Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Phillies Rumors

Phillies Recall Bailey Falter

By | at

The Phillies have recalled southpaw Bailey Falter from Triple-A, per the team. In a corresponding move, JoJo Romero was optioned to Triple-A.

This is a small roster move for the Phillies that nevertheless represents a larger problem for the roster: starting rotation depth. For most of this season, the Phillies five-man rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson, Zach Eflin, and Ranger Suarez has been healthy and effective. Phillies’ starters rank first in the Majors by the measure of fWAR. But at the end of June, both Suarez and Eflin landed on the injured list. Suarez is now back, but as for Eflin, questions remain.

The Phillies have no timetable for when Eflin might return to the active roster, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. Eflin’s dealing with a knee that’s twice been surgically repaired in the last six years. Eflin’s timetable could swing the Phillies decision-making strategy regarding the upcoming trade deadline, notes Gelb. If he’s not looking any better in the next week so, Philadelphia could feel encouraged to make a move for a starting pitcher.

The NL East has become a bit of a two-team conversation between the Mets and Braves, but the Phillies still have time to elbow their way into the race. If nothing else, they’re firmly in contention for a wild card spot. This team has been pushing hard for years to make the postseason, and there’s no reason to think they’re going to take their foot off the gas now. If indeed they are intent on making a postseason run, then acquiring some rotation insurance should be pretty high up on their list of trade deadline targets.

For now, Falter will step into the rotation. The 25-year-old lefty has made nine appearances for the Phillies this season, five of them starts, with a 4.82 ERA/5.37 FIP across 28 innings. He’s been stellar through seven starts in Triple-A, posting a 1.56 ERA/2.46 FIP over 34 2/3 innings.

Injury Notes: Montas, Brantley, Eflin, Springs, Beeks, May

By | at

With the trade deadline approaching, Frankie Montas’ health status is of particular interest to both the Athletics and several other teams around baseball.  The right-hander tossed just one inning on July 3 and hasn’t pitched since, due to shoulder inflammation.  The A’s resisted placing Montas on the 15-day injured list, and it seems as though he could return as early as Thursday, when Oakland opens the second half with a doubleheader against the Tigers.

Montas received a cortisone shot as part of his recovery, and things went “really well” during a bullpen session yesterday, A’s manager Mark Kotsay told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters.  The club will continue to observe Montas over the All-Star break, but for now, it would seem like Montas is on pace to get back onto the mound.  Assuming regular rest, Montas would be on pace to make at least two starts prior to the August 2 deadline, though it’s also possible the Athletics could rest him if a trade is close.

More injury notes from around baseball…

  • Right shoulder discomfort sent Michael Brantley to the 10-day IL back on June 27, but the Astros outfielder still “didn’t feel right” while trying to swing last Thursday, manager Dusty Baker said.  “Right now, he’s in the same spot, no worse….That was the shoulder he got operated on years ago.  He’s still a little sore,” Baker told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  Brantley had shoulder surgeries in both 2015 and 2016, which limited him to only 11 games in 2016 and also delayed his return in 2017.  There isn’t yet any sense that this current injury is anywhere near as serious, however, though speculatively, Houston could perhaps look out for outfield help at the deadline should they have any longer-term concerns over Brantley’s health.
  • Zach Eflin threw a simulated game yesterday, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer) that Eflin came out of the session feeling a little sore, and team doctors will examine him tomorrow.  Eflin was placed on the 15-day IL on June 26 due to a right knee bruise, and Eflin is another player with a lengthy surgical history, as the righty underwent knee procedures in both 2016 and 2021.
  • Rays manager Kevin Cash updated reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) about a pair of pitching injuries, noting that Jeffrey Springs is expected to be activated during the Rays’ first series after the All-Star break.  Springs’ placement on the 15-day IL (for tightness in his lower right leg) was retroactive to July 7, so the southpaw looks like he’ll miss just the minimum amount of time.  Cash also thinks Jalen Beeks will miss only 15 days, after Beeks went to the IL just today with a similar leg injury.
  • Dustin May threw two innings of Arizona Complex League action yesterday, marking the first in-game action in his recovery from Tommy John surgery in May 2021.  May’s minor league rehab assignment is expected to last at least a month, the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett writes, but he could be an option for the Dodgers down the stretch.  As president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently told Plunkett and other reporters, “our plan is to build [May] up, have him start for us and then evaluate as we go,” possibly adjusting usage based on the Dodgers’ needs (in the regular season or the playoffs) and May’s health.

Phillies Activate Ranger Suarez, Johan Camargo From Injured List

By | at

The Phillies made a pair of corresponding roster moves today, per the club. Johan Camargo and Ranger Suarez were activated from the 15-day injured list, while a pair of former number one overall draft picks in Mickey Moniak and Mark Appel were optioned back to Triple-A. Suarez has been an important piece of the Phillies rotation this year.

Through 15 starts, the southpaw has a 4.33 ERA/4.26 FIP in 79 innings, not all that far off from the 109 frames that he totaled last season, which was a career-high. Suarez steps back into the rotation that includes righties Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Kyle Gibson.

Appel gave the game one of the feel-good stories of the year when he made his Major League debut. Appel, who turned 31 yesterday, was twice a first-round pick, taken eighth overall by the Pirates and then first overall by the Astros in the following draft. It took until June 29th of this season for the big righty to get his first shot in the show, however.

Appel has now taken the hill four times for the Phillies, including a pair of multi-inning outings this month. In total, Appel registered seven innings of work, allowing just a single earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out three. For now, he’ll return to Triple-A, where he owns a 1.61 ERA over 19 relief outings totaling 28 innings with a 24-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Moniak, the first overall selection of the 2016 draft, has had limited opportunities with the Phillies over the past couple of seasons. This year, he has amassed 50 plate appearances over 18 games of action, slashing .130/.184/.152 in that time.

Camargo returns to take back his roster spot as a key reserve for the Phils. Capable of playing the infield or the outfield, Camargo’s value largely comes from his versatility. He has struggled with the bat, however, posting a 74 wRC+ on the year, which is his highest such mark since his 2018 breakout with the Braves.

Big Hype Prospects: Meyer, Pratto, Ruiz, Greene, Cowser

By | at

This week in Big Hype Prospects, we’ll check in with a few recent and upcoming promotees along with a smattering of others.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Max Meyer, 23, SP, Marlins
AAA: 58 IP, 10.09 K/9, 2.95 BB/9, 3.72 ERA

Meyer is poised for his first taste of the Majors on Saturday, just ahead of the All-Star Break. As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco explored at the time his promotion was announced, the northpaw has made short work of minor league opponents at all stops. His ascent has not been without caveat. Some commentators worry about his ability to hold down a rotation role in the Majors for three reasons. The first is easiest to dismiss as unnecessary fretting. At 6’0’’, Meyer is slightly undersized which can presage an inability to tolerate 180-inning workloads. That said, there are plenty of “short” pitchers in baseball history, most notably Pedro Martinez.

The second and third issues are a bit more worrisome. They tie together, too. Meyer’s fastball command isn’t as sharp as his walk rates suggest. He’s gotten away with using it in the zone in the minors, but he could run into some trouble in the Majors. He relies almost exclusively on his fastball and an elite slider, a combination which often portends a future in the bullpen. That said, lower caliber pitchers like Brad Keller and Brady Singer have managed mid-rotation quality results with the same repertoire. We’ve also seen a few others like Spencer Strider thrive this season while using a different two-pitch repertoire.

Nick Pratto, 23, 1B, Royals
AAA: 337 PA, 17 HR, 8 SB, .240/.373/.484

Like many of his power-hitting Major League colleagues, Pratto got off to a slow start this season before eventually finding his stride. The Royals have promoted him for a series in Toronto in which they’ve infamously left 10 players south of the Canadian border. As such, his debut might be short-lived.

Pratto is a classic patient, left-handed slugger in the mold of Kyle Schwarber. Like the upcoming Home Run Derby participant, Pratto runs a mid-teens walk rate while striking out in around 30 percent of plate appearances. He makes up for so little contact by punishing those with which he does connect. Nearly half of his batted balls are flies and over 20 percent of those leave the yard. Per a home run calculator I’ve developed, Pratto projects for 33 home runs per 600 plate appearances. While he’s shown a willingness to run, he has below average speed. Like Schwarber, Pratto will probably be a volatile performer whose carrying trait is slugging.

Esteury Ruiz, 23, OF, Padres
AA: 232 PA, 9 HR, 37 SB, .344/.474/.611
AAA: 142 PA, 4 HR, 23 SB, .315/.457/.477

Ruiz draws his hype from our friends in the fantasy baseball realm where his combination of power and speed could make him one of the most celebrated players in the game. From a real-world perspective, there are a lot of things that could go wrong. Starting on defense, he only has about a year of experience as an outfielder. His routes can be inconsistent or even circuitous. Fortunately, he has enough speed to recover while he learns the position. Speed doesn’t guarantee eventual mastery as an outfield defender. Roman Quinn is similarly fleet and still takes baffling routes to the ball at times.

Scouts also worry about his hit tool. Prior to this season, Ruiz had consistently below-average plate discipline. He struggled with swinging strikes, strikeouts, and consistency of contact. Notably, he’s produced 13.9 percent walk and 17.4 percent strikeout rates this season across two levels. His swinging-strike rate has also improved. Perhaps a more selective approach has yielded better contact results (I’m still awaiting comment from my sources). Regardless, speed is his carrying trait. Nabbing 60 bases (69 attempts) in 374 plate appearances is seriously impressive work.
I’m reminded of Michael A. Taylor, an outfielder who, at his peak, occasionally hit for power, often stole bases, but never quite made enough contact to stick as a regular. He’s carved out a nice career based on gold glove caliber center field defense. As noted above, Ruiz will need to improve considerably to match Taylor on defense. The raw tools are there.

Riley Greene, 21, OF, Tigers
MLB: 109 PA, 1 HR, 1 SB, .255/.358/.340

Greene’s prospect eligibility will soon expire. His first taste of the Majors has yielded mixed results. On the one hand, he’s effectively working counts. His 21.1 percent strikeout and 7.9 percent swinging-strike rates exceed even the wildest hopes for his early-career performance. The swinging-strike rate, in particular, is a marked divergence from expectations.

On the other hand, Greene is supposed to be a power hitter. With just one home run, three doubles, and a triple to his name, he’s been one of the most punchless batters since his debut in mid-June. Only 19 players have a lower ISO over that span – mostly names like Geraldo Perdomo, Myles Straw, and Steven Kwan.

Better times likely await ahead. Greene is making consistent hard and barreled contact. It’s also encouraging to see him make adjustments. He’ll need to continue to do so to correct for the biggest flaw in his profile – an over-50 percent ground ball rate. While he’s currently using a shift-proof all-fields approach, he’s the kind of hitter who could benefit from a more pull-centric profile.

Colton Cowser, 22, OF, Orioles
High-A: 278 PA, 4 HR, 16 SB, .258/.385/.410
AA: 53 PA, 3 HR, 1 SB, .308/.491/.615

In a crowded Orioles system, a lot of attention is paid to Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, and DL Hall. However, Cowser is also a Top 50-caliber prospect who is quickly working his way towards a big league debut in early 2023. With a patient approach, good rate of contact, and a swing geared for high BABIPs, Cowser profiles as a top-of-the-lineup force. He produces premium line-drive rates while using an all-fields approach. A left-handed hitter, he won’t be as penalized by the new dimensions at Camden Yards as his right-handed hitting teammates. Yet, since he hits to all fields, he’ll still use the spacious left field pasture to splash doubles.

If Cowser has a shortcoming, it’s that he doesn’t consistently get to in-game power. As mentioned, his swing skews to low-angle contact. He produces plenty of well-hit balls, but his game is mostly geared around reaching base. In today’s MLB, you never know when a player will make an adjustment that unlocks another gear, but it’s not strictly necessary in Cowser’s case. The Orioles have plenty of mid-lineup bats penciled into their future lineups. However, they could use a leadoff hitter who works counts and jumps on mistakes in the zone.

Five More

Michael Massey, Royals (24 years old): Another temporary beneficiary of the Royals’ roster triage, Massey isn’t technically a hyped prospect. However, my best scouting resource has been talking him up for a full year as a future regular. While it isn’t the most exciting profile, he skews to line drive and “fliner” contact which helps him to run high BABIPs while also regularly hitting for extra bases. The elevated BABIP will be necessary if he’s to be an above average hitter – his plate discipline and contact skills are slightly below average. Defensively, he profiles as a utilityman who fits best at second base.

Eury Perez, Marlins (19): With Shane Baz returning to the injured list due to an ominous elbow sprain, Perez is the last truly elite pitching prospect (Baz, Daniel Espino, and Grayson Rodriguez) left standing. The Marlins are carefully managing his workload – both by holding him to around 20 batters faced per appearance while using him every seven or eight days. He’s carved through Double-A competition and could probably more than hold his own in the Majors. He’s only 19 years and three months old, so Miami is taking the long view with his development.

Jordan Walker, Cardinals (20): Walker has yet to appear in this column for two simple reasons. His performance hasn’t merited effusive praise or words of caution. As one of the youngest players in Double-A, he’s batting .302/.392/.476 with seven home runs and 15 steals while demonstrating good strike zone judgment and a batted ball approach based around liners and ground balls. His light-tower power is handicapped by hitting too many grounders. It’s not a death blow to his presumed future as a top slugger. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are among the notable power hitters who skew to low-angle contact.

Mick Abel, Phillies (20): With the usual caveats about injury, Abel will be one of the most-hyped pitching prospects this time next year. He’s performed well though not exceptionally at High-A this season, producing a 4.23 ERA with 10.50 K/9 and 3.95 BB/9. Recently, he’s struggled with both home runs and walks. The Phillies have allowed him to pitch surprisingly deep into his starts. He often faces 24 or more batters, which is more than the average big leaguer. This workload has been mitigated with extra rest between starts.

Brayan Rocchio, Guardians (21): Since a four-hit, two-homer game at the end of June, Rocchio is batting .452/.500/.833 over his last 46 plate appearances. In his second stint at Double-A, he’s noticeably improved upon his walk and strikeout rates. He’s beginning to track as a shortstop whose defensive and offensive prowess will remind Guardians fans of Francisco Lindor. Including last season, he now has 506 plate appearances at Double-A. A promotion to Triple-A is almost certainly imminent.

Phillies Reinstate Connor Brogdon, JoJo Romero; Will Toffey Outrighted

By | at

The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve reinstated righty Connor Brogdon from the Covid-related injured list and lefty JoJo Romero from the 60-day injured list. That necessitated a pair of 40-man moves. Infielder Will Toffey outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers, while righty Hans Crouse was recalled from Lehigh Valley and immediately placed on the Major League 60-day injured list. Lefty Cristopher Sanchez was optioned to Lehigh Valley to create additional space on the active roster.

Brogdon, 27, has been on the Covid list since late June but been one of the team’s better relievers when on the field. Through 17 2/3 innings this season, he’s notched a tidy 2.04 ERA with a sizable 28.8% strikeout rate against a much better-than-average 6.8% walk rate. Since making his debut with the Phils back in 2020, he’s totaled 86 1/3 frames with a 3.22 ERA, an average fastball of 95.9 mph and above-average strikeout and walk rates.

Romero, meanwhile, has yet to pitch in the Majors this season due to an elbow injury. The 25-year-old hasn’t had much MLB success to this point (7.32 ERA in 2020-21), but he only has 19 2/3 innings under his belt in the big leagues. Like Brogdon, Romero averages better than 95 mph with his heater. He just wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment that saw him post a 1.54 ERA and 15-to-2 K/BB ratio through 11 2/3 innings across four minor league levels, topping out with 3 2/3 scoreless frames in Triple-A.

Losing his spot on the 40-man roster is the 27-year-old Toffey, who didn’t appear in a game before being passed through waivers and sent back down. The journeyman infielder would’ve been making his MLB debut had he gotten into a game. A 2017 fourth-round pick by the A’s, Toffey is already in his fourth organization and has batted .266/.385/.438 in 192 plate appearances while playing primarily third base so far in Triple-A this season.

As for Crouse, he’s been on the minor league injured list since April due to tendinitis in his right biceps. Today’s move is quite beneficial for him, as he’ll now continue rehabbing that injury while being paid at the prorated Major League minimum and acquire Major League service time along the way. As Matt Gelb of The Athletic rightly points out, the Phillies have also done this with lefty Damon Jones and right-hander James McArthur. Most clubs shy away from going this route, but the Phils have opted to give service time and big league pay to a trio of pitchers rather than subtract elsewhere on the roster as the need for space arises.

Outrights: Leon, Vieaux, Kelly

By | at

We’ll kick Friday morning off with a trio of outright assignments…

  • Veteran catcher Sandy Leon cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Guardians and has been sent outright to Triple-A Columbus, per the league’s transactions page. The team did not formally announce the move, and Leon had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. However, he was back in the lineup with Columbus last night, so he’s clearly accepted the assignment and will remain in Triple-A for the time being (without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster). The 33-year-old switch-hitter batted .133/.381/.133 in a tiny sample of 21 plate appearances with Cleveland in his second big league stint with the organization in the past three years. He’ll remain on hand as a veteran depth option with a strong reputation for defense and receiving but just a .211/.279/.317 batting line in parts of 11 MLB seasons.
  • The Pirates announced that left-hander Cam Vieaux went unclaimed on waivers. He’s been sent outright to Triple-A Indianapolis and will remain in the organization without requiring a spot on the 40-man roster. Vieaux’s stint with the major league club was fairly brief. Selected to the majors in mid-June, the 28-year-old made five appearances over the next couple weeks. Vieaux began his big league career with three scoreless outings, but he retired only one of three batters faced on June 29. Two days later, he was called upon for mop-up work against the Brewers. Milwaukee sent 13 batters to the plate in one inning against him, plating eight runs on six hits and three walks before he made it out of the inning after a staggering 56 pitches. Pittsburgh optioned Vieaux a few days later and, after two more minor league appearances, designated him for assignment. Now that he’s cleared waivers, he’ll head back to Indianapolis in hopes of building on his 2.12 ERA through 29 2/3 innings and, more importantly, earning his way back to the big leagues.
  • Right-hander Michael Kelly cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, per an announcement from the Phillies. The 29-year-old made his big league debut with the Phils in mid-June and has pitched four innings of one-run ball across a pair of stints with the team. However, he’s also been hit hard in Triple-A, where he’s toting a 7.33 ERA through 23 1/3 innings on the season. To his credit, Kelly has punched out 30.8% of his Triple-A opponents this season, and that bloated ERA is at least partially due to a sky-high .439 average on balls in play against him. That said, the former No. 48 overall pick (Padres, 2011) has also walked far too many hitters (11.2%) — a trait that has plagued him throughout parts of five seasons in Triple-A, where he has an 11.7% walk rate through 170 2/3 innings.

Phillies Return Nick Duron, Bubby Rossman To Minors

By | at

The Phillies announced tonight they’ve returned relievers Nick Duron and Bubby Rossman to the minor leagues. Duron heads to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, while Rossman goes back to Double-A Reading. Both players had their contracts selected as designated COVID-19 substitutes for the Phils’ set in Toronto, so neither will occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Philadelphia also returned catcher Rafael Marchán and optioned infielder Will Toffey to Triple-A. Those players will remain on the 40-man — Marchán because he’d been added to the roster well before his latest callup, Toffey because he wasn’t designated as a substitute player upon being selected to the big leagues today.

Duron and Rossman each soaked up a mop-up inning during tonight’s 8-2 loss to the Jays. The former worked around a pair of hits to record a scoreless frame. Rossman served up a two-run homer to Teoscar Hernández. It was a purposefully brief promotion for both as the Phils navigated the loss of four players for the series because of travel restrictions. Both righties got the opportunity to make their major league debuts, and they’ll head back to the minors hoping to earn a more lasting look at some point down the line.

The moves clear roster space for the reinstatement of the four players on the restricted list. Each of Kyle Gibson, Aaron Nola, Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto will be permitted to rejoin the club for their weekend series in Miami.

Phillies Select Will Toffey

By | at

The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Will Toffey. Additionally, right-hander Bubby Rossman has been selected to the roster as a “substitute player”.

Toffey, 27, was a fourth round draft pick of the A’s in 2017. He went to the Mets at the deadline in 2018 as part of the trade that sent Jeurys Familia to Oakland. He was part of a second deal last year, going to the Giants as the return for the Mets acquiring Anthony Banda. In March of this year, he was traded yet again, going to the Phillies along with cash considerations in exchange for Luke Williams.

One year ago, FanGraphs listed him as the 28th prospect in the Mets’ system, complementing his hitting ability but noting his lack of power. They also state that he’s a solid defender with a strong arm. While he’s primarily been a third baseman in his career thus far, he’s branched out and has also seen some time at first base, second base and the outfield corners.

In 58 Triple-A games this year, he’s struck out in 30.2% of his plate appearances but also walked 14% of the time. He has three homers, nine steals and a slash line of .266/.385/.438, wRC+ of 125. As a left-handed hitter, he has the potential to platoon with some Philly infielders that hit from the right side, such as Alec Bohm, who has a subpar batting line of .273/.307/.385 this year for a 91 wRC+. Bohm has pretty drastic splits, with a 124 wRC+ against lefties for his career and 80 against righties. This year, the split is even wider, at 138 and 72. Toffey is naturally better against righties, with a .273/.404/.460 line against them this year, compared to .245/.333/.377 marks against southpaws.

Rossman, 30, was drafted by the Dodgers in 2014 but released in 2016. He bounced around to various Indy Ball teams for a few years before signing a minor league deal with the Phillies in November of last year. He’s been pitching in Double-A this season, throwing 40 2/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate, 12.1% walk rate and 43.3% ground ball rate. The Phillies have four players on the restricted list at the moment, unable to cross the border into Canada to play the Blue Jays due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19. Since Rossman has been designated a “substitute,” he will be eligible to be returned to the minors without being exposed to waivers.

Phillies Announce Several Roster Moves

By | at

The Phillies have announced several roster moves ahead of tonight’s series opener in Toronto. Since unvaccinated players aren’t eligible to cross the Canada-U.S. border, each new home series for the Blue Jays leads to a handful of players on the opposing team landing on the restricted list instead of making the trip. In the case of the Phils, they have four players not with the team up north. Catcher J.T. Realmuto, infielder Alec Bohm, right-handers Kyle Gibson and Aaron Nola have all been placed on the restricted list. To fill two of those roster spots, catcher Rafael Marchan has been recalled, while right-hander Nick Duron has had his contract selected. Both Marchan and Duron were identified as “substitute players,” meaning they can be returned to the minors without being exposed to waivers.

Duron, 26, will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. Originally a 31st round pick of Boston in 2015, he spent a few years in the system of the Red Sox and then the Mariners. The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason and sent him to Triple-A.

Through 28 innings with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Duron has a 2.57 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 42.6% ground ball rate. However, he also has a concerning 12.3% walk rate, something that has been a theme for his in recent years. The last time he posted a walk rate lower than 10.6% was back in 2018. Still, the strikeouts are helping limit the damage enough to earn a big league look. It’s likely to be just temporary, however, with Duron likely to be removed from the roster once the Phillies get back from Toronto.

Mets Claim Sam Clay Off Waivers, Designate Jake Reed

By | at

The Phillies have announced that left-hander Sam Clay, whom they designated for assignment on Friday, has been claimed off waivers by the Mets. In order to open a spot on their 40-man roster for Clay, the Mets have designated right-hander Jake Reed for assignment. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those who relayed the news on Reed.

It’s been a busy month of July for Clay, who now joins his third organization this month, just ten days in. He started the season with the Nationals, who designated him for assignment on July 1. He was then claimed by the Phillies and designated for assignment yet again three days later, before now landing with the Mets.

Clay was originally a Twins draftee but reached minor league free agency without ever being selected to their 40-man roster. The Nationals decided he was worth a roster spot and signed him to an MLB deal before the 2021 season. Unfortunately, their optimism didn’t translate into results, as Clay put up a 6.02 ERA in 49 1/3 big league innings between last year and this year before being shuffled off the roster.

The Nats aren’t the only teams able to see the potential, however, as evidenced by the Phillies and Mets putting in claims on him over the past few days. Even in that mediocre MLB showing, Clay got ground balls at an excellent 61.8% rate, with the league average usually coming in around 43%. He hasn’t racked up many strikeouts at the big league level so far, with just a 15.6% rate. In the minors, however, he’s often been above 20% and occasionally above 30%. The potential for a lefty reliever who both gets grounders and strikeouts is understandably tantalizing, especially considering most clubs are always a bit short-handed when it comes to southpaw relievers.

The Mets certainly fall into that category, having used only three lefties all season. David Peterson is in the rotation and Chasen Shreve has been released, leaving Joely Rodriguez as the only southpaw in the bullpen. That makes Clay a fairly sensible addition for the club, as they hope he can find better results in Queens than he did in D.C.

Reed, 29, was claimed off waivers from the Rays in August of last year. The Rays had claimed him off waivers from the Dodgers just about a week before that. Between the Dodgers and Mets, he has just 16 1/3 innings of MLB experience with a 6.61 ERA. He’s thrown 13 innings in the minors this season with a 4.85 ERA, 25% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. The Mets will have one week to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him.

Show all

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top