Astros Sign Anthony Maldonado To Minor League Deal
The Astros have signed right-hander Anthony Maldonado to a minor league deal, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The righty will presumably receive an invite to major league camp in spring training.
Maldonado, 28 in February, has a limited big league track record. He tossed 19 innings for the 2024 Marlins and then six innings for the Athletics this year. In the 25 combined innings, he has allowed 20 earned runs, leading to a 7.20 ERA. The A’s outrighted him off their 40-man roster at season’s end and he elected free agency.
Given the quality and quantity of that sample, the Astros are presumably more interested in his minor league numbers. Over multiple seasons, he has tossed 160 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.59 ERA. He has walked a worrisome 10.8% of batters faced at that level but has also punched out opponents at a strong 31.7% clip.
The Astros had a strong bullpen in 2025 but it leans to the left side, with Josh Hader, Bryan King, Steven Okert and Bennett Sousa all projected to be in there next year. Maldonado is a no-risk flier on a cheap righty arm. If he cracks the roster, he still has an option remaining and less than a year of service time.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
A’s Outright Three Players
The A’s announced that three pitchers have gone unclaimed on outright waivers: righty Anthony Maldonado and left-handers Ben Bowden and Jared Shuster. Maldonado and Bowden have each elected free agency, as is their right as players who have been outrighted more than once in their careers. This is the first outright for Shuster, so he’ll be assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas and remain in the system going into 2026.
These were three of five players whom the A’s placed on waivers this week. Righty Michel Otañez and catcher Willie MacIver were claimed by Texas. This gets their 40-man roster count down to 38. All teams need to be at or below 40 by Thursday, when they’re required to activate everyone from the 60-day injured list.
Maldonado was a waiver claim from Miami last winter. The A’s outrighted him shortly before the start of Spring Training but put him back on the roster in May. He held his 40-man spot for the remainder of the season but spent most of his time on optional assignment to Triple-A Las Vegas. The 27-year-old posted a 5.10 ERA despite an impressive 29% strikeout rate at the top minor league level. Maldonado walked almost 12% of opponents and gave up a decent number of home runs across 47 2/3 frames. He only pitched six times for the A’s at the MLB level, allowing eight runs on a trio of homers in six innings.
Bowden, 31, signed an offseason minor league contract. The 6’4″ southpaw had not pitched in the big leagues since his 2021 rookie season in Colorado. He made it back to the highest level early in the second half. Bowden posted a 1.36 ERA over 39 2/3 Triple-A innings to get an MLB look. He tossed 10 2/3 frames over 11 appearances, allowing six runs (five earned) with seven strikeouts and five walks. He went down with a season-ending lat strain in August.
Shuster, the only member of this trio who’ll stick with the organization, is probably the most well-known. That’s mostly a testament to his status as a former first-round pick of the Braves. He has pitched in parts of three MLB campaigns between Atlanta and the White Sox. The Wake Forest product carries a career 5.27 ERA with a well below-average 15.1% strikeout percentage in 141 2/3 innings. The A’s claimed him off waivers from Chicago around the trade deadline. He spent the rest of the season in Triple-A, where he was tagged for nearly a run per inning with seven strikeouts and walks apiece over 10 appearances.
Athletics Select Jack Perkins
The A’s selected Jack Perkins‘ contract from Triple-A Las Vegas today, putting the right-hander potentially in line to make his MLB debut today as a reliever during the Athletics’ game with the Guardians. In corresponding moves, right-hander Anthony Maldonado was optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Gunnar Hoglund was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. (Hoglund’s move to the 60-day IL was expected at some point, as he recently underwent a season-ending hip surgery.)
The 25-year-old Perkins was a fifth-round pick for the Athletics in the 2022 draft, and his numbers have steadily improved as he has climbed the minor league ladder. Reaching Triple-A for the first time this year, Perkins has a 2.86 ERA, 11.3% walk rate, and an eye-opening 38.4% strikeout rate across 44 innings and nine starts for Las Vegas in 2025. Most recently, Perkins has a tiny 0.55 ERA and 29 strikeouts in his last 16 1/3 frames, and this hot streak was enough to punch Perkins’ first ticket to the Show.
While he’ll begin as a reliever for now, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the A’s give Perkins a look or two in the rotation, as he has worked primarily as a starter over his four pro seasons. Control has been a persistent issue for Perkins in the minors, as his fastball (which sits in the 94-97mph range) and slider are the only pitches in Perkins’ arsenal that he has consistently thrown for strikes.
These two plus pitches might mean that Perkins could end up in the bullpen over the long run, though better results with his cutter or curveball would help Perkins’ overall repertoire and increase his chances of sticking as a rotation arm in the big leagues. Baseball America ranked Perkins as the fourth-best prospect in the Athletics’ farm system, while MLB Pipeline ranked him ninth.
Athletics Option Osvaldo Bido, Designate Jason Alexander For Assignment
The A’s made a few moves on the pitching staff before tonight’s series opener in San Francisco. They selected relievers Anthony Maldonado and Matt Krook into the big league bullpen. They’ll take the roster spots of righties Osvaldo Bido and Jason Alexander. Bido was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, while Alexander was designated for assignment. They only needed to open one 40-man roster spot, as they still had a vacancy after returning Rule 5 pick Noah Murdock to Kansas City last week.
The pitching staff took a beating yesterday. The Dodgers put up 19 runs. Bido and Alexander took most of the damage. Bido started the game but was unable to escape the second inning, allowing six runs. Alexander was the first man out of the bullpen. He had an even tougher time, allowing nine runs on seven hits (including a trio of homers) and four walks across 2 1/3 frames. Mitch Spence took the next three innings before backup catcher Jhonny Pereda got a mop-up frame.
Bido has operated as Mark Kotsay‘s fifth starter all season. He’d pitched well in a swing role last year, turning in a 3.41 ERA through 63 1/3 innings. This year has been a struggle. Bido has allowed 5.82 earned runs per nine over 43 1/3 frames. His strikeout rate has plummeted from a solid 24.3% mark to this year’s 14.6% clip. He has surrendered 10 home runs, more than two per nine innings. Bido has yet to complete six innings and has allowed four or more runs in all but one of his last five starts.
That kind of production clearly isn’t cutting it. The A’s don’t have an off day until Memorial Day. They’ll need to find another starter to operate behind Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Gunnar Hoglund and JP Sears. That might be J.T. Ginn, who has been out for three weeks with elbow inflammation. He tossed 64 pitches in a rehab start in Las Vegas on Wednesday and might make his next start in the big leagues.
Alexander loses his 40-man roster spot entirely. The A’s had signed him to an offseason minor league deal and selected his contract two weeks into the season. He has given up 13 runs (12 earned) in six innings over four MLB appearances. Alexander has been far better over five Triple-A starts: a 1.27 ERA with a 23.6% strikeout rate and massive 63.6% grounder percentage across 21 1/3 frames.
Maldonado and Krook were offseason acquisitions who’ll be in line for their team debuts. The 27-year-old Maldonado debuted with 19 innings of 5.68 ERA ball for the Marlins last year. The A’s claimed the righty off waivers early in the offseason and ran him through waivers a few months later. He has been excellent for Las Vegas, reeling off 12 1/3 frames of one-run ball with 17 strikeouts. Maldonado leans most heavily on a mid-80s breaking ball and has a low-90s sinker.
Krook, 30, is a left-hander who has five career big league innings. He signed a minor league deal over the winter. Krook has allowed six runs (five earned) over 14 innings with the Aviators. He has racked up 21 strikeouts but has walked eight batters and hit another. He has gotten an impressive combination of whiffs and ground-balls throughout his minor league career, but that has been undercut by well below-average command.
Athletics Outright Kyle McCann, Anthony Maldonado
The Athletics have sent catcher Kyle McCann and right-hander Anthony Maldonado outright to Triple-A, according to each player’s transaction log at MLB.com. That indicates both players cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. Both will stay with the organization as non-roster depth and could be in big league camp as non-roster invitees.
McCann, 27, made his major league debut last year. He has generally been a high-power, high-strikeout guy in his minor league career and he carried that up to the big leagues. In his 157 plate appearances, he struck out 59 times, a huge 37.9% rate. But he also popped five home runs and walked at a solid 10.2% clip, allowing him to post a .236/.318/.371 slash line and 102 wRC+. Defensively, each of FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Statcast graded him as a subpar framer.
Those offensive numbers hewed fairly close to his minor league numbers, as he slashed .251/.344/.458 for a 99 wRC+ over 2022 and 2023. He struck out 32.9% of the time but drew walks in 11.1% of his plate appearances and hit 38 homers in 846 trips to the plate.
The A’s have Shea Langeliers as their primary catcher and acquired Jhonny Pereda to serve as the backup, nudging McCann off the roster. That gave other clubs a chance to grab McCann but none of them took that chance. Since McCann has less than three years of service time and this is his first career outright, he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency.
The A’s only have the two backstops on their 40-man in Langeliers and Pereda, so they’re surely glad to keep McCann around as depth without needing to use a roster spot for now. He could be the first one up if either of the two rostered backstops suffers an injury.
Maldonado, 27, was just claimed by the A’s in November. He made his major league debut with the Marlins last year, allowing 12 earned runs in 19 innings with a tepid 13.4% strikeout rate. The minor league track record is larger and more impressive. Over the past four years, he tossed 188 innings on the farm with a 3.26 earned run average, 32.4% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.
Like McCann, this is his first career outright and he has less than three years of major league service time. That means he’ll have to accept this outright assignment, giving the A’s a depth arm for their bullpen without taking up a spot on the roster.
Athletics Designate Anthony Maldonado For Assignment
The A’s announced that they have claimed Elvis Alvarado off waivers from the Pirates, a move that MLBTR covered earlier today. To open a 40-man roster spot, right-hander Anthony Maldonado has been designated for assignment.
Maldonado, 27 next month, was a recent waiver claimee himself. The A’s grabbed him from the Marlins in November, though he has only lasted a few months on the Athletics’ roster. He made his major league debut with the Marlins last year, tossing 19 innings over 16 appearances. He allowed 12 earned runs, leading to a 5.68 ERA in that small sample, striking out just 13.4% of batters faced.
The A’s were surely more interested in his minor league track record, which has naturally been of greater quality and quantity. Over the past four years, Maldonado threw 188 innings across various minor league levels. He had a 3.26 ERA, 32.4% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.
That was enough to attract the interest of the A’s but he’s now been bumped off the roster in favor of Alvarado. Maldonado will now be in DFA limbo for a week at most, giving the club some time to explore trades or put him on waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so any trade talks would need to come together in the next five days. Maldonado still has two option years and less than a full season of service time, which could perhaps attract other clubs looking to add some cheap bullpen depth.
Athletics Claim Elvis Alvarado
2:40pm: The A’s have now officially announced the claim. Righty Anthony Maldonado has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
2:25pm: The Athletics are claiming right-hander Elvis Alvarado off waivers from the Pirates, reports Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Bucs designated him for assignment earlier this week to sign infielder/outfielder Adam Frazier. The A’s have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to complete this claim.
Alvarado, 26 next month, has yet to make his major league debut. He has pitched in the minors for the Nationals, Mariners, Tigers and Marlins over the years without getting the call to the big leagues. He hit free agency and the Pirates somewhat surprisingly gave him a roster spot in December, signing him to a split deal.
The Bucs were presumably willing to give him that roster spot based on a big uptick in strikeouts in 2024, though it also came with some control issues. He tossed 48 1/3 Triple-A innings in the Marlins’ system last year, allowing 2.79 earned runs per nine. He struck out 33.2% of batters faced but also gave out free passes at a massive 17.8% rate.
That was in stark contrast to his previous track record. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 137 2/3 innings on the farm with a 4.58 ERA, 21.8% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. Per Brooks Baseball, he has been increasing his slider usage over the past two years. In 2023, that was combined with fewer four-seamers and more sinkers. He flipped that in 2024, dropping his sinker usage and getting the four-seamer back up to previous levels.
The specifics of Alvarado’s split deal weren’t reported but such deals often feature a high minor league salary, in part to dissuade other clubs from putting in a claim and/or to stop the player from electing free agency. In this case, it seems the A’s were intrigued by the same minor league numbers that interested the Pirates, so they have grabbed Alvarado to add some pitching depth.
A’s Claim Anthony Maldonado, Justin Sterner
The A’s announced they’ve claimed righty relievers Anthony Maldonado from the Marlins and Justin Sterner from the Rays. Both players had quietly landed on waivers last week.
Maldonado and Sterner each made their debuts this past season. Maldonado, 27 in February, has slightly more experience. He pitched in 16 games for Miami and allowed 12 runs across 19 innings. He struck out 11 while issuing seven walks. Maldonado showed better strikeout stuff in the minors, fanning 26.1% of batters faced over 46 1/3 Triple-A frames. While that came with a slightly elevated 10.8% walk rate and a middling 4.66 ERA, the A’s are evidently intrigued by his arsenal. Maldonado leaned most heavily on his mid-80s slider.
Sterner, 28, has all of two games of MLB experience. The BYU product tossed four innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts. He had a strong year with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham. Sterner turned in a 3.28 earned run average over 46 2/3 innings. He punched out more than 31% of batters faced against an 8.9% walk percentage. Sterner used a fastball-cutter combination during his limited MLB look. Both he and Maldonado sat in the 93-94 MPH range with their heaters.
This was the first option year for both pitchers. The A’s can keep them in Triple-A for the foreseeable future if they stick on the 40-man roster.
Marlins Announce 11 Roster Moves
The Marlins announced a whopping 11 roster moves in advance of today’s game with the Phillies. Right-handers Max Meyer and Calvin Faucher were each placed on the 15-day injured list, with Meyer’s placement due to right shoulder bursitis retroactive to September 4, and Faucher’s placement due to right shoulder impingement syndrome retroactive to September 5. Derek Hill was also placed on the 10-day IL with a retroactive September 5 date, as the outfielder is dealing with a left shoulder impingement. Left-hander Andrew Nardi‘s season is officially over after a move to the 60-day injured list, while left-hander Austin Kitchen was designed for assignment and right-hander Anthony Maldonado was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.
With the departures completed, here is the list of players joining Miami’s active roster. Righty Anthony Bender was reinstated from the 15-day IL, and right-handers George Soriano and Lake Bachar were called up from Triple-A. Also up from Jacksonville are left-hander Jonathan Bermudez and utilityman Javier Sanoja, whose contracts selected to the big league roster. Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base reported (via X) earlier today that Sanoja was being promoted for his Major League debut, while Isaac Azout of Fish On First initially reported (links to X) that Meyer was headed to the IL and that Bermudez and Bachar were being promoted.
Meyer had been scheduled to start Sunday, but he’ll now hit the IL in the latest of a seemingly unending parade of injuries to Miami starters. While more will be known about Meyer’s situation later today, it stands to reason that the Marlins could shut down the 25-year-old both due to this injury concern, and the club’s overall plan to limit Meyer’s workload this season. Between 57 innings in the majors and 58 innings in the minors, Meyer had done a pretty good job of rebuilding his arm strength after missing all of 2023 due to a Tommy John surgery.
In terms of on-field results, Meyer has a 5.68 ERA over his 57 frames in the Show. His 50% grounder rate is very strong and his 7.7% walk rate is around league average, but has allowed a ton of hard contact and struck out only 18.5% of opposing batters. Such struggles aren’t unexpected for a player in his first extended taste of MLB action, as Meyer’s only big league experience prior this season was a two-game cup of coffee in 2022 prior to his TJ procedure.
In addition to Meyer, it is worth speculating if Faucher or Hill might also be shut down for the remainder of 2024, given the late date on the calendar. The Marlins turned in this direction with Nardi, who only went to the 15-day IL a couple of weeks ago, and manager Skip Schumaker seemed optimistic at the time of the 15-day placement about the chances of Nardi returning before the end of September. Instead, Nardi’s season is done after posting a 5.07 ERA over 49 2/3 innings, though a set of impressive Statcast metrics and a 2.79 SIERA indicates that Nardi was among the more unlucky pitchers in the league.
Faucher has been one of the few bright spots for Miami this season, as the righty has overcome a .345 BABIP and a lot of walks to post a 3.19 ERA and 26.8% strikeout rate in 53 2/3 relief innings. The Marlins opted against trading Faucher amidst their many moves at the trade deadline, and instead installed him at closer after Tanner Scott was dealt to the Padres.
Soriano’s one save makes him the only player on Miami’s active roster with any saves this season, so the Marlins could turn to a committee to handle the ninth inning for the rest of the season. Bender (in only his third MLB season) has the most experience of anyone in Miami’s bullpen and might be the favorite to close games now that he has recovered from the shoulder impingement that has sidelined him for the last four weeks. Bender has a 49.2% grounder rate and above-average strikeout and walk rates, and is another Marlins pitcher whose real ERA (4.00) isn’t quite as reflective of how well he has pitched in 2024.
Bermudez returns to the big leagues after he was designated for assignment and then outrighted just within the last week. He’ll take over the 40-man roster spot left open by Kitchen, who is also heading to the DFA wire for the second time this season. The southpaw was designated by the Rockies in June and then quickly snapped up by Miami on a waiver claim.
Kitchen made his Major League debut on July 30 and thus far has only a 14.14 ERA to show for his seven innings and four games as a big leaguer. Six of his 11 earned runs allowed came just yesterday in Miami’s 16-2 loss to the Phillies, as Kitchen had to make a short-notice start when Edward Cabrera was a late scratch due to migraine-like symptoms. Kitchen is a grounder specialist with good control, and while he has pitched pretty well in the minors, his lack of strikeouts could put a ceiling on his effectiveness against MLB hitters.
Hill has hit .238/.262/.427 over 151 plate appearances with the Marlins, Giants, and Rangers this season, with the 151 PA representing a new career high over Hill’s five seasons in the Show. Beginning the year on minors deal with Texas, he then went to the Giants for a brief stint after one waiver claim, and Miami again claimed him off waivers just over a month ago. The Marlins had plenty of holes to fill in the outfield after their trade deadline selloff, and Hill took advantage with some regular work in center field and a few appearances in left.
Sanoja was an international signing for the Marlins in July 2019, and over four minor league seasons has emerged as an extreme contact hitter, with only 136 strikeouts in 1783 PA in Miami’s farm system. A lack of power has limited what Sanoja has done with that contact, but between his speed and his knack for getting the bat on the ball, he has hit .291/.354/.431 over 492 Triple-A PA in 2024. Sanoja has stolen 83 bases in 126 attempts in the minors, so there is some extra baserunning potential there if Sanoja can become more efficient with his steals rate. Defensively, Sanoja is considered to fit best as a second baseman, but he is a decent enough fielder that he can play all over the diamond, so this versatility gives him more of a chance to stick in the Show.
The Marlins figure to use Sanoja at multiple positions during his time on the roster, though the team probably wishes he could pitch, given their larger needs on the mound. Some reinforcements might be coming before the season is over, as Ryan Weathers and Braxton Garrett have each started minor league rehab assignments. Neither hurler has pitched since June, as Weathers has been dealing with a finger sprain and Garrett with a flexor strain in his left forearm.
Marlins Claim Anthony Veneziano, Designate Three Players For Assignment
The Marlins announced a huge batch of transactions today, including the previously reported claim of right-hander Lake Bachar. They also claimed left-hander Anthony Veneziano off waivers from the Royals. They also reinstated left-hander Josh Simpson from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Jacksonville. To open 40-man roster spots for those three, they designated catcher Alí Sánchez, left-hander Kent Emanuel and right-hander Emmanuel Ramírez for assignment. Sánchez and Ramírez were on the active roster, so those two spots will be taken by infielder Xavier Edwards, who has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, and right-hander Anthony Maldonado, who has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Veneziano was just designated for assignment on September 1, which happened to be his 27th birthday. He has a minimal big league track record, having tossed 2 1/3 innings with the Royals last year and another two innings this year.
The Marlins are likely interested in his pre-2024 track record, as it hasn’t been the lefty’s best season. He has tossed 90 innings at the Triple-A level this year with a 4.80 earned run average, 19.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate. But in 2023, he had a 3.55 ERA in his 132 minor league innings, striking out 23% of batters faced while limiting walks to an 8.7% clip.
Baseball America ranked him the #5 prospect in the Royals’ system coming into 2024. The results haven’t been as impressive this year but it’s understandable that the Marlins would still have hope of getting him back on track. He will still have two option years remaining after the current campaign, so they can get a close-up look at him in the minors and see if there’s a path towards better results in the long term.
Sánchez, 27, was added to the club’s roster in June and got into 31 games for the Fish. Unfortunately, he hit just .167/.211/.190 in his 96 plate appearances. He has generally performed well at the Triple-A level but without bringing it up to the majors. He has hit .276/.348/.409 at Triple-A from 2021 to the present, leading to a 97 wRC+ in a sample of just under 1,000 plate appearances. But he has a career line of .175/.221/.216 in the majors and is out of options.
Emanuel, 32, has been on and off the Marlins’ roster all year. He signed a minor league deal with the club in the winter and this is now the fifth time he’s been designated for assignment. Each time has seen him clear waivers, get outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville and later have his contract selected again. Given that pattern, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it all play out once more. Around those transactions, he has a 6.62 ERA in 17 2/3 major league innings and a 6.15 ERA in 45 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Ramírez, 30, was first selected to the club’s roster back in April and has appeared in 15 big league games, the first of his career. He has a 6.97 ERA in those, though his peripherals are closer to average. He has a 22.8% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate on the year. His 54% strand rate is on the unlucky side, which is why his 4.63 FIP and 3.85 SIERA are far apart from his ERA. He also has a 3.76 ERA in 40 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.
All three of Sánchez, Emanuel and Ramírez will have to be placed on waivers in the coming days since the trade deadline has passed. Since it’s now September, they won’t be postseason eligible with any club that puts in a claim.