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National League Non-Tenders: 11/18/22

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The deadline to tender contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm Central. Here’s a rundown of the players on National League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. All players non-tendered go directly to free agency

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month.

Later Updates

  • The Reds have non-tendered righty Daniel Duarte and minor league outfielder Allan Cerda, taking both off the 40-man roster. Neither had been eligible for arbitration, but Cincinnati will send both into free agency without having to place either on waivers. Duarte made three relief appearances this year, his first as a big leaguer. Cerda, 23 next month, has yet to reach the majors. He hit .198/.350/.401 in 257 plate appearances in Double-A. Cincinnati also announced that six players designated for assignment earlier this week — Aristides Aquino, Jared Solomon, Kyle Dowdy, Derek Law, Art Warren and Jeff Hoffman — were all let go. Both Duarte and Cerda have already agreed to re-sign with Cincinnati on minor league deals, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (Twitter link).

Earlier Moves

  • The Braves freed a pair of 40-man roster spots by non-tendering minor league pitchers Brooks Wilson and Alan Rangel. Rangel spent most of this past season in Double-A, while Wilson didn’t pitch in 2022. Atlanta also announced that three players non-tendered earlier this week — Guillermo Heredia, Jackson Stephens and Silvino Bracho — have been let go.
  • The Giants have non-tendered relievers Mauricio Llovera and Alex Young and infielder Donovan Walton, clearing three spots on the 40-man roster. Walton was acquired from the Mariners midseason and hit .158/.179/.303 in 24 games with San Francisco. Young made 24 appearances after his contract was purchased from the Guardians. Llovera pitched 17 times after signing a minor league deal last offseason. Additionally San Francisco non-tendered seven players who’d been designated for assignment earlier this week: Drew Strotman, Meibrys Viloria, Colton Welker, Jarlin Garcia, Dom Nunez, Sam Delaplane and Jason Vosler.
  • The Pirates non-tendered lefty Manny Banuelos and catcher Tyler Heineman. Both had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
  • The Diamondbacks non-tendered righty Reyes Moronta, the team announced. The reliever posted a 4.50 ERA in 17 outings with the Snakes after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers.
  • The Padres announced they’ve cut loose catcher Jorge Alfaro and righty Efrain Contreras. Alfaro had been projected at a $3.6MM salary this season, a hefty amount after a .246/.285/.383 season. Contreras hasn’t pitched in the majors; he had a tough year in High-A and loses his 40-man spot spot as a result.
  • The Cubs have non-tendered center fielder Rafael Ortega, as well as minor league pitchers Brailyn Marquez and Alexander Vizcaino. Ortega has seen a decent amount of action the last two years and had a respectable .241/.331/.358 line through 371 plate appearances this past season. Nevertheless, the Cubs opted against a salary in the $1.7MM range for next year. Marquez has been a top pitching prospect but has battled injury issues for the past few years. Vizcaino was part of the Anthony Rizzo trade with the Yankees but didn’t pitch in the minors this year.
  • The Nationals non-tendered righty Tommy Romero. He’d been designated for assignment earlier this week. Washington confirmed the previously-reported decisions to part with Luke Voit and Erick Fedde.
  • The Brewers cut loose right-handers Trevor Gott, Jandel Gustave and Luis Perdomo. All three were part of Milwaukee’s middle innings mix, with Gustave’s 45 appearances the most among that group. Gott had a 4.15 ERA over 45 2/3 innings after signing a free agent deal last offseason.
  • The Rockies non-tendered infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson, the club announced. The 28-year-old had been projected for a $2.1MM salary. A speedster with the ability to play anywhere up the middle, Hampson just hasn’t hit at the big league level. He’s coming off a .211/.287/.307 showing through 226 plate appearances.
  • The Mets announced they’ve non-tendered Sean Reid-Foley and confirmed they’re letting go of Dominic Smith, who’s non-tender was previously reported. This year, Reid-Foley made seven MLB appearances, tossing 10 innings of relief.
  • The Dodgers have non-tendered infielder Edwin Rios and utilityman Luke Williams, per a club announcement. Los Angeles also confirmed the previously reported non-tender of former MVP Cody Bellinger. Rios has shown some offensive promise in the past and owns a .212/.299/.492 line through 112 big league games. He missed a good chunk of this past season with a hamstring strain. Williams was claimed off waivers from the Marlins recently; the Dodgers could look to bring him back on a minor league deal.

Injury Notes: Díaz, Garcia, Rios

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The Astros announced that utility player Aledmys Díaz has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to left groin discomfort. His roster spot will go to first baseman/outfielder J.J. Matijevic, who has been recalled.

Díaz, 32, is having a nice season, serving as a super utility option for Houston. He’s played all four infield positions and also the outfield corners, hitting .252/.303/.417 for a wRC+ of 108. Given that versatility, his absence will cut into the club’s depth pretty much everywhere around the diamond, except for center field and behind the plate. Injuries have become something of a recurring theme for Díaz, as this is now the fifth straight season where he’s landed on the IL.

Mauricio Dubón, who has played everywhere except first base and catcher this season, will now be the club’s primary utility option. The club hasn’t indicated how long they expect Diaz to be out of action. He is slated to reach free agency at the end of this season.

Some other IL moves from around the league…

  • The White Sox announced that their own utility player, Leury Garcia, has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a lower back strain. Infielder Romy Gonzalez was recalled to take his place on the active roster. Garcia, 31, has certainly provided the Sox with versatility, having played every non-pitching position except for catcher and first base. However, unlike Díaz, he’s not having a strong campaign. In 288 plate appearances this year, he’s batting .212/.238/.275 for a wRC+ of just 44. He is in the first season of a three-year, $16.5MM contract that he signed with Chicago prior to this year. It’s unclear how long the club expects him to be out of action.
  • The Dodgers announced that infielder Edwin Ríos has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The club had a vacancy on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was required. Ríos, 28, suffered a hamstring tear in early June and had been out of action until beginning a rehab assignment in late July. Prior to landing on the IL, he had a nice showing in 27 big league games, hitting .244/.293/.500 for a wRC+ of 119.

Dodgers Select Stefen Romero

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4:54pm: Los Angeles officially announced Romero’s promotion, with corner infielder Edwin Ríos moving from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Ríos suffered a right hamstring tear and has been out since June 3. The transfer is backdated to the time of his initial IL placement, meaning he won’t be eligible to return until the first week of August.

8:38am: The Dodgers plan to select the contract of outfielder Stefen Romero on Wednesday, reports J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. He’ll take the place of infielder Hanser Alberto, who is being placed on the paternity list. It’ll be Romero’s first big league appearance since 2016, capping a six-year odyssey that’s taken him around the world.

Once one of the Mariners’ most promising outfield prospects, Romero made his big league debut as a 25-year-old back in 2014 but scuffled to a .192/.234/.299 output over the course of 72 games. He saw more limited Major League time in each of the next two seasons in Seattle, but despite consistently laying waste to Triple-A pitching, he received only sparse looks and never produced much in those infrequent opportunities.

Following the 2016 season, the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball approached Romero and the Mariners about a potential opportunity, and the M’s granted a then-28-year-old Romero his release in order to sign overseas. Romero was an instant success in Japan, hitting .274/.330/.508 with 26 home runs in the first of would wind up being five seasons in NPB. His second year with the Buffaloes wasn’t as strong, but Romero hit .305/.363/.539 in his third season year with Orix. He then signed on with the Rakuten Eagles for a year and turned in a similarly hearty .274/.354/.539 line during the 2020 campaign.

A return endeavor with the Buffaloes in 2021 lasted just 31 games, but Romero’s five-year stint in NPB nevertheless finished with a solid .264/.331/.497 batting line to go along with 96 home runs, 67 doubles and four triples. He inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers this offseason in hopes of securing a return to the big leagues, and he’ll now realize that dream after beginning the season with a .270/.337/.461 showing in Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It’s possible that this will prove to be a short stay on the big league roster for Romero. Alberto’s stay on the paternity list will be between one and three days, and Romero is out of minor league options, so he can’t be sent back down without first being passed through outright waivers.

The Dodgers do have a need for a right-handed-hitting outfielder at the moment, however, as they’re trying to cobble together a right field platoon while Mookie Betts mends from a cracked rib. They reacquired Trayce Thompson yesterday and appear set to give him the first shot at serving as Eddy Alvarez’s platoon partner, but Romero is also a righty stick who can slot into right field. He’s managed just a .219/.278/.344 slash against lefties in 2022, but that’s come over just 36 plate appearances, so it’s hard to glean much from such a minuscule sample.

Even if it’s a brief stay in the big leagues this time around, today will surely be a day to remember for Romero, whose last MLB appearance came on Aug. 19, 2016 — when he was summoned to the Majors for one game (his lone Major League appearance of that season’s second half). But with the Dodgers’ outfield and bench situations currently in something of a state of flux, it’s at least possible he’ll have the opportunity to carve out a role — at least while Betts is sidelined.

Dodgers Select Eddy Alvarez, Transfer Kevin Pillar To 60-Day IL

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7:58 pm: The Dodgers have announced that Alvarez has had his contract selected, with Kevin Pillar being transferred to the 60-day IL in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. The Pillar move isn’t terribly shocking, as he was placed on the 10-day IL just yesterday due to a fractured left shoulder, with a months-long absence seeming like a possibility.

6:48 pm: The Dodgers are planning to select utilityman Eddy Alvarez onto the big league roster, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Corner infielder Edwin Ríos is headed to the injured list after tearing his right hamstring during last night’s game.

Alvarez is going to the majors for the first time this season. He appeared in 36 games with the Marlins from 2020-21, hitting .188/.287/.287 through 115 plate appearances. That’s obviously not a great showing, but the right-handed hitter had a much more impressive .288/.423/.441 line in 31 games with the Fish’s Triple-A affiliate. Alvarez took some time off to suit up with the US national baseball team at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. He was part of the Silver Medal-winning club, adding to a silver he’d won in 2014 at Sochi as a speed skater.

Los Angeles inked the 32-year-old to a minor league contract during the lockout. Alvarez has played the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and mashed to the tune of a .304/.430/.500 clip. He’s walked in an excellent 13.4% of his plate appearances and hit five home runs while splitting time between both middle infield spots.

Ríos is hitting .244/.293/.500 through 92 plate appearances. He’s overcome a 38:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio by making a massive power impact, blasting seven home runs as a part-time player. Roberts indicated the tear won’t require surgical repair, but the left-handed hitter will miss some time recovering. It’ll be the second consecutive season with a notable injury for Ríos, who underwent shoulder surgery in May 2021 that ended his campaign 25 games in.

Dodgers Acquire Yoshi Tsutsugo From Rays

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The Dodgers have acquired infielder Yoshi Tsutsugo from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.  Infielder Edwin Rios was moved to the 60-day injured list to create roster space for Tsutsugo.

The Rays designated Tsutsugo for assignment last Tuesday, and today’s trade closes the book on an overall disappointing 18-month tenure for Tsutsugo in Tampa Bay.  Signed to a two-year, $12MM free agent deal in the 2019-20 offseason, Tsutsugo hit .197/.314/.395 over 185 plate appearances last season, and had only two hits over 16 PA during Tampa’s postseason run.  The 29-year-old followed that rookie season up with a rough .167/.244/.218 slash line in 87 PA this season, which prompted the Rays to send Tsutsugo to the DFA wire.

Tsutsugo is still owed roughly $5.49MM of his original $7MM salary for the 2021 season, and according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), the Dodgers will cover slightly more than $430K — the prorated share of the minimum salary.  This means the Rays will eat the roughly $5MM remaining of Tsutsugo’s salary, making his contract a fairly costly mistake considering the team’s low spending habts.

After years of big numbers with NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Tsutsugo drew plenty of attention when he was posted by the BayStars in the winter of 2019-20.  The Dodgers weren’t one of the teams known to have interest in Tsutsugo’s services, but their interest could have been piqued given their current needs.

Tsutsugo has played third base, first base, and left field for Tampa Bay, so he fits the Dodgers’ preferred model as a multi-position player (the team’s signing of Albert Pujols notwithstanding).  While L.A. already has a number of left-handed hitting options, Tsutsugo is something of a more experienced option due to his time in Japan, even if he has relatively little time in Major League Baseball.  Tsutsugo could be seen as something of a straight replacement for Rios, another lefty bat with corner infield and corner outfield experience.  Rios will miss the remainder of the season due to surgery on his right shoulder.

Edwin Rios To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Dodgers infielder Edwin Rios will undergo season-ending surgery on a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced. Rios  went on the 10-day IL because of the injury on May 4.

A sixth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2015, Rios tore through minor league pitching and earned his first promotion to the majors in 2019 as a result. Rios thrived both that year and last season, posting far above-average offensive numbers, albeit over a small sample of plate appearances. He took 139 trips to the plate during that span and slashed .260/.338/.634 with 12 home runs and a jaw-dropping .374 ISO, mostly lining up in the corner infield along the way.

Even prior to this injury, this season was a major step back for the 27-year-old Rios, who hit an ugly .078/.217/.137 with one home run and a .059 ISO over 25 games and 60 PA. He’ll now have to wait until 2022 for a potential rebound.

Dodgers Notes: Buehler, Pitching Staff, Rios

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke with reporters (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times) this evening. Roberts rounded up the team’s thinking as they approach their upcoming NL Championship Series matchup with the Braves.

Walker Buehler will get the start in Game 1, as he did in the NL Division Series opener with the Padres. Despite being nagged by a blister toward the end of the regular season, Buehler managed 95 pitches against San Diego. He should be capable of shouldering a similar workload tomorrow evening, Roberts said. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is considering adding a fifteenth pitcher to the roster. This year’s Championship Series carry the possibility of playing seven games in a seven day span, so the Dodgers are understandably looking into lengthening the pitching staff.

Whether the Dodgers add an extra pitcher could also depend upon the health status of designated hitter Edwin Ríos. The 26-year-old has mashed in limited MLB playing time over the past couple seasons but was left off the Division Series roster due to a groin issue. Ríos has progressed to running and taking live plate appearances, per Roberts, giving him a shot at making the NLCS roster. If Ríos does return, he’d likely be limited to pinch hitting, the skipper added.

Dodgers Place Justin Turner On 10-Day IL

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The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed third baseman Justin Turner on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 29, with a left hamstring strain. They activated infielder Edwin Rios and left-hander Alex Wood (post) from the IL in other moves.

The Dodgers have gone without Turner since he exited their game against the Rangers last Friday with the injury. Hamstring problems can often lead to lengthy absences, though manager Dave Roberts has said Turner only suffered a “low-grade” strain.

The loaded Dodgers, owners of baseball’s best record, should be able to carry on without Turner for however much time he misses, but they’ll obviously want him healthy when the playoffs roll around. The 35-year-old has enjoyed yet another high-quality season, having slashed .282/.384/.410 with a pair of home runs in 138 plate appearances.

With Turner on the shelf for the past few days, the Dodgers have relied on Max Muncy to man the hot corner. Muncy got off to a rough start this season, but his production has trended in the right direction of late. Rios could also be an option at third, where he has seen action in five games this year. He came out of the gates quickly this year before landing on the IL on Aug. 17 with a left hamstring strain of his own.

Dodgers Activate Will Smith From IL

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11:08 am: Smith has been activated from the IL, the team announced. Ruiz was optioned to the alternate training site to clear roster space.

9:27 am: Dodgers catcher Will Smith is likely to come back from the injured list and start behind the plate in this afternoon’s game against the Rockies, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) last night. The 25-year-old successfully caught a bullpen session yesterday, Gurnick adds.

Assuming he is indeed activated today, it’d make for a brief absence. Smith went on the shelf last week with (seemingly minor) neck inflammation. In the interim, Austin Barnes has gotten the lion’s share of starts behind the plate, with top prospect Keibert Ruiz getting his first couple games of big league action. The return of Smith, owner of a career .243/.338/.545 line (128 wRC+) over his first 237 MLB plate appearances, only lengthens a lineup that has been among the best in baseball this season.

In his piece, Gurnick also provides updates on a handful of other injured Dodgers. Most notably, left-hander Alex Wood and corner infielder Edwin Ríos are eyeing returns of their own within the next week or so.

NL Health Notes: Braves, Mets, Cards, Giants, Padres, Dodgers

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The Braves placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the injured list Saturday (retroactive to Aug. 12) because of left wrist inflammation, and the team’s hope then was that Acuna would be back by the upcoming weekend. However, there’s still no timetable for the superstar’s return, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who reports he’s continuing to battle soreness in his wrist. Meanwhile, second baseman Ozzie Albies – whom the Braves put on the IL on Aug. 5 with a bone contusion in his right wrist – is progressing but still has a ways to go, according to O’Brien.

  • Mets starters David Peterson and Jacob deGrom will take the ball as scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Tim Healey of Newsday relays. Peterson had to leave his previous start last Thursday against the Nationals with left shoulder fatigue, while the club scratched deGrom on Friday because of a stiff neck. They’ve been the two best members of the rotation this year for the struggling Mets, as Peterson has performed like one of the game’s top rookies and the back-to-back Cy Young winner deGrom has continued to shine.
  • Cardinals righty Carlos Martinez and infielder Edmundo Sosa have been cleared to resume baseball activities, manager Mike Shildt announced to Mark Saxon of The Athletic and other reporters. They’re two of the many Cardinals who recently tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s not clear when either could return, as Shildt noted they’ll need time to build themselves back up. Martinez, long a key part of the Cardinals’ pitching staff, made one very rocky appearance earlier this season. Sosa hasn’t played in the majors this year.
  • Giants righty Jeff Samardzija will begin a throwing program Wednesday, according to the club (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Samardzija went on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder impingement, which came after he opened the season with three rough performances. The pending free agent, 35, owns a ghastly 9.88 ERA across 13 2/3 innings, has already given up 18 hits and six home runs, and has only struck out five hitters.
  • The Padres placed catcher Francisco Mejia on the IL on Monday with a thumb bruise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. With him and outfielder Tommy Pham (previously reported) headed to the shelf, the Padres recalled backstop Luis Torrens and utility player Ty France. Prior to going on the IL, Mejia got off to a woeful start this year with an .079/.146/.184 line in 41 plate appearances. He and fellow Padres catcher Austin Hedges have combined for a disastrous minus-1 wRC+ over 79 trips to the plate thus far.
  • The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed infielder Edwin Rios on the IL with a left hamstring strain and recalled lefty Adam Kolarek. The Rios injury is a blow to the Dodgers’ offense, as even though he’s just a part-time player, the 26-year-old has done nothing but hit since debuting last season. So far in 2020, Rios has slashed .276/.323/.690 with three home runs in 31 plate appearances.
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