White Sox Outright Josimar Cousin
April 20: The White Sox announced today that they’ve assigned Cousin outright to Double-A Birmingham. Cousin cannot reject the assignment as he has neither been outrighted previously in his career nor the requisite service time to do so. As such, he’ll remain with the White Sox going forward as a non-roster depth option for the club as he continues working to establish himself in stateside baseball.
April 16: The White Sox announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Jonathan Cannon, a move that was reported yesterday. In corresponding moves, they optioned left-hander Jared Shuster to Triple-A Charlotte and designated right-hander Josimar Cousin for assignment.
Cousin, now 26, is from Cuba and played six seasons in that country’s Serie Nacional de Béisbol. He appeared in 88 games in that league, 68 starts, with a 4.80 earned run average. He struck out 15% of batters faced while walking 9.3%. The Sox signed him to a minor league deal in May, per reporter Francys Romero, with a $100K bonus.
He then tossed 55 innings in the minors last year, going from the Complex League to High-A and Double-A. He had a combined 5.56 ERA in that time as well as a 19.6% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate.
The Sox added him to their 40-man roster in mid-December, though the timing was unusual as it had nothing to do with minor league free agency or the Rule 5 cutoff. Speculatively speaking, it’s possible that Cousin had some kind of opt-out in his contract or maybe an overseas opportunity that the Sox wanted to prevent him from pursuing.
Cousin was optioned to Double-A Birmingham but hasn’t pitched yet this year. According to his transactions tracker at MiLB.com, he was on the minor league injured list from April 5 to April 12. The Sox will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
Braves Acquire Aaron Bummer In Six-Player Deal
The Braves announced the acquisition of reliever Aaron Bummer from the White Sox for a five-player package. Chicago acquires starters Michael Soroka and Jared Shuster, middle infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake and minor league righty Riley Gowens. All but Gowens occupy spots on their teams’ 40-man rosters.
Bummer, a 30-year-old southpaw, had spent his entire career with the ChiSox. He developed from an unheralded 19th-round selection into one of the game’s more quietly excellent setup men. Bummer broke through in 2019, when he turned in a 2.13 ERA over 67 2/3 innings on the back of an eye-popping 72.1% grounder percentage.
The following February, Chicago signed Bummer to a long-term extension. Various injuries impacted him between 2020-22, as he spent time on the shelf with biceps and lat issues in his throwing arm and a right knee strain. Bummer remained effective when healthy, turning in a 2.92 ERA over that stretch.
That strong run prevention mark collapsed this past season. Bummer was tagged for nearly seven earned runs per nine over 58 1/3 innings. Among pitchers with 50+ frames, only 12 had a higher ERA than his 6.79 mark. While that’ll make this a head-scratching move for many Atlanta fans, it’s clear the front office is placing a lot more stock in Bummer’s promising underlying indicators.
Bummer struck out an above-average 29.2% of batters faced this year. He has fanned just under 27% of opponents over the course of his career. He averaged 94.5 MPH on his sinker (a solid mark for a left-hander) and missed bats against hitters of either handedness. While he’s no longer posting ground-ball numbers reminiscent of peak Zach Britton, he kept the ball on the ground at a lofty 58.2% clip. That’s the 10th-highest rate among relievers who logged at least 50 innings.
Certainly, Bummer isn’t a flawless pitcher. While he tends to keep the ball down, he gives up a fair amount of hard contact. He has well below-average control and walked over 13% of opposing hitters this past season. While an elevated batting average on balls in play was a big reason for his disappointing ’23 campaign, he didn’t do himself many favors by handing out so many free passes.
The Braves clearly feel Bummer’s results will more closely match those he managed before this year. He joins A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek as potential high-leverage options from the left side. Pierce Johnson and Joe Jiménez are mid-late inning righties to help bridge the gap to closer Raisel Iglesias.
If Bummer returns to form, he could be a longer-term bullpen piece. He’ll make $5.5MM next season in the final guaranteed year of the aforementioned extension. He is guaranteed a $1.25MM buyout on a $7.25MM club option for 2025, while the deal also contains a $7.5MM team option (with a $1.25MM buyout) for the ’26 season.
It’s a consolidation trade for a win-now Atlanta team that can afford to target specific players it considers finishing touches to a championship-caliber roster. The White Sox are in the opposite position. Fresh off a 101-loss season, first-year general manager Chris Getz has set out to add depth to a team that has become far too top-heavy.
Trading a reliever for five players — four of whom are MLB options — is one way of doing so. While none of the four big leaguers is near the peak of their trade value, it’s easy to envision any of them playing a role on the 2024 White Sox from day one.
Soroka may be the most recognizable name. A former first-round pick and top prospect, he earned an All-Star nod and runner-up finish in NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2019. Soroka had pitched to a 2.68 ERA over 29 starts in his age-21 season. He looked like one of the sport’s brightest young pitching talents before his career was sidetracked by horrible injury luck.
The right-hander sustained successive tears of his right Achilles tendon nine months apart in 2020 and ’21. The injuries cost him almost two full seasons. While he returned to the mound in 2023, he struggled to a 6.40 ERA over seven big league outings. Soroka had quite a bit more success in Triple-A. Over 17 starts with their top affiliate in Gwinnett, he pitched to a 3.41 ERA with an above-average 25.9% strikeout rate. Forearm inflammation ended his season in September but is not expected to require surgery.
Soroka accrued MLB service time throughout his injury rehab. As a result, he has over five years of service and will be a free agent next winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3MM salary in his final season of arbitration. That made him a non-tender candidate for Atlanta, particularly since he can no longer be optioned to the minors. The White Sox are apparently willing to commit something in that range to see if he can recapture mid-rotation or better form.
Chicago has almost nothing in the way of rotation locks beyond Dylan Cease. Soroka now seems likely to get that opportunity. He could be joined by Shuster, a former first-round pick out of Wake Forest. The left-hander secured an Opening Day rotation spot with Atlanta a season ago. He struggled in his first MLB look, allowing a 5.81 ERA with a well below-average 13% strikeout rate over 52 2/3 innings.
Shuster had similarly discouraging numbers in Gwinnett. He was tagged for a 5.01 ERA through 16 starts with the Stripers. He struck out only 17.9% of hitters in Triple-A while walking 12.6% of opponents. While there aren’t many positives in Shuster’s 2023 performance, he’s only a year removed from ranking as one of the top pitchers in the Atlanta system. He’d posted a 3.29 ERA with a strong 26.2% strikeout rate in the minors in 2022, drawing praise for a potential plus changeup along the way.
Still just 25, Shuster could battle for a spot at the back of the Chicago rotation in Spring Training. He still has two option years remaining and has less than one year of MLB service. The Sox will hope he can put his tough debut behind him and reach the back-of-the-rotation projection of many prospect evaluators.
In some ways, Shewmake is a position player analogue of Shuster’s. He’s also a former first-round college draftee who’d generated some fanfare in Atlanta as recently as last spring. The Texas A&M product had a big Spring Training that led to some speculation he could open the season as the Braves’ starting shortstop. Atlanta rolled with veteran Orlando Arcia instead, a move that turned out well.
Not only did Arcia put together an All-Star season, Shewmake had a rough year in the minors. He hit .234/.298/.407 over 526 plate appearances for Gwinnett. He connected on 16 homers but hit only .264 on balls in play, keeping his on-base percentage down.
Scouts have questioned how much offensive upside the lefty-hitting Shewmake brings to the table. He’s soon to turn 26 and has only played two MLB games. Yet he’s a plus runner who went 27 of 28 in stolen base attempts in Triple-A. Shewmake can play either middle infield spot and has a pair of minor league options.
Adding middle infield talent was a necessity for Getz and his staff. The Sox had almost nothing at second base, relying on Lenyn Sosa and Romy González there. After buying out Tim Anderson, they were even lighter at shortstop. Shewmake could battle for a job, while Lopez seems likely to step into an everyday role at one of those positions.
The Sox are plenty familiar with Lopez from his days with the Royals. The 28-year-old has received elite grades for his defense at both middle infield spots and in more limited time at third base. It’s an all-glove profile, as Lopez has bottom-of-the-scale power. He’s a .228/.297/.284 hitter in 742 plate appearances over the past two seasons.
Lopez has between four and five years of service and is projected for a $3.9MM arbitration salary. That felt like a luxury for an Atlanta team that relies on Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Arcia and Austin Riley almost every day. It’s a more palatable sum for a team that’ll use Lopez as a bottom-of-the-lineup regular — as the Sox now seem positioned to do.
Rounding out the return is Gowens, a 24-year-old righty who was selected in the ninth round of this past summer’s draft. He pitched to a 6.30 ERA but struck out almost 28% of opponents over 12 starts during his junior year at Illinois. Baseball America praised the life on his fastball in his draft report, suggesting he could project as a reliever in pro ball.
It’s an unexpected trade made possible by the discrepancy in the organizations’ depth. Atlanta could afford to package some players who had fallen towards the back of the roster for a reliever with upside but legitimate question marks. Chicago buys low on a handful of players at positions of need, hoping that one or two can click and provide more value than they would have received out of Bummer.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Braves Select Dereck Rodriguez
The Braves announced this morning that they have selected the contract of right-hander Dereck Rodriguez. Left-hander Jared Shuster was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Rodriguez on the active roster, while lefty Dylan Lee was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Rodriguez on the 40-man roster.
Rodriguez, 31, joined the Braves earlier this year when he was claimed off waivers from the Twins. He appeared in two games with the club earlier this season, posting 2 2/3 scoreless innings during that time, but was designated for assignment after the club acquired left-hander Taylor Hearn in late July. Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez accepted an outright assignment to remain in the Braves organization. In 44 2/3 innings of work with the club’s Triple-A affiliate this season, the right-hander has posted an ugly 6.45 ERA with a 21.1% strikeout rate against a 9.5% walk rate.
Rodriguez’s career in the big leagues began in 2018 as a member of the Giants. The then-26-year-old hurler pitched well in his rookie season, with a 2.81 ERA and 3.73 FIP in 21 games (19 starts) with San Francisco. Unfortunately, Rodriguez has struggled ever since that strong debut, with a 5.68 ERA and 6.04 FIP in 114 innings of work at the big league level since the start of the 2019 season. While it seems unlikely Rodriguez will return to the production he generated in his rookie season, he could nonetheless help a beleaguered Braves bullpen that has posted a 5.64 ERA since the start of September.
Shuster’s up-and-down role as a spot starter this season continues as he’s optioned back to Triple-A following his start against the Marlins yesterday. The 25-year-old has struggled to a 5.64 ERA in 52 2/3 innings of work (11 starts) this season, but figures to continue to act as starting depth for the Braves going forward. As for Lee, the lefty was placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation earlier this week. The injury was already expected to render him shut down until the 2024 campaign, so his move to the 60-day IL is entirely procedural.
Braves Promote Darius Vines, Activate Ozzie Albies
The Braves announced a handful of roster moves Monday, optioning infielder Vaughn Grissom and lefty Jared Shuster to Triple-A Gwinnett while recalling righty Darius Vines for his MLB debut and reinstating second baseman Ozzie Albies from the injured list.
Vines, 25, was Atlanta’s seventh-round pick back in 2019 and has pitched well across three minor league levels this season after returning from a lengthy absence brought about by shoulder inflammation. Baseball America currently ranks him fifth among Braves prospects, while MLB.com has him tenth and FanGraphs pegs him 13th.
Since returning from the injured list in June, Vines has made nine starts: two with the team’s Rookie-level affiliate in the Florida Complex League, two in High-A and five with Triple-A Gwinnett once those four rehab appearances were complete. He hadn’t pitched beyond six innings until his most recent outing — a seven-inning start against the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate — but Vines has reached 90 pitches in each of his past three starts. He’ll give the Braves a long option out of the bullpen or a candidate to make a spot start, as needed.
In 43 1/3 innings this year, the Cal State Bakersfield product has posted a 2.70 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 44.4% ground-ball rate. Scouting reports at BA, MLB.com and FanGraphs tab Vines as a potential back-of-the-rotation arm thanks to his command of a three-pitch repertoire (fastball, slider, changeup). The changeup draws plus (60 on the 20-80 scale) or better offerings, with BA’s report noting that some scouts have put a plus-plus (70) grade on the pitch.
Vines joins Shuster, Dylan Dodd, Michael Soroka, AJ Smith–Shawver, Allan Winans and (once healthy) Ian Anderson as an in-house option who can compete for a rotation job next year. The Braves are largely set with Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Bryce Elder and a soon-to-return Kyle Wright making up the front four in the rotation both down the stretch and likely in the 2023 postseason. Morton isn’t a lock to return — the Braves have a $20MM option on him for the 2024 season — which will leave at least one and possibly two spots to be sorted out next spring. (The offseason could bring about trades and/or free-agent additions to address the starting staff, of course.)
As for Albies, he’ll return after two weeks on the shelf due to a strained hamstring. The Braves initially expressed optimism that Albies was only dealing with some minor cramping and might not even require an IL stint, but further testing revealed what wound up apparently being a fairly minor strain. Given Atlanta’s overwhelming lead in the NL East, there was every reason to proceed with caution, as they can effectively sleepwalk their way to a division title with a 12.5-game lead and just 33 games left to be played. Albies is in the midst of another terrific season, batting .267/.327/..514 with 28 home runs in 510 plate appearances.
Braves Select Charlie Culberson
The Braves announced that they have recalled right-hander Michael Soroka to start tonight’s game. This will be his first start in front of Atlanta fans since 2019, with the 2020 season being played in empty stadiums because of the pandemic. He then missed 2021 and 2022 entirely before making two road starts this year.
His roster spot was already opened by the club optioning left-hander Jared Shuster to Triple-A yesterday. Additionally, they selected infielder Charlie Culberson to the roster, optioning catcher Chadwick Tromp to Triple-A in a corresponding move. To open a 40-man roster spot for Culberson, left-hander Dylan Lee was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
It’s been a strange season for Culberson, who signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in March. He was selected to the big league roster in mid-May and spent a month on the bench without getting into a single game. He was then designated for assignment, became a free agent and re-signed with the club on another minor league deal. He’s now back on the roster less than two weeks after being designated for assignment.
It seems he’s mostly around in a “break glass in case of emergency” type of role. He’s played every infield position and the outfield corners in his career, as well as a few mop-up pitching appearances. That means he could be called upon when some other player suffers an injury or needs time off. That didn’t happen in the month that he was on the roster but could theoretically happen at any point going forward. Given his versatility, he’s a good fit for such a role. He’s hit .247/.292/.385 in his career but slashed just .204/.234/.255 in Triple-A this year before getting called up.
As for Lee, he’s been on the injured list since mid-May due to shoulder inflammation. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be mid-July. He’s recently been throwing bullpen sessions but has yet to embark on a rehab assignment. Since he’s probably a few weeks away from a return anyway, this transaction seems to be a mere formality that doesn’t indicate any sort of setback.
Soroka made two starts for the big league club earlier this year but allowed nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings. He’s been much better in the minors, with a 3.31 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts this year. He’s probably not a long-term solution in the rotation since he hardly pitched at all in the 2020-2022 period due to injuries and has already tallied 64 innings this year. The club has an off-day next week and the All-Star break is the week after that.
Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder have three rotation spots spoken for but the club has rotated various pitchers through the other two with Max Fried and Kyle Wright on the injured list. Soroka, Shuster, Kolby Allard, AJ Smith-Shawver and Dylan Dodd have all received starts this year and each has options. That will allow the club to continually weave them on and off the big league club as they see fit until they get their injured guys back or perhaps make a move at the upcoming deadline.
MLBTR Poll: Braves’ Fifth Starter
The Braves have opened their 2023 season facing a great deal of uncertainty in the rotation. The club went into camp with a battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, expecting Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson, and Michael Soroka to be the favorites for the role. That didn’t come to pass, however, as Soroka was slowed early in camp while both Anderson and Elder struggled, opening the door for Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd to elevate themselves on the organizational depth chart with strong springs. MLBTR held a poll toward the end of Spring Training regarding which of the two young lefties should start the regular season in the rotation, which Shuster won with 68.56% of the vote.
Ultimately, the Braves were never forced to make a decision between Dodd and Shuster for the fifth spot, as Kyle Wright began the season on the injured list, allowing both lefties to open the season in the rotation. Since that time, the rotation picture in Atlanta has gotten far more hectic. Club ace Max Fried went on the injured list with a hamstring injury, while Anderson went on the IL in the minors due to elbow issues, leaving Elder to join the rotation in Fried’s stead. Meanwhile, both Shuster and Dodd have struggled to open the season.
With Wright expected to make his first start of the season on Tuesday and Fried expected to miss roughly the fifteen day minimum, the Braves find themselves once again forced to make a decision on who their fifth starter should be once the front four of Fried, Wright, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton are all healthy and starting every fifth day. With Soroka still not fully ramped up, it appears the options for the club’s fifth rotation spot are Dodd, Shuster, and Elder, each of whom have made at least one start for the club this season.
Shuster appears to be the least likely of the three options. The 24-year old lefty has made two starts for Atlanta so far this season, but has struggled in both. In his major league debut, Shuster allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Nationals, allowing six hits and 5 walks while striking out just one. His second start was worryingly similar to his first, albeit against a much more threatening Padres team than the lowly Nats: four runs in four innings of work on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
While Shuster impressed with a 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings of work this spring, he’s appeared over-matched two starts into his big league career, and it seems safe to assume that the Braves will allow him time in Triple-A to right the ship before returning him to the big league rotation, barring further injuries to the big league club.
Dodd has a stronger case for a longer leash in the rotation than Shuster, having impressed in his MLB debut by holding a loaded Cardinals lineup to just one run over five innings of work, striking out three while walking none. Dodd’s first start of the season showed the same promise as his spring performance, where he posted a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings of work, striking out 20 while walking just four. Unfortunately, Dodd’s second start was not as successful as his first, as he struggled badly in 4 1/3 innings against the Padres, allowing seven runs on ten hits (two home runs) and a walk while striking out three.
After such a difficult second start, it’s reasonable to wonder if Dodd might also benefit from additional time in Triple-A before becoming a mainstay in the Braves’ rotation. After all, the 24-year old has made just one start in Triple-A, with only 53 innings of experience above High-A in the minor leagues.
That lack of experience seems likely to open the door for Elder as the most likely option to stick in Atlanta as a member of the rotation once Fried returns from the injured list. Though Elder struggled badly in Spring Training surrendering three home runs and five walks in just 11 2/3 innings of work, he dominated the Cardinals for six innings in his first start of the season on Wednesday, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out six over six innings of work. Though his spring problems with the free pass carried over into the regular season as he walked three in his season debut, Elder was able to find success in the big leagues last year in spite of a 10.1% walk rate, posting a 3.17 ERA in 54 innings of work last season.
With Fried set to miss at least another week of action, both Dodd and Elder figure to get at least one more start before the Braves make a decision, to say nothing of the possibility that an injury elsewhere in the rotation or a setback for Fried could delay the decision even further. Barring those outcomes, who should the Braves keep in the rotation going forward? Is Elder’s experience and past success in the big leagues too valuable to pass up, or should the Braves stick with their initial decision and give the fifth spot in the rotation to one of Dodd or Shuster?
(poll link for app users)
Who Should The Braves Keep In The Rotation Once Wright And Fried Return?
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Bryce Elder 76% (2,961)
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Dylan Dodd 14% (551)
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Jared Shuster 9% (364)
Total votes: 3,876
Braves Select Danny Young, Designate Seth Elledge
The Braves selected the contract of left-hander Danny Young from Triple-A, and designated right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment to open up a 40-man roster space. A spot on the 26-man active roster was already open since Atlanta optioned Jared Shuster to Triple-A after yesterday’s game.
Young made his Major League debut last season as a member of the Mariners, and then came to Atlanta on a waiver claim in August. All in all, Young’s first taste of big league action consisted of 6 1/3 total innings over three games (two with Seattle, one with Atlanta), and the Braves then DFA’ed and outrighted Young soon after they added him on waivers. Originally an eighth-round draft pick for the Blue Jays in 2015, Young has a 3.78 ERA over 309 2/3 career innings in the minors, almost entirely as a relief pitcher.
It might be another cup of coffee for Young in the Show, since Kyle Wright is projected to be activated from the 15-day injured list for a start on Tuesday. Since Wright and Max Fried are both on the IL, the Braves have turned to Shuster, Dylan Dodd, and Bryce Elder to make starts thus far in the season, with Shuster being optioned back and forth from Triple-A Gwinnett after each of his two starts. As the Braves don’t need that fifth spot in the rotation until Wright returns, they’ll add Young to give the club more bullpen depth in the interim.
The Braves selected Elledge’s contract to the 40-man roster back in November, as the righty had the option to become a minor league free agent. Elledge signed a minors deal with Atlanta in March 2022 and spent all of last season at Triple-A, delivering a 3.88 ERA and an impressive 33.7% strikeout rate over 46 1/3 innings. His past MLB experience consists of 23 1/3 total innings with the Cardinals over the 2020-21 seasons.
Braves Place Collin McHugh On IL, Recall Jared Shuster
The Braves announced that right-hander Collin McHugh has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Left-hander Jared Shuster has been recalled to take McHugh’s spot on the roster.
McHugh, 36 in June, is in the second year of a two-year, $10MM deal, though the club has a $6MM option for 2024 with a $1MM buyout. He served as a starter earlier in his career but he’s become an effective reliever in recent years, which continued in the first season of his current contract. With Atlanta last year, he tossed 69 1/3 innings over 58 appearances with a 2.60 ERA. He struck out 27.6% of batters faced while walking just 5.1% and getting grounders at a 39.9% clip.
It’s unclear how long he’s expected to be out of action but the club will have to get by without him for at least a couple of weeks. With closer Raisel Iglesias also on the IL due to shoulder inflammation and reportedly still not throwing, they will have to proceed without two of their best high-leverage relief options. That work is now likely to fall to pitchers like A.J. Minter and Joe Jiménez, at least for the time being.
If there’s one silver lining in McHugh going on the shelf, it’s that it helps the club deal with a gap in their rotation. The club went into the spring with four rotation spots filled by Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Kyle Wright, with the final spot up for grabs. Wright was delayed in spring and needed to start the season on the injured list, allowing both Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd to get starts in the early going. When Fried got hurt on Opening Day, they need another arm, calling up Bryce Elder for that job. Amid all that roster shuffling, Shuster got optioned to the minors, which normally requires a 15-day period before being recalled. However, an exception is made when a player goes on the IL, allowing Shuster to return to the active roster earlier. Wright is expected to be activated next week when first eligible, which could lead to one of Dodd, Shuster or Elder getting optioned.
Braves Designate Jordan Luplow, Select Dylan Dodd
The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Dylan Dodd, who was reported last week to have secured a rotation spot. In corresponding moves, left-hander Jared Shuster was optioned to Triple-A while outfielder Jordan Luplow was designated for assignment.
Luplow, 29, was signed by Atlanta this offseason to a one-year, $1.4MM deal. The outfielder had spent 2022 with the Diamondbacks, but limped to a .176/.274/.361 batting line on the year and a wRC+ of 78. He could have been retained via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $2MM, but Arizona designated him for assignment instead. After becoming a free agent, Luplow signed that deal with Atlanta, a bit below his arb projection.
He would have been line for a bench outfield role but the club later added some more options into the competition for that job, acquiring Eli White and signing Kevin Pillar to a minor league deal. The latter of those two eventually had his contract selected and made the roster alongside Sam Hilliard, with Luplow getting optioned to the minors. Luplow’s now lost his spot on the 40-man roster as well.
The club will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Despite recent struggles, Luplow has occasionally seemed like a viable platoon outfielder. The right-handed hitter has a career batting line of .226/.337/.505 against lefties for a wRC+ of 125, compared to a .200/.288/.355 line and 76 wRC+ against righties. That could lead to some interest around the league but it’s a fairly similar profile to Darin Ruf, who was released by the Mets today and can now be signed for the league minimum. One thing Luplow offers beyond Ruf, though, is the ability to be optioned to the minors. Luplow is also shy of five years service time and therefore can be retained for 2024 via arbitration.
If Luplow were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would have the ability to reject an outright assignment and return to free agency, though he might not do so. Since he’s shy of the five-year service mark, he would have to leave his salary on the table in order to return to the open market. Perhaps the $1.4MM would be enough to convince him to stick in Gwinnett as depth, if that comes to pass.
As for Shuster, he has been optioned but it’s possible there are some roster shenanigans going on. Pitchers optioned to the minors can’t return for 15 days, but an exception is made when another played is going on the injured list. Manager Brian Snitker has said that lefty Max Fried will be placed on the injured list, though the club hasn’t done so yet. Once they make that move official, it’s possible that Shuster gets added back to the active roster. That being said, he didn’t exactly wow in his debut, allowing four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He walked five opponents, allowed six hits and only struck out one. Perhaps he’ll get some more work in Gwinnett and the big league club will consider giving his spot to Dodd, Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson or Michael Soroka, at least until Fried and Kyle Wright are ready to come off the injured list.
Braves Select Four Players, Place Three Others On 60-Day IL
The Braves announced today that they have selected infielder Ehire Adrianza, outfielder Kevin Pillar, right-hander Jesse Chavez and left-hander Jared Shuster to their 40-man roster. In corresponding moves, right-hander Huascar Ynoa and left-handers Kolby Allard and Tyler Matzek were placed on the 60-day injured list. The Braves already had a couple of vacancies on their 40-man roster, so these IL placements open up three more spots for the four selections and their acquisition of Richard Lovelady from the Royals.
Shuster, 24, will be making his major league debut once he gets into a game. The club came into spring with four rotation spots taken by Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton. It was believed by many that the final spot was going to be a battle between Michael Soroka, Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder. However, Soroka got delayed by an injury and the latter two were simply out-pitched by Shuster and Dylan Dodd. Anderson and Elder were optioned to the minors, then Wright was also delayed by injury. That will seemingly allow for both Shuster and Dodd to crack the rotation early in the season, though Dodd still hasn’t been added. Shuster posted a 3.29 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A last year then a 1.45 ERA here in the spring.
Pillar, 34, has been a glove-first outfielder for most of his career, most of it with the Blue Jays. He was drafted and developed by that club while Alex Anthopoulos, now Atlanta’s president of baseball operations, was with Toronto. Last year, he only got into four games with the Dodgers before a shoulder fracture ended his season. He and Sam Hilliard should serve as reserve outfielders on the bench in Atlanta.
Chavez, 39, is a veteran who will be appearing in his 16th season once he gets into a game. He was twice acquired by the Braves last year and ended up posting a 3.76 ERA over 60 total appearances for three different clubs. He’ll give the club a veteran arm for its relief mix.
Adrianza, 33, is a veteran utility infielder who has played for Atlanta in each of the past two seasons. He’s a career .239/.309/.354 hitter in the big leagues. The club recently decided to option its young shortstops Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake for more seasoning in the minors. That left Orlando Arcia as the starting shortstop and bumped Adrianza up to a bench role.
As for the IL placements, none of those comes as a shock. Ynoa and Matzek both had Tommy John surgery late last year and will be out for most of this season. Allard, meanwhile, suffered an oblique strain a few weeks ago.