Minor MLB Transactions: 8/22/21
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- Cesar Valdez has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, per an Orioles team announcement. The righty had been designated for assignment on Friday. After signing a minor league deal in the offseason, the 36-year-old earned his way back into the majors for a second consecutive season. Valdez even served as the Orioles’ closer for a time, racking up eight saves. However, he wasn’t able to maintain his hot start to the year. His 2.50 ERA through 18 innings was then complemented with an ERA of 7.90 over his next 27 1/3. In total, he has a season ERA of 5.76 over 45 1/3 innings. He’ll now get some work in at the Triple-A level and try to make his way back to the bigs again.
- Phillies right-hander Mauricio Llovera has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old had been designated for assignment on Friday. This will allow the Phillies to stash an arm in the minors that has shown enough promise to be considered a prospect of note in recent years. (FanGraphs had him as high as the 11th best prospect in the Philadelphia system, prior to the 2019 and 2020 seasons.) Llovera has struggled in the majors so far, but in a very small sample size of just 7 2/3 innings between 2020 and 2021. At Triple-A this season, he has an ERA of 4.60 over 29 1/3 innings.
Phillies Activate Rhys Hoskins, Option Alec Bohm
The Phillies announced they’ve activated first baseman Rhys Hoskins from the 10-day injured list. Somewhat surprisingly, Philadelphia optioned struggling corner infielder Alec Bohm to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move.
Hoskins is back after a two-week absence due to a left groin strain. He’s starting at first base and hitting fifth in this afternoon’s game against the Padres. Hoskins has hit at his typically productive level this year, slashing .244/.332/.509 with 24 home runs over 434 plate appearances. That kind of offensive production will be welcome for the suddenly slumping Phils, who have gone just 5-8 since he last played on August 5. Coupled with the Braves’ recent tear, the Phillies have fallen five games back in the National League East.
Bohm has been in the majors since Philadelphia selected him to make his debut last August. The former #3 overall pick and top prospect began his career with a flourish, hitting .338/.400/.481 over his first 180 trips to the plate. That earned him a runner-up finish in NL Rookie of the Year award voting.
That strong showing locked Bohm in as the season-opening third baseman in 2021. The Phils no doubt expected more of the same offensive impact from the right-handed hitter, but he’s struggled mightily in his sophomore campaign. Through 407 plate appearances, Bohm is hitting .245/.302/.342 with seven home runs. After adjusting for Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly home park, that production checks in 24 percentage points worse than the league average.
Bohm’s strikeout rate has jumped from 20% last season to a subpar 26.5% in 2021, while his walk rate has dipped slightly. While that’s a discouraging development, the bigger issue is that Bohm’s results on batted balls have nosedived. Bohm was never likely to sustain last season’s .410 batting average on balls in play, so it’s unsurprising his BABIP has dropped to .323 this year. That’s still higher than the .293 league average — reflective of Bohm’s ability to spray hard contact to all fields — but it reinforces that Bohm needs to do more damage from a power standpoint if he’s to be an impactful offensive player.
To this point, he’s shown surprisingly little extra-base thump. It’s not for a lack of strength; Bohm’s 92.4 MPH average exit velocity and 50.2% hard hit rate both check in among the top ten percent of qualified hitters. He’s been unable to hit the ball in the air with consistency, though, negating much of the value that comes with making authoritative contact. Bohm’s 52.8% ground-ball rate is eighth-highest among 119 hitters with 400+ plate appearances. That’s not a good place for a potential power hitter, and he’s the only player in the top ten in ground-ball rate who’s also striking out at a higher than average clip.
If Bohm isn’t hitting well, he’s not providing much in the way of value. Prospect rankers long raised questions about his defensive ability at third base, and the advanced metrics suggest he’s been a below-average defender this season. Ronald Torreyes is a superior gloveman at the hot corner, while utilityman Brad Miller could factor into the third base mix as well while Bohm’s in the minors.
Down 2021 notwithstanding, the Phillies are likely still counting on Bohm to make an impact in the not-too-distant future. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s brought back to the majors in short order, with active rosters set to expand to 28 on September 1. A brief demotion could serve to get Bohm a mental reset without dealing with the pressure of a pennant race.
Today’s option won’t have any effect on Bohm’s path to free agency, but it could impact when he reaches arbitration. He didn’t debut in the majors until too late in the 2020 season to reach a full year of MLB service last year, so he entered 2021 with 128 days of service time. He has banked enough time to reach his first full year of service this season, so he’ll remain on track for free agency after the 2026 campaign. Bohm could plausibly qualify for arbitration after next season as a Super Two player (assuming the Super Two system even survives the new round of collective bargaining negotiations), but a lengthy optional assignment could keep him from reaching arbitration until the 2023-24 offseason.
Phillies Select Jorge Bonifacio
The Phillies announced they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Jorge Bonifacio. He’s getting the start tonight in center field against the Padres. To open space on the 40-man roster, Philadelphia designated reliever Mauricio Llovera for assignment.
Bonifacio joined the organization on a minor league deal in May. Originally assigned to Double-A Reading, he posted a strong .251/.343/.538 line across 198 plate appearances, earning a bump up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Bonifacio has been even more impressive at the minors’ top level, mashing at a .321/.432/.564 clip in 95 trips to the plate to earn his first big league call this year.
This marks the fifth consecutive year in which Bonifacio picks up some MLB playing time. A fairly well-regarded prospect during his days in the Royals’ system, the right-handed hitter broke into the majors in 2017 and spent that season as Kansas City’s primary right fielder. He hit a fine .255/.320/.432 over 113 games that year, but he was suspended for half the 2018 campaign after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonifacio picked up 270 plate appearances with the Royals down the stretch that season but failed to match his league average output from the year prior. After hitting just .225/.312/.360, he was mostly relegated to Triple-A in 2019. Bonfiacio only tallied 115 combined trips to the dish between Kansas City in 2019 and the Tigers last season.
He’s made it back to the majors and will apparently be an option for Philadelphia at all three spots on the grass. Tonight’s start in center will be just his second as a big leaguer, his first since his 2017 rookie season. Bonifacio has otherwise worked exclusively in the corner outfield.
Llovera was once one of the more promising young pitchers in the Philadelphia organization. At his prospect peak, he drew praise from evaluators for a mid-90’s fastball and pair of solid off-speed pitches. Llovera’s average fastball velocity has bounced back to 94.5 MPH this season after dipping last year, but he’s had a difficult 2021 campaign from a results perspective.
Over six big league appearances, Llovera has been tagged for seven runs in 6 2/3 innings, allowing five homers in the process. He’s spent more time in Lehigh Valley, where he has a 4.60 mark across 29 1/3 frames. The 25-year-old has posted strikeout and walk rates marginally worse than league average (24% and 10.9%, respectively) with the IronPigs.
The Phils will place Llovera on waivers in the coming days. He’s still young and not far removed from being regarded as a potentially useful bullpen arm, so he could attract interest on the wire. Llovera still has one additional minor league option year remaining, so any claiming team could keep him in Triple-A through the end of 2022 if he sticks on the 40-man roster.
Outrighted: Hurst, Paulino, Morimando
A trio of players have been passed through outright waivers:
- Cardinals outfielder Scott Hurst will remain at Triple-A Memphis after he cleared waivers. Hurst made his first five big league plate appearances in April but he’s spent the past few months with Memphis. It’s been a difficult season for the lefty-hitting Hurst, who has just a .186/.289/.270 line over 251 plate appearances with the Redbirds.
- The Phillies have sent right-hander David Paulino to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The former Astro and Blue Jay was selected to Philadelphia’s big league club last week. He got into a major league game for the first time since 2018, allowing two runs in as many innings during a loss to the Reds before being designated for assignment. The 27-year-old Paulino has spent the bulk of the year with the IronPigs, working to a 4.35 ERA over 51 2/3 innings.
- Marlins left-hander Shawn Morimando has been outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the MLB.com transactions tracker. He has the right to elect free agency but has seemingly accepted the assignment, as he’s listed on the Jumbo Shrimp active roster. That’s not especially surprising, as Morimando had twice previously accepted outright assignments after being waived earlier in the year. The 28-year-old southpaw has a 9.58 ERA over 10 1/3 innings with the Fish this season.
Injury Notes: Winker, Lindor, Phillies, Brewers
Jesse Winker‘s return to the Reds lineup was short-lived, as the outfielder left today’s game prior to the bottom of the third inning. Winker went 0-for-2 with two flyouts in his first two plate appearances before re-aggravating the mild intercostal strain that sidelined him for Cincinnati’s previous two games. A previous MRI didn’t reveal any damage, though manager David Bell told reporters (including The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans) that Winker will be re-evaluated prior to tomorrow’s game against the Cubs.
While the Reds are in the thick of the wild card race, the team will surely be careful with one of their top bats to prevent a longer-term injury. Winker has hit .307/.395/.560 with 24 home runs over 481 plate appearances this season, and he entered today’s action as the NL leader in doubles (32) and total bases (235). The Reds are in the midst of a grueling stretch of 29 games over 30 days, so there isn’t any built-in time for Winker to really get a break, and a trip to the injured list might be necessary to fully correct the issue.
More on other injury situations from around baseball…
- Francisco Lindor participated in just about a full range of baseball activities prior to today’s game against the Dodgers, and Mets manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bill Ladson) that Lindor could potentially be activated off the injured list when New York begins its next homestand on August 24. Lindor will travel with the Mets on their road trip and continue to work out, so the club will monitor his progress and then determine whether a minor league rehab assignment is necessary, or if Lindor could return to the active roster without the benefit of any minor league tuneup games. A Grade 2 oblique strain sent Lindor to the IL on July 17, so even a return by that Mets homestand would be a pretty decent turn-around time for the shortstop, given how more severe oblique problems can sometimes linger.
- Zach Eflin (right knee tendinitis) threw a live batting practice session today, while Vince Velasquez (right middle finger blister) and Sam Coonrod (forearm tendinitis) threw live BP sessions yesterday. The Phillies pitchers are at different stages in their recoveries, and Velasquez and Coonrod will each begin minor league rehab assignments on Tuesday. Eflin’s next step could be another simulated session before he starts his own rehab assignment, though the right-hander told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters that he “felt great” during today’s 28-pitch session.
- The Brewers are almost all the way out of a COVID-19 outbreak on their roster, and two of the remaining sidelined players (Adrian Houser and Jandel Gustave) are nearing returns. As Brewers manager Craig Counsell told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters, Gustave is working out with the team and Houser is expected to join the club when the Brew Crew begin a series with the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Injury Notes: Hoskins, Galvis, Boyd, LeBlanc, Kim
Rhys Hoskins isn’t expected to come off the injured list when first eligible, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The minimum 10-day stint will have elapsed by Tuesday, but Hoskins still hasn’t tested his injured groin by running. The first baseman just received a cortisone injection to try and aid his recovery and is still aiming to be activated at some point this week. Every game is crucial for the Phillies as they are in the thick of a three-team race for the AL East crown. They are currently tied with Atlanta for the top spot, with the Mets just 1 1/2 games behind. Hoskins is having another fine season at the plate, slashing .244/.332/.509, which is 23% better than league average by wRC+.
Salisbury also notes that Freddy Galvis has started taking batting practice and is progressing towards a rehab stint. The infielder was on the injured list with a quad strain when the Orioles traded him to the Phillies before the deadline. Before getting hurt, he was slashing .249/.306/.414. That amounts to a wRC+ of 97, which is below league average but a career high for Galvis. Despite never being a huge offensive threat, he’s long been a valuable contributor because of his excellent glovework.
Other notes from around the league…
- Matthew Boyd is rehabbing and hoping to return before the end of August, reports Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The lefty was placed on the IL in mid-June with a triceps issue but now potentially a few weeks away from returning. Boyd has a year of team control remaining before reaching free agency and figures to be an important part of the Tigers’ 2022 rotation as they look to move from rebuilding to contending. If he stays on track with his rehab, he could get more than a month’s worth of work in before the offseason. Prior to the injury, Boyd had an ERA of 3.44 on the year through 70 2/3 innings.
- Neither Wade LeBlanc nor Kwang Hyun Kim are expected to come off the IL as soon as they are eligible, according to Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, per Jeff Jones of MLB.com. Kim, who has a 3.36 ERA in 91 innings this season, has been out since August 9th with elbow inflammation. LeBlanc, who also is dealing with an elbow issue, has an ERA of 3.61 in 42 1/3 innings for St. Louis this year. However, the rotation just welcomed Jack Flaherty back into the fold and could soon see a return of Miles Mikolas, who is currently on a rehab assignment. The club is currently 4 1/2 games behind a slumping Padres club for the final NL playoff spot, but with three teams in between them.
Phillies Designate David Paulino For Assignment, Activate Bailey Falter
The Phillies have designated David Paulino for assignment, according to the club. The roster spot was needed for Bailey Falter, who has been reinstated from the COVID-IL.
This is a very quick turnaround for Paulino, who was selected to the Philadelphia roster just two days ago. The 27-year-old righty pitched two innings against the Reds yesterday, his first MLB action since 2018, surrendering two runs on three hits. His Triple-A numbers on the year are solid, if unspectacular. He has an ERA of 4.35 over 51 2/3 innings, with a quality strikeout rate of 25.2% but an unfortunate walk rate of 10.4%.
As for Falter, the 24-year-old lefty has been on the COVID-IL since mid-July. Before that, he had been bouncing between the minors and the majors. In 30 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season, he has an excellent 1.76 ERA with a strikeout rate of 36.7% and walk rate of 6.7%. In 18 innings at the MLB level, he has a 4.50 ERA, but with a strikeout rate of 29.6% and walk rate of 1.4%, both of which are much better than average.
Phillies Select David Paulino
The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve selected righty David Paulino‘s contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Infielder Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A to open a spot on the active roster, and right-hander Sam Coonrod is moving from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Paulino, 27, was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, ranking prominently on top 100 lists at Baseball America, MLB.com, FanGraphs and other outlets from 2016-17. He made his big league debut with the Astros as a 22-year-old in 2016 but struggled on multiple occasions before being hit with an 80-game PED ban back in July 2017. He’s since undergone surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.
Paulino inked a minor league deal with the Phillies back in February and has had a solid season in an extremely hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. Through 25 appearances, including three starts, he’s worked to a 4.35 ERA with a 25.2 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 percent walk rate. The Yankees’ Triple-A club tagged him for five runs in late June, but he’s since gone on to pitch at a 3.68 ERA clip with a 23-to-10 K/BB ratio in 22 innings.
Coonrod has been out since June 25 due to tendinitis in his forearm. He briefly went out on a minor league rehab assignment in mid-July, but that stint was put on hold after just two innings due to renewed discomfort. Coonrod would technically be eligible to return in late August, but he’d need to build up and work through another rehab assignment if he does ultimately make it back to the mound this year.
Phillies Place Rhys Hoskins On Injured List
The Phillies announced they’ve placed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 7, with a left groin strain. Outfielder Mickey Moniak has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his active roster spot.
Hoskins hasn’t played since Friday as he’s battled groin discomfort. There’s no indication the Phils expect he’ll require a particularly lengthy IL stay, but he’s clearly not progressed as quickly as had been hoped. He’ll miss at least another week, as he’s first eligible to return next Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.
The Phils have been surging of late, completing sweeps over the Nationals and Mets as part of an active eight-game win streak. That run has pushed them to the top of the National League East, but the Braves and Mets each remain within 2.5 games. It figures to be a tightly contested race between the three clubs, and the Phils will have to navigate a pair of difficult upcoming series — against the Dodgers and Reds — without their starting first baseman.
Hoskins is having another strong season at the dish. The right-handed slugger has been an above-average offensive player in every year of his career. He’s continued the trend with a .240/.332/.509 line (123 wRC+) with 24 home runs over 434 plate appearances in 2021. That’s not too dissimilar from the .239/.366/.495 career mark he carried into the year.
Phillies Acquire T.J. Rivera
The Phillies have acquired infielder T.J. Rivera in a minor league trade with the Pirates. Because Rivera was playing on a minor league deal and hadn’t seen any MLB action this year, he was allowed to be dealt after the July 30 trade deadline.
The trade represents Rivera’s second stint in the Phils organization, as he signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia during the 2019-20 offseason but was released prior to the opening of the club’s 2020 summer camp. Rivera caught on with the independent Long Island Ducks back in May, but was quickly inked to a minors contract by the Pirates and he has since hit .249/.295/.389 over 212 PA for Triple-A Indianapolis.
Rivera’s big league resume consists over 106 games and 344 PA with the Mets in 2016-17, with the Bronx native delivering a very respectable .304/.335/.445 slash line in that rather brief amount of playing time. Rivera underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2017, however, and continued to face elbow problems before the Mets eventually released him in 2019.