Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Calvin Faucher

Latest On Marlins Pitchers, Outfielders

By | at

2:38pm: MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reports that the Yankees have pitched the Marlins on a potential package deal involving Alcantara and Bender.

10:25am: All eyes are on Sandy Alcantara today, with less than seven hours to go until the MLB trade deadline.  The former Cy Young winner sports an ugly post-Tommy John 6.36 ERA in 21 starts, but he has totaled 12 scoreless innings in his last two starts against the Padres and Cardinals.

Alcantara is controlled through 2027 by virtue of the contract extension he signed over three years ago.  The Astros and Red Sox were linked to him yesterday, while the Mets, Padres, and Cubs are among those previously connected.  This morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds another potential suitor: the Yankees.

The Yankees have Luis Gil set to make his season debut Sunday against the Marlins following his spring lat strain, which may send Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A (if the latter isn’t included in a trade today).  Gil will join veterans Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman, as well as Will Warren.  As Greg Joyce of the New York Post wrote yesterday, a rotation acquisition by the Yankees would force a choice between Warren and Stroman.

With a competitive balance tax payroll around $314MM after additions of Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, and Austin Slater, the Yankees face a 110% tax on every dollar they add this summer.  Alcantara is earning $17MM this year and next, with a club option for 2027.  Acquiring Alcantara would mean adding more than $6MM to the Yankees’ CBT ledger for this year, plus a tax of around $6.7MM.

Teams seeking starting pitching are also intrigued by hard-throwing Marlins righty Edward Cabrera.  Cabrera, 27, is having a better season than Alcantara and is under team control through 2028 at much lower (expected) salaries than Alcantara.  As such, it makes sense that the Yankees are interested in Cabrera, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports today with five hours left until the deadline.  The Marlins are eyeing powerful Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones, notes Morosi.  According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, “interest in both Alcantara and Cabrera is very high.”

Sammon also notes that a pair of Marlins righty relievers are drawing interest in Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher.  Henriquez’s 32.4 K% ranks 20th among relievers this year, and he’s been mentioned as an under-the-radar trade candidate by MLBTR several times this month.  Given that Henriquez was a February waiver claim who had limited MLB experience with the Twins, he’s under team control through 2030.

As you might expect, Sammon reports that Faucher is more likely to be traded today.  Faucher, 30 in September, has a 3.73 ERA, 23.2 K%, and 10.7 BB% this year with a 44.2% groundball rate.  He’s less intriguing than Henriquez, but is under control through 2029.  Righty Anthony Bender has also been in rumors this month.

Finally, Sammon points out that Marlins outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Dane Myers are also drawing interest.  Sanchez, 28 in October, is under team control through 2027.  He’s a left-handed hitter who has a slightly above average 104 wRC+ since 2023, though against righties he’s at 119 during that time.  Myers, a December 2022 waiver claim from the Tigers, is under team control through ’29.  He’s a righty hitter who can serve as a lefty masher, given his 141 wRC+ against southpaws in 172 plate appearances dating back to 2023.

Sanchez has been playing right field for the Marlins, often sitting against lefties.  Myers has been taking most starts in center, occasionally sharing with Javier Sanoja.

Marlins Announce 11 Roster Moves

By | at

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.

Latest On Marlins’ Bullpen Trade Candidates

By | at

The Marlins should trade a handful of veteran players over the next three weeks. While center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. might be the team’s most interesting candidate, the Fish are also a lock to move at least one reliever.

Closer Tanner Scott, who is on his way to his first All-Star Game next week, has looked likely to move essentially since the Marlins started their season on a nine-game losing streak. The Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies and Orioles were all linked to the hard-throwing lefty last month. Scott is a viable target for any team with postseason aspirations, though, and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald writes that roughly a dozen clubs have expressed interest.

Scott got off to a rather shaky start to the season. After walking seven of the 34 hitters he faced during Spring Training, he handed out 13 free passes in 12 2/3 innings through the end of April. While Scott worked around the walks to turn in a 2.84 ERA in the season’s first month, he’d likely have been in for regression if he didn’t dial in his command.

To his credit, Scott has taken a step forward in that regard. He has walked 10 of 93 opponents (10.8%) going back to May 1. It’s still not pristine control, but it’s significantly better than the 21.3% walk percentage he’d posted through the season’s first few weeks. Strike-throwing is Scott’s only real question mark. He has some of the best raw stuff in the sport, pairing a 97 MPH heater with a wipeout slider. Opponents have only managed 18 hits over 38 innings. They’re hitting .142/.273/.205 across 154 plate appearances.

While this is the first year in which Scott is headed to the Midsummer Classic, he was arguably even better in 2023. Scott pitched to a 2.31 ERA with a 33.9% strikeout rate and a career-best 7.8% walk percentage over 78 innings last year. Over two and a half seasons in South Florida, he owns a 2.82 earned run average while striking out 31.5% of opposing hitters. He has picked up 45 saves and finished 89 games while working as Miami’s closer for the majority of that stretch.

There’s little reason for the Marlins to hang onto Scott past the deadline. He’s headed to free agency for the first time in his career a few months from now. He’ll be entering his age-30 campaign and should have a case for a three- or four-year deal. A rebuilding Miami team isn’t likely to bring him back. Scott is playing this season on a $5.7MM arbitration salary, a little over $2.5MM of which is still owed.

As the lone rental in the bullpen, Scott should be the top priority for president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and his staff. Yet the front office is probably open to discussing their more controllable relievers as well. Mish writes that other teams have shown particular interest in left-hander Andrew Nardi, whom the Marlins control for another four seasons. Mish also lists right-handers Calvin Faucher and Declan Cronin as potential trade candidates, though it’s not clear how strong interest is in those cases.

Nardi is probably the most appealing of that group. His pedestrian 4.72 ERA belies excellent strikeout and walk numbers. The 25-year-old southpaw has fanned 29% of batters faced against a 7.6% walk rate. He’s inducing swinging strikes at a lofty 14.4% clip. Nardi has been plagued by a .337 average on balls in play this season but posted a 2.67 ERA across 57 1/3 frames last year. There should be significant interest, although Mish suggests the Marlins may wind up holding onto Nardi to plug him into the ninth inning next year.

Faucher and Cronin were low-cost offseason acquisitions. The former came over from the Rays alongside Vidal Bruján in one of Bendix’s first trades. Faucher has a 3.55 ERA while striking out nearly a quarter of opponents through 33 innings. Cronin, claimed off waivers from the Astros in February, has a 3.35 ERA with solid peripherals over 43 frames. The 26-year-old righty has average strikeout and walk numbers while running a massive 55.7% ground-ball percentage.

Marlins Designate Matt Andriese For Assignment

By | at

The Marlins announced that right-hander Matt Andriese has been designated for assignment.  Calvin Faucher has been called up from Triple-A Jacksonville to take his fellow right’s spot on the 26-man roster.

Signed to a minor league deal during the offseason, Andriese had that contract selected on April 4, resulting in his first taste of Major League action since the 2021 campaign.  Andriese had a 5.40 ERA over five innings and three appearances with Miami, eating some innings in a mop-up capacity while also allowing two homers in this brief sample size.

The home run ball was often an issue for Andriese during his seven-year run in the bigs from 2015-21, as he had a 14.5% homer rate over 509 innings with five different clubs.  Andriese’s 2022 campaign was spent in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, and he returned to North America last season on a minor league deal with the Dodgers, posting a 6.05 ERA across 93 2/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City without ever getting a call-up.

Should Andriese clear waivers, Miami could opt to keep him around at Triple-A as bullpen depth, even if his lack of minor league options makes him an imperfect candidate to be shuffled back and forth between the majors and minors.  Andriese can also refuse an outright assignment to Triple-A in order to become a free agent, as he has previously been outrighted off a 40-man roster earlier in his career.  Given his rather long path back to the Show, it seems possible that Andriese might prefer the relative stability of remaining in the Marlins organization rather than again testing the open market.

Rays Acquire Jake Mangum As PTBNL From Bruján/Faucher Trade

By | at

The Rays announced that they have acquired outfielder Jake Mangum as the PTBNL in last month’s deal that sent infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján and right-hander Calvin Faucher to the Marlins. The Rays received minor league infielder Erick Lara, right-hander Andrew Lindsey and a player to be named later, which is now revealed to be Mangum. Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reported the transaction shortly before the official announcement.

Remarkably, Mangum was also a PTBNL in a deal almost exactly one year ago. On December 7 of 2022, it was reported that he would go from the Mets to the Marlins as the PTBNL in the deal that sent Elieser Hernández and Jeff Brigham to Queens.

He spent 2023 in Triple-A, getting into 119 games at that level. He only struck out in 17.7% of his plate appearances but also only drew walks at a 5.4% clip and hit just five home runs. His .298/.346/.425 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 93. But Mangum is considered a plus defender and baserunner, stealing 16 bases on the year. His bat has also been in better shape before, such as hitting .306/.363/.441 in the minors in 2022 across multiple levels.

The Rays have a solid big league outfield at the moment but guys like Manuel Margot and Randy Arozarena have been in trade rumors this winter. Whether they subtract an outfielder or not, Mangum will give them an extra bit of non-roster depth.

Marlins Acquire Vidal Brujan, Calvin Faucher From Rays

By | at

The Marlins announced the acquisition of utility player Vidal Bruján and right-hander Calvin Faucher from the Rays. Miami is sending minor league infielder Erick Lara, right-hander Andrew Lindsey and a player to be named later to Tampa Bay. The Fish already had three openings on the 40-man roster, so no further moves were necessary.

Bruján is the biggest name in the deal. While the switch-hitting utilityman has yet to find much major league success, he was once a top prospect. The Dominican Republic native was a top 10 prospect in a strong Rays system at Baseball America each year from 2019-22. He ranked in the back half of BA’s top 100 overall minor league talents throughout that run.

Praised for his speed, bat-to-ball skills and defensive flexibility, Bruján fit the general profile that Tampa Bay prioritizes. Despite excellent minor league production, he never got much consistent run at the MLB level with the Rays. Bruján struggled when he did see relatively brief stints at the highest level in the last three seasons.

In 272 MLB plate appearances, the 25-year-old is a .157/.218/.221 hitter with three home runs. He has been far better at Triple-A Durham, hitting .273/.357/.450 over parts of three seasons. That includes a .272/.362/.477 slash with 10 home runs and 19 stolen bases (albeit with 14 times caught stealing) over 59 games for the Bulls this year.

Bruján has exhausted his minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on the MLB roster next season. A Tampa Bay team deep in infield talent may not have been able to afford that opportunity, so they’ll clear a 40-man roster spot early in the offseason. Miami has a bit less bench depth and is without a clear answer at shortstop, where Jon Berti projects as the starter. While Bruján is unlikely to get an everyday job, he can play either middle infield position, any outfield spot, and has experience at third base.

Faucher, 28, had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. He’s now traded for the second time in his career. The former Twins draftee went to the Rays at the 2021 deadline in the Nelson Cruz/Joe Ryan swap. He debuted with Tampa Bay in 2022 and has pitched in 39 big league contests (four starts) over the past two seasons.

The results haven’t been great. Faucher owns a 6.32 ERA in 47 MLB innings. His 20.8% strikeout rate and 10% walk percentage are each a little worse than average. The UC Irvine product throws in the mid-90s and has a cutter, sweeper and curveball in his offspeed repertoire. He owns an excellent 2.75 ERA in 72 Triple-A innings over three years, striking out 29.4% of batters faced at that level.

Faucher still has one option year remaining, so the Marlins can move him between Miami and Triple-A Jacksonville for another season. It’s the second straight year in which the Fish acquired a reliever and a former top infield prospect from Tampa Bay. Last November, the sides lined up on the Xavier Edwards/JT Chargois deal. That was orchestrated by previous Miami general manager Kim Ng. Miami’s first-year president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was working in the Rays’ front office for that trade. One of his first transactions leading the Marlins is to bring in a pair of players with whom he’s familiar from their in-state rivals.

In return, Tampa Bay picks up a pair of prospects (and likely a third) who are nowhere near occupying 40-man roster spots — common practice as they churn the roster for future talent. Lara is a 17-year-old shortstop who recently signed out of the Dominican Republic. Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote in May that he could stick at shortstop depending on his 6’2″ frame fills out. He’s a left-handed hitter.

Lindsey was a fifth-round pick this past summer out of Tennessee. The 6’3″ hurler pitched to a 2.90 ERA in 71 1/3 innings during his junior season for the Volunteers. He struck out nearly a quarter of opponents against a modest 6.4% walk rate. He turned 24 this week. BA wrote in his draft report that he sits in the mid-90s with a sinker and has a high-80s slider as his top secondary pitch.

Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported the Marlins were acquiring Bruján and Faucher.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rays Designate Calvin Faucher, Cooper Criswell For Assignment

By | at

The Rays are selecting infielder Austin Shenton and right-hander Yoniel Curet to the 40-man roster, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. In corresponding moves, righties Calvin Faucher and Cooper Criswell have been designated for assignment. The Rays also avoided arbitration with left-hander Tyler Alexander on a one-year deal, Topkin adds.

Shenton, a left-handed hitting corner infielder, was a fifth round pick of the Mariners in 2019. Seattle traded the Florida International product to Tampa Bay at the 2021 deadline to bring in reliever Diego Castillo. He has spent the past couple seasons in the upper minors. The 25-year-old had a breakout year in 2023, combining for a .304/.423/.584 batting line between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. He walked at a massive 16.3% clip against an elevated 26.7% strikeout rate.

Curet, 21, is a 6’2″ hurler from the Dominican Republic. He’s still in the low minors. Curet split this year between Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green. He combined for a 2.94 ERA through 104 innings, striking out a third of opponents. A near-17% walk rate points to significant control issues to be ironed out, yet the Rays were evidently still concerned another team could stash Curet as an upside flier in their bullpen.

Faucher joined the Rays at the 2021 trade deadline as part of the ill-fated Nelson Cruz/Joe Ryan deal. The 28-year-old has pitched 47 innings over 39 appearances in the last two seasons. He has allowed 6.32 earned runs per nine with a middling 20.8% strikeout rate and a lofty 10% walk percentage. Faucher ended the season on the injured list with biceps tendinitis.

Criswell was on and off the active roster this year. He posted a 3.93 ERA in 84 2/3 Triple-A innings but allowed a 5.73 ERA over 33 MLB frames. Criswell is a good strike-thrower but hasn’t missed many bats at the highest level. Both he and Faucher will be traded or put on waivers within the next week.

Alexander was just claimed off waivers from the Tigers. He is in his second season of arbitration eligibility. Financial terms of his deal weren’t disclosed. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $2MM salary, although it’s not uncommon for deals for borderline non-tender candidates to come in below those forecasts.

Rays Select Raimel Tapia; Place Brandon Lowe, Jason Adam On IL

By | at

12:46PM: The Rays also placed Jason Adam on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain, and called righty Chris Devenski up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Adam’s placement was expected after he left yesterday’s game due to injury, and Friday’s appearance was his first since returning from a three-week IL stint with another injury to his left oblique.

11:17AM: As reported yesterday, Brandon Lowe will miss 4-6 weeks of action after suffering a right kneecap fracture.  The Rays officially placed Lowe on the 10-day injured list today, and selected the contract of outfielder Raimel Tapia from Triple-A Durham.  To create a 40-man roster spot for Tapia, Tampa Bay called up Calvin Faucher from Triple-A and placed him on the 60-day injured list due to right biceps tendinitis.

Assuming he gets into a game with the Rays, it will be Tapia’s third different MLB team of the 2023 season, and his fifth club in less than two years after playing with the Rockies in 2021 and the Blue Jays in 2022.  Tapia signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox during the winter and ended up appearing in 39 games for Boston before being released in June.  He signed a big league deal with the Brewers a couple of days later, and played in 20 games before Milwaukee designated Tapia for assignment and subsequently released him.

Overall, Tapia has hit .230/.308/.338 over 158 combined plate appearances with the Red Sox and Brewers this season, as well as a .269/.371/.414 slash line in 124 PA with Durham since the Rays signed the outfielder to a minors contract in early August.

Tapia has a decent .273 career batting average in 2016 career PA in the majors, albeit without much on-base or power numbers, and not much pop to show all of the contact he makes.  Known as an excellent baserunner, Tapia’s speed has helped him beat out some grounders to the tune of a .328 career BABIP, but is more known for being a fourth-outfielder type who can play all three positions in a pinch (though primarily a corner outfielder) and provide bench depth as a pinch-runner.

The left-handed hitting Tapia’s numbers aren’t much better against right-handed pitching than they are against southpaws, but he’ll at least provide Tampa Bay with some balance within their mostly right-handed hitting outfield group.  Randy Arozarena also left Friday’s game due to quad tightness, so with Tapia’s selection, the Rays might be looking to bolster their outfield ranks if Arozarena needs a couple of days off or possibly even an IL stint.

Faucher hasn’t pitched since tossing two-thirds of an inning for Durham on August 13.  His move to the 60-day IL is basically just procedural to open up a 40-man spot, and he’ll at least get some MLB service time and a minimum salary for being shifted to the big league version of the injured list.  The righty also missed a chunk of time earlier this season due to right elbow inflammation, and has a 7.01 ERA in 25 2/3 innings for the Rays in 2023.

Rays Option Taj Bradley

By | at

The Rays are optioning right-hander Taj Bradley to Triple-A Durham, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Reliever Ryan Thompson will be recalled to take his roster spot for now, though a spot will soon be required for Aaron Civale, having been acquired from the Guardians earlier today. The Rays have now announced the moves. The club also selected righty Erasmo Ramírez yesterday, optioning righty Calvin Faucher in a corresponding move.

Tampa has dealt with a number of injuries to its rotation this year, with Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen both out for the remainder of the season due to their injuries. Josh Fleming is also on the 60-day injured list and has an uncertain timeline. That has seen them roll with a rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Shane McClanahan, Zach Eflin and Bradley of late. Eflin recently required an MRI on his left knee, which was an ominous development given his history of knee issues, but he’s been cleared to start Tuesday.

Around that foursome, the Rays have been occasionally deploying some bullpen games, but they added Civale into the mix with a trade today. That could have still left room for Bradley to stick around, but it seems that Tampa would prefer to send him to Durham to get some work in there. He came into this season as one of the top prospects in the league but hasn’t quite made a smooth transition to the big leagues. He has allowed 5.67 earned runs per nine innings through 16 starts so far, though there seems to be a lot of bad luck in there. He’s striking out 30% of opponents while walking 7.9%, both of those numbers being better than league average, but his .342 batting average on balls in play and 64.8% strand rate and both on the unlucky side.

ERA estimators such as his 4.15 FIP and 3.53 SIERA paint a nicer picture of Bradley’s debut season thus far, but he will be bumped off the active roster nonetheless. This won’t impact him from a service time perspective, as he had already been optioned a few times earlier in the season and wasn’t going to get a full year of service time here in 2023 even before this move. With tomorrow’s trade deadline looming, there’s still a chance for the Rays to add another starter, with hurlers like Jack Flaherty, Michael Lorenzen and Eduardo Rodriguez just some of those thought to be available.

But for now, it seems the rotation spot will go to Zack Littell, as Topkin relays the righty will start on Friday. Littell had been working as a reliever earlier in the year but recently made some starts as an opener, with his workload gradually increasing. Seven of his last eight outings have been longer than a single inning and he tossed five frames in yesterday’s contest, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, striking out four while walking none.

He was a starter in the minors earlier in his career but has been a primary reliever since 2019. It’s unclear if the Rays plan on him moving to a starter’s role permanently, but it wouldn’t be the first time they went down this road. Both Springs and Rasmussen were working out of the bullpen before the Rays started stretching them out, successfully moving them both to rotation jobs before their current injuries. On the season as a whole, Littell has a 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings, though with a .376 BABIP, 22.7% strikeout rate, 3.8% walk rate and 46.9% ground ball rate.

Ramírez, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Nationals in the offseason. But he posted a 6.33 ERA though 23 appearances and got released, landing with the Rays on a minor league deal. He worked a multi-inning role for the Bulls, tossing 23 innings over nine appearances with a 5.87 ERA. His .383 BABIP and 68% strand rate point to some bad luck while his peripherals were strong, with a 28.7% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 45.2% ground ball rate.

Rays Outright Javy Guerra To Triple-A

By | at

TODAY: Guerra cleared DFA waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, the Rays announced.

JULY 19: The Rays have designated right-hander Javy Guerra for assignment and recalled righty Calvin Faucher from Triple-A Durham, per a club announcement.

It’s been an eventful eight months for Guerra, who was traded from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee back in November, then designated for assignment and traded back to the Rays in April. This is now the second time the Rays have designated him for assignment since reacquiring him; he cleared waivers back in May and chose to accept an outright assignment at the time.

In 11 innings with the Rays this year, Guerra has posted a 4.09 ERA but issued more walks (13) than strikeouts (nine). The former top infield prospect, who converted to the mound five years ago, boasts a heater that averages 98 mph but doesn’t miss nearly as many bats as one would expect from someone with plus velocity. He’s fanned just 15% of his opponents against a 14.3% walk rate while pitching to a 6.43 ERA in 63 innings at the Major League level.

The Rays will have a week to trade Guerra or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. As was the case back in May, he’d have the option of rejecting an outright assignment in favor of free agency even if he does clear.

Show all

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top