be open to doing so as they look to continue adding upside to the farm system.
Reds Acquire Sam Moll From Athletics
The Reds have acquired left-hander Sam Moll and international cap space from the Athletics, according to announcements from both clubs. The A’s will receive pitching prospect Joe Boyle in exchange. To make room for Moll on their 40-man roster, the Reds transferred Hunter Greene to the 60-day injured list.
Moll, 31, has spent the past three years serving as an effective reliever in the Oakland bullpen. From 2021 to the present, he’s made 106 appearances, allowing 3.65 earned runs per nine innings. His 24.9% strikeout rate and 50.6% ground ball rate are both strong, though his 11.5% walk rate is a few ticks higher than league average.
2023 has been a strange season for him, as his 4.54 ERA is higher than the previous two campaigns despite so much stuff going right in terms of his under-the-hood numbers. His 27.1% strikeout rate, 11.2% walk rate and 52% grounder rate are each improvements over recent years. It seems a .340 batting average on balls in play and 68.2% strand rate have helped some extra runs across the plate, as his 3.25 FIP and 3.71 SIERA are both career bests.
MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a look at Moll’s season and highlighted his increasing use of a four-seam fastball. Dating back to mid-May, he has a 3.80 ERA in 23 2/3 innings, striking out 30.9% of opponents against an 8.2% walk rate, still getting grounders on over half the balls allowed in play. He has a 2.35 FIP in that time and a 2.97 SIERA.
The Reds have leapt into contention this year on the strength of their young core of position players, currently sporting a record of 58-49 that has them atop the National League Central, half a game ahead of the Brewers coming into today’s action. Left-handed relief was an obvious area for the club to add, since Alex Young has been their only southpaw reliever for much of the year. Reiver Sanmartin recently underwent UCL surgery and won’t be back any time soon. Moll is a long-term option for the Reds, as he is slated to finish this season with between two and three years of service time, meaning he can be retained for four seasons beyond the current campaign and isn’t even slated to reach arbitration until after 2024.
The A’s had little reason to hang onto Moll, despite those years of control. He didn’t establish himself at the big league level until his age-29 season and is now 31. The A’s have been leaning hard into a rebuild recently, with their 30-77 record the worst in the majors. Ownership is going to be focused on moving the team to Las Vegas in the immediate future and might not make the necessary investments to get the club back into competitive shape for a while.
Instead, they have exchanged him for Boyle, a 23-year-old right-hander who is listed at 6’7″ and 240 pounds. He was drafted by the Reds in the fifth round of the 2020 draft and got a brief professional debut in the lower levels of their farm system in 2021. He split last year between High-A and Double-A, tossing 100 2/3 innings over 23 outings with a 2.86 ERA. He struck out 36.5% of batters but also issued walks at an eyebrow-raising 20% clip. He’s made 19 more Double-A starts this year with similar results, striking out 31.5% of opponents while walking 19.4%, leading to a 4.50 ERA.
Both Baseball America and FanGraphs currently list Boyle as the #20 prospect in the Reds’ system. The book on him seems to be that he has excellent stuff but worrisome control, which matches the stat line. He has a triple-digit fastball and quality breaking stuff as well, but will need to greatly rein in his command in order to be effective.
Greene will now be ineligible to return until 60 days from his placement on the injured list due to hip pain, which was on June 18, officially keeping him out until August 17. He’s expected to make a rehab start this weekend with a planned return in late August.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Outrights: Calhoun, Ruiz
A pair of players recently designated for assignment have gone unclaimed on waivers, per the transaction log at MLB.com.
- The Yankees assigned outfielder Willie Calhoun outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York DFA him last Friday after his time on a minor league rehab stint lapsed. Calhoun hit .239/.309/.403 with five homers in 149 plate appearances between his contract selection in early April and the left quad strain that sent him to the injured list towards the end of June. He’s a .240/.300/.404 hitter in more than 1000 plate appearances over parts of seven big league campaigns. Calhoun has cleared waivers three times in his career, giving him the right to elect minor league free agency in lieu of an outright assignment.
- Diamondbacks reliever José Ruiz was outrighted over the weekend. The right-hander had lost his spot in the Arizona bullpen last Tuesday. Acquired from the White Sox in an April trade, Ruiz pitched 34 times with the Snakes. He allowed a 4.33 ERA with a below-average 19.8% strikeout rate over 40 2/3 innings. The hard-throwing hurler carries a 4.51 ERA across 219 1/3 career frames. Ruiz has multiple career outrights and sufficient service time to test free agency, though he’d forfeit the remainder of his $925K salary to do so. That seems unlikely, so he’ll presumably head to Triple-A Reno and try to get back on the big league roster before season’s end.
Cubs, Royals Swap Jose Cuas For Nelson Velazquez
The Cubs and Royals have exchanged reliever José Cuas for outfielder Nelson Velázquez, the teams announced. It’s a one-for-one swap.
Cuas, 29, bounced around the minors before cracking Kansas City’s roster last summer. He has made 92 appearances in middle relief over the past two seasons. The right-hander owns a 4.08 ERA across 79 1/3 career innings. He has seen a big jump in whiffs year-over-year, pushing his strikeout rate from a modest 18.9% as a rookie to 27.1% this season. He’s picking up swinging strikes on an above-average 13.3% of his offerings.
The University of Maryland product works with a sinker-slider mix from a lower arm slot. He doesn’t throw especially hard but has missed plenty of bats with his low-80s slider. He’ll step into the middle innings mix and can bounce between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa for a while. He still has two minor league options year remaining and won’t be eligible for arbitration until at least after the 2024 campaign.
In exchange, the Royals get a look at Velázquez. A right-handed hitting outfielder, he picked up some prospect attention on the strength of his power potential early in his career. The former fifth-round draftee struggled to a .205/.286/.373 line while striking out almost 32% of the time in 77 games as a rookie last season. He has mashed in a small big league sample this year but spent the bulk of the season with Iowa.
Over 330 trips to the dish there, the 24-year-old Velázquez owns a .253/.333/.469 batting line. He’s connected on 16 home runs but struck out in just under 30% of his plate appearances. He’s playing mostly center field but has generally been viewed as a better fit for a corner by prospect evaluators.
In recent years, the Royals have rolled the dice on a few upper level outfielders with above-average tools but swing-and-miss concerns. Kansas City has given looks to the likes of Edward Olivares and Drew Waters. Velázquez has a generally similar profile and will compete for reps in an uncertain outfield at Kauffman Stadium. He has one minor league option beyond this season and is at least two years away from arbitration.