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White Sox View Miguel Vargas As Primary Third Baseman

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White Sox manager Will Venable tells James Fegan of Sox Machine that Miguel Vargas is viewed as the club’s primary option at third base. He is playing a bit of first base in camp as well but will mostly line up at the hot corner.

Vargas, 25, became a key piece of the roster last summer. Prior to last year’s deadline. the Sox lined up a three-team trade with the Dodgers and Cardinals. Chicago gave up Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham and cash in that deal. In return, they received three minor leaguers, with Vargas being more of a high-profile addition than Alexander Albertus or Jeral Perez.

A few years ago, Vargas was a top 100 prospect. Baseball America gave him the #29 spot going into 2023. That’s largely on account of his huge numbers against minor league pitching, though he hasn’t yet translated that to the majors. He has hit .175/.273/.312 in 591 big league plate appearances thus far.

But over the past three years, he has hit .297/.412/.512 in 996 Triple-A appearances. That was in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League but his 15.6% walk rate and 16.7% strikeout rate in that time were both great and wRC+ still considered him to be 31% better than league average.

Defensively, Vargas primarily played third base on his way up the minor league ladder, though the Dodgers moved him around the diamond. That was partially to improve his chances of cracking their crowded roster but also because his defense at the hot corner hasn’t been especially highly rated. He spent time at second base, first base and left field.

After acquiring him last year, the Sox gave him 36 starts at third and one in left. They overhauled their staff since then, bringing in Venable to be the new manager in 2025. It seems the new skipper doesn’t change the plan and they will give Vargas some run at the hot corner and see how it goes. Obviously, making offensive strides at the major league level is going to be important for Vargas but finding a viable defensive home is also going to be key. Now is a good time for the Sox to experiment, since they clearly have no hope of contending in the near term after their historically bad season in 2024. Vargas is still under control for five years, so there’s some time to come up with a clear answer.

The Sox signed infielder Josh Rojas to a one-year, $3.5MM deal last month. He has played more third base than any other position in his career, over 2,000 innings, but has over 1,000 innings at second as well. He’s also dabbled in the outfield corners, at shortstop and first base.

Perhaps Rojas will end up securing the second base job, if Vargas is at third. He will have some competition from Lenyn Sosa, though Sosa has hit just .229/.257/.347 in his big league career thus far and may get pushed into a bench/utility job. Rookie Colson Montgomery could perhaps take the Opening Day shortstop job. Infielders Jacob Amaya, Brooks Baldwin and Bryan Ramos are also on the 40-man roster with Brandon Drury and Nick Maton providing some non-roster depth.

Elsewhere on the roster, right-hander Prelander Berroa has been diagnosed with a grade 1 elbow strain, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Merkin says “it looks as if” Berroa can avoid Tommy John surgery “in the short term,” with next steps to be determined.

Berroa, 25 in April, came to the Sox as part of the Gregory Santos trade about a year ago. He has a 3.05 earned run average in 20 2/3 innings thus far in his career between the M’s and White Sox. Control has been an issue, with a 17.6% walk rate in the big leagues thus far. However, he’s also shown huge strikeout stuff, punching out 31.9% of major league hitters faced.

Obviously, a Tommy John surgery would be unwelcome, leading to an absence of over a year. The Sox will explore other options for the time being to see if there’s a way to get him back on the mound that doesn’t involve a surgeon’s scalpel.

Mets Acquire Alexander Canario From Cubs

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The Mets acquired outfielder Alexander Canario from the Cubs for cash considerations, the teams announced. New York placed Nick Madrigal on the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot. Chicago had designated the 24-year-old Canario for assignment last week as the corresponding move for the Justin Turner signing. He’s out of options, so he needed to break camp or be made available to other teams via trade or waivers.

It was moderately surprising that the Cubs cut Canario loose. They acquired the righty-hitting outfielder alongside Caleb Kilian in the 2021 deadline deal that sent Kris Bryant to the Giants. Canario popped 37 home runs during his first full minor league season in the Chicago system. Baseball America slotted him among the organization’s top 15 prospects entering both the 2023 and ’24 campaigns.

This winter, BA dropped him to 26th in the Cubs system. Canario still draws praise for his raw power and bat speed, but his pure hitting ability has been an issue throughout his minor league career. He has fanned in 26.3% of his plate appearances over seven minor league seasons. He went down on strikes in 30.4% of his 283 trips to the plate with Triple-A Iowa last year.

Canario drilled 18 homers in half a season’s worth of playing time, leading to a strong enough .243/.336/.514 slash in the minors. The Cubs called him up a few times but only got him into 15 games. He hit .280/.357/.440 with one homer in 28 trips to the dish, though he struck out 11 times while drawing only two walks. It seems the Cubs viewed Canario as a potential Quad-A type whose hit tool would be exposed if they gave him consistent major league run.

As a corner outfielder, Canario has limited defensive value. Baseball America credits him with plus arm strength but below-average range, suggesting he profiles as a bench bat. The Cubs didn’t have much room for that type of player. They have Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ in the corner outfield with Seiya Suzuki lined up for the majority of designated hitter work.

It’s tough to see Canario sticking on New York’s major league roster for similar reasons. The Mets already have five outfielders who are locks for the Opening Day roster if healthy: Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor, Jose Siri and Starling Marte. They have Jesse Winker at designated hitter. While they’ve entertained trade possibilities on Marte, it doesn’t appear they’ve made much traction in dealing him. The Mets only have a utility infield spot up for grabs in their current bench mix. Madrigal was the favorite for that role until he sustained a fractured left shoulder in yesterday’s Spring Training game.

Unless they lose someone else to injury over the next month, the Mets are unlikely to have room for Canario to break camp. There’s a decent chance they’ll try to get him through waivers later in the spring.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported the trade before the team announcement.

Mets Remain Unlikely To Pursue Jose Iglesias After Madrigal Injury

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The Mets’ infield depth took a hit yesterday, as Nick Madrigal suffered a fracture in his left shoulder. That’ll rule the former fourth overall pick out for quite some time and leaves the club in need of a utility infielder.

Nevertheless, Tim Healey of Newsday reports that the Mets remain unlikely to circle back to Jose Iglesias. President of baseball operations David Stearns downplayed the possibility of re-signing Iglesias two weeks ago. While it was fair to wonder if the Madrigal injury changed the thought process, they’d face the same roster inflexibility that deterred them from a reunion in the first place.

In his earlier comments, Stearns pointed to a desire to have someone with minor league options taking the final bench spot. Iglesias, a player with well over five years of service time, cannot be sent to the minors without his approval. Madrigal still has an option remaining. He’s 85 days away from crossing the five-year service threshold himself and will add to that tally while he’s on the major league injured list. If he spends the first three months of the season on the IL, the Mets could no longer option him either.

The Mets have three bench spots ticketed to players who cannot be sent down: backup catcher Luis Torrens and outfielders Starling Marte and Jose Siri (or Tyrone Taylor if Siri plays center field). Aside from starting catcher Francisco Alvarez, the backup infielder is the only spot where the Mets can shuffle through position players unless they went to a 12-man pitching staff.

Iglesias was an excellent find for New York last year on a minor league deal. The Mets selected his contract at the end of May. The veteran shortstop hit .337/.381/.448 across 291 plate appearances while emerging as a clubhouse and fan favorite. Iglesias is a career .283 hitter, but his offensive approach (plenty of contact with minimal power and almost no walks) isn’t held in high esteem by most of today’s front offices. Teams surely do not expect him to repeat last year’s huge production, which came behind a .382 average on balls in play that is nearly 70 points higher than his career mark.

Madrigal’s injury does leave the Mets with an imperfect set of options for their final roster spot. There’s probably not a ton of playing time available for whomever that will be. Neither Francisco Lindor nor Pete Alonso take many days off. Mark Vientos will be at third base almost every day. There could be a few at-bats at second base, but Jeff McNeil had a big second half to earn the majority of the playing time there.

The Mets will want their utility player to be capable of playing up the middle, occasionally at shortstop. Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna are the best defensive options on the 40-man roster, but they’re among the organization’s more talented young hitters. It’s probably preferable for them to play regularly at Triple-A Syracuse than to get scattered big league reps. (Mauricio might open the season on the IL as he finishes his rehab from 2023 ACL surgery.)

The playing time caveat is also true of Brett Baty, who is a corner bat anyways. Jared Young is the only other infielder on the 40-man roster. He’s mostly a first baseman/corner outfielder. While he has some second base experience, he isn’t an option at shortstop. Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos are in camp as non-roster invitees, but Walton is also out of options, meaning the Mets couldn’t send him back down without putting him on waivers if they call him up at any point. That might bode well for De Los Santos, an offseason waiver claim whom the Mets outrighted off the 40-man as the corresponding move for the Madrigal signing.

Carmen Mlodzinski Getting Stretched Out As Starter In Camp

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Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski is getting stretched out as a starter this spring, he tells Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That seems to be a consistent position for him, as general manager Ben Cherington tells Hiles that the righty has broached the subject before.

“I think from the time he first pitched out of the bullpen for us, literally from that day, he’s been pretty consistent in his communication with us that, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team, and I don’t want to give up on starting,’” Cherington said. “We encourage that. Open communication. He’s taken advantage of the forums he’s had to continue to express interest in that in a really professional, thoughtful way. We agreed at the beginning of last season that we heard him, and we felt like we were going to ask him to pitch in the ’pen for now.

“We see examples all over the game of guys doing that and going back to the rotation at some point in the future. So at the end of the season, we had a chance to sit down again and agreed that it made sense for him to put himself in a position this offseason, give himself a chance to be a starter. We agreed that we’d get his volume built in spring training to some point, probably at least three innings, and then we’ll assess and see where we are. Just continue that communication with him.”

Mlodzinki, now 26, was drafted in 2020. He spent 2021 and 2022 working primarily as a starter in the minors. In the second of those two seasons, he logged a 4.78 earned run average in 105 1/3 innings at the Double-A level.

Since then, he’s mostly been in a relief role, which has includes some big league success. He has 86 2/3 innings under his belt at this point with a 2.91 ERA. That includes five “starts”, though those were opener outings, none longer than two innings. His 22.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate are each a bit shy of average for a reliever, though his 46.7% ground ball rate is strong. He has one save and 16 holds.

Despite the decent bullpen results, Mlodzinski hasn’t given up on the dream of being a starter. It’s not uncommon these days for a guy with some relief success to try stretching out. It doesn’t always work but some success stories includes Garrett Crochet, Seth Lugo and Reynaldo López.

Mlodzinski has thrown six pitches in his major league career, according to Statcast: a four-seamer, slider, cutter, sweeper, changeup and sinker. He also has fairly neutral splits. Righties have hit .222/.312/.324 against him with lefties actually posting a worse line of .216/.289/.302.

His diverse arsenal and platoon-neutral results could perhaps allow him to turn a lineup over a few times, but he will have a hard time cracking a crowded Pittsburgh rotation. The Bucs have a controllable core three of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. They signed Andrew Heaney to add a veteran back-end guy. Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo are options for a spot, as are younger guys like Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington. Like Mlodzinski, Caleb Ferguson is going to get stretched out in camp to see how it goes.

With all of those options, it’s likely Mlodzinski ends up in the bullpen, but it’s still notable that it’s on the table. In such situations, a pitcher sometimes needs the stars to align in order to find the right opportunity. As an example, Michael King worked mostly as a reliever for the Yankees for a while. In 2023, they fell out of contention and gave him a rotation job down the stretch. He pitched well enough that the Padres acquired him in the Juan Soto deal and gave him a starting role in San Diego, which he flourished in.

Now is the best time of year for a club to experiment with roles like this. After being stretched out, it’s fairly easy for a guy to then pivot to a relief role for the season, whereas doing the opposite in the middle of the summer is difficult. Mlodzinski and the Bucs can try it out and see what happens, even if it doesn’t immediately get him a rotation job. He also still has options, so staying stretched out in the minors is another possibility. It’s always possible that injuries or midseason trades open up some doors over a long season.

Harold Ramírez Signs With Mexican League’s Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

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First baseman/outfielder Harold Ramírez has signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. There’s a $0 buyout for MLB affiliates.

Ramírez, 30, appeared in the past six major league baseball seasons with a unique profile. He would rarely walk, strikeout or hit home runs. As a player who put the ball in play almost as much as any other, his production was among the most susceptible to variations in batted ball luck.

Over the 2019 to 2021 seasons, he suited up for the Guardians and Marlins, getting 818 plate appearances in that time. His .315 batting average on balls in play was actually a bit above league average, which is usually in the .290-.300 range. But thanks to a walk rate of just 4% and only 18 home runs in that time, his .271/.308/.405 batting line led to a 92 wRC+, indicating he had been 8% below par overall.

His fortune turned with the Rays in the next two seasons. Over the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, he took 869 trips to the plate with Tampa. His 4.7% walk rate was still quite low and he hit another 18 home runs but his BABIP spiked to .354 in that time. That helped him hit .306/.348/.432 for a 122 wRC+.

Regression came in 2024. His BABIP dropped to .320 and he only walked 2% of the time, with just two homers in 246 plate appearances. That included a brief stint with the Nationals after the Rays released him. After the Nats also released him, he finished the year on a minor league deal with Atlanta, hitting .231/.278/.275 in 97 Triple-A plate appearances.

Ramirez has played first base and the outfield in his career but isn’t considered a strong defender, so his offensive drop-off last year really put a dent in his value. By taking a job in Mexico, he’s surely hoping to carve out some regular playing time and show that he can still swing it. If he looks to be in good form, the no-cost buyout could lead some club to pick him up.

Tigers Sign Andrew Chafin To Minor League Deal

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5:05pm: Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that Chafin will make $2.5MM if he cracks the roster. There’s also $1.5MM available via incentives and a $250K assignment bonus if he is traded.

4:00pm: The Tigers announced that they have signed left-hander Andrew Chafin to a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to spring training. The southpaw is a client of Meister Sports Management.

Chafin, 35 in June, has spent over a decade as an effective lefty reliever. That includes a couple of previous stints with Detroit. He was with the Tigers for the entire 2022 season, posting a 2.83 earned run average. Last year, he had a 3.16 ERA in 37 innings for the Tigers before being traded to the Rangers at the deadline. His results with Texas weren’t quite as strong, so he finished the year with a 3.51 ERA overall.

His profile has changed over his career, as he was previously a strong ground ball guy but has moved more towards strikeouts in more recent seasons. From 2014 to 2022, Chafin tossed 400 2/3 major league innings with a 3.23 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 50.9% ground ball rate. His pitch mix consisted of 26.6% fastballs, 39.6% sinkers, 32.8% sliders and 1% changeups.

Over the past two seasons, he has bumped the slider usage to 40.6%, mostly at the expense of his fastball, which has been used just 18.3% of the time. That’s led to a 4.10 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate, 12.6% walk rate and 37.2% ground ball rate.

Though Chafin has been solid and consistent on the whole, he hasn’t been viewed kindly by the open market. In the past seven full seasons, he has logged at least 49 innings, only once posting an ERA higher than 3.76.

He first became a free agent after a rough showing in the shortened 2020 season, spending most of it on the injured list and tossing just 9 2/3 innings. That led to a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Cubs for 2021. Chafin posted a 1.83 ERA that year and secured a two-year, $13MM deal with Detroit going into 2022, with the second year being a player option.

After posting a 2.83 ERA in 2022, he declined his $6.5MM player option to take another shot at free agency. That didn’t lead to much extra earning power, as he landed a one-year, $6.3MM deal with the Diamondbacks, plus $1MM of incentives. Last winter, another one-year deal was his result, getting a $4.8MM guarantee from the Tigers. This time around, despite a solid campaign, he’s had to settle for a minor league pact.

The Tigers have Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter and Sean Guenther as lefty relievers on the roster. Holton should have a big league job locked down but Guenther has just 41 1/3 innings in the majors with a 5.01 ERA. Hurter just made his MLB debut last year and is also in the rotation mix, so the club might prefer to have him as a frequently-optioned multi-inning guy/depth starter.

If Chafin looks like his old self in camp, he could perhaps get a job as the second lefty in the bullpen alongside Holton. If not, he’ll have chances to look elsewhere. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, Article XX(b) free agents get guaranteed opt-out chances on minor league deals if they are signed more than ten days prior to Opening Day. An Article XX(b) free agent is one with six years of service who finished the previous season on a 40-man roster or 60-day injured list. Those opt-out chances are five days prior to Opening Day, May 1st and June 1st.

Poll: Will The Astros Add Another Bat?

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Over the weekend, it was reported that the Astros circled back to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado in trade talks after longtime third baseman Alex Bregman officially departed the club to sign with the Red Sox. Those renewed conversations surrounding Arenado don’t appear likely to result in a deal as things stand, but they do demonstrate a clear desire on the part of Astros brass to improve upon an offense that lost both Bregman and star outfielder Kyle Tucker this winter.

It’s not hard to see why Houston would like to upgrade their lineup. Among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances for the club last year, Tucker led the way with a sensational 181 wRC+ while Bregman ranked fourth with a figure of 118. As important as both players were, it’s fair to point out the club has a number of successful hitters still in the fold: Yordan Alvarez (168 wRC+) and Jose Altuve (127 wRC+) put up excellent numbers last year, and the catcher position remains strong with Yainer Diaz (117 wRC+) and Victor Caratini (113 wRC+).

Still, the combination of Alvarez, Altuve, Diaz, and Caratini cover just three spots in the lineup. The quartet do not figure to be in the same lineup very often this year, particularly now that Altuve is slated to play left field on at least a semi-frequent basis in order to keep Alvarez at DH, thereby stopping manager Joe Espada from penciling Diaz or Caratini in at DH on days when the other catching. Offseason additions of Isaac Paredes (117 wRC+) and Christian Walker (119 wRC+) should help to keep things afloat, with Paredes in particular projecting to serve as a near perfect replacement for Bregman with the bat despite his shortcomings on defense.

The Astros have a solid offensive nucleus, but their lineup figures to include several below-average hitters this year and sorely miss the offensive contributions Tucker has offered throughout his career. Without Tucker, the club’s entire projected outfield mix is questionable. Center fielder Jake Meyers is a career .228/.292/.371 (87 wRC+) hitter whose 2024 numbers were right in line with that production. Ben Gamel posted a 115 wRC+ last year, but that came in just 99 plate appearances and was his first above average offensive season since 2018. Chas McCormick has shown some solid potential with the bat in the past, but he’s coming off a career-worst campaign where he hit just .211/.271/.306 (66 wRC+). He’s also struggled to produce against right-handed pitching even in his more successful seasons.

The introduction of Altuve to the club’s left field mix should help to add some pop to the outfield, but the leading candidates to take over for him at second base are Mauricio Dubon and Brendan Rodgers. Both have six seasons in the majors, and neither has posted an above-average offensive season. What’s more, the departure of Tucker and Jon Singleton’s move to the bench leaves Alvarez as the club’s only lefty swinging regular, unless the club turns to Gamel for everyday reps. It seems clear that the Astros would benefit from adding another hitter to the mix — ideally a lefty.

The problem, however, is that very few options remain available in free agency, and even fewer of them are left-handed. Alex Verdugo has plenty of experience in left field and is perhaps the best left-handed bat still available, but he’s coming off a career-worst season. David Peralta is coming off a solid season in a part-time role with the Padres last year but is headed into his age-37 campaign. In terms of potential infielders, part-time players like Jose Iglesias and Whit Merrifield are not only right-handed, but also provide little over internal options like Dubon and Rodgers.

Perhaps there’s a trade to be worked out, even as swinging a deal for Arenado remains unlikely. The Twins have been rumored to be getting calls on utility man Willi Castro this winter, and a switch-hitter capable of playing both the infield and outfield seems like an ideal fit. Meanwhile, Tigers infielder Zach McKinstry and Mets infielder Brett Baty are two lefty bats currently on the bubble of their club’s 26-man roster.

In the case of a Castro trade or even a signing like Verdugo, money might also be a complicating factor. Reports have generally described the Astros’ budget as close to maxed out, with high-dollar moves like signing Bregman or trading for Arenado likely to require a greenlight from ownership. While it’s unclear exactly how much wiggle room Houston’s front office has, it appeared telling that GM Dana Brown indicated earlier this month that he sees an external addition of note as unlikely. With limited options still available and a seemingly limited budget to work with, perhaps the Astros will simply enter the season with their current roster unless a veteran opting out of a minor league deal or a player placed on the waiver wire in the run-up to Opening Day creates an opportunity.

Do MLBTR readers think the Astros will address their offense further before the season begins, or enter the 2025 season with what they have? Have your say in the poll below!

Will a hitter not currently in the Astros organization make their Opening Day roster?
No, they'll enter the season with their internal group on offense. 62.47% (1,966 votes)
Yes, the club will make an external addition to the Opening Day roster. 37.53% (1,181 votes)
Total Votes: 3,147

Tom Murphy Out Multiple Weeks With Herniated Disc

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Giants backup catcher Tom Murphy was diagnosed with a mid-back herniated disc, the team announced to its beat writers this morning (link via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle). He’ll receive an epidural injection and be sidelined for multiple weeks. The Giants haven’t formally ruled Murphy out for Opening Day, but things certainly appear to be trending that direction.

Waiver claim Sam Huff and minor league signee Max Stassi will compete for the backup job behind Patrick Bailey if Murphy is indeed sidelined into the season. The Giants also announced that they’ve pulled catcher Adrian Sugastey from minor league camp and formally given him a non-roster invitation to big league camp, replenishing some of the lost depth.

San Francisco signed Murphy, 34 in April, to a two-year deal worth $8.25MM in the 2023-24 offseason. Though he came to the Giants with notable durability issues, the veteran backstop had a track record of stout production when healthy. From 2019-23 with the Mariners, he turned in a combined .250/.324/.460 batting line in 807 plate appearances — despite playing his home games in perhaps the worst hitters’ environment in the sport. By measure of wRC+, Murphy was 16% better than average at the plate during his run with the M’s.

To this point, Murphy’s contract has played out quite poorly. The righty-hitting veteran appeared in just 13 games early in the 2024 season before suffering a Grade 2 knee strain that was originally expected to shelve him for “at least” six weeks but ultimately proved to be season-ending in nature. Murphy logged only 38 plate appearances in his first year with the Giants and posted an anemic .118/.211/.235 slash.

Though Murphy had a history of injuries, the knee troubles were a new development. He’d previously endured lengthy absences due to a forearm fracture, a foot fracture, a dislocated shoulder and a ligament injury in the thumb on his catching hand. Knee problems were not something he’d battled prior — just as this new development of back woes is not something that’s hampered him in the past.

Last offseason’s addition of Murphy came after years of former No. 2 pick Joey Bart struggling in San Francisco. Murphy’s two-year deal surely played a role in pushing the out-of-options Bart off the roster, and the breakout he enjoyed after being traded to the Pirates only further adds a layer to Murphy’s health troubles. Bart hit .265/.337/.462 in 282 plate appearances with the Bucs last year, hitting his way to the top of the Pirates’ depth chart as we enter the 2025 campaign.

In Huff and Stassi, the Giants have a pair of experienced options to back up Bailey — who’s perhaps the game’s best defensive catcher (and one of the best defensive players in MLB, at any position). Huff just turned 27 and was at one point a top-100 prospect with the Rangers. He owns a solid-looking .255/.313/.455 slash in 214 big league plate appearances, but the Rangers clearly weren’t bullish on his chances of sustaining that production. Given that he’s benefited from a .353 average on balls in play and fanned in more than one-third of his career plate appearances, that’s an understandable concern.

Stassi, 33, hasn’t suited up in the majors since 2022 due to injuries and a harrowing 2023 ordeal wherein his son was born more than three months premature and spent more than six months in the NICU. Thankfully, the end result was Stassi and his wife being able to take their baby boy home, but Stassi’s return to the diamond in 2024 didn’t go as hoped. He’d missed time with a left hip strain early in the 2023 season, and left hip troubles resurfaced in 2024 — this time requiring season-ending hip surgery.

When he’s been on the field, Stassi has been inconsistent but shown signs of being more than a backup. From 2020-21, he slashed .250/.333/.452 with 20 homers in 118 games and 454 plate appearances. He’s an elite pitch framer who’s also shown quality blocking skills on pitches in the dirt. If he’s back to full strength after a grueling couple of years — both personally and professionally — Stassi is an intriguing backup option. He’s need to be added to the 40-man roster, however.

The Giants have a handful of other health issues to keep an eye on in camp, though to this point there doesn’t appear to be major concern on any fronts. Outfielder Heliot Ramos is dealing with an oblique issue, per the Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, but it’s only expected to sideline him for around a week. Ramos is among the most critical young players on the Giants’ roster. The longtime top prospect broke out in 2024, slashing .269/.322/.469 with 22 homers in 518 trips to the plate. The overwhelming majority of his production came against lefties (.370/.439/.750), but if he can improve his .240/.286/.387 output against fellow right-handers, Ramos has massive everyday potential.

Southpaw Erik Miller is also a bit behind, per Slusser. He’s dealing with some numbness in his pitching hand that has naturally led to some concern. He’s not yet undergone extensive testing, so there’s no telling if he’ll miss any time, but the 27-year-old Miller had a breakout of his own during last year’s rookie effort. In 67 1/3 innings out of Bob Melvin’s bullpen, he logged a 3.88 earned run average with a huge 30.6% strikeout rate but also a bloated 13.4% walk rate. He’s currently projected to be the only southpaw in the Giants’ bullpen. They don’t have another left-handed relief candidate on the 40-man roster, although non-roster players like Joey Lucchesi, Enny Romero, Ethan Small and Miguel Del Pozo all have varying levels of MLB experience.

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Rays Sign Jamie Westbrook To Minor League Deal

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The Rays announced Monday morning that they’ve signed infielder/outfielder Jamie Westbrook to a minor league contract. The ALIGND Sports client will head to big league camp and provide Tampa Bay with some additional depth at multiple positions. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported the agreement.

Westbrook, 29, made his big league debut with the Red Sox in 2024. Originally a fifth-round pick by the 2013 D-backs, he’s begun to bounce around in journeyman fashion. The Sox were the fifth organization of his career and also Westbrook’s fifth in a span of six seasons. The Rays will make six organizations in seven years.

Though he struggled in a limited sample of 48 big league plate appearances, hitting .150/.234/.350, Westbrook posted a much sharper .277/.369/.450 output with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester — about 15% better than league average offensive output. Westbrook has also had big Triple-A seasons with the Yankees, Brewers and D-backs over the years. He’s played in parts of six Triple-A campaigns and slashed a combined .281/.375/.458 with just a 15.8% strikeout rate against a terrific 11.3% walk rate.

Westbrook has primarily been a second baseman in the minors, logging a massive 5372 innings there. However, he’s also tallied an even 2500 innings in the outfield corners (about 90% of that time in left field) in addition to just shy of 900 innings at third base. He’s a right-handed bat who’s typically thrashed left-handed pitching and at least held his own in right-on-right matchups at the top minor league level.

The Rays have plenty of position depth at the spots Westbrook has played most frequently. Brandon Lowe is back as the primary second baseman, while ballyhooed youngster Junior Caminero will get everyday reps at third. Christopher Morel and Josh Lowe appear to be in line for frequent corner outfield work. Utility players Jose Caballero and Richie Palacios offer cover at multiple positions, and former top prospect Curtis Mead has seen plenty of time at both second and third base. Outfielders Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum are both on the 40-man roster and can both play all three outfield spots.

Westbrook will presumably see frequent time at second base and in the outfield in Triple-A, but he could be in the mix for a bench spot with a big enough spring showing and/or some spring injuries thinning out the depth on the major league side of things.

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