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NL Notes: Pirates, Santana, Reds, Phillies, Mets, Kahnle

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The Pirates’ signing of Carlos Santana was in part driven by the team’s belief that next year’s restriction on infield shifts will help to boost the veteran switch-hitter’s production, general manager Ben Cherington told reporters after finalizing the deal this week (link via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Beyond that, Santana’s reputation as a leader and mentor for younger players appealed to the club, as did a strong batted-ball profile that featured quality marks in metrics like average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and more.

At one year and $6.725MM, the Santana signing was somewhat remarkably the largest free-agent commitment given out by Cherington since he was hired to guide the Pirates’ latest rebuilding effort back in 2019. Cherington stressed there are other needs to address and that the Pirates, currently projected by Roster Resource to carry just a $54MM payroll, are hopeful of completing some additional deals.

A few more items out of the National League…

  • The Reds inked local product Luke Maile to a one-year contract, setting the stage for him to serve as Tyler Stephenson’s backup. However, general manager Nick Krall suggested after signing Maile the team isn’t closed off to the possibility of adding a third catcher to the big league roster (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “There is a chance,” Krall noted, pointing out that the addition of the universal designated hitter gives teams the flexibility to more easily work with three backstops. The Reds were reportedly in touch with Tucker Barnhart about a potential reunion before signing Maile, though there’s no indication they’re strongly pursuing him after coming to terms with Maile. Still, Stephenson missed significant time in 2022 with a broken thumb, a concussion and a broken collarbone, and he also has 147 innings of big league experience at first base. There’s some sense to bringing in another catcher — particularly if it’s someone who can handle multiple spots on the diamond to give the Reds some more flexibility.
  • The Phillies were dealt a tough blow last week with the revelation Bryce Harper required a full Tommy John procedure. The Phils announced Harper was expected to return as a bat-only option by the All-Star Break while playing the outfield again at some point in the second half. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski left open the possibility of an earlier return this week (link via Matt Gelb of the Athletic) but suggested he didn’t want to project any kind of more optimistic timeline. “In my own mind, I’m looking at the All-Star break. Anything that’s before that is great,” Dombrowski said. The veteran executive downplayed the need for the Phils to add an outfielder in response to the surgery, pointing out that any pickup would lose his path to everyday playing time once Harper returned. The DH-only role would force Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into the corner outfield regularly to flank center fielder Brandon Marsh, with righty-hitting Matt Vierling on hand as the fourth outfielder. Dombrowski suggested that while the Phils will be “open-minded” to the possibility of adding on the grass, “it’s not a priority for us.“
  • Adding to the bullpen is certainly a key objective for the Mets, who saw each of Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Trevor Williams, Joely Rodriguez and Trevor May hit free agency. Will Sammon of the Athletic reports that New York is one of several teams to have looked into Tommy Kahnle, although he cautions it’s presently unclear how interested the Mets are in the free agent right-hander. Kahnle is an interesting upside play. He lost almost all of 2020-21 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and renewed arm inflammation cost him almost four months with the Dodgers this past season. Kahnle allowed only four runs in 12 2/3 innings when healthy enough to pitch, though, striking out 14 against three walks. The 33-year-old racked up swinging strikes at a massive 17.2% clip while leaning on his stellar changeup more than three-quarters of the time. Kahnle posted a 3.67 ERA with an elite 35.5% strikeout rate over 72 appearances with the Yankees in 2019, his most recent full season.

Reds Sign Luke Maile

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6:29pm: It’s a $1.175MM guarantee, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. There’s an additional $25K bonus attainable if Maile appears in 80 games next season.

4:25pm: The Reds announced they’ve signed catcher Luke Maile to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal have not yet been reported. Maile is a client of Meister Sports Management. Cincinnati’s 40-man roster count is up to 39.

Maile, 32 in February, has spent his career bouncing around the league as a depth option. He’s played parts of seven big league campaigns, suiting up with the Rays and Blue Jays early in his career. He spent the 2021 season with Milwaukee and inked a $900K guarantee with the Guardians this past spring.

The University of Kentucky product opened the season on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, but he was reinstated by mid-April. He spent the rest of the year on the active roster, logging a bit less action in a timeshare with Austin Hedges. Maile made 76 appearances, hitting .221/.301/.326 with a trio of home runs across 206 plate appearances. While he was arbitration eligible for a final time this winter, Cleveland non-tendered him in lieu of a projected $1.3MM salary.

Maile has 306 games of big league experience under his belt. He’s a career .207/.268/.314 hitter but has a solid reputation as a defender. Defensive Runs Saved gave him average marks in just over 500 innings of work last season, but that metric has pegged him 21 runs better than par over the course of his career. Statcast has given him mixed reviews as a pitch framer in recent years. It’s credited him with an above-average throwing arm, though, with a 1.96-second average pop time (time to throw to second base on a steal attempt) that ranked 28th among 72 catchers with 10+ throws.

With over five years of big league service time, Maile is on track to return to the open market at the end of next season. For the 2023 campaign, he’ll presumably settle into his familiar role as a backup. Cincinnati is sure to give the lion’s share of playing time to Tyler Stephenson, who looks like one of the top young backstops in the game. The Reds cycled through a number of depth options behind him this year, giving brief looks to each of Aramis Garcia, Austin Romine, Michael Papierski, Mark Kolozsvary, Chuckie Robinson and Chris Okey.

None of that group is still in the organization. Romine reached free agency, while Okey, Robinson, Papierski and Garcia were all let go. Kolozsvary was lost on waivers to the Orioles. Maile joins Stephenson as the only backstops on the 40-man roster, and Cincinnati could look to bring in another depth player on a minor league deal later in the offseason.

American League Non-Tenders: 11/18/22

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The deadline to tender contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm Central. Here’s a rundown of the players on American League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month. Onto the transactions…

Latest Transactions

  • The Mariners announced that they have non-tendered three players: catchers Brian O’Keefe and Luis Torrens, as well as righty Luke Weaver. Weaver was just claimed off waivers from the Royals a few weeks ago but will now become a free agent.
  • The White Sox announced three non-tenders: outfielders Adam Engel and Mark Payton, as well as infielder Danny Mendick. Engel is generally considered a strong defensive outfielder but he struggled at the plate in 2022. Mendick played all over the diamond while hitting .289/.343/.443 for a wRC+ of 125.
  • The Guardians announced they have non-tendered lefty Anthony Gose and catcher Luke Maile. Gose was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Maile got into 76 games hit at a below-average level with roughly average defensive marks.
  • The Angels announced four non-tenders: lefties Jhonathan Diaz and Rob Zastryzny, as well as righties Touki Toussaint and Nash Walters. The latter three names were designated for assignment a few days ago.
  • The Rays have non-tendered Ryan Yarbrough, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they have non-tendered outfielders Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer, as well as infielder Vinny Capra. The two former names were designated for assignment a few days ago.

Earlier Moves

  • The Athletics announced that they did not tender contracts to three players: right-hander Deolis Guerra, left-hander Jared Koenig and infielder David MacKinnon. Guerra is the most seasoned of the trio, having made his MLB debut back in 2015 and made 136 appearances. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in April, missing the entire 2022 campaign and possibly some of 2023 as well.
  • The Red Sox are non-tendering outfielder/first-baseman Franchy Cordero, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cordero appeared in 84 games for the Red Sox this past season, but hit just .219/.300/.397 with eight home runs while grading out very poorly on defense.  The Sox have also non-tendered infielder Yu Chang, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The versatile infielder began the year with the Guardians but subsequently went to the Pirates in a trade, then went to the Rays and Red Sox on waiver claims. Across those four teams, he hit .208/.289/.315 for a wRC+ of 78.
  • The Astros will part ways with reliever Josh James, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports they’re expected to non-tender him tonight. He spent the entire 2022 campaign in the minors, and underwent flexor tendon surgery in October and is without a timetable to return.
  • The Rangers announced that right-hander Nick Snyder has not been tendered a contract. He only has 4 2/3 innings of MLB experience over the past couple of seasons. He spent most of 2022 in Triple-A, posting a 4.97 ERA over 38 innings, though with a 30.9% strikeout rate.
  • The Royals opted to non-tender lefty Jake Brentz and right-hander Nate Webb, the team announced. That’s no surprise, as both players were designated for assignment earlier this week. They lost their 40-man roster spots as a result, but the non-tender means Kansas City won’t need to run them through waivers before sending them directly to free agency. Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets that Kansas City is tendering contracts to the rest of their arbitration class, including Brad Keller and Amir Garrett — each of whom seemed to have a small chance of being cut loose after tough seasons.

Guardians Promote Richie Palacios, Activate Luke Maile

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The Guardians announced they’ve recalled left fielder/second baseman Richie Palacios to make his major league debut. Cleveland also activated catcher Luke Maile from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, backstop Bryan Lavastida was optioned to Triple-A Columbus, while left-hander Kirk McCarty was returned to the minors and removed from the 40-man roster.

Palacios was already on the 40-man, having been selected before Rule 5 protection day last November. A third-round pick out of Towson in 2018, the left-handed hitter has played his way up the minor league ladder with strong numbers at every stop. Palacios had a nice run in the low minors during his post-draft summer, but he missed the entire 2019 campaign after tearing the labrum in his shoulder. The canceled 2020 minors season cost him another year, but the Brooklyn native played his way onto the 40-man roster with an impressive showing last year.

Splitting the season between Double-A Akron and Columbus, Palacios hit .297/.404/.471 in 428 plate appearances. While he only hit seven home runs, he rapped 33 doubles and swiped 20 bases. As his excellent on-base percentage attests, Palacios drew walks in a robust 13.6% of his plate appearances against just a 16.4% strikeout rate. Baseball America named him the #14 prospect in a deep Guardians’ farm system this winter, praising his hit tool, plate discipline and gap power while noting some questions about his best defensive fit.

The Guardians signed Maile to a one-year deal over the winter to serve as the #2 backstop behind Austin Hedges. He missed the first few weeks of the year with a left hamstring strain, leading Cleveland to turn to the 23-year-old Lavastida for a brief first look. He collected just one hit and three walks in 15 plate appearances, but that was to be expected for a player with just 36 games above High-A coming into the year. Lavastida will have a chance to get more regular reps at Triple-A with Maile back to spell Hedges as needed.

McCarty, meanwhile, was selected to the majors as a COVID substitute last week. Cleveland was without Cal Quantrill, Owen Miller and Anthony Castro at the time, but Quantrill and Miller have since made it back. Tanner Tully, who had also been selected as a COVID replacement, was returned to Columbus over the weekend. Cleveland now has one open 40-man roster spot, but both Castro and Yu Chang remain on the COVID injured list and will have to be reinstated once healthy.

James Karinchak, Luke Maile Likely To Begin Season On Injured List

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Two notable Guardians players are likely to start their 2022 season on the 10-day injured list.  Reliever James Karinchak has a strain in his teres major muscle and will be shut down for 7-10 days, while Luke Maile has a left hamstring strain.  (MLB.com’s Mandy Bell was among those to report the news.)

Maile is a lock to hit the IL, as he will be out of action for three to four weeks.  Karinchak’s timetable isn’t yet known outside of his shutdown period, as if he returns after seven or even 10 days with no ill effects, he might only need a minimal 10-day IL stint at the start of the season to get fully ramped up.

It all depends on the severity of his strain, as teres major muscle issues can vary greatly in terms of necessary recovery time.  Cleveland fans have become all too familiar with the teres major muscle in recent years, as Mike Clevinger, Emmanuel Clase, and (just yesterday) Cody Morris have all spent time on the IL due to similar injuries.

The Guardians surely hope Karinchak’s injury is just a matter of days or weeks rather than months, as the hard-throwing righty’s big strikeout numbers hint at his potential as a dominant bullpen arm.  Karinchak has a huge 38% strikeout rate over his 87 2/3 career innings, as well as a 3.49 ERA.  However, Karinchak also has a 13.4% walk rate, and both those control problems and the home run ball led to a dropoff in production last season after a strong start.  Cleveland ended up optioning Karinchak to Triple-A for September, in an effort to try and get him sorted.

Maile only joined the team two weeks ago on a one-year, $900K free agent deal.  The veteran backstop’s guaranteed deal gave him a leg up on minor league signing Sandy Leon in the battle to be Austin Hedges’ backup, though Leon may now have the inside track on breaking camp.  Depending on what other names become available as other teams make their spring cuts, the Guardians could possibly add another experienced catcher to add further depth, or as more competition for Leon.

Guardians Sign Luke Maile

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The Guardians have agreed to a Major League deal with catcher Luke Maile, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Maile will earn $900K in guaranteed money.

A veteran of six Major League seasons, Maile’s tenure was interrupted by a finger surgery that cost him the entire 2020 season.  Playing that year on a split contract with the Pirates, Maile landed with the Brewers on another big league deal last winter and ended up appearing in 15 games with the Brew Crew.

Cleveland declined their club option on longtime catcher Roberto Perez last fall, leaving a vacancy behind the plate.  Austin Hedges remains as the de facto starter, while Sandy Leon was also signed to a minor league deal back in November.  Maile’s addition will ostensibly push Leon down to Triple-A depth, though it’s probably safe to assume that the Guardians will have Maile and Leon compete for the secondary catching job during Spring Training.

Neither Maile or Leon have shown anything more than flashes of offensive production over their careers, and Hedges has likewise been a glove-first catcher.  The Guardians have traditionally prized defense, game-calling, and pitcher management over hitting when it comes to their catchers, and it should seem like Cleveland is aiming in that same direction for 2022, rather than explore picking up a bigger bat as Perez’s replacement.

In order to create space for Maile on the 40-man roster, the Guardians announced they’ve placed right-hander Carlos Vargas on the 60-day injured list. The hard-throwing pitching prospect underwent Tommy John surgery last April, and it seems that recovery timeline will keep him on the shelf for at least the first couple months of this season.

Luke Maile, Eric Yardley Elect Free Agency

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The Brewers announced today that catcher Luke Maile and right-handed pitcher Eric Yardley have elected free agency after being outrighted. Neither player was a major contributor in Milwaukee in 2021, though Maile posted a strong .816 OPS (albeit in only 34 plate appearances). Yardley put together an excellent showing in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, including a sparkling 1.54 ERA in 23 1/3 innings of relief, but was eminently hittable in 2021, pitching to a 6.75 ERA in 18 2/3 big-league innings.

While Maile’s strong line in limited action is sure to draw a bit of attention, his career numbers in the Majors are considerably more pedestrian — .203/.258/.310 in 691 PAs. It’s his glove (and arm) that lead his tool-set. In parts of six seasons with the Rays, Blue Jays, and Brewers, Maile has thrown out 34% of would-be base-stealers and logged 21 defensive runs saved in 220 games behind the dish. At minimum, he’s sure to receive a minor-league deal with a chance to compete for a backup role, but he could be a candidate for guaranteed money.

Yardley’s future is less clear, though his stellar 2020 probably guarantees him at least a shot to catch on somewhere. Undrafted out of Seattle University, the soft-tossing submariner played in the independent Pecos League before signing a minor league deal with the Padres in 2013. He consistently posted strong numbers in the minors before making his debut in San Diego in 2019, though the Padres designated him for assignment that offseason despite a strong 2.31 ERA across 11 2/3 innings with the big club. He’ll hope to be given another shot to show he can limit hard contact and provide Major League value despite a fastball that sits in the high 80s.

Brewers Place Rowdy Tellez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Brewers placed first baseman Rowdy Tellez on the 10-day injured list due to a right patella strain.  Catcher Luke Maile was called up from Triple-A to fill Tellez’s spot on the active roster.

Tellez has been bothered by the knee problem for a while, manager Craig Counsell told media last night after Tellez was removed during the second inning of Milwaukee’s 3-0 win over the Indians.  Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) today that the team felt the IL was necessary for Tellez even as the team awaits the results of an MRI.

With only three weeks remaining in the regular season, Tellez and the Brewers are certainly hopeful that the slugger’s knee will be ready to go for the postseason.  Tellez has become the Brew Crew’s everyday first baseman in the second half of the season, and while he has been rather streaky over his three-plus months in Milwaukee, Tellez has been good enough to stabilize a shaky first base situation.

Since being acquired in a trade from the Blue Jays on July 6, Tellez has hit .270/.329/.474 with seven home runs over 167 plate appearances, good for a 112 OPS+.  That would be a significant bat to lose for the playoffs if Tellez’s injury proves serious enough to sideline him into October, though that scenario might not yet be a consideration, at least until Tellez’s MRI results are known.

Daniel Vogelbach can step in as another slugging left-handed first base bat while Tellez is out of action, though Vogelbach’s inconsistency was one of the reasons the Brewers acquired Tellez to shore up first base.  Utilityman Jace Peterson and infielder Eduardo Escobar are also options, with the switch-hitting Escobar likely to get some looks at first base when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound.

Brewers Sign Luke Maile

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TODAY: The deal has been officially announced.

DECEMBER 1: The Brewers have agreed to sign catcher Luke Maile to a major league contract, pending a physical, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. Details are unknown. Maile is a client of Meister Sports Management.

The 29-year-old Maile saw major league action with the Rays and Blue Jays from 2015-19. Maile then signed a major league deal with the Pirates last winter, but he didn’t play at all in 2020 after suffering a fractured right index finger that required surgery in July. He’ll bring a .198/.252/.304 line and 10 home runs in 657 plate appearances to Milwaukee.

The Brewers relied on Omar Narvaez, Manny Pina and Jacob Nottingham at catcher in 2020, but they might not bring all three back next year. Narvaez and/or Pina could be non-tendered before Wednesday’s deadline, which makes the timing of the Maile addition especially interesting.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/30/20

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Rounding up some minor moves around the game:

  • Royals left-hander Mike Montgomery and right-hander Kevin McCarthy cleared outright waivers and have elected free agency, reports Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link). Montgomery, 31, was limited to 5.1 innings in 2020 due to a lat injury, derailing his chance of cementing himself in the Kansas City rotation. McCarthy was an oft-used bullpen piece in 2019 but only got into five games last season. Additionally, Kansas City claimed righty Carlos Sanabria off waivers from the Astros, per Flanagan (Twitter link). The 23-year-old reliever performed well in the high minors in 2019 and made his MLB debut in this year.
  • The Twins claimed right-hander Ian Gibaut off waivers from the Rangers, per an announcement from Texas. The 26-year-old pitched to just a 6.57 ERA in 12.1 innings this year but was once a well-regarded relief prospect. He comes with one option year remaining. Fellow Texas righty Luke Farrell cleared outright waivers.
  • The Twins also claimed left-hander Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Pirates, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter link). Additionally, Pirates’ catchers John Ryan Murphy and Luke Maile, utilityman Kevin Kramer, right-hander Yacksel Rios and outfielder Jason Martin all cleared outright waivers, per an announcement from Pittsburgh.
  • The Mets claimed right-hander Nick Tropeano off waivers from the Pirates, per an announcement from Pittsburgh. The 30-year-old pitched in seven games with a 1.15 ERA for the Pirates in 2020. He’s projected for a salary just under $1MM in arbitration.
  • The Nationals announced they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Steven Fuentes. The 23-year-old pitched to a 2.69 ERA/2.24 FIP in 63.2 Double-A innings in 2019 and would’ve been eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter. Baseball America ranks Fuentes the #27 prospect in the Washington system.
  • The Cubs announced that they have claimed infielder Max Schrock via waivers from the rival Cardinals. Chicago also outrighted lefty Rex Brothers to Triple-A Iowa. Schrock picked up just 17 plate appearances for St. Louis in 2020 and collected three hits (two singles and a homer). Brothers, 32, threw only 3.1 innings with the Cubs and allowed three earned runs.
  • Speaking of the Cardinals, they announced outright assignments for righty Nabil Crismatt and lefty Ricardo Sanchez. Crismatt was successful for the Cardinals in 2020, notching 8.1 frames of three-run ball with eight strikeouts and one walk. Sanchez had some difficulty across 5.1 innings, though, as he gave up four earned runs and issued five walks.
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