Headlines

  • Royals, Hunter Dozier Agree To Four-Year Extension
  • Giants, Scott Kazmir Agree To Minor League Deal
  • Kelvin Herrera Announces Retirement
  • Braves Extend Brian Snitker
  • Yankees Sign Justin Wilson
  • Braves Sign Jake Lamb
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Patrick Weigel

Braves Select Rafael Ortega

By Jeff Todd | August 13, 2019 at 1:53pm CDT

The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of Rafael Ortega. He’ll head onto the active roster, with righty Patrick Weigel optioned to make way.

Ortega, 28, joined the Atlanta organization on a minor-league pact before the season. The left-handed-hitter, who has appeared in parts of three prior MLB campaigns, carries a .285/.373/.524 batting line (126 wRC+) in 493 plate appearances at Triple-A.

It’s not clear whether Ortega is seen as a potentially permanent solution or a temporary fill-in, but his promotion reflects the fact that the Braves are in a bit of an outfield pickle. The club lost Nick Markakis just before the trade deadline and isn’t sure whether or when he’ll return. Having foregone the chance to add a significant player from outside the organization, the club is now left with what is has on hand and what it can procure through the limitations of the August acquisition period.

At one point, it seemed the Braves were set with a three-man outfield unit featuring Markakis, superstar Ronald Acuna, and rookie Austin Riley. Many even felt the club should jettison Ender Inciarte when he returned from the injured list. As it turns out, Markakis and Riley are now shelved with injuries; the latter had struggled mightily for a lengthy stretch before hitting the IL.

For a moment, it looked as if Adam Duvall would be the solution. He started with a six-game hot streak but has been dreadful in his ten ensuing games. There’s still hope that he can contribute, but it’s far from a certainty. Much the same holds for utilityman Johan Camargo, who has scuffled since a hot July. The Braves might’ve utilized Charlie Culberson in the outfield, but he’s filling in at short for the injured Dansby Swanson. Matt Joyce is still on the roster — indeed, he’s in the lineup tonight — but the club has elected to utilize him mostly as a bench bat. (He has played just 64 1/3 innings in the field.)

Despite the increasing uncertainty, the Braves’ lineup has had no trouble pushing runs across the plate, having outscored all but five other teams in the past thirty days. And the club has managed to stay out in front of the trailing pack in the division. While the Nats, Mets, and (if they can gather themselves) Phillies are threats to mount a charge, they’re still decided underdogs. But the Braves can’t sleep on their lead — six games, entering play today — and will obviously also want to fine tune their outfield mix (among other question areas) in advance of the postseason.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Atlanta Braves Patrick Weigel Rafael Ortega Transactions

23 comments

Players Added To The 40-Man Roster

By Steve Adams | November 20, 2018 at 6:15pm CDT

Tonight marks the deadline for players to be added to their respective organizations’ 40-man rosters. Over the nine hours, there’ll be a flurry of moves, ranging from minor trades (like the one the Indians and Rays made yesterday), waiver claims and players being designated for assignment or outrighted. Each will be made to clear room for players who need protection from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. As a reminder, players who signed at 18 years of age or younger and have five professional seasons are eligible, as are players who signed at 19 or older and have four professional seasons under their belts.

Here’s a rundown of players who’ve been added to their respective 40-man rosters (which will be updated throughout the day)…

  • There are three additions for the Twins: outfielder LaMonte Wade and infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez.
  • The Giants announced that they have added a trio of righties: Melvin Adon, Sam Coonrod, and Logan Webb.
  • Lefty Justin Steele is now a member of the Cubs’ 40-man, per an announcement.
  • The Rangers announced that they are protecting veteran hurler Edinson Volquez, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery, along with outfielder Scott Heineman, righty Wei-Chieh Huang, and lefty Taylor Hearn.
  • Righties Mitch Keller and JT Brubaker, infielder Cole Tucker, and outfielder Jason Martin are all joining the Pirates’ 40-man, per Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects (via Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays will add righty Patrick Murphy to their 40-man, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Toronto has announced his addition, along with those of fellow righties Trent Thornton, Yennsy Diaz, Hector Perez, and Jacob Waguespack.
  • Three Indians players have been boosted up to the 40-man, the club announced: first baseman Bobby Bradley, southpaw Sam Hentges, and righty Jean Carlos Mejίa.
  • Righty Joe Harvey is joining the Yankees’ MLB roster, the club announced.
  • The Phillies have added shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa along with righties Edgar Garcia and Adonis Medina to the 40-man, per a club announcement.
  • Former first-round draft pick Dillon Tate, a right-handed pitcher, was selected to the Orioles’ 40-man.

Read more

Earlier Additions

  • The Marlins and Padres each made numerous additions. We covered the Angels and Athletics elsewhere as well.
  • The Red Sox have bumped several players onto the MLB roster: infielder Michael Chavis, righties Colten Brewer, Travis Lakins and Denyi Reyes, lefties Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez. Brewer was just picked up via trade.
  • Righty Jimmy Herget is the only player added to the Reds’ 40-man today, per a club announcement.
  • Per a Diamondbacks announcement, they’ve selected the contracts of first baseman Kevin Cron and four right-handed pitchers: Taylor Clarke, Joel Payamps, Bo Takahashi and Emilio Vargas.
  • There are three new additions to the Astros roster, per a club announcement. Righties Bryan Abreu and Rogelio Armenteros have had their contracts selected along with catcher Garrett Stubbs.
  • The White Sox announced that they’ve selected the contracts of right-handers Dylan Cease and Jordan Stephens, left-hander Kodi Medeiros and catcher Seby Zavala. Cease, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, joined the Sox in the Jose Quintana trade two years ago. Chicago added Medeiros this summer in the trade that sent Joakim Soria to the Brewers.
  • Right-hander Justin Lawrence is being added to the Rockies’ roster, reports Fancred’s Jon Heyman (on Twitter). The 2015 12th-rounder posted a 2.65 ERA with better than 10 punchouts per nine innings in Class-A Advanced this season — a fine followup to a 1.65 ERA at Class-A in 2017. The club has announced that move, along with the additinos of righty Ryan Castellani infielder Josh Fuentes and outfielder Sam Hilliard.
  • The Brewers have selected the contracts of outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. and right-hander Trey Supak, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Stokes hit .233/.343/.430 in 551 PAs as a 22-year-old in Double-A this past season. Supak, acquired from the Pirates three years ago, logged a tidy 2.48 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 137 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A in 2018.
  • The Royals selected the contracts of right-handers Josh Staumont, Scott Blewett and Arnaldo Hernandez, per a team announcement. Staumont is among the team’s most promising arms but has plenty of control issues to accompany big strikeout numbers out of the ’pen. The other two have worked as starters in Double-A.
  • The Mariners selected the contract of righty Erik Swanson, whom they acquired from the Yankees as part of last night’s James Paxton trade. The 25-year-old righty posted a 2.66 ERA with a 139-to-29 K/BB ratio across multiple minor league levels in ’18 and could surface as a rotation option for Seattle in 2019.
  • The Tigers selected the contract of right-hander Franklin Perez, the team announced. Perez, the top prospect acquired in the Justin Verlander blockbuster, was an easy call to add to the 40-man even after slogging through an injury-ruined season. As Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press wrote in August, Perez missed two-plus months with a lat strain and pitched just 19 1/3 innings before going down for the season with a shoulder injury. Perez is still widely considered to be a premium pitching prospect even after the 2018 injury woes.
  • The Nationals announced that righty James Bourque has been added to the 40-man roster. A 14th-round pick in 2014, Bourque moved from the rotation to the ’pen in 2018 and broke out with a 1.70 ERA, 12.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 53 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.
  • The Braves announced that they’ve selected the contracts of catcher Alex Jackson and right-handers Patrick Weigel, Jacob Webb and Huascar Ynoa. Jackson, the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, struggled through a miserable 2018 season, but the organization clearly didn’t want to risk losing him. Webb turned in a big season out of the bullpen across two levels, while Weigel, one of the organization’s top arms, should be back from Tommy John in 2019. The 20-year-old Ynoa didn’t post great numbers but was up to 100 mph in velocity this year, per Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs (Twitter link).
Share 0 Retweet 2 Send via email0

Alex Jackson Arizona Diamondbacks Arnaldo Hernandez Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Indians Colorado Rockies Colten Brewer Detroit Tigers Dillon Tate Dylan Cease Edinson Volquez Erik Swanson Franklin Perez Houston Astros Huascar Ynoa Isan Diaz Jacob Webb James Bourque Jordan Stephens Jordan Yamamoto Jorge Guzman Jose Quijada Jose Quintana Josh Staumont Josh Taylor Justin Lawrence Kansas City Royals Kodi Medeiros Kyle Keller Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Michael Chavis Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Mitch Keller New York Yankees Nick Gordon Oakland Athletics Patrick Weigel Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Scott Blewett Seattle Mariners Seby Zavala Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Trey Supak Troy Stokes Washington Nationals

59 comments

Pitching Injury Notes: Smyly, Weigel, Keuchel, Nats, Salazar, Hendricks, Finnegan

By Jeff Todd | June 28, 2017 at 8:50am CDT

The Mariners got some unwelcome news about the status of rehabbing lefty Drew Smyly. As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, plans for Smyly to face live hitting were scuttled after the southpaw experienced some elbow discomfort. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre explains that Smyly has dealt with other such “episodes” while working back from a flexor strain, especially when throwing breaking pitches, so perhaps this could just be a minor blip. Still, he’s slated for a medical examination; at present, there’s no clear indication of what’ll come next. “Until the doctors check, and all that stuff subsides, you just can’t move forward,” explains Stottlemyre. “It’s hard to make a plan going forward until we know more.”

Clearly, Seattle’s deadline plans could be altered by Smyly’s progress (or lack thereof). If the team finds itself in a strong Wild Card position at the end of July, but doesn’t think it’ll get the rotation boost it needs, it’s at least possible to imagine a move to  bolster the rotation. Here are some more notable injury situations from around the game:

  • Young Braves hurler Patrick Weigel is headed for Tommy John surgery, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That’s the result that was feared when it was learned that he had suffered a partial UCL tear. Soon to turn 23, Weigel had reached Triple-A in just his third professional season. He could’ve conceivably provided the Braves with a rotation option for 2018, so the loss should only increase the organization’s interest in adding a significant outside starter.
  • It seems the Astros are wisely taking a measured approach with southpaw Dallas Keuchel, who is working back from a pinched nerve in his neck. As Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes, skipper A.J. Hinch acknowledges that the club is “just being conservative” by “methodically putting a few more challenges in front of him” to bring Keuchel along slowly. With Keuchel in need of at some rehab outings before returning to the MLB hill, it seems he won’t likely make it back until after the All-Star break. That timeline surely works just fine for the front-running Astros, who are as close to a postseason shoe-in as there can be at this stage of the season.
  • The Nationals’ bullpen needs have long been a focus of the 2017 trade season. Just how many arms the Nats will go looking for could well depend in part upon the progress of several current pitchers. Per a club update, via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (via Twitter), Sammy Solis appears to be making real strides after missing a significant stretch with elbow issues, as he was able to take the ball for Triple-A Syracuse. If the power lefty can return to health and to form, that’d be a significant boost. Meanwhile, Shawn Kelley (out with a trap strain) has resumed throwing — which is not yet the case for fellow righty Koda Glover (who is dealing with back issues).
  • There’s some positive momentum for Indians righty Danny Salazar, as Jimmy Miller of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Salazar says his shoulder feels good, and he’s now slated to begin a rehab assignment. The high-octane hurler, 27, could potentially re-take a spot in the rotation or provide Cleveland with another fascinating, multi-inning-capable bullpen arm.
  • Likewise, the Cubs saw progress from righty Kyle Hendricks, as Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago tweets that he was able to throw (albeit only from 90 feet) without experiencing any issues in his hand. Hendricks has been dealing with tendon problems in his pitching hand, leading to a DL placement. Before going down with the injury, Hendricks had turned in eleven somewhat worrying starts. Expectations were high after he landed third in the 2016 Cy Young voting, but Hendricks has shown a significant velocity loss (over two miles per hour on his fastball) and a big drop in swinging-strike rate (from 10.0% to 7.3%). Getting him healthy and back to form would represent a big boost to the Cubs, though it’s not clear whether they’ll have a real read on his capacity before making deadline plans.
  • While the Reds haven’t yet made a move, it seems likely that lefty Brandon Finnegan is heading back to the DL. Initial indications were that he had only experienced a triceps strain during his first start after rehabbing an injury to the teres major muscle in his shoulder. Instead, per manager Bryan Price (on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, via Twitter), the injury was traced to that same muscle. While it’s said to be in a different part of the muscle, it nevertheless seems rather concerning that Finnegan is experiencing issues in that same narrow area. The broader prognosis remains unclear at this moment, though Price said he expects the southpaw to miss “at least … several weeks, if not longer.”
Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Atlanta Braves Brandon Finnegan Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Indians Dallas Keuchel Danny Salazar Drew Smyly Houston Astros Koda Glover Kyle Hendricks Patrick Weigel Sammy Solis Seattle Mariners Shawn Kelley Washington Nationals

4 comments

Braves Notes: Adams/Freeman, Weigel, Phillips

By Steve Adams | June 20, 2017 at 9:34pm CDT

Matt Adams’ surprisingly dominant performance for the Braves following last month’s trade has the Braves considering multiple scenarios to keep him in the lineup when Freddie Freeman returns, according to a pair of reports from Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Like the Cardinals before them, the Braves are debating the possibility of playing Adams in left field. But more interestingly, Bowman suggests that the Braves will at least discuss the possibility of Freeman playing third base — a position he played throughout high school but hasn’t played since a tiny five-game sample with the Braves’ Rookie-level affiliate back in 2007. While there will obviously be plenty of intrigue around the idea of a position change for Freeman, it’s worth noting that the Braves are very much in the preliminary stages of mapping out a strategy. David O’Brien of the Journal-Constitution tweets that it may only be likely if Freeman volunteers to move across the diamond, though he, too, notes that Atlanta hasn’t firmly ruled the idea out.

  • One of the Braves’ top pitching prospects, right-hander Patrick Weigel, is on his way to see Dr. James Andrews to have his elbow examined, O’Brien reports. According to O’Brien, Weigel has a potential tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and will undergo an MRI to definitively make that determination. Weigel, 22, opened the year at Double-A Mississippi and pitched to a 2.89 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 through 37 1/3 innings before being promoted to Triple-A. Weigel worked to a 3.58 ERA through his first seven Triple-A starts but was shelled for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings in his most recent outing on Sunday.
  • Mark Bradley of the Journal-Constitution opines that the likeliest outcome for Adams and fellow trade acquisition Brandon Phillips is that both will be traded prior to the non-waiver deadline. Adams’ work in the outfield was unsightly enough that the Cardinals traded him the Braves in the first place, Bradley points out, and the Braves don’t necessarily need another left-handed-hitting first baseman. Phillips’ age makes him unlikely to be any kind of long-term option in Atlanta, and the Braves could use August and September to get their first big league look at Ozzie Albies, Bradley continues. From my perspective, Adams would represent a fine bench option for the Braves, though he could be a relatively pricey part-time player next year depending on how great a raise he receives upon this year’s $2.8MM salary in arbitration this winter.
Share 0 Retweet 5 Send via email0

Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman Matt Adams Patrick Weigel

44 comments
Show all

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Royals, Hunter Dozier Agree To Four-Year Extension

    Giants, Scott Kazmir Agree To Minor League Deal

    Kelvin Herrera Announces Retirement

    Braves Extend Brian Snitker

    Yankees Sign Justin Wilson

    Braves Sign Jake Lamb

    Athletics Sign Mitch Moreland

    Yankees Re-Sign Brett Gardner

    Giants To Sign Jake McGee

    Mariners CEO Kevin Mather Resigns

    Recent

    Phillies Likely Done Spending For Now

    Quick Hits: Springer, Conforto, Straw, Greinke

    Checking In On Last Season’s Worst Bullpens

    MLBTR Poll: How Good Are The Padres?

    Minor MLB Transactions: 3/1/21

    Lucas Giolito On Potential Extension

    NL Central Notes: Lauer, Cubs, Hoyer, Pirates

    Royals, Hunter Dozier Agree To Four-Year Extension

    Red Sox Notes: Bogaerts, Latest Investment News, Closer Competition

    East Notes: Mets, Orioles, Nationals

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • Jackie Bradley Jr. Rumors
    • Jake Odorizzi Rumors
    • Taijuan Walker Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Indians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version