Headlines

  • Angels Acquire LaMonte Wade Jr.
  • Braves Designate Craig Kimbrel For Assignment
  • Corbin Burnes To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Braves Select Craig Kimbrel
  • Jerry Reinsdorf, Justin Ishbia Reach Agreement For Ishbia To Obtain Future Majority Stake In White Sox
  • White Sox To Promote Kyle Teel
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2025
    • Free Agent Contest Leaderboard
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kolton Ingram

Braves Re-Sign Ray Kerr, Royber Salinas To Minor League Deals

By Nick Deeds | November 28, 2024 at 5:57pm CDT

The Braves have re-signed left-hander Ray Kerr and Royber Salinas to minor league deals, according to the transaction trackers on the pair’s profile pages at MLB.com. According to that same source, the Braves have brought left-hander Kolton Ingram into the organization on a minor league deal.

Kerr and Salinas were both non-tendered by the Braves prior to last week’s deadline, but the duo will now return to the organization as non-roster depth. Kerr began his big league career with the Padres and posted solid numbers for San Diego in 2023, with a 4.33 ERA and 4.18 FIP in 27 innings that saw him strike out an excellent 30.3% of opponents. That relatively small sample of success was enough to convince the Braves to trade for him last winter, and the club took on the final year of Matt Carpenter’s underwater contract with San Diego in order to facilitate the deal. Unfortunately, Kerr struggled to a 5.64 ERA in 10 early season appearances before undergoing Tommy John surgery back in June. Now that he’s back with Atlanta, he’ll be able to rehab with the organization as he eyes a possible second-half comeback in 2025.

As for Salinas, he only joined the Braves organization earlier this month after being claimed off waivers from the A’s. It’s not Salinas’s first stint in the organization, however, as he actually signed out of Venezuela with Atlanta as an international amateur. After spending the first years of his pro career with the Braves, Salinas was traded to the A’s as part of the Sean Murphy deal prior to the 2023 season. The right-hander’s two year sojourn to Oakland saw him struggle to establish himself in the upper minors. After struggling to a 5.48 ERA in his first taste of Double-A action last year, he saw improved results (including a 3.68 ERA) in a repeat of the level this year but was torched to the tune of seven runs in 6 1/3 Triple-A frames. Looking ahead to 2025, Salinas figures to serve as non-roster depth for the club’s bullpen, which currently stands to be without A.J. Minter after the lefty hit free agency earlier this month and Joe Jimenez after the right-hander underwent surgery that will cause him to miss at least the majority of the 2025 campaign.

That role of non-roster depth also figures to apply to Ingram, who spent the 2024 season shuffling between four different organizations at the Triple-A level. In 51 2/3 innings of work at the level across the affiliates of the Giants, Mets, Rangers, and Cardinals, Ingram posted a solid 3.66 ERA while striking out 23.7% of opponents. The southpaw received his only big league exposure in 2023 as a member of the Angels. While he had impressed with a 2.95 ERA at the Double- and Triple-A levels that year, he was shelled to the tune of an 8.44 ERA in 5 1/3 frames during his first cup of coffee in the majors. Now more than a year removed from that frustrating debut, Ingram figures to look for an opportunity to break back into the big leagues with Atlanta next season.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Atlanta Braves Transactions Kolton Ingram Ray Kerr Royber Salinas

19 comments

Giants Outright Kolton Ingram

By Darragh McDonald | July 17, 2024 at 1:30pm CDT

The Giants have sent left-hander Kolton Ingram through waivers and outrighted him to Triple-A Sacramento, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle on X. With left-hander Alex Young also being claimed off waivers by the Mets today, the Giants’ 40-man count drops to 38.

Ingram, 27, has been on and off the waiver wire all year but had enough interest around the league to keep getting claimed. Designated for assignment by the Angels in January when that club signed Aaron Hicks, he has gone to the Tigers, Mets, Rangers, Cardinals and Giants via successive waiver claims, though he has now passed through unclaimed. That means the Giants will be able to retain him as relief depth but without using a 40-man roster spot on him.

The lefty has just five games of major league experience, which came with the Angels last year. He allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, meaning he currently sports an earned run average of 8.44 in that small sample.

The interest from clubs around the league undoubtedly stems from his larger body of work in the minors. He logged 121 2/3 innings in the Angels’ system over 2022 and 2023 with a 2.81 ERA. His 10.4% walk rate in that time was on the high side, but just barely, while his 30.5% strikeout rate was quite strong and he also generated a decent number of ground balls.

This year, he has a 4.30 ERA in 29 1/3 minor league innings with a 22.1% strikeout rate and 16.8% walk rate. Those numbers are obviously less impressive than what he did in the previous two seasons but it’s perhaps fair to wonder if the lack of stability this year has been a challenge for him.

While he’s surely not pleased to lose his roster spot, he might at least get the consistency of sticking with one organization long enough to unpack his suitcase. If he can get back in a good form and earn his way back onto a roster spot, he can be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season. He also has less than a year of service time and therefore would be controllable well into the future.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Francisco Giants Transactions Kolton Ingram

25 comments

Giants Designate Nick Ahmed For Assignment

By Anthony Franco and Darragh McDonald | July 9, 2024 at 5:26pm CDT

The Giants announced a series of roster moves today, with left-hander Blake Snell as well as infielders Wilmer Flores and Thairo Estrada all reinstated from the injured list. One spot on the active roster was already opened when they traded outfielder Austin Slater to the Reds. They opened two more by optioning left-hander Kolton Ingram and designating shortstop Nick Ahmed for assignment. The latter move drops the 40-man roster count to 39.

Ahmed signed with San Francisco on a minor league deal early in Spring Training. The longtime Diamondback essentially took over for Brandon Crawford as a glove-first veteran shortstop. Ahmed hit well during exhibition play and made the roster, locking in a reported $1.5MM base salary in the process. He picked up the Opening Day nod at shortstop — the first time a player other than Crawford got that honor since Miguel Tejada back in 2011 — and went on to start 50 games overall.

As is typically the case with Ahmed, virtually all of his contributions came on defense. Statcast credited him as four runs better than average across 426 innings. Defensive Runs Saved was less bullish, grading him one run below par. He hit in the bottom third of the batting order and ran a .232/.278/.303 slash line with one homer over 172 plate appearances.

Ahmed is a two-time Gold Glove winner who has been one of the sport’s preeminent defensive shortstops throughout his career. While he’s still a good defender, his numbers have taken a step back from elite levels as he has gotten into his mid 30s. Ahmed has never been much of an offensive threat and has particularly struggled over the past few seasons. Since the start of the 2021 campaign, he owns a .222/.273/.330 line in a little more than 900 trips.

Estrada’s return from the IL will likely push Brett Wisely from second base to shortstop, at least against right-handed pitching. Righty hitting Tyler Fitzgerald is in the lineup tonight against Toronto southpaw Yusei Kikuchi. While the 25-year-old Wisely is stretched defensively at shortstop, he provides a higher offensive ceiling than Ahmed brought. Wisely owns a decent .278/.313/.421 slash through 135 plate appearances in his second MLB campaign.

The Giants have five days to trade Ahmed or place him on waivers. He has well over five years of MLB service time and would retain his entire salary if he clears waivers and becomes a free agent. A release is the likeliest outcome. Once Ahmed clears waivers, he could sign with another team for the prorated portion of the $740K minimum.

Meanwhile, Snell returns for his first MLB action in nearly six weeks. San Francisco’s late signing could hardly have gone worse to this point. Snell has battled groin issues throughout the year and been limited to six starts. Opponents have teed off on the defending NL Cy Young winner for a 9.51 earned run average through 23 2/3 innings. Snell will try to get his season on track when he takes on the Blue Jays this evening.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Newsstand San Francisco Giants Transactions Austin Slater Blake Snell Kolton Ingram Nick Ahmed Thairo Estrada Wilmer Flores

90 comments

Giants Activate Kyle Harrison From 15-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | July 6, 2024 at 1:53pm CDT

The Giants officially reinstated left-hander Kyle Harrison from the 15-day injured list this afternoon, as Harrison is set to make the start in today’s game with the Guardians.  San Francisco also called up southpaw Kolton Ingram from Double-A, and right-hander Spencer Bivens and infielder David Villar were both optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding moves.

Regarded as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Harrison made his MLB debut last season and was slated to take a regular spot in the Giants’ rotation this season.  A sprained right ankle sent him to the IL on June 13, but before Harrison became the latest Giants hurler sidelined by injury, the results in terms of bottom-line numbers were pretty solid.  Harrison had a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts and 77 1/3 innings, as well as an above-average 6.7% walk rate.  Since control was a big question mark for Harrison in Triple-A in 2023, that decent walk rate is a very nice sign of the 22-year-old development as a big league starter.

The rest of the secondary metrics weren’t as glowing for Harrison, as he is allowing a lot of hard contact and his 20.6% strikeout rate ranks only in the 38th percentile of all pitchers.  Harrison is getting great results from the four-seamer he throws 62.5% of the time, but batters have been feasting on his secondary pitches, giving Harrison something of a predictable repertoire.

Plenty of adjustments are sure to come for a pitcher who is still so early in his pro career, as Harrison was a third-round pic in the 2020 draft.  Perhaps most importantly for the 2024 version of the Giants, Harrison was both effective and durable prior to his ankle injury, and his return allows the Giants to fill one hole in what has been another makeshift rotation for the club.  Logan Webb and reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks have been San Francisco’s other two stable starters, but the Giants have cycled multiple pitchers through the other two rotation spots with little success.

Blake Snell is expected to return from his latest IL stint this week, as the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner looks to finally get his Giants tenure on track after a horrific first three months.  Robbie Ray (Tommy John surgery) and Alex Cobb (hip surgery) should both return from their lengthy rehabs in the second half to provide some further reinforcement, so if the 44-45 Giants can at least tread water in the playoff race, they could look to be buyers at the July 30 deadline.

Ingram’s recall gives San Francisco another fresh arm in the bullpen, and it also puts Ingram in line for the first MLB action of what has been a tumultuous five months for the 27-year-old left-hander.  Since the start of February, Ingram has been a member of six different organizations due to recurring series of waiver claims, and just last week, the Cardinals’ decision to designate Ingram for assignment opened the door for the Giants to again pluck him off the waiver wire.  Ingram made his Major League last season, tossing 5 1/3 innings over five appearances with the Angels.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Francisco Giants Transactions David Villar Kolton Ingram Kyle Harrison Spencer Bivens

12 comments

Giants Claim Kolton Ingram From Cardinals

By Anthony Franco | July 2, 2024 at 3:06pm CDT

The Giants have claimed lefty reliever Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned him to Double-A Richmond, the team announced. San Francisco also reinstated outfielder Mike Yastrzemski from the 10-day injured list and optioned right-hander Landon Roupp. The Giants had an opening on the 40-man roster after designating Spencer Howard for assignment over the weekend. St. Louis had DFA Ingram on Sunday.

So continues a nomadic year for Ingram, who hasn’t actually pitched in the majors this season. The 27-year-old southpaw has nevertheless been a part of six organizations this calendar year. Since being designated for assignment by the Angels when the Halos signed Aaron Hicks in January, he has gone to the Tigers, Mets, Rangers, Cardinals and now Giants via waivers.

Up to this point, Ingram has spent the entire season in Triple-A. He owns a 4.26 ERA across 25 1/3 innings. Teams have remained intrigued by him as a depth option despite a mediocre strikeout and walk profile. Ingram owns an average 22.8% strikeout percentage while walking a massive 16.7% of batters faced at the top minor league level this season.

The Giants will keep him out of the Pacific Coast League for the moment, sending him back to Double-A. Ingram has an excellent 2.46 earned run average in 102 1/3 career Double-A frames. He has a 3.66 mark over 59 innings in parts of three seasons in Triple-A. Ingram has only logged a cup of coffee in the big leagues, tossing 5 1/3 innings of seven-run ball with the Halos last year.

Taylor Rogers and Erik Miller are the lefty duo in Bob Melvin’s bullpen. The Giants briefly called up Raymond Burgos to make his MLB debut before sending him outright off the 40-man roster a few days ago. Ethan Small would occupy a 40-man spot when healthy, but he’s been on the injured list all season after suffering a Spring Training oblique strain.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals Transactions Kolton Ingram Mike Yastrzemski

7 comments

Cardinals Option Gordon Graceffo, Select Jacob Bosiokovic, Designate Kolton Ingram

By Mark Polishuk | June 30, 2024 at 10:09am CDT

The Cardinals announced that pitching prospect Gordon Graceffo has been optioned to Triple-A, in order to clear a 26-man roster spot for righty Jacob Bosiokovic.  In a corresponding move for the selection of Bosiokovic’s contract, lefty Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

A 19th-round pick for the Rockies in the 2016 draft, Bosiokovic is now poised to make his debut as a big leaguer.  The 30-year-old Bosiokovic was drafted as a first baseman but, after his progress at the plate was stalling out, he turned to pitching during the 2019 season.  That position change has now paved Bosiokovic’s path to the Show, as he continued to develop on the mound after joining the Cardinals organization in late 2019.

Bosiokovic spent two years in the Cards’ system before becoming a free agent and signing with Charleston of the independent Atlantic League for the 2023 season.  Resigning with St. Louis this past winter, Bosiokovic has a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings for Triple-A Memphis, along with a 29.7% strikeout rate.  While the right-hander can miss bats and can keep the ball in the park (47.8% grounder rate), Bosiokovic’s control is a big concern, as he has a 17.2% walk rate during his time in Memphis this season.

St. Louis will give Bosiokovic a look while also bringing a fresh arm into the bullpen, as Graceffo pitched 4 1/3 innings in yesterday’s 9-4 loss to the Reds.  Making his own MLB debut, Graceffo looked pretty solid in the long relief outing, limiting Cincinnati to a run on three hits and two walks, while Graceffo racked up four strikeouts.

Ingram has become a familiar name on MLBTR’s pages in 2024, as the southpaw has been designated for assignment four times by four different teams, and then claimed away on waivers from another club.  Beginning February as a member of Detroit’s organization, Ingram has bounced from the Tigers to the Angels, Mets, Rangers, and Cardinals without getting any time in the big leagues.  The left-hander’s Major League resume still consists of his five appearances and 5 1/3 innings with the Angels last season.

Ingram has a 4.26 ERA over 25 1/3 combined innings with three different Triple-A affiliates this year, which is quite solid considering the added tumult of continually changing teams.  Given how his 2024 has gone, nobody would be surprised if yet another team in need of left-handed bullpen depth claims Ingram off the Cardinals’ waiver wire.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

St. Louis Cardinals Transactions Gordon Graceffo Jacob Bosiokovic Kolton Ingram

18 comments

Cardinals Claim Kolton Ingram From Rangers

By Darragh McDonald | May 10, 2024 at 3:35pm CDT

The Cardinals have claimed left-hander Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Rangers and sent him to Triple-A Memphis, per John Denton of MLB.com. The Rangers had designated the lefty for assignment earlier this week when they acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman. To open a 40-man spot for Ingram, the Cards transferred right-hander Riley O’Brien to the 60-day injured list.

Ingram, 27, seems to be caught in a spot where he’s just good enough to attract interest around the league but with enough uncertainty that he’s been continually bumped off his roster spot. He spent the past few years with the Angels but was designated for assignment in January when that club signed Aaron Hicks. He has since gone to the Tigers, Mets, Rangers and now Cardinals via waiver claims, making this his fifth club of 2024 already.

Around those transactions, he’s only been able to throw seven Triple-A innings this year with a 5.14 earned run average. But last year, he had a 2.95 ERA in 61 minor league innings, split between Double-A and Triple-A. His 13.3% walk rate was on the high side but he struck out 30.2% of batters faced for the year while also getting ground balls at a roughly average rate. He also made his major league debut with the Angels last year, though was only able to toss 5 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs in that time.

That’s generally been the recipe for him throughout his minor league career. Left-handed relief tends to always be in demand, especially when a guy has a couple of option years and can be kept in the minors for a long time. Ingram doesn’t have perfect control but he has always struck batters out and kept the ball on the ground. The Cards have JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore and John King as lefty arms in their big league bullpen but Ingram will give them a bit of extra depth.

As for O’Brien, he was placed on the 15-day IL at the end of March due to a flexor strain in his right forearm. He’s now ineligible to be activated until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be the end of May. He hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment and is likely at least a few weeks away from a return regardless.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Transactions Kolton Ingram Riley O'Brien

3 comments

Rangers Acquire Robbie Grossman, Designate Kolton Ingram

By Steve Adams | May 8, 2024 at 9:49am CDT

The Rangers announced Wednesday that they’ve acquired outfielder Robbie Grossman from the White Sox in exchange for minor league right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa. To make room on the 40-man roster, Texas designated lefty Kolton Ingram for assignment.

Grossman, 34, returns to the team with which he won a World Series ring just last season. He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, but his stint with the South Siders will ultimately last only 25 games and 85 plate appearances. The veteran switch-hitter turned in a .211/.329/.268 slash in that small sample but was a solid part-time player for manager Bruce Bochy last year when he batted .238/.340/.394 in 420 trips to the plate. He’ll be a cost-effective addition for the Rangers, as his deal with the ChiSox carried a $1.5MM base salary.

As has been the case throughout his career, Grossman was particularly effective from the right side of the dish last season. He hit .309/.416/.536 against southpaws,  giving Texas a highly productive right-handed bat to mix in at left field and designated hitter. Things have played out similarly in his brief time with the ChiSox; Grossman is 6-for-16 with a pair of doubles, four walks and four strikeouts against lefties this year. In his career, he’s a .283/.383/.427 hitter against lefties — far superior to his .228/.331/.357 slash from the left side of the plate.

While Texas has a pair of big right-handed bats in Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia — plus switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim, who’s better right-handed — the lineup generally skews left-handed. That’s all  the more true with third baseman Josh Jung on the injured list following wrist surgery. Promising young hitters Wyatt Langford (strained hamstring) and Justin Foscue (strained oblique) are both on the injured list as well, subtracting another pair of potentially impactful right-handed bats from the equation.

The Rangers, as a whole, have been flummoxed by left-handed pitching this season. The team is currently batting a collective .231/.288/.343 against southpaws. The resulting 80 wRC+ suggests that Rangers hitters have been 20% worse than average against lefties this year, ranking 25th among MLB teams.

Grossman can give the Rangers a platoon partner for young outfielder Evan Carter in left field. Carter has pummeled right-handed pitching but is just 2-for-33  against lefties in his young big league career and has fanned in 44.4% of his left-on-left matchups to date. And while Grossman doesn’t have the strongest career numbers from the left side of the dish, his keen plate discipline still allows him to post quality OBP marks from that side of the dish, making him a corner outfield or DH option against right-handed starters.

In exchange for Grossman, the Rangers will part with a bullpen prospect who’s approaching MLB readiness. While Hoopii-Tuionetoa hasn’t cracked the Rangers’ top-30 prospect lists at Baseball America or MLB.com, he’s breezed through Double-A opposition thus far, rattling off 12 1/3 shutout innings with a hefty 34% strikeout rate against a solid 8.5% walk rate. That strong start to his 2024 campaign comes on the heels of a 2023 season that saw the Hawaiian-born righty pitch 24 1/3 innings of 2.96 ERA ball with a 25% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate between Low-A  and High-A.

Shoulder troubles limited Hoopii-Tuionetoa’s workload last year, but he finished the season healthy and also tacked on 9 2/3 innings of shutout ball in the Arizona Fall League. Hoopii-Tuionetoa went unselected in December’s Rule 5 Draft despite being eligible — Texas selected him in the 30th round of the 2019 draft — but he’s only further enhanced his stock with a terrific start to the 2024 campaign.

Grossman’s acquisition pushes the 27-year-old Ingram off the Rangers’ roster. He’d been claimed off waivers out of the Mets organization just under three weeks ago. The Rangers will have five days to trade him or else place him on outright waivers or release waivers, which could last another 48 hours. Whichever route the Rangers take, Ingram will know his next destination within a week’s time.

Ingram made his big league debut with the Angels in 2023 but totaled just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits and five walks in that tiny sample but did fan seven of his 30 opponents. He’s had far more success in the upper minors, logging 102 1/3 innings of 2.46 ERA ball in Double-A and 40 2/3 innings of 3.54 ERA ball in Triple-A — including a pair of scoreless frames with the Rangers’ affiliate in Round Rock.

Broadly speaking, Ingram has shown a knack for missing bats throughout his career — evidenced by a sharp 29.3% strikeout rate in the minors. However, he’s also battled command issues, walking 11.1% of his opponents in addition to another 14 plunked batters (1.5%). Primarily a fastball/slider pitcher, Ingram sits 92-93 mph with his heater and has proven to be a consistent headache for left-handed opponents. They mustered an awful .151/.245/.186 slash against him in 2023 and hit just .141/.243/.219 against him the year prior. Righties have had more success but primarily due to his sub-par command. Right-handed opponents still hit in the low .200s against Ingram, but they’ve walked at a 12.5% clip against him over the past several seasons.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox Newsstand Texas Rangers Transactions Kolton Ingram Robbie Grossman

61 comments

Rangers Claim Kolton Ingram

By Steve Adams | April 24, 2024 at 1:55pm CDT

The Rangers have claimed left-handed reliever Kolton Ingram off waivers from the Mets, per a team announcement. The Rangers’ 40-man roster is now at capacity. Ingram was designated for assignment when the Mets selected Tomas Nido’s contract in the wake of Francisco Alvarez’s thumb injury. Ingram has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock for now.

Ingram, 27, made his big league debut with the Angels in 2023 but totaled just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits and five walks in that tiny sample but did fan seven of his 30 opponents. He’s had far more success in the upper minors, logging 102 1/3 innings of 2.46 ERA ball in Double-A and 38 2/3 innings of 3.72 ERA ball in Triple-A. Broadly speaking, Ingram has shown a knack for missing bats throughout his career — evidenced by a sharp 30% strikeout rate in the minors. However, he’s also battled command issues, walking 11.1% of his opponents in addition to another 14 plunked batters (1.6%).

Primarily a fastball/slider pitcher, Ingram sits 92-93 mph with his heater and has proven to be a consistent headache for left-handed opponents. They mustered an awful .151/.245/.186 slash against him in 2023 and hit just .141/.243/.219 against him the year prior. Righties have had more success but primarily due to his sub-par command. Right-handed opponents still hit in the low .200s against Ingram, but they’ve walked at a 12.5% clip against him over the past several seasons.

With Brock Burke on the injured list, the Rangers’ lone lefty in the bullpen at the moment is rookie Jacob Latz. He’s been generally effective through 11 1/3 innings, recording a 3.97 ERA with a below-average 21.6% strikeout rate but a strong 7.6% walk rate. Antoine Kelly had been the only other left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster for Texas, however, so Ingram will give them another candidate to join the big league ’pen if the club wants to carry a second southpaw or in the event of an injury to Latz. Ingram is in the second of three option years, so he can freely be shuttled between Arlington and Round Rock both this year and next (if he sticks with the organization).

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Texas Rangers Transactions Kolton Ingram

6 comments

Francisco Alvarez To Undergo Thumb Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | April 20, 2024 at 11:00pm CDT

6:49PM: Mendoza told reporters (including Mike Puma of the New York Post) this evening that the youngster actually suffered a torn ligament in his thumb that will require surgery. Mendoza added that Alvarez’s timetable for return is not year clear but that he’s “confident” that the 22-year-old will return to action at some point this year. Puma adds that Alvarez indicated to teammates that his timeline for return is between six and eight weeks.

1:02PM: “We know for sure it’s going to be more than 10 days” for Alvarez’s recovery, Mendoza told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters.  The catcher is still undergoing further testing to check for any ligament damage or further injuries beyond just a sprain.

11:39AM: The Mets placed catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day injured list due to a left thumb sprain, and selected the contract of catcher Tomas Nido from Triple-A.  In another corresponding move, left-hander Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Nido.  Earlier today, Mike Puma of the New York Post (X link) wrote that Nido was on his way to Los Angeles, as Alvarez was expected to require an IL stint after leaving last night’s 9-4 Mets win over the Dodgers.

In the top of the second inning, Alvarez hit an infield grounder, and Dodgers catcher Will Smith lobbed his throw over the head of first baseman Freddie Freeman.  Alvarez made it to second base on the error, but put his left hand on the ground to brace himself after stumbling on the turn around first base.  Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told SNY and other media that the thumb problem occurred on this play, and Alvarez was replaced behind the plate by Omar Narvaez for the bottom of the second inning.  Alvarez underwent an MRI after the game, and Mendoza said the team was “pretty concerned” about the situation.

After hitting .209/.284/.437 with 25 home runs over 423 plate appearances in 2023, Alvarez was looking to follow up his first full MLB season with another step forward this year.  The former star prospect has hit only .236/.288/.364 with one homer in 59 PA to date, and it now might be a while before he can improve on that small sample size.  We may learn more when Mendoza addresses reporters later today about the severity of the sprain or what kind of a recovery timeline awaits Alvarez.

Narvaez and Nido will handle catching duties in the meantime, and in Nido’s case, the selection of his minor league contract will allow the veteran backstop to take part in his eighth Major League season.  Nido’s whole career has been spent in the Mets organization, and he signed a two-year, $3.7MM extension prior to the 2023 campaign.

The catcher is still owed $2.1MM on that deal for this season, and Nido will also reach five full seasons of MLB service time after he amasses 11 more days on an active roster.  Once he hits the five-season threshold, Nido will be able to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, while still retaining whatever is is still owed on that guaranteed salary.  When New York designated Nido for assignment and outrighted him last June, he would’ve had to walk away from his salary if he had opted to turn down the outright assignment and become a free agent, which undoubtedly impacted his decision to remain in the organization.

Ingram was claimed off waivers from the Tigers back in February, and the left-hander has struggled badly over four relief appearances for Triple-A Syracuse this season.  Over just five innings of work, Ingram has already issued six walks and allowed five hits, en route to a 7.20 ERA.  While control has been a concern for Ingram for much of his minor league career, this spike (albeit in a small sample size) in walk rate obviously jarred the Mets enough to expose the southpaw to DFA waivers.

It isn’t out of the question that another organization might put in a claim, as Ingram already switched teams twice this offseason via the waiver wire — before going from the Tigers to the Mets, Detroit first claimed Ingram off waivers from the Angels.  It was with Los Angeles that Ingram made his MLB debut with 5 1/3 innings in 2023, and he also amassed some solid numbers over his three seasons in the Angels’ farm system.  Ingram had a 30.21% strikeout rate in the minors prior to this season, but that number also plummeted to 9.5% in his brief time with Syracuse.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Transactions Francisco Alvarez Kolton Ingram Tomas Nido

57 comments
Load More Posts
Show all

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Angels Acquire LaMonte Wade Jr.

    Braves Designate Craig Kimbrel For Assignment

    Corbin Burnes To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Braves Select Craig Kimbrel

    Jerry Reinsdorf, Justin Ishbia Reach Agreement For Ishbia To Obtain Future Majority Stake In White Sox

    White Sox To Promote Kyle Teel

    Sign Up For Trade Rumors Front Office Now And Lock In Savings!

    Pablo Lopez To Miss Multiple Months With Teres Major Strain

    MLB To Propose Automatic Ball-Strike Challenge System For 2026

    Giants Designate LaMonte Wade Jr., Sign Dominic Smith

    Reds Sign Wade Miley, Place Hunter Greene On Injured List

    Padres Interested In Jarren Duran

    Royals Promote Jac Caglianone

    Mariners Promote Cole Young, Activate Bryce Miller

    2025-26 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: May Edition

    Evan Phillips To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    AJ Smith-Shawver Diagnosed With Torn UCL

    Reds Trade Alexis Díaz To Dodgers

    Rockies Sign Orlando Arcia

    Ronel Blanco To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Recent

    Angels Acquire LaMonte Wade Jr.

    Blue Jays Notes: Scherzer, Varsho, Francis

    Pirates Reportedly Receiving Interest In Isiah Kiner-Falefa

    Angels Sign Ben Gamel To Minor League Deal

    Blue Jays Recall Spencer Turnbull For Season Debut

    Orioles Notes: Westburg, Mullins, O’Neill

    Tigers Notes: Vierling, Olson, Urquidy, Boyd

    Twins Place Zebby Matthews On 15-Day IL, Reinstate Danny Coulombe

    Yankees Claim CJ Alexander

    Phillies Claim Ryan Cusick, Designate Kyle Tyler

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Nolan Arenado Rumors
    • Dylan Cease Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Marcus Stroman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2024-25 Offseason Outlook Series
    • 2025 Arbitration Projections
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version