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Lake Bachar

Marlins Select Janson Junk

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The Marlins are selecting the contract of right-hander Janson Junk, according to a team announcement. Right-hander Lake Bachar was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Junk on the active roster, while a 40-man roster spot was opened up by transferring catcher Rob Brantly to the 60-day injured list.

Junk, 29, was a 22nd-round pick by the Yankees back in 2019 who made his big league debut with the Angels back in 2021. Once a fairly well-regarded pitching prospect, Junk pitched to a 4.74 ERA and a 5.22 FIP in 24 2/3 innings spread across seven appearances (six starts) in the majors during the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Following the 2022 campaign, the Angels traded Junk to Milwaukee as part of the package for outfielder Hunter Renfroe. Junk didn’t get much of an opportunity in the majors with the Brewers either, however, pitching just 15 1/3 innings for the club with a 5.87 ERA and 5.22 FIP between the 2023 and ’24 seasons.

Those struggles in Milwaukee culminated in Junk eventually being bounced around the majors in the second half of last year. Junk was designated for assignment by the Brewers in late July and was claimed briefly by the Astros before being DFA’d once again and finding himself in Oakland. Junk appeared in just one game for the club but surrendered seven runs without recording an out and was eventually outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster in September of last year. He then reached minor league free agency during the offseason and signed a minors pact with the Marlins back in February.

Junk’s time with the Marlins organization has seen him pitch extremely well at Triple-A Jacksonville. In nine appearances (eight starts) for Miami’s affiliate, he’s pitched to a 2.48 ERA with a 22.5% strikeout rate in 45 1/3 innings of work. For a pitcher with a 4.03 career ERA across five seasons at the Triple-A level, it’s a noticeable step forward, and those impressive minor league numbers were clearly enough to get the attention of a Marlins club that’s always looking for extra arms who can pitch in flexible roles. He’ll join the Miami bullpen for the time being, where there should be opportunities for advancement into a late-inning role if he performs well given the club’s lackluster 5.09 bullpen ERA.

As for Bachar, the soon-to-be 30-year-old hurler is in his second season with the big league Marlins. He’s posted a 4.50 ERA in 36 innings of work as an up-and-down reliever for the club to this point, and while that league average (101 ERA+) production is hardly exciting, it’s the sort of effectiveness that should keep him in the conversation for appearances with the rebuilding Marlins going forward. Brantly, meanwhile, heads to the 60-day IL after sustaining a lat strain in April. That’ll keep him out of commission for at least another month, though a trio of Liam Hicks, Agustin Ramirez, and Nick Fortes seem perfectly capable of holding down the fort while Brantly is on the shelf.

Marlins Announce 11 Roster Moves

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The Marlins announced a whopping 11 roster moves in advance of today’s game with the Phillies.  Right-handers Max Meyer and Calvin Faucher were each placed on the 15-day injured list, with Meyer’s placement due to right shoulder bursitis retroactive to September 4, and Faucher’s placement due to right shoulder impingement syndrome retroactive to September 5.  Derek Hill was also placed on the 10-day IL with a retroactive September 5 date, as the outfielder is dealing with a left shoulder impingement.  Left-hander Andrew Nardi’s season is officially over after a move to the 60-day injured list, while left-hander Austin Kitchen was designed for assignment and right-hander Anthony Maldonado was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

With the departures completed, here is the list of players joining Miami’s active roster.  Righty Anthony Bender was reinstated from the 15-day IL, and right-handers George Soriano and Lake Bachar were called up from Triple-A.  Also up from Jacksonville are left-hander Jonathan Bermudez and utilityman Javier Sanoja, whose contracts selected to the big league roster.  Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base reported (via X) earlier today that Sanoja was being promoted for his Major League debut, while Isaac Azout of Fish On First initially reported (links to X) that Meyer was headed to the IL and that Bermudez and Bachar were being promoted.

Meyer had been scheduled to start Sunday, but he’ll now hit the IL in the latest of a seemingly unending parade of injuries to Miami starters.  While more will be known about Meyer’s situation later today, it stands to reason that the Marlins could shut down the 25-year-old both due to this injury concern, and the club’s overall plan to limit Meyer’s workload this season.  Between 57 innings in the majors and 58 innings in the minors, Meyer had done a pretty good job of rebuilding his arm strength after missing all of 2023 due to a Tommy John surgery.

In terms of on-field results, Meyer has a 5.68 ERA over his 57 frames in the Show.  His 50% grounder rate is very strong and his 7.7% walk rate is around league average, but has allowed a ton of hard contact and struck out only 18.5% of opposing batters.  Such struggles aren’t unexpected for a player in his first extended taste of MLB action, as Meyer’s only big league experience prior this season was a two-game cup of coffee in 2022 prior to his TJ procedure.

In addition to Meyer, it is worth speculating if Faucher or Hill might also be shut down for the remainder of 2024, given the late date on the calendar.  The Marlins turned in this direction with Nardi, who only went to the 15-day IL a couple of weeks ago, and manager Skip Schumaker seemed optimistic at the time of the 15-day placement about the chances of Nardi returning before the end of September.  Instead, Nardi’s season is done after posting a 5.07 ERA over 49 2/3 innings, though a set of impressive Statcast metrics and a 2.79 SIERA indicates that Nardi was among the more unlucky pitchers in the league.

Faucher has been one of the few bright spots for Miami this season, as the righty has overcome a .345 BABIP and a lot of walks to post a 3.19 ERA and 26.8% strikeout rate in 53 2/3 relief innings.  The Marlins opted against trading Faucher amidst their many moves at the trade deadline, and instead installed him at closer after Tanner Scott was dealt to the Padres.

Soriano’s one save makes him the only player on Miami’s active roster with any saves this season, so the Marlins could turn to a committee to handle the ninth inning for the rest of the season.  Bender (in only his third MLB season) has the most experience of anyone in Miami’s bullpen and might be the favorite to close games now that he has recovered from the shoulder impingement that has sidelined him for the last four weeks.  Bender has a 49.2% grounder rate and above-average strikeout and walk rates, and is another Marlins pitcher whose real ERA (4.00) isn’t quite as reflective of how well he has pitched in 2024.

Bermudez returns to the big leagues after he was designated for assignment and then outrighted just within the last week.  He’ll take over the 40-man roster spot left open by Kitchen, who is also heading to the DFA wire for the second time this season.  The southpaw was designated by the Rockies in June and then quickly snapped up by Miami on a waiver claim.

Kitchen made his Major League debut on July 30 and thus far has only a 14.14 ERA to show for his seven innings and four games as a big leaguer.  Six of his 11 earned runs allowed came just yesterday in Miami’s 16-2 loss to the Phillies, as Kitchen had to make a short-notice start when Edward Cabrera was a late scratch due to migraine-like symptoms.  Kitchen is a grounder specialist with good control, and while he has pitched pretty well in the minors, his lack of strikeouts could put a ceiling on his effectiveness against MLB hitters.

Hill has hit .238/.262/.427 over 151 plate appearances with the Marlins, Giants, and Rangers this season, with the 151 PA representing a new career high over Hill’s five seasons in the Show.  Beginning the year on minors deal with Texas, he then went to the Giants for a brief stint after one waiver claim, and Miami again claimed him off waivers just over a month ago.  The Marlins had plenty of holes to fill in the outfield after their trade deadline selloff, and Hill took advantage with some regular work in center field and a few appearances in left.

Sanoja was an international signing for the Marlins in July 2019, and over four minor league seasons has emerged as an extreme contact hitter, with only 136 strikeouts in 1783 PA in Miami’s farm system.  A lack of power has limited what Sanoja has done with that contact, but between his speed and his knack for getting the bat on the ball, he has hit .291/.354/.431 over 492 Triple-A PA in 2024.  Sanoja has stolen 83 bases in 126 attempts in the minors, so there is some extra baserunning potential there if Sanoja can become more efficient with his steals rate.  Defensively, Sanoja is considered to fit best as a second baseman, but he is a decent enough fielder that he can play all over the diamond, so this versatility gives him more of a chance to stick in the Show.

The Marlins figure to use Sanoja at multiple positions during his time on the roster, though the team probably wishes he could pitch, given their larger needs on the mound.  Some reinforcements might be coming before the season is over, as Ryan Weathers and Braxton Garrett have each started minor league rehab assignments.  Neither hurler has pitched since June, as Weathers has been dealing with a finger sprain and Garrett with a flexor strain in his left forearm.

Marlins Claim Anthony Veneziano, Designate Three Players For Assignment

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The Marlins announced a huge batch of transactions today, including the previously reported claim of right-hander Lake Bachar. They also claimed left-hander Anthony Veneziano off waivers from the Royals. They also reinstated left-hander Josh Simpson from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Jacksonville. To open 40-man roster spots for those three, they designated catcher Alí Sánchez, left-hander Kent Emanuel and right-hander Emmanuel Ramírez for assignment. Sánchez and Ramírez were on the active roster, so those two spots will be taken by infielder Xavier Edwards, who has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, and right-hander Anthony Maldonado, who has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Veneziano was just designated for assignment on September 1, which happened to be his 27th birthday. He has a minimal big league track record, having tossed 2 1/3 innings with the Royals last year and another two innings this year.

The Marlins are likely interested in his pre-2024 track record, as it hasn’t been the lefty’s best season. He has tossed 90 innings at the Triple-A level this year with a 4.80 earned run average, 19.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate. But in 2023, he had a 3.55 ERA in his 132 minor league innings, striking out 23% of batters faced while limiting walks to an 8.7% clip.

Baseball America ranked him the #5 prospect in the Royals’ system coming into 2024. The results haven’t been as impressive this year but it’s understandable that the Marlins would still have hope of getting him back on track. He will still have two option years remaining after the current campaign, so they can get a close-up look at him in the minors and see if there’s a path towards better results in the long term.

Sánchez, 27, was added to the club’s roster in June and got into 31 games for the Fish. Unfortunately, he hit just .167/.211/.190 in his 96 plate appearances. He has generally performed well at the Triple-A level but without bringing it up to the majors. He has hit .276/.348/.409 at Triple-A from 2021 to the present, leading to a 97 wRC+ in a sample of just under 1,000 plate appearances. But he has a career line of .175/.221/.216 in the majors and is out of options.

Emanuel, 32, has been on and off the Marlins’ roster all year. He signed a minor league deal with the club in the winter and this is now the fifth time he’s been designated for assignment. Each time has seen him clear waivers, get outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville and later have his contract selected again. Given that pattern, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it all play out once more. Around those transactions, he has a 6.62 ERA in 17 2/3 major league innings and a 6.15 ERA in 45 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Ramírez, 30, was first selected to the club’s roster back in April and has appeared in 15 big league games, the first of his career. He has a 6.97 ERA in those, though his peripherals are closer to average. He has a 22.8% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate on the year. His 54% strand rate is on the unlucky side, which is why his 4.63 FIP and 3.85 SIERA are far apart from his ERA. He also has a 3.76 ERA in 40 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.

All three of Sánchez, Emanuel and Ramírez will have to be placed on waivers in the coming days since the trade deadline has passed. Since it’s now September, they won’t be postseason eligible with any club that puts in a claim.

Marlins Claim Lake Bachar

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The Marlins have claimed right-hander Lake Bachar from the Padres, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune on X. The Friars had designated him for assignment on the weekend. The Fish will need to make a corresponding move to open a 40-man roster spot for this claim.

Bachar, 29, has not yet made his major league debut but got a roster spot from the Padres based on his intriguing minor league work in recent years. He had to endure a lengthy absence, as the pandemic wiped out the minors in 2020 and then Bachar missed 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He showed a bit of rust in 2022, posting a 6.15 earned run average at the Double-A level. Per an article from Sanders at Baseball America, a splitter camp run by Hideo Nomo in the spring of 2023 helped Bachar find a new gear. The righty went on to throw 60 1/3 innings at the Double-A level that year with a much-improved 2.69 ERA. He struck out 27.5% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 10% clip.

He qualified for minor league free agency after 2023 and re-signed with the Padres on a minor league deal. That deal contained an opt-out at the start of August, so the Padres added him to their 40-man at that time to prevent him from getting away, but they kept him on optional assignment. He was briefly recalled about a week ago but didn’t get into a game and was optioned right back down.

Bachar was squeezed off the 40-man roster when the Padres bolstered their roster for September with catcher Elias Díaz and outfielder Brandon Lockridge. That’s despite him having another strong season in the minors. He has thrown 71 2/3 innings over 46 appearances at the Triple-A level with a 3.89 ERA in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. He has a 27.4% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate.

Though he got nudged off the roster by the Padres, the Marlins are intrigued enough by his results to grab him. Bachar has almost zero service time and will still have two option years after this one, so he could be a long-term piece for them if he can hang onto his 40-man roster spot.

Padres Designate Lake Bachar For Assignment, Select Brandon Lockridge

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The Padres announced this morning that they have designated right-hander Lake Bachar for assignment. Bachar’s removal from the 40-man roster makes room for the selection of catcher Elias Diaz to the roster, a move that was first reported yesterday. Additionally, San Diego announced that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Brandon Lockridge and optioned him to Triple-A. Making room for Lockridge on the 40-man roster is right-hander Stephen Kolek, who has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Bachar, 29, was the club’s fifth-round pick back in 2016 and has spent his entire career in the Padres organization. The righty was selected to the club’s 40-man roster a month ago after he triggered an August 1 opt-out clause in his contract with the club and briefly made it to the major league roster last week, but was optioned back to the minors without making his big league debut. The right-hander has a solid 3.89 ERA in 71 2/3 innings of work this year at the Triple-A level and, in the event that he clears waivers, could be a non-roster depth option for the Padres down the stretch if necessary.

Meanwhile, another player who has yet to make his big league debut is joining the club’s 40-man roster in the form of Lockridge. The 27-year-old was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees in the 2018 draft and was acquired by the Padres in the Enyel De Los Santos trade ahead of the deadline back in July. Lockridge’s numbers have been solid but unspectacular at the Triple-A level, as he’s slashed .294/.405/.384 with a wRC+ around 15% better than league average between his time with the Yankees’ and Padres’ affiliates this year.

While Lockridge doesn’t hit for much power with just two home runs so far this year, he flashed impressive discipline at the plate as evidenced by a massive 14.9% walk rate that compares quite favorably to his 23.2% strikeout rate. The outfielder is also an impressive baserunner, as he’s gone 44 for 50 on the basepaths this year after posting 40 steals in 45 attempts last season. That combination of strong plate discipline and blazing speed could make Lockridge an interesting contender for a bench role with the Padres at some point, though for now he’s been optioned back down to Triple-A.

As for Kolek, the right-hander was placed on the IL a month ago due to forearm tendonitis, and his transfer to the 60-day IL will end his regular season. The right-handed rookie posted a lackluster 5.21 ERA in 46 2/3 innings of work with San Diego this year, though his 3.58 FIP and 3.43 SIERA both offer some optimism about the 27-year-old’s ability to post better numbers in the future as he looks ahead to the 2025 campaign.

Padres Call Up Lake Bachar For MLB Debut

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12:38PM: The Padres officially promoted Bachar, and optioned right-hander Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A.  Matthew Batten was also outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers; Batten was designated for assignment earlier this week.

9:21AM: The Padres will add right-hander Lake Bachar to the active roster prior to today’s game with the Mets, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune (X link).  Bachar was added to the 40-man roster earlier this month, so the Padres will just have to make one corresponding move to free up space on the 26-man.

The 40-man roster placement came about due to an opt-out clause Bachar triggered in his minor league deal, as the Padres selected that contract in order to keep him in the organization.  The 29-year-old righty was a fifth-round pick for the Padres in 2016, and is now seemingly in line to make his Major League debut in his ninth pro season.  Bachar’s resume consists of seven years on the field plus two lost years in 2020-21 — the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season, and Bachar underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of 2021.

Understandably, Bachar showed some rust when he returned to action in 2022, but he rebounded with a 2.69 ERA over 60 1/3 relief innings for Double-A San Antonio in 2023.  This earned Bachar his first promotion to Triple-A this season, and he has produced a 4.12 ERA, 27.6% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate across 67 2/3 innings for the El Paso affiliate.  Bachar has allowed 11 homers this year, but all things considered, his numbers have been pretty decent for a fly-ball pitcher in a very hitter-friendly league.

As Saunders noted in another piece back in April, Bachar’s turn-around in 2023 was aided by his development of a splitter.  Adding this third pitch along with his 94-97mph fastball and a slider with a lot of horizontal break put Bachar on the path that has now brought him to San Diego’s MLB roster.  Even if this might be a “cup of coffee” type of call-up to get a fresh arm into the Padres’ bullpen for a few days, Bachar can officially call himself a big leaguer once he gets into a game.

Padres To Select Lake Bachar

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The Padres are going to select right-hander Lake Bachar to their 40-man roster and option him to Triple-A El Paso, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune on X. The righty triggered an opt-out in his contract but the Friars will stop him from getting away by adding him to their roster. They have an open 40-man spot after designating Austin Davis for assignment earlier this week.

Bachar, 29, gets a major league roster spot for the first time. The Padres drafted him with a fifth-round pick back in 2016 and had climbed as high as Double-A by the end of 2019. But then the pandemic wiped out the minor leagues in 2020 and he missed all of 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He was able to return to a mound in 2022 but struggled initially. He tossed 45 1/3 Double-A innings that year with a 6.15 earned run average. In a piece at Baseball America earlier this year, Sanders relays that a splitter camp run by Hideo Nomo in the spring of 2023 seemed to help Bachar unlock something. The righty posted a 2.69 ERA at Double-A last year, striking out 27.5% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 10% clip.

Per Bachar’s transactions tracker at MLB.com, he reached free agency at the end of 2023 but re-signed with the Friars on a minor league deal. It seems there was an opt-out in that minors pact, which has allowed Bachar to get himself a 40-man roster spot. He has thrown 57 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 4.06 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate.

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