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Danny Duffy, Chasen Shreve, Shane Greene Won’t Make Rangers’ Roster

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Veteran left-handers Danny Duffy and Chasen Shreve won’t make the Rangers’ Opening Day roster, nor will righty Shane Greene, tweets Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today. They’ve been told they’re free to explore the opt-out clauses in their minor league deals and see if there are big league opportunities for them elsewhere. However, the Rangers would also welcome the trio of veterans to open the season with their Triple-A affiliate.

The 35-year-old Duffy hasn’t pitched in a big league game since 2021 due to a lengthy series of injuries — most notably a torn flexor tendon that required surgery to repair back in December of 2021. Several setbacks wound up costing Duffy the 2022 season as well. He pitched 35 2/3 minor league innings with Texas last season but walked more than 16% of his opponents on the season, showing some clear rust from his lengthy layoff on the mound. He’s looked better this spring, pitching seven innings and allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with seven punchouts.

Aside from a brief dalliance in the bullpen in 2015-16, Duffy was a fixture on Kansas City’s starting staff from 2014-21, during which time he logged a 3.82 ERA in 1015 innings while punching out 21.3% of his opponents against an 8.2% walk rate.

Greene, 35, is a former All-Star closer/setup man who peaked with the Tigers and Braves from 2017-20. He’s thrown just three innings in each of the past two MLB seasons but also turned in strong numbers with the Cubs in Triple-A last year. He’s yielded a pair of runs on five hits with a 5-to-2 K/BB ratio and 46% ground-ball rate thus far in spring training.

Greene was at once a high-leverage bullpen arm with both the Tigers and Braves, pitching to a combined 3.25 ERA with 64 saves and 35 holds in 221 2/3 innings from 2017-20 between the two clubs. He reached free agency on the heels of that stretch but didn’t end up signing until the following May, when he returned to the Braves. The right-hander struggled to a 7.23 ERA in 28 innings after that delayed start to the season and hasn’t had much of an opportunity to get back on track since.

Shreve, 33, has pitched in the majors in each of the past 10 seasons. He touts a career 3.97 ERA with a 25.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. His velocity has dipped over the past couple seasons, with his heater sitting at just 90.6 mph from 2022-23. He’s pitched to a 5.32 ERA through 71 innings in that time, though there’s reason for more optimism than that mark would suggest.

Shreve boasts better-than-average strikeout and walk rates (24.1% and 7.8%) in spite of the downturn in velocity and has kept the ball on the ground at a solid 43.5% clip. Metrics like FIP (4.55) and particularly SIERA (3.64) are far more bullish than his ERA. In 4 2/3 spring innings, he’s yielded four runs on five hits and a couple of walks while fanning five opponents.

Rangers Sign Three To Minor League Deals

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The Rangers announced the signing of three players to minor league contracts. Left-handers Chasen Shreve and Danny Duffy and catcher José Godoy will be in MLB camp as non-roster invitees. Texas also confirmed their previously reported agreement with DJ Peters, although the outfielder-turned-pitcher did not get an invite to big league Spring Training.

All three of Texas new additions have MLB experience. Of the trio, only Shreve appeared at the big league level a year ago. The 33-year-old split his season between the Tigers and Reds. Initially inked to an offseason minor league pact by Detroit, he made the team out of camp and logged 47 appearances. While his 4.79 ERA over 41 1/3 innings is unspectacular, Shreve struck out a decent 23.3% of opponents against a lower than average 6.7% walk percentage.

Detroit had hoped to drum up trade interest in the veteran reliever. Once the deadline passed without a taker, they released him to give a few more innings to controllable bullpen arms. Shreve latched on with the Reds for three more outings but didn’t carve out a lasting spot in the Cincinnati relief corps. They released him in September.

Shreve has appeared in parts of 10 big league campaigns, suiting up with seven different teams along the way. He’ll go for an eighth in Arlington as he aims for a spot in a bullpen that skews to the right side. Brock Burke is the only southpaw locked into a relief corps that could also include swingman Cody Bradford or rookies Antoine Kelly and Jake Latz. Shreve has held left-handed batters to a fairly modest .222/.295/.403 batting line over the past four seasons. Former Astro Blake Taylor is also in camp as a minor league pickup.

Duffy rejoins the group, marking his second straight season with the Rangers. The longtime Royals starter inked a minor league pact with Texas a year ago. That came on the heels of 18 months wrecked by arm injuries. Duffy suffered a flexor strain midway through the 2021 season. Repeated setbacks necessitated postseason surgery and ultimately cost him all of ’22 as well.

The 35-year-old managed to get back on a mound last June. Assigned to Double-A Frisco, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. Duffy turned in a 2.30 ERA over 31 1/3 innings, striking out 28.3% of batters faced. His control was clearly adversely affected by the long layoff, as he walked an untenable 15.2% of hitters at the Double-A level. He issued another eight free passes in 4 1/3 frames of Triple-A work. The Rangers were sufficiently impressed with his form to give him another Spring Training look in hopes that he can dial in the command as he gets further removed from injury. Duffy hasn’t made an MLB appearance since his final start as a Royal on July 16, 2021.

Godoy, 29, is a depth catcher who has 26 games of big league experience. He split that time between the Mariners, Twins and Pirates. The left-handed hitter has a .271/.329/.404 line in parts of four Triple-A campaigns. Godoy spent the ’23 season in the Yankees and Orioles organizations but only made 36 appearances at the top minor league level.

Reds Release Chasen Shreve

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The Reds have released Chasen Shreve, according to his transaction page on MLB.com. The lefty reliever was designated for assignment on September 12, just ten days after the Reds selected his contract. He made three appearances for Cincinnati, including scoreless outings against the Mariners and Cardinals, but turned out to be little more than a placeholder for fellow southpaw Brandon Williamson; he was called up when Williamson went on the COVID-19 IL and DFA’d once Williamson returned.

Shreve spent most of the 2023 campaign with the Tigers, making 47 appearances between Opening Day and mid-August. While his 4.79 ERA was uninspiring, his underlying numbers painted a picture of a solid middle reliever: a 46.8% groundball rate, a 6.7% walk rate, and a 3.69 SIERA. Nonetheless, the Tigers eventually chose to prioritize youth and the future, cutting ties with the veteran shortly after the trade deadline.

The 33-year-old quickly latched on with the Reds, signing a minor league deal and reporting to the Louisville Bats. He performed well in six appearances for Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate, giving up only one run on two hits while striking out five.

With less than a week remaining in the Triple-A season, it’s unlikely Shreve signs elsewhere before the year is up. However, he should be able to find another minor league deal this winter. As a durable left-handed reliever with ten years of big league experience, teams will undoubtedly be interested in his services.

Reds Designate Chasen Shreve For Assignment

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The Reds announced today that left-hander Brandon Williamson has been activated from the COVID-19 injured list, with fellow lefty Chasen Shreve designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Shreve, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Tigers in the offseason and cracked that club’s Opening Day roster. He posted a 4.79 earned run average over 47 appearances before getting released in August as that team began giving opportunities to younger players.

He landed with the Reds on a minors deal and was one of many pitchers recently ushered to the majors as the club dealt with a COVID outbreak. Over the past couple of weeks, five pitchers and one position player have been placed on the COVID IL, necessitating frequent roster moves as the club tried to continually bring in fresh arms. Shreve pitched 3 1/3 innings for Cincinnati since being added to the roster, allowing one earned run in that time. But as the affected players have been returning to the roster of late, Shreve has now been nudged out.

With the trade deadline long gone, the Reds will place Shreve on waivers in the coming days. If he were to pass through unclaimed, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, since it’s after September 1, he would not have postseason eligibility with any new club he joins. The Reds are within two games of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, so perhaps that gives Shreve incentive to stick around and hope for a shot at postseason play.

It’s also possible that he garners attention on waivers, based on his track record. His combined 4.63 ERA on the year isn’t especially impressive but his 23.3% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate are both solid. He has a career ERA of 3.97 over 367 career appearances. The Tigers are on the hook for what’s left of his salary, meaning a claiming club would only have to pay him the prorated version of the league minimum for any time spent on the roster.

Reds Select Chasen Shreve, Promote Connor Phillips

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. The club placed right-hander Graham Ashcraft of the 15-day IL with a stress reaction in his big toe, placed left-hander Brandon Williamson on the COVID-19 IL, selected the contract of left-hander Chasen Shreve, and added right-hander Connor Phillips to the roster as a substitute player. Players on the COVID-19 IL don’t count against a club’s 40-man roster, so the Reds have plenty of temporary flexibility due to the number of players currently shelved with the virus. As a substitute player, Phillips is only temporarily on the roster and can be returned to the minors without being waived. As the club selected Shreve’s contract, he counts against the club’s 40-man roster in a more permanent fashion, though no corresponding move is needed at this time.

Phillips, 22, will make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game. MLB Pipeline ranks the young right-hander as the club’s fourth best prospect and the 70th best prospect in the sport. He opened the year with a dominant performance at Double-A, posting a 3.34 ERA in 64 2/3 innings of work with an incredible 39.1% strikeout rate. Since receiving a promotion to Triple-A, however, Phillips has begun to struggle. His 40 1/3 innings at the level have yielded a 4.69 ERA, while his strikeout rate has plummeted to 24.2% and his walk rate has ballooned to a massive 16.9%.

Given his age, prospect pedigree and dominance as recently as earlier this season, it’s certainly possible Phillips has a lengthy and successful big league career in his future. In the short-term, however, he’ll need to significantly cut down on the free passes if he hopes to help the 70-67 Reds fight their way into one of the NL Wild Card spots with key pitchers like Williamson and right-hander Hunter Greene out for an unknown amount of time due to the clubhouse’s COVID outbreak.

Shreve, 33, joined the Reds on a minor league deal last month. He had spent the 2023 season with the Tigers prior to that, pitching to a roughly league average 4.79 ERA and 4.06 FIP in 47 appearances with the club. The lefty veteran is in his tenth year as a major league pitcher, with a career 3.88 ERA. While he’s mostly looked the part of a middle reliever throughout his career, it’s worth noting he’s posted a 2.65 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate against same-handed hitters this season. With Sam Moll as the only other southpaw in the Cincinnati bullpen as things stand, Shreve seems likely to be able to carve out a specialized role in the Reds’ bullpen going forward.

Joining several of his teammates on the COVID IL is Williamson, who has looked the part of a solid mid-to-back of the rotation starter during his rookie campaign. Across 19 starts with the Reds this year, Williamson has posted a 4.20 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 4.51 FIP in 98 2/3 innings of work. The loss of a reliable rotation arm like Williamson further compounds the club’s pitching woes. In addition to Greene’s move to the COVID IL, the Reds recently lost any hope of left-hander Nick Lodolo returning this season.

Williamson isn’t the only starter hitting the shelf today, either, as Ashcraft moves to the 15-day IL following his start against the Cubs yesterday, in which he allowed three runs over five innings of work while striking out six. It’s been an up-and-down season for Ashcraft, who dominated to a 2.00 ERA in his first six starts this season before posting a brutal 12.82 ERA over his next eight starts. Since June 30, Ashcraft has posted a 2.58 ERA reminiscent of his strong start to the season, though his 19.8% strikeout rate and eight homers allowed in seven starts both leave his long-term viability as a rotation arm in question. Overall, he’s delivered a 4.76 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 145 2/3 innings of work this season.

Without Williamson and Ashcraft, the club’s rotation is facing a great deal of uncertainty, with only rookie Andrew Abbott as a surefire big league starter on the roster. Lyon Richardson took the ball against the Cubs for the second game of a doubleheader last night, but sports an ugly 6.75 ERA across three starts in the majors. The club will likely have to turn to the likes of Double-A swingman Carson Spiers and journeyman Brett Kennedy to take on innings with most of the club’s rotation out of commission.

Reds Sign Chasen Shreve To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have signed veteran reliever Chasen Shreve to a minor league contract, according to the transaction log on MLB.com. He has been assigned to the Triple-A Louisville Bats.

Shreve agreed to a minor league deal with the Tigers this offseason and made the major league roster out of spring training. He made 47 appearances for the club before being DFA’d, pitching to a 4.79 ERA in 41 1/3 innings pitched. Despite his high ERA, he posted a 3.66 SIERA and the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. Even more impressive, his 33.9% chase rate ranks in the 92nd percentile of MLB pitchers, per Baseball Savant. Nevertheless, he was designated for assignment to make room for Will Vest on the Tigers’ 26-man roster. Detroit is still on the hook for Shreve’s salary, so Cincinnati will only have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time he spends on the MLB roster.

The Reds will be the seventh organization Shreve has played for since he was drafted by the Braves in 2010. He will report to Triple-A, but the southpaw will serve as valuable depth for the major league club. With Reiver Sanmartin out for the season, the Reds only have two left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster: Alex Young and Sam Moll. Young has pitched well this year, putting up a 2.96 ERA in 53 games, while Moll has done excellent work since he was acquired from the Athletics at the trade deadline, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in his first seven appearances. Still, Cincinnati will be glad to have some veteran depth at Triple-A. Since Shreve was acquired before the September 1 deadline, he will be eligible for the Reds’ postseason roster should the team make the playoffs.

The Reds bullpen has struggled over the past month, with a 4.85 ERA and 0.0 FanGraphs WAR in 27 games. They have blown four saves in 13 chances and lost seven of 11 decisions in that time. As the Reds compete for the NL Central crown (or a Wild Card berth), they’ll hope to see their bullpen return to its first-half form. Over the team’s first 95 games, Reds relievers posted a 3.86 ERA and ranked sixth in baseball with 3.5 fWAR.

Tigers Release Chasen Shreve

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TODAY: The Tigers announced that they have requested release waivers on Shreve.

AUGUST 11: The Tigers announced they’ve designated veteran reliever Chasen Shreve for assignment. The move clears a spot in the big league bullpen for Will Vest, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Detroit’s 40-man roster count drops to 39.

As first reported by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press (on Twitter), Shreve has already gone unclaimed on waivers. Whether by rejection of an outright assignment or a release, he’s highly likely to become a free agent.

Shreve signed a minor league pact with Detroit over the offseason. The well-travelled southpaw cracked the Opening Day roster and would go on to make 47 appearances. While he posted only a 4.79 ERA through 41 1/3 innings, he had solid underlying marks.

The 33-year-old fanned an average 23.3% of opponents against a lower than average 6.7% walk rate. He kept the ball on the ground at a 46.8% clip and induced swinging strikes on an above-average 12.6% of his offerings. While it seemed that’d lead Detroit to trade him at the deadline, they apparently didn’t find sufficient interest to make a deal. Once the deadline passed, the non-competitive Tigers have decided to move on from Shreve entirely. He was an impending free agent, and the Tigers clearly felt the marginal dip in their bullpen quality over the season’s final seven weeks is a worthwhile trade-off for getting more reps to controllable arms.

Detroit is paying Shreve a $1.25MM salary. Just under $350K is yet to be paid out. Because Shreve was unclaimed on waivers, the Tigers will remain responsible for that sum. The organization could pull in some moderate savings from the release, however. Shreve had already unlocked $300K in innings-based incentives. He’d have triggered an additional $100K at reaching 45 and 50 innings, respectively (with $125K available at 55 and 60 frames). That’ll no longer be in play.

Once he officially returns to free agency, Shreve can pursue other opportunities. The incentives wouldn’t be available on any new contract, though perhaps he’ll find an immediate spot in a contending club’s bullpen. Another team would only owe Shreve the prorated amount of the $720K minimum for time spent on the MLB roster through season’s end. If he signs elsewhere by the end of the month, he’d be eligible for postseason play with his next team.

Tigers’ Jose Cisnero, Chasen Shreve Garnering Trade Interest

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Tigers relievers Alex Lange and Jason Foley are the club’s most valuable trade chips in the bullpen, but veterans Jose Cisnero and Chasen Shreve are drawing interest as well, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Both are free agents at season’s end, giving both a good chance to be moved by next Tuesday’s deadline.

Cisnero, a 34-year-old righty, has pitched to a 3.96 ERA in 38 1/3 innings this season and carries a 3.19 ERA in 155 frames dating back to the 2020 season. He’s averaging 96.1 mph on his heater, striking out 25.7% of his opponents against an 8.4% walk rate, and inducing grounders at a health 45.2% clip in 2023. He’s earning $2,287,500 this season.

Shreve, who turned 33 earlier this month, is sporting a less-appealing 4.82 ERA but has a more appetizing secondary profile. He’s punching out a strong 24.2% of his opponents against a 6.8% walk rate, sports a nice 12.9% swinging-strike rate and has kept the ball on the ground at a 47.7% clip. Fielding-independent metrics (3.89 xFIP, 3.57 SIERA) feel he’s performed far better than that ERA would suggest. Notably, five of the 20 runs Shreve has allowed this year came in one nightmare outing; he has a 3.67 ERA and 31-to-7 K/BB ratio in 27 innings since.

Originally signed to a minor league deal, Shreve is earning a $1.25MM base salary in Detroit, though his contract was an incentive-laden deal and he’s already begun to tap into those bonuses. He’s already triggered a trio of $75K bonuses for reaching 20, 30 and 35 innings pitched, and he’ll unlock another $75K bonus when he hits 40 innings. Shreve’s contract also pays him $100K at 45 and 50 innings and $125K innings at both 55 and 60 innings.

Neither reliever figures to draw a substantial haul of talent on his own, but the 46-55 Tigers figure to be open to dealing either, given their looming free agency. Neither would receive a qualifying offer, and Detroit could use those spots in the bullpen to look at younger arms down the stretch. Speculatively, either could be paired up with one of the Tigers’ other clear-cut trade candidates — Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen — to enhance the return.

McCosky writes that Cisnero and Shreve have thus far generated more trade interest than either Lange or Foley, though that’s surely just due to likely asking price on the latter duo. Both Lange and Foley are under Tigers control through the 2027 season, and while neither can be entirely ruled out as a trade candidate, that remaining club control will naturally lead to a much higher asking price. Be that as it may, ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggests that some clubs could eventually turn to names like Lange and Foley in their quest for bullpen upgrades, given the underwhelming slate of names on this summer’s rental market.

Tigers Designate Edwin Uceta For Assignment

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The Tigers announced Thursday that they’ve designated right-hander Edwin Uceta for assignment. That move, coupled with yesterday’s outright of Rony Garcia, will open the two roster spots necessary to select the contracts of lefty Chasen Shreve and righty Trey Wingenter. Both relievers are now formally on Detroit’s Opening Day roster.

Additionally, the Tigers optioned lefty Tyler Holton to Triple-A Toledo and placed three players on the injured list. Infielder Tyler Nevin is headed to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain, while righties Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort) and Michael Lorenzen (left groin strain) have been placed on the 15-day IL.

The 25-year-old Uceta was a waiver claim out of the Diamondbacks organization back in January. He’s seen big league work in each of the past two seasons, first throwing 20 1/3 frames with the Dodgers in 20221 before logging 17 frames with the D-backs in 2022. Uceta’s results have been poor, as he’s served up a 6.27 ERA with a 23% strikeout rate and an elevated 11.5% walk rate. He’s struggled to limit the damage with men on base, but Uceta has solid spin and velocity on his four-seamer and a 30% strikeout rate in Triple-A.

Uceta appeared in eight spring games with the Tigers. He yielded six earned runs on 13 hits and four walks through 11 frames (4.91 ERA) but also fanned 14 of his 48 opponents (29.2%). The Tigers will have a week to trade him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Uceta does have a minor league option remaining, which could add to his appeal.

Tigers To Select Chasen Shreve, Trey Wingenter

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Left-hander Chasen Shreve and right-hander Trey Wingenter have made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter link). Both were in camp as non-roster invitees, so the Tigers will need to make a pair of corresponding 40-man roster moves.

Shreve, 32, is the more experienced of the pair, having accrued almost six years of service time across parts of nine seasons at the MLB level. He punched his ticket to the Opening Day club when he held opponents to a pair of runs on five hits and three walks with ten punchouts through eight innings this spring.

The Tigers will be Shreve’s sixth club, as he’s previously logged time with the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Pirates and Braves. Overall, he has a 3.87 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, 11.1% walk rate, 41% ground-ball rate and 1.56 HR/9 mark in 311 1/3 big league innings. Shreve spent the 2022 season with the Mets — his second stint there — but was tagged for a 6.49 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate remained consistent with career levels and he actually improved on his walk rate, but ’22 was one of the most homer-prone seasons of Shreve’s career (2.05 HR/9).

At his best, Shreve misses bats at an above-average level and lacks the platoon splits one might typically expect of a lefty reliever. Opponents have nearly identical career batting lines against him, regardless of handedness. Righties have slashed .226/.317/.423 to left-handed batters’ .231/.320/.420.

Turning to the 28-year-old Wingenter, this will be the towering 6’7″ right-hander’s first MLB work since 2019. The former Padres reliever missed the 2020-21 seasons following Tommy John surgery in July of 2020. He was non-tendered by San Diego and signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati, but he was out for all of the 2022 season due to continued elbow troubles.

This offseason, Wingenter pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with the Dominican Winter League’s Leones del Escogido and showed enough to pique the Tigers’ interest there. He was sensational during spring training, tossing seven shutout innings and holding opponents to four hits with an 11-to-1 K/BB ratio. Wingenter averaged just shy of 97 mph on his heater prior to surgery and has punched out 33.1% of his opponents at the MLB level. Walks have been an issue (13.3%), and his overall 5.14 ERA in 70 innings with San Diego doesn’t stand out much, but there’s plenty to like between his huge frame, impressive velocity and ability to miss bats.

Wingenter has spent enough time on the Major League injured list that he’s accrued three years of MLB service time. If he’s able to stick on the Tigers’ roster and remain healthy, he’d be controllable through the 2025 season via arbitration.

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