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Indians Designate Daniel Robertson

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The Indians have designated outfielder Daniel Robertson for assignment, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets. His 40-man spot was needed for the just-acquired Jay Bruce.

Robertson, 31, has seen action in each of the past four MLB seasons — including a 32-game run this year in Cleveland. But he has never shown much with the bat, with a cumulative .262/.314/.328 slash over 386 trips to the plate.

Through 178 plate appearances at Triple-A on the year, Robertson is slashing .340/.407/.409 — reflective of his typical blend of excellent plate discipline and little pop. Robertson has also swiped quite a few bags as a professional, though he’s just 7-for-12 at Triple-A this year and has only successfully taken a bag in half of his dozen career attempts in the majors.

Phillies Promote Rhys Hoskins

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The Phillies have promoted young slugger Rhys Hoskins to the active roster for the first time today, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki first reported (via Twitter). It had been anticipated that he’d receive a promotion at some point in the near future, but the precise arrival date was not yet clear.

Hoskins, 24, has raked in obscurity for most of his minor-league career since going to the Phils in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. But prospect evaluators have come around on his future outlook as Hoskins has continued to dominate opposing pitchers into the upper minors. He’s currently considered one of the game’s hundred-best prospects by both Baseball America and MLB.com.

While Hoskins could surely have drawn an earlier call-up, the Phillies were not willing to bump him up in place of fellow young first baseman Tommy Joseph. Instead, the Phils have decided to give Hoskins a run in left field. Whether he can handle the position in the long run remains to be seen, but he’ll get a shot to do so in the majors and will test his bat against top-level pitching — allowing Philadelphia to assess both him and Joseph for the future.

At some point, production is hard to deny. In Hoskins’s case, he has impressed more than ever this year at Triple-A. Over 475 plate appearances, he’s slashing a robust .284/.385/.581 with 29 long balls. That’s impressive in and of itself, but what’s especially encouraging is the fact that he’s walking nearly as much as he’s striking out (13.5% versus 15.8%).

It’ll be interesting to see how Hoskins looks in left and how the Phils handle the logjam over the winter. For now, the rebuilding club will be content watching its top young talent compete in the majors. Several other players have filtered up this year, and long-awaited shortstop J.P. Crawford may not be long in making his own move — depending upon how the organization decides to handle incumbent middle infielders Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez.

Notes From The Jay Bruce Trade

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Last night’s trade sending Jay Bruce from the Mets to the Indians was perhaps the most significant deal since the non-waiver deadline. It could well hold that title the rest of the way, though there are also a variety of other notable players that could be dealt this month. (Click here for MLBTR’s top 25 ranking of candidates; click here to see the players that have already reportedly cleared waivers.)

While the transaction was largely a straightforward affair — a team with a need chipped in a low-level prospect and took on the entire contract of a veteran who fit — it’s worth taking a look at some of the post-deal chatter:

  • Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti spoke with the media about the deal, and MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian provided a transcript of the chat. Antonetti acknowledged the importance of injuries to the swap, noting that the club wouldn’t really even have playing time to give to Bruce were it not for the absences of Lonnie Chisenhall and now Michael Brantley. The timing was right now, says the club’s top baseball decisionmaker, but the organization has long had interest in Bruce. While Cleveland will begin to face some challenging playing-time questions if it gets a fully healthy roster, the expectation at present is that Bruce will “play regularly.”
  • There aren’t a lot of recent scouting reports on Ryder Ryan, the young righty who goes to New York in the trade. That’s due largely to the fact that he is a late-round relief prospect that hasn’t had much time to climb the organizational ladder. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a reasonably intriguing prospect. Antonetti himself said as much, crediting Ryan’s “really good stuff” and saying he “has a chance to pitch in a major league bullpen.” Baseball America also has some details, noting that Ryan is working in the mid-nineties while working on developing his slider and commanding his pitches.
  • One of the most interesting elements of the deal, though, was the alternative swap that didn’t go through. The Yankees were in on Bruce through to the end, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link) report. But the Yankees’ offer would’ve left the Mets holding onto most of Bruce’s remaining salary this year, per reports from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (on Twitter) and Newsday’s Marc Carig (also in a tweet), while also picking up two prospects that (it stands to reason) would be more valuable than Ryan. The Mets’ motivation for choosing Cleveland’s offer isn’t yet entirely clear — GM Sandy Alderson has yet to speak to the media, but will do so today — but there could certainly be multiple factors at play. While the cross-town Yankees obviously aren’t off limits as a trade partner, perhaps considerations of intra-city marketing played some role. And surely the cost and talent packages offered different benefits and drawbacks.
  • Per Sherman, Bruce would’ve functioned as the DH had he been acquired by the Yankees, filling in there with Matt Holliday on the DL. With Aaron Hicks nearing a return and Greg Bird still representing a possible option, there are some internal possibilities for bolstering the team’s array of lefty bats. While it’s not clear at present whether the Yanks are looking hard at alternatives, it stands to reason they’d be open to the possibility. (Clearly, though, there are limits to how much salary they want to take on at this point.) Among the players that we have identified as plausible August trade chips, there are a few that could fit the bill. If the Mets are willing to keep chatting, old friend Curtis Granderson or even Neil Walker could make sense; neither has the same profile as Bruce but both offer more defensive function. Former Red Sox nemesis Daniel Nava might be an affordable target, while Matt Joyce of the Athletics is surely available. Of course, Yonder Alonso arguably made the most sense, but he was dealt to the Mariners after Seattle placed a waiver claim (meaning the Yankees never had a shot — at least, after July 31st).

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Brantley, Bruce, Springer

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IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

  • ATL: SS Johan Camargo (knee contusion) placed on 10-Day DL; SS Dansby Swanson recalled from minors. | Braves Depth Chart
    • Swanson played SS and batted 8th in today’s game.
  • BAL: 1B/OF Mark Trumbo activated from 10-Day DL; RP Donnie Hart optioned to minors. | Orioles Depth Chart
    • Trumbo was the DH and batted 5th in today’s game.
  • CHC: RP Koji Uehara (neck stiffness) placed on 10-Day DL; RP Justin Grimm recalled from minors. | Cubs Depth Chart
  • DET: SS Jose Iglesias reinstated from Bereavement List; 3B Jeimer Candelario optioned to minors. | Tigers Depth Chart
    • Iglesias played SS and batted 9th in today’s game.
  • HOU: OF George Springer activated from 10-Day DL; INF Tyler White optioned to minors. | Astros Depth Chart
    • Springer played CF and led off in today’s game.
  • MIN: SP Adalberto Mejia (strained arm) placed on 10-Day DL; 1B Kennys Vargas recalled from minors. | Twins Depth Chart
    • Dietrich Enns will start on Thursday, effectively taking Mejia’s rotation spot and pushing the other starters back a day.
  • TBR: SP Jake Odorizzi activated from 10-Day DL; RP Ryne Stanek optioned to minors. | Rays Depth Chart

—

MINOR TRANSACTIONS 

  • LAA: OF Cesar Puello has contract purchased from minors. RP Jose Alvarez optioned to minors. | Angels Depth Chart
  • TEX: INF Tyler Smith recalled from minors; RP/SP Nick Martinez optioned to minors. | Rangers Depth Chart

 

Indians Acquire Jay Bruce

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The Indians have officially announced a deal with the Mets that’ll bring outfielder Jay Bruce to Cleveland. Going to New York in return is 22-year-old righty Ryder Ryan. All of Bruce’s remaining salary — around $4MM of the $13MM annual obligation — will land on Cleveland’s books.

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It’s hardly a major surprise to hear of a deal involving Bruce; indeed, he ranked second on the list of top August trade candidates that we just published earlier this evening. The fading Mets have given signals they’d consider making him a qualifying offer, but that never seemed a sure thing.

Bruce has turned in a quality season thus far for the Mets after being shopped around a bit last winter. Entering today, he carried a .258/.324/.524 slash and had launched 29 long balls. Long in the doghouse of advanced metrics for his work in the outfield, Bruce has posted much improved numbers there, though his baserunning marks have since faded.

There was talk before the deadline that Cleveland would have interest in Bruce. That seems all the more necessary now, with Michael Brantley joining Lonnie Chisenhall on the DL and the Royals continuing to hang around in the AL Central. Bruce’s lefty power bat will fill in the gap while those two players work back and add quite a bit of firepower to the overall offensive mix for a hopeful postseason run.

Bruce will no doubt be pleased with the trade; indeed, he had reportedly indicated a willingness to waive his partial no-trade clause to go to a contender (though the Indians were not on it, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network, on Twitter). Instead of possibly drawing a qualifying offer after playing out a lost Mets season, he will enter free agency free and clear of any draft compensation while joining a contender.

Though New York will give up the chance to issue Bruce a qualifying offer, it’s not hard to see the reasoning here. The 30-year-old is a quality player, but a roughly $18MM salary — even for a single year — is no small amount. Plus, Bruce’s continuing presence with the Mets would’ve meant for an awkward outfield mix, as the team would’ve presumably bumped Michael Conforto into significant time in center. Instead, the Mets can utilize Conforto in right, pairing Juan Lagares with Brandon Nimmo or another player in center, while perhaps redirecting some of those resources. It’s worth bearing in mind, too, that the new CBA would only have given the Mets a pick after the second round if Bruce had declined the QO and signed elsewhere. Plus, the Mets will now have a cleaner path for the promotion of first base prospect Dominic Smith.

Clearing Bruce’s remaining salary is likely the main driver here. But Ryan will bring another interesting arm to the New York system. He is said to have plenty of velocity in the tank, though he also has limited experience on the mound after mostly playing in the field during college. Through 41 1/3 frames at the Class A level this year, Ryan owns a 4.79 ERA with 10.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter) first reported a deal was in the works. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) said it was being finalized; Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (Twitter link) first said the deal was done. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the prospect return on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Top 25 August Trade Candidates

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Since last week’s rendition of MLBTR’s Top 25 August Trade Candidates, Yonder Alonso (No. 8) has been traded, while several others on the list — Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera — have reportedly cleared revocable trade waivers. (Click here to see all the players to have cleared.) We’ve also seen infielder Sean Rodriguez return to Pittsburgh via trade, while righty George Kontos was claimed by the Pirates and simply let go by the Giants. Here are this week’s updated rankings…

1. Marco Estrada, Blue Jays: Estrada’s results have fallen off since early June, but he’s still missing plenty of bats and has rattled off three useful outings. Estrada was outstanding in 2015-16 and could help to stabilize a potential contender’s rotation down the stretch. He’s an impending free agent with $4.05MM remaining on his deal, but the Jays were willing to absorb salary when trading Francisco Liriano.

2. Jay Bruce, Mets: July interest in Bruce was tepid, at best, but he’s a 30-homer bat with improved numbers against lefties and improved defensive ratings. There could be some legitimacy to those defensive grades, as well, with Bruce now three years removed from knee surgery that initially caused his once-stellar ratings to plummet. He’s owed $3.76MM and has already cleared waivers.

3. Asdrubal Cabrera, Mets: New York could elect to exercise a reasonable $8.5MM option on Cabrera, especially since it comes with a hefty $2MM buyout. The switch-hitter is in a slump at the plate but has added third base to his defensive repertoire, increasing his versatility. He, too, has already cleared waivers.

4. Curtis Granderson, Mets: With a nearly 1.000 OPS since mid-May, the Grandy Man’s remaining $15MM salary seems rather reasonable. He’s still owed about $4.3MM of that sum, but the Mets could grease the wheels on a trade by including some cash. Like teammates Bruce and Cabrera, Grandy has cleared waivers.

5. Daniel Nava, Phillies: The switch-hitting Nava keeps raking — primarily against right-handed pitching — and the Phillies are reportedly likely to give first base prospect Rhys Hoskins a promotion to play some corner outfield in the near future. Moving a productive short-term piece like Nava would help to clear some playing time, and Nava’s 2017 production should appeal to teams with corner outfield/first base needs.

6. Zack Cozart, Reds: He’s raked all year when healthy and is still one of baseball’s absolute best defenders at shortstop. As an impending free agent on a rebuilding club, Cozart is a clear trade candidate. He’s hit well since being activated from the DL, and even though there aren’t many contenders with clear needs at short, Cozart’s glove is so good that he could be expected to displace a starter. Speaking speculatively, the Rays, Royals and D-backs make sense here.

7. Tyler Clippard, White Sox: Since a trade to the White Sox, Clippard has righted the ship. Over his past seven innings, he’s held opponents scoreless on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. It’s a small sample of success after some prolonged struggles for Clippard in New York, but the cost of acquisition should be minimal and his track record is strong.

8. Jed Lowrie, Athletics: The A’s can hang onto the veteran Lowrie for 2018 thanks to a very reasonable $6MM option, but it’d be hard to justify pushing Lowrie to the bench for a prospect like Franklin Barreto when Lowrie is flirting with an .800 OPS and has hit well all year. He can play anywhere in the infield, making him an ideal bench option for a contender — especially a team with a potential infield vacancy in 2018.

9. Drew Storen, Reds: He’s had some recent homer troubles, but Storen has a 13-to-1 K/BB ratio since the All-Star break. Four of the six big flies he’s given up this season have come in his home bandbox ballpark. Great American Ball Park has been host to the most homers per game in 2017, and while part of that is due to a poor Reds pitching staff, GABP has long been a notorious hitters’ haven. Storen’s velocity is down, but his K/BB numbers are solid. His results may improve with a better home park.

10. Jim Johnson, Braves: Johnson was placed on revocable waivers last week, meaning he’s either cleared or been claimed and pulled back (and thus will not be moved). Until reported otherwise, the assumption here will be that he can be moved, but he drops down the list this week due to the possibility that he’s off the market — and the still-mixed results he has produced.

11. Rajai Davis, Athletics: Davis has quietly raked since the All-Star break, hitting .339/.393/.571 with three homers and eight steals. He’s not a premium defender in center, but he’s been roughly average there and can handle all three spots. And, what team couldn’t use some more speed off the bench in September?

12. Ian Kinsler, Tigers: Kinsler reportedly went on trade waivers this week, and the Brewers are said to have interest. The two sides discussed Kinsler last month, which could provide some groundwork for talks if Kinsler makes it to Milwaukee on waivers. Kinsler hasn’t shown his usual pop but is still a strong defender with a history of offensive production. His affordable 2018 option adds to his appeal.

13. Yusmeiro Petit, Angels: Petit’s ERA continues to hover around the 2.50 mark, and he’s worked five consecutive multi-inning appearances. With a 69-to-13 K/BB ratio through his first 64 1/3 frames with the Halos and a $2.25MM base salary, Petit represents an affordable means of lengthening any ’pen without sacrificing quality innings.

14. Jhoulys Chacin, Padres: GM A.J. Preller implied that the Friars’ primary offers for Chacin were primarily non-prospects, and the team valued Chacin’s stability and success at home more than adding a warm body to the bottom of their minor league depth charts. The Padres may re-sign Chacin, but if some team steps up and offers even an intriguing low-level prospect, Chacin could yet be moved.

15. Brandon Phillips, Braves: Phillips has been playing third base Ozzie Albies’ promotion, which could add to his appeal. The Reds are paying all but $1MM of his salary, which could make him attractive as an affordable veteran bench option for contending clubs.

16. Bud Norris, Angels: There have been a few notable duds among Norris’s most recent outings, though he’s continuing to rack up the strikeouts. He has now allowed 4.09 earned per nine on the year, but Norris owns a 13.2% swinging-strike rate and brings mid-nineties heat.

17. Matt Belisle, Twins: He’s earning just $2.05MM and has a 14 1/3 inning scoreless streak with a 15-to-2 K/BB ratio. The Twins have won a few games lately and are in the Wild Card mix, but Belisle has been really good this year outside of three catastrophically bad outings that fell between April 26 and May 29. If the Twins slip out of the race by late August, he could go.

18. Brad Ziegler, Marlins: He’s owed just under $11MM through the end of the 2018 season and recently spent more than a month on the DL. Ziegler has a great track record but poor 2017 numbers, so the Fish will need to eat some money to move this contract, which will almost certainly clear waivers if it hasn’t already.

19. Carlos Gomez, Rangers: Gomez raked in June and hit well in July, so he has generally been going well of late and owns a .251/.334/.460 slash for the year. With good baserunning and center-field capability added to the mix, Gomez could represent a plug-and-go option if a team finds a sudden need for a semi-regular up the middle. He is earning a fairly hefty $11.5MM salary, though, so adding him would mean taking on a fair bit of cash.

20. Neil Walker, Mets: Walker is earning at the qualifying offer rate ($17.2MM), so he’s a pricey piece. While he had been hitting quite well before suffering a hamstring injury, he has struggled badly since his return — with just four base hits, none for extra bases, since making it back on July 28th.

21. Santiago Casilla, Athletics: Casilla has turned in six straight scoreless outings since coughing up two home runs on July 26th, leaving the 37-year-old with a 4.07 ERA for the season. He’s also set to earn $5.5MM next year, so teams won’t look to make a move unless they want to install him in their 2018 pen. While the overall record isn’t terribly inspiring, Casilla has shown a mid-nineties fastball with a swinging-strike rate of just over 10% — just as he has for the last several campaigns.

22. Mike Napoli, Rangers: Napoli is struggling to keep the average north of .200 and is striking out more than ever. The power is legitimate, but that’s about all he brings to the table in 2017. Clubs do love to add vets with playoff experience and good clubhouse reps this time of year, though, and Napoli certainly fits that bill.

23. Lance Lynn, Cardinals: With St. Louis on a winning streak, a trade of Lynn looks far less likely. That could change by month’s end, so he’ll remain on the list. But, like the two pitchers following him in slots No. 24 and 25, a trade doesn’t seem likely. He’s listed due to the fact that there’s a faint chance he’ll move and because he’d carry more impact than most August trade candidates.

24. Ervin Santana, Twins: Minnesota still hasn’t given any indication they’ll sell pieces controlled beyond 2017, and the Twins are still in the Wild Card mix. Santana would be among the best starters available if the Twins crater, though, so he stays on the back of the list.

25. Justin Verlander, Tigers: He’s looking more and more like a premium starter, and has cleared waivers, but the 34-year-old’s contract remains a huge impediment to a deal. He’s the best arm out there if the Tigers chance their stance and express a willingness to eat 40 to 50 percent of the $64MM or so that Verlander is still owed through 2019. Odds of that still seem rather slim, though, unless a contender decides it simply has to have another starter for its postseason rotation.

Injured

Scott Feldman (Reds), J.J. Hardy (Orioles), Cameron Maybin & Yunel Escobar (Angels), Tyson Ross (Rangers), Ian Krol (Braves), Kevin Siegrist (Cardinals), Johnny Cueto (Giants), Edinson Volquez (Marlins), Erick Aybar (Padres)

Also Considered

Ricky Nolasco (Angels); Matt Joyce (Athletics); J.A. Happ & Jose Bautista (Blue Jays); R.A. Dickey, Kurt Suzuki, Matt Kemp & Nick Markakis (Braves); Denard Span, Jeff Samardzija & Nick Hundley (Giants); Giancarlo Stanton, Junichi Tazawa, A.J. Ellis, & Dee Gordon (Marlins); Darren O’Day, Zach Britton & Seth Smith (Orioles); Clayton Richard & Yangervis Solarte (Padres); Hyun Soo Kim (Phillies); Andrew Cashner (Rangers); Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields & Mike Pelfrey (White Sox)

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/9/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The White Sox have added righty Steve Johnson from the Orioles, per an announcement from the latter organization. Cash considerations are heading back in return. Johnson, 29, becomes the latest pitcher added to the Triple-A roster by the South Siders, who are lining up options for the MLB roster down the stretch. He has 76 major league frames of 4.26 ERA pitching on his ledger, with 10.2 K/9 but also 5.6 BB/9 in that stretch. The free passes have never been quite as much of an issue for Johnson in the minors, though, where he has been excellent at times. Things haven’t gone quite as well this year, though, as Johnson owns a 5.30 ERA in his 37 1/3 frames — though he has still managed more than a strikeout per inning.

Tigers Place Ian Kinsler On Revocable Trade Waivers

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Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler is on revocable trade waivers, per MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links). As we’ve emphasized with recent reports of players going on August waivers, the fact that Kinsler is on waivers at all isn’t all that noteworthy. Most players, after all, will be on revocable waivers this month.

What is noteworthy about Rosenthal’s report, though, is that it gives a timetable for when a fairly plausible August trade candidate will either be claimed or pulled back off waivers (thus removing his trade candidacy). In this case, the waiver period is up at noon CST tomorrow. Any team that is awarded the claim would then have another two days to work out a trade; if no deal is made, the Tigers could pull him back or allow him to depart without compensation.

According to Rosenthal, the Brewers still have interest in acquiring Kinsler, though he’d have to approve a trade to Milwaukee — a team that is on his partial no-trade clause. It’s not yet known if Kinsler will even make it to the Brewers on the waiver wire — every American League team and all N.L. clubs with worse records will have higher priority — nor is it known if the Brewers would definitively place a claim. In the event that Milwaukee did successfully claim him, however, the no-trade clause would add another wrinkle to the already-difficult task the two teams would face simply to agree on an exchange. (For what it’s worth, he has indicated a general willingness to accept a deal, though there were prior indications he’d only approve one if an extension could be arranged as part of the swap.)

Kinsler would represent an upgrade for Milwaukee, with Jonathan Villar and Eric Sogard failing to produce with any consistency. But it’s not entirely clear just how much the team would be willing to pay in salary and prospects. Kinsler is earning $11MM this year, around $3MM of which is still due. He’s also controllable via club option for 2018 at a reasonable $12MM. (Note: some sources have the option priced at $10MM, but the majority place it at the slightly higher rate; see, e.g., here.) There’s a hefty $5MM buyout, but that won’t likely come into play. As regards the Brewers, Kinsler’s salary would represent a fairly big chunk of change for an organization that has opened each of the past two seasons with just over $60MM on the books, though Milwaukee has plenty of spending capacity available and would surely like the idea of landing a veteran without a long-term commitment.

Of course, the ability to control a solid veteran player for a solid price on a one-year term will boost Kinsler’s appeal to many other clubs that might consider a claim. Second base hasn’t been an area of much demand, but perhaps there are a few other clubs that could consider pursuing a move. The Angels stand out as a conceivable possibility, as they could use the help at second, are still in contention, and have targeted short-term veterans in recent years as a way to remain competitive while trying not to clog future balance sheets.

Milwaukee and others will surely have their limits in valuing Kinsler. He’s already 35 years old and has managed only a .245/.324/.388 slash on the year, swatting ten home runs after a surprising 2016 campaign in which he launched 28 and carried an atypically robust .196 isolated slugging mark. But he’s easily worth his salary and looks to be an appealing asset for 2018. Despite the currently subpar batting line, Kinsler is avoiding strikeouts as well as ever and is drawing more walks than usual. A boost in his current .259 BABIP would likely bring him back to being at least a league-average hitter — indeed, he has never ended a regular season with a wRC below the league mean. And Kinsler still grades as a premium defender, making him a high-quality regular even if his batting productivity erodes somewhat.

Mariners Outright Cody Martin

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The Mariners announced today that they’ve outrighted Cody Martin off the 40-man roster. The right-hander will return to Triple-A Tacoma, and Seattle’s 40-man roster now has an open spot for a potential addition.

Martin, 28 next month, has appeared in just one game for the Mariners this season, though he also made nine appearances with Seattle in 2016. Through 27 2/3 innings in his career as a Mariner, he’s allowed 14 earned runs (4.55 ERA) with a 15-to-11 K/BB ratio and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate. Martin has also had brief stints with the A’s and Braves, leading to a collective 6.33 ERA in 58 1/3 MLB frames.

A former seventh-round pick, Martin does have a nice track record in Triple-A, where he’s logged a combined 3.66 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 467 2/3 innings across parts of five seasons. Given that relatively solid output, the Mariners certainly won’t mind keeping him on hand as a depth option, but the vacant 40-man spot will give the team further flexibility to make some additions — either by selecting a contract of a non-40-man player already in the organization or by claiming/trading for yet another new asset. GM Jerry Dipoto is among the game’s most active executives and has already added Yonder Alonso, Ryan Garton, Mike Marjama and Ernesto Frieri this month.

Alternatively, the vacancy could go to a player currently on the 60-day DL, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times suggests (Twitter link). Right-hander Shae Simmons is about the only player that’d fit that bill in the immediate future. He’s been on a rehab assignment in Tacoma and made his most recent appearance on Sunday.

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