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Brett Sullivan

Pirates Place Endy Rodriguez On 10-Day IL, Designate Joey Wentz

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The Pirates announced four roster moves, including the news that catcher/infielder Endy Rodriguez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.  Left-hander Joey Wentz was also designated for assignment.  In the corresponding roster moves, the Bucs selected the contract of catcher Brett Sullivan, and called up right-hander Isaac Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis.  (Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among the beat writers who noted earlier today that Sullivan and Mattson had locker space in the Pirates’ clubhouse while Wentz’s locker was gone, and manager Don Kelly told Hiles and other media and Rodriguez was going to the IL.)

Rodriguez has been limited to 18 games and 52 plate appearances in what has been another injury-plagued season for the former top prospect.  A lacerated finger sidelined Rodriguez for six weeks, and he played in just one inning of his third game back from the IL before elbow discomfort forced him out of yesterday’s 5-4 Pirates win over the Phillies.

The exact nature of the elbow issue isn’t known, but it’s a notable red flag given that Rodriguez missed the entire 2024 season due to UCL surgery.  The best-case scenario is that Rodriguez is just feeling some residual soreness perhaps more related to this year’s IL stint than anything lingering from his UCL procedure, but for now, Rodriguez will face additional time on the sidelines.  With only a .173/.246/.250 slash line through his first 57 plate appearances, Rodriguez could also potentially use this absence as a reset on his season.

Rodriguez has split time between first base and catcher when he has been able to play.  For the latter position, since Joey Bart is also on the seven-day concussion IL, Sullivan will now head to the majors to join Henry Davis as Pittsburgh’s catching combo.  Sullivan was acquired in a trade with the Padres in mid-April soon after Rodriguez was placed on the IL with his finger injury, as the Pirates wanted to add to their depth behind the plate.

Sullivan has hit .206/.243/.299 over 103 PA at the big league level (all with San Diego in 2023-24).  Over 11 pro seasons, the 31-year-old has posted some good numbers in the minors, including a .268/.338/.443 slash line and 43 home runs over 1670 Triple-A plate appearances.  Sullivan has been considered a middling defensive catcher, which could explain why he hasn’t received much big league time even while spending most of his career with the Rays and Padres — two clubs that have their share of needs at catcher in recent years.

Wentz is out of minor league options, so the Pirates had to designate the southpaw and expose him to waivers before trying to move him off the 40-man roster.  Pittsburgh acquired Wentz on a waiver claim from the Tigers last September, and he has been decent if unremarkable over 38 innings of bullpen work.  Twenty-six of those innings came this season, with Wentz posting a 4.15 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate.  As per usual, Wentz has performed better against left-handed batters than right-handed batters over his career, though his splits this year (.661 OPS against lefties, .716 OPS against righties) doesn’t reveal a huge gap.

While his 2025 work remains a smaller sample size, it does represent a big step up from the 6.03 ERA Wentz posted in 173 innings with Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2023-24.  That could be enough for a southpaw-needy team to put in a claim on Wentz’s services, but if he clears waivers, he doesn’t have a prior outright on his resume so he’d have to accept an outright assignment to Indianapolis.

Padres, Pirates Swap Brett Sullivan, Bryce Johnson

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The Padres announced that they have acquired outfielder Bryce Johnson and cash considerations in exchange for catcher Brett Sullivan. Neither player was on a 40-man roster at the time of the deal and they won’t immediately take roster spots with their new clubs. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the deal prior to the official announcement.

Sullivan, 31, was outrighted off San Diego’s roster just prior to Opening Day. His big league experience is pretty minimal, with a .206/.243/.299 line in 103 plate appearances. He’s done better in the minors, with a .271/.342/.449 line and 97 wRC+ in 1,594 Triple-A appearances dating back to the start of the 2021 season.

His glovework has been more of a mixed bag. Baseball Prospectus has given him negative grades for his framing in the majors but with better marks in Triple-A. His blocking numbers are a bit middling but his throwing grades are decent.

The Bucs have had seen a number of changes in their catching group recently. They designated Jason Delay for assignment and traded him to Atlanta earlier this month. Shortly after that, both Joey Bart and Endy Rodríguez got hurt. Bart has been dealing with a back issue while Rodríguez suffered a finger laceration and was placed on the injured list. Bart has not yet been placed on the IL but hasn’t played since April 11.

On the active roster, the Bucs are down to just Henry Davis and a banged-up Bart. Abrahan Gutierrez has been with the club on the taxi squad, just in case the club wants him to take Bart’s place. Sullivan will give them another non-roster guy with some big league experience. Perhaps he will join the taxi squad and Gutierrez will head back down to Triple-A, or maybe Sullivan will go to Indianapolis.

The Padres have less need for Sullivan as a depth catcher. They are going with veterans Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz on the big league roster, while Luis Campusano is on optional assignment at Triple-A. That has allowed them to exchange Sullivan for a bit of cash and another player at a position of greater need.

Johnson, 29, is an outfielder who is known more for his speed and defense than his hitting. He was non-tendered by the Padres at the end of last year and then signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. He has a .177/.248/.226 batting line in 140 big league plate appearances but he has better minor league numbers and some wheels. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has hit .282/.377/.423 on the farm while stealing 100 bases in 116 tries.

The Padres have been scrambling in the outfield a bit lately. Center fielder Jackson Merrill landed on the IL just over a week ago due to a right hamstring strain. Brandon Lockridge took over that spot but suffered a left hamstring strain and followed Merrill to the IL. Lately, they’ve been using utility guy Tyler Wade and veteran Jason Heyward to cover that spot.

The Pirates have an outfield mix consisting of Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Alexander Canario and Adam Frazier. Reynolds hasn’t been playing the field lately due to triceps soreness but has been serving as the designated hitter.

In short, both players were more needed by their new clubs than their previous ones, so each will land in a spot where they have a better chance of helping out a big league club.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images.

Padres Outright Brett Sullivan

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Catcher Brett Sullivan went unclaimed on outright waivers after being designated for assignment on Sunday, the Padres announced. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A El Paso to begin the season, meaning he’ll stick with the organization as a depth option but won’t occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Sullivan has neither the requisite service time nor the prior outright needed to reject today’s assignment in favor of free agency.

Sullivan, 31, has appeared in 40 games and taken 103 plate appearances with San Diego over the past two seasons. He’s a .206/.243/.299 hitter with a pair of homers, a 22.3% strikeout rate and a 4.9% walk rate in that time. He’s delivered solid offense in Triple-A, however, hitting .287/.367/.497 with 24 homers, 47 doubles and nearly as many walks (11.1%) as strikeouts (11.9%) over the course of 732 plate appearances there.

Defensively, Sullivan has received shaky grades for both his framing and throwing. He’s shown some defensive versatility though, logging 723 career innings in left field, 694 at third base and 35 at first base in the minors (all in addition to 4547 innings behind the plate).

Now that Sullivan has cleared waivers, he’ll be in El Paso alongside the recently optioned Luis Campusano. They’ll be first up in the event of injuries or changes to the big league catching tandem of Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado.

Padres Designate Brett Sullivan, Select Mason McCoy

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The Padres announced this evening that they’ve designated catcher Brett Sullivan for assignment. Sullivan’s departure from the 40-man roster makes room for the club to select the contract of shortstop Mason McCoy.

Sullivan, 31, had a fairly unusual path to the big leagues. Selected by the Rays in the 17th round of the 2015 draft, Sullivan languished in Tampa’s minor league system for years before reaching minor league free agency prior to the 2022 season. At that point, he was signed to a major league deal by the Brewers to serve as catching depth for the club. His tenure in Milwaukee was short-lived, however, as he was included not long after in the trade that shipped Victor Caratini from the Padres to the Brewers. Now with the Padres, Sullivan remained on the club’s 40-man roster but was optioned to the minors for the entire 2022 season before he eventually made his big league debut in early 2023 as a fill-in option for Luis Campusano.

Since then, Sullivan has appeared in 40 games at the big league level across two seasons. In 103 career trips to the plate, Sullivan hasn’t exactly impressed with a slash line of just .206/.243/.299 (49 wRC+). That’s a far cry from his work at Triple-A, where he’s a career .272/.344/.453 hitter, but he makes up for it somewhat with a reputation for solid skills behind the plate despite the metrics suggesting he’s below average at both pitch framing and controlling the running game. Going forward, the Padres will have one week to trade Sullivan or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he clears waivers successfully, the Padres will have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues as non-roster depth.

Replacing Sullivan on the 40-man roster is McCoy, who the Padres non-tendered over the winter before re-signing him to a minor league deal not long after. Just over a week from his 30th birthday, McCoy has just 25 games at the big league level under his belt between the Blue Jays and Padres over the past two seasons. The Majority of that work came in San Diego last year, where he hit a paltry .204/.278/.245 in 57 trips to the plate across 19 games. While that’s a sample of just 19 games, McCoy’s modest .239/.318/.400 career numbers at Triple-A do little to suggest much offensive potential at the big league level, although he did manage to swipe 25 bases in the minor leagues last year. McCoy’s base stealing abilities and strong work with the glove at shortstop could make him a viable reserve infielder for the Padres this year, though he has fierce competition for that role in the form of non-roster veteran Jose Iglesias.

Padres Notes: Campusano, Tatis, Profar

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The Padres placed catcher Luis Campusano on the 10-day injured list today with a thumb contusion, per a team announcement. Catcher Brett Sullivan was recalled to the big league roster in a corresponding move. Fortunately, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune relays that the Padres don’t expect Campusano’s stay on the shelf to be a long one as it likely won’t require more than a minimum stay of ten days.

After a 2023 season where Campusano was limited to just 49 games by injuries but appeared to break out at the plate with a .319/.356/.491 slash line (good for a 134 wRC+), the former top prospect’s 2024 campaign has been somewhat disappointing. He’s appeared in 66 of the club’s games this year but has mustered only a .234/.282/.371 slash line, which even in the game’s current deflated offensive environment is good for a wRC+ of just 89. That’s hardly a terrible mark for a catcher, but it’s nonetheless a far cry from the offensive output San Diego was surely hoping for after Campusano flashed the ability to be a star-level bat behind the plate when healthy enough to take the field last year.

With the 25-year-old sidelined for the time being, veteran backup Kyle Higashioka figures to step in as the club’s regular behind the plate while Campusano heals up. That leaves backup duties to Sullivan, 30, who had a three-game stint with the Padres earlier this year after making his MLB debut with the club last season. In a 33-game cup of coffee with San Diego last year, Sullivan struggled to a .210/.244/.284 slash line in 86 trips to the plate and appeared to be below average defensively behind the plate both in terms of framing and controlling the running game, although he does have a reputation as a solid blocker.

While Campusano was the only player the Padres placed on the shelf today, he’s not the only member of their starting lineup nursing an noteworthy injury. As MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell explored last night, both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar exited yesterday’s game against the Brewers due to injuries. Profar departed due to tendinitis in his left knee that he’s been dealing with throughout the season to this point, while Tatis left because of a left triceps contusion, though Cassavell notes that he also appeared to be favoring his right quad, which he notes the young star has been playing on despite an injury for weeks.

Both players were out of the lineup today, though Profar told reporters (including Cassavell) today that he would be available off the bench for today’s game against Milwaukee and that he’s been managing the injury successfully to the point where it isn’t getting worse. Manager Mike Shildt, for his part, indicated to reporters last night that the club wasn’t especially concerned about either Profar or Tatis and that both believed they could play through their current ailments.

It’s easy to see why the Padres wouldn’t want to lose either player to the injured list. In 80 games this season, Tatis has looked good with a .279/.354/.468 slash line (139 wRC+) with eight stolen bases, while Profar leads all NL hitters with a .415 on-base percentage and sports an even more impressive 162 wRC+ as the club’s everyday left fielder. With the duo standing out as perhaps the club’s two biggest run producers in a strong lineup that also features Manny Machado, Luis Arraez, and Jackson Merrill, it’s hard to measure how difficult things could get for the Padres if they were to lose Profar and Tatis for a significant period. After all, that strong offense has only translated to a 40-40 record to this point in the season that leaves them in the mix for an NL Wild Card spot among a group of eight teams that are within three games of .500.

Padres Designate Brent Honeywell For Assignment

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The Padres announced Wednesday that they’ve designated righty Brent Honeywell Jr. for assignment, optioned catcher Brett Sullivan to Triple-A El Paso and placed lefty Tim Hill on the 15-day injured list with a sprained finger on his pitching hand. That sequence of moves will create the necessary roster space to add trade acquisitions Garrett Cooper, Scott Barlow and Ji Man Choi to the roster.

Honeywell, 28, spent five years ranked among baseball’s top 100 prospects at Baseball America but was repeatedly set back by injuries. He’s had a stunning four elbow surgeries dating back to 2018, completely derailing what looked to be a potential fast-track to MLB stardom. The 2014 second-rounder was in the upper minors by 22 years of age, tossing 136 2/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball with a 30.3% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate between Double-A and Triple-A in 2017. He didn’t throw another pitch in an official game until the 2021 season in Triple-A.

Eventually traded to the A’s and outrighted off the 40-man roster, Honeywell became a free agent last offseason and signed a big league deal with the Padres. He’s pitched in 36 games out of the bullpen for San Diego this year, working to a 4.05 ERA with a 20.6% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate, 48.9% ground-ball rate and 1.54 HR/9. The 46 2/3 innings he’s pitched this year are more than he threw in 2021-22 combined.

Honeywell is averaging 95 mph on his heater but also has a below-average 10% swinging-strike rate and 28% opponents’ chase rate. He’s out of minor league options, so the Padres weren’t able to simply send him to the minors.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, Honeywell’s fate is rather straightforward. He’ll head for outright waivers, where all 29 other clubs will have the opportunity to place a claim. Waiver priority is based on a simple reverse standings — worst record to best — and contrary to common belief is not league-specific. If he’s placed directly onto waivers today, the A’s would have the first chance to claim him, followed by the Royals. He can be controlled via arbitration for another five seasons.

Padres Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Padres announced a series of roster moves ahead of this afternoon’s game against the Brewers, optioning right-hander Domingo Tapia and utiltyman Brandon Dixon to Triple-A while recalling catcher Brett Sullivan and right-hander Reiss Knehr. The moves come on the heels of a recent injury to catcher Luis Campusano, who jammed his thumb catching a bullpen session. According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, x-rays on Campusano’s thumb came back negative, but he will still be sidelined due to considerable swelling. It appears that, at least for now, Campusano will avoid a stint on the injured list, with the Padres instead opting for a three catcher roster while the 24 year-old is sidelined.

Tapia, 31, made his debut in 2020 with Boston and posted strong numbers from 2020-2021, sporting a 2.61 ERA and 3.62 FIP across 38 innings split between the Red Sox, Mariners, and Royals. He struggled badly in 17 innings with Oakland last year, however, posting a 8.47 ERA and 5.11 FIP. While those numbers are somewhat inflated by his .387 BABIP and unfortunate 62.2% strand rate, Tapia’s struggles were somewhat deserved, as well, as he actually walked more batters (14) than he struck out (12) with the A’s. Control problems have been an issue for Tapia even outside of Oakland, however, has he sports a career 13.1% walk rate and has never posted a walk rate lower than 10% in a season.

With Tapia headed to Triple-A, Knehr is set to join the Padres bullpen for the first time this season. The 26 year-old righty has pitched for the Padres in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons, with a 4.64 ERA in 42 2/3 innings over that time. Knehr struggles with control as well, with walk rates consistently over 10% in both the major leagues and Triple-A. Still, he’ll provide a fresh arm for the Padres bullpen, which has recently been taxed thanks to short starts from the club’s six-man rotation.

Dixon, meanwhile, heads to Triple-A to make room for a third catcher on the roster. The 31-year old struggled in his limited playing time with the club this season, recording just one hit and no walks while striking out eight times in his ten plate appearances with the club. Still, he figures to provide depth in the minors for the Padres, particularly given his versatility. Dixon has played all three outfield spots as well as first, second, and third base in the majors throughout his career.

Sullivan, 29, has yet to make his major league debut to this point in his career. A 17th round draft pick by the Rays in the 2015 draft, Sullivan signed with the Brewers on a major league deal during the 2021-22 offseason but was traded to the Padres in the deal that sent Victor Caratini to Milwaukee before appearing in a game for the organization. Sullivan has served as catching depth in the upper minors for the Padres ever since, and now figures to get his shot in the big leagues while Campusano is on the mend. A career .273/.321/.430 hitter in the minor leagues, Sullivan has experience in the outfield corners and at third base in addition to behind the plate.

Each MLB Team’s Players On WBC Rosters

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The World Baseball Classic is returning this year, the first time since 2017. The quadrennial event was supposed to take place in 2021 but was scuttled by the pandemic, now returning after a six-year absence. Rosters for the tournament were announced today and those can be found at this link. Here is a breakdown of which players from each MLB team are set to take participate. Quick caveat that this list is fluid and might be changed as more information becomes available.

Without further ado…

Angels

Astros

Athletics

Blue Jays

Braves

Brewers

Cardinals

Cubs

Diamondbacks

Dodgers

Giants

Guardians

Marlins

Mariners

Mets

Nationals

Orioles

Padres

Phillies

Pirates

Rangers

Rays

Red Sox

Reds

Rockies

Royals

Tigers

Twins

White Sox

Yankees

Brewers Acquire Victor Caratini From Padres

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The Brewers fortified their catching situation this afternoon, announcing the acquisition of Víctor Caratini and cash considerations from the Padres. San Diego picks up fellow catcher Brett Sullivan and outfield prospect Korry Howell in return. It’s a quick strike for Milwaukee to find a #2 backstop in the wake of an 80-game suspension to presumptive #2 Pedro Severino, who tested positive for the banned substance Clomiphene this week.

Caratini spent one season in San Diego after coming over from the Cubs alongside Yu Darvish last offseason. He functioned as Darvish’s personal catcher, lining up behind the dish in 29 of the righty’s 30 starts. The switch-hitting backstop also saw more action than anticipated in non-Darvish outings, as expected starter Austin Nola was limited to 56 games by injuries.

Ultimately, Caratini tallied a personal-high 356 plate appearances during his lone season in San Diego. He hit .227/.309/.323 with seven home runs, a fair bit worse than the .250/.327/.372 line he’d put up in the prior four seasons as a reserve option in Chicago. Last season’s 9.8% walk percentage and 23% strikeout rate were both in line with his respective career marks, but he managed just seven homers and nine doubles en route to a subpar .096 ISO (slugging minus batting average).

Caratini’s average exit velocity and hard contact rate were surprisingly strong, but he negated much of his extra-base potential by hitting the ball on the ground more than half the time. Even if he can’t add more offensive impact, he should offer some decent at-bats off the bench for skipper Craig Counsell. Caratini has been better from the right side of the dish over the course of his career, a trait that pairs well with lefty-hitting #1 catcher Omar Narváez.

The Caratini acquisition is clearly tied to Severino’s suspension, which had left Milwaukee without an obvious backup catcher. The Brewers are set to welcome Severino back in the second half of the year, but Caratini could have a path to securing the job with a strong start to the season. He’s making $2MM after avoiding arbitration this offseason, and he’ll be controllable once more through that process before hitting free agency after 2023.

From the Padres perspective, the trade would appear to be a vote of confidence in out-of-options backstop Jorge Alfaro. San Diego acquired Alfaro, with whom president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is quite familiar from their time in the Rangers organization, in a small trade with the Marlins before last November’s tender deadline. It was a mere cash transaction, but that the Friars affirmatively struck to add Alfaro rather than let Miami non-tender him into free agency (which it had become apparent the Fish were set to do) suggested the Friars had hopes of Alfaro breaking camp.

It would appear he’s in line to do just that after a fantastic showing in Spring Training. Alfaro had ten hits, including four homers, in 24 at-bats in Cactus League play. That’s far less meaningful than his more modest .258/.309/.399 career regular season showing, but Alfaro is a former top prospect whom many evaluators had projected as a possible regular thanks to his power at the plate and strong throwing arm. He’ll presumably make the club as Nola’s backup, with top prospect Luis Campusano also on the verge of the big leagues.

Sullivan, too, could find himself in that mix. The 28-year-old has never played in the majors, but he landed a major league deal with the Brewers this winter after qualifying for minor league free agency. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen writes that he’s a contact-oriented hitter who could be a depth option in the short-term, albeit without much power or a great arm.

The lefty-hitting Sullivan is only coming off a .223/.302/.375 line in Triple-A. The Brewers obviously preferred to go externally rather than turn the backup catching job over to him to start the season. Yet the fact that both Milwaukee and San Diego were willing to commit him a 40-man roster spot suggests he’s of appeal to multiple clubs.

Howell, meanwhile, is a former 12th-round selection out of an Iowa junior college. Baseball America slotted the right-handed hitting outfielder 29th in the Milwaukee farm system this offseason, praising his athleticism and plate discipline but noting concerns about his bat-to-ball skills. That’s borne out in his minor league numbers, as Howell punched out in 28.9% of his trips to the plate in High-A last season. That mark jumped to 39.6% upon a late-season promotion to Double-A. Even with the strikeouts, Howell was particularly productive at the former stop, though. He hit 12 homers and stole 20 bases in 69 games while walking at a strong 11.1% clip, showcasing the combination of athleticism and patience BA noted.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported the Padres were trading Caratini to the Brewers for a pair of minor leaguers. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the return of Sullivan and Howell.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Brewers To Sign Brett Sullivan To Major League Deal

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The Brewers are signing catcher/corner outfielder Brett Sullivan to a major league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Sullivan, who has yet to appear in the major leagues, became a minor league free agent earlier this month after seven seasons in the Rays’ farm system. The Brewers’ 40-man roster now sits at 38.

Sullivan was selected by Tampa Bay in the 17th-round of the 2015 draft coming out of the University of the Pacific. He’s never appeared on an organizational prospects ranking at either FanGraphs or Baseball America, but the left-handed hitter has typically performed well in the minor leagues. Sullivan posted above-average offensive numbers up through Double-A, very rarely striking out. He’s not drawn many walks or hit for a ton of power, but Sullivan’s ability to put the ball in play allowed him to consistently run high batting averages before 2021.

This past season was a bit of a struggle, as Sullivan sputtered to a .223/.302/.375 line with nine home runs over 345 plate appearances with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham. Those numbers were depressed by a career-low .244 batting average on balls in play, though. Sullivan only punched out in 15.7% of his Triple-A plate appearances. That mark, while the highest rate of his career, is around seven percentage points lower than the big league average.

Sullivan becomes the third catcher on the 40-man roster, joining starter Omar Narváez and prospect Mario Feliciano. Longtime Brewer Manny Piña departed to join the Braves a few weeks ago. It’s possible Milwaukee continues to hunt for a more experienced backup, but Sullivan has an opportunity to factor into that mix. (It stands to reason the Crew would prefer to get Feliciano everyday reps at Triple-A Nashville as opposed to having him play sporadically in the majors behind Narváez). Sullivan has all three minor league option years remaining, so the Brewers can shuttle him on and off the active roster for the extended future so long as he holds onto a 40-man spot.

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