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Brendan McKay Suffers UCL Injury

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 10:10pm CDT

Rays left-hander Brendan McKay suffered an injury to the UCL in his throwing elbow, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). McKay, who suffered the injury on the first pitch of yesterday’s appearance with Triple-A Durham, will go for a second opinion. Topkin notes that the team isn’t yet sure whether he’ll require surgery.

Whether or not McKay goes under the knife, one has to feel awful for the 26-year-old. A former #4 overall pick and top prospect, McKay progressed up the minor league ladder rather quickly and reached the majors in 2019. He tossed 49 innings over 13 appearances (including 11 starts), only managing a 5.14 ERA but posting an above-average 25.9% strikeout rate. In spite of some home run troubles, the former Louisville two-way star looked like a potential rotation building block for Tampa Bay.

In the three years since then, McKay hasn’t thrown a single major league pitch. That’s on account of an almost unfathomable stretch of poor injury luck. He missed the shortened 2020 season on account of a shoulder problem that eventually required surgery. The rehab from that procedure kept him out of action until late June 2021. Just a few outings into a minor league rehab stint, McKay suffered a flexor strain in his forearm that again proved to be season-ending. He was then diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and underwent surgery to correct that issue last November.

McKay had been on the injured list for all of 2022 as he recovered from the TOS procedure. He set out on a rehab assignment in mid-July and spent his allotted 30-day window pitching back to Triple-A. The Rays just formally reinstated McKay from the IL on Tuesday but kept him in Durham on an optional assignment. How the club proceeds from here will be determined by the results of the upcoming evaluation, but the revelation of ligament damage certainly means another trip to the IL and would appear likely to end his 2022 season.

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Tampa Bay Rays Brendan McKay

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Mets Release Johneshwy Fargas, Outright Nate Fisher

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 8:56pm CDT

The Mets have released outfielder Johneshwy Fargas and infielder Tzu-Wei Lin from their Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, per Baseball America’s Chris Hilburn-Trenkle. They’ve also assigned lefty Nate Fisher to Syracuse after he passed through outright waivers unclaimed, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets.

Fargas, 27, made his big league debut with the 2021 Mets after their outfield was hit with a barrage of injuries last summer. Fargas himself fell victim to that injury deluge after just seven games, suffering a sprained AC joint when colliding with the outfield wall on a leaping catch. He went 6-for-21 with a few highlight-reel moments in the outfield that, paired the effusive energy he displayed on both sides of the ball, made him a quick fan favorite in Queens. Fargas was designated for assignment, claimed by the Cubs, and eventually returned to the Mets on a minor league deal over the winter.

It’s been a tough season in the minors for Fargas, who carries a combined .212/.305/.340 batting line in 301 plate appearances between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He’s still gone 28-for-30 in stolen base attempts, underscoring speed that allows him to provide value both on the bases and in the outfield. He’s played all three outfield positions in the minors this season, though the bulk of his time has been spent in center.

Fisher, meanwhile, just received his first major league call over the weekend. The 26-year-old tossed three scoreless innings of mop-up work and was promptly designated for assignment. After going unclaimed on waivers, he’ll head back to Syracuse, where he has a 3.12 ERA across 43 1/3 frames in 12 appearances (ten starts). The Nebraska product remains in the organization but no longer occupies a spot on the 40-man roster.

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New York Mets Transactions Johneshwy Fargas Nate Fisher Tzu-Wei Lin

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Big Hype Prospects: Alvarez, Baty, Crow-Armstrong, Langeliers, Bello

By Brad Johnson | August 26, 2022 at 6:40pm CDT

Julio Rodriguez is on the verge of a massive contract extension. Who will be the next prospect to ink a mega-deal? Today’s Big Hype Prospects won’t answer that question, but it’s possible we’ll discuss them all the same.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Francisco Alvarez, 20, C, NYM (AAA)
141 PA, 6 HR, .180/.340/.378

Despite the triumphant return of Jacob deGrom, the Mets divisional aspirations are endangered. Their once dominant lead over the Braves has dwindled to just two games. The club has received exactly 0.0 WAR from their catchers. Alvarez, whose combination of discipline and rare raw power can lead to some irresponsible comps (like former Met Mike Piazza), has held his own at Triple-A. The low batting average is the result of an unfortunate .209 BABIP. Low BABIPs in the minors can be symptomatic of a flaw. Sometimes, they’re just bad luck over a small sample. Alvarez had similar issues in High-A last season (.260 BABIP) so it’s possible his plodding speed and pull-heavy approach might yield an all-or-nothing slugger, especially early in his career. Defensive reviews are mixed and can sometimes leave a Gary Sanchez-like taste on the tongue. He has the capacity and work ethic to stick at the position, but maybe his bat is too potent to subject to the rigors of battery work?

Alvarez would certainly upgrade the Mets lineup over the likes of James McCann and Tomas Nido. However, they’re both talented defenders who have experience with the Mets pitching staff. If New York wants to experiment with Alvarez ahead of the postseason, now is the time to do it.

Brett Baty, 22, 3B, NYM (MLB)
35 PA, 1 HR, .161/.235/.258

Baty’s first exposure to Major League pitching hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. He had only 26 successful plate appearances at Triple-A before he was called upon. Much of his season was spent in Double-A where he hit .312/.406/.544 in 394 plate appearances. Baty is a disciplined hitter who makes hard, low-angle contact. With 91-mph average and 113-mph max exit velocities, he’s already demonstrated his power in just 24 batted ball events. His tendency to keep the ball on the ground could yield a contact profile something like a less-extreme Yandy Diaz. Whereas Diaz is nigh immune to strikeouts, Baty has a bit of swing-and-miss in his game.

Eduardo Escobar is nearing a return which could spell the end of the Baty experiment – at least for 2022. It’s also worth noting that his struggles have occurred over just nine games. He wouldn’t be the first player to need a couple beats before catching his stride.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, 20, OF, CHC (A+)
235 PA, 9 HR, 16 SB, .286/.332/.521

Known to many prospect-watchers by his initials “PCA,” Crow-Armstrong was acquired from the Mets as part of the Javier Baez trade in 2021. The Cubs instigated a mechanical change to his swing which has led to above average pull-side power this season. Including a thorough stomping of Low-A pitchers, PCA has 16 home runs and 29 stolen bases across 418 total plate appearances. He’s a gifted center fielder who was originally expected to fit in the Majors as a defensive savant. The addition of power to his profile could unlock a star-level ceiling. There remain issues with his bat including elevated strikeout and swinging strike rates. He’s young for his level and showed better plate discipline in the past. Consider him a volatile work-in-progress who now appears likely to have a role as a future regular.

Shea Langeliers, 24, C, OAK (MLB)
36 PA, 2 HR, .294/.306/.647

A key component of the Matt Olson trade, Langeliers has made an impactful debut. He’s already popped two home runs, four doubles, and a triple in just nine games. That’s par for the course with Langeliers. He has middling plate discipline, plus power, and a below average feel for contact. When he does connect, it tends to be loud. His best trait is defense where he’s expected to be a comfortably positive contributor. The presence of Sean Murphy is only a temporary impediment – it’s widely assumed the veteran Athletic will be traded over the winter.

Brayan Bello, 23, SP, BOS (MLB)
22 IP, 9.00 K/9, 4.91 BB/9, 7.36 ERA

Recently returned from the injured list, Bello had his best big league outing against the division rival Blue Jays. He tossed five innings of two-run ball while compiling seven strikeouts. Bello has a four-pitch repertoire led by a bowling ball 96.5-mph sinker. He also has a slightly harder fastball he can locate up in the zone. A slider and frequently-used changeup round out his pitch mix. In 18 minor league appearances he posted 12.10 K/9, 3.40 BB/9, and a 2.34 ERA. His carrying trait is an over-60 percent ground ball rate which, if maintained, would rank second among qualified starters between southpaw Framber Valdez (67.5%) and right-hander Logan Webb (58.4%). Like many sinker specialists making their debuts, Bello has struggled with free passes. He got away with iffy command in the minors because his stuff played even when thrown down the pike. He’s liable to need an adjustment period in the Majors.

Five More

Mark Vientos, NYM (22): A possible alternative to Baty and Escobar, Vientos is red hot for the month of August. He’s batting .403/.448/.661 with four home runs in 67 plate appearances. He draws negative reviews for his third base defense and is in the process of switching over to first base. The bat appears as if it should play in the Majors at either position, though he might be a tad ordinary at the cold corner. He’s just shy of a 30 percent strikeout rate for a second consecutive season in the upper-minors.

Grayson Rodriguez, BAL (22): Rodriguez has been sidelined for nearly three months with a lat strain. He is due to face hitters in a simulated game later this week. It’s possible he could make his debut in late-September.

Gunnar Henderson, BAL (21): Rumors abound of an impending callup for Henderson. Club officials are supposedly pondering the implications on his development. Henderson hasn’t exactly knocked down doors in August, batting .259/.364/.435 with 12.1 percent walk and 31.3 percent strikeout rates.

Robert Hassell III, WSH (21): One of the prizes acquired for Juan Soto, the Nationals aggressively promoted Hassell to Double-A where he’s hit .147/.237/.206 through his first eight games. Like Baty above, it’s not uncommon for young players to scuffle when first presented with a new challenge. And even Mike Trout has eight-game slumps. Strikeouts have been an issue for Hassell since joining the Nats org.

Curtis Mead, TB, (21): Recently recovered from a month-long injury to his elbow, Mead has five hits and two walks over 14 plate appearances. The right-handed slugger could make a useful platoonmate with David Peralta, especially once rosters expand in a few days. He’s Rule 5 eligible this winter so getting a jump on his service clock should be seen as acceptable – assuming the Rays can find a 40-man spot. He’s hitting .299/.391/.536 on the year, mostly at Double-A.

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Big Hype Prospects MLBTR Originals Brayan Bello Brett Baty Francisco Alvarez Pete Crow-Armstrong Shea Langeliers

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Chi Chi Gonzalez Opts Out Of Deal With Tigers

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 6:08pm CDT

Right-hander Chi Chi González has triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Tigers, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). He returns to the open market.

It was a brief run in Detroit for the 30-year-old, who signed one month ago. He started four of five outings with Triple-A Toledo, working to a 5.48 ERA over 21 1/3 innings. González only struck out 19.4% of opposing hitters during that time, but he induced ground-balls at a huge 58.5% clip. Detroit nevertheless decided against adding him to the big league roster, and he’ll explore his other options.

González has already gotten to the majors with two teams this season. He began this season on a non-roster pact with the Twins and was selected to the majors on two separate occasions. After being designated for assignment in June, he was claimed off waivers by the Brewers. He started two of four games for Milwaukee before being taken off the roster again. That time around, González cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Between the two clubs, he has a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 frames. González also posted an ERA north of 6.00 with the Rockies from 2020-21, but he’s capable of serving as either rotation or long relief depth. It seems likely he’ll get another minor league opportunity elsewhere. If he signs before September 1, he’d be eligible for a new team’s postseason roster.

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Detroit Tigers Transactions Chi Chi Gonzalez

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Cubs Reinstate Manuel Rodriguez From Injured List

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 5:57pm CDT

The Cubs announced they’ve reinstated reliever Manuel Rodríguez from the 60-day injured list. He’ll be on the roster for tonight’s game against the Brewers. Chicago optioned righty Kervin Castro to Triple-A Iowa to open an active roster spot, while starter Alec Mills was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Rodríguez, who recently turned 26, is in line for his first MLB action of the season. He made his big league debut last year, appearing in 20 games and throwing 17 2/3 innings. The righty scuffled to a 6.11 ERA during that brief look, walking an untenable 14.5% of opponents. He averaged more than 97 MPH on his fastball and induced ground-balls at a whopping 53.7% clip, though, showcasing some potential to emerge as a possible middle innings arm for skipper David Ross.

This season hasn’t gone according to plan, as Rodríguez made just five appearances in Iowa. He lost a good chunk of time with a strain in his throwing elbow, but he’s back and will look to stake his claim to a spot in the season-opening bullpen for next year. This is Rodríguez’s final minor league option year, meaning the Cubs will have to keep him on the active roster at the start of 2023 or make him available to other teams via trade or waivers.

Mills has been out since July 3 with a lower back strain. The righty’s IL transfer backdates to that point, so he’ll be eligible to return around a week from now. He’s unlikely to be ready by that point, as he’s yet to start a minor league rehab assignment.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Alec Mills Manuel Rodriguez

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Giants Select Scott Alexander

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 5:42pm CDT

The Giants announced they’ve selected reliever Scott Alexander onto the major league roster. Fellow southpaw Thomas Szapucki was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. To create a spot on the 40-man roster, San Francisco recalled left-hander Sam Long from the minors and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list.

Alexander is up for the first time as a Giant. The 33-year-old is no stranger to the NL West, having spent the 2018-21 campaigns with the archrival Dodgers. He was a solid situational piece for L.A. skipper Dave Roberts, posting a 3.49 ERA across 111 frames. The sinkerballer only struck out 17.7% of opposing hitters over that stretch, but only Zack Britton and Aaron Bummer had a ground-ball rate superior to Alexander’s 67.5% clip (among relievers with 100+ innings). He held left-handed opponents to a woeful .196/.262/.312 line in 122 plate appearances over that stretch.

Unfortunately, Alexander was also no stranger to the injured list. He lost a good chunk of the 2019 season with forearm inflammation, and he spent most of last year on the IL with a shoulder injury. The Dodgers waived him at the end of last season, and he remained a free agent until signing a minor league deal with San Francisco in March. He’s spent the majority of this year on the IL as well, only reporting to Sacramento three weeks ago. After 7 2/3 scoreless innings over seven games there, Alexander makes his return to the major leagues.

Long recently suffered a right oblique strain in Triple-A, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. His 2022 season comes to an end after 28 MLB appearances and eight outings in Sacramento. The swingman worked to a 3.61 ERA over 42 1/3 innings at the MLB level, albeit with a modest 18.2% strikeout rate. He’ll be paid at the prorated $700K league minimum rate for the rest of the season and collect big league service time for the next five weeks.

 @Drew_Smitty first reported Alexander’s forthcoming promotion yesterday.

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San Francisco Giants Transactions Sam Long Scott Alexander

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Angels Select Gerardo Reyes, Ryan Aguilar

By Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 5:16pm CDT

The Angels announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s series in Toronto. Relievers Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera and outfielder Taylor Ward were all placed on the restricted list. That’s standard procedure for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 and are thus prohibited from traveling into Canada. In order to replace them on the roster, the Halos recalled righty José Marte and selected the contracts of reliever Gerardo Reyes and outfielder Ryan Aguilar. All three players have been designated as “substitutes,” meaning they can later be taken off the roster and returned to the minor leagues without passing through waivers.

It’s likely to be a temporary promotion for that trio, but Reyes and Aguilar have long-awaited opportunities to make an impact at the major league level. Reyes has a bit of big league experience, having come out of the bullpen 27 times for the 2019 Padres. The right-hander posted a 7.62 ERA over 26 innings. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site and was dealt from San Diego to Anaheim that deadline in exchange for veteran catcher Jason Castro.

Reyes was outrighted off the 40-man roster last March and underwent Tommy John surgery not long after, but he’s returned to action in Salt Lake this season. Through 39 innings with the Bees, the 29-year-old has a 3.69 ERA. He’s punched out an above-average 29.2% of opposing hitters but issued walks at an elevated 15.7% clip.

Aguilar, meanwhile, could get a chance to make his MLB debut. A 31st round pick of the Brewers out of the University of Arizona in 2016, he remained in the Milwaukee farm system through the end of last season. The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Halos over the offseason and has spent the year at Double-A Rocket City. He’s posted an excellent .280/.427/.517 line with a massive 19% walk rate (albeit against generally younger competition) to earn a big league call. A left-handed hitter, he’s played primarily right field with the Trash Pandas.

Loup, Tepera and Ward will miss the weekend series. They’ll presumably rejoin the club on Monday, when they return home to host the Yankees. Sam Blum of the Athletic tweets that hitting coach Jeremy Reed also did not make the trip to Toronto.

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Los Angeles Angels Transactions Aaron Loup Gerardo Reyes Jeremy Reed Ryan Aguilar Ryan Tepera Taylor Ward

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Nationals Release Maikel Franco

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 3:20pm CDT

The Nationals have released veteran infielder Maikel Franco, reinstated second baseman Luis Garcia from the injured list, optioned righty Cory Abbott and selected the contract of top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, per a team announcement. Cavalli’s looming promotion had been announced by the team earlier in the week. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com first noted that Garcia was in the clubhouse and that Franco appeared to be packing up and saying his goodbyes, indicating a move was on the horizon.

Franco, who turns 30 today, has spent the season as Washington’s primary third baseman. The Nats signed the former Phillies top prospect to a minor league deal over the winter, and he broke camp with the team. Franco has gotten 99 starts, with the vast majority of that time coming at his customary position at the hot corner. While he’s been a durable lineup fixture, the right-handed hitter simply hasn’t produced much at the plate. Franco posted a .229/.255/.342 showing across 388 plate appearances, only connecting on nine home runs with a meager 3.1% walk rate.

It’s a second straight well below-average season for Franco, who managed a .210/.253/.355 line with the Orioles last season. Fellow journeyman Ildemaro Vargas, who was selected onto the big league roster at the start of this month, has a far more productive .317/.354/.450 showing in 65 plate appearances. The switch-hitting Vargas has taken hold of the third base job as a result, while Garcia is now in line to pair with top prospect CJ Abrams as the primary middle infield duo. That pushed veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the bench and squeezed Franco off the roster.

A nine-year MLB veteran, Franco finds himself on release waivers. Assuming he goes unclaimed, he’ll hit free agency and be able to explore other opportunities elsewhere. It seems likely he’ll be limited to minor league offers, although he’d technically be eligible for another team’s postseason roster if he signs before the end of this month.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Cade Cavalli Cory Abbott Luis Garcia (infielder) Maikel Franco

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Phillies Activate Bryce Harper

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 2:34pm CDT

The Phillies have reinstated reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper from the 60-day injured list, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Infielder/outfielder Yairo Munoz was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open a spot on the active roster, while fellow outfielder Simon Muzziotti was recalled from Triple-A and placed directly on the 60-day injured list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Philadelphia also recalled southpaw Bailey Falter from Lehigh Valley to start tonight’s game.

Harper is hitting cleanup in today’s Phillies lineup and serving as their designated hitter — a role he figures to occupy down the stretch as he continues to nurse a ligament tear in his throwing elbow. That, of course, is not the injury that’s held Harper out for the past two months. Harper was playing through the elbow issue and serving as a highly productive DH before suffering a fractured thumb upon being hit by a pitch. He required surgery to address the issue and has been out of action since June.

The Phils weathered that absence extremely well, and they find themselves in strong playoff position as a result. Philadelphia heads into tonight’s game with a 70-55 record that places them firmly in possession of the National League’s second Wild Card spot. They’ll now welcome back Harper, owner of a massive .318/.385/.599 showing through 275 plate appearances, to the lineup for the season’s final five weeks. The aforementioned elbow ligament tear will keep Harper at DH, at least for the time being, but Philadelphia is no doubt thrilled to get his bat back in the lineup.

As for Muziotti, his 2022 season is over due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. The 23-year-old, one of the better outfield prospects in the organization, made his MLB debut this April and appeared in nine games. He spent the majority of the year with Double-A Reading, hitting .259/.339/.455 through 38 games. He’ll be paid at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for the rest of this season and collect around five weeks of big league service time while looking ahead to 2023.

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Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Bryce Harper Simon Muzziotti Yairo Munoz

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Rays Extend Tyler Glasnow Through 2024

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 1:43pm CDT

The Rays announced agreement Friday on a contract extension with Tyler Glasnow that will run through the 2024 season. The deal reportedly pays the Wasserman client $5.35MM in 2023, his final season of arbitration-eligibility, and jumps to a hefty $25MM in 2024. It also contains potential bonuses dependent upon Glasnow’s finishes in Cy Young balloting over the next two seasons.

Last year, the now-29-year-old Glasnow looked well on his way to establishing himself as one of the sport’s most dominant arms. Long a top prospect in the Pirates organization, Glasnow was infamously traded to the Rays, alongside Austin Meadows and Shane Baz, in exchange for Chris Archer — one of the most lopsided deals in recent memory.

He’s spent parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay — 2018-21 — and posted a combined 3.10 ERA and 3.19 FIP with 34.3% strikeout rate against a 7.9% walk rate. That includes a relatively slow start, as the big righty managed a 4.20 ERA through 11 appearances down the stretch after the 2018 deadline deal. Since the calendar flipped to 2019, Glasnow has been an excellent performer. He posted a microscopic 1.78 ERA across 60 2/3 innings in 2019, striking out a third of opponents while inducing grounders on over half the batted balls against him. While his ERA jumped to 4.08 during the shortened 2020 campaign, Glasnow punched out an even more impressive 38.2% of batters faced that season.

Everything seemed to be coming together last year, Glasnow’s age-27 campaign. He’d been on a potential Cy Young trajectory, starting 14 games and working to a 2.66 ERA over 88 frames through mid-June. He paired that with an elite 36.2% strikeout rate while generating swinging strikes on more than 17% of his offerings, but he blew out his elbow and was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. That procedure ended his season and led to some speculation the payroll-conscious Rays could consider trading him last offseason, but there’s no indication they ever came close to doing so.

Glasnow maintained over the winter that he hoped to stick with Tampa Bay. He reiterated that sentiment when chatting with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times this afternoon, saying he’d much preferred to stay in the organization. The Rays held onto him throughout his rehab process, and the former fifth-rounder could make his return to the mound later this season. Glasnow told Topkin he’s headed to Triple-A Durham to throw some live batting practice sessions and could soon embark on a minor league rehab assignment.

It’s a bold move for the Rays, whom Topkin notes have never previously paid a player a $25MM annual salary (although franchise shortstop Wander Franco will reach that mark in 2028 under the terms of the 11-year extension he signed last November). Next year’s $5.35MM figure represents only a marginal bump over this year’s $5.1MM mark, reflecting the fact that he hasn’t pitched all season and wouldn’t have been in line for a notable arbitration raise. It’s the 2024 commitment to buy out Glasnow’s first free agent year that comes as a surprise.

It’s easy to see both the high risk and reward of the move from Tampa Bay’s perspective. If Glasnow picks up right where he’d left off pre-surgery, he’ll immediately form a fearsome pairing with AL All-Star starter Shane McClanahan at the top of the rotation. It’s not uncommon for ace-caliber hurlers to surpass $30MM annually over a multi-year free agent investment, one the Rays seem unlikely to make. Even factoring in the potential bonuses, a $25MM base salary in 2024 would be more than reasonable if Glasnow pitches as he did in 2019-21, and the team isn’t on the hook for any longer-term commitment. It’s a match for the guarantee the Astros gave Justin Verlander last winter coming off two seasons largely lost to a Tommy John surgery of his own. Verlander has returned to the top of the rotation and pitched exceptionally, and the Astros have been handsomely rewarded for their investment.

At the same time, there’s no sugarcoating the downside for Tampa Bay if Glasnow suffers an injury setback or performance regression. The Rays have never opened a season with a player payroll higher than this year’s estimated $83.9MM tab, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Presumably, owner Stuart Sternberg is willing to push that number upwards over the coming two seasons, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll eclipse nine figures by that point. Glasnow’s deal could wind up counting for around one-quarter of the team’s player expenditures, and the club also has fairly notable salaries for Manuel Margot ($10MM) and Brandon Lowe ($8.75MM) for that season. Players like McClanahan, Randy Arozarena and Drew Rasmussen will have reached arbitration-eligibility by then as well.

It’s a bold strike from an organization that doesn’t customarily make this kind of financial investment. If all goes well, the Rays will get an extra season of ace-level performance for a price below the free agent market value. Glasnow, meanwhile, locks in a fair amount of financial security as he wraps up his Tommy John rehab. He tacks on another year with a club for which he’s clearly comfortable playing, and he could still land a multi-year deal once he hits the open market in advance of his age-31 season. There’s risk for the Rays in committing a sizable portion of their expected 2024 payroll to a player who hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch in 14 months, but they’re clearly confident Glasnow will be no worse for wear than he was before he went under the knife.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported the Rays and Glasnow were in agreement on an extension that ran through 2024. Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report the salary terms. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic noted the presence of “significant” bonuses based on Cy Young finishes.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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Newsstand Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Tyler Glasnow

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