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Cal Quantrill

Rockies Outright Noah Davis

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The Rockies announced a flurry of roster moves this afternoon, including the selection of left-hander Ty Blach’s contract that was first reported last night. Additionally, Colorado has placed right-hander Cal Quantrill on the 15-day injured list and announced that they’ve outrighted right-hander Noah Davis to Triple-A. It’s the first public indication that Davis had been designated for assignment, but his removal from the 40-man roster makes room for the addition of Blach.

Davis, 27, has pitched for the Rockies in each of the past three seasons. The club’s 11th-round pick in the 2018 draft has struggled badly throughout his big league career so far, accumulating a 7.71 ERA with a 5.66 FIP in 51 1/3 innings of work in the majors. While some of those struggles can surely be chalked up to the perils of calling Coors Field your home ballpark as a pitcher, it’s worth noting that Davis hasn’t pitched much better during his time at the Triple-A level. In 123 innings of work with the club’s Albuquerque affiliate, the right-hander has posted a lackluster 5.05 ERA with a 19.1% strikeout rate against an 11.9% walk rate. Those deep struggles in both the majors and the minors have seemingly convinced Rockies brass that a change of scenery would be best for both parties, and Davis will now be eligible for minor league free agency if not added back to the 40-man roster before the start of the offseason. Until then, he’ll remain with the club as a potential non-roster depth option.

As for Quantrill, the right-hander was announced last night as scratched from his scheduled start today due to right triceps inflammation, with Blach scheduled to take his place. It wasn’t clear last night whether or not Quantrill would wind up heading for the IL, but he’s now set to be out for at least the next two weeks. Given his placement on the IL is retroactive to August 29, the right-hander will be eligible to be activated from the shelf as soon as September 13.

It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go that quickly, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism as manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) that he expects Quantrill to return to action at some point this season. The 29-year-old right-hander sports a below-average 4.63 ERA (99 ERA+) with a 5.04 FIP in 138 innings of work this year, but prior to a brutal run of five starts prior to the trade deadline was sporting far more palatable ratios of 4.09 and 4.71 through his first 114 1/3 innings of work in a Rockies uniform.

Rockies To Select Ty Blach

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The Rockies have scratched right-hander Cal Quantrill from his start against the Orioles tomorrow due to right triceps inflammation, as noted by several members of the Colorado beat, including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. In his place, the Rockies are expected to start left-hander Ty Blach, whose contract will be selected before tomorrow’s game. It’s not yet clear if Blach will replace another player on the active roster or will be the extra pitcher the club adds when rosters expand to 28 tomorrow. Either way, a corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Blach on the club’s 40-man roster.

Blach, 33, pitched 63 2/3 innings for the Rockies earlier this year, his seventh season in the majors and third consecutive year as a member of the Rockies. Prior to his time with Colorado, Blach was a fifth-round pick by the Giants in the 2012 draft and acted as a swing man for San Francisco from 2016 to 2019 before being traded to Baltimore midway through the 2019 campaign. Blach posted a 4.56 ERA and 4.23 FIP in a Giants uniform but suffered through five disastrous starts with the Orioles that wound up being the last appearances he’d make at the big league level until he resurfaced with the Rockies back in 2022.

During his tenure with the club, Blach has been shuttled between Triple-A and the majors regularly with a cumulative 5.90 ERA and 5.25 FIP in 186 innings of work. It’s been more of the same of those lackluster results this year, as he struggled to a 6.36 ERA with a 5.75 FIP in 18 appearances (including ten starts) before being designated for assignment just before the trade deadline last month. With Quantrill unable to take the ball and potentially ticketed for a stint on the injured list, however, it seems that the Rockies are now left to call upon Blach once again to eat innings for the club down the stretch.

As for Quantrill, it’s not yet entirely clear whether or not the right-hander will require a trip to the shelf, or if the club hopes that merely skipping his turn through the rotation will allow him to return to the mound next time up. Quantrill was a speculative trade target for pitching-needy clubs at the deadline last month due to his solid results (4.09 ERA in 21 starts) and the fact that the Rockies are reportedly uninterested in retaining the right-hander long term, but no deal ultimately came together involving the righty. Perhaps that’s for the best in the eyes of his potential suitors, as Quantrill has posted a brutal 7.23 ERA and 6.64 FIP in five starts since the trade deadline. That brutal stretch has caused his ERA to shoot up to 4.64 while his FIP has ballooned to 5.04, both well below league average figures, though perhaps his current triceps issue provides some level of explanation for the sudden struggles.

Rockies Unlikely To Extend Cal Quantrill

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Right-hander Cal Quantrill’s first season in Colorado has gone quite well, but Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post wrote recently that the club does not appear intent on keeping the hurler in Colorado long-term. Per Saunders, the club has not approached Quantrill regarding an extension and is unlikely to do so. That might result in his Rockies tenure being a fairly short one given that Saunders also notes that the Rockies have received calls on Quantrill ahead of the impending trade deadline, though they hadn’t received any firm offers as of Friday afternoon.

Quantrill, 29, was a first-round pick by the Padres back in 2016 and was shipped to Cleveland as a headliner in the package that brought Mike Clevinger to San Diego at the 2020 trade deadline. He was a clearly above average starter with the club from 2021 to 2022 with a 3.16 ERA and 4.10 FIP in 336 innings of work during that time despite a lackluster 18% strikeout rate. Quantrill suffered a down season last year as he struggled to a 5.24 ERA in 19 starts as he posted a career-worst 13.1% strikeout rate against a then career-worst 7.9% walk rate while surrendering eleven homers in just 99 2/3 innings of work.

That brutal performance left the Guardians to designate Quantrill for assignment back in November prior to the non-tender deadline. The club shipped him to the Rockies shortly thereafter, and the right-hander avoided arbitration with his new club by signing a one-year, $6.55MM deal ahead of the 2024 campaign. Things can hardly have been expected to go better for Quantrill during his first year with the Rockies, as he’s posted a 4.10 ERA in 114 1/3 innings of work that’s actually 10% better than league average by ERA+ thanks to the righty calling Coors Field home this year. Quantrill’s strikeout rate has crept back up to a more respectable 17.8% this year, although he’s walking a career-worst 8.9% of opponents so far. Most importantly for a pitcher in Colorado, Quantrill has seen his groundball rate tick up significantly to 46.4%, the best of his career.

Given Quantrill’s solid bounce back year while pitching in such a tough environment, it would hardly be a surprise if the Rockies wanted to retain the right-hander, who is controllable via arbitration next season, long-term. Saunders suggests that’s unlikely to be the club’s plan, however, noting that while Quantrill has expressed openness to the possibility of an extension, he also hopes to pitch for a contender and would likely want a three-year deal that the Rockies are hesitant to offer. A three-year pact would guarantee the right-hander a contract through his age-32 season, and Saunders suggests that the club believes they have pitching prospects currently developing in the system who will be ready to step into the rotation within the next two years.

That’s a somewhat surprising stance to take given the rarity of starting pitchers who have proven they can handle home games at Coors Field, but if the Rockies don’t intend to keep Quantrill long-term it’s hardly a surprise that they’re listening to offers on the righty. Given Quantrill’s relatively affordable price tag, extra season of team control, and experience pitching out of both the rotation and the bullpen in his career, the right-hander would surely be an attractive addition to several rotations in need of depth around the league.

While no specific names have been connected to Quantrill to this point, the Twins, Padres, and Brewers are among the clubs known to be in the market for starting pitching that could be restricted by financial limitations, a possibility that would make Quantrill a more attractive option given his aforementioned $6.55MM salary this year. The Guardians are another club that falls into that category, though it’s fair to wonder how realistic it is to think that Cleveland would give up significant prospect capital for a player they parted ways with just eight months ago.

Rockies Will Listen To Offers On Cal Quantrill, Austin Gomber

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The Rockies have a reputation for hanging onto — and at times extending — veterans who would be likely trade candidates with other organizations. In recent years, they’ve declined to trade Trevor Story, Jon Gray, Daniel Bard, C.J. Cron, Brent Suter and others despite sitting near the bottom of the standings in the National League. (Bard and Cron were signed to ill-fated extensions.) Various reports have already indicated that the Rockies have zero inclination to listen to trade scenarios involving third baseman Ryan McMahon, but Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report that Colorado decision-makers “plan to consider” offers for some players who are controlled beyond the current season.

Right-hander Cal Quantrill and lefty Austin Gomber are the two most obvious trade candidates on the staff, and the team will indeed consider offers on each, per the report. Both are in their second season of arbitration eligibility, with Quantrill earning a $6.55MM salary and Gomber being paid just shy of half that at $3.15MM. Both are controlled through the 2025 season and are slated to become free agents in the 2025-26 offseason.

Of the two, the 29-year-old Quantrill likely has more value despite being the pricier arm. He’s posted a team-high 95 1/3 innings in 2024 and recorded a 3.78 ERA on the back of an 18% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate, 46.9% grounder rate and 1.13 HR/9. It’s been a nice rebound effort for Quantrill in a tough setting for any pitcher. The former No. 8 overall draft pick was torched for a 5.24 ERA last season in an injury-shortened year with the Guardians but is now in the midst of his third season of solid results in a big league rotation. Quantrill also pitched to a combined 3.16 ERA in 336 innings with Cleveland in 2021-22, showing the same blend of sub-par strikeout rates with an aversion to hard contact.

Quantrill isn’t without his flaws. His 18% strikeout rate is worse than the league-average, but right in line with his career 17.8% mark. He’s never missed bats at a high level, and his command is more good than great. Similarly, while he uses a sinker as his primary offering, his ground-ball rates are typically a bit above average but far from elite. Quantrill has in the past featured a changeup — he’s largely moved away from the pitch this season — but it hasn’t kept lefties in check as much as hoped when the pitch received plus grades back to his prospect days. Lefties have a career .241/.318/.404 slash against him, while righties are at a comparable .266/.313/.400. He’s been hittable by all opponents but also not overexposed in platoon settings.

Gomber, 30, has pitched 87 2/3 innings this season and turned in a 4.72 ERA. That number has climbed by nearly two runs since the calendar turned to June. At the end of May, Gomber was sporting a tidy 2.76 earned run average, but he’s been blasted for 28 earned runs with an 18-to-7 K/BB ratio over his past 29 frames, dating back to June 2.

Rough patches of this sort are all too familiar for the Rockies and Gomber, who came to Denver as part of the regrettable Nolan Arenado trade with St. Louis. The former fourth-round pick is second (to Kyle Freeland) on the Rockies in innings pitched dating back to his acquisition, having piled up 466 2/3 frames over 99 appearances (83 starts). He’s posted a tepid 5.13 ERA in that time and actually generated slightly better results at Coors Field (4.96 ERA) than on the road (5.31 ERA). Look back through Gomber’s month-to-month splits in any given season, and there’s typically a month or two like his April/May run in 2024, but they’re largely offset by pronounced struggles that mirror his current slump.

Gomber punched out a solid 23.2% of his opponents in his first season with the Rox, but he’s at 16.1% this year and has seen the average velocity on his fastball drop from 91.6 mph in ’21 to 90.3 mph this season, per Statcast. He’s also scaled back the usage of his slider in favor of more curveballs and changeups. Back in 2021, Statcast credited his slider with a hearty 35% whiff rate, but the pitch is down to 17.7% this season and has been hit increasingly hard over the past couple seasons, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him moving away from it.

While neither Quantrill nor Gomber would fetch the type of haul that would seismically improve the Colorado farm system, both should generate interest. That’s true not only due to their relatively affordable salaries and extra year of club control, but also due to the simple lack of alternatives on the market for teams seeking rotation help. Quantrill is a borderline playoff starter at best, and Gomber is likely seen as more of a fifth starter who can help eat innings before sliding into a bullpen role in the playoffs. For some clubs, that type of stability is all they’re seeking.

It’s far from a given that the Rockies will ultimately move either pitcher. Quantrill has spoken positively about the experience of pitching in Colorado and at Coors Field specifically. He’s exceeded expectations since being acquired from Cleveland and, historically speaking, is the type of veteran the Rockies have looked to sign for multiple years rather than trade. Their ostensible willingness to listen to offers on him would be something of a change of pace but arguably a welcome one for a club that has at multiple times passed on trade opportunities that would’ve bolstered their minor league system only to eventually lose said players for no return at all when they become free agents. Whether either pitcher drums up enough interest to warrant an offer that convinces the Rockies to move remains an open question, though.

Colorado does have other arms that are controlled/signed beyond the current season, though most are performing poorly. Dakota Hudson has an ERA just shy of 6.00 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter. Kyle Freeland is signed through 2026 and will earn $16MM in each of the next two seasons. In a healthy season, he might’ve drawn interest, but he only returned from the 60-day IL a couple weeks back after a lengthy stint due to an elbow strain. He’s looked sharp since returning (two runs in 12 2/3 innings) but was clobbered for a 13.21 ERA in four starts prior to his IL trip.

The Athletic also cites righty Ryan Feltner as a name who could draw interest despite an ugly 5.60 ERA of his own. There’s some sense to that as a potential buy-low candidate. Feltner averages 95 mph on his heater and has turned in a career-low 6.2% walk rate in this year’s 91 2/3 innings. His 19.3% strikeout rate is below average by a couple percentage points, but his 10.5% swinging-strike rate isn’t far from par and he has solid spin rates on his breaking pitches.

Feltner, 27, will be arb-eligible as a Super Two player this offseason. He’s controllable for four more seasons and has a pair of minor league options remaining. A contending club might not want to plug him directly into their rotation — particularly if said team is in a tightly contested division/Wild Card race. Other clubs looking to 2025 and beyond — or perhaps those with comfortable division leads but still needing some rotation depth — could view him as a longer-term project with good raw stuff who could benefit from a change of scenery.

Latest On Rockies’ Deadline Outlook

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The Rockies enter this year’s trade deadline season in a familiar place. They’re sitting at the bottom of the NL West, 20.5 games out of first place and even a whopping nine games out of fourth place. Their 27-51 record has dipped behind the Marlins for the worst in the National League. Only the White Sox (21-58) have a worse record among MLB teams. They’re staring up at a 12-game deficit in the Wild Card race. Colorado isn’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, of course, but the final nail on any faint playoff aspirations they may have harbored has long since been driven into the coffin.

Normally, this would set up a team to consider itself a pure seller at the deadline. The Rockies surely view themselves in that light to an extent, but not to the same extent as onlookers might expect. Reports more than a month ago indicated the team was quite unlikely to trade third baseman Ryan McMahon, for instance, and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post doubles down on that sentiment in his latest look at the Rockies and the trade deadline, writing that there’s “nearly zero” chance McMahon will move. Specifically, he lists McMahon as a favorite of owner Dick Monfort, suggesting that even if GM Bill Schmidt and his crew wanted to field offers on the potential All-Star infielder, a deal wouldn’t necessarily be in the cards.

On a similar note, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Rockies have yet to hold any trade discussions surrounding right-hander Cal Quantrill. The team’s decision to buy low on the righty after the Guardians designated him for assignment last November — effectively a non-tender — has paid off in spades. Quantrill is sporting a 3.50 ERA in 90 innings out of manager Bud Black’s rotation. His 17% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate are both worse than average, but Quantrill’s 46.9% grounder rate is a career-best mark. His move to Coors Field also hasn’t dampened his characteristic knack for keeping the ball in the yard; Quantrill’s 0.90 HR/9 mark is not only better than the 1.06 mark he carried into the season — it’s a career-best rate for the former No. 8 overall draft pick.

Quantrill’s success is one of the best developments for the Rox this season, but he’s also not far from free agency. The righty is being paid $6.55MM in 2024 and has just one year of team control remaining. He could command around $10MM in arbitration this winter and would be a free agent following the 2025 season. Given his 2024 rebound, dwindling club control and mounting price tag, that would make him a logical trade candidate for most clubs.

The Rockies, however, have a history of extending just this sort of veteran. They’ve done so with Daniel Bard, C.J. Cron and Elias Diaz when all had previously stood as logical deadline trade candidates. Colorado has been particularly aggressive in extending pitchers, locking up Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela and German Marquez to long-term deals. Of those three starting pitcher extensions, only the Marquez pact worked out in their favor. The Rockies weren’t successful in completing an extension with Jon Gray but still held onto him at the deadline three years ago (despite trade interest) in hopes of working out a long-term deal.

While there’s no firm word yet that the Rockies have approached or plan to approach Quantrill about an extension, it’s a logical conclusion to draw based both on their operating history and the lack of trade talks to date. Add in that Quantrill has spoken previously about being motivated by pitching at Coors Field, and it’s even easier to see Rockies brass being warm to the idea.

Indeed, Saunders writes in that same weekend piece that both Quantrill and teammate Austin Gomber could be candidates for such a deal. Gomber, like Quantrill, is enjoying a rebound campaign and is arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season. The 30-year-old southpaw has a spottier track record and lesser results but also a lower price tag (both on a contract and in a trade) as a result. It bears emphasizing that there’s no firm indication yet that the Rockies will steadfastly refuse to listen to offers on either pitcher, but history tells us it’s less than likely.

All of that raises the question as to which players the Rockies might actually consider moving. Saunders notes that one of Elias Diaz or Jacob Stallings is a fair bet to change hands, as is the case with reliever Jalen Beeks and outfielder Jake Cave. Diaz, Stallings and Beeks can become free agents this winter. Cave is controlled through 2025.

The two veteran catchers are having strong years at the plate — Diaz is hitting .303/.352/.439 (107 wRC+), Stallings is at .293/.371/.466 (123 wRC+) — though Diaz is currently on the shelf with a hamstring injury. Diaz is earning $6MM to Stallings’ $1.5MM. Stallings once graded as one of the game’s premier defensive catchers, but his glovework has deteriorated a bit in recent years and it’s actually Diaz who draws more favorable marks at this point.

Beeks, 30, has stepped up as the de facto closer in Black’s bullpen after much of the relief corps has struggled at large. He’s pitched to a 3.76 ERA and saved six games in 38 1/3 innings but has done so with a subpar strikeout and walk rates (18.8% and 10%, respectively). Beeks has a $1.675MM salary that’s plenty affordable and a nice track record outside of last year’s anomalous 5.95 ERA, but it’s unlikely other clubs would look at him as an option for the same type of high-leverage role he’s currently holding down for the Rockies. The 31-year-old Cave, meanwhile, is a career backup who’s hitting .258/.312/.336 (68 wRC+). He can play all three outfield spots and first base, but he hasn’t turned in even an average offensive season since 2019 with the Twins. It’s doubtful he’d fetch much in a swap, but Beeks could draw a marginal prospect from a club seeking left-handed bullpen help.

Rockies, Cal Quantrill Avoid Arbitration

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The Rockies and right-hander Cal Quantrill have avoided arbitration, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The righty will make $6.55MM in the upcoming campaign.

Quantrill, 29 in February, spent the past three and a half years with Cleveland. He first qualified for arbitration for the 2022 season as a Super Two player. He made $2.51MM that year and then $5.55MM last year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a raise to $6.6MM in 2024 but the Guards decided to move on, designating him for assignment in November to open a roster spot prior to the Rule 5 draft. Shortly thereafter, he was acquired by the Rockies, with minor league catcher Kody Huff going the other way.

Friday is the deadline for clubs and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures, with hearings set to take place in late January. Many cases will be resolved as that deadline approaches, such as this case, with Quantrill agreeing to a salary just a shade below the projection.

Quantrill is coming off a frustrating season but had a solid run over the three prior campaigns. From 2020 to 2022, the righty tossed 368 innings with an earned run average of 3.08. His 18.4% strikeout rate was subpar, but he limited walks to a 6.7% rate, got grounders at a 42.7% clip and generally limited hard contact. Last year, however, his ERA shot up to 5.24 in a season where he twice went to the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. His walk rate was still good but his punchouts dropped to 13.1% as his hard hit rate and barrel rate both ticked up.

The Rockies are almost always in need of pitching and that’s especially been the case lately. Attracting free agents to the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field is always a challenge and significant injuries have hit incumbents arms, with each of Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Quantrill should be locked into a rotation spot to start the year alongside Kyle Freeland, with pitchers like Dakota Hudson, Ryan Feltner, Austin Gomber, Peter Lambert and Noah Davis also in the mix.

If Quantrill is able to have a bounceback season in 2024, he can be retained via arbitration in 2025. That could be by the Rockies or perhaps some other club, if Quantrill is throwing well enough to be a midseason trade candidate.

Rockies Acquire Cal Quantrill

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The Rockies announced that right-hander Cal Quantrill has been acquired in a trade with the Guardians.  Cleveland will receive minor league catcher Kody Huff in return, and Colorado has designated right-hander Tommy Doyle to create room on the 40-man roster.

Some kind of move seemed imminent when the Guardians designated Quantrill for assignment earlier this week, whether or not that move was a trade or the Guards just releasing Quantrill as an early non-tender.  The righty is projected to earn $6.6MM in the second of three arbitration-eligible years, which was perhaps a bit steep for a Cleveland team that traditionally has modest payrolls, and considering the fact that Quantrill struggled in 2023.

However, it was an acceptable price for a Rox team in dire need of starting pitching.  Denver’s thin air has always put an extra burden on Rockies pitchers, but things went particularly sideways in 2023 when the club was hit with a long list of injuries to pitchers at the both the Major League and minor league levels.  Colorado’s rotation wasn’t thought to be a strong group even going into the season, yet with injuries depleting the ranks, the Rockies’ pitching staff (both starters and relievers) finished at or near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories.

Health was a problem for Quantrill as well last year, as some nagging shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list twice and limited him to 99 2/3 innings.  This was a big drop from the 168 frames he averaged over the 2021-22 seasons, as well as a slide from his quality numbers in those previous two years.  Quantrill posted a 3.16 ERA for Cleveland in 2021-22, but that number ballooned to 5.24 in 2023.

A glance at the secondary numbers is necessary, as Quantrill’s 4.50 SIERA in 2021-22 indicates that he was in some sense fortunate to deliver such a solid bottom-line ERA.  Quantrill has always been a below-average strikeout pitcher who nevertheless had strong chase rates, yet his chase rate dropped off significantly to 26.5% last season, and his 13.1% strikeout rate in 2023 was almost the worst in baseball.  The righty also allowed much more hard contact in 2023 than in past years.

Coors Field isn’t exactly the best ballpark for a pitcher in need of a rebound year, so Quantrill will face a difficult challenge on his new club.  Simply staying healthy and eating some innings would be a decent outcome for both Quantrill and the Rockies, and Colorado’s ever-present need for pitching probably means that barring injury or a drastic downturn in performance, Quantrill stand a good chance of being tendered a contract for his final arbitration year.

Doyle made his MLB debut in the form of 2 1/3 innings over three appearances with Colorado in 2020, and then didn’t make it back to the Show until he posted a 6.85 ERA over 23 2/3 innings for the Rox this past season.  The 27-year-old Doyle dealt with some injury problems in between those two Major League stints, and he had a 3.41 ERA in 37 frames with Triple-A Colorado Springs this season, with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 48.9% grounder rate helping paper over some less-flattering secondary metrics.

It wasn’t enough for the Rockies to keep him on the 40-man roster, though Doyle could stick around in the organization if he clears waivers and opts to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.  Doyle has been previously outrighted in his career, so he has the ability to reject future outright assignments in favor of free agency.

Cleveland’s ability to draft and develop young pitching has been the organization’s backbone for years, and this strength was on display again in 2023 when Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen all looked good in their rookie seasons.  This isn’t to say that the Guardians are completely set in the rotation — the rookies could hit some setbacks now that the league has a book on them, and Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber both had injury problems last year.  Bieber is a free agent next winter and has been widely seen as a trade candidate this offseason, but even with Bieber’s departure potentially looming, it’s a sign of how far Quantrill’s stock fell that the Guardians were willing to move on.

Rather than non-tender Quantrill for nothing, the Guards did get some return back in Huff, a Stanford product who was a seventh-round pick for the Rockies in the 2022 draft.  He spent the 2023 season at the Rockies’ A-ball affiliate in Fresno, hitting .262/.357/.374 over 340 plate appearances.  Baseball America’s scouting report on Huff describes him as a “baseball rat” type, and “his well-rounded game and advanced instincts give him a chance to be a backup catcher.”  Cleveland has long prioritized defense from the catching position, and that stance doesn’t appear to be changing especially now that an ex-catcher in Stephen Vogt is the Guardians’ new manager.

Guardians Designate Cal Quantrill For Assignment

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The Guardians have designated right-handers Cal Quantrill and Michael Kelly for assignment, per a team announcement. Their spots on the 40-man roster go to fellow righties Cade Smith and Daniel Espino, whose contracts have been selected in order to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Quantrill is the most notable name designated for assignment so far today — a veteran of four-plus big league seasons who was locked into a rotation spot in Cleveland heading into the 2023 season. He struggled badly in an injury-shortened year, however, and the Guards will designate him for assignment rather than pay him a raise in arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected a $6.6MM salary for the former first-round pick.

Prior to the 2023 season, a DFA of Quantrill would have seemed far-fetched. While it might’ve been easy to envision a scenario where Cleveland ultimately traded the righty — as they frequently do with pitchers late in their arbitration years — a straight jettison from the roster for a righty who pitched 336 innings of 3.16 ERA ball from 2021-22 speaks to the magnitude of his struggles in 2023.

Granted, Quantrill enjoyed that success despite a well below-average 18% strikeout rate, but he at least partially offset that lack of whiffs and punchouts with strong command (6.8% walk rate) and a knack for inducing weak contact (87.6 mph average exit velocity, 35% hard-hit rate).

The 2023 campaign couldn’t have gone much more poorly for Quantrill. Shoulder inflammation wiped out more than two months of season, and when he was healthy enough to take the mound he limped to a 5.24 ERA with fielding-independent metrics to match. His fastball, which averaged a career-high 95.3 mph back in 2020, was down to 94.1 mph in 2023, and he posted career-worst strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates of 13.1%, 7.9% and 40.8%. Of the 141 pitchers who tossed at least 90 innings in 2023, Quantrill’s strikeout rate ranked 140th, leading only 40-year-old Adam Wainwright, who retired at season’s end.

The Guardians are known for their ability to regularly churn out quality arms, and their second-to-none pitching development was on full display in ’23, with top prospects Tanner Bibee (the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up), Gavin Williams and Logan Allen all not only making their MLB debuts but almost immediately stepping up as MLB-caliber rotation options. That trio, combined with Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie, gives Cleveland a strong starting five even without Quantrill. Of course, since Bieber has just one year of club control remaining, he’s a trade candidate himself this winter, but the Guards could potentially receive a viable rotation replacement in moving him, sign one in free agency or simply turn to their farm system for yet another rotation candidate.

Cleveland will have a week to trade Quantrill or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Presumably, the Guards explored trade possibilities before making today’s move to DFA him. That doesn’t mean a deal can’t yet be reached, but there’s now a clock on any dealings. Quantrill would certainly be a candidate to be claimed, and he’d have the right to elect free agency if he clears. One way or another, this DFA all but closes the door on his time with the organization. Any team that claims Quantrill could control him for two more years via arbitration, but they’d have to be willing to pay him something in the vicinity of that projected $6.6MM salary next year.

The rest of Cleveland’s moves are less surprising. Kelly is a 31-year-old journeyman who pitched a career-high 16 2/3 innings in the Cleveland bullpen this year. He held his own with a 3.78 ERA and average 22.5% strikeout rate, but he also walked more than 12% of his opponents and had similar command issues in Triple-A. Like Quantrill, he’ll be traded or potentially passed through waivers within a week’s time. He can elect free agency if he clears.

Espino entered the season ranked as one of the sport’s five best pitching prospects despite a lengthy list of injuries already on his resume. He wound up missing the entire year due to a shoulder procedure performed in early May. The talent is still there for Espino to be a coveted prospect, but with a mounting number of injuries under his belt, he’s fallen well down (or entirely off) most prospect rankings.

Smith, 24, was a 16th-round pick by the Twins back in 2017 but didn’t sign, instead opting for college. He subsequently went undrafted because of the shortened nature of the 2020 draft and signed as a free agent with the Guardians thereafter. He worked exclusively out of the bullpen in 2023, pitching 62 2/3 innings of 4.02 ERA ball between Double-A and Triple-A. It was a pedestrian earned run average, but Smith also fanned a sky-high 35.2% of his opponents. Given his ability to miss bats and his proximity to the Majors, he’d quite likely have been selected in the Rule 5 Draft had Cleveland not protected him. He’ll now have a chance to earn his first big league look this coming season.

Guardians Place Cal Quantrill On 15-Day IL

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The Guardians have informed reporters, including Zack Meisel of The Athletic, that right-hander Cal Quantrill has landed back on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Cody Morris was recalled to take his roster spot.

It’s been a challenging year for Quantrill, who posted a 5.61 ERA through the end of May and then landed on the IL due to shoulder inflammation. He returned a week ago and made two more starts but was shelled for 11 earned runs over 7 2/3 innings in those, raising his season ERA to 6.45 and now landing back on the IL due to the same shoulder ailment.

He’s proven himself quite capable of being a solid starter when healthy, as he tossed 336 innings over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.16 ERA. He only struck out 18% of batters faced in that time but kept his walks to a 6.8% clip and got grounders on 42.6% of balls in play.

There’s been a few twists in the Cleveland rotation this year, with Quantrill’s struggles as well as those of Zach Plesac, who has been outrighted off the roster. Triston McKenzie has also been injured for most of the season. That’s forced them to turn to prospects like Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen as the season has gone along, slotting those youngsters next to Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale. The club’s starters as a whole have a 4.35 ERA that’s 15th in the league but enough to keep them afloat in a weak division. Their 42-44 record puts them just two games back of the Twins in the American League Central. When Quantrill came off the IL last week, Allen was optioned to the minors and could perhaps be recalled to retake his rotation spot after the upcoming All-Star break.

The club’s status over the next few weeks will make them an interesting player as the August 1 deadline approaches. They have frequently traded players, especially pitchers, as they get into their arbitration years and become more expensive. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger have all been traded in recent years and replaced by younger and cheaper hurlers from within. With the emergence of Williams, Bibee and Allen, it’s been speculated that the club could look to move someone like Bieber or Civale for more offense at this year’s deadline. Though the Guardians are still in contention, so few clubs are clear sellers this year that swaps between contenders might become a common theme.

The Guards will have a few weeks to assess Quantrill’s health, but it may have an impact on their willingness to move someone from their rotation in such a deal. Earlier today, MLBTR published a list of the top 50 deadline trade candidates and listed Bieber and Civale in the #8 and the #20 spots, respectively, though that was before the news of Quantrill’s return to the IL.

Guardians Place Cal Quantrill On Injured List

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The Guardians have placed starter Cal Quantrill on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation, tweets Zack Meisel of the Athletic. Aaron Civale was reinstated from the IL to take his spot in the rotation. Cleveland also placed first baseman Josh Bell on the paternity list and recalled rookie infielder Brayan Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus.

Quantrill received an injection in his shoulder and will be shut down from throwing for a few days, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com (Twitter link). It’s not clear how long he’ll be out of action, though the shutdown could suggest it’s more than the minimal two weeks. While the Guardians will clearly be disappointed to lose one of their starters, the injury could explain some uncharacteristic struggles.

The right-hander has allowed a 5.61 ERA over 11 starts. Quantrill had kept his ERA below or around 3.00 in each of the preceding two seasons. This year’s velocity isn’t any different but he’s missing bats on a career-low 7.2% of his pitches. Quantrill’s past two starts have been particularly ineffective, as he’s respectively served up six and eight runs while failing to get out of the fifth inning.

In Quantrill’s place, the Guardians are welcoming back two veteran arms in the coming days. Civale starts tonight in Minnesota. It’s his first appearance since April 7. He missed just under two months with an oblique strain. Civale posted a 4.92 ERA in 20 starts last season.

Right-hander Triston McKenzie is listed as the probable starter for Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the division-leading Twins. McKenzie hasn’t pitched in the majors this season thanks to a Spring Training shoulder strain. He’s made three rehab starts with Columbus, allowing five runs in 10 1/3 frames. McKenzie is on the 60-day injured list and will need to return to the 40-man roster. Cleveland will have to make a corresponding move in that regard on Sunday.

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