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Brewers’ Thomas Pannone Shut Down Due To Torn Flexor Tendon

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Left-hander Thomas Pannone suffered a torn flexor tendon during the Brewers’ Cactus League game against the Guardians last Sunday.  MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Pannone won’t throw for at least a month while recovering, though surgery isn’t being considered at this time.

While it appears as though Pannone may have avoided the worst with his injury, it still erases whatever chance the southpaw had of making the Brewers’ Opening Day roster.  Pannone is out of minor league options, so his inevitable placement on the injured list will at least allow him to stick in Milwaukee’s organization without being exposed to the waiver wire, even if a claim might be unlikely given Pannone’s current health concerns.

Pannone (who turns 31 in April) signed a minor league deal with the Brew Crew back in November, returning to the organization after previously pitching for Milwaukee during the 2023 campaign.  Working mostly with Triple-A Nashville, Pannone had a 2.70 ERA in 53 1/3 innings in the minors, and he also tossed 2 2/2 innings in a single MLB game for the Brewers.  That marked Pannone’s only big league appearance since 2019 when he was a member of the Blue Jays.

The Brewers released Pannone that July so he could sign with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization (also his second KBO stint).  Returning to North American baseball last winter, Pannone spent the 2024 season pitching with the Cubs’ and Yankees’ Triple-A affiliates.  With a 3.54 ERA over 152 1/3 combined innings at the Triple-A level last season, Pannone made a good accounting of himself, but he didn’t receive another call to the Show.

Even if Pannone was probably ticketed for a depth role in Nashville, his flexor tendon problem adds to the increasingly long list of injuries hitting Brewers starters this spring.  Aaron Ashby will miss a couple of weeks recovering from an oblique strain, and a lat strain sent DL Hall to the 60-day injured list.  Since Milwaukee is taking it easy with Brandon Woodruff as he returns from a season-long injury absence, the Brewers addressed the lack of starting depth by signing Jose Quintana to a one-year, $4.25MM guarantee earlier this week.

Offseason In Review: San Francisco Giants

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While not the blockbuster offseason some fans expected from the Giants' new front office, a couple of big names landed in San Francisco.

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $36MM
Total spending: $197MM

Option Decisions

  • Blake Snell, SP: Opted out of final year of contract ($30MM in 2025)
  • Robbie Ray, SP: Declined to opt out of final two years of contract ($50MM over 2025-26 seasons)
  • Wilmer Flores, IF: Exercises $3.5MM player option for the 2025 season

Trades & Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

Willy Adames' $182MM contract represents the largest deal in Giants history, and perhaps marks an end to the narrative that the franchise is unable to attract top-tier talent to the Bay Area.  Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa (though that situation was rather unique), and Shohei Ohtani are a few of the major free agents who the Giants pursued but were unable to sign when Farhan Zaidi was the club's president of baseball operations, leaving fans perpetually frustrated at Zaidi's roster-building endeavors.

Things changed even before Zaidi was officially replaced by Buster Posey last September, as Posey (then acting in his capacity as a member of the Giants board of directors) took a very direct role in negotiating Matt Chapman's six-year, $151MM contract extension.  It is rare to see such extensions signed when a player is as close to Chapman was to the open market, and finalizing that deal indicated that Posey might be moving with more aggressiveness once he took the reins as the new PBO.

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Phillies “Checked In” On Pete Alonso During Offseason

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Before Pete Alonso re-signed with the Mets, the Phillies were among the teams that “checked in” on the first baseman’s free agent market, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes.  Rather than make the jump elsewhere in the NL East, Alonso returned to Queens on a two-year, $54MM deal that allows Alonso to opt out after the 2025 season.

This is the first time the Phils’ interest in Alonso has been made public, though Bryce Harper dropped some hints earlier this week when he was discussing his willingness to eventually move back to his old right field position.   “When Pete was on the block still, I kind of sat there and was like, ‘Hey, why not?’ ,” Harper said.  “When we talked about it, I kind of just reiterated to (the Phillies) and Scott (Boras) that I’m willing to move out there if it’s going to help us.  I love playing first base.  It’s been great.  But if it’s going to help us win, I’d go back out there [to the outfield].”

Despite Harper’s stance, there isn’t any indication that the Phillies made any serious push towards Alonso, or that their interest might have been anything more than due diligence.  As a big-market, free-spending team, the Phils have the relative freedom to explore signing just about any available free agent, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is no stranger to splashy acquisitions.  If anything, it might have been more unusual if Philadelphia didn’t at least consider Alonso, particularly (as Harper noted) once February rolled around and Alonso remained unsigned.

Alonso’s hopes at landing a lucrative long-term contract didn’t work out, leaving Alonso and agent Scott Boras (who also represents Harper) pivoting to shorter-term deals that included an opt-out clause.  The Blue Jays reportedly offered Alonso a three-year deal worth roughly $80-$85MM, but the slugger instead took the shorter contract from New York with the higher average annual value.

Because Alonso ultimately preferred to remain in Queens anyway, it’s safe to guess that he probably wouldn’t have jumped to a division rival if the Phillies had offered the same contract structure as the Mets, plus a few extra dollars.  Hypothetically, if Alonso had gone to Philadelphia, Harper would’ve moved into right field, making for a crowded situation in the Fightins’ outfield.  With Kyle Schwarber locked in as the everyday DH, Alonso at first base, and Harper getting everyday at-bats in right field, Nick Castellanos and new signing Max Kepler would’ve been squeezed into a platoon in left field.

Signing Alonso even at that relative bargain price also wouldn’t have exactly been a bargain in luxury tax terms.  The Phillies are already projected (via RosterResource) for a tax number of roughly $307.5MM in 2025, which is over the maximum penalty tier of $301MM.  The Phillies have paid the tax in each of the last three seasons, so the repeater penalty on top of the penalty for exceeding the $301MM threshold would’ve cost Philadelphia a 110% surcharge for every dollar spent above the $301MM total.

The number of big contracts on the Phillies’ books could explain why the club had a relatively quiet winter, as the Phillies made a few mid-tier signings (Kepler, Jordan Romano, Joe Ross) and swung one prominent trade to acquire Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins.  Still, after their playoff disappointment in 2024, the Phils were expected by some to perhaps be more aggressive in making one more headling-grabbing move as something of a final touch to put the roster over the top.

Checking in with Alonso now, however, might’ve been a move to really lay groundwork for next winter, assuming he triggers his opt-out clause.  While the Phillies have designs on signing Schwarber to an extension, his departure would open up a bit more flexibility on the roster and on the payroll, perhaps opening the door for Philadelphia to pursue Alonso or another big bat.

Alonso told Heyman that he is happy to back with the Mets, and he has “no regrets” about how his free agency developed.  He also noted that bigger-picture concerns overshadowed any worries he had about the lingering nature of his free agent stint, as Alonso spent much of his winter overseeing the repair of his home in Tampa.

“Hurricane Helene wiped out our house.  It just puts things in perspective,” Alonso said.  “Nothing really seemed that big of a deal after losing our house.  It’s like, what else?  OK, we have to wait a few extra few weeks.  OK, so what?“

Twins Notes: Tonkin, Canterino, Topa, Rodriguez

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We already covered Erasmo Ramirez’s long-term shoulder issues in larger detail earlier tonight, but Twins trainer Nick Paparesta’s meeting with reporters (including MLB.com and La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) also addressed the status of several other players.

Right-hander Michael Tonkin seems to be the newest player bitten by the injury bug, as the reliever is battling a strain in his right rotator cuff.  The strain appears to be on the mild side, as Paparesta said Tonkin’s MRI came back clean.  For now, Tonkin will be shut down for the next 7-10 days and then re-evaluated.

Tonkin tossed 79 1/3 combined innings with the Yankees, and two separate stints apiece between the Mets and Twins.  Beginning the season on the Amazins’ roster, Tonkin went from the Mets to the Twins to the Mets to the Yankees and then finally back to Minnesota after being repeatedly designated for assignment and then traded or claimed on waivers.  Amidst all of these moves, Tonkin delivered solid numbers, posting a 3.63 ERA, 25% strikeout rate, and 8.8% walk rate.

These results continued what has been a pretty successful second act to Tonkin’s big league career.  After appearing in parts of five seasons with the Twins from 2013-17, Tonkin didn’t return to the majors again until 2023, as his interim years were spent pitching in the minor leagues, Nippon Professional Baseball, independent ball, and sitting out altogether during the pandemic-marred 2020 season.  The 35-year-old entered Minnesota’s spring camp looking for more stability and to secure a job in the Twins bullpen, though this injury setback may hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster.

Matt Canterino is unfortunately no stranger to injuries, as the 2019 second-round pick has seen his pro career repeatedly stalled by arm problems.  Between a Tommy John surgery and then a rotator cuff strain, Canterino hasn’t pitched at all since 2022, and he now faces an appointment with Dr. Keith Meister this week in the wake of another shoulder strain.

The exact severity of Canterino’s latest injury won’t be known until the right-hander undergoes an internal dye procedure known as an MR arthogram.  In terms of what the team knows at the moment, Paparesta said “last year [Canterino] had a fairly moderate right subscap strain.  This year it is a little bit of a milder subscap with a more moderate strain of his teres major and latissimus dorsi.”

The bottom line is that even in a best-case evaluation, Canterino is likely facing another lengthy absence as he tries to put this latest injury behind him.  Canterino has pitched only 85 professional innings, though his impressive numbers (1.48 ERA, 39.16% strikeout rate) hint his potential if he can just stay healthy.

Justin Topa’s pro career has also been heavily impacted by injuries, including left knee problems that limited him to only three games with Minnesota in 2024.  His work in camp was halted by soreness in his right shoulder, though Paparesta said the problem wasn’t severe enough to merit an MRI, and Topa could resume throwing as early as today.

Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez also seems to be making progress from a sprained ankle, as Rodriguez took part in a live batting practice yesterday.  Beyond just the recovery from his ankle sprain, the BP session also seemingly provided Rodriguez some relief from the thumb problems that plagued him for most of 2024.  Rodriguez underwent surgery on his thumb back in November, and Paparesta said that following batting practice, Rodriguez commented that “it didn’t hurt for the first time in seven months” after swinging and missing.

Rodriguez might see some game action as early as this week, if he is able to run the bases without issue.  With only seven Triple-A games under his belt, Rodriguez is expected to begin the 2025 campaign in the minors, but all signs point to the outfielder making his MLB debut at some point during the coming season.

Erasmo Ramirez To “Miss Significant Time” Due To Shoulder Injuries

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Twins right-hander Erasmo Ramirez has tears in his teres minor and lat muscles, team trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters (including La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).  It appears as though Ramirez is facing a long absence, as Paparesta said it will be multiple weeks before the veteran pitcher is even re-examined for a status check.

Ramirez has been a member of the Twins organization for less than a month, after he signed a minor league contract with the club back on February 15.  Ramirez threw in just one Spring Training game, and that now looks like it’ll be his only game action for quite some time, dealing a severe blow to the righty entering what would be his 14th Major League season.

It isn’t known if surgery might be a consideration, or if such steps won’t be known until after Ramirez is re-examined.  Ramirez has been relatively durable during his long career, though he missed over four months of the 2018 season dealing with a couple of shoulder-related problems.

Ramirez has pitched for six different teams over his career, working as a starter, swingman, and now as a multi-inning reliever.  The majority of Ramirez’s career has been spent with the Mariners and Rays, as two separate stints with each of those two teams have accounted for 691 2/3 of his 849 career innings.  Ramirez is coming off his second stint in Tampa Bay, and he posted a 4.35 ERA over 20 2/3 innings for the Rays at the big league level last season.

Nationals’ Erick Mejia Converting To Pitching

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Erick Mejia is starting a new chapter in his 13-year career, as the longtime infielder is working out as a pitcher in the Nationals’ spring camp.  The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden writes that Mejia’s latest step was a 25-pitch live batting practice session against minor league hitters, and none of Mejia’s pitches were put into play.

Mejia’s MLB resume consists of 17 games with the Royals over the 2019-20 seasons.  The rest of his lengthy career has been spent in the farm systems of Mariners, Dodgers, Royals, and Nationals, and Mejia has hit .264/.333/.387 over 3998 career plate appearances in the minors.

Washington signed Mejia to a minor league deal in December 2022, and his two seasons in the Nats’ system didn’t lead to another trip back to the Show.  He did toss an inning of mop-up work in a blowout of Triple-A game last season, which led to a follow-up bullpen session that saw Mejia throw off a mound (while wearing sneakers) and hit 96mph on the radar gun.  This got the attention of Nationals coaches and officials, and Mejia agreed last September to try giving pitching a proper try as a new career path.

Golden notes that Mejia has a ton of vertical break on his four-seam fastball, and that pitch has also hit the 98mph threshold in subsequent throwing sessions.  “The number one thing he has is the ability to throw the ball very good and to throw it over the plate.  The other stuff, we can work on it,” Triple-A Rochester pitching coach Rafael Chaves said, describing how Mejia is understandably still raw at the normal mechanics and routine processes that come with pitching.

It remains to be seen if this transition will remain just an experiment, or if Mejia can get into minor league games and try to prove himself as a pitcher.  Now 30 years old, Mejia put the situation plainly, saying “if I need to try something different to keep going, I will do it.”  There’s no downside for the veteran to see if he can translate his arm strength and natural velocity into a pitching career, and it makes Mejia an interesting subplot of the Nationals’ camp.

Erik Sabrowski Likely To Start Season On IL

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Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski has not appeared in a game this spring as he nurses inflammation in his pitching elbow. While there is no indication that the issue is particularly serious, any elbow problems are concerning when it comes to a pitcher who has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries in his career. According to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins, Sabrowski was given “an anti-inflammatory injection” this past week. The southpaw will take some time to rest before being re-examined next week – and hopefully starting a throwing program soon after. However, this setback means he is likely to begin the 2025 season on the IL.

Never a highly-ranked prospect, Sabrowski burst onto the scene last September, tossing 12 2/3 innings and striking out 19. Of the 47 batters he faced, not one crossed the plate. Only six reached base. Despite his lack of experience, the left-hander made Cleveland’s postseason roster and continued to impress in October. He faced 23 batters over 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight. He gave up two runs, though only one was earned.

The star of Sabrowski’s arsenal is his four-seam fastball. He doesn’t throw it especially hard, but his long extension increases the pitch’s perceived velocity. He also gets great movement on the pitch, and it’s his best weapon for generating swing and miss. The 27-year-old complements his heater with two breaking balls – a curveball and a slider – both of which have the potential to be plus secondaries.

After his strong performance in 2024, Sabrowski seemed like a good bet to make the Guardians’ Opening Day roster and pitch meaningful innings out of the bullpen in 2025. While the former is now unlikely, the latter is still a strong possibility. Not only is Sabrowski a promising arm – the ZiPS projection system sees him posting an ERA in the mid-3.00s – but he is one of only two left-handed relievers with MLB experience on Cleveland’s 40-man roster. With Sabrowski on the shelf, RosterResource currently has Tim Herrin and Doug Nikhazy as the lefties in the projected Opening Day bullpen. Herrin is a lock, but Nikhazy has no MLB experience and next to no experience pitching out of the ’pen. If Sabrowski can get back to full health soon, he should have a job waiting for him.

José Valdivielso Passes Away

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Former MLB shortstop José Valdivielso passed away on Tuesday. He was 90 years old. His obituary is available courtesy of a New York funeral home.

Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Valdivielso made his MLB debut with the Washington Senators in 1955. He earned a down-ballot MVP vote at the end of his rookie season. Valdivielso would later move with the organization to Minnesota when the Senators became the team known today as the Twins. Over 401 games from 1955-1961, the 6-foot-1 infielder recorded 201 hits and scored 89 runs. Primarily a shortstop, he also appeared in a handful of games at both second and third base. He is well-remembered among Cuban fans for making the final out in the only all-Cuban triple play (h/t Francys Romero).

Although he played his last MLB game in 1961, Valdivielso spent three more seasons in the minor leagues from 1962-64. Following his playing career, he worked on the Spanish-language radio broadcast teams for both the Yankees and Mets. He was also well respected for his work with the MLB Players Alumni Association.

We at MLB Trade Rumors offer our deepest condolences to Valdivielso’s family and friends, as well as everyone whose life he touched throughout his career in baseball.

Giancarlo Stanton Has “Severe” Injuries In Both Elbows

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Giancarlo Stanton offered an update this morning about the elbow injuries that have kept him from playing this spring. He told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that the problem is “considered severe” in each of his elbows. The Yankees DH remains uncertain as to when he will be able to return to baseball activities of any kind. While he does not yet know if double elbow surgery will be necessary, he said that if he goes under the knife, the surgeries will rule him out for the 2025 season. Thankfully, GM Brian Cashman recently described surgery as a “last resort” for Stanton (per Hoch).

The 35-year-old has received two rounds of PRP injections in both elbows, and he will go for a third round next week. While Stanton is currently with the rest of his Yankees teammates at camp, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Hoch) that the DH is unlikely to see any game action in spring training. Last weekend, the Yankees announced that Stanton would open the season on the IL. They did not provide a timetable for his return. Today’s update doesn’t necessarily push that already uncertain timeline back any further, but Stanton’s use of the word “severe” certainly isn’t promising, nor is the possibility that he could miss the entire 2025 campaign.

It is hard to know what to think about the fact that Stanton attributed his elbow problems to “bat adjustments” he made in 2024. On the one hand, it’s encouraging that he was able to identify the problem; hopefully, that means he knows how to avoid reaggravating the issue once he starts to swing a bat again. On the other hand, Stanton’s powerful swing is his signature skill. Even in his mid-thirties, he had the fastest swing speed in MLB last season, according to Statcast. It’s worth wondering if he can make the necessary bat adjustments to keep his elbows safe without weakening his swing.

While it has been years since Stanton was a true superstar, he was still a valuable contributor to New York’s pennant-winning squad in 2024. He crushed 27 home runs with 72 RBI and a 116 wRC+. His bat was particularly potent in the playoffs; he hit seven homers in 14 games, with a team-leading 16 RBI. The Yankees made some solid additions to the top half of their order this winter, trading for Cody Bellinger and signing free agent Paul Goldschmidt. Still, their offense does not project to be quite as potent without Juan Soto to bat in front of Aaron Judge. Losing Stanton for any period of time will only further weaken the lineup.

Boone said earlier this week that he likes the in-house candidates the team has to replace Stanton, “especially against right-handed pitching” (per Hoch). That could mean using Judge at DH more often and starting the lefty-batting Trent Grisham in the outfield. While Grisham’s bat is a far cry from Stanton’s, such an arrangement would improve the outfield defense and could help Judge stay healthy throughout the season. Another lefty-batting option to get some reps at DH is Ben Rice. Although he struggled in his rookie season (73 wRC+ in 178 PA), Rice mashed throughout the minors and could offer some power in Stanton’s stead. J.C. Escarra is another left-handed hitter on the 40-man roster. He’s nearing 30 and has yet to make his MLB debut, but he hit well last season in his first year in the Yankees organization. Dominic Smith, a veteran non-roster invitee in camp this spring, is another left-handed bat to keep in mind.

Meanwhile, the most likely option to join the mix against left-handed pitching, whether in the outfield or at DH, could be Everson Pereira. Like Rice, Pereira struggled in his brief debut last season but has always hit well – especially in the power department – in the minor leagues. In seven games this spring, Pereira is batting .375 with a 1.224 OPS. He has been limited to DH duty in spring training as he rehabs from UCL surgery, but he could eventually take some reps for Judge in the outfield as well.

Finally, one has to wonder if Cashman is thinking about making an offer to free agent J.D. Martinez. While the Yankees could not feasibly roster both Stanton and Martinez, season-ending surgery for the former could open the door for the latter. To that end, New York has reportedly had “some contact with” Martinez. In a recent MLBTR poll, a plurality of respondents voted the Yankees as the most likely landing spot for the 37-year-old DH.

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