Ronald Acuna Hoping To Return In May
After suffering a torn right ACL in July, Ronald Acuna Jr. hopes that he’ll be able to return to the Braves lineup by May, ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports (Twitter link). Acuna has been rehabbing in his native Venezuela, and for a glimpse at his progress, Rivera includes a video of Acuna taking one-handed swings during a light indoor batting practice session.
A 10-month recovery timeframe isn’t uncommon for such a severe ACL injury, though it seems as though Acuna’s timeline is still fluid. Naturally, both Acuna and the Braves aren’t going to take any unnecessary risks in trying to rush the superstar back to the field before he’s absolutely ready, even if that May projection stretches into June or beyond. More could be known once Acuna arrives at Atlanta’s spring camp, and manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) today that “I know the reports are really good….I guess he’s worked his rear off.”
Acuna was on his way to perhaps his finest season yet at the time of his injury, as he hit .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs over 360 plate appearances. The Braves’ response to Acuna’s injury has already become the stuff of legend, as rather than throw in the towel after losing their superstar, the Braves instead stocked up on outfielders (Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, and Joc Pederson) who all hit well down the stretch, carrying Atlanta to its first World Series title since 1995.
While last season’s run was magical, there is no doubt that the Braves will be better off with Acuna back in the fold. Duvall, Marcell Ozuna, Cristian Pache, Drew Waters, Guillermo Heredia, and Travis Demeritte comprise Atlanta’s top outfield options at the moment, so the team could try to make do with this group until Acuna is back, or perhaps look for more outfield help prior to Opening Day.
Marlins Sign Shawn Armstrong To Minors Deal
The Marlins have inked right-hander Shawn Armstrong to a minor league contract, according to The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish (Twitter link). Armstrong will get an invite to the Marlins’ Major League spring camp.
After finishing last season with the Rays, Armstrong will head to Florida’s other team and try to win a job in Miami’s bullpen. It was something of a nervous wait on the open market for the righty, as he recently discussed with the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin about how he was unable to sign even a minors contract despite being a minor league free agent, as Armstrong was one of those free agents considered locked out as per league regulations.
Armstrong has pitched in each of the last seven MLB seasons, and he posted a 6.75 ERA over 36 innings with the Orioles and Rays. Despite a solid 26.7% strikeout rate, Armstrong was hurt by allowing 10 homers over his rather small sample size of action. The 31-year-old hasn’t displayed much consistency over his 167 career innings, managing a 4.63 ERA over stints with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Seattle, and Cleveland.
Yankees Sign Ronald Guzman To Minor League Contract
The Yankees have signed Ronald Guzman to a minor league deal, journalist Junior Matrille reports (Twitter link). Guzman will be invited to the Yankees’ big league spring camp.
A notable prospect during his time in the Rangers farm system, Guzman couldn’t translate the hitting prowess he displayed in the minors over to his 826 PA in the majors, as he batted only .227/.304/.414 and struck out 238 times. After three seasons of failing to truly break through as a regular in the Texas lineup, Guzman’s 2021 season was cut short after only seven games, as he suffered a torn meniscus while playing left field and had to undergo season-ending surgery.
Ironically, Guzman’s greatest day as a big leaguer took place in Yankee Stadium, when he hit three home runs to lead the Rangers to a 12-7 victory over the Bronx Bombers on August 10, 2018. Perhaps Yankees GM Brian Cashman had a memory of that game in mind when signing Guzman, or maybe the club is simply taking a flier of a minor league deal to see if Guzman can unlock his potential in a new environment.
Should he perform well in Spring Training, Guzman’s left-handed bat could earn him some playing time on a Yankee roster that is deep in right-handed hitters. In theory, Guzman could work as a complement to the right-handed hitting Luke Voit at first base, or Guzman could pick up some DH at-bats when Giancarlo Stanton is in the outfield.
Marlins Sign Willians Astudillo To Minors Contract
The Marlins have signed Willians Astudillo to a minor league contract, according to reporter Arnold Santiago (Twitter link). The deal includes an invitation for “La Tortuga” to take part in the Marlins’ big league Spring Training camp.
Between his impressive ability to put the ball in play, his fan-friendly persona, and his ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond, Astudillo was a popular figure over his four seasons with the Twins. Astudillo’s high-contact approach hasn’t translated to much production at the plate, however, as he has batted .270/.295/.406 over 533 plate appearances at the Major League level.
The Marlins addressed their catching needs by trading for Jacob Stallings prior to the lockout, though since none of Alex Jackson, Payton Henry, or Nick Fortes has much MLB experience, Astudillo will provide some competition for the backup catching role. Given Astudillo’s versatility, Miami could deploy three catchers on the active roster, allowing Astudillo to provide depth at multiple other positions. The 30-year-old has played mostly as a catcher and corner infielder in the majors, but Astudillo has also made a handful of appearances as a second baseman, outfielder, and as a mop-up relief pitcher.
Astudillo was projected to earn $1.2MM in arbitration this season, but the Twins opted to release him in November, essentially giving him a brief jump on the non-tender market. The lockout delayed Astudillo from finding his next contract, but he has now found an interesting opportunity in Miami.
Athletics Sign Austin Pruitt To Minors Deal
The A’s have announced the signing of right-hander Austin Pruitt to a minor league deal. Pruitt will receive an invitation to Oakland’s Major League spring camp.
Pruitt was twice outrighted off the Marlins’ 40-man roster last season, thus giving him the right to test free agency following the season. Miami acquired Pruitt at the trade deadline, landing the righty and outfielder Bryan De La Cruz in exchange for sending Yimi Garcia to the Astros.
The 32-year-old will now head back to the AL West in search of a new opportunity in Oakland, and get his career back on track after elbow problems derailed Pruitt for much of the last two seasons. He didn’t pitch at all in 2020 due to what ended up being a hairline fracture in his throwing elbow, and the subsequent surgery kept him from returning to the mound until June 2021 with the Astros’ A-ball affiliate. Overall, Pruitt tossed 19 2/3 innings of minor league ball and 7 1/3 innings in the Show.
Prior to his injury, durability was one of Pruitt’s calling cards as a swingman and long reliever with the Rays from 2017-19. While Pruitt had a modest 4.87 ERA over his 199 2/3 innings in Tampa Bay, his ability to adjust between many pitching roles made him a valuable member of the versatile Rays staff. If healthy and back in his old form, Pruitt could be tabbed for swingman duty with the A’s, given how Oakland’s bullpen is lacking in experience. Conceivably, Pruitt might even get some looks in the rotation, especially if the Athletics continue to trade current members of their starting staff.
Dodgers Sign Yency Almonte To Minors Contract
The Dodgers have signed right-hander Yency Almonte to a minor league deal, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports (via Twitter). Almonte will get an invite to the Dodgers’ big league spring camp, and he’ll receive a $1.5MM salary if he makes the active roster.
Almonte’s entire big league career has been spent in the NL West, as he posted a 5.30 ERA over 124 relief innings with the Rockies from 2018-21. Not a big strikeout pitcher at either the MLB or minor league level, Almonte has looked effective when he has been able to avoid the home run ball, as evidenced by his solid numbers over 42 2/3 IP in 2018 and 2020 when he allowed three total homers. When Almonte hasn’t been able to maintain an above-average grounder rate, problems have ensued — in 81 2/3 innings over the 2019 and 2021 seasons, Almonte was tagged for 16 big flies.
As one might expect, pitching at Coors Field hasn’t helped Almonte in keeping the ball in the park, so a move to a more pitcher-friendly venue might lead to more consistency. The Dodgers have had a first-hand look at Almonte over his four years in Colorado and will now see what the 27-year-old can do with a change of scenery in the Los Angeles camp. The $1.5MM salary isn’t much of a financial risk for the Dodgers to take, as the club will likely happily pay that price if it means Almonte has earned him a crack at a Major League roster spot.
Nationals Sign Erasmo Ramirez To Minors Deal
The Nationals have signed right-hander Erasmo Ramirez to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned. Ramirez’s deal contains an invitation to the Nats’ big league Spring Training camp.
The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the last 10 MLB seasons, with the first seven of those years as a member of the Mariners and Rays before bouncing to the Red Sox, Mets, and Tigers from 2019-2021 on minor league deals. Ramirez’s 26 2/3 innings with Detroit last season represented his most Major League action of the last three years, though he struggled to a 5.74 ERA in a Tigers uniform.
Working as a starter and swingman for much of his career, Ramirez has worked only as a reliever at the MLB level since 2019, but can still add length to a bullpen — he threw beyond one inning in 10 of his 17 appearances last year. While it has been some time since Ramirez has posted consistent numbers at the Major League level, his ability to cover innings could be of use to a Washington bullpen that has seemingly been in constant flux for several years. The Nationals also signed another seasoned arm in Steve Cishek yesterday, so both Cishek and Ramirez can provide some veteran knowledge to a bullpen that is overall short of big league experience.
Mariners To Sign Steven Souza To Minors Deal
The Mariners are in agreement on a contract with outfielder Steven Souza, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It’s a minor league deal. (Twitter links) He’ll make a $1MM salary if he cracks the big league roster, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It’s a minor league deal with a split option, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
Souza’s best season came back in 2017 with the Rays, when he played 148 games and hit 30 home runs. He finished the year with a slash line of .239/.351/.459, wRC+ of 121 and 3.8 fWAR. Unfortunately, the years since then haven’t gone as well. After being traded to the Diamondbacks, he struggled in 2018, then missed all of 2019 after suffering a gruesome injury in Spring Training. In 2020, he only got into 11 games with the Cubs and then only played 17 games with the Dodgers last year. Turning 33 in April, Souza will hope to get a crack at the big league roster and a chance to show he’s still capable of the excellent form he showed five years ago.
For the Mariners, this bolsters the depth in an area where they have many options but little certainty beyond Mitch Haniger manning right field. Jarred Kelenic made his debut last year but failed to impress in his first 93 games at the big league level. He’s likely to get another shot based on his prospect pedigree and strong finish, but will have to produce to keep his playing time. Kyle Lewis had an excellent breakout campaign in 2020 but was limited to just 36 games last year due to injuries. Then there’s a pile of other intriguing-but-unproven options, such as Jake Fraley, Taylor Trammell and Dylan Moore. Top prospect Julio Rodriguez is on the way, but only got as high as Double-A last year, making him more of a long-term option than a short-term one.
Brewers Re-Sign Brad Boxberger
The Brewers are reuniting with Brad Boxberger, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link) reports that Boxberger has agreed to a new one-year deal. The veteran right-hander will earn $2.5MM in guaranteed money, with up to $550K available in bonuses. The Brewers’ official Twitter feed has announced the signing, and added that the deal contains a club option on Boxberger’s services for the 2023 season. Boxberger will earn $1.75MM in 2022 and has a $750K buyout on a $3MM option, tweets FanSided’s Robert Murray. Boxberger is represented by Paragon Sports International.
After a downturn in performance in 2018 and 2019, Boxberger had to settle for minor league deals with the Marlins prior to the 2020 season, and with the Brew Crew last winter. A 3.00 ERA over 18 innings with Miami in 2020 hinted that Boxberger was starting to return to form, and he bounced all the way back with a strong year in Milwaukee’s bullpen.
The righty posted a 3.34 ERA over 64 2/3 innings in 2021, with a 31.2% strikeout rate that placed Boxberger in the 90th percentile of all pitchers. While his 9.4% walk rate was below average, Boxberger had an otherwise solid showing in most major Statcast categories.
It was enough to land the 33-year-old a guaranteed big league contract, and Boxberger will now aim for an encore as one of the Brewers’ setup men. With Josh Hader still in the closer’s spot, the Brewers are slated to roll out Devin Williams, Brent Suter, and Boxberger for other high-leverage innings, not to mention a plethora of other in-house arms. Milwaukee has also had success in finding unheralded relievers or veterans (like Boxberger) in need of a fresh start, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more arms added to the relief corps before Opening Day.
Padres Notes: Hosmer, Myers, Suzuki, Cruz, Montesino
Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers have been regulars in trade rumors for months, and that status hasn’t changed now that the lockout is over. The Padres have been “aggressively shopping” both players in trade talks, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, in an effort to clear some salary and roster space, plus create some more flexibility under the competitive balance tax.
Even with the tax threshold rising to $230MM this season, the Padres are already projected for a luxury tax number just shy of $218MM (as per Roster Resource). Since the Padres did exceed the CBT last season, they’d have to pay the larger “two-timer” penalty for crossing the threshold in consecutive years, so all things considered, the club would surely prefer to avoid a second tax overage if at all possible.
Getting either Hosmer or Myers off the books would help greatly in this regard. Since a player’s tax number is determined by the average annual value over the life of his contract, Hosmer’s tax number is $18MM per season and Myers is $13.83MM, though both players are set to earn more in actual dollars. Myers is owed $20MM in 2022 and there is a $20MM club option on his services for 2023 with a $1MM buyout, while Hosmer is owed a total of $59MM over the 2022-25 seasons.
These pricey contracts also don’t hold a ton of appeal to other teams, which is why San Diego has explored any number of scenarios to try and swing a deal. The Padres have looked to try and attach a prospect (Luis Campusano and Robert Hassell were mentioned) to Hosmer in talks with the Rangers and Cubs last summer, as some kind of sweetener is likely necessary to move the first baseman. Beyond the $59MM, Hosmer has also posted essentially replacement-level production (0.6 fWAR) since the start of the 2018 season. Myers has been similarly inconsistent over that same timeframe but his 5.5 fWAR has clearly marked him as the more productive of the two. If Myers may be the easier trade candidate, however, the Padres’ needs in the outfield would only be increased if Myers was suddenly no longer around.
This isn’t to say that San Diego isn’t already eyeing replacements. As Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune puts it via Twitter, the Padres’ “Plan A” would seem to be a scenario where the club signs Seiya Suzuki and Nelson Cruz, while moving one of Hosmer or Myers. Several other teams have been linked to both Suzuki and Cruz, though in Cruz’s case, recent reports have indicated the Padres could be a finalist for the veteran slugger. Even with one of Hosmer or Myers dealt, plans to add two prominent free agent bats could seem to indicate that the Friars are willing to spend at least in the range of that $230MM tax threshold.
In other team news, first base/outfield prospect Daniel Montesino will miss the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Montesino signed for a $1MM bonus during the 2020-21 international signing period, and posted a big .934 OPS over 243 plate appearances for the Padres’ Dominican Summer League squad last year. MLB Pipeline (24th) and Baseball America (29th) each listed Montesino within their rankings of San Diego’s top 30 prospects.