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Pat Zachry Passes Away

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Ten-year Major League veteran and NL co-Rookie of the Year Pat Zachry passed away on Thursday at age 71, as reported by multiple outlets.  Such former teammates as Johnny Bench and Doug Flynn were among the many to pay tribute to the right-hander, with Bench describing Zachry as “one of the great characters and an unbelievable teammate,” while Flynn said “you couldn’t find a better teammate than Zach.  We will all miss him dearly.”

A native of Richmond, Texas, Zachry was a 19th-round pick for the Reds in the 1970 draft.  He debuted in the majors six years later, and immediately became part of one of baseball’s great teams — the “Big Red Machine” followed up their World Series title in 1975 with another championship in 1976, and Zachry played an important role.  The righty posted a 2.74 ERA over 204 innings in his rookie season, and then a 3.09 ERA over two postseason starts (both wins) as Cincinnati swept its way through the playoffs.  Zachry and the Padres’ Butch Metzger finished in a tie vote for NL Rookie of the Year honors, which is still the only time the NL ROY has ever been split between multiple players.

Injuries slowed Zachry’s start to the 1977 season, and he found himself leaving the Reds altogether in June of that year when Cincinnati dealt Zachry, infielder Flynn, and outfielders Steve Henderson and Dan Norman to the Mets in exchange for the legendary Tom Seaver.  Needless to say, the trade didn’t go over well in New York, and the Mets’ twin deals of Seaver and Dave Kingman on the same day became known as the “Midnight Massacre” for the struggling team.  The trade had the side effect of bonding the four ex-Reds — as Flynn put it, “we just stuck together” in the aftermath of the deal, since “none of us knew we could ever replace Tom.”

Zachry ended up pitching with the Mets through to the end of the 1983 season, posting a 3.63 ERA over his 135 appearances (113 of them starts) and 741 2/3 innings for the team.  His tenure was highlighted by an All-Star selection in 1978, though that season was cut short for Zachry when he broke his foot while accidentally kicking at his helmet in frustration in the dugout, and instead hitting the dugout steps.

Zachry posted a 3.52 ERA over 1177 1/3 career innings with the Reds, Mets, Dodgers, and Phillies.  Turning to relief pitching at the back end of his career, he had an impressive 2.49 ERA over 61 1/3 innings for Los Angeles in 1983, coming out of the pen for 39 of his 40 games that season.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Zachry’s family, friends, and teammates.

Cubs Sign Carl Edwards Jr., Ali Sanchez To Minor League Deals

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The Cubs have signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league deals, as announced yesterday by the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa.  Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (X link) was the first to report that Edwards was working out with the Iowa pitching staff on Thursday.

Edwards is back for what is technically a third stint with the Cubs, after he opted out of his previous minor league deal with the club two weeks ago.  After testing the market, Edwards now returns to a familiar environment to see if another MLB opportunity might yet emerge in the Wrigleyville bullpen, and it be assumed that his new minors pact probably has at least one opt-out clause.

A veteran of nine Major League seasons, Edwards posted a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings for the Nationals in an abbreviated 2023 campaign.  Edwards didn’t pitch after June 19 due to a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation and later a stress fracture that developed in late August.  The injury brought a sour end to what had been a pretty successful run in D.C., as Edwards revived his career with a 2.76 ERA over 62 innings for the Nats in 2022.  The righty had mostly struggled in the previous three seasons, which hastened the end of his original run with the Cubs when Chicago traded him to the Padres at the 2019 trade deadline.

With Edwards bringing some bullpen depth to the Triple-A, Sanchez will do the same to the Cubs’ catching ranks.  Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya seem to be entrenched as the active roster’s catching duo, so Sanchez joins veteran Curt Casali in Iowa, and Joe Hudson (who signed a minors deal with Chicago in the offseason) has been moved to the Triple-A affiliate’s developmental list.  This placement might be a way to keep Hudson sharp while the Cubs sort out their catching situation, or it could possibly hint that Hudson could eventually be the odd man out.

Sanchez signed a guaranteed big league contract with the Pirates in December, though Pittsburgh designated the catcher for assignment on Opening Day.  Since Sanchez had previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to opt into free agency rather than accept Pittsburgh’s outright assignment to Triple-A, and the backstop indeed took the chance to re-enter the open market.

The Cubs are Sanchez’s sixth different organization in less than 38 months.  His only MLB experience consists five games with the Mets in 2020 and two games with the 2021 Cardinals, as the catcher has otherwise bounced around as a depth option.  While not really known for his bat, Sanchez has a respectable .275/.345/.402 slash line over 893 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, though those numbers were boosted by a nice 2023 season with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Dodgers Re-Sign Matt Gage

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TODAY: The Dodgers have re-signed Gage to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports (X link).

APRIL 2, 2:31pm: In an updated announcement, the Dodgers stated that Gage has actually been released — not designated for assignment as the team initially indicated.

2:20pm: The Dodgers announced Tuesday that they’ve designated left-handed reliever Matt Gage for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to outfielder Taylor Trammell, whom the Dodgers have claimed off waivers from the Mariners (as was previously reported).

It’s been an eventful few months for Gage, who was designated for assignment by the Astros in late January and claimed off waivers by the Yankees. New York wound up including Gage alongside minor league righty Christian Zazueta in the trade sending lefty Caleb Ferguson from Los Angeles to the Bronx. He had a decent spring with the Dodgers, tossing four innings and allowing a pair of runs on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

Gage, 31, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Blue Jays and 2023 Astros, though he combined for only 19 2/3 innings between those two clubs. He’s posted a sparkling 1.83 ERA in that time but benefited from a tiny .222 average on balls in play. Gage doesn’t throw especially hard (93.2 mph average fastball) but misses bats nonetheless (26% strikeout rate, 13.7% swinging-strike rate). Command has been a major issue for him recently. He’s issued a walk to nine of his 77 MLB opponents (11.7%) and plunked another. Gage also walked 12% of his opponents in Triple-A last year.

Gage posted lower walk rates but also lower strikeout rates earlier in his minor league career as a starting pitcher. He’s begun to miss more bats but also miss the strike zone more frequently in recent seasons. The Dodgers will have a week to trade him, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He hasn’t been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of MLB service, so if Gage clears waivers he can be outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City and stashed as depth.

Spencer Strider To Undergo MRI On Right Elbow

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Braves ace Spencer Strider will go for an MRI on his right elbow on Saturday after complaining of discomfort on Friday night (per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). The All-Star right-hander threw just four innings and 88 pitches in his second start of the season, giving up five earned runs while striking out four. As Mark Bowman of MLB.com noted, his 12 whiffs were tied for the “sixth-lowest total he has induced while throwing at least 80 pitches” in his MLB career. For comparison, Strider produced 18 whiffs and eight strikeouts on 90 pitches in his season debut. To make matters worse, his velocity was down on all four of his pitches. Although Strider didn’t mention his discomfort until he exited the game (per David O’Brien of The Athletic), something was clearly off throughout his start.

Despite his unimposing stature, Strider is one of the hardest-throwing starting pitchers in baseball. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.2 mph and topped out at 100.5 mph in 2023. He pairs his blistering fastball with a terrific slider, a changeup (against left-handed batters), and as of this year, a curveball. For a flame-throwing hurler toying with a new breaking pitch, the words “elbow discomfort” are especially worrisome. Not to mention, Strider has already suffered a torn UCL, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019 during his time at Clemson University.

Strider burst onto the scene in 2022 and established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game the following year. He led the National League in wins, strikeouts, and FIP, en route to All-MLB First Team honors. He entered the 2024 campaign as the undisputed ace of a strong Braves rotation and a popular preseason pick to win the NL Cy Young. A serious elbow injury would be devastating for both Strider and his club.

Even if the MRI comes back clean, Bowman suggests Atlanta will exercise caution with Strider over the next two weeks. He could take a 15-day trip to the IL while his elbow regains strength. After all, there is little harm in playing it safe.

The Braves remain the favorites in the NL East even if Strider misses significant time. Still, any injury to their No. 1 starter would be a huge blow, particularly if Strider is unavailable to pitch in the playoffs. The team provided little reason for optimism or pessimism after the game, so fans will have to wait until Saturday to learn more about the extent of Strider’s potential injury.

Trevor Story Exits With Left Shoulder Pain

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Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story injured his shoulder on Friday as he dove to field a groundball. He hit the ground in significant distress and eventually left the game holding his arm. Shortly afterward, the team told reporters (including Christopher Smith of MassLive) that he exited with “left shoulder pain.” Presumably, the Red Sox will provide more details after the game, although Story might need further evaluation on Saturday before receiving a proper diagnosis.

Story has been something of an injury magnet throughout his career, spending time on the injured list in six of his first eight MLB seasons from 2016-23. He tore a thumb ligament in 2016, suffered a shoulder strain in 2017, sprained his thumb in 2019, dealt with elbow inflammation in 2021, and fractured his wrist (and suffered a heel contusion) in 2022. Most recently, he spent the first four months of the 2023 season recovering from an internal brace procedure to repair his UCL.

The Red Sox, who signed Story to a six-year, $140 million contract ahead of the 2022 campaign, were counting on him to be their regular shortstop this year. He struggled tremendously at the plate in 2023, slashing .203/.250/.316 in 43 games. However, he looked phenomenal at shortstop, producing 8 DRS and 8 OAA in just 314 defensive innings. Surely, the Red Sox were hoping that after a regular, healthy offseason, Story could get back on track at the plate. Over his first seven seasons, he produced an .849 OPS and 111 wRC+.

Instead, it seems as if Story is headed to the injured list early in 2024. Boston is low on infield depth with second baseman Vaughn Grissom already on the IL, but Pablo Reyes can cover at shortstop. Meanwhile, utility man Romy Gonzalez, currently at Triple-A, is a likely candidate to fill an empty spot on the bench.

Astros Release Justin Dirden

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The Astros have released outfielder Justin Dirden, according to his player page on MLB.com (h/t to Chandler Rome of The Athletic).

Dirden signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent following the shortened 2020 draft. Already 23 when he debuted in the Astros system in 2021, the lefty batter quickly made an impact at the plate, putting up a .936 OPS in 58 games at Single-A Fayetteville and a .928 OPS in 25 games at High-A Asheville. He kept slugging the following season, producing a 1.027 OPS in 92 games at Double-A Corpus Christi. It wasn’t until he was called up to Triple-A in August 2022 that Dirden finally looked overmatched, and even then, he had 12 extra-base hits in 32 games.

Following his strong 2022 season, Dirden made the Astros’ top prospect lists at Baseball America (No. 9) and MLB Pipeline (No. 9). He also earned an invitation to spring training in 2023 and put on a show in the Grapefruit League. Over 19 games, he slashed .324/.425/.618, good for a 1.043 OPS and 171 wRC+.

Asked in early March if Dirden was a candidate for the Opening Day roster, then Astros manager Dusty Baker replied, “Who knows? We’ll see who’s injured, who’s not, who’s playing well and what we need…I’m impressed with him. We’re impressed with him. That’s why he’s here” (per Rome).

Unfortunately, Dirden was not selected to the Astros roster and continued to flounder at Triple-A. He posted a .709 OPS and 68 wRC+ while nagging injuries limited him to just 84 games. This past offseason, he dropped to No. 30 on Baseball America’s organizational prospect list and fell off of MLB Pipeline’s list entirely. The Astros chose not to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, and he ultimately went unselected.

Dirden’s professional career has had its high highs and low lows. The 26-year-old is now eligible to sign with a new team, where he can hope to reach a new high – perhaps the major leagues.

Mariners Release Sean Poppen

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The Mariners released right-handed pitcher Sean Poppen today, according to his player page on MLB.com (h/t to Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto). Poppen, 30, signed a minor league deal with the club in January.

The Twins selected Poppen out of Harvard in the 19th round of the 2016 draft. Though he was never a highly-regarded prospect, the righty rose through the ranks of Minnesota’s system, succeeding at every step along the way. He put up a 2.97 ERA in eight games of Rookie ball, a 2.77 ERA in 18 games at Low-A, a 3.15 ERA in 19 games at High-A, a 3.96 ERA in 26 games at Double-A, and a 1.55 ERA in five games at Triple-A before he was first called up to join the Twins in 2019. He bounced back and forth between the majors and Triple-A over the next four seasons, while he also bounced from the Twins to the Pirates to the Rays to the Diamondbacks. In a total of 63 MLB appearances from 2019-22, he pitched to a 5.08 ERA and 4.12 SIERA, earning three wins, one save, and six holds.

Following the 2022 season, the Padres claimed Poppen from the D-backs. Out of minor league options, he was soon designated for assignment and sent outright to Triple-A El Paso, where he spent the 2023 campaign. Over 58 1/3 innings, he posted an ugly 6.33 ERA and a poor 1.70 K/BB, his worst in any season at any level. He elected free agency in November.

Although Poppen received a spring training invite from the Mariners this year, his time with Seattle would turn out to be short. He pitched well in five outings this spring, striking out eight and walking just one in 5 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, he didn’t look nearly as sharp in his Triple-A debut with the Tacoma Rainiers, giving up two walks, two homers, and four earned runs over two frames in a 7-9 loss to the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. While he performed much better in his second appearance, retiring all four Salt Lake Bees batters he faced, it wasn’t enough to save his job in the Mariners organization. Poppen is now a free agent.

Phillies Acquire José Rodríguez From White Sox

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The Phillies announced that they have acquired infielder José Rodríguez from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Double-A Reading. The infielder was designated for assignment by the Sox yesterday. The Phils have had an open spot on their 40-man roster since trading outfielder Jake Cave to the Rockies about two weeks ago, so they won’t need to make a corresponding move.

Rodríguez, 23 next month, got the briefest of major league debuts last year. He entered as a pinch runner and scored a run but has not yet made his first major league plate appearance. He split most of last year between Double-A and Triple-A, walking in just 4.1% of his plate appearances while striking out at a 21.9% rate. But he did hit 21 home runs and produced a batting line of .262/.292/.437, which led to a wRC+ of 87.

He also stole 31 bases on the year and bounced around the infield, playing the three positions on the dirt to the left of first base. The offense was subpar overall thanks to the lack of on-base ability but the power is obviously a nice attribute.

He was bumped off Chicago’s roster this week when that club make their signing of Mike Clevinger official but the Phils were clearly intrigued enough to use their open roster spot and some cash to get him into their organization. Rodríguez still has a couple of options and can be kept in the minors until the Phils decide he’s ready for another call-up.

The Phils have an infield consisting of Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, with Whit Merrifield and Edmundo Sosa also on the active roster. Rodríguez will jump into a group of depth infielders on the 40-man that includes Kody Clemens, Darick Hall, Rodolfo Castro and Weston Wilson.

Phillies Sign José Godoy, Beau Burrows To Minor League Deals

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The Phillies have signed catcher José Godoy and right-hander Beau Burrows to minor league deals, per the transaction tracker of each player at MLB.com. Godoy is represented by The MAS+ Agency while Burrows is a Frontline client. Phillies Tailgate reported Godoy’s signing a few days ago while philliesbaseballfan.com had Burrows.

Godoy, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in February but it appears he was released at some point and now has a new deal with the Phillies. The backstop has a small amount of major league experience, with 62 plate appearances in 26 games, suiting up for the Mariners, Twins and Pirates. He hit .123/.194/.140 in that small sample of work.

Naturally, he has a larger and more impressive body of work at the Triple-A level. He has slashed .270/.328/.403 in 741 plate appearances there over five separate seasons. He’s also considered to be a strong defender behind the dish.

The Phils have J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs sharing the catching duties, but Rafael Marchán missed all of Spring Training due to back problems and hasn’t yet gotten back on the field. The Phil also signed Cam Gallagher and Aramis Garcia to minor league deals this offseason but the former has been placed on the restricted list, per Phillies Tailgate. It’s unclear why Gallagher is unavailable but it seems Godoy will share the catching duties with Garcia at LeHigh Valley for now.

Burrows, 27, has 17 2/3 innings of major league experience with an earned run average of 10.70 in that small sample. He spent last year in Atlanta’s minor league system with a 5.42 ERA in 76 1/3 innings, striking out 22.4% of batters faced while walking 10.6%. He had signed a minor league deal with the Twins a couple of months ago but was recently released.

Dodgers Outright Nabil Crismatt

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Right-hander Nabil Crismatt has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per Eric Stephen of True Blue LA. The pitcher has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency but his transactions tracker at MLB.com says he has been activated by OKC, which seems to suggest he has accepted.

Crismatt, 29, was added to the Dodgers’ roster and earned the win in Sunday’s game. He entered with the club losing to the Cardinals, tossed two scoreless innings as the Dodgers took the lead and ended up with the W. He struck out three opponents in the process while allowing one hit and no walks. As a thank you for that performance, the Dodgers designated him for assignment the next day in order to add a fresh arm in Dinelson Lamet.

The other 29 clubs had a chance to grab Crismatt but seemingly passed, so he’ll stick with the Dodgers to provide some non-roster depth. He had a poor season in 2023, as he had an earned run average of 8.31 in the majors and 6.86 in the minors, but he was much better prior to that. He tossed 148 2/3 innings for the Padres over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.39 ERA, 21.6% strikeout rate and 7.3 walk rate.

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