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Cubs Select Ethan Roberts, Designate Jose Cuas

By Mark Polishuk | June 16, 2024 at 5:44pm CDT

The Cubs announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Ethan Roberts from Triple-A Iowa. In a corresponding move to create a 40-man roster spot, right-hander Jose Cuas has been designated for assignment.

Roberts signed a minor league deal with Chicago back in December, and he had an opt-out in that contract on June 15, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. Since Sharma indicated that Roberts chose to pass on that opt-out, it could be that he already had some advance notice that the Cubs were going to call him up soon to the majors, and the righty is now in line to receive his first MLB action since April 2022.

Roberts made his big league debut that season and posted an 8.22 ERA over 7 2/3 innings in the Show before injuries derailed his career. A Tommy John surgery in June 2022 kept Roberts on the shelf for the entirety of the 2023 season, and he only officially got back on the hill last month. Roberts has thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings across three minor league levels — 9 2/3 IP with with Triple-A Iowa (9 2/3 IP), two-third of an inning in one Double-A game, and one inning of Arizona Complex League ball — but the spotless ERA masks the fact that Roberts has issued eight walks in those 11 1/3 frames.

Even though Roberts also had an inflated walk rate during his brief cup of coffee as a big leaguer, the control issues are a new problem for a pitcher who did a good job of limiting free passes earlier in his minor league career. It could be that Roberts was simply working off the rust after his long layoff, and the Cubs were still satisfied enough to select Roberts’ contract and add a fresh arm to their bullpen. For his minor league career as a whole, Roberts has a 2.84 ERA, 26.25% strikeout rate, and 7.08% walk rate across 139 2/3 innings (almost all as a reliever) since the Cubs made him a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

Cuas has been optioned back and forth from Triple-A a few times this season, amassing a 7.43 ERA in 13 1/3 big league innings. Acquired from the Royals prior to last year’s trade deadline, Cuas has a 4.26 ERA in 116 1/3 career MLB frames since the start of the 2022 season, but control has also been an issue given his 12.1% walk rate.

Since Cuas is also still optionable for the 2025 season, rival teams might be interested in a waiver claim in order to add another reliever to their depth chart for more than just the current campaign. Cuas (who turns 30 later this month) has upped his strikeout numbers considerably over the last two seasons but has also had a subsequent spike in his walk rate.

Mike Brumley Passes Away

By Mark Polishuk | June 16, 2024 at 5:38pm CDT

Former big league player and coach Mike Brumley passed away yesterday in a car accident, as initially reported by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (X link). Brumley was 61 years old.

A second-round pick for the Red Sox in the 1983 draft, Brumley played in 295 big league games over parts of eight seasons from 1987-1995. The early years of his pro career were defined by his inclusion in a pair of trades involving future Hall-of-Famers — the Red Sox traded Brumley and Dennis Eckersley to the Cubs for Bill Buckner in May 1984, which led to Brumley making his MLB debut in a Chicago uniform in 1987. The Cubbies then dealt Brumley and Keith Moreland to the Padres in February 1988 in the swap that brought Goose Gossage and Ray Hayward to Chicago.

Overall, Brumley was traded four different times as part of his journeyman career. He saw action with six different teams at the Major League level, and his 92 games with the Tigers in 1989 marked the most playing time he received in a season. Besides the Cubs and Tigers, Brumley also played with the Mariners, Red Sox, Astros, and Athletics, and he was a member of four other organizations (Padres, Orioles, Angels, Marlins) without ever appearing with any of those teams in a big league game. He hit .206/.261/.272 over 697 plate appearances while playing mostly shortstop, and also bouncing around the diamond as a second baseman, third baseman, and all three outfield positions.

Brumley moved into a long coaching career after his playing days ended, including stints as a minor league manager with Angels and Dodgers affiliates, while also working as a roving instructor for the Dodgers and as a field coordinator in the Rangers’ organization. His work in a big league dugout came with two of his former teams — Brumley was a third and first coach with the Mariners from 2010-13, and then an assistant hitting coach with the Cubs during the 2014 season.

Brumley went on to work as a minor league hitting coordinator with the Braves in 2021, and built some lasting bonds with several members of Atlanta’s organization that lasted well beyond his lone season in the role. Austin Riley today spoke at length about his friendship with Brumley, crediting him behind only Riley’s father as his greatest “role models in my baseball career.”

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Brumley’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Yankees Place Jasson Dominguez On Triple-A Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 16, 2024 at 5:04pm CDT

The Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders placed Jasson Dominguez on the seven-day injured list today, after the outfield prospect made an early exit from Saturday’s game. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the New York Post’s Gary Phillips and other reporters that Dominguez is dealing with a left side injury and is still undergoing more testing to determine the extent of the problem.

Since Dominguez is not far removed from Tommy John surgery rehab, it makes sense that the Yankees would immediately take the precaution of putting Dominguez on the IL, even if tests don’t reveal a more severe issue like an oblique strain. The outfielder would’ve likely sat out at least a few games anyway, plus the RailRaiders have an off-day on Monday so Dominguez might miss just six games if all goes well.

However, an oblique strain could lead to another extended stay on the injured list for “the Martian,” given how oblique problems can linger for weeks or even months. The hope is that Dominguez can avoid such a setback, given how the TJ surgery already provided one early roadblock after his tantalizing Major League debut last season.

Heralded as one of baseball’s top prospects, Dominguez added to the hype by hitting .258/.303/.677 with four home runs in his first 33 plate appearances before suffering a torn UCL. He was officially reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A earlier this week, though he had already banked quite a bit of minor league playing time during his rehab assignments. Dominguez has an outstanding .356/.404/.609 slash line in 94 combined PA at the Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels in 2024, so there is little doubt that the 21-year-old is ready for the majors.

If Dominguez is able to return in relatively short order, the injury might not throw off whatever plan the Yankees had in place for his next promotion. The first-place Yankees have the luxury of not really needing Dominguez at the moment, with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Alex Verdugo all excelling in the everyday outfield, and Giancarlo Stanton having a resurgent season as the regular DH. Dominguez would theoretically be an upgrade over backup outfielder Trent Grisham, though New York prefers to have Dominguez playing every day in the minors than only getting sparing playing time as a bench player.

AL Central Notes: Crochet, Clevinger, Wacha, Lange

By Mark Polishuk | June 16, 2024 at 4:27pm CDT

Unsurprisingly, the White Sox have set an “exorbitant” asking price on Garrett Crochet in early trade talks, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. As we already saw this past winter with the Dylan Cease trade negotiations and the eventual deal that sent Cease to the Padres, the Sox are naturally out for the biggest return possible when moving any of their most valuable trade chips. Crochet definitely fits that description, as he has broken out as a starting pitcher this year and is under arbitration control through the 2026 season.

Chicago isn’t likely to drop its demands much (or even at all) until closer to the deadline, and Crochet’s arbitration control also gives the Sox some extra leverage since the team doesn’t need to move the southpaw any time soon. If anything, Crochet having a full and healthy season as a starter might only increase what the White Sox might be looking for in trade talks during the offseason, when the Sox could speak to a wider array of potential suitors.

Diamondbacks Re-Sign Logan Allen To Minors Contract

By Steve Adams | June 16, 2024 at 3:14pm CDT

TODAY: Allen did elect to become a free agent, but has now re-signed with the Diamondbacks on a new minor league deal. The southpaw is getting the start today for Triple-A Reno.

JUNE 13: Diamondbacks left-hander Logan Allen went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Reno, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment over the weekend. Allen has been outrighted in the past and will thus have the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.

The 27-year-old Allen, not to be confused with the Cleveland southpaw of the same name, appeared in a dozen games for the Diamondbacks and pitched 28 innings. He was tagged for an ugly 5.46 ERA in that time, though the bulk of the damage came in his final outing, when he surrendered six runs in a single inning of work against the Padres. Prior to that collapse, he’d tossed 27 frames of 3.67 ERA ball with a 16.9% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and 44.8% ground-ball rate.

That marked Allen’s first MLB action since 2022. The former eighth-round pick at one point ranked among the sport’s 100 best prospects on several publications and has been in multiple trades of note but has yet to solidify himself as a steady big league contributor. Originally drafted by Boston, he’s since suited up for San Diego, Cleveland and Baltimore in addition to his current run in Arizona, but he’s been hit hard, yielding a 5.79 ERA in 124 1/3 MLB innings.

White Sox Select Chuckie Robinson

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 2:39pm CDT

2:39pm: White Sox manager Pedro Grifol confirmed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin) that Robinson had the ability to opt out of his contract with the club if not added to the 40-man roster.

12:08pm: The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of catcher Chuckie Robinson. Outfielder Duke Ellis was designated for assignment to make room for Robinson on the 40-man roster. Robinson was optioned to Triple-A following the selection of his contract.

Robinson, 29, signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal back in December. In 41 games at the Triple-A level this year, he’s hit just .235/.288/.386 with a 24.4% strikeout rate. That relatively lackluster slash line was nonetheless enough to earn Robinson his first time on a 40-man roster since 2022, when he appeared in 25 games for the Reds and slashed just .136/.136/.271 in 60 trips to the plate for the club. With the White Sox, Robinson as a depth catcher behind the club’s current tandem of Martin Maldonado and Korey Lee, offering the club an optionable catcher they can rely on in the event of an injury. By adding Robinson to the 40-man roster, the White Sox also bypass any hypothetical opt-outs that Robinson may have available to him in his minor league deal with the club, securing his place in the organization.

Making room for Robinson on the 40-man is Ellis, who was selected onto the club’s roster earlier this month. The 26-year-old was a 26th-round pick by the Padres back in 2017 but did not sign. Ultimately, he landed with the White Sox in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and made his pro debut for the club the following year. Ellis worked his way through the club’s minor league system over the past four years but generally struggled with the bat at each level, posting an overall slash line of just .241/.328/.333 during his four seasons in the minors.

Ellis nonetheless managed to crack the majors despite that lackluster offensive performance thanks primarily to his blazing speed. The outfielder has swiped 117 bags in 133 opportunities during his time in the minors and went 34-for-36 at the minor league level on the basepaths this year. That elite baserunning carried over to his time in Chicago, where the White Sox used him primarily as a pinch runner and saw him steal four bases in four attempts during his brief time in Chicago. The White Sox will have one week to either work out a trade or attempt to pass Ellis through waivers. If he goes unclaimed, they’ll have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues. Given Ellis lackluster offensive ability, it would be easy to imagine clubs passing on the youngster. With that being said, however, it’s at least possible that his skills as a speedster could catch the eye of a team with room for a pinch runner and defensive replacement in their bench mix.

Phillies To Activate Trea Turner On Monday

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 1:26pm CDT

The Phillies are planning to activate shortstop Trea Turner from the 10-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game against the Padres, manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Matt Gelb of The Athletic) earlier today. Turner has been on the shelf due to a hamstring strain since the beginning of May.

The return of Turner to the Phillies lineup should serve to further bolster a team that has emerged as a juggernaut in the first half of the 2024 campaign. The Phillies have stormed to an NL-best 47-23 record with excellent production on all fronts. They sport the third-best pitching staff in the majors this year by ERA with a 3.11 figure that sits behind only the Yankees and Orioles, while their 110 wRC+ on offense is tied for sixth in the majors with the Brewers. That they’ve managed to do all that without their star shortstop for the past six weeks is all the more impressive, particularly given the hot start Turner got off to prior to his injury.

In 33 games prior to his trip to the IL, Turner was slashing an incredible .343/.392/.460 (145 wRC+) with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts. That lengthy stretch of success extends all the way back to the All Star break of last year. Turner had scuffled through his first half-season in a Phillies uniform with below average numbers across the board, but caught fire down the stretch to help lead the club to their second consecutive NLCS appearance. Since mid July last year, Turner’s .309/.363/.522 slash line is good for a 142 wRC+ that’s 17th-best among all major league hitters and trails only Mookie Betts, Bobby Witt Jr. Gunnar Henderson, Corey Seager, and Jose Altuve among middle infielders.

That type of production will surely be a welcome addition to the Phillies lineup. While the club’s infield mix of Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Edmundo Sosa have all performed very well this season, adding Turner’s potent bat back into the lineup should provide a shot in the arm for the offense in Philadelphia. The return of Turner appears most likely to come at the expense of Sosa, who has performed phenomenally as a fill-in at shortstop while the star has been on the shelf. Sosa has slashed an excellent .280/.343/.512 in 138 trips to the plate this year, including a .286/.348/.524 slash line since taking over the everyday shortstop job while Turner has been injured.

That sort of strong production is hard to remove from a lineup, although it’s worth noting that Sosa has slumped in the month of June with a lackluster .216/.256/.324 slash in 39 trips to the plate. With Turner re-entering the fold, Sosa figures to return to his bench role as a contributor around the infield as a backup to each of Bohm, Stott, and Turner. His sensational .340/.426/.723 slash line against left-handed pitching seems likely to earn him regular playing time against southpaws even with the team’s lineup returning to full strength.

Speculatively speaking, Sosa could spell Stott, who has hit just .250/.357/.333 against same-handed pitching this year, at second base against some lefties or perhaps even work into the outfield mix, where he has made brief cameos in both left and center field during his time with the Phillies. The Phillies will need to move a position player off their active roster tomorrow to accommodate the return of Turner. Of note, only outfielder Johan Rojas has options remaining among the club’s current bench mix, which also includes fellow outfielder Christian Pache and veteran utility man Whit Merrifield.

Rangers Designate Jesus Tinoco For Assignment

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 12:06pm CDT

The Rangers announced this afternoon that they’ve designated right-hander Jesus Tinoco for assignment. Right-hander Cole Winn was recalled to take Tinoco’s spot on the active roster.

This has been Tinoco’s second stint with Texas, as he had previously pitched to a strong 2.18 ERA with a 4.22 FIP in 20 2/3 innings of work with the club back in 2022. That said, he walked a worrisome 11.9% of batters faced that year and ultimately found himself outrighted off the club’s roster that November. Tinoco spent the 2023 campaign pitching overseas for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Seibu Lions, and the righty performed well with a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings of work in Pacific League play.

A 12.5% walk rate during that time suggested that Tinoco had not yet resolved his struggles with control, but the Rangers nonetheless offered him a minor league deal back in December. He eventually made his way back onto the active roster in Texas last month, but his second stint with the club has not gone well. In 10 innings of work across nine appearances with the Rangers this year, Tinoco has walked a hefty 14% of batters faced while surrendering an 8.10 ERA with a 6.64 FIP. That performance proved to be untenable for the Rangers, and after the righty allowed two runs in an inning of relief during last night’s game against the Mariners, the club decided to part ways with Tinoco once again. They’ll now have one week to either trade Tinoco or attempt to pass him through waivers. Since Tinoco has been outrighted previously in his career, the righty will have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment if he so chooses.

Replacing Tinoco on the club’s 40-man roster is Winn, 24. The youngster was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Rangers and was once a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport but struggled badly during the 2022 and 2023 seasons at the Triple-A level, substantially lowering his prospect stock. That led the Rangers to convert Winn to a full-time relief role in 2024, and he’s generally taken to the job well with a 3.45 ERA and a 30.3% strikeout rate at the Triple-A level this year.

Unfortunately, Winn’s first taste of big league action did not go over well. While he fired off a streak of seven scoreless innings across his first five outings, he surrendered a whopping 11 runs in the month of May across just 7 1/3 innings of work while striking out only 13.1% of batters faced. Those brutal numbers left the Rangers to send Winn back to the minor leagues in late May, although he’s now back in the majors just under a month after his demotion. If Winn can harness the high-octane stuff that allowed him to dominate back in April, it’s not hard to imagine him providing valuable middle relief innings to a beleaguered Rangers bullpen that ranks 25th in baseball by ERA.

Giants Place Kyle Harrison On 15-Day IL With Ankle Sprain

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 11:45am CDT

The Giants announced this morning that they’ve placed left-hander Kyle Harrison on the injured list due to a right ankle sprain. Taking Harrison’s place on the active roster is right-hander Spencer Bivens, who was selected from the minor leagues. Right-hander Nick Avila was released to clear a spot for Bivens on the 40-man roster.

The news regarding Harrison is rather troubling for a Giants club that has been without Robbie Ray, Alex Cobb, and Tristan Beck all season and recently sent left-hander Blake Snell back to the injured list due to a groin strain. Now, the club’s longtime top pitching prospect is set to join them after getting off to a solid start throughout the first half this season. In 14 starts for the Giants this year, Harrison has posted a roughly league average 3.96 ERA with a nearly identical 3.94 FIP, although he’s struck out just 20.6% of batters faced in that time.

It’s not currently clear how long Harrison is expected to be out of action, though the news figures to leave the Giants in a tight spot in terms of their rotation, where they’re currently relying on Jordan Hicks, Spencer Howard, and Keaton Winn behind ace righty Logan Webb. For the time being, the club appears poised to opt for a bullpen game in place of Harrison’s scheduled start against the Angels this afternoon, with rookie southpaw Erik Miller having already been tabbed to open the game.

With the bullpen likely to be leaned heavily on both tonight and in the near future, the Giants are calling up Bivens to replace Harrison on the roster. Bivens, who will celebrate his 30th birthday at the end of the month, has spent his entire career in the Giants organization outside of a brief stint in the Atlantic League back in 2022 but had not previously made his way to the major leagues. With his big league debut seemingly around the corner, the righty will surely look to carry his excellent 2.81 ERA and decent 21.2% strikeout rate into the big leagues in a multi-inning relief role.

Making room for Bivens on the Giants’ 40-man roster is Avila, who has been in the Giants organization ever since he was selected by the club in the 26th round of the 2019 draft. Avila made his big league debut with the Giants earlier this year and ultimately appeared in eight games with the club at the big league level. He struggled to a 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work across those appearances, although his solid 25.5% strikeout rate and a respectable 3.74 FIP both indicate that his tough performance could be chalked up to poor luck, at least to some extent. The righty has a decent 3.43 ERA in 81 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level across the past two years and figures to be an interesting option for rival clubs on a no-risk minor league deal now that he’s been released.

Astros Select Luis Contreras

By Nick Deeds | June 16, 2024 at 11:14am CDT

The Astros announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Luis Contreras to the big league roster. Contreras’s first appearance will be his MLB debut. Right-hander Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A in order to make room for Contreras on the roster, while Cristian Javier was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to clear a 40-man roster spot.

Contreras, 28, signed with the Brewers out of Venezuela and made his big league debut back in 2019. He worked his way through the minor leagues fairly quickly, primarily as a reliever, but seemed to hit a wall with Milwaukee upon reaching the Triple-A level. He posted an 8.00 ERA in his first cup of coffee at the level during the 2022 season, and in a larger stint at the level the following year he struggled to a fairly pedestrian 4.76 ERA in 45 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out an impressive 30.3% of batters faced during that time, his 10% walk rate and proclivity towards the long ball suggest occasionally wandering command.

The right-hander elected free agency after the 2023 season and found a minor league deal with Houston this past winter. He’s enjoyed a dominant start to the season with the Astros at their Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land, pitching to a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings of work while punching out 26% of batters faced and walking 9.1%, although he has given up three home runs in that time. Even so, Contreras will now get the opportunity to showcase his stuff at the big league level, where he figures to join arms such as Tayler Scott and Seth Martinez in the middle of the Astros bullpen.

Making room for Contreras in the Astros bullpen is Hernandez, who the club acquired from the Padres in a cash deal earlier this month. The righty has just 4 2/3 big league innings under his belt this year, all of which came in Houston, and had just 3 innings of work in the majors with the Padres last year. Overall, he’s posted a 5.87 ERA with a 6.32 FIP in 7 2/3 innings of work across four appearances. The right-hander figures to return to the Triple-A level, where he sports a solid career ERA of 3.58 across parts of four seasons, and wait for his next opportunity at the big league level. As for Javier, his move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given that he underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month.

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