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White Sox Release Steve Cishek; Ross Detwiler Elects Free Agency

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The White Sox have released right-hander Steve Cishek, according to the MLB.com transactions page.  Both Cishek and left-hander Ross Detwiler were designated for assignment earlier this week, and Detwiler is also on the move, as the southpaw has elected to become a free agent.

After pitching for the Cubs in 2018-19, Cishek moved to the south side of Chicago after signing a one-year free agent deal with the White Sox last winter.  Cishek earned $5.25MM in guaranteed salary, and he will get $750K as a buyout of the $6.75MM club option on his services for the 2021 season.

For that $6MM investment, the White Sox received a 5.40 ERA, 2.33 K/BB rate, and 9.5 K/9 over 20 innings from Cishek.  As noted by MLBTR’s Steve Adams last Thursday, much of the damage done to Cishek’s ERA came early in the season — Cishek allowed seven runs over his first 5 2/3 innings of work (in seven games) before settling down to allow five runs over his next 14 1/3 innings (15 appearances).  That said, Cishek also had the highest HR/9 and the lowest ground-ball rate of his 11 MLB seasons, albeit in the small sample size of the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

While Cishek had a tough start and a solid finish to his season, Detwiler was the opposite story.  The lefty didn’t allow a run until his 10th appearance of the season, and had a sterling 1.47 ERA over his first 18 1/3 innings pitched.  Unfortunately for Detwiler, a disastrous final outing more than doubled his runs allowed total for the entire season, though his final numbers (3.20 ERA, 3.00 K/BB rate, 6.9 K/9 in 19 2/3 IP) are more than respectable.

With 23 combined Major League seasons on their resumes, Cishek and Detwiler offer a lot of experience for teams looking for veteran bullpen depth this offseason.  The two veterans, however, will face a lot of competition for jobs amidst a deep field of free agent relievers that will only grow longer once more teams begin their offseason roster maintenance.

Blue Jays Announce Wild Card Series Roster

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The Blue Jays announced their 28-man roster for their wild card series with the Rays, beginning today in Tampa Bay.  Matt Shoemaker gets the Game 1 start for Toronto while Hyun Jin Ryu is scheduled for Game 2, as the Jays opted to give Ryu an extra day of rest heading into an all-important postseason start.

Taijuan Walker is expected to start Game 3 if necessary, and the Jays are expected to make liberal use of their bullpen throughout the series.  The relief corps won’t include Jordan Romano, who is still out of action with a finger injury.  Left-hander Anthony Kay was called up from the alternate training site on the weekend and will stay as added left-handed depth in the bullpen.

After hitting the injured list with a right knee strain back on September 9, Rowdy Tellez has been activated for the playoff roster, though he isn’t in Game 1’s starting lineup.  Alejandro Kirk will get the start at DH, as the Jays hope the rookie’s hot right-handed bat can counter Rays southpaw Blake Snell.  Kirk is one of three catchers on the roster, though Kirk may end up seeing more time at DH, leaving Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire with the bulk of duties behind the plate.

Left-Handed Pitchers

Right-Handed Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Catchers

  • Danny Jansen
  • Alejandro Kirk
  • Reese McGuire

White Sox Announce Wild Card Series Roster

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The White Sox have officially set their 28-man roster for their wild card series against the A’s, beginning today in Oakland.  Lucas Giolito will be on the mound this afternoon, while Dallas Keuchel is slated to start Game 2.

The biggest headline (and sign of relief for Chicago fans) of the roster announcement is the presence of Eloy Jimenez, who has been out of action since September 24 due to a mid-foot sprain.  Utilityman Leury Garcia is also back from injury, being activated off the 45-day injured list after missing close to seven weeks due to a torn thumb ligament.

Jimenez isn’t in the lineup for Game 1, however, as Garcia is starting in left field and Yasmani Grandal is the DH.  The White Sox will start James McCann at catcher, and the roster inclusion of Zack Collins could hint at additional DH duty for Grandal depending on both Jimenez’s status and Chicago’s interest in finding as much playing time as possible for their deep catching corps.

Left-Handed Pitchers

Right-Handed Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Catchers

  • Zack Collins
  • Yasmani Grandal
  • James McCann

Athletics Set Wild Card Series Roster

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The Athletics announced the 28-man roster for their Wild Card Series with the White Sox, beginning today in Oakland.  Jesus Luzardo will start Game 1 and Chris Bassitt is slated for Game 2.  No starter has been named for a potential Game 3, though it’s safe to assume that it will be an all-hands-on-deck situation if the A’s make it to the deciding games.

With that in mind, Sean Manaea is probably the likeliest candidate to start a Game 3, making is less likely that the southpaw would appear out of the bullpen in either of the first two games.  Of the other starters on the Athletics’ roster, Frankie Montas, Mike Minor, or Mike Fiers could all see bullpen duty, adding to Oakland’s already-deep relief mix.  As reported yesterday, righty J.B. Wendelken is also back from a brief trip to the injured list, representing yet another relief option for manager Bob Melvin.

Chad Pinder was activated from the injured list on Sunday, and the utilityman is in the Game 1 lineup as the designated hitter.

Left-Handed Pitchers

Right-Handed Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Catchers

Astros Announce Wild Card Series Roster

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The Astros have finalized the 28-man roster they’ll bring to Target Field in today’s Wild Card series opener against the Twins. Here’s how it breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

There aren’t many surprises on the roster, but the promotion of outfield prospect Chas McCormick creates the potential that for the first time ever, we could see two teams give a player his MLB debut in the same postseason series. Minnesota has promoted top outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff to their Wild Card roster. Only two players have ever previously made their MLB debuts in the postseason: Mark Kiger for the 2006 Athletics and Adalberto Mondesi with the 2015 Royals.

The injury-plagued Astros are relying on an inexperienced pitching staff after injuries to Justin Verlander, Roberto Osuna, Brad Peacock and Chris Devenski substantially altered the composition of the pitching staff. Somewhat remarkably, the only four pitchers on this roster who appeared on Houston’s ALCS roster a year ago are Zack Greinke, Josh James, Ryan Pressly and Jose Urquidy. The staff includes five rookies: Cristian Javier, Enoli Paredes, Andre Scrubb, Cy Sneed and Blake Taylor. Houston’s lineup is also missing 2019 American League Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez, who underwent surgery on both knees earlier this season.

It’s surely not the roster that the Astros envisioned taking to the postseason when the 2020 campaign began, but between breakout lefty Framber Valdez, an impressive sophomore effort from Urquidy and a terrific finish from Lance McCullers Jr., the ’Stros still have formidable options to start Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3 behind Zack Greinke.

White Sox Reinstate Leury Garcia From 45-Day IL, Designate Alex McRae

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The White Sox have reinstated utilityman Leury Garcia from the 45-day injured list and included him on their postseason roster, the team announced.  Righty Alex McRae was designated for assignment to create roster space.

Garcia hasn’t played since August 10, as a severed thumb ligament required surgery.  The 29-year-old was off to a pretty nice start, hitting .271/.317/.441 over his 63 regular season plate appearances, getting a lot of action at shortstop (due to Tim Anderson’s own IL stint) and second base (before Nick Madrigal was called up to the big leagues).  Garcia has been known more for his versatility than his switch-hitting bat over his eight MLB seasons, and his ability to play all over the diamond will make him a nice bench piece for the Sox during their postseason run.  As a member of the White Sox organization since 2013, this playoff appearance surely feels extra sweet for Garcia after seven losing seasons.

McRae only appeared in two games for Chicago this season, tossing three scoreless innings.  The right-hander signed a minor league deal with the White Sox last winter after spending his first six pro seasons in the Pirates organization.  McRae saw Major League action in both 2018 and 2019, posting a combined 8.18 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 1.14 K/BB rate over 33 innings for Pittsburgh.

Twins Set Wild Card Series Roster; Buxton Active, Donaldson Out

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The Twins have formally announced their 28-man roster for their three-game Wild Card series against the visiting Astros. Among the most notable decisions is the inclusion of center fielder Byron Buxton and the omission of third baseman Josh Donaldson. Buxton has been recovering from concussion symptoms since being hit in the head with a pitch, while Donaldson has been battling renewed calf issues. Both worked out yesterday, but it seems Donaldson is still not quite up to good enough health to factor into the first round. He could still be added for future rounds, should the Twins advance.

Also notable on the Twins’ roster is top prospect Alex Kirilloff, whose previously reported promotion could lead to a rare MLB debut in the postseason. The Twins aren’t carrying lefty Rich Hill due to the fact that he tossed 93 pitches in the regular season finale Sunday. Right-hander Jake Odorizzi is back from a blister, but he’ll likely work in relief. Here’s a rundown of the Twins’ postseason roster for Round 1 of play:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Catchers

Designated Hitter

The Twins’ taxi squad includes righty Jorge Alcala, infielder Travis Blankenhorn, righty Edwar Colina, Donaldson, top pitching prospect Jhoan Duran, right-hander Juan Minaya, lefty Devin Smeltzer, left-hander Lewis Thorpe and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., per the team.

Astros Sign Yuli Gurriel To One-Year Extension

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11:10am: Gurriel will earn $250K upon reaching 300 and 350 plate appearances, tweets The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. He’ll also earn $350K for reaching 400 and 450 plate appearances as well as $400K for reaching 500 and 550 plate appearances.

10:32am: Just hours before postseason play begins, the Astros announced that they’ve extended first baseman Yuli Gurriel on a one-year deal that includes a club option for the 2022 season. The 36-year-old Wasserman client would’ve been a free agent this winter but will instead return for at least a sixth season in Houston.

Yuli Gurriel | Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Gurriel will be guaranteed $7MM on the contract, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). That comes in the form of a $6.5MM salary and a $500K buyout on an $8MM option for the 2022 season. He can also earn another $2MM worth of incentives on the deal.

The 2020 season hasn’t been a good one for Gurriel, who has followed last year’s superlative .298/.343/.541 slash with a dismal .232/.274/.384 batting line in 2020. The downturn at the plate doesn’t seem to have scared off first-year GM James Click, owner Jim Crane and the rest of the Astros’ decision-makers, however. “We’re excited to bring him back and get this done before the playoffs,” Click tells reporters (Twitter link via FOX 26’s Mark Berman).

Gurriel was just one of many impending free agents for Houston. They’re still facing the prospect of losing an entire outfield, with each of George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick slated to hit the open market.

The emergence of top prospect Kyle Tucker fills one of those previously expensive outfield slots on the cheap, but it remains to be seen how the Astros will address the additional pair of vacancies. Crane has repeatedly voiced a desire to keep Springer in Houston long term, but extension talks have obviously yet to bear fruit.

Even with all those salaries coming off the books, the Astros already had just shy of $117MM committed to the team’s 2021 payroll. Gurriel’s new deal pushes that sum north of $122MM. A hefty portion of that payroll commitment is the $33MM owed to Justin Verlander, who will likely miss all of next year due to Tommy John surgery.

Despite the gut-punch of losing their ace and possibly seeing the likes of Springer and Brantley walk out the door, though, the Astros’ decision to re-sign Gurriel at what looks to be a relatively aggressive rate is at least an early signal of a continued win-now outlook.

Gurriel earned $8.3MM in 2020, so this new salary does represent a bit of a pay cut. However, non-star-caliber first basemen have seen the market rate for their services continually deteriorate in recent years. Between that trend, the considerable revenue losses that have hit the league’s 30 teams and Gurriel’s 2020 struggles, it’s a bit surprising to see him land a $7MM guarantee. The contract likely reflects that the Astros have come to value Gurriel for reasons beyond his production at the plate and that the team is confident in his ability to rebound.

The new contract further thins out what was already a bleak crop of free-agent first basemen. Other clubs seeking options at the position will likely need to invest in a rebound candidate or else take to the trade market as they search for upgrades.

Astros Designate Joe Biagini, Select Chas McCormick

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The Astros have designated right-hander Joe Biagini for assignment, general manager James Click announced to reporters prior to today’s opening round against the Twins (Twitter link via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). His roster spot will go to outfielder Chas McCormick who has been included on Houston’s postseason roster. McCormick becomes the third player promoted to the big leagues for a potential postseason MLB debut today — joining Minnesota’s Alex Kirilloff and Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan.

McCormick was a 21st-round pick for the Astros in the 2017 draft, and he has made a relatively quick trip up Houston’s minor league ladder, already reaching Triple-A ball in 2019.  Over 1126 plate appearances in the minors, the 25-year-old McCormick has hit .276/.360/.400, with 20 homers and 41 steals (out of 53 chances).  MLB Pipeline rates McCormick as the 24th-best prospect in the Astros’ farm system, citing his “solid raw power,” ability to play all three outfield positions, and a “grinder makeup [that] allows him to get the most out of his tools.”

The Astros’ starting outfield mix is heavy in left-handed hitters, so McCormick’s right-handed bat will provide a bit of balance if necessary off the bench.  Myles Straw is the only other right-handed hitting outfielder on Houston’s postseason roster, though backup infielder Aledmys Diaz has played a handful of games in the outfield over his career.

It’s been a tough year for Biagini, who only appeared in four games due to a shoulder injury and then a demotion to the Astros’ alternate training site.  Biagini allowed damage in all four of his outings, finishing with a ghastly 20.77 ERA over 4 1/3 innings of work.  The righty is arbitration-eligible this winter (his third of four trips as a Super Two player), but Biagini’s struggles both in 2020 and even since joining the Astros last season make him seem like a non-tender candidate.

Twins Designate Sean Poppen For Assignment

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The Twins announced this morning that right-hander Sean Poppen has been designated for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to top outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff, who is being promoted for his MLB debut in Minnesota’s Wild Card showdown with the Astros.

Poppen, 26, has seen limited big league time with the Twins in each of the past two seasons, pitching to a combined 6.19 ERA and 3.33 FIP with a 19-to-9 K/BB ratio in 16 innings of relief. A 19th-round pick by the Twins back in 2016, Poppen carries a 3.84 ERA and a 68-to-27 K/BB ratio in 61 innings of work in Triple-A. He averages 94 mph on his sinker and has multiple minor league options remaining beyond the 2020 season, which could prompt another club to take a speculative look with a waiver claim.

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