MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Mariners Release Gerson Bautista

By Steve Adams | March 23, 2021 at 8:24am CDT

The Mariners announced a slate of roster moves last night, reducing their spring roster to 48 players. Among the most notable cuts: right-hander Gerson Bautista was released from the organization.

This marks the second time that the Mariners organization has parted ways with Bautista, although the circumstances are different. Seattle outrighted Bautista off its 40-man roster at the end of the 2020 season after he missed the year due to a flexor strain in his pitching arm, and he was able to elect free agency thereafter. He quickly returned on a new minor league deal, signing back with the Mariners just two weeks later.

That’s not the case this time around, as Bautista wasn’t on the 40-man roster and has been able to pitch this spring — but has not done so effectively. The hard-throwing 25-year-old served up three runs in 5 1/3 innings, which isn’t necessarily alarming on its own, but he did so on the strength of seven hits and six walks without recording a strikeout. Small sample or not, six walks against no strikeouts through 26 batters faced isn’t an encouraging omen for any pitcher — particularly one who punched out 27.5 percent of his opponents at the Triple-A level. Bautista came to the Mariners alongside Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn in the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz blockbuster with the Mets, and it seems he may now be destined for a new organization.

The Mariners also optioned righty Yohan Ramirez to Triple-A to begin the season after the righty accrued a full year of service in their bullpen last year. Ramirez posted a strong 2.61 ERA and whiffed 26 batters in 20 2/3 frames, so some may be a bit surprised by his demotion. However, in spite of that impressive ERA, he also issued 20 walks, plunked four hitters and tossed a pair of wild pitches. His control could clearly use some refinement, and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets that he’s also been behind after spending time away from the club due to Covid-19 protocols. Ramirez tossed just one inning in an official game this spring and, despite not yielding a hit, allowed a pair of runs on a walk, two hit batters and two wild pitches.

It’s also notable that top pitching prospect Logan Gilbert was reassigned to a minor league camp. The former first-rounder only made one Cactus League start, and given his lack of pro experience — just one full season, in 2019 — that wouldn’t have registered as much of a surprise. However, former CEO Kevin Mather suggested during the interview that led to his resignation that Gilbert wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster but would be in the Majors “by mid-April.” As such, the right-hander’s timeline to the big leagues will be interesting to monitor. He’s yet to pitch above Double-A, where he started nine games in 2019. In a total of 135 frames between Class-A, Class-A Advanced and Double-A that year, Gilbert worked to a combined 2.13 ERA with a gaudy 31.7 percent strikeout rate and a tiny 6.3 percent walk rate.

Health Notes: Barreto, Eflin, Teheran, A. Wood

By Connor Byrne | March 22, 2021 at 11:09pm CDT

A few injury-related items from around the majors…

The Angels are shutting down infielder Franklin Barreto for four to six weeks because of elbow inflammation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com relays. It’s yet another disappointing development for the 25-year-old Barreto, a former top 100 prospect who hasn’t matched the hype in the pros. Barreto, who’s out of minor league options, joined the Angels last summer in a trade that sent second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Athletics. He collected just two hits in 18 plate appearances with the Halos after that deal. Barreto’s injury means the Angels will likely open the season with Luis Rengifo in a utility role, Bollinger notes.
Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin has dealt with a back issue since last week, but it doesn’t look as if it will keep him from making his first start of the regular season. Eflin will throw a simulated game Wednesday and then appear in a Grapefruit League game next Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. While Eflin’s pitch count might be somewhat limited in early April, he’s still on track to be part of the Phillies’ rotation at the outset of the season. Eflin enjoyed a career year last season with 59 innings of 3.97 ERA/3.50 SIERA pitching and a tremendous strikeout-walk percentage of 22.4.
Righty Julio Teheran exited his appearance Monday with back tightness, according to an announcement from the Tigers. The injury doesn’t seem serious, but it’s notable because Teheran is pushing for a spot in the Tigers’ rotation after signing a minor league contract in free agency. Detroit has to make a decision on Teheran’s status this week, as his deal includes an opt-out clause. As of now, the former Brave and Angel is “likely” to wind up on their roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Giants lefty Alex Wood threw a bullpen session Monday and “felt really good,” Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Wood, who underwent an ablation procedure on his spine earlier this month, will throw a live bullpen later in the week, per Pavlovic. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day. The Giants signed the ex-Brave, Red and Dodger to a one-year, $3MM guarantee during the offseason.

Reds, Heath Hembree Agree To Minor League Deal

By Connor Byrne | March 22, 2021 at 9:35pm CDT

The Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Heath Hembree, the team announced. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Hembree, who has appeared in the bigs with the Giants, Red Sox and Phillies since he debuted in 2013, signed a minors deal with Cleveland during the offseason. He became available again when the Indians released him over the weekend.

The 32-year-old Hembree could now compete for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen, which has lost Raisel Iglesias and Archie Bradley since last season. Hembree carries a 3.90 ERA/3.80 SIERA over 272 2/3 innings in the majors, though he struggled last season between Boston and Philadelphia. He gave up 19 earned runs on 26 hits and eight walks (against 20 strikeouts) in 19 innings, leading the Phillies to outright him in October.

AL East Notes: Davis, Yanks, Wilson, Andujar, Jays

By Connor Byrne | March 22, 2021 at 9:04pm CDT

The seven-year, $161MM contract the Orioles gave first baseman Chris Davis before 2016 continues to look worse: Manager Brandon Hyde admitted Monday that the lower back strain that has sidelined Davis since early this month could force him to begin the season on the 60-day injured list, according to Dan Connolly of The Athletic. Davis, who turned 35 last week, has gone from star to liability over the past few years. He slashed a horrendous .115/.164/.173 with no home runs during an injury-shortened, 55-plate appearance 2020. Davis is in the penultimate season of a contract that has long been an albatross for Baltimore.

White Sox Option Reynaldo Lopez

By Connor Byrne | March 22, 2021 at 7:06pm CDT

The White Sox optioned right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to their alternate site Monday, per a team announcement. The move means Lopez won’t open the season on the big league roster.

Lopez, who came to Chicago in a blockbuster trade with Washington heading into 2017, has had an up-and-down run with the White Sox. Now 27 years old, Lopez has pitched to a 4.76 ERA/4.98 SIERA across 446 2/3 innings as a member of the club. The previous two seasons were especially rough for Lopez, who combined for a 5.52 ERA/4.96 SIERA over 210 1/3 frames. He also walked a career-worst 12.4 percent of batters last year.

Lopez entered spring training with the hope of claiming a season-opening roster spot, but he allowed 11 earned runs in as many innings, gave up 16 hits, and totaled just six strikeouts against four walks in exhibition play before the White Sox demoted him. As of now, the White Sox appear as if they’ll enter 2021 with a rotation consisting of Lucas Giolito (whom they acquired in the same trade as Lopez), Dallas Keuchel, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Cards, Reds, Brewers

By Connor Byrne and TC Zencka | March 22, 2021 at 6:29pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the National League Central:

Pirates manager Derek Shelton expects recently signed right-hander Trevor Cahill to break camp with the team, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic relays. “I don’t plan on him staying behind in Florida,” Shelton said of Cahill, whom the Pirates inked to a one-year, $1.5MM guarantee earlier this month. The Pirates aren’t yet sure which role Cahill will fill when the season starts, though. The well-traveled 33-year-old has amassed 225 starts in 352 appearances, and he’s coming off a season divided between starting and relieving with the Giants. Cahill wound up with 26 innings of 3.24 ERA ball and posted an excellent 29.2 percent strikeout rate, but he also walked 13.2 percent of the batters he faced, recorded a 4.38 SIERA and logged a personal-worst 33.3 percent groundball rate.
John Nogowski has made himself a surprising candidate for a roster spot in Jupiter with the Cardinals, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 28-year-old first baseman has an uphill climb ahead of him even after hitting .391/.533/.522 in 30 plate appearances this spring. Thanks to his limited defensive utility, however, there may not be an avenue for the Florida native to make the roster. The Cardinals would basically have to resolve themselves to keeping a roster spot solely for pinch-hitting duties. With Paul Goldschmidt set at first and Matt Carpenter also on the roster, Nogowski wouldn’t even necessarily be the first left-handed bat off the bench. Because of the injuries in the rotation, the Cardinals could choose to go with a four-man bench to help fill the innings, deepening the need for versatility from their bench bats. Also working against Nogowski is that he has two option years remaining, whereas Justin Williams, another left-handed bat, has none. If Carpenter, Williams, and backup catcher Andrew Knizner all make the roster, the Cardinals will still need someone capable of backing up Paul DeJong at shortstop. Tommy Edman would be the backup shortstop if another infielder is not added to the Opening Day roster.
The Reds are considering using Tejay Antone as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen, writes C.Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Whenever he pitches, the Reds are going to lean on Antone. They don’t expect to get as much length out of their starters as they had in 2020, feeding the thinking that Antone might be most impactful as an innings eater out of the bullpen. Pitching coach Derek Johnson stressed the importance of the bullpen, saying:“I don’t look for our starters to necessarily go out and give us six or seven every time. I think it’d great when and if they do, and that’ll be a bonus, but I do think our games — like they have in the last couple of years — they have been won or lost, a lot of times, in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth inning. Our bullpen has to be solid if we’re going to have a chance.” Amir Garrett and Lucas Sims, two of their prime bullpen arms, have been slow in making their spring debuts, which could also play a part in the Reds’ using Antone in relief.
As long as he’s healthy, Daniel Robertson appears to be a sure bet to earn a roster spot with the Brewers as a utility player, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Robertson, who doesn’t have any minor league options remaining and was out the past couple of days because of a knee issue, returned to Milwaukee’s lineup Monday. The ex-Ray and Giant signed a one-year, $900K deal with the Brewers in free agency.

Latest On Salvador Perez’s Contract Extension

By TC Zencka | March 22, 2021 at 4:37pm CDT

The talks that led to catcher Salvador Perez signing a Royals’ franchise-record $82MM extension over the weekend began in January. Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman took a trip to Florida with Perez, general manager Dayton Moore, assistant GM Rene Francisco, manager Mike Matheny, and bench coach Pedro Grifol to kick off the conversations that would keep their franchise catcher in Kansas City well into his 30s, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.

Perez, who will turn 31 in May, has been a member of the Kansas City organization for 15 years already, and though Tommy John surgery robbed him of the 2019 season and knocked him from the public spotlight, he’s a well-respected and well-decorated catcher who has earned six All-Star nods, three Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Gloves to go with his 2015 World Series ring and World Series MVP.

It is that resume, perhaps, that scared the Royals into thinking they would be outbid for Perez should be reach free agency. Said Moore (per Rogers): “He’s earned the right to potentially become a free agent, and who knows how that would have unfolded. But I think it’s safe to say, when Salvador Perez becomes a free agent, maybe it’s a little more challenging for us to have him here in Kansas City.”

It’s hard to know exactly what kind of market Perez would have found as a free agent entering his age-32 season. J.T. Realmuto, the consensus top backstop in the sport, didn’t spark the bidding war many expected this past offseason, eventually returning to Philadelphia on a five-year deal worth $115.5MM. Perez will make $93.5MM over a similar term if the Royals activate their club option for 2026. He will be two years older than Realmuto for the length of his contract.

James McCann, meanwhile, signed for a four-year term worth $40.6MM over his age-31 to -34 seasons. McCann doesn’t have nearly the track record that Perez does, but it’s still a little startling to see Perez now slated to make almost exactly double McCann’s guarantee while being a year older during the term of the deal.

Whether the Royals overestimated the competition they’d have for Perez on the open market wasn’t their primary concern. Whereas most teams operate on a value level, the Royals simply wanted Perez in Kansas City over the long haul. Royals leadership has long been concerned with properly rewarding Perez for all that he’s done for the organization, writes the Athletic’s Andy McCullough. That was goal number one, and they accomplished it.

Kirby Yates To Miss “Multiple Weeks” With Flexor Strain

By Mark Polishuk | March 22, 2021 at 1:39pm CDT

Blue Jays right-hander Kirby Yates is expected to miss “multiple weeks” due to a flexor-pronator strain in his throwing arm, the team announced. (MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson was among those to report the news.)

Signed to a one-year, $5.5MM deal in January, Yates was expected to provide some veteran experience at the back of Toronto’s bullpen, projected to get the bulk of save opportunities given his past track record. Yates was arguably baseball’s best reliever from 2018-19, posting a 1.67 ERA and 39.02% strikeout rate over 123 2/3 innings and racking up 53 saves. In 2019, Yates received an All-Star selection and finished ninth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

2020 was a lost year, however, as Yates made just six appearances before undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. More will be known about this latest injury after further examination, and naturally any sort of elbow problem is cause for concern, particularly given that Yates already has a Tommy John surgery on his record. He underwent that procedure way back in 2006, which resulted in Yates not being drafted and led to the righty beginning his pro career by signing a free agent deal with the Rays in 2009.

The Jays were certainly hoping that a healthy Yates would return to his All-Star form, but his absence now leaves a void in the ninth inning. Jordan Romano and Rafael Dolis are the most logical candidates to serve as closer, or the Blue Jays might approach the role on a situational basis and use Romero, Dolis, and other pitchers for save situations depending on matchups.

In the bigger picture, Yates’ injury is another ominous loss to the Blue Jays’ pitching mix. Nate Pearson won’t be in the rotation to begin the season due to a groin injury, while the club is also still awaiting word on Thomas Hatch’s forearm/elbow problem. With a number of question marks in the rotation, a deep and productive bullpen was even more of a must for the Jays, but the relief corps is now down two arms in Yates and Hatch for the time being.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/22/21

By Mark Polishuk | March 22, 2021 at 1:16pm CDT

The latest minor moves from around baseball…

The Rangers announced that right-hander Joe Gatto has been outrighted to Triple-A. The 25-year-old Gatto was a second-round pick for the Angels in the 2014 draft and he spent his entire career in the Halos organization before signing a Major League contract with Texas back in December. Gatto will receive $570.5K in guaranteed salary though he has yet to pitch in the big leagues, posting a 4.80 ERA and 18.3% strikeout rate over 448 1/3 career innings in the minors. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot that could be filled by one of many non-roster invitees (i.e. Ian Kennedy, Matt Bush, Charlie Culberson, Hunter Wood) in the Rangers’ camp, and the team may have more 40-man moves in the offing to accommodate several of these players.

Indians Hire Dan Otero In Baseball Operations Role

By Mark Polishuk | March 22, 2021 at 12:33pm CDT

The Indians have hired former reliever Dan Otero for a job in their baseball operations department, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel reports (Twitter link). Otero will work with advanced scouting, beginning a new chapter in a baseball career that spanned eight Major League seasons from 2012-19.

Selected by the Giants in the 21st round of the 2007 draft, Otero went on to post a 3.39 ERA/3.16 SIERA over 403 2/3 innings and 358 games in the big leagues. Armed with only a 90mph fastball and lacking the big strikeout numbers (a career 15.8K%) or spin rates that usually define modern relievers, Otero nonetheless established himself as an effective bullpen weapon.

Otero issued only 56 walks during his career, resulting in a superb 3.4BB% — the second-lowest walk rate of any pitcher with at least 400 innings pitched from 2012-19. Within those same parameters, Otero also had the seventh-best grounder rate (57.7%) of any pitcher, thanks in large part to his ability to limit hard contact.

The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Giants in 2012 before moving on to pitch three seasons with the A’s, and then four seasons in Cleveland from 2016-19. That stint with the Tribe included some big innings during the team’s 2016 postseason run, as Otero posted a 2.70 ERA over 6 2/3 playoff frames. Otero was also a member of the Phillies and Yankees organizations during his career but never made any big league appearances with either team — his last contract was a minor league deal with the Yankees last year, though he was placed on the restricted list prior to the season.

MLBTR congratulates Otero on a fine career and we wish him the best in his new role.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect