Guardians Announce Series Of Roster Moves
The Guardians announced a batch of roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader. Left-hander Kirk McCarty has been recalled as the club’s “27th man” for the twin bill. The club also recalled infielder Gabriel Arias, with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez going on the 10-day injured list as a corresponding move. Furthermore, right-hander James Karinchak was reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A, with fellow righty Tobias Myers being designated for assignment to open a spot for Karinchak on the 40-man roster.
The Guardians haven’t yet announced an injury designation for Gonzalez, but he was reportedly dealing with some abdominal tightness recently. This IL placement will put a pause on his nice breakout campaign, as the rookie has hit .285/.315/.431 through his first 32 big league games. Despite a 3.8% walk rate that’s less than half the league average, he’s hit enough to produce a 112 wRC+, indicating he’s been 12% better than the league average hitter overall. With him out of action, Richie Palacios could potentially be line for more regular playing time next to Steven Kwan and Myles Straw in the Cleveland outfield. Manager Terry Francona tells Mandy Bell of MLB.com that an MRI on Gonzalez revealed some swelling near his ribs that will shut him down for about a week.
Myers, 23, was first added to the club’s 40-man roster in November as part of a huge shuffle. At the deadline to add players prior to the Rule 5 draft, which ended up not happening, the Guardians designated seven players for assignment in order to add ten prospects to the squad. In addition to all of that, they acquired Myers from the Rays and added him to the roster as well. Originally drafted by the Orioles, he was traded to the Rays for Tim Beckham in 2017. Since then, he climbed the ladder in Tampa’s system, pitching in Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. He made 22 starts last year with a 3.90 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. That surely enticed Cleveland to bring him aboard as rotation depth, though he hasn’t been able to maintain those results this year. In 14 Triple-A starts, he has an ERA of 6.00, along with a 14.1% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate. Based on those diminished results, he has lost his roster spot and has now entered DFA limbo. The club will have one week to trade him or place him on waivers. Despite his poor season thus far, teams may be willing to take a chance on him on the hope he can rebound into his previous form.
As for Karinchak, 26, he seemed to emerge as an elite bullpen weapon in the shortened 2020 season. He threw 27 innings that year with a 2.67 ERA and an absurd 48.6% strikeout rate, though a concerning 14.7% walk rate as well. In 2021, he came back down to earth with a 4.07 ERA over 55 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate fell to 33.2%, still very good, but was also still issuing free passes at a 13.6% rate. He has yet to pitch in the majors this year as he began the season on the IL due to a teres major strain. He’s been rehabbing for the past month, throwing 11 Triple-A innings with a 5.73 ERA. He’s still getting Ks 32.1% of the time but also giving a free trip to first base to 20.8% of batters faced. There’s surely some rust to deal with after a long injury layoff, which he will try to shake off by staying in Columbus.
Guardians Acquire Yohan Ramirez From Mariners
The Guardians have acquired reliever Yohan Ramirez from the Mariners in exchange for cash, according to announcements from both teams. Cleveland placed James Karinchak on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding 40-man roster move.
Seattle designated Ramirez for assignment last week. Rather than wait for the 27-year-old to land on waivers, the Guardians jumped the line by sending cash to the M’s. Ramirez still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so he’ll add a bullpen depth option with some roster flexibility to the organization.
Originally an Astros’ farmhand, Ramirez landed in Seattle via the 2019 Rule 5 draft. He stuck on the active roster for the shortened 2020 season, tossing 20 2/3 innings of primarily low-leverage work. The right-hander posted a 2.61 ERA as a rookie, but he walked an untenable 21.3% of batters faced. Ramirez averaged nearly 96 MPH on his fastball and struck out 27.7% of batters faced, though, and the M’s were impressed enough to keep him around in hopes he could emerge as a long-term middle innings option.
That didn’t wind up coming to fruition, even as Ramirez made marginal improvements from a control perspective. Home runs became a particular problem, as he was tagged for nearly two homers per nine innings over 25 appearances in 2021. He’s allowed another trio of longballs in 8 1/3 innings early this season, and the M’s decided to reallocate his spot on the 40-man roster.
That Ramirez can bounce between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus is no doubt of some appeal to the Guardians front office. His career 13.6% swinging strike percentage is above-average, and he’s induced infield fly balls at a rate nearly double the league mark. That was enough promise for Cleveland to add him to the bullpen depth chart.
Karinchak hasn’t pitched this season. He opened the year on the IL due to a lower back strain, and today’s transfer means he won’t return until the first week of June at the earliest. A specific timetable for his recovery isn’t clear, although it’s not likely Karinchak would’ve been in position to return by the end of this month anyhow given that he’s yet to embark on a minor league rehab assignment.
The 26-year-old made his MLB debut at the end of the 2019 season and looked like a late-game stopper the following year. The righty struck out a laughable 48.6% of opponents in 27 innings that year en route to a 2.67 ERA. He did show some strike-throwing issues, though, and his walk concerns became more pronounced when his strikeout rate fell to a mortal (although still excellent) 33.2% last season. Karinchak pitched to a 4.07 ERA in 55 1/3 frames in 2021.
James Karinchak, Luke Maile Likely To Begin Season On Injured List
Two notable Guardians players are likely to start their 2022 season on the 10-day injured list. Reliever James Karinchak has a strain in his teres major muscle and will be shut down for 7-10 days, while Luke Maile has a left hamstring strain. (MLB.com’s Mandy Bell was among those to report the news.)
Maile is a lock to hit the IL, as he will be out of action for three to four weeks. Karinchak’s timetable isn’t yet known outside of his shutdown period, as if he returns after seven or even 10 days with no ill effects, he might only need a minimal 10-day IL stint at the start of the season to get fully ramped up.
It all depends on the severity of his strain, as teres major muscle issues can vary greatly in terms of necessary recovery time. Cleveland fans have become all too familiar with the teres major muscle in recent years, as Mike Clevinger, Emmanuel Clase, and (just yesterday) Cody Morris have all spent time on the IL due to similar injuries.
The Guardians surely hope Karinchak’s injury is just a matter of days or weeks rather than months, as the hard-throwing righty’s big strikeout numbers hint at his potential as a dominant bullpen arm. Karinchak has a huge 38% strikeout rate over his 87 2/3 career innings, as well as a 3.49 ERA. However, Karinchak also has a 13.4% walk rate, and both those control problems and the home run ball led to a dropoff in production last season after a strong start. Cleveland ended up optioning Karinchak to Triple-A for September, in an effort to try and get him sorted.
Maile only joined the team two weeks ago on a one-year, $900K free agent deal. The veteran backstop’s guaranteed deal gave him a leg up on minor league signing Sandy Leon in the battle to be Austin Hedges‘ backup, though Leon may now have the inside track on breaking camp. Depending on what other names become available as other teams make their spring cuts, the Guardians could possibly add another experienced catcher to add further depth, or as more competition for Leon.
Indians Option James Karinchak To Triple-A
The Indians have optioned reliever James Karinchak to Triple-A, per The Athletic’s Zack Meisel (via Twitter). Bobby Bradley will be activated from the injured list to take Karinchak’s roster spot.
Karinchak was a popular breakout candidate this season because of his gaudy strikeout numbers, and for awhile, Karinchak made good on that promise. But it’s been a different story in the second half. After recording an absurd 42.5 percent strikeout rate in the first half, that number has fallen to 12.5 percent in the second half. His FIP has tumbled from 3.12 to 7.64.
Karinchak’s spin rates have plummeted all season long on both his fastball and his curve. His In Zone Swing & Miss Percentages have fallen as well, from 26% on his four-seamer in June to just 9% on that same pitch in August.
As for Bradley, the powerful first baseman slashed .213/.316/.480 over 174 plate appearances, his first real crack at regular playing time in the bigs. He’s been out since August 7 with a knee sprain.
Dominic Leone, Mike Freeman, Cam Hill Make Indians’ Opening Day Roster
The Indians have informed several players, including three who aren’t currently on the 40-man roster, that they’ve made the Opening Day club, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. Right-handers Dominic Leone, Cam Hill, James Karinchak and Phil Maton; infielders Mike Freeman, Yu Chang and Christian Arroyo; and outfielders Greg Allen and Bradley Zimmer have all made the roster to begin the year. Leone, Hill and Freeman will each need to be added to the 40-man roster.
The team has also informed a quartet of players that they won’t open the year on the 30-man roster. That includes first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers and righties Jefry Rodriguez, James Hoyt and Hunter Wood. That Wood won’t be on the Opening Day roster is of particular note, as he is out of minor league options and thus cannot be sent down to alternate camp without first being run through outright waivers.
It seems likely, then, that some form of 40-man move involving Wood will help to pave the way for the three non-roster players who’ve made the squad. Cleveland currently has 39 players on the 40-man roster, and Delino DeShields isn’t counting against the group either while on the Covid-19 injured list.
The 28-year-old Leone has the most big league experience of the bunch, having logged 243 1/3 innings of relief dating back to his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2014. Leone’s past two seasons with the Cardinals went poorly, as he worked to a combined 5.15 ERA and 4.77 FIP in 64 2/3 frames, but the righty was excellent for the Jays as recently as 2017, when he pitched 70 2/3 innings with a 2.56 ERA and better than 10 punchouts per nine frames. In all, Leone joins the Indians’ bullpen with a career 3.92 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.15 HR/9 and a 43.6 percent grounder rate.
Freeman, who’ll turn 33 early next month, should be a familiar face for Cleveland fans after suiting up for 75 games there in 2019. Last year with the Indians, Freeman played second base, shortstop, third base, left field and even pitched two innings. Along the way, Freeman hit .272/.362/.390 with four homers and eight doubles — good for a 97 OPS+. That’s a solid showing from a part-time player, and although he had to work his way back on another minor league deal, Freeman clearly impressed the club enough to stick around as a depth piece.
Hill, meanwhile, has never pitched in the Majors, so this’ll mark the 26-year-old’s debut season. A 17th-round pick by the Indians back in 2014, Hill has just a 4.81 ERA in 43 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level but impressed the club with a strong effort this spring (five innings, one run) and summer. He ranked near the back of the organization’s top prospect list at FanGraphs this year, where Eric Longenhagen wrote that Hill has “nasty” stuff but sub-par control that causes some concern.
Wood, 26, has plenty of success with the Rays in his first season-plus at the MLB level before being traded to Cleveland alongside Arroyo last summer. He posted decent numbers with the Indians following the trade and carries a career 3.32 ERA and 4.04 FIP in 86 2/3 MLB frames, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see him on the outside looking in. It’s quite possible that another club with more questionable bullpen depth would have interest in swinging a deal for Wood, who has high-end spin and above-average velocity on his four-seamer. Barring that, he could generate interest on the waiver wire.
Indians Option Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, James Karinchak, Brad Zimmer To Triple-A
The Indians announced today that four players have been optioned to Triple-A (Twitter link), as outfielder Bradley Zimmer and right-handers Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, and James Karinchak were all cut from the 26-man roster.
Of all the roster assignments we’ve seen in recent days as teams make procedural tweaks well in advance of when the 2020 season could actually begin, the Tribe’s moves may have been the ones least likely to happen had the season begun today as scheduled. Optioning this quartet of players gives the Indians a bit more flexibility in determining tougher roster decisions, and obviously any can (and likely will) be recalled prior to the beginning of official games.
Due to injuries to Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco, Civale and Plesac were both penciled into Cleveland’s Opening Day rotation, and it’s a fair bet that both pitchers could have remained in the starting five throughout the year. Adam Plutko was also in the mix for a starting job and, since he is out of options, perhaps had some advantage over Civale and Plesac in that regard, though the Indians could also have kept Plutko on the 26-man roster as a reliever.
Likewise, the hard-throwing Karinchak was expected to play an important role in the Tribe’s bullpen in the wake of a solid Spring Training and an impressive brief cameo (5 1/3 innings) during the 2019 regular season. Karinchak has dealt with some control issues through his three pro seasons, though the righty’s minor league strikeout totals are nothing short of outstanding, with a whopping 186 strikeouts over 102 1/3 innings in the Cleveland farm system.
Indians To Promote James Karinchak
The Indians are calling up right-hander James Karinchak, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). Cleveland has a full 40-man roster, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Karinchak prior to tomorrow’s game.
A ninth-round pick for the Tribe in the 2017 draft, Karinchak made his Triple-A debut in 2019 and posted a 4.67 ERA over 17 1/3 relief innings. Beyond that fairly unimpressive mark, however, stands an eyebrow-raising strikeout total — Karinchak struck out 42 batters in his brief time at Triple-A Columbus, continuing an incredible season of missing bats for the 23-year-old. Over 30 1/3 total minor league innings in a year shortened by hamstring injuries, Karinchak has 74 strikeouts.
MLB.com ranks Karinchak as the 21st-best prospect in Cleveland’s farm system, giving high grades on the 20-80 scouting scale to his 95-98mph fastball (a 70 grade) and a “12-to-6 curveball that he can get them to chase out of the bottom of the zone” (60 grade). Between a high arm slot and a tendency to overthrow, however, Karinchak has also had problems limiting free passes. He has a 5.5 BB/9 over his 102 1/3 career minor league innings, and a 6.8 BB/9 at Columbus this season.
The Tribe will hope that Karinchak’s live arm can help reinforce a bullpen that has fallen on hard times recently. Closer Brad Hand‘s recent struggles are the largest concern, though Cleveland relievers as a whole have a cumulative 5.20 ERA over the last 30 days, the fifth-highest mark of any team’s relief corps over that span. While Indians relievers have been pretty good as a whole all season, they rank near the middle of the pack in K/9, so Karinchak promises a particular boost in that department.