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C.J. Cron

Red Sox Considering C.J. Cron

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The Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas for a yet-to-be-determined but significant period of time yesterday, as the 24-year-old slugger was diagnosed with a left rib fracture. Manager Alex Cora said at the time that Bobby Dalbec would get the bulk of playing time at first base in lieu of Casas, but it seems the Sox are also mulling the possibility of going outside the organization. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that Boston has had some initial talks about bringing veteran C.J. Cron back to the organization.

Cron, 34, was with the Sox during spring training but was granted his release in late March after he triggered an opt-out clause. The veteran slugger saw action in just six spring games and went 3-for-15 with a pair of walks. He remains unsigned.

Middling as those small-sample spring numbers may be, Cron has a long and generally productive track record at the big league level. He’s a career .260/.320/.471 hitter who’s hit 25 or more home runs in four different seasons, including a 29-homer campaign as recently as the 2022 season with the Rockies. Cron hit .260/.304/.476 and popped 11 homers in 56 games with the Rox last season before being traded to the Angels — his original organization — at the deadline. He slumped to a .200/.259/.260 line in 15 games post-trade, however, and twice hit the injured list due to lower back troubles over the final two months of the season.

Cron has had four IL placements due to back and neck injuries since the 2021 season, and he missed the majority of the shortened 2020 campaign after damaging a ligament in his knee while fielding a grounder — an injury that eventually required surgery. It’s been a tough few years on the health front, but Cron has typically been a productive bat when he’s been on the field. Given the fact that he’s still unsigned after opting out of a minor league deal, one would imagine the cost to sign him would be affordable as well.

There are other options for the Sox to consider if they indeed go outside the organization. Fellow veteran Brandon Belt remains unsigned despite a hefty .254/.369/.490 slash and 19 home runs in 404 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last year. That performance checked in 38% better than league average, by measure of wRC+ (138). The Cubs also just designated veteran Garrett Cooper for assignment despite a rather productive 41 plate appearances to begin his season (.270/.341/.432, 118 wRC+). Cooper has punched out in more than 30% of his plate appearances and benefited from a .391 BABIP, which could be red flags for the Sox and other interested parties, however.

For now, it’ll be Dalbec getting the looks at first base, though it’s hardly a surprise that the Sox aren’t comfortable simply handing him the keys at first base. The former hit 33 home runs in his first 156 big league games from 2020-21 but has since batted just .198/.268/.337 (65 wRC+) in 441 plate appearances — all while punching out at a glaring 37.2% clip. Even more concerning is Dalbec’s start to the 2024 season. The 28-year-old has taken 35 plate appearances and gone 1-for-32 with 18 strikeouts.

Red Sox To Select Joely Rodriguez; C.J. Cron Granted Release

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TODAY: The Red Sox released Cron and informed Rodriguez that he made the roster, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (X link).

MARCH 22: First baseman C.J. Cron and left-hander Joely Rodriguez have both exercised the uniform opt-out provision in their minor league contracts with the Red Sox, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Both players were Article XX(B) free agents — six-plus years of service time, finished the season on a major league roster or injured list — who signed minor league contracts and were thus granted a trio of mandatory opt-out opportunities: five days prior to Opening Day (today), May 1 and June 1. The Red Sox will now have 48 hours to either put Cron and/or Rodriguez on the 40-man roster. They’ll have to release either player if they decide against carrying him on the Opening Day roster.

Cron, 34, has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Back and neck injuries tanked his 2023 season, limiting him to 278 plate appearances with a .248/.295/.434 slash, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. From 2018-22, Cron piled up 2290 plate appearances and hit .260/.331/.490 with 116 home runs. He’s only had 15 plate appearances this spring, during which he’s 2-for-11 with three walks and two strikeouts. The Red Sox are set at first base and DH with Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida, but Cron could serve as a right-handed complement/insurance to either or perhaps some right-handed pop off the bench.

Rodriguez, 32, was with the Sox in 2023 but pitched just 11 innings due to oblique, shoulder and hip injuries that combined to result in three different stints on the injured list. He posted a 6.55 ERA in his short time on the mound, striking out 27.5% of his opponents against an 11.8% walk rate and 45.2% ground-ball rate.

It wasn’t a strong year overall for Rodriguez, but the lefty has posted far better numbers over the three preceding seasons in his return from an excellent two-year stint in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. From 2020-22, Rodriguez pitched 109 1/3 frames between the Rangers, Yankees and Mets, working to a 4.28 ERA with even more encouraging secondary marks. Rodriguez fanned 25.5% of his opponents in that time and induced grounders at a huge 55.7% clip. His 10.3% walk rate was still a couple ticks north of the league average, but the lefty offered an enticing blend of missed bats and grounders while excelling at keeping the ball in the park (0.58 HR/9). Metrics like FIP (3.14) and SIERA (3.51) were rather bullish on his work.

Rodriguez has had a strong showing this spring, holding opponents to a pair of runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings of relief. He’s also recorded a massive 61.9% ground-ball rate. He seems like he has a decent shot to make the roster, and even if the Sox don’t add him, the left-hander should command interest elsewhere.

31 Veterans With Opt-Out Opportunities Looming This Week

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One of the provisions in that 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement is uniform opt-out opportunities for Article XX(B) free agents on minor league deals. An Article XX(B) free agent is one with at least six years of service time who finished the previous season on a major league roster or injured list. Any such player who signs a minor league deal more than ten days prior to Opening Day can opt out of that deal at three points if they haven’t been added to the 40-man roster: five days before Opening Day, May 1 and June 1.

The first uniform opt-out date on this year’s calendar falls Friday at 1pm CT. Any player can trigger his out clause at that point, and the team will subsequently be given a 48-hour window to either add him to the roster or release him. With many clubs around the league dealing with spring injuries, some of these players should be able to find opportunities elsewhere if they can’t find it with their current organization. Their current clubs can prevent them from opting out by giving them a roster spot, but that may involve cutting someone else.

Angels: OF Jake Marisnick, LHP Drew Pomeranz

Marisnick, 33 this month, is a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder with a plus glove and questionable bat. He can hold his own against right-handed pitching (career .237/.293/.417, 93 wRC+) but is typically overmatched by righties (.223/.274/.365, 74 wRC+). He’s having a huge spring, but the Angels already have Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Mickey Moniak, Aaron Hicks and Jo Adell on the 40-man roster.

The 35-year-old Pomeranz was a good starter from 2016-17 and a dominant reliever from 2019-21, but he didn’t pitch in 2022-23 due to arm injuries. He’s pitched 6 2/3 innings with the Angels this spring with middling results.

Blue Jays: 3B/2B Eduardo Escobar, 1B Joey Votto

A poor season between the Mets and Angels last year set the stage for the 35-year-old Escobar to take a minor league deal. He’s long been a productive MLB hitter and even topped 30 homers back in 2019, but Escobar’s now in his mid-30s and struggling through an ugly spring while trying to win a spot in a crowded infield mix also featuring Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider.

Votto, 40, has been connected the Blue Jays seemingly forever due to his Canadian roots. He finally suited up for the Jays after agreeing to a minor league deal and homered in his first at-bat of camp. He’s had a lackluster showing at the plate in each of the past two MLB seasons, however.

Cubs: 1B/OF Garrett Cooper, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., OF David Peralta

An underrated hitter for years in Miami, Cooper slashed .274/.350/.444 in nearly 1300 plate appearances from 2019-22 before a poorly timed down showing in 2023’s walk year. He’s hitting quite well in spring training, and the Cubs don’t have a proven option at first base — though they’re understandably high on 26-year-old trade acquisition Michael Busch.

Edwards had a nice 2022 season with the Nats and posted a solid ERA in 2023 but did so with dismal K-BB numbers. He’s competing for a spot in an uncharacteristically crowded Cubs bullpen and could be squeezed out. The 32-year-old pitched for the Cubs from 2015-19, so Chicago brass knows him well. From 2022-23 in D.C., he posted a 3.07 ERA but a middling 20% strikeout rate against a 10.5% walk rate.

Peralta, 36, has a trio of hits and a walk in ten plate appearances this spring. He was an above-average hitter with the D-backs every season from 2017-20 but has been less consistent of late. He’s a left-handed hitter who’s long had glaring platoon splits and is limited to the outfield corners.

Diamondbacks: SS Elvis Andrus

Andrus is 35 but can still pick it at shortstop or second base. His once above-average speed has faded to the 30th percentile of MLB players, per Statcast, but his range at short remains excellent. Andrus hit .251/.304/.358 (81 wRC+) for the White Sox in 2023 and only has one year of above-average offense (2022) in the past six seasons.

Guardians: RHP Carlos Carrasco

Old friend Cookie Carrasco is fighting for the fifth spot in the Guardians’ rotation, and news of Gavin Williams’ season-opening stint on the injured list could further open the door for the 36-year-old (37 on Thursday) to make the team. Carrasco was torched for a 6.80 ERA with the 2023 Mets. He allowed 1.80 homers per nine frames through 90 innings, with alarming batted-ball metrics (91.5 mph average exit velocity, 48.2% hard-hit rate, 10.7% barrel rate). He was a solid mid-rotation arm as recently as 2022, when he tossed 152 innings of 3.97 ERA ball with sharp strikeout and walk rates.

Marlins: C Curt Casali

The veteran Casali has batted .201/.311/.315 over the past three big league seasons — a 78 wRC+ in 503 plate appearances. The 35-year-old is off to a rough start in camp and is a long shot to unseat defensive-minded Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt, both of whom are already on the 40-man roster.

Mets: 1B/DH Ji Man Choi

From 2017-22, Choi hit .254/.363/.465 (130 wRC+) against right-handed pitching. He walked at a 14.4% clip when holding the platoon advantage and fanned at a higher-than-average but still-manageable 24.1% rate. Lefties have always had Choi’s number, however, and his overall production cratered in 2023 while he dealt with Achilles and ribcage injuries. He’s fighting for a bench spot in New York alongside DJ Stewart and others.

Nationals: RHP Matt Barnes, OF Eddie Rosario, OF Jesse Winker

Barnes was an All-Star closer with the Red Sox in 2021 and briefly one of the game’s most dominant relievers, fanning more than 40% of his opponents for the bulk of that season. He wore down beginning in August and hasn’t been the same since a hip injury. Barnes’ velocity and strikeouts were way down in 2023 before he underwent season-ending surgery. He should have a good chance to win a spot in a Nationals bullpen that has little established talent.

Rosario and Winker are both left-handed-hitting outfielders who are best deployed in left field — with Winker having a particularly shaky defensive reputation. Winker is the younger of the two at 30 years old (to Rosario’s 32). Winker was quietly one of the most productive hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching for much of his time in Cincinnati, but knee and neck surgery in October 2022 look to have taken their toll on him. Rosario was the far more productive hitter in 2023. There may not be room for both veterans on the Washington roster. Winker has been in camp longer and been more productive in their small samples.

Orioles: 2B Kolten Wong

The Orioles seem to bring in a veteran infielder coming off a down season almost every year. It’s Wong’s turn in 2023. The 33-year-old was one of the game’s worst hitters in ’23, slashing just .183/.256/.263 in 250 plate appearances between the Mariners and Dodgers. That was beyond out of character for Wong, who’d been an average or better hitter in five of the past six seasons. If the O’s don’t want to rush Jackson Holliday or Coby Mayo, Wong could win a spot on the roster — but he hasn’t hit that well in camp so far.

Pirates: RHP Chase Anderson

It’s been five years since Anderson’s last solid season in a big league rotation, but the well-liked veteran continues to get work each season. From 2020-23, he’s pitched to a 6.19 ERA in 192 MLB frames — including a 5.42 mark in 86 1/3 innings last year (mostly with the Rockies). Anderson doesn’t miss many bats, but he has good command and is having a nice spring with the Pirates. He’s competing with Luis Ortiz, Jared Jones, Roansy Contreras, Domingo German and others for one of two generally open rotation spots in Pittsburgh.

Rangers: INF Matt Duffy, RHP Shane Greene, RHP Jose Urena

A contact-oriented hitter who can play all over the infield, the 33-year-old Duffy faces an uphill battle with Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue all on the 40-man roster ahead of him. Nathaniel Lowe will open the season on the injured list, but that’ll likely work to Jared Walsh’s benefit more than Duffy.

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.

The 32-year-old Urena made five dismal starts for the Rockies early in the 2023 season and five solid ones for the White Sox late in the season. He also pitched well for Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate. A solid arm for the Marlins in 2017-18, Urena has a 5.50 ERA in 350 1/3 MLB frames dating back to 2019. He’s had a nice spring and could be a depth piece for an injury-plagued Rangers rotation.

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi

Odorizzi signed last week and will look to get back on track after a shoulder injury cost him the 2023 season. With the exception of an injury-wrecked 2020 season, he’s been a dependable five-inning starter dating back to 2014 (3.98 ERA in 1216 innings). The Rays’ pitching staff is dealing with plenty of injuries, and Odorizzi should be an option for the Rays early in the season.

Red Sox: 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Michael Fulmer, C Roberto Perez, LHP Joely Rodriguez

Cron has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Injuries tanked his 2023 season, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. He’d make a nice right-handed complement to Triston Casas and/or Masataka Yoshida at first base and designated hitter, providing some insurance against an injury to either.

Perez is an all-glove backup who’s never hit much outside the juiced ball season in 2019, when he popped 24 of his 55 career homers. The Sox figure to go with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong behind the plate, making him a long shot to land a roster spot.

Rodriguez signed a big league deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season but only pitched 11 innings due to injury. He’s having a decent spring training — two runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings — and has a good chance to win a spot in a patchwork Red Sox bullpen. If not, his ability to miss bats and pile up grounders would likely draw interest elsewhere.

Fulmer won’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing surgery last summer. His minor league deal is a two-year contract that stretches into 2025. The two sides knew this going into the arrangement and there’s no reason to expect he’ll opt out.

Royals: RHP Tyler Duffey

Duffey was a mainstay in the division-rival Twins’ bullpen and was a high-end setup option at his peak in 2019-21, posting a 2.89 ERA across 144 frames while fanning 29.8% of his opponents. His results slipped in 2022 as he lost some life on his fastball, and he pitched just two MLB frames with the Cubs in 2023. Duffey recently had a procedure to remove a cancerous mole from his shoulder that understandably halted his baseball activity for a bit. He’s hopeful he’ll pitch again this spring, and while the larger takeaway is relief that the melanoma was discovered and quickly treated, his track record could also give him a shot to crack the Royals’ bullpen early in the season.

White Sox: RHP Jesse Chavez, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Dominic Leone, 3B/1B Mike Moustakas, OF Kevin Pillar, RHP Bryan Shaw

Chavez, 40, has been excellent with the Braves in each of the past three seasons but struggled in stints with the Cubs and Angels. He’s having a tough spring with the White Sox but carries a 2.81 ERA in his past 137 2/3 MLB frames, spanning the 2021-23 seasons.

Keller has spent his entire big league career with the Royals but saw his time in Kansas City come to a rough ending. After a three-year run as a solid starter, Keller struggled in three subsequent seasons, culminating in an IL stint for symptoms indicative of thoracic outlet syndrome. He hasn’t pitched in an official spring game for the White Sox.

Leone struggled late in the 2023 season but has a cumulative 3.38 ERA in 157 innings over the past three seasons. He’s having a solid spring training, has late-inning experience, and seems like a decent bet to win a spot in a White Sox bullpen that’s been completely torn down since last summer.

Moustakas has turned in three straight below-average seasons at the plate and is struggling again with the White Sox in camp (.167/.268/.278 in 41 plate appearances). The Sox have Yoan Moncada and Andrew Vaughn at the corners, plus Gavin Sheets as a lefty-swinging first base option (and corner outfielder) off the bench. Moose seems like a long shot to make the club.

Pillar would give the Sox a right-handed complement to lefty-hitting corner outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Dominic Fletcher. He’s 35 and no longer the plus-plus defensive center fielder he once was but could give them some insurance for Luis Robert Jr. in center as well. He hit .228/.248/.416 with nine homers in 206 plate appearances for the Braves last year.

Shaw pitched 45 2/3 innings for the Sox last year and delivered a respectable 4.14 ERA in that time. His production has tailed off substantially since his days as a consistent setup presence in the Cleveland bullpen — evidenced by a 5.07 ERA over his past six seasons. He’s been tagged for a dozen earned runs in 7 1/3 spring frames but does have 10 strikeouts.

Red Sox Agree To Minor League Deal With C.J. Cron

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1:00pm: Cron will make a base salary of $2MM if on the roster and could unlock another $500K via incentives, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

10:05am: The Red Sox and first baseman C.J. Cron are in agreement on a minor league deal, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive (X links). The client of Moye Sports Associates will presumably receive an invite to major league camp.

It was reported yesterday that the Sox were looking to bring in a veteran to compete for a bench spot, with Cron floated as once such possibility. The 34-year-old has served as a potent bat in the big leagues for many years but is coming a frustrating 2023 season.

He began the year with the Rockies for the second season of a two-year, $14.5MM extension he signed late in 2021. But he made multiple trips to the injured list last year due to issues with his back. He was traded to the Angels midseason and only got into 71 games on the year between the two clubs. He still showed a bit of pop with his 12 home runs but only walked in 6.1% of his plate appearances. His .248/.295/.434 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 82.

Cron doesn’t really steal bases, just 10 in his career, and can only play first base. His glovework has generally been solid in his career, as he has 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 13 Outs Above Average. But it’s still a position where the offensive expectations are high, making last season’s struggles stand out.

The Sox will be hoping for a bounceback to his previous form. He came into last year with 175 career home runs and a slash line of .261/.322/.474, which leads to a wRC+ of 111. He had a really strong run from 2018 to 2022, hitting between 25 and 30 home runs in each full season of that stretch, though a knee sprain limited him to just 13 games in the shortened 2020 campaign.

If his contract is selected, he likely wouldn’t be looking at an everyday role in Boston. The club has Triston Casas as its regular first baseman and will likely use the designated hitter slot to rotate in various defensively-limited players like Masataka Yoshida and Rafael Devers. But they do have a number of left-handed hitters who project for either full-time or part-time roles, including Devers, Yoshida, Casas, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Reese McGuire.

Cron has pretty even splits in his career, having hit .266/.324/.489 against lefties for a 113 wRC+ and .257/.318/.463 against righties for a wRC+ of 107. But he could nonetheless help the Sox shield some of those lefties from tough southpaw pitchers, either by serving as a pinch hitter late in games or taking a few starts.

He will first have to crack a spot on the roster. The club’s bench will have McGuire as the backup catcher while Rob Refsnyder should be present as a reserve outfielder, as he has over five years of service time and cannot be optioned to the minors. That leaves two spots for depth infielders, with Bobby Dalbec, Enmanuel Valdéz, Pablo Reyes, David Hamilton and Romy González already on the 40-man roster. Reyes is the only one of that group without options, so the Sox could theoretically run with a bench of McGuire, Refsnyder, Reyes and Cron while sending the rest of those infielders to the minors in order to preserve depth. The club would need to open a 40-man roster spot but could easily do so by transferring Liam Hendriks to the 60-day IL, since he’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and won’t be back until the trade deadline at the earliest.

There’s no real risk in signing Cron to a minor league deal to get a close-up look for a few weeks, assessing his health and current form. If he were to crack the roster, perhaps a part-time role would help him stay healthy and effective throughout the campaign.

The Top Unsigned Designated Hitters

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Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the catchers, shortstops, center fielders, first basemen and second basemen still available. We’ll take a look at the top DH options on the market next. Obviously, this is a subjective category. Any player can technically serve as a designated hitter, after all. There are a handful of older and/or defensively limited sluggers who aren’t likely to sign anywhere that doesn’t have substantial DH at-bats available. That’ll be the focus here.

  • Jorge Soler: After opting out of the final year and $13MM on his contract with the Marlins, Soler should be in position for a multi-year deal. The 32-year-old belted 36 home runs with the Fish in 2023 despite the pitcher-friendly nature of their home park, reducing his strikeout rate to 24.3% — the second-lowest of his career. His 11.4% walk rate was the second-best in his career. Soler remained one of the best in the game in terms of strong contact, delivering an excellent 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 48% hard-hit rate. Unlike the others on this list, Soler is both in his early 30s and has a demonstrated history of hitting for top-of-the-scale power in the big leagues. Everyone’s power production was up during the juiced-ball 2019 season, but Soler still paced the American League with 48 homers and finished third in all of baseball that season. The Blue Jays have been most heavily connected to Soler recently. Other suitors like the D-backs (Joc Pederson) and Mariners (Mitch Garver) have signed other DH candidates. Beyond Toronto, the Mets, Giants and Angels have all been more loosely linked to Soler.
  • J.D. Martinez: Martinez had a “down” season by his standards in 2022 when he “only” hit .274/.341/.448 with 16 homers in his final season with the Red Sox. He more than doubled that home run total with the Dodgers in 2023, smashing 33 homers despite tallying just 479 plate appearances. It’s possible that Martinez has begun selling out for power even more than he may already have been at times in the past. Last year’s 31.1% strikeout rate was easily the worst of his career, and his 7.1% walk rate was his lowest since 2014. Even if that’s the case, there’s no getting around the fact that JDM was a legitimate middle-of-the-order presence. He hit .271/.321/.572 overall and posted elite numbers in average exit velocity (93.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (53.4%). He’s entering his age-36 season, but Martinez can still mash.
  • Justin Turner: Turner turned 39 in December but you’d never know it looking at last year’s .276/.345/.455 batting line with the Red Sox. Turner connected on 23 home runs, walked at a respectable 8.1% clip and struck out in 17.6% of his plate appearances — about five percentage points below the league average. Turner embodies the “professional hitter” archetype and can still take the field at any of third base, first base or perhaps even second base in a pinch. Turner hasn’t had a below-average season at the plate since establishing himself as a regular with the Dodgers back in 2014, and there’s little reason to think that’s about to change.
  • Brandon Belt: He’ll turn 36 in April and has battled knee troubles in recent seasons, but Belt can still flat-out mash right-handed pitching. Like Turner, he can still play defense on a part-time basis — Belt logged 29 games at first base last season — but 70% of his games came as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. Toronto only gave Belt 39 plate appearances against lefties, and he’ll be similarly limited wherever he signs next. But Belt hit .256/.375/.516 against righties as a member of the Jays, and he’s only gotten better in platoon situations as his career has progressed. Since making his MLB debut, he’s a .267/.364/.480 hitter against righties, but those numbers jump to .269/.376/.541 dating back to 2020 (150 wRC+).
  • Mike Ford: The 31-year-old Ford doesn’t have anywhere near the track record of Soler, Martinez or Turner, but he posted eye-popping numbers in a half season with the Mariners last season. The former Yankees farmhand hit 16 homers in just 251 plate appearances. His .228 average was something of an eyesore, but Ford walked at a 9.6% clip and managed to post a .323 OBP while slugging .475. Despite the power production, Ford was non-tendered by the Mariners, who were looking to reduce their strikeout rate and may have worried that Ford’s 32.3% mark in that regard made him a long shot to replicate his success. That he was non-tendered also suggests that the M’s couldn’t find a trade partner for him, even with a modest $1.5MM projected salary. Ford could wind up signing a minor league pact or a very low-cost big league deal. He’s an affordable three-true-outcomes slugger who can be controlled through the 2026 season via arbitration by any team that signs him.

Honorable Mentions: Austin Meadows, C.J. Cron, Daniel Vogelbach

Angels Select Carson Fulmer, Place Mike Trout On 60-Day IL

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The Angels are calling up right-hander Carson Fulmer, as noted by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. He’ll take the active roster spot of lefty Tyler Anderson, who was placed on the injured list yesterday with left knee soreness. A 40-man roster spot was cleared for Fulmer by placing outfielder Mike Trout on the 60-day IL, with manager Phil Nevin confirming to reporters (including Bollinger) that the veteran star’s season is over. The club also announced that infielder Mike Moustakas has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, with first baseman C.J. Cron going on the injured list to clear space on the active roster.

Fulmer was selected eighth overall in the 2015 draft by the White Sox and made his major league debut back in 2016, though he was never able to full establish himself in the majors. He posted a 6.56 ERA across 94 2/3 innings of work between 2016 and 2019 with Chicago before making brief cameos in Detroit, Baltimore, and Cincinnati over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In those two seasons, Fulmer combined for a 6.00 ERA and 4.59 FIP in 36 innings of work.

Fulmer didn’t pitch in the majors in 2022, instead spending the season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. He posted a 2.86 ERA in 56 2/3 innings at that level last year, strong enough numbers that the Angels opted to offer him a minor league deal back in May. Things didn’t go as smoothly for Fulmer this year, however, as he posted a 5.27 ERA in 41 innings of work with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City. Nonetheless, Fulmer will get his first taste of big league action since 2021 with the Angels as they look toward what remains of their depth to help cover innings for the season’s final stretch.

The addition of Fulmer to the roster officially brings the season to an end for Trout, who appeared in just one game after landing on the injured list with a left hamate fracture in early July. It was a relative down season for Trout when he was on the field, as the superstar slashed .263/.367/.490 in 362 trips to the plate with the Angels this year. Of course, those numbers still clock in at 34% better than league average by measure of wRC+ and really only constitute a down season by Trout’s incredibly lofty standards. Trout will look toward a return to the field in 2024, where better health hopefully awaits him after averaging just 79 games a season since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Also done for the year is Cron, who slashed a decent .260/.304/.476 in 224 trips to the plate with Colorado this year but saw his performance take a nosedive following a trade to Anaheim. In 15 games with the Angels, Cron posted a brutal .200/.259/.260 slash line that was good for a wRC+ of just 42. A pending free agent this offseason, Cron will face stiff competition from players like Rhys Hoskins, Garrett Cooper and Brandon Belt who are also primarily limited to first base defensively. Cron’s placement on the IL makes way for the return of Moustakas, who similarly posted solid numbers in Colorado before suffering a downturn in performance upon heading to Anaheim. Overall, Moustakas has slashed .252/.300/.404 in 370 trips to the plate this season.

Angels Designate Chad Wallach For Assignment, Transfer Anthony Rendon To 60-Day IL

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The Angels announced a series of roster moves today, including the previously-reported selection of prospect Nolan Schanuel. They also reinstated catcher Logan O’Hoppe from the 60-day injured list. One active roster spot was opened by first baseman C.J. Cron being placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 16, due to low back inflammation. Chad Wallach was designated for assignment, opening a spot on both the active and 40-man rosters. To open a second spot on the 40-man, third baseman Anthony Rendon was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Wallach, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason and had his contract selected in April when O’Hoppe landed on the injured list due to a torn labrum in his shoulder. Wallach has been sharing the catching duties with Matt Thaiss since then, generally performing well by backup catcher standards.

He struck out in 34.2% of his plate appearances and only batted .209, but he hit seven home runs in just 149 plate appearances. His 84 wRC+ indicates he was 16% below average overall, but catchers generally produce less at the plate, as the league’s backstops have a collective wRC+ of 89 this year. He’s been graded as a decent defender this year, with +1 Defensive Runs Saved and framing marks close to average.

But just as he joined the roster as O’Hoppe went to the injured list, he now departs as O’Hoppe is activated. The Halos will be hoping that O’Hoppe can pick up right where he left off, as he was hitting .283/.339/.547 before the shoulder injury. The club will put Wallach on waivers in the coming days, since the trade deadline is now in the rearview mirror. If any other team were to put in a claim, they could control him for two more years via arbitration. If he were to clear, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.

As for Rendon, he was placed on the injured list in mid-July due to a left shin contusion after fouling a ball off his leg. An MRI in the days after that IL placement revealed a deep bone bruise and he was shut down at that point. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported this week that Rendon had yet to resume baseball activities. Once healthy, he’ll presumably need to get back into game shape with some kind of rehab assignment after this layoff.

Today’s transfer means he’s ineligible to return until 60 days from his initial IL placement, which would be the second week of September. Whether he’s ultimately able to return late in the year or not, this will go down as another frustrating campaign due to health reasons. Signed to a seven-year, $245MM deal after 2019, he has yet to play in 60 games in a season as an Angel, with just 43 so far this year. The first year of the contract wasn’t his fault, as the pandemic eventually led to a truncated 60-game schedule. But he’s made frequent IL trips in three straight seasons now.

Since the start of 2021, he’s played just 148 total games over that three-year stretch, going on the IL due to a left groin strain, left knee contusion, left hamstring strain, right hip impingement, right wrist surgery, another left groin strain and now this left shin contusion/bone bruise. He’s hit .235/.338/.363 in that time for a wRC+ of 97.

Marlins Had Interest In Turner, Lynn, Cron Prior To Trade Deadline

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The Marlins were one of the league’s busier teams in advance of the trade deadline, as Miami made several moves to bolster its lineup and bullpen for the wild card race.  Such names as Josh Bell, David Robertson, Jake Burger, Jorge Lopez, and Ryan Weathers joined the organization, but there were plenty of interesting players on Miami’s radar, including a few who weren’t previously mentioned in pre-deadline buzz.  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Levi Weaver report that the Marlins had “extensive discussions” with the Red Sox about Justin Turner, while Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report that the Marlins were also interested in Lance Lynn and C.J. Cron.

Reports surfaced on July 28 that the Sox weren’t moving Turner, which is probably when (as Rosenthal and Weaver write) the Marlins turned their attention to other position players.  Miami’s talks with the White Sox about Lynn also developed into the eventual Burger trade, as the Fish landed Burger for left-hander Jake Eder in a one-for-one swap.  Burger was also something of a fallback once the Marlins balked at the Nationals’ asking price for Jeimer Candelario, and Miami was more comfortable trading a controllable pitcher like Eder for another younger player with multiple years of control, whereas Candelario is a free agent after the season.

Lynn and Cron were seen as likely trade candidates since the White Sox and Rockies are both out of contention, and indeed both players were moved in pre-deadline deals.  (Chicago sent Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers as part of a five-player trade, while the Rockies dealt Cron and Randal Grichuk to the Angels for two pitching prospects.)  There would certainly have been more eyebrows raised over a Turner deal given that the Red Sox are fighting for a wild card berth in the American League, yet even such a trade wouldn’t have been a total shock considering how Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom both moved and acquired veterans at the 2022 deadline when Boston was also on the periphery of the playoff chase.

This year’s deadline season was comparatively quieter at Fenway Park, as the Sox only acquired Luis Urias from the Brewers and sent Enrique Hernandez to the Dodgers.  The Red Sox were known to be looking for controllable pitching, and Rosenthal/Weaver theorize that the Marlins’ deep crop of arms might have gotten Bloom to at least consider the idea of moving Turner.

Speculatively, it is also worth wondering if Edward Cabrera might have been part of the Marlins/Red Sox talks.  Jackson and Mish write that several teams called about Cabrera, to the point that the Marlins had Devin Smeltzer on hand in case Cabrera was moved prior to his scheduled start on Monday.  Cabrera only lasted three innings in that start, and he was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday and Smeltzer’s contract was officially selected from Triple-A a day later.

As much as the Red Sox needed pitching, it is safe to guess that trading Turner for almost anyone wouldn’t have gone over well with Boston fans, or even within the clubhouse.  Turner has hit .286/.356/.481 with 17 homers over 441 plate appearances, with his offense steadily increasing over the course of the season.  Though Turner will be 39 in November, he is still playing well enough that it’s possible he could opt out of the final season of his two-year contract with the Sox and again enter free agency this winter, looking to land a more lucrative multi-year commitment.  If that scenario occurs, one would imagine the Marlins would come calling, considering their interest in Turner dates back at last winter.

Angels Acquire Randal Grichuk, C.J. Cron From Rockies

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The Angels have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron from the Rockies, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link).  Right-hander Jake Madden and left-hander Mason Albright will be headed to the Rockies.  The Angels have officially announced the deal, adding that they will also receive some cash considerations in return.  Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that infielder Kevin Padlo has been designated for assignment and Taylor Ward has been shifted to the 60-day injured list to create some space on the Angels’ roster.

The four-player swap is the latest move in what has been already been a busy month for an Angels team determined to contend.  With Shohei Ohtani possibly departing in free agency after the season, the Angels are desperate to make the playoffs, and have added Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Eduardo Escobar, and Mike Moustakas in other trades to address roster needs.

Tonight’s trade also brings a pair of familiar faces back to Anaheim.  Cron was selected 17th overall by the Angels in the 2011 draft, and he spent his first four Major League seasons with the club.  The Halos had back-to-back picks in the first round of the 2009 draft and notably picked Grichuk 24th (one selection ahead of Mike Trout), but Grichuk never saw any MLB action for Anaheim, as he was dealt to the Cardinals as part of the November 2013 trade that brought David Freese to the Angels.

Colorado’s tendency to try and retain players it particularly likes in free agency has created some doubt about obvious trade candidates in the past, but on paper, Grichuk and Cron both looked like clear candidates to be moved prior to Tuesday’s deadline.  Grichuk is in the last year of the original five-year, $53MM extension he signed with the Blue Jays back in 2019, and about $3.11MM remains in owed salary before the end of the season.  Cron is in the final year of his own extension with the Rockies, and has roughly $2.42MM still owed in 2023 salary.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the cash considerations from the Rockies amount to $2MM, thus putting approximately $3.53MM extra onto the Angels’ books.  This puts Los Angeles a bit further over the $233MM luxury tax threshold, as the Halos look poised to pay the tax for the first time since 2004 (the first year of Arte Moreno’s ownership).  The actual dollar value of a first-time tax penalty is pretty minor, but it does underscore the Angels’ commitment to finally ending their string of losing seasons and non-playoff baseball.

This desire to win has been hampered by a number of significant injuries up and down the roster, so in a sense the Angels have had to be aggressive just in order to patch holes.  Grichuk has experience at all three outfield positions, but figures to mostly play left field in place of Ward, whose season is probably over after he suffered facial fractures after a scary hit-by-pitch incident in Saturday’s game.  In the best-case scenario, Ward is able to fully recover and get back to the lineup by late September, just in time to be available for what the Halos hope will be some playoff baseball.

Once Mike Trout returns from his hamate surgery and Jo Adell returns from his oblique strain, the Angels might even have an outfield surplus, considering that Ohtani has the DH spot locked up.  Still, that’s a problem Los Angeles will happily face down the road if it means their lineup is finally back at something resembling full strength.

Grichuk is enjoying one of his best seasons at the plate, hitting .308/.365/.498 with eight homers over 263 plate appearances after missing most of April recovering from offseason surgery for a sports hernia.  Turning 32 years old in a couple of weeks, Grichuk’s career hasn’t lived up to his first-round potential, as his propensity for strikeouts and an inconsistent overall offensive profile has limited his production.  From 2019-22, Grichuk had only a 90 wRC+ over 1942 PA and totaled 1.8 fWAR, with a sub-replacement -0.2 mark in 2022.

It’s far from certain that Grichuk has turned a corner, as his .367 BABIP and some significant home/road splits are warning signs that some regression is inevitable once Grichuk is out of Coors Field.  That said, at a relatively low acquisition cost and a pressing need for offense, it is a risk the Angels are willing to take.

Cron figures to step right in as a regular first baseman, possibly solidifying a position that has been a revolving door all season in Anaheim.  It remains to be seen how the rest of the field might shake out once the injured players start returning, but for now, Moustakas will probably take most of the time at third base while Escobar plays second.  Zach Neto will presumably remain the regular shortstop unless he also needs to visit the IL after missing a few games with back soreness.  Brandon Drury might be back from the 10-day IL within the next week, further bolstering the infield ranks and maybe moving Cron into a part-time role.

Cron has himself been dealing with a bad back, both within the last week and in the form of a trip to the injured list earlier this season that cost hm about six weeks of action.  The 33-year-old has hit .260/.304/.476 with 11 homers in 224 PA, and Cron’s 93 wRC+ puts him on pace for his first below-average offensive season since 2017 (his final year with the Angels).

However, Cron has been hitting much better over the last month, with a .319/.347/.565 slash line in his first 72 PA since his IL stint.  His three seasons at Coors Field led to some pretty drastic home/road splits, and the Angels will have to hope that he can both hit outside of the thin air and remain healthy enough to play first base, since Ohtani’s presence removes the safety net of the DH spot.

MLB Pipeline and Baseball America had something of a split opinion on Madden’s potential, as while Pipeline ranked the right-hander as the eighth-best prospect in the Angels’ farm system, BA rated him only 21st.  Madden was a fourth-round pick for the Halos in 2022 and was getting his first taste of pro ball this season, with a 5.46 ERA over 64 1/3 innings for the Angels’ A-ball affiliate.  His 12.9% walk rate underlines the issues that Baseball America’s scouting report had with his control and command, yet Madden’s big fastball can hit 98mph and his slider also looks like an above-average pitch.  A Tommy John surgery limited Madden’s experience late in high school and in junior college, but Pipeline in particular likes his upside once the 21-year-old gets more experience on the mound.

Albright fell just inside the Angels’ top 30 rankings from Pipeline (28th) and Baseball America (29th), and the 20-year-old southpaw has posted a 3.62 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate, and 6.0% walk rate over 79 2/3 innings with A-level Island Empire.  A 12th-round pick for Los Angeles in 2021, Albright’s numbers have improved after a mechanical change, so some interesting upside exists if he continues to thrive after altering the arm action on his delivery.  Pipeline puts a 50-grade on all four of Albright’s pitches, but while he doesn’t have a signature plus pitch, he can throw everything in his arsenal for strikes.

In short, the Rockies have now brought two new young arms into the organization, as Colorado continues its ever-lasting search for pitchers who can thrive at Coors Field.  The 2023 season in particular has only underlined that need, as the Rox have been crushed by rotation injuries ever since Spring Training, leaving the team struggling just to find another healthy pitchers to eat innings.  While the Rockies were seen as longshots to contend anyway, the team’s 41-64 record has put them at the bottom of the National League standings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Rockies Place Kris Bryant On Injured List With Finger Fracture

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The Rockies placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 22, because of a fractured left index finger. Colorado also optioned Karl Kauffmann to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled Elehuris Montero and Riley Pint.

Bryant’s frustrating second season in Colorado continues. He lost a month earlier in the year to a bruised left heel, the same foot that ended his 2022 campaign just after the All-Star Break because of plantar fasciitis. The latest injury was more of a fluke occurrence. Bryant was hit on the hand by a Braxton Garrett pitch last Friday. He’ll apparently need at least another week to recover.

The former MVP is hitting .251/.338/.379 with eight homers through 275 plate appearances. He owns a .273/.353/.417 line since signing with Colorado on a seven-year free agent deal. The Rox will obviously hope he can finish the season healthy to build some momentum going into 2024.

While there’s no question Bryant will be on the roster past the August 1 deadline, first baseman C.J. Cron is a potential trade candidate. An impending free agent, Cron started slowly but has raked at a .317/.349/.600 clip in 17 games since returning from an injured list stint last month. Back troubles had kept him on the shelf for six weeks. He’s again dealing with some stiffness in his lower back, he told Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). He’s expected to miss the next couple games but hopes to return to the lineup on Friday. An injured list stint might ensure he stays in Colorado, but it seems he’ll avoid the IL for now.

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