Phillies Re-Sign Tim Mayza To MLB Deal, Return Zach McCambley To Marlins, Re-Assign Lou Trivino
4:47PM: The Phillies also re-assigned right-hander Lou Trivino to Triple-A. Like Mayza, Trivino is an Article XX(B) player with an opt-out in his minors contract this weekend. It isn’t yet clear if Trivino will trigger his clause and enter free agency, or if he’ll bide his time at Triple-A until his next opt-out date on May 1.
9:21AM: The Phillies announced this morning that left-hander Tim Mayza was re-signed to a major league contract after the lefty exercised his opt-out clause in his minor league deal and was granted his release by the organization yesterday. To make room for Mayza on the 40-man roster, right-handed Rule 5 selection Zach McCambley was returned to the Marlins. McCambley was evidently place on (and successfully cleared) waivers at some point prior to the move to return him to Miami.
Mayza, 34, is entering his ninth major league season. He’s spent the majority of his career to this point as a member of the Blue Jays, and after an uneven start to his career when he made his major league debut in 2017 through the end of the 2019 season, he emerged from a 2020 campaign lost to injury to become one of Toronto’s more steady relief arms. From 2021 through 2023, Mayza turned in high quality results for the Jays with a 2.67 ERA and a 3.20 FIP in 155 innings of work. Of course, it should be noted that those strong numbers came with a major platoon split. While his ERA against southpaws was just 0.67, his numbers against right-handers were far more pedestrian: he sported a 4.19 ERA, a 3.96 FIP, and a 24.7% strikeout rate across those three seasons.
Even factoring in those lesser numbers against righties, however, Mayza’s fall from grace in 2024 was a shocking one. Across 50 appearances, the lefty’s ERA ballooned all the way up to 6.33, and while his 4.50 FIP suggests some of that was due to poor fortune on batted balls and sequencing he still struck out a paltry 14.4%. Ugly as those season long numbers are, however, Mayza did show some signs of returning to form after he was shipped to the Yankees midway through the season; in 18 innings of work with the Bombers, Mayza turned in a 4.00 ERA with a 3.94 FIP, though his strikeout rate still sat at a well-below average 16.2%.
That left Mayza in an uncertain place headed into 2025, and while he landed a big league deal with the Pirates he spent most of the season on the injured list due to a lat strain. He pitched just 15 total innings in the majors last year between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (who claimed him off waivers from the Pirates midseason). In that time, he posted a 3.78 ERA and 4.16 FIP that’s more or less in line with his work as a member of the Yankees. His strikeout rate did tick back up to a more respectable 20.3%, however, and that was enough to convince the Phillies to give him another shot on a minor league pact entering camp. Mayza’s 5.40 ERA in 8 1/3 spring innings isn’t exactly inspiring, but the big news from camp is that the strikeouts appear to be back. He’s punched out 27.0% of his opponents this spring, and that was enough to convince the Phillies to put him back on their roster for the 2026 season.
As for McCambley, the righty was a third-round pick by the Marlins back in 2020. Initially drafted as a starter, McCambley converted to relief during the 2022 season and climbed the rest of the minor league ladder as a reliever. He split the 2025 season between Triple-A and Double-A, and in that time posted a combined 2.90 ERA with a 33.1% strikeout rate in 62 innings of work. That was enough to catch Philadephia’s attention in the Rule 5 draft, but he walked (six) more hitters than he struck out (four) in his 7 1/3 innings of work with the Phillies during Spring Training. That lack of control was enough for the Phillies to decide to move on from McCambley, who now returns to the Marlins as a non-roster piece who could nonetheless be called upon to contribute out of the bullpen at some point this year.
Phillies Re-Sign Lou Trivino To Minor-League Deal
The Phillies and reliever Lou Trivino are reuniting on a minor-league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The deal includes an invite to major-league Spring Training.
Trivino, 34, returns to Philadelphia after spending the end of the 2025 season with them. The club signed him to a minor-league deal in early August and selected his contract at the end of that month. In ten appearances down the stretch, Trivino had a shiny 2.00 ERA in nine innings despite some less-than-encouraging peripherals, including a 4.06 xERA and a 25.0% groundball rate. The same was true of his season overall. In 47 2/3 innings split between the Giants, Dodgers, and Phillies, Trivino posted a 3.97 ERA against an expected figure of 5.10 and a below-average 33.8% groundball rate.
The fact that he was pitching at all was a positive development considering he missed the 2023-24 seasons entirely. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and attempted to rehab in 2024 before suffering a shoulder injury. Prior to that, he had been a steady reliever since debuting with the Athletics in 2018. In 284 2/3 innings with the A’s and Yankees from 2018-22, Trivino had a 3.86 ERA with a solid 24.5% strikeout rate against a 10.6% walk rate. He was predominantly a fastball pitcher and got positive grades on his cutter and four-seamer early on in his career, including a run value of 14 on the cutter in his debut season.
Trivino’s stuff wasn’t as sharp in his first year back from injury. While his four-seam velocity of 94.8 MPH in 2025 was still above-average, it was down from 95.6 MPH in 2022. His cutter velocity of 91.8 MPH was his lowest since the 2020 season, while his sinker velocity also declined slightly. Meanwhile, his 17.9% strikeout rate and 33.8% groundball rate were both career-worst marks. The latter was troubling compared to his 47.4% groundball rate from 2018-22, including a 52.6% rate in 2022.
The deal is a no-risk flier for the Phillies. While his performance in 2025 was rusty overall, Trivino excelled at limiting hard contact. His average exit velocity allowed and hard-hit rate were both in the 93rd percentile or better according to Statcast. Those qualities alone won’t return Trivino to peak form, but they will play up if he can induce more strikeouts and groundballs. The Phillies have Jhoan Duran, José Alvarado, and Brad Keller headlining their bullpen. If Trivino performs well in Spring Training, he might vie for a middle-relief role alongside Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, and Orion Kerkering.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images
Phillies Release Joe Ross, Place Jordan Romano On Injured List
The Phillies announced that they have recalled right-hander Daniel Robert and selected the contract of fellow righty Lou Trivino. In corresponding moves, righty Joe Ross has been released and Jordan Romano has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right middle finger inflammation. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported many of these details prior to the official announcement.
The Phils signed Ross to a one-year, $4MM deal in the offseason. He had missed the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to injuries but had bounced back with a solid 2024 campaign. He tossed 74 innings for the Brewers as a swingman with a 3.77 earned run average.
He has been in the Philadelphia bullpen all year, apart from a brief IL stint due to back spasms, often providing the club with more than a single frame. On the whole, he has thrown 51 innings over 37 appearances with a 5.12 ERA. His 7.9% walk rate and 45.5% ground ball rate are decent figures but his 17.1% strikeout rate has been subpar.
The length provided by Ross has occasionally been useful in sparing the rest of the bullpen from greater wear and tear but that should be less of a concern going forward. On September 1st, rosters expand from 26 to 28, which will allow teams to carry 14 pitchers instead of the usual maximum of 13.
By cutting Ross today, the Phils are giving him a chance to land somewhere else. Given his salary and unimpressive results this year, he will likely clear waivers, if he hasn’t already. That will leave the Phils on the hook for the majority of what is still to be paid out. Any other club could sign Ross and would only owe him the prorated portion of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. If he signs somewhere else before September 1st, even on a minor league deal, he would be postseason eligible with that club.
Romano was also signed to a one-year deal this offseason, his coming with an $8.5MM guarantee. His results have been far worse than Ross’s, as he has an 8.23 ERA in 42 2/3 innings. That has many Philly fans clamoring for him to be cut but there’s more reason for optimism under the hood with Romano, despite the awful ERA.
His 25.1% strikeout rate this year isn’t as good as his previous benchmark but is still above average, while his 9.1% walk rate is near par. He’s been undercut by an extremely unfortunate 49% strand rate. ERA estimators such as his 3.62 SIERA suggest he has deserved far better than his ERA. Perhaps he will get a chance to course correct, depending on how long this finger issue lasts.
As part of these moves, Trivino gets back to the big leagues. He was released by the Dodgers about a month ago and then landed a minor league deal with the Phils. Since then, he has tossed seven scoreless Triple-A innings.
His big league work hasn’t been amazing this year. Between the Giants and Dodgers, he has thrown 38 2/3 innings with a 4.42 ERA, 17.2% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 35.6% ground ball rate. His larger body of work is better but he missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injury and hasn’t fully bounced back. He came into this year with a 3.86 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 47.4% ground ball rate in 284 2/3 career innings.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Phillies, Lou Trivino Agree To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran right-handed reliever Lou Trivino, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. They’ll be the third organization of the season for the Pro Edge Sports client.
Trivino, 34 in October, has suited up for both the Dodgers and Giants in 2025. He’s pitched a combined 38 1/3 major league innings and logged a 4.42 ERA with a well below-average 15.7% strikeout rate but a strong 7% walk rate. That marks Trivino’s first big league work since the end of the 2022 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and has also had a notable shoulder injury in the two years he was off the mound.
This version of Trivino didn’t look nearly as sharp as the pre-injury iteration. His fastball, which averaged 97.3 mph at its peak and 95.6 mph in the three years leading up to his surgery, has sat at 94.7 mph thus far. Trivino’s 1.40 HR/9 is a career-high, and his opponents’ chase rate and swinging-strike rate are both considerably lower than at his best.
That said, there’s no risk in taking a minor league flier on a pitcher with a track record like that of Trivino. He made his MLB debut with 74 innings of 2.92 ERA ball for the 2018 Athletics and, from ’18-’22, picked up 52 holds and 37 saves while working to a 3.86 ERA with a 24.5% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate.
Philadelphia won’t really be counting on Trivino for anything. He’s a depth add after president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski & Co. made a pair of splashy deadline upgrades, signing free agent David Robertson and trading prospects Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel to pry star closer Jhoan Duran away from the Twins. Trivino could eventually work his way to the majors, but with Duran, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks leading the way, Robertson soon to join and the return of lefty Jose Alvarado looming later this month, there are far fewer paths to the majors in Philly than there might’ve been even two to three weeks ago.
Dodgers Release Lou Trivino
TODAY: Trivino cleared waivers and he has been released, as per his MLB.com profile page.
JULY 21: The Dodgers designated veteran reliever Lou Trivino for assignment this evening. That creates an active roster spot for Edgardo Henriquez, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The team’s 40-man roster count drops to 38.
Trivino signed a minor league contract in the second week of May. The Dodgers called him up a week later. He spent around two months on the roster and pitched fairly well overall, working to a 3.76 ERA through 26 1/3 innings. That came with a well below-average 15.7% strikeout rate, though he showed good control and did well at avoiding hard contact.
The Dodgers leaned heavily on the 33-year-old righty during last weekend’s sweep at the hands of the Brewers. Trivino pitched on three straight days and didn’t have his sharpest stuff in any of them. He allowed two hits and a walk while only retiring two batters on Friday. Joey Ortiz took him deep on Saturday. The Dodgers nevertheless called on him again yesterday. He gave up consecutive hits to Eric Haase and Jackson Chourio, struck out William Contreras, then walked Andrew Vaughn. That’ll very likely be his final work as a Dodger.
Los Angeles has five days to try to trade Trivino. It’s likelier that he’ll decline an outright assignment or simply be released this week. Trivino also had a brief run with the Giants earlier in the year. He has a combined 4.42 ERA across 38 2/3 frames in his first year back from consecutive seasons lost to elbow and shoulder injuries.
Dodgers Place Kirby Yates On 15-Day IL, Select Lou Trivino
2:19PM: Yates has been officially placed on the 15-day IL with a right hamstring strain, and the Dodgers also announced Trivino’s selection.
12:21PM: The Dodgers will select Lou Trivino‘s contract when Yates is placed on the 15-day IL, the Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports. Trivino posted a 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings with the Giants before he was designated for assignment, and Trivino subsequently elected free agency after clearing waivers. Los Angeles signed Trivino to a minor league contract last week, and he’ll head to the Dodgers’ roster on the heel of just one appearance (and one scoreless inning) with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
8:05AM: Dodgers right-hander Kirby Yates was pulled from Saturday’s game due to what was initially described by the team as right hamstring tightness, and later specified as a probable Grade 1 hamstring strain by manager Dave Roberts. “I don’t see how it’s not an IL [situation],” Roberts told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and other reporters in postgame interviews, though Yates will get an MRI today to evaluate the severity of the injury.
It was a rough night all around for Yates, as the reliever was charged with three runs over a third of an inning pitched and was credited as the losing pitcher in the Dodgers’ 11-9 loss to the Angels. Yates retired just one of five batters faced, and after throwing a fourth ball and walking Jo Adell, Yates grabbed at his right hamstring and was in obvious discomfort on the mound.
That single tough outing boosted Yates’ ERA to 4.34 over 18 2/3 innings this season, but a .385 BABIP has contributed heavily to that inflated ERA. With a 1.90 SIERA, .282 xwOBA (which far below his .358 wOBA), and a 38.8% strikeout rate that is among the best in baseball, Yates has been perhaps more effective in 2025 than even during his 2024 comeback season with the Rangers, even if the bottom-line numbers have yet to reflect his performance.
Unfortunately, Yates’ hard luck looks to now continue with a trip to the Dodgers’ ever-crowded 15-day injured list. Yates would be the 14th pitcher on the Los Angeles IL, and that number expands to 15 if you count Shohei Ohtani‘s continued recovery from UCL surgery. In terms of high-leverage relievers, Yates would join Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Blake Treinen on the sidelines, further thinning out the Dodgers’ list of late-game options.
Assuming Yates indeed goes on the 15-day IL today, Los Angeles will probably have to call up a reliever from Triple-A just to bring a fresh arm into the pen, since five relievers were used in Saturday’s game. While navigating multiple pitching injuries has become routine for the Dodgers in recent years, one wonders if the sheer attrition will catch up to the team at some point, particularly in a 2025 season that sees L.A. battling with three competitive foes (the Padres, Giants, and Diamondbacks) in the NL West alone.
Dodgers Sign Lou Trivino To Minors Deal
The Dodgers have signed right-hander Lou Trivino to a minor league contract, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco reports. Trivino was only briefly on the open market, as he elected to become a free agent just yesterday after he was designated for assignment by the Giants and cleared waivers.
Trivino inked a minors deal with San Francisco during the offseason, and he locked in a $1.5MM salary from that contract after an impressive spring performance earned Trivino a spot on the Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, the righty’s Spring Training numbers didn’t translate to the regular season, as Trivino posted a 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings out of the Giants’ bullpen. His strikeout and walk rates were below average, but the largest issue was the long ball, as Trivino gave up four home runs in his short span as a Giant.
The Pro Edge Sports Management client now looks for a fresh start with the Giants’ arch-rivals in Los Angeles. A minor league deal is a no-risk endeavor for the Dodgers in seeing what Trivino can bring, and the club’s ever-present need for healthy arms means that Trivino could see some action with the World Series champs in pretty short order. Given the Dodgers’ history of reviving pitchers’ careers, it wouldn’t even be a surprise to see Trivino return to pre-injury form.
Trivino posted a 3.86 ERA in 284 2/3 innings with the A’s and Yankees from 2018-22, with the bulk of that work coming with Oakland before the Athletics dealt him to the Bronx at the 2022 trade deadline. Trivino’s penchant for walks led to some inconsistent performances, but when he was on, he was very sharp. For instance, he performed well as the Athletics’ closer in 2021, and he had 1.66 ERA in 21 2/3 innings with the Yankees over the remainder of the 2022 season.
Unfortunately, Trivino missed the entirety of the 2023-24 seasons due to a Tommy John surgery, and then some elbow and shoulder soreness that held up his rehab enough that he couldn’t make it back it back onto a big league mound before 2024 was over. His early-season struggles and a minor dip in his pre-2023 velocity could well be some side effects of Trivino just working his way back into form after the long layoff, adding to the possible upside for the Dodgers.
Lou Trivino Elects Free Agency
Lou Trivino elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers, relays Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. He’d been designated for assignment by the Giants when they recalled Kyle Harrison last weekend.
Trivino, a former closer of Bob Melvin’s in Oakland, signed a minor league deal with the Giants in February. He made the team out of Spring Training and pitched 11 times over the season’s first few weeks. The overall results weren’t great. He allowed eight runs on 11 hits and four walks over 12 1/3 innings. That said, the bulk of the damage came in one five-run drubbing at the hands of the Brewers. Trivino held the opposition scoreless in eight of his other 10 appearances.
This marked the veteran righty’s first big league work in two years, as he spent the 2023-24 campaigns on the Yankees’ injured list. Trivino missed the ’23 season due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He tried to rehab in time to contribute to New York’s playoff run late last year. Shoulder discomfort shut down his rehab assignment, though, and the Yankees made the easy call to decline a $5MM option.
Trivino’s stuff hasn’t been quite as crisp as it was before the surgery. He averaged 94.9 MPH on his sinker with the Giants, down a tick from his 95.8 MPH average from the ’22 season. It’s not a dramatic dip, but his ground-ball rate was down and he surrendered four home runs in the early going. While it’s conceivable that he could find an immediate MLB roster spot as a free agent, he might wind up taking another minor league deal as he searches for a more extended opportunity.
Giants Designate Lou Trivino, Call Up Kyle Harrison
7:57PM: Harrison will be used as a reliever, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
7:08PM: The Giants announced that right-hander Lou Trivino has been designated for assignment. In the corresponding move, southpaw Kyle Harrison has been called up to the Giants’ roster for the first time in 2025. A 40-man roster spot has also been created with Trivino being DFA’ed, though no other transaction appears to be forthcoming to fill that spot.
Trivino threw a scoreless inning of relief in today’ 9-3 win over the Rockies, though his ERA still sits at 5.84 over 12 1/3 frames this season, with below-average strikeout and walk rates. The righty has been tagged for four home runs during his brief sample size of work, and it appears as though the Giants are ready to move on, or are at least comfortable in exposing Trivino to the waiver wire.
Some rust isn’t unusual given Trivino’s long layoff, as a Tommy John surgery and some other arm issues kept him from any MLB action at all during the 2023-24 seasons. Trivino’s only on-field action in the previous two years was 11 minor league innings with the Yankees last year, and some late-season shoulder soreness erased any hope Trivino had of making a late-season return to the Show before 2024 was over. He caught on with San Francisco on a minor league contract during the offseason, and getting selected to the active roster meant that Trivino locked in a $1.5MM guaranteed salary for the 2025 season.
Harrison’s last Triple-A start was on April 30, so he would be lined up to start in the majors as early as tomorrow, if San Francisco opts to remove Landen Roupp from the rotation. Roupp has a 5.10 ERA over six starts and 30 innings this season, and he hasn’t looked sharp in either of his last two outings. Jordan Hicks and his 6.03 ERA could also be a candidate to be moved to the bullpen, though Hicks just pitched on Saturday, making the timing slightly unusual if Harrison is indeed taking Hicks’ rotation spot.
The Giants might also be viewing Harrison as a bullpen candidate, to give the pen a long man and a second left-handed relief option behind Erik Miller. Should Harrison indeed be used as a reliever, he’ll join Hayden Birdsong as a fellow starting candidate being utilized in a bullpen role.
Over 159 Major League innings during the 2023-24 seasons, Harrison has a 4.47 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate. While not standout numbers, Harrison seemed set to have a rotation spot lined up heading into 2025, yet a shoulder impingement that cut his 2024 season short in September ended up lingering into the offseason, thus delaying his usual winter ramp-up work. Between that disruption to Harrison’s routine and a virus that hit him hard during Spring Training, the decision was made to have Harrison begin the season in Triple-A in order to let him get fully ready.
As one of the more highly-touted starting prospects in baseball prior to his first call-up, Harrison is a key part of the Giants’ future, and a pitcher the team naturally hopes can be a long-term cornerstone. That doesn’t necessarily mean Harrison will get another crack in the rotation immediately, but this call-up means that the Giants are eager to see how he further adjusts to take big league hitters.
Giants Designate David Villar For Assignment
The Giants announced Tuesday that infielder David Villar has been designated for assignment in order to open a roster spot for Lou Trivino, whose contract has been selected. Trivino will make San Francisco’s Opening Day roster.
The writing has been on the wall for the out-of-options Villar for some time. The Giants extended Matt Chapman late last year, blocking Villar at third base. He’s struggled in limited big league playing time and isn’t a backup option at shortstop like fellow infielders Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely — both of whom also have minor league options remaining.
That has led to the perception that Villar has been essentially auditioning for other clubs this spring, but he didn’t do much to help his cause on that front. He struck out in 36.7% of his plate appearances and hit .200/.265/.444 in Cactus League play.
Now that he’s been designated for assignment, the Giants will have five days to see if any club has trade interest. The DFA limbo period can last a week but the waiver process can take 48 hours, leaving five days for trade talks.
In addition to that poor showing this spring, Villar has hit .170/.243/.346 over the past two major league seasons while striking out 32.8% of the time. For any club to be interested, they would have to look past that. He had a strong showing in 2022, putting up a .231/.331/.455 line. Though even then, he was punched out at a 32% clip. He has also continued to hit in Triple-A, even while struggling in the big leagues. He slashed .265/.365/.465 at that level over the past two seasons. He struck out 26.1% of the time in that span but also drew walks at a 12.7% clip.
The strikeouts are a concern but Villar can bounce around to the non-shortstop infield positions and has less than a year of service time. If some club were willing to take a shot and then got a breakout, they could theoretically control him through the 2030 season.
As for Trivino, the 33-year-old reliever has some good work on his track record but has been beset by injuries for a while. In his 284 2/3 innings, he has allowed 3.86 earned runs per nine. His 10.6% walk rate is a bit high but he has punched out 24.5% of batters faced while getting grounders on 47.4% of balls in play.
He hasn’t pitched in a big league game since 2022, however. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, wiping out that season. In 2024, further elbow inflammation and a shoulder issue prevented him from getting back on the mound.
That meant he had to settle for a minor league deal with the Giants, one that came with a reported salary of $1.5MM if he made the team. He made the decision fairly easy for the club by throwing 9 1/3 scoreless innings in the spring. His four walks were a bit much but perhaps not surprising for a guy who missed the past two seasons. He also struck out 10 opponents and got grounders at a 55.6% clip.