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Mets Notes: Syndergaard, deGrom, Baez

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Noah Syndergaard could be back on the Mets’ Major League roster on Tuesday, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports (via Twitter). Syndergaard made two rehab appearances, setting him up for a week in the Mets’ bullpen before the offseason. The 73-81 Mets have not much to play for in this final week of game action, but there may be a small victory in once more seeing Thor suit up in a Mets’ uni before he hits free agency this winter. Syndergaard has not pitched in the Majors since 2019.

In other Mets’ news…

  • Jacob deGrom continues to work his way back to full health after a frustrating and somewhat obfuscating extended absence. The Mets’ ace went on the injured list for the second time 71 calendar days ago. It wasn’t clear at the time that he would be out long-term. He threw a bullpen session recently, which could put him on track to make one appearance this year, per Healey. Once a clear-cut Cy Young frontrunner, deGrom is likely to finish the year with a 1.08 ERA/1.23 FIP across 15 starts totaling 92 innings.
  • Javier Baez would be very much open to returning to the Mets next year to continue playing alongside his countryman and close friend Francisco Lindor, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Baez has put up an exceptional .303/.377/.538 line since joining the Mets, adding up to an impressive 4.3 rWAR/3.6 fWAR total for the year. The polarizing star will be an unrestricted free agent without a qualifying offer attached, so while he enjoys playing alongside his pal in New York, it may come down to a question of price point. For the Mets the issue is allocation of resources, as they already has Jeff McNeil and Luis Guillorme under team control, as well as Robinson Cano coming back from suspension. As well as Baez has played, the Mets may have greater needs elsewhere.

 

Jed Hoyer Discusses Upcoming Cubs Offseason

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Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs, spoke with reporters (including Bruce Levine of of 670 The Score and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic) on Friday about the upcoming offseason. Hoyer said that the organization plans on being “really active in free agency,” though also hedged that by saying they plan to “spend money intelligently.”

One could be forgiven for being a bit skeptical of Hoyer, given how his tenure as president has gone so far. After taking over for the departing Theo Epstein in November of 2020, it took him just over a month to trade away the team’s ace, Yu Darvish, a move that seemed entirely motivated by ownership-mandated cost savings and was essentially unprecedented. If that wasn’t a total wave of the white flag on the season, then the trade deadline was, as the Cubs shipped out almost all of their curse-breaking core by trading away Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, as well as Craig Kimbrel and a few others.

After almost a year of stripping the roster down, it’s hard to believe that the front office will suddenly turn around and spend at the top of the market in an attempt to make a quick return to competitiveness. However, there’s not going to be much stopping them from spending this winter, financially speaking. Due to all the aforementioned trades, they now have just over $40MM in guaranteed money on the books for 2022, most of which is going to Jason Heyward and Kyle Hendricks, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez. Willson Contreras and Ian Happ will be owed arbitration raises and add modest sums to that, but that will probably only push the total to the $60MM range. The Cubs haven’t had a payroll below $100MM since 2014, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, when prorating 2020’s payroll over a full season. So, there could be lots of money for Hoyer to throw around, if ownership allows him. But based on the past year, that’s a big if.

Given all the holes on the roster created by the teardown, it seems more likely that the club will make a few modest signings and continue to give most of their playing time to cheaper and controllable players. With the departure of the previous core, they didn’t really have highly-touted prospects to call up and fill the void. Instead, the playing time has gone to late-bloomer types like 30-year-old Rafael Ortega and 29-year-olds Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel. Although those guys have fared well in their auditions since the deadline, they’re generally not the kinds of players that front offices consider building blocks.

In addition to the roster, Hoyer will also be dealing with other matters, such as signing a general manager. In Sharma’s piece from The Athletic, and a separate piece from Levine, they say the plan is to make a hire before the general managers’ meetings. A date is not yet set for this year’s meetings, though they usually take place annually in November. Levine’s sources say the Cubs have “had contact with upward of six individuals” about the position, though no names are mentioned.

As for the manager’s seat, Sharma suggests the plan there is more straightforward. David Ross is about to finish the second season of a three-year deal, though he could be a candidate for an extension. When asked about the possibility of an extension, Hoyer said, “I think that’s a question for next week… But it’s a fair question next week. And like I said, I love working with him. He’s already an excellent manager, and I think he has a chance to be really special in his job.”

All in all, it will surely be a very different offseason than the Cubs have had in some time, with one competitive window now firmly closed and all efforts focused on opening the next one.

AL Notes: Avila, Tigers, Angels, Vazquez

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Tigers president/CEO Christopher Ilitch said in August that his team was willing to go after “high-impact players” this offseason, and spend as necessary (or if necessary) to obtain such talent.  Ilitch reiterated those comments again speaking with The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters recently, while GM Al Avila made further remarks hinting at a busy offseason, if not necessarily an all-in push for the 2022 season in particular.  “Just rest assured we’re going to try to improve this team for next year and make a big push,” Avila said.  “We feel we are very close to being in the playoffs.  We’re not too far away.”

Detroit improved to 75-79 with today’s 5-1 victory over the Royals, so the Tigers still have a shot at their first winning season since 2016.  The Tigers essentially sunk their season by starting out with only nine wins in their first 33 games, yet they’ve quietly been one of baseball’s better teams every since, going 66-55 since that ugly 33-game start.  With the Twins and Indians taking a step backwards in 2021, the Royals still waiting for their latest rebuild to bear fruit, and the White Sox playing well but hardly dominating on their way to the AL Central title, the Tigers may feel the opportunity is ripe to return to contention.  It remains to be seen how extensive the Tigers’ shopping spree will be this winter, but after several years of rebuilding, Detroit fans are surely excited to see what headlines their club can generate in the offseason.

More from around the American League…

  • The Angels have needs in both the rotation and at shortstop, though a source tells Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that the team is more willing to spend big on pitching, and the Angels could “perhaps scrimp a bit at shortstop.”  This could indicate a shortstop acquisition akin to the Halos’ pickup of Jose Iglesias from the Orioles last winter, with the Angels obviously hoping for much more than Iglesias’ underwhelming performance in Anaheim.  Though several star shortstops will be available in free agency, it is hard to argue against pitching as the greater need, considering that Los Angeles has long been hampered by a lack of healthy and productive arms.  Manager Joe Maddon believes the Angels need two front-of-the-rotation starters, telling The L.A. Times’ Bill Shaikin and other reporters that while he thinks his team has a “championship-capable” core of position players, “it’s almost impossible for it to happen” without an upgraded rotation.  Maddon used his former organization as a comparison point, noting that the Cubs wouldn’t have won the 2016 World Series without their signings of Jon Lester and John Lackey.
  • 2021 is the last guaranteed year of Christian Vazquez’s contract, as the Red Sox hold a $7MM club option ($250K buyout) on the catcher’s services for next season.  Vazquez is certainly eager to see that option exercised, as he told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith that he would like to remain in Boston for the remainder of his career.  Vazquez has already spent his entire pro career in the organization, delivering generally quality defense behind the plate and some offensive production, though his bat has been very inconsistent.  This hasn’t been one of Vazquez’s better years, with a modest .261/.313/.354 slash line and six homers through 480 plate appearances entering today’s play, and his framing numbers are also down, as Smith notes.  Still, it doesn’t seem likely that the Red Sox would just let Vazquez walk, as Boston could pick up the option and still look for catching upgrades, with Vazquez on hand as either a Plan B or as a potential trade chip.  It would also seem like Vazquez is a natural extension candidate if the Sox want to keep him in the fold for years to come, though catching prospects Ronaldo Hernandez and Connor Wong are knocking on the door for future playing time.

Mike Trout Confirms End Of His 2021 Season

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Mike Trout officially confirmed what has been looking more and more obvious for some weeks now — he won’t play again in the 2021 season.  The decision was actually made a few weeks ago, Trout told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters, as Trout was never able to fully recover from the right calf strain that first sent him to the injured list back in May.

“My body wasn’t allowing it.  It’s been a grind and it’s been tough for me….My mind and what I wanted was telling me one thing and my body was telling me something else,” Trout said. “I was feeling really good in workouts and then [the calf] would get sore on me.  It’s been a tough September for me.  If we were in the race, it might be different and maybe I could play through it.  But it got to the point where I needed a rehab assignment and had two weeks left and just looking at the bigger picture, it was smarter to get it right and get ready for Spring Training.”

After suffering the injury on May 17, Trout was initially projected to miss six-to-eight weeks — a lengthy absence to be sure, but nothing that appeared to be season-threatening.  On multiple occasions, Trout appeared to be on the verge of beginning a minor league rehab assignment, though as he noted, continued soreness in his calf prevented him from taking the field in a proper game environment.

In something of a bitter irony, Trout said his calf is “almost 100 percent, if not 100 percent” in the two weeks since he was shut down.  He fully expects to be ready for Spring Training, and is “looking forward to having a healthy offseason.  Keep that same routine.”

Since the Angels were also hampered by an injury-plagued year for Anthony Rendon, mediocre defense, and another year of subpar pitching, it’s hard to say whether or not a healthy Trout would have been enough to get Los Angeles into the postseason race.  However, it’s safe to assume that the Angels would have more than just 73 wins with Trout providing his usual level of superstar production.  Trout was hitting an absurd .333/.466/.624 with eight home runs over 146 plate appearances, and one can only imagine the offensive fireworks that could have been generated with a healthy Trout and Rendon joining MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani in the lineup.

Trout does expect big things from the Angels in both 2022 and in the coming offseason, noting that “We have a lot of money to spend.  Hopefully we go out there, get some good guys.  I trust Perry [GM Perry Minasian], I trust the top guys in this organization….I’m very confident with the group up there.  They’re working hard every day.  They’re trying to put a winning team on the field.”

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/25/21

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The latest minor moves from around the league…

  • Orioles right-hander Cesar Valdez accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A after clearing waivers.  Valdez was designated for assignment earlier this week, and this is the second time in as many months that the 36-year-old has been outrighted.  (He had the option of choosing free agency, but Valdez instead decided to remain with the O’s.)  Home runs have been the biggest issue for Valdez this season, as his 5.87 ERA has been inflated by eight homers allowed over 46 innings out of Baltimore’s pen.

Injury Notes: Cousins, Andrus, Loaisiga, Taillon, Cisnero

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The Brewers placed righty Jake Cousins on the 10-day injured list due to a right biceps strain, as right-hander Miguel Sanchez was called up from Triple-A to take Cousins’ spot on the active roster.  Speaking with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters, Brewers GM Matt Arnold described Cousins’ injury as “nothing major,” adding that “We just want to be careful.  It’s that time of year where we want to make sure he’s available in a playoff capacity.”

Considering that Cousins didn’t even make his MLB debut until June 21, his status as a potential postseason weapon is a sign of how well he has performed during his rookie season.  Cousins has a 2.70 ERA over 30 relief innings, along with an eye-popping 35.2% strikeout rate — not far off his minor league numbers since joining the Milwaukee organization in 2019.  While Cousins’ control hasn’t been nearly as impressive (15.2% walk rate), opponents haven’t been able to take much advantage, as Cousins has been carving up batters with his wipeout slider.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • While scoring the game-winning run in the Athletics’ 2-1 walkoff win over the Astros today, Elvis Andrus suffered a left ankle injury and had to be helped off the field.  A’s manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos and other reporters that Andrus is getting x-rays after “feeling a pop” in his ankle.  More will be known after Andrus has been tested, but it certainly looks like the 33-year-old’s season could be over, as the shortstop could be facing a serious injury.  It has been a tough year overall for Andrus, as he has hit only .243/.294/.320 over 541 plate appearances in his first season in Oakland.
  • The Yankees could have Jonathan Loaisiga and Jameson Taillon back from the injured list during the club’s upcoming series against the Blue Jays, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including ESPN’s Marly Rivera and Newsday’s Erik Boland).  Loaisiga was sidelined on September 5 with a strained right rotator cuff, but the reliever has already thrown one bullpen session and will throw another soon, Boone said.  Taillon has missed close to the game amount of time with an ankle injury, though he has been on a minor league rehab assignment and threw a bullpen today.
  • Jose Cisnero’s IL stint has lasted beyond the minimum 10 days, and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that while Cisnero hasn’t yet been shut down, a return this season is “improbable.”  Cisnero has been hampered by swelling around the right elbow laceration that first sent him to the injured list back on September 14.  If this is it for the right-hander in 2021, Cisnero will finish with a 3.65 ERA over 61 2/3 innings, marking his third consecutive year of solid work out of Detroit’s bullpen.

COVID Notes: 9/25/21

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The latest coronavirus-related moves from around baseball…

  • The Blue Jays placed right-hander Joakim Soria on the COVID-related injury list, and recalled left-hander Kirby Snead from Triple-A to fill Soria’s roster spot.  Acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Diamondbacks, Soria has an ungainly 7.88 ERA over eight innings in his brief time with the Jays, though that number was inflated by a nightmarish outing (four runs allowed without retiring a batter) against the A’s on September 4.

Reds Place Wade Miley On 10-Day Injured List

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The Reds placed left-hander Wade Miley on the 10-day injured list due to a neck strain, with the placement retroactive to September 22.  Southpaw Cionel Perez was called up from Triple-A to take Miley’s spot on the active roster.

Though the timing works out for Miley to make one more start before the season is over, it seems possible that the veteran lefty has thrown his last pitch of the 2021 season.  The Reds will need at least one replacement for Miley’s rotation spot in the short term, as Miley had been scheduled to start Monday’s game against the Pirates.

Miley has an 8.35 ERA over four starts and 18 1/3 innings in September, putting a sour finish on what has otherwise been a very solid season for the 34-year-old.  Miley has 3.37 ERA over 163 frames for Cincinnati, with a 49.4% grounder rate and an above-average walk rate to go along with a lot of soft contact.  Never a big strikeout pitcher, Miley has only an 18.1% strikeout rate this year, just about matching his career average.

After signing a two-year, $15MM free agent deal back in December 2019, Miley barely pitched in his first year with the Reds, as shoulder and groin injuries limited him to 14 1/3 innings in 2020.  This season’s nice bounce-back effort will now greatly increase the chances of Miley remaining in Cincinnati next year, as the Reds hold a $10MM club option ($1MM) buyout on Miley’s services for the 2022 campaign.

Orioles Place Tyler Wells On 10-Day Injured List

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The Orioles have placed right-hander Tyler Wells on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.  Righty Spenser Watkins was recalled from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Since Wells just pitched yesterday, there is no retroactive placement on the IL move, and thus Wells’ first Major League season is officially over.  Though Wells had never pitched above the Double-A level and hadn’t pitched at all since 2018, the 27-year-old made a very impressive accounting for himself in his debut season.

Over 57 innings out of Baltimore’s pen, Wells posted a 4.11 ERA and very strong walk (5.4%) and strikeout (29%) rates, plus a chase rate that ranked in the 95th percentile of all pitchers.  Wells allowed a lot of hard contact and benefited from a .226 BABIP, though his 3.37 SIERA was quite a bit lower than his actual ERA.

This is the second time Wells has been placed on the IL this season, as he missed just short of three weeks due to wrist tendinitis.  As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Wells needed to spend the entire season on the Orioles’ roster for the team to fully assume his rights, and he has already well surpassed the necessary threshold for time spent on the active roster.

The Orioles have been arguably baseball’s most aggressive team on the Rule 5 front for years, and that tradition has continued under current GM Mike Elias.  Anthony Santander, T.J. McFarland, and Ryan Flaherty are perhaps the most prominent Baltimore Rule 5 picks who went on to become notable big league regulars for the Orioles and other teams, and Wells’ rookie year is a nice first step towards joining that group.

Wells was a 15th-round pick for the Twins in the 2016 draft, and he began his career primarily as a starter while posting some solid numbers in Minnesota’s farm system.  However, his career was stalled by a Tommy John surgery that cost him all of the 2019 campaign, and then he couldn’t play in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season.  The Twins decided to leave him exposed in last December’s Rule 5 draft, and the O’s snapped Wells up in the second round.  (The Orioles also made a first-round pick in right-hander Mac Sceroler, though he was returned to the Reds in June after an injury-marred season.)

Phillies Place Archie Bradley On Injured List, Select Kyle Dohy

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The Phillies have placed Archie Bradley on the IL with an oblique injury, according to a team announcement. The club has selected the contract of lefty Kyle Dohy to take his place. To make room on the 40-man roster, lefty Matt Moore was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.  (Matt Gelb of The Athletic first reported Bradley was heading to the IL and that Dohy would be coming up.)

This is surely a frustrating development for Bradley and the Phillies, as he has been a largely solid member of a shaky relief corps for the club. The righty has logged 51 innings for the Phils with an ERA of 3.71. His strikeout and walk rates are both slightly worse than average, at 17.9% and 9.8%, respectively, but his 55.7% groundball rate is excellent. This is his second trip to the injured list this year, as he missed over a month at the beginning of the season, also with an oblique injury. If this injury is as severe as that one, it has the potential to finish Bradley’s season. The Phils are still hunting for the NL East crown and are just 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta, but another month-long stretch on the injured list would keep Bradley out of action until the World Series. For what it’s worth, Bradley himself said he hopes to pitch again in October, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Signed by the Phillies to a one-year, $6MM deal in January, the 29-year-old is a free agent at season’s end.

As for Dohy, he was added to Philadelphia’s 40-man roster in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but cleared waivers and was outrighted off the roster April 1st. The southpaw has spent the bulk of this year at Double-A, logging 37 1/3 innings out of the bullpen there, as well as 5 1/3 innings at Triple-A. Overall, he has an ERA of 2.95, with an excellent strikeout rate of 35.1%, but a concerning walk rate of 15.1%. As soon as he is called upon to enter a game, it will be his major league debut.

Moore was just placed on the 10-day IL September 23rd with a lower back strain, meaning today’s transfer to the 60-day IL officially concludes his season. The Phillies signed him to a one-year, $3MM deal in the offseason, based on a strong performance in Japan in 2020. Unfortunately, 2021 didn’t go quite as smooth for the 32-year-old. He logged 73 innings this year in 24 games, 13 starts, with an ERA of 6.29. His strikeout rate of 18.9% and walk rate of 11.4% were both worse than league average.

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