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Andrew Chafin

Quick Hits: Phillies, Mets, Stroman, Padres, Cruz

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The Phillies are interested in Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin of the Cubs, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Phillies’ scouts are present at Wrigley Field today. While it may seem counterintuitive, having so many potential trade targets on one team can muddy the trade waters, so we’ll see if the Phillies and Cubs can narrow their focus to get a deal done here in the coming week. Elsewhere…

  • The Mets and Marcus Stroman have not had any discussions about a possible contract extension, per Mike Ruiz of Newsday. Stroman has played a massive role in the Mets’ ascent to the top of the NL East this season, tossing 111 1/3 innings with a 2.59 ERA/3.50 FIP. He has ranked among the top-30 starters in the game by fWAR, innings pitched, ERA, FIP, groundball rate, and walk rate. He’s heading towards free agency without a qualifying offer attached entering his age-31 season.
  • Before the Rays pulled the trigger on the deal for Nelson Cruz, the Padres made a significant push to acquire the slugger, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Cruz has a history of taking grounders at first and second base, and though it’s certainly hard to imagine a successful plan to convert the 41-year-old DH into an infielder, the Padres were willing to give it a shot in order to have his bat on the bench. What’s more, they weren’t the only National League team in pursuit, per Rosenthal.

Cubs, Andrew Chafin Agree To Major League Deal

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9:49pm: Chafin will earn $2.25MM in 2021, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who adds that the deal includes a $5.25MM mutual option or a $500K buyout for 2022. Chafin could also make up to $500K in incentives based on games pitched in each of the two seasons, bringing his total guarantee to $2.75MM.

9:31pm: The Cubs have agreed to a major league contract with left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. Chafin is a client of Meister Sports Management.

Chafin ended last year with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Diamondbacks for young infielder Ronny Simon at the Aug. 31 deadline. A left finger sprain limited Chafin in Chicago late in the season, though, as he didn’t make his debut with the team until Sept. 20. The 30-year-old ultimately gave the Cubs three innings of one-run ball, though his finger issues held him to just 9 2/3 frames between the two clubs.

Since he debuted with the Diamondbacks in 2014, Chafin has notched a 3.67 ERA/3.60 SIERA with roughly average strikeout and walk percentages (25.0 and 10.1) and a solid groundball rate of 52.3 percent in 274 2/3 innings. He could enter this season as the most proven southpaw in a Cubs bullpen that’s largely devoid of established options in that respect.

Diamondbacks Acquire Ronny Simon From Cubs

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The Diamondbacks and Cubs have completed the pre-trade deadline deal that sent left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin to Chicago for a player to be named later. The D-backs have acquired infielder Ronny Simon for Chafin, Arizona announced.

Still just 20 years old, the switch-hitting Simon tore the cover off the ball at the rookie level in 2019. Simon amassed 196 plate appearances then and batted .333/.411/.571 (164 wRC+) with three home runs, 14 stolen bases and almost as many walks (21) as strikeouts (25) over 196 plate appearances. Based on what he has done in the minors, Simon seems like a nice get for Arizona.

Chafin was a productive reliever for the Diamondbacks for several years, but with the team out of contention and with him nearing free agency, it made sense to part ways. The 30-year-old gave the Cubs 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball (including playoffs) but is now on the free-agent market.

Cubs Notes: Wick, Chafin, Quintana, Lester

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The Cubs bullpen has quietly gotten on track after a very rough start to the season, but the relief corps took a hit with yesterday’s news that Rowan Wick suffered a left oblique strain.  Wick “got some testing done and it’s pretty bad,” manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters, and it could mean that Wick might be out of action for the postseason.  Wick has a 3.12 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 3.33 K/BB over 17 1/3 innings this season, with just one home run allowed.  He also has four saves this season, though none over the last month as Jeremy Jeffress has recently emerged as Chicago’s top closer option.

The most obvious replacement is Andrew Chafin, who was just activated from his own stint on the injured list.  A left finger sprain has kept Chafin out of action since August 17, meaning that Chafin has yet to pitch since the Cubs acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline.  Chafin has an 8.10 ERA this season, though over the small sample size of 6 2/3 innings, and a lot of that damage stems from a July 29th outing that saw Chafin allow three runs to the Rangers without retiring a batter.  If Chafin returns to his solid form from the 2015-19 seasons, he could be an important weapon for a Cubs team that has designs on a deep October run.

More from Wrigleyville…

  • Speaking of the bullpen, Ross said that the Cubs will use Jose Quintana in short stints when he returns from the 10-day injured list.  Quintana is expected to return during the Cubs’ upcoming four-game series with the Pirates (beginning on Monday), and the team’s plan is to gradually build up Quintana’s pitch count.  But, “if not, if we don’t have that opportunity….then he’ll just stay a bullpen piece and we’ll use him that way,” Ross said.  Between Quintana’s recovery from thumb surgery and this current IL stint due to a left lat injury, the southpaw has only made two appearances all season, both as a reliever — these games marked his first work as a relief pitcher since his 2012 rookie season.  Assuming no setbacks and a spot on the postseason roster, Quintana could be an intriguing x-factor in the playoffs, theoretically capable of working as a traditional reliever, a multi-inning swingman, a bulk pitcher following an opener, or as an opener himself for the first two or three innings of a bullpen game.
  • The Cubs surely won’t exercise their $25MM club option on Jon Lester for the 2021 season, as the veteran left-hander will instead be bought out at the lower sum of $10MM.  That said, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago opines that a reunion between Lester and the Cubs on a lower-cost deal shouldn’t be ruled out, with Lester offering familiarity and veteran leadership to a team that will still need pitching depth.  Lester has a 4.91 ERA, 2.92 K/BB rate, and 6.7 K/9 over 51 1/3 innings in 2020, showing only flashes of his past All-Star form.  On the plus side, Lester is still very durable, averaging 199 innings per season from 2008-19 with only a few minor IL stints during that stretch.  Lester, Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood will all be free agents, leaving Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks as the only locks for Chicago’s 2021 pitching staff.  No-hitter hero Alec Mills seems like a solid bet for one rotation spot, and youngsters like Adbert Alzolay, Tyson Miller, or even top prospect Brailyn Marquez will be in competition for the other two jobs, so bringing Lester back as an experienced option makes some sense.

Injury Notes: JV, McCullers, Hoskins, Moronta, Chafin

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Justin Verlander has continued to progress in his late-season comeback effort, as Jake Kaplan of The Athletic writes. The veteran hurler isn’t yet ready to return to the Astros rotation, of course, but he has now faced live hitters in a two-inning sim game. It’s still unclear how things will progress from here. The club would surely like to get JV a regular-season appearance before the season concludes, but it’s also possible he’d make his first start in the postseason. Meanwhile, the ’Stros have now welcomed back fellow right-hander Lance McCullers from his own stay on the injured list, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 was among those to tweet. It turned out to be a brief stay for McCullers, who had a procedure to relieve neck nerve irritation. He’ll look to improve upon a 5.79 ERA through his first eight outings.

Here are some more injury notes from around the league …

  • Phillies first bagger Rhys Hoskins is still in limbo as he deals with an elbow/foream issue. As Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports on Twitter, the burly slugger is holding out hope of a return even while the threat of a season-ending surgery hangs over his head. When and how this situation will be resolved isn’t yet clear. Losing Hoskins would represent a big dent to the Phils’ lineup. He has to this point of the season turned in a productive .245/.384/.503 slash line with ten long balls.
  • It seems the Giants could yet get a bullpen boost from right-hander Reyes Moronta. He’s ready for competitive mound action at the team’s alternate training site, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area notes on Twitter. Moronta has been building up after undergoing shoulder surgery, so the club won’t want to push him too hard. But it’s enticing to imagine adding another postseason weapon, particularly since Moronta is said to be showing typically strong velocity. Jeff Samardzija is also nearing readiness, with a five-inning set scheduled. It’s unclear what role may await for the veteran once he’s deemed a full go. He coughed up 15 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings over his first three starts on the year.
  • The Cubs haven’t yet received a contribution from recently acquired southpaw Andrew Chafin, but that may soon change. The 30-year-old reliever, who was nursing a finger sprain when he was dealt at the trade deadline, is close enough that he could be activated over the next few days, skipper David Ross indicated to reporters including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chafin had struggled to open the year in Arizona, but he’d represent a notable addition to a bullpen that has had its share of issues, especially from the left side.

Deadline Day DFAs: Phillies, White Sox, Cubs, Marlins

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Given the flurry of transactions around the deadline, a number of players have been designated for assignment. This is, of course, the natural consequence of such a dramatic amount of shuffling to the roster via trade. These players will be available to the 29 other teams via waiver claim. We’ll use this post to track some of the more recent DFAs around baseball.

Latest Updates

  • The Marlins have designated left-hander Adam Conley for assignment, MLBTR has learned. The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched this season after going on the injured list in the wake of Miami’s clubhouse COVID-19 outbreak. Conley was a prominent member of the pitching staff, recently as a pure reliever, from 2015-19. He struggled to a miserable 6.53 ERA/5.19 FIP last season, although he posted much more palatable 4.09/3.60 marks the year prior.

Earlier Today

  • In perhaps the most surprising DFA of the day, the Phillies designated catcher Deivy Grullón for assignment, per the team. Grullon had been the Phillies presumptive third catcher after J.T. Realmuto and backup Andrew Knapp. The 24-year-old has long appeared on Philly prospect boards, making his first big-league appearance last season, going 1 for 9 in limited action. Rafael Marchan and Logan O’Hoppe are the other catchers in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool.
  • Philadelphia also DFA’ed right-hander Reggie McClain. The 27-year-old McClain had appeared in 5 games this season with a 5.06 ERA across 5 1/3 innings. These moves came as a consequence not of trades, necessarily, but because Jay Bruce and Ranger Suárez both were reinstated from the injured list.
  • The White Sox designated infielder Ryan Goins for assignment after activating Yolmer Sanchez, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Goings, 32, is a veteran of the Blue Jays and Royals. He appeared in 14 games for the White Sox this season, often as a pinch-runner. At the plate, he was 0 for 9 with a walk and a strikeout. Sanchez rejoins the White Sox after being designated for assignment by the Giants. Sanchez spent 2014 to 2019 with the White Sox.
  • The Cubs DFA’ed Ian Miller and Hernan Perez, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Miller and Perez are making room for Andrew Chafin and Josh Osich, respectively, the pair of lefties acquired from the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. Miller, 28, is a speed specialist who appeared in just one game for the Cubs as a pinch-runner. Perez never cracked the rotation in Chicago after several years of regular reps with the Brewers. He appeared in just 3 games for the Cubs, going 1 for 6.

Cubs Notes: Almora, Chafin, Chatwood, Bryant

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The Cubs had an active deadline, picking up outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Tigers and a pair of relievers- Andrew Chafin and Josh Osich– from the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, respectively. With Maybin in the fold, outfielder Albert Almora will be optioned to the alternate training site, per Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has only gotten 34 plate appearances in 2020 after a poor showing in 2019, when he hit just .236/.271/.381.

Maybin and Osich will step right onto the active roster, but Chafin will not. The southpaw has been on Arizona’s injured list since August 19 with a finger sprain, and he’s not quite ready to return. Cubs’ GM Jed Hoyer says the organization hopes he’ll be back on the field within “a couple weeks” (via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com).

Likely to join Chafin on the IL is fellow hurler Tyler Chatwood. The right-hander actually just returned from the IL but left yesterday’s start in the third inning with discomfort in his throwing elbow. He’s undergone an MRI and is awaiting results, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. While that sounds ominous on the surface, the Cubs expect Chatwood will be able to return this season, notes Patrick Mooney of the Athletic. Fortunately, Chicago has José Quintana on hand as a potential Chatwood replacement.

In more encouraging injury news, Kris Bryant is seemingly nearing a return from his own finger sprain. Indeed, it’s possible he could be activated before tomorrow’s game against the Pirates, per Mooney. It’s been a disappointing year for Bryant, who has mustered just a .177/.271/.323 line over 70 plate appearances, with a significant drop in his batted ball metrics along the way. Hand injuries can sap a hitter’s contact quality, so the hope is certainly that the time off will allow Bryant to return to his past levels of elite power production.

Cubs Acquire Andrew Chafin

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2:27pm: Arizona’s getting a player to be named later, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The D-backs could also include money in the swap, per Nightengale.

2:16pm: The Cubs have acquired Chafin, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

2:10pm: The Cubs are working to acquire Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Chafin, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

To this point in his career, the 30-year-old Chafin has only been a member of the Diamondbacks, who drafted him 43rd overall in 2011 and who has largely pitched well in their uniform since he made his debut in 2014. Chafin owns a 3.68 ERA/3.20 FIP with 9.54 K/9, 3.88 BB/9 and a 52.2 percent groundball rate in 271 2/3 innings, but keeping offenses at bay has been a problem this season. He has already given up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks (10 strikeouts) through 6 2/3 frames in 2020. Chafin has also been on the injured list for about two weeks because of a left finger sprain.

If he returns to health soon, Chafin’s history suggests he’ll give the NL Central-leading Cubs another credible reliever – which they certainly need. They’ll enter Monday’s action with a replacement-level bullpen that has recorded a 5.42 ERA/5.10 FIP over a month into the season. Chafin may not be long for the Cubs organization, though, as he’s due to reach free agency after the season. In the meantime, he’s earning a prorated $3.045MM.

Diamondbacks Select Matt Grace

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The Diamondbacks announced that they’ve selected left-hander Matt Grace from their alternate training site. In a corresponding move, they placed southpaw Andrew Chafin on the 10-day injured list with a left finger sprain.

Grace saw action with the Nationals in each season from 2015-19, though he didn’t take part in their run to the World Series last season. He made his final appearance with the Nats last Aug. 23, and the team designated him for assignment after that. The Diamondbacks then brought him in on a minor league deal in the offseason.

Grace struggled to a 6.36 ERA in 46 2/3 innings in his final season in Washington, but he did put up OK overall numbers during his time there. In all, he threw 176 1/3 frames of 4.29 ERA/4.04 FIP ball with 6.74 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 53.4 percent groundball rate.

Chafin has been a quality reliever for the D-backs since his debut in 2014, but this season has not gone according to plan for the 30-year-old. He has already surrendered six earned runs on nine hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings, and both lefties and righties have given him trouble so far.

Diamondbacks Notes: Marte, Second Base, Arbitration

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Ketel Marte is likely ticketed for heavy usage in centerfield this season, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks stated preference for Marte is twofold: they’d like to return him to the infield, and they’d like not to bounce him between positions (in 2019, Marte appeared in 96 games in center, 83 at second, and 11 at shortstop). But unless they make a move on the trade market, GM Mike Hazen is unlikely to satisfy both criteria.  They could have their cake and eat it too by trading for the Pirates’ star centerfielder of the same surname. Speculatively speaking, Starling Marte and Jackie Bradley Jr. are both available, and there aren’t many options beyond those two to upgrade in center. A year after picking 8 times in the first 100 selections of the 2019 draft, the Diamondbacks have the prospect capital to make such a move if they want to cash in. If not…

  • …the organization is much better off in the second baseman department, with Eduardo Escobar, Andy Young, Ildemaro Vargas, Domingo Leyba and Josh Rojas all capable of winning the spot with a strong spring. Eduardo Escobar’s handling of the keystone only becomes likely if Jake Lamb stakes his claim to the hot corner with some authority. That’s not out of the question for the 29-year-old, though given last year’s .193/.323/.353 performance, Lamb would need a very strong spring to gird himself against any kind of early season slump. Otherwise, the Diamondbacks appear comfortable letting a host of options work their way through second base. Escobar is likelier to play third most of the time, as he did last year, with one of their younger options such as Rojas or Young chunking their time up the middle. With Kole Calhoun in right and Stephen Vogt brought in to back up at catcher, the centerfield/second base slot remains the last significant variable for the Diamondbacks to solve on offense before Opening Day. 
  • Regarding arbitration, the Diamondbacks reached one-year accords with four arb-eligible players yesterday: Robbie Ray, Andrew Chafin, Matt Andriese and Jake Lamb. The D-backs also locked up their left fielder David Peralta with a three-year, $22MM deal. Incumbent closer Archie Bradley and consecutive gold glove winner Nick Ahmed are the only two players headed for the arbitration panel as of right now. Figures for both players have been filed.
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