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Rangers Shut Down Glenn Otto For Three Weeks

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Rangers general manager Chris Young provided some updates on injured pitchers to members of the media today, including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today (Twitter links). Right-hander Glenn Otto, who recently underwent an MRI for right lat tightness, will be shut down for three weeks and be re-examined by Dr. Keith Meister on Monday. As for right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who is dealing with arm fatigue and expected to start the season on the injured list, Young says he will likely be out “longer than shorter.” Elsewhere on the club’s pitching front, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports that righty Joe Barlow has been optioned to Triple-A, while righty Dominic Leone has been released from his minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker at MLB.com.

Otto, 27, made 27 starts for the Rangers last year, posting a 4.64 ERA. He might have actually been lucky to keep runs off the board at that pace, as his 18.2% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate were both subpar, while his .255 batting average on balls in play was well below the .289 league average. The club pushed him down the depth chart with a busy offseason, acquiring Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Odorizzi.

Although Otto wasn’t likely to make the club’s roster on Opening Day, it’s still a notable subtraction from their starting depth. No team goes through an entire major league season using just five starters, meaning depth options will be used at some point. Otto still has a full slate of options, allowing the club to keep a guy with notable major league experience in Triple-A. Now he seems ticketed for an extended absence. Even if a three-week shutdown period helps him recover from his injury, he would then have to ramp back up at that point, which is why a trip to the 60-day IL seems to be on the table.

Compounding the issue is the fact that Odorizzi seems to slated for a significant absence as well. He was the club’s #6 starter behind deGrom, Eovaldi, Heaney, Martín Pérez and Jon Gray, and likely would have opened the season as a long man in the major league bullpen. It was already known that he was going to begin the season on the injured list due to arm fatigue, but it’s possible he’s a facing a meaningful absence. Young’s “longer than shorter” comment is incredibly vague but is obviously not encouraging.

Odorizzi split last year between Houston and Atlanta, making 22 starts between the two clubs. He posted a 4.40 ERA with a 19% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 31.7% ground ball rate. He exercised a $12.5MM player option in his contract but Atlanta flipped him to the Rangers, paying down $10MM of the deal while getting lefty Kolby Allard in return. Though Odorizzi’s 2022 numbers aren’t incredibly exciting, he’s better than the #6 starter on many clubs around the league.

Though the Rangers still have a healthy front five, they are now without two of their better depth options. That’s a notable development, given the injury histories of guys like deGrom, Eovaldi and Heaney. They have some other starters on the 40-man, such as Spencer Howard, Cole Winn, Zak Kent, Owen White and Ricky Vanasco, though Howard is the only one with any major league experience. He has a 7.09 ERA in his 111 2/3 MLB innings thus far. Cole Ragans and Dane Dunning are probably first in line for a rotation spot if one opens up, though they seem ticketed to start the season in the major league bullpen.

Turning to the relievers, Barlow has a 2.81 ERA in 64 major league innings over the past two seasons. It’s somewhat surprising to see him optioned after that performance, but Landry relays that both Young and Barlow mentioned that his velocity is down. He underwent wrist surgery in November and could be still building up his strength or perhaps his mechanics have been altered post-surgery. Either way, he’ll head to the minors to try to get into a good groove.

Leone, 31, is a veteran who has appeared in each of the past nine seasons. He made 55 appearances for the Giants last year with a 4.01 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 38.9% ground ball rate. He tossed 8 1/3 innings here in spring with a 2.16 ERA, but he walked eight batters while striking out five. It seems the Rangers didn’t have a spot for him and will let him return to the open market to look for his next opportunity.

Rangers Sign Dominic Leone To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers have added right-hander Dominic Leone on a minor league deal, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Leone will receive an invite to spring training. Leone is represented by Frye McCann Sports.

The 31-year-old is coming off a season in which he pitched 49 1/3 innings for the Giants, working to a 4.01 ERA. That mark came with a 23.4% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate.

Originally taken in the 16th round of the 2012 draft by the Mariners, Leone, like a lot of relievers, has had an up-and-down career, scattering in some quality seasons with a few poor ones as well. He burst onto the scene with Seattle in 2014, working to a 2.17 ERA over 66 1/3 frames, but followed that up with a combined 8.40 ERA for Seattle and Arizona in 2015. 2016 saw his ERA at 6.33 for the Diamondbacks, before he put in an elite 2.56 ERA over 70 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays.

That season with the Blue Jays was enough for the Cardinals to part with Randal Grichuk to acquire Leone and Connor Greene. Yet Leone’s struggles would return in St Louis, and he’d own a 5.15 ERA over three seasons there. He’d struggle in a subsequent season with the Guardians, before bouncing back with an excellent debut campaign with the Giants in 2021. That year, Leone would work to a 1.51 ERA over 53 2/3 innings.

All told, Leone owns a career 3.69 ERA over 356 innings across parts of nine big league seasons. There’s not a lot to be taken from his career average given the volatility of his performance, but it’s clear there’s also still a bit of upside there. In Texas, Leone will reunite with some familiar faces, having worked with pitching coach Mike Maddux in St Louis, as well as Chris Young in Seattle.

Giants Release Dominic Leone

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The Giants have placed right-hander Dominic Leone on release waivers, per Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News.

Leone, 30, has had some good seasons and some not-so-good seasons in his career, spending time with Seattle, Arizona, Toronto, St. Louis and Cleveland, prior to signing a minor league deal with the Giants in December of 2020. Leone got called up to the big leagues in June of 2021 and was very strong the rest of the way. He registered a 1.51 ERA over 53 2/3 innings with a 22.8% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate and 47.5% ground ball rate.

Based on that strong campaign, the Giants retained Leone via arbitration, agreeing to a $2.25MM salary. Everything seemed to be going fine for a while, with Leone sitting on a 2.45 ERA in early July. However, he put up a 6.30 ERA since July 5, pushing his season-long mark to 4.01.

Leone was placed on the 15-day injured list yesterday due to elbow inflammation, which perhaps explains his diminished results in recent weeks. With just over three weeks remaining in the season, he wasn’t likely to make a meaningful contribution down the stretch, even if he returned after a minimum stay on the IL. It seems the Giants will nudge him off the roster and give him a headstart on free agency, which he was bound for this winter anyway. By doing so, the club will clear a spot on their 40-man roster. Given Leone’s injury and salary, he’s sure to clear release waivers. At that point, he would be free to sign with any team, though he wouldn’t be able to pitch in the postseason, even if he is healthy. Teams can only brings players that were in their organization prior to September 1 onto their playoff rosters.

Giants Select Austin Dean, Place Dominic Leone On Injured List

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The Giants announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Austin Dean and placed right-hander Dominic Leone on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Catcher/outfielder Yermin Mercedes was outrighted off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers, thus opening a spot for Dean, tweets Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Dean, 28, has spent time in the Majors in each of the past four seasons, primarily as a member of the Marlins but also in brief stints with the Cardinals in 2020-21. He’s a .225/.282/.391 hitter in that time but carries a strong track record at the Triple-A level, where he’s posted a .300/.373/.509 batting line in 1090 career plate appearances.

Dean will give the Giants yet another right-handed option to platoon with an all-lefty outfield contingent of Joc Pederson, Mike Yastrzemski, Luis Gonzalez and LaMonte Wade Jr. (the latter of whom is primarily playing first base lately, with Brandon Belt out of action). Dean’s career numbers against lefties at the MLB level aren’t great, but he’s batted .299/.384/.486 when holding the platoon advantage in the minors this season.

Dean’s return to the Majors comes at the expense of Mercedes, who was never formally designated for assignment prior to today’s announcement that he’d cleared waivers. The 29-year-old was an early-season sensation for the White Sox in 2021, going on a tear and earning his popular “Yerminator” moniker by hitting .368/.417/.571 through the South Siders’ first 38 games. But Mercedes’ out-of-the-blue breakout proved short-lived. He hit .150/.220/.196 across his next 118 plate appearances, was optioned to Triple-A in July, and didn’t return to the Majors with the Sox. He’s batted .233/.325/.342 in 83 plate appearances with the Giants this year.

As for Leone, he’ll head to the injured list with an issue that, depending on the recovery period, could well end his time with the Giants, given that he’ll be a free agent at season’s end. The 30-year-old righty at first proved a spectacular pickup on a Dec. 2020 minor league contract, as he wound up giving the Giants 53 2/3 innings of 1.51 ERA ball as an oft-used member of the bullpen (and an occasional opener).

Leone got out to a nice start in 2022, as well, pitching to a 2.45 ERA with a 32-to-9 K/BB ratio through his first 32 1/3 innings on the season. Leone was rocked for four runs in just a third of an inning against the D-backs on July 5, however, and he’s never really regained his footing. Dating back to that rocky outing, he’s lugging a 6.30 ERA and a 15.5% walk rate that’s six percentage points higher than his career mark. It’s fair to wonder just how much this elbow issue might’ve impacted his performance, but the result is an ERA that has spiked up to 4.01 through 49 1/3 frames of bullpen work.

Leone pitched just last night, so the IL stint can’t be backdated. He’ll be eligible to return on Sept. 24, at which point there will be 12 days left in the season.

Giants “Listening” To Trade Offers For Veteran Players

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9:19PM: “Pretty much anyone not Logan Webb” could be discussed by the Giants in trade talks, as per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

8:17PM: The Giants have gone 11-22 over their last 33 games, dropping them below the .500 mark and putting them four games outside of the NL wild card race.  While the club was reportedly resistant on being deadline sellers as recently as three days ago, the Giants “now listening on their veterans” in trade talks, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand also tweeted that according to a rival executive, San Francisco was seemingly “ready to sell.”

Assuming that the Giants are indeed poised to become sellers to some extent, they immediately become an intriguing team to watch prior to Tuesday’s 5pm CT trade deadline.  President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has taken a measured approach to selloffs in the past, even during the 2019 and 2020 deadlines when the Giants had a lot more impetus to fully tear down an aging and expensive roster.  A major overhaul certainly doesn’t seem in the works this time around, as since the Giants are less than a season removed from winning 107 games, Zaidi certainly must feel his group can return to contention in 2023 (or could even regroup for a late playoff push this year).

Pending free agents are the most obvious trade candidates, and Carlos Rodon would immediately be a major new entry in the pitching market if the Giants made him available.  The left-hander is in the midst of an outstanding season, and recently unlocked a vesting option that allows Rodon to opt out of his contract following the season.  Rodon is owed $22.5MM in 2023, but since he can surely land a much more lucrative and longer-term pact in free agency, he looks like a sure bet to exercise his opt-out clause.

The White Sox decided against issuing a qualifying offer to Rodon last winter, and thus he is still eligible for the QO tag this offseason now that we know the qualifying offer system will still be in place.  The Giants can recoup a compensatory draft pick in exchange for Rodon’s services if he does sign elsewhere, and thus if any rivals teams are interested in Rodon at the deadline, they’ll have to offer San Francisco something of greater value than that compensatory pick.  Speculatively, that could be a player closer to the big leagues, since someone who can provide more immediate help might be preferable for a Giants team that plans to win next year.

As for other free agents, Wilmer Flores, Dominic Leone, and Joc Pederson would all garner interest, though Pederson was just placed on the seven-day concussion IL.  A team would be taking some risk in acquiring Pederson given the unpredictable nature of concussion-related symptoms, and of course the Giants’ return in a Pederson trade would be impacted by this uncertainty.

Evan Longoria is also on the injured list, as a right hamstring strain has continued an injury-plagued year for the veteran third baseman.  The Giants hold a $13MM club option on Longoria for 2023 that doesn’t look too likely to be exercised at this point, though Longoria has also stated that he might retire after the season.  Since Longoria has already started fielding drills is expected back in the first week or two of August, another team could take a flier on a veteran who has still quite well when healthy.  Longtime Giant Brandon Belt is also a free agent after the year, though a trade doesn’t seem too likely since Belt has also battled injuries and is having only an okay year at the plate.  Belt can also decline any trade due to his rights as a 10-and-5 veteran.

Giants Reinstate Brandon Belt, Dominic Leone From COVID List

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The Giants have reinstated first baseman Brandon Belt and right-hander Dominic Leone from the COVID-related injured list.  Infielder Jason Vosler and righty Sean Hjelle were optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding roster moves.

Belt and Leone return after positive COVID-19 tests sidelined the duo on April 29.  Both were off to strong starts — Belt hit .242/.367/.470 with four home runs over his first 79 plate appearances, while Leone had a 2.57 ERA over his first eight innings out of the Giants bullpen.

With Belt moving back to his customary first base spot, Wilmer Flores (who had been filling in at first base) is likely to slide across the diamond and take over at third now that Vosler is back in Triple-A.  Evan Longoria has yet to play this season due to finger surgery, but the veteran is on a minor league rehab assignment and could be close to his 2022 debut.

Giants Place Brandon Belt, Dominic Leone On Injured List

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The Giants announced a series of roster moves before tonight’s matchup with the Nationals. First baseman Brandon Belt and reliever Dominic Leone have each tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed on the injured list. Outfielders Jason Krizan and Ka’ai Tom and reliever Mauricio Llovera have each been selected onto the major league roster. Additionally, San Francisco released recently-claimed southpaw Darien Núñez.

Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). Belt and Leone join outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and reliever Zack Littell on the Giants’ COVID list.

San Francisco is down two notable pieces to both the lineup and the bullpen. Belt, one of the game’s best hitters from 2020-21, has again gotten off to an excellent start. The 34-year-old is hitting .242/.367/.470 with four homers through 79 plate appearances. Leone, meanwhile, has fired seven innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts and one walk through the season’s first few weeks.

The Giants didn’t specify whether the three players selected today are designated COVID “substitutes,” although it seems likely that’ll be the case. This season, the commissioner’s office has sole discretion to determine whether a team’s “ability to field a competitive team” has been sufficiently impacted by the virus to warrant temporary replacements. In that event, those “substitute” players could be removed from the 40-man roster and returned to the minor leagues without having to clear waivers as the team gets back to health. Given that the Giants have lost four players to positive tests in fairly rapid succession, it seems likely the league would afford them that luxury.

While it may not be under ideal circumstances, it’s no doubt a rewarding day for Krizan. Selected by the Tigers out of Dallas Baptist in 2011, the left-handed hitting corner outfielder has spent 11 years in the minor leagues. That includes parts of seven seasons at Triple-A, where Krizan has a career .276/.347/.412 line in more than 400 games. He had an impressive .316/.367/.492 showing with the Giants’ top affiliate in Sacramento last year. Krizan hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the River Cats this season, but his established track record in the minors earns him his first big league call a couple months shy of his 33rd birthday.

Tom and Llovera both joined the organization on minor league deals. The former is a left-handed hitter who tallied his first 133 MLB plate appearances as a Rule 5 pick of the Pirates last year. Tom struggled to a .139/.278/.231 line and was eventually let go by Pittsburgh, but he’s generally been an excellent offensive player in the minors. He’s off to a .327/.387/.509 start at Sacramento.

Llovera pitched in seven big league games with the Phillies between 2020-21. He allowed 11 runs in just 7 2/3 innings, although he did average north of 94 MPH on his fastball. The 26-year-old is off to an excellent start with his new organization, having tossed 10 2/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A. Llovera has fanned 14 batters while issuing just a pair of walks.

The Giants’ decision to release Núñez comes as a surprise. San Francisco just grabbed him off waivers from the Dodgers on Wednesday. Núñez had recently undergone Tommy John surgery, and it seemed as if the Giants were content to stash him on the 60-day injured list while he recovered in hopes of hanging onto his long-term contractual rights.

For whatever reason, San Francisco has decided to go in a different direction. Injured players can’t be outrighted, so San Francisco had to release Núñez to take him off the 40-man roster if they weren’t going to keep him on the IL. If he passes through release waivers unclaimed, he’ll be a free agent.

Giants’ Latest Roster Moves

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The Giants made a number of roster moves on Tuesday, provided here by Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). On the pitching front, San Francisco purchased Dominic Leone’s contract from Triple-A and optioned righty Nick Tropeano. The recently-acquired Sam Delaplane was also moved to the 60-day injured list.

The well-traveled Leone has a 4.09 career ERA over 253 career innings for the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Indians, for whom he pitched in 2020. Tropeano, 30, pitched well in four appearances, giving up just one earned run in six innings. He threw two scoreless against the Angels on Monday, so his demotion could simply be about getting a fresh arm in the bullpen.

The Giants also made a change behind the plate, placing Curt Casali on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain. He’s not expected to be out for more than the 10-game minimum, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Those hoping to see top prospect Joey Bart will be disappointed, however. It’s reasonable to assume that the short-term nature of the injury does not warrant disrupting Bart’s development.

Instead, Chadwick Tromp has been recalled to serve as Buster Posey’s backup behind the plate for the next 10 days. The 26-year-old backstop debuted last season, posting a 65 wRC+ in 64 plate appearances.

Lastly, Crowley adds that Evan Longoria’s injury appears to be a mild intercostal strain, and he’ll avoid a stint on the injured list. Longoria is enjoying a resurgent season at the plate this year with a 139 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR through 178 plate appearances.

Giants Sign Dominic Leone, Several Others To Minor League Deals

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The Giants announced a series of minor league contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training today, with right-handers Dominic Leone, Silvino Bracho and Rico Garcia among them. Lefty Anthony Banda, whom the Giants outrighted at season’s end, is also back on a minors pact. Others invited to camp include right-handers Melvin Adon, Daniel Alvarez, Yunior Marte, Raffi Vizcaino and Sam Wolff, as well as lefty Sam Long and infielder/outfielder Jason Krizan.

Of the group, Leone comes with far and away the most big league experience. The 29-year-old reliever has appeared in parts of seven MLB seasons, pitching to a combined 4.09 ERA with 9.6 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 over the course of 253 innings out of the bullpen. Leone’s peak season came with the Blue Jays in 2017, when he racked up a career-high 70 1/3 innings and struck out a hearty 29 percent of the batters he faced (10.4 K/9).

Following that strong effort, Leone was traded to the Cardinals alongside righty Conner Greene in the deal that sent Randal Grichuk to Toronto. Things didn’t pan out in St. Louis for Leone, who limped through a pair of injury-plagued seasons and ultimately record a 5.15 ERA and 4.77 FIP in 64 2/3 frames as a Cardinal. Although he’s been inconsistent, Leone makes for a sensible enough flier by a Giants club looking high and low for bullpen depth after seeing several key relievers depart in recent years.

Others in the group with MLB experience include former Bracho, a former D-backs reliever, Garcia and Banda. Garcia tossed 10 innings with the Giants in 2019 but has generally been hit hard between his brief time between San Francisco and Colorado. Banda was at one point considered to be one of the game’s top overall pitching prospects but has since had his career derailed by injuries, including Tommy John surgery. He was with the Giants org late in the season but did not pitch in a big league game.

Bracho, 28, was up and down with Arizona from 2015-17 but looked to turn a corner in 2018 when he pitched 31 innings with a 3.19 ERA/3.26 FIP and a 34-to-12 K/BB ratio. However, he missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and had his 2020 return slowed this summer when he tested positive for Covid-19. Bracho did make it back to toss an inning with the D-backs, but he hasn’t had a full, healthy season since 2018. With three-plus big years of MLB service, he’s technically controllable through at least the 2023 campaign if he can crack the MLB roster and seize a spot in the San Francisco bullpen.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/15/20

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The latest minor moves from around baseball….

  • The Blue Jays outrighted catcher Caleb Joseph to their taxi squad after he cleared waivers, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets. The club designated Joseph for assignment on Sept. 11 and replaced him on its roster with young catcher Alejandro Kirk. The 34-year-old Joseph has taken only nine trips to the plate with the Blue Jays this season, and as a .223/.270/.351 hitter in 1,367 PA, the former Oriole and Diamondback hasn’t posed much of a threat on offense since he debuted in 2014.

Earlier moves:

  • The Indians outrighted Dominic Leone off their 40-man roster after the right-hander cleared waivers, and the team announced that Leone has reported to its alternate training site.  Leone was designated for assignment earlier this week.  The veteran reliever struggled to an 8.38 ERA over 9 2/3 innings for the Tribe this season, allowing three home runs (for a 2.8 HR/9) over that brief span.  While six of Leone’s nine runs allowed came over two disastrous outings against the Royals and Tigers, Leone wasn’t exactly solid otherwise, as he allowed at least one baserunner in all but two of his 12 appearances.  On the plus side, Leone did record 16 strikeouts over his 9 2/3 frames.
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