Angels Reinstate Luis Rengifo, Designate Keston Hiura
The Angels are designating infielder Keston Hiura for assignment, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (X link). The move opens an active roster spot for the reinstatement of Luis Rengifo from the 10-day injured list. The Halos now have two vacancies on their 40-man roster.
Rengifo missed around three weeks with inflammation in his right wrist. It doesn’t seem all that serious. The Halos fortunately managed to get him back a week before the deadline, giving him a few games to demonstrate he’s at full health. The switch-hitting Rengifo is one of the better offensive options who should be available this summer. He’s hitting .315/.358/.442 across 269 plate appearances.
While he’s unlikely to maintain a .349 average on balls in play, Rengifo should still be an above-average hitter. He makes a ton of contact and topped 15 homers in 2022 and ’23. Over the past two and a half seasons, he owns a .275/.325/.437 line over more than 1200 trips to the plate. He has destroyed left-handed pitching while turning in league average results against righties. Rengifo isn’t a great defender anywhere, but he’s capable of bouncing around the infield and occasionally logging corner outfield reps.
Rengifo is making $4.4MM this season. He’s controllable through arbitration for one more season. MassLive reported yesterday that the Red Sox have shown some interest, though they’re likely one of many teams that’ll be in touch with the Halos. Speculatively speaking, the Yankees, Pirates and Royals are a few others that would make sense as suitors for Rengifo.
Hiura got the call in conjunction with Rengifo’s IL placement. The former #9 overall pick went 4-27 (all singles) and struck out 10 times in as many games. That was Hiura’s first major league work since 2022. Since an excellent rookie campaign five years ago, he’s a .203/.287/.384 hitter with a 38.5% strikeout rate at the MLB level.
The UC Irvine product has continued to hit well against Triple-A pitching, but he hasn’t carried that over against MLB arms. He owned a solid .270/.346/.536 slash over 68 minor league contests with the Tigers and Angels before being called up. He’s out of options, so the Halos couldn’t send him back to the minors without taking him off the 40-man roster. It’s unlikely they’ll find a trade partner, so Hiura is likely to hit the waiver wire this week. He has already cleared outright waivers once in his career and could elect free agency if he goes unclaimed again.
Mariners Designate Ty France For Assignment; Place Julio Rodríguez, J.P. Crawford On Injured List
The Mariners’ roster got a major shakeup today, with the club announcing a huge slate of moves. First baseman Ty France was designated for assignment while shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Julio Rodríguez each landed on the 10-day injured list. Crawford has a right hand fracture while Rodríguez has a right high ankle sprain. In corresponding moves, the club recalled infielders Tyler Locklear, Leo Rivas and outfielder Cade Marlowe.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for France a few days ago. Seattle placed the 2022 All-Star on outright waivers earlier this week in hopes that another club would claim the remainder of his $6.775MM salary. Earlier today, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on X that France had gone unclaimed on waivers.
The Mariners didn’t have to outright France to a minor league affiliate — they could have simply decided to keep him on the roster, as the Blue Jays did with Kevin Kiermaier earlier this month when he also cleared waivers — but it seems they are committed to moving on.
Now that he’s been designated for assignment, he’s off the 40-man roster and they will technically have some time to explore trade scenarios. With France clearing waivers, the M’s at least know that they can’t just get rid of his salary, though they could perhaps eat some of that as a means of facilitating a deal. France has enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency while retaining the remainder of his salary, so he’ll likely end up released if no trade is worked out in the coming days.
From 2020-22, the thought of placing France on waivers would’ve seemed silly. The former Padres prospect went from San Diego to Seattle as part of the Austin Nola trade at the 2020 deadline and posted a terrific .284/.354/.441 slash (127 wRC+) with 40 homers, 64 doubles and three triples. France had posted strong offense throughout his minor league tenure but drew concern from scouts about his lack of an obvious defensive home. He worked himself into a fine defender at first base though, posting average or better marks there up until an across-the-board decline this season.
France’s glove isn’t the only thing that’s taken a step back. He was barely a league-average hitter in 2023 and has seen his production dwindle further in 2024. Over his past 1005 big league plate appearances, he’s posted a punchless .241/.328/.361 slash. France is still getting on base at a decent clip, but his strikeout rate has spiked from 16.4% (2020-22) to 24.4% in 2024. This year’s 19.7% line-drive rate is a personal low, and France’s 46.3% grounder rate is the second-highest mark of his career. For a player whose average sprint speed ranks in the seventh percentile of MLB hitters (via Statcast), an uptick in grounders is particularly problematic.
Though his recent play hasn’t been up to his prior standards, France has plenty of track record. He’s been a solid right-handed bat who’s primarily played first base in the majors but has dabbled at the opposite infield corner and at second base as well. If he ends up released, a new team could sign France and would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster, as the Mariners will remain on the hook for the rest of this year’s salary.
France would also be controllable for a new club through the 2025 campaign. He opened the current season with 4.089 years of MLB service and has already added another 117 days. That’ll push him to five-plus years. A new team could go through the arbitration process with him this offseason, or they could push for a more palatable club option to be tacked on, as the Tigers did with Carson Kelly last August following his release with the D-backs.
Crawford was hit by a pitch on the hand in last night’s game and suffered a fracture. Rodríguez collided with the outfield wall on Sunday while attempting to make a catch and was visibly injured, with video relayed on X by Fox Sports MLB.
It’s unclear how long the Mariners expect to be without those two players, but they are notable blows for a club that has already been plummeting of late. Just over a month ago, the club had a ten-game lead in the American League West. But some poor play from Seattle combined with a hot streak from the Astros now have the M’s percentage points behind Houston and also 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
The timing of the injuries is not only unfortunate for that reason but also because Rodríguez was starting to heat up after a rough first half. He was hitting just .247/.297/.327 for a wRC+ of 83 through the end of June but had slashed .375/.434/.688 since the calendar flipped to July. That resurgence will now have to be put on hold for as long as he’s out.
Crawford has been scuffling this year as well, though luck could be a big factor there. He is slashing .204/.299/.347 on the year but his .243 batting average is well below his .293 career rate and the .289 league average in 2024. That has dragged his offense from last year’s 134 wRC+ to 90 this year, though he’s still been able to contribute by stealing five bases and providing above average shortstop defense. Ideally, his luck would have evened out in time but he won’t have that opportunity for as long as he’s on the IL.
The M’s will now have to try to pull themselves out of this tailspin without contributions from France, Crawford or Rodríguez. Locklear is covering first base today and could get some regular run there going forward, with Jason Vosler perhaps factoring in as well. Utility player Dylan Moore is at shortstop in tonight’s lineup and may be the regular there, with Rivas backing him up. Víctor Robles is in center field and figures to be joined in the club’s outfield mix by Canzone, Luke Raley, Mitch Haniger and Jonatan Clase.
With the trade deadline now just a week away, the Mariners figure to be looking for more offense in general and it’s been reported that they will be aggressive in doing so. At this point, there’s nothing to suggest that either Crawford or Rodríguez is facing a significant absence but it nonetheless could heighten the club’s focus on adding a bat or two. The Mariners are hitting a collective .217/.298/.364 this year for a 93 wRC+, which places them 22nd in the league.
Twins Reportedly Working With Payroll Limitations At Trade Deadline
The Twins are 55-44 and currently in possession of one of the American League Wild Card spots, as well as sitting just four games back of the Guardians in the Central division. That should put them in clear buyer position ahead of next week’s trade deadline but Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that they might have to walk an “add-and-subtract” tightrope due to financial limitations. Per the report, the Twins would have to move out some money if they were able to acquire any player with a notable salary.
Last year, the Twins broke a notable streak, winning their first playoff game since 2004. Though their season was eventually ended by the Astros in the Division Series, it was a relative high note for the franchise. But any optimism for the 2024 season quickly hit an obstacle.
President of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters in early November, just days into the offseason, that the payroll would be going down. That was seemingly in connection to the club’s TV revenue situation. The club reportedly received $54MM from Diamond Sports Group in 2023 but that company has been in the process of going bankrupt for a while, casting plenty of uncertainty about how things will play out going forward. The Twins and Diamond agreed to a new deal in February of 2024 but it was only a one-year pact and reportedly with reduced fees coming to the club
Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Twins reached a new franchise high in 2023 with an Opening Day payroll of $154MM. That dropped to $127MM here in 2024 and it seems there’s not much wiggle room to go much higher than that. It’s not clear if the club is in such a tight spot that they can only consider revenue-neutral trades or if they have the ability to take on a small amount of money, but it seems like the budget will have to be front of mind for the club as they navigate the deadline.
If the scenario does come to pass where they need to move money out to bring some in, they would have some options. Manuel Margot might be somewhat expendable in a fairly crowded position player mix and he’s making $10MM this year, though the Twins are only covering $4MM of that after acquiring him from the Dodgers in February. By deadline time, there will be around $1.3MM of that left to be paid out.
Max Kepler is making $10MM and is an impending free agent but is playing every day and in the middle of the lineup. Ditto for Carlos Santana and his $5.25MM salary. Moving either of those two would be a hit to the club’s lineup, though perhaps they feel they have enough internal position players to make up for the lost production. Infielders Royce Lewis and José Miranda are each on the injured list but nearing returns. That could perhaps push Brooks Lee, who has been covering third base lately, to second base. That could theoretically nudge Edouard Julien from second to first base to supplant Santana. Willi Castro, who has been covering shortstop with Carlos Correa also on the IL, could wind up in the outfield if Lewis or Lee covers short. Trevor Larnach has been the club’s regular designated hitter lately but he could perhaps take more outfield time if that crowded infield spills into the DH slot.
Christian Vázquez is in the second season of a three-year, $30MM deal and is currently one of three catchers on the roster alongside Ryan Jeffers and Jair Camargo. The Twins would likely be open to moving Vázquez and had some trade talks regarding him in the offseason but his performance has been declining and the club would likely have to include some prospects in order to get someone to absorb that money. Kyle Farmer is making $6.05MM this year and has a $250K buyout on a mutual option for 2025 but he’s currently on the injured list. Caleb Thielbar has a $3.225MM salary and is an impending free agent but he has a 5.79 ERA this year. Anthony DeSclafani is making $12MM this year but the Mariners agreed to cover $8MM of that as part of the trade that sent him to Minnesota. He’s done for the year but the Twins could theoretically send a prospect or two to another team in exchange for that club paying the remainder of what they owe DeSclafani.
There are plenty of moving parts there and the Twins will ultimately be making decisions based on what kind of offers are coming their way from other clubs, as well as the health or lack thereof among the players currently on the roster. Ideally, a club in a playoff spot would just be looking to add and not have to play this kind of seven-dimensional chess, but the financial situation in Minnesota might make it necessary.
As to what they will be looking to add, Falvey confirmed that the club is looking for pitching, per Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune. That aligns with previous reporting from Dan Hayes of The Athletic that the club would be looking to bolster its starting staff, perhaps by taking on rentals. Hayes floated Yusei Kikuchi of the Blue Jays as a possible target and Nightengale reports today that the Twins have shown “at least preliminary interest” in him.
Kikuchi signed a three-year deal with the Jays going into 2022 and is now a few months from returning to free agency. The $36MM guarantee was frontloaded, so the lefty made $16MM in the first season followed by successive $10MM salaries in the final two years. By the time the deadline rolls around, there will be roughly $3.3MM left to be paid out.
That’s not a massive sum by baseball standards but if it’s too rich for the Twins, they could always ask the Jays to keep most of that money on their books. Such an arrangement would require the Twins to part with more prospect capital but that might be the way they have to operate if they don’t have financial wiggle room. It’s unclear if the Jays are going to be focused on adding talent or dipping below the luxury tax, but they’re ten games back of a playoff spot and looking to trade their rental players.
If the two sides can work out those finer details, Kikuchi makes plenty of sense for the Twins. They’ve lost DeSclafani for the year and Chris Paddack is on the injured list due to a right arm issue for the second time this summer. David Festa and Louie Varland have struggled at the major league level and are currently on optional assignment.
The club still has a decent foursome in Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson, but there’s also sense in adding to that group as they need a fifth starter and an injury can also change the calculus at any moment.
Kikuchi’s results have been up and down but he’s having a strong season in the aggregate. He’s thrown 111 innings for the Jays here in 2024 with a 26.4% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. He has a 4.54 ERA but at least part of that appears to be due to a .334 batting average on balls in play. His 3.58 FIP and 3.41 SIERA suggest he’s actually been far better than his ERA would suggest. Most of those numbers are roughly in line with his 2023 season, wherein he posted a 3.86 ERA with a 25.9% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate. His .314 BABIP was closer to league average last year and he had a 4.12 FIP and 3.86 SIERA.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Rays Claim Joel Kuhnel From Brewers
The Rays announced that they have claimed right-hander Joel Kuhnel off waivers from the Brewers. Milwaukee designated him for assignment a couple of days ago. The Rays already had three vacancies on their 40-man roster, so their count climbs to 38.
Kuhnel, 29, has been featured in the pages of MLB Trade Rumors plenty of times this year but hasn’t been able to factor into many MLB games. He started 2024 on the Astros’ roster but was designated for assignment, outrighted and elected free agency before re-signing with Houston on a minor league deal by the end of January. He was selected back onto their roster in April but then designated for assignment again later that month.
He then went to the Blue Jays in a cash deal but that club kept him on optional assignment for a few weeks before he was designated for assignment and elected free agency once again. He landed with the Brewers on a minor league deal and was twice selected to that club’s roster but both stints resulted in him being designated for assignment without him pitching in a game.
Around all of those transactions, he only has one appearance in the big leagues this year, when he allowed four earned runs in two innings for the Astros. But in his 27 1/3 minor league innings, he has a 2.30 earned run average. His 15% strikeout rate is subpar but he’s racked up huge numbers of ground balls.
That’s generally been the recipe for Kuhnel in his career. He has 85 2/3 big league innings overall, most of that with the Reds. His 6.30 ERA in that time obviously isn’t great, nor is his 19% strikeout rate, but he has kept 52.2% of balls in play on the ground and has clearly attracted the attention of several clubs around the league.
The Rays have a bunch of open roster spots right now. In the past month, they have traded Aaron Civale and Phil Maton. They also designated Chris Devenski for assignment and put Yandy Díaz on the restricted list due to an undisclosed personal matter. Tyler Zuber was selected to take one of those spots but they still had three available and have now used one of them on Kuhnel.
Kuhnel averages in the mid-90s with both of his fastballs and also throws a slider and a changeup. Given that velocity and pitch mix, perhaps clubs around the league believe there’s room to coax some more strikeouts out of him, in addition to his ground ball tendencies. He is also in his final option year and can therefore be sent to the minors for the rest of this season. His service time count is between one and two years, so he could be a long-term piece if things break right.
Mets Sign Jackie Bradley Jr. To Minor League Deal
The Mets have reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. Sean W. Alcide was the first to report the news, which was later confirmed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Bradley, who had been playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, will report to Triple-A Syracuse.
Bradley has not played in affiliated ball since he was released by the Royals last June. He went 14-for-105 (.133) with a .397 OPS over 43 games that season. His always-excellent outfield defense (1.000 fielding percentage, 4 OAA) was not enough to make up for his lifeless bat, even on a Royals club that ranked among the worst offensive teams in the league. However, Bradley has shown signs of life for the Ducks, with whom he went 66-for-165 (.400) with 12 home runs and 28 extra-base hits in 40 games. As Will Sammon of The Athletic pointed out, he was in the middle of a 28-game hitting streak, the longest in Ducks history. Needless to say, Bradley wasn’t facing MLB-caliber pitching in the Atlantic League, but his strong performance was enough to entice New York.
The Mets already have a full-time center fielder, Harrison Bader, and a star corner outfielder capable of handling center, Brandon Nimmo. However, their outfield options are far less promising after those two names. Starling Marte has been on the injured list since June. While he was hitting relatively well over his first 66 games this year, his defense (-9 OAA, -9 DRS) has become a major liability. The four others who have played the outfield for the Mets this year, Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart, Jeff McNeil, and Ben Gamel, have combined for a .211/.291/.347 slash line. Only Stewart has a league-average batting line (100 wRC+), while only Taylor (1 OAA, 5 DRS) has positive defensive metrics. Considering that the only other outfielder on the team’s 40-man roster is 21-year-old Alex Ramírez at Double-A, it’s hardly surprising the Mets sought some additional outfield depth.
The Mets will be the fifth organization of Bradley’s career, after stints with the Red Sox, Brewers, Blue Jays, and Royals. He has a career .684 OPS and 82 wRC+ and has not been an above-average hitter since 2020; it is hard to imagine that will change in his age-34 campaign. However, if he is selected to the Mets roster at some point this season, the team can likely count on his elite glove and strong arm to provide defensive value in the outfield. As Bob Nightengale of USA Today points out, Bradley is 115 days away from reaching 10 years of MLB service. Not only is 10 years of service time a major milestone, but it is the point at which players fully qualify for the pension plan. He won’t reach that mark this season, but with a strong performance this year, Bradley could extend his MLB career into 2025.
Marlins Designate Yonny Chirinos For Assignment
The Marlins have designated right-hander Yonny Chirinos for assignment, the team announced today. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Kyle Tyler, who’s been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Chirinos, 30, is one of several former Rays who made their way to the Marlins organization over the offseaon — he signed a minor league deal — after Miami hired former Rays GM Peter Bendix as their new president of baseball operations. Initially brought in as a depth option, Chirinos found himself called to the big league roster after 12 solid starts in Triple-A (3.00 ERA, 17.2 K%, 8.4 BB%, 66 innings) at a time when the Marlins’ rotation had been decimated by injury.
Through his first four starts, Chirinos generated quality results. He pitched just 19 1/3 innings but held opponents to nine runs (4.19 ERA) on 26 hits and five walks with 20 punchouts. He’s been shelled for a dozen runs in 10 2/3 innings since that time, however, and now sports an unsightly 6.30 earned run average on the season.
From 2018-22, Chirinos was an intriguing but frequently injured member of the Rays’ pitching staff. He logged 241 1/3 innings in that time, recording a 3.54 ERA (4.07 FIP, 4.13 SIERA) with a 20.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. Forearm, finger, triceps and elbow injuries all combined to tamp down Chirinos’ innings, however, with the elbow issue in particular proving detrimental. Chirinos missed the entire 2021 season and a portion of the 2022 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.
While Chirinos’ 2018-22 track record is fairly intriguing, he’s also now pitched 115 innings in two full post-surgery seasons and looked like a different pitcher. Dating back to Opening Day 2023, he’s logged a 5.63 ERA with strikeout and walk rates of 15.3% and 7.8% — a far cry from his pre-surgery rates. He’s also seen his average fastball dip from a 94.3 mph peak, per Statcast, to 93 mph over the past two seasons.
The Marlins will have a week to trade Chirinos, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He has more than five years of big league service, so he can reject an outright assignment even if he clears waivers.
Reid Detmers Generating Trade Interest
Reid Detmers certainly hasn’t had the 2024 season he was hoping for. The southpaw has been pitching for the Salt Lake Bees since June, when the Angels optioned him to Triple-A. Nevertheless, he is reportedly drawing trade interest from numerous teams, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, who lists Detmers as one of many players the Angels have made available ahead of the deadline.
Since his debut in 2021, Demters has made 70 MLB starts with a 4.68 ERA, 4.17 SIERA, and 5.4 Wins Above Replacement (per FanGraphs). The lefty seemingly cemented his role in the Angels rotation by the end of the 2022 season, when he pitched a no-hitter and an immaculate inning, finishing his rookie campaign with a 3.77 ERA and 4.12 SIERA in 25 starts. He led the team in starts and innings pitched the following season, and while his ERA rose to 4.48, his 4.14 SIERA remained significantly better than the league average.
Detmers got off to a strong start in 2024, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his first four outings. Unfortunately, his season quickly came off the rails after that. Over his next eight starts, he gave up 41 runs (40 earned) in 40 1/3 innings of work. His strikeout rate dropped from 34.9% over his first four starts to 20.9% across his next eight; while he had not allowed a single home run in those first four contests, he gave up 10 in his subsequent outings. Detmers wasn’t allowing any more hard contact than usual, but his average launch angle rose by nearly five degrees, and, consequently, his barrel rate more than doubled. His 4.62 SIERA over that stretch wasn’t awful (seven qualified pitchers currently have a SIERA of 4.62 or higher), but clearly, something wasn’t quite right with the 25-year-old hurler.
It was a little surprising to see a team with such little pitching depth demote a proven major leaguer after eight poor starts. Then again, the last time the Angels optioned him to Triple-A amidst a rough stretch, June 2022, he forced his way back soon after and thrived over the final three months of season (3.04 ERA, 3.70 SIERA in 13 starts). Perhaps L.A. was hoping another quick stopover at Triple-A would help Detmers figure things out. At the time, Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that he didn’t expect the move to be “permanent.” Unfortunately, Detmers has struggled tremendously for Salt Lake, pitching to a 7.11 ERA and 6.04 FIP in seven starts (38 IP). Most concerningly, he has given 11 home runs to his minor league opponents. His stats look better if you ignore his two worst outings, but even then, his 4.94 ERA and 4.11 FIP at Triple-A are worrisome numbers for a pitcher who is supposed to be an above-average major leaguer.
All that being said, there are, evidently, multiple teams interested in taking on Detmers as a reclamation project. However, considering that he is still just 25 years old and under team control through at least the 2027 season, the Angels would likely only be willing to sell so low on Detmers if either (a) they have largely given up on him, or (b) they are receiving offers too good to ignore.
In additional Angels news, Passan suggests the team is also willing to part with Carlos Estevez, Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward, Kevin Pillar, Luis Garcia, and Hunter Strickland. The only somewhat surprising names on that list are Ward and Anderson, whom the team was previously thought to be unlikely to trade. That said, Passan also mentions that potential suitors have “soured” on Ward amid his recent slump; he is batting .159 with a 25 wRC+ over his last 17 games. Anderson, meanwhile, has continued to pitch well since making his second All-Star team. He held the Mariners to one run and three hits while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings in his first start back from the break. His underlying numbers remain concerning, however; his 4.94 SIERA ranks last among all qualified pitchers.
Finally, infielder Luis Rengifo will be reinstated from the injured list today, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Passan did not include Rengifo on his list of available Angels due to his injury status. Now that he is healthy, one would think the Angels will also be taking calls on the 27-year-old, especially if they are willing to trade other players under team control beyond this season like Anderson and Ward.
Mets Reportedly Prefer To Add At Deadline
The trade deadline is now just a week away and several teams are still unsure how aggressively to buy or sell between now and then. Per a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets are hoping to do some buying but the extent of their shopping will likely come down to what other clubs are making available.
The Mets had a disastrous season in 2023. Despite running the highest payroll in MLB history, they fell out of contention and wound up selling at the deadline. That included flipping marquee names like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, eating salary in order to bring back greater prospects that bolstered their farm system.
Coming into 2024, they added to their roster but focused mainly on short-term deals, ideally improving their chances at competing in 2024 while leaving plenty of future flexibility intact. This year has had its ups and downs but they are currently 51-48 and in possession of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, so it makes sense that they would consider themselves buyers.
Hanging onto that playoff spot will be a challenge in a fairly crowded race. There are three clubs within a game of the Mets and seven within 4.5 games. Given that the club has been trying to restock its farm system and still isn’t a sure thing for the playoffs this year, they may prefer marginal adds that don’t involve significant prospect cost. Sammon reports that this is essentially how the club sees things, as they will be looking to make additions in ways that don’t hurt them in subsequent seasons, a similar mindset to their recent offseason.
Sammon uses the recent Phil Maton trade as an example, since the Mets took that contract off the Rays’ hands without having to surrender any prospect capital. Since the Mets have been willing to spend lavishly under owner Steve Cohen, taking on money in order to reduce prospect costs could logically be their preferred trading method. That’s in spite of the fact that they are paying a massive 110% tax on any further spending since they are a three-time payor of the competitive balance tax that is well above the highest tier.
Similar trades to address the bullpen may be forthcoming in the next week, with Sammon using Chad Green of the Blue Jays as a hypothetical example. The Jays picked up a club option for Green’s services that will pay him $21MM over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. They have now fallen out of contention and may have interest in ducking under the competitive balance tax, which could lead the two sides to line up on a trade that further bolsters the Mets’ bullpen and mostly provides the Jays with salary relief. Regardless of how the trades ultimately play out, upgrading the bullpen makes plenty of sense since Mets’ relievers have a collective 4.14 earned run average that placed them 19th in the league.
But as Sammon highlights, what the Mets do at the deadline will ultimately be determined by what’s available. All year long, the narrative around this summer’s deadline has focused on the lack of clear sellers. With the expanded playoffs, there are currently only six teams more than 7.5 games from a postseason spot. Per Sammon and other reports from around the baseball world, several clubs are still having various conversations and trying to figure out their plans of attack for the next week. Among the clubs that are firmly in the seller camp, some of them are rebuilding clubs that will likely be looking to maximize prospect hauls, such as the Marlins and White Sox.
One way or another, it seems the Mets will be making additions, even if they end up being modest. The flip side of that, of course, is that they don’t intend to be sellers. There were times earlier in the season when the Mets were struggling and it seemed possible that first baseman Pete Alonso could be made available. He is an impending free agent and it would make sense to make him available if the club were out of contention.
But since they have climbed back into a playoff spot, that doesn’t seem to be a possibility now. Sammon reports that the club is unlikely to trade Alonso, even if they suffer through a losing streak over the next week. That will mean leaving some trade value on the table but the Mets could recoup a bit of that by making Alonso a qualifying offer, though the pick would be fairly modest since CBT payors receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round.
Sammon also throws some cold water on the possibility of the Mets trading from their relatively strong rotation. It had been reported earlier this month that the Mets were considering selling a starting pitcher even if they stayed in the buyer camp, simply due to the number of viable starters they have on hand. Kodai Senga has been on the injured list all year but could be rejoining the club this week, entering a rotation mix that also consists of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Christian Scott, David Peterson, Jose Quintana and Tylor Megill, with José Buttó and Adrian Houser also on the roster but currently working out of the bullpen.
There would be some logic to trading someone from that group to upgrade another part of the roster and hoping that the depth would be strong enough to last through the season, but Sammon reports that the club will be reluctant to do so unless they get blown away by an offer. If such an offer were to be considered, Severino and Quintana would be the most logical candidates since they are impending free agents. Manaea could also return to the open market but he has a player option for 2025 that would complicate his trade candidacy.
Again, the external market forces figure to be playing a role here. As Sammon notes, a number of teams are looking for starting pitching and the lack of sellers might lead to the Mets getting some interesting offers that tempt them away from their preference for hanging onto the current group.
Sammon also adds that upgrading right field is another area the club could explore, with the caveat that it may be harder to accomplish that without giving up prospect talent. Starling Marte is having a solid season overall, with a line of .278/.328/.416 and 115 wRC+. But he’s now 35 years old and his health has become an increasing problem in recent years. He’s currently on the injured list with a bone bruise in his knee and the club has recently rotated Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart and Jeff McNeil through the position without any of them taking a firm hold of the job.
The list of possible trade candidates includes corner outfielders such as Taylor Ward, Randy Arozarena, Brent Rooker, Jesse Winker, Lane Thomas, Tommy Pham, Kevin Pillar and Miguel Andujar. But all of those guys are either still in their arbitration years or playing on modest free agent deals, meaning their current clubs would likely prioritize prospect-heavy returns as opposed to salary relief in any trade talks. Corner outfielders making notable salaries include George Springer, Mitch Haniger and old friend Michael Conforto, though it’s unclear if the Mets would be interested in taking on significant money to get any of those guys.
Red Sox Interested In James Paxton
The Red Sox head into the trade deadline looking to deepen their starting staff, and WEEI’s Rob Bradford reports that there’s a “strong likelihood” Boston will be in the mix for left-hander James Paxton, whom the Dodgers just designated for assignment yesterday. The Sox are quite familiar with Paxton, who spent the 2022-23 seasons in the organization.
Injuries prevented Paxton from taking the mound for the Sox in 2022 and led him to exercise a player option for the 2023 season. He bounced back with 19 starts and 96 innings — both his highest marks since 2019 in New York. Paxton’s 4.50 ERA wasn’t much to look at, though metrics like SIERA (4.11) and FIP (3.77) painted a friendlier picture. He fanned a sharp 24.6% of his opponents last season against a tidy 8% walk rate.
Things haven’t gone as well in a similar workload with the Dodgers. Although Paxton’s 18 starts, 89 1/3 innings and 4.43 ERA all generally mirror last year’s numbers with the Red Sox, the rest of his numbers are markedly worse. Paxton averaged 95.2 mph on his fastball last season, per Statcast, but is down to 93.2 mph on average in 2024. His strikeout rate has plummeted to 16.4%, while his walk rate has ballooned to 12.3%. Paxton is getting fewer whiffs, fewer grounders and yielding far more hard contact in 2024 than he did in 2023. The primary difference has been the lefty’s dip in home run rate (9.5% HR/FB, 1.11 HR/9) and a career-low .267 average on balls in play.
Even if Paxton’s K-BB and batted-ball profiles are diminished relative to his 2023 levels, he’s still been a perhaps surprisingly durable arm this year. He’s made all 18 starts asked of him and has yet to land on the injured list. He’d also be highly affordable from a financial standpoint. He’s playing the season on a one-year deal that came with a $4MM base salary, $2MM bonus for making the Opening Day roster and $3MM singing bonus. Paxton’s deal also allowed him to earn $4MM off incentives based on games started. The lump sum of that signing bonus, Opening Day bonus and all of his incentives have already been paid out. The Red Sox (or another new club) would only owe him the prorated remainder of that $4MM salary — about $1.48MM as of this writing.
The Red Sox currently have Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello in the rotation. Righties Cooper Criswell and Josh Winckowski have both made starts out of the fifth spot in the rotation. The Sox have lost Lucas Giolito, Garrett Whitlock and depth starter Chris Murphy to season-ending surgeries. Bryan Mata is on the injured list and just had a setback. Paxton would at least give the Sox a stabilizing force at the back of the rotation. (The Red Sox have also reportedly looked into the Cubs’ Jameson Taillon as an option.)