Matt Szczur Announces Retirement
Former MLB outfielder Matt Szczur announced his retirement this afternoon. The 32-year-old saw big league action in five straight seasons from 2014-18, with the bulk of that time spent with the Cubs.
Chicago selected Szczur in the fifth round of the 2010 draft out of Villanova. The righty-hitting outfielder was named a Top 100 prospect by Baseball America two years later and made his MLB debut in August 2014. Sczcur spent the next few seasons as a part-time player with the Cubs, tallying 200 plate appearances of .259/.312/.400 hitting for the World Series-winning team in 2016.
The Padres acquired him in a minor trade the following May, and he’d remain in San Diego for the next season and a half. Szczur tallied a career-high 237 trips to the plate over 119 games in 2017 but was limited to 57 games the following year. He’s bounced around the league via minors deals the past few years, including a 30-game stint with the Cardinals’ top affiliate last season. The New Jersey native didn’t get back to the majors, though, and his playing career came to an end when he was released by St. Louis in June.
Szczur moves on from baseball owner of a .231/.312/.355 career line with 12 home runs over 667 plate appearances. He played parts of ten seasons in the minors and hit .273/.332/.401 over five years at Triple-A. Interestingly, he noted as part of his announcement (the full extent of which can be found via Twitter thread) that he’s embarking on a career as an artist. “Baseball is and always will be a part of me, but it’s time to trade in my bat for a brush. I’m looking forward to being a husband, father, family member, and friend.” MLBTR congratulates Szczur on his playing days and wishes him the best in his next endeavors.
Cardinals Select Roel Ramirez, Designate John Nogowski
The Cardinals are selecting right-hander Roel Ramírez and recalling lefty Brandon Waddell to the big league roster, general manager John Mozeliak told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). Righties Jake Woodford and Seth Elledge have been optioned to Triple-A Memphis to clear active roster space. To open a 40-man roster spot for Ramírez, St. Louis is designating first baseman John Nogowski for assignment.
Ramírez went from the Rays to the Cards as part of the 2018 Tommy Pham trade. He made a cameo at the big league level last season, making his MLB debut against the White Sox. It didn’t go well, as Ramírez yielded six runs on as many hits (including a staggering four homers) while recording just two outs. He was designated for assignment before he got another major league opportunity.
The 26-year-old Ramírez has now pitched his way back to the bigs, where he’ll hope to find more success this time around. He’s tossed 27 innings across 18 appearances as a multi-inning reliever with Memphis this year, working to a 4.67 ERA with slightly better than average strikeout (25.2%), walk (7.5%) and groundball (49.3%) numbers.
Woodford has worked in a similar multi-inning relief capacity at the major league level this year. He’s being optioned to build up as a potential starting pitcher, Mozeliak said. In 2019, his last full minor league season as a starter, the 24-year-old tossed 151 2/3 frames of 4.15 ERA ball with Memphis. Woodford’s peripherals that year weren’t especially impressive, and he’s struggled over his MLB time coming out the bullpen. St. Louis has been hit hard by injuries and underperformance in the rotation, though. They’ve scoured the market for potential upgrades, but Woodford will stretch back out as a potential internal option.
Nogowski has picked up 24 plate appearances at the MLB level over the past two years. They’ve not gone well, and the 28-year-old has slumped to a .195/.304/.297 line over 148 trips to the dish in a hitter-friendly Triple-A West environment in 2021. It’s been a difficult season for Nogowski, but he’d previously been a very productive offensive player in the minors. Through parts of seven minor league seasons, Nogowski has compiled a .281/.370/.404 mark, including a .295/.413/.476 line with Memphis in 2019. The Cardinals will have a week to trade him or place him on waivers.
Mozeliak also revealed that St. Louis has released outfielder Matt Szczur from his minor league contract (via Zachary Silver of MLB.com). The 31-year-old hit just .186/.236/.382 in 112 plate appearances with Memphis.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/13/21
Some minor league moves from around the sport…
Latest Moves
- The Cardinals have signed outfielder Matt Szczur to a minor league deal that contains an invite to their big league Spring Training camp, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury reports (via Twitter). Szczur hit .231/.312/.355 over 667 plate appearances with the Cubs and Padres from 2014-18 but he hasn’t since returned to the majors. The 31-year-old signed minor league contracts with the Diamondbacks prior to the 2019 season and the Phillies prior to 2020, with Philadelphia releasing Szczur back in June.
Earlier Today
- The White Sox signed infielder Marco Hernandez to a minor league contract back in January, as originally noted by the transactions page for Triple-A East (formerly the International League). Hernandez was released by the Red Sox in August, ending a six-year stint in the Boston organization that saw Hernandez hit .265/.300/.342 over 271 plate appearances in parts of three MLB seasons. He was part of Boston’s 60-man player pool but didn’t see any big league action in 2020. Hernandez played mostly second base with the Red Sox but he also has experience at third base and shortstop, so he will be competing for a utility infield job in Chicago’s camp.
- The Angels announced that left-hander Dillon Peters was outrighted Triple-A at clearing waivers. Peters will be invited to the team’s Spring Training camp after being designated for assignment last week. The southpaw pitched in just one MLB game in 2020, getting hit for four runs (three earned) over 1 2/3 innings for the Angels. A groundball specialist while coming up in the Marlins’ farm system, Peters has a 5.83 ERA and only a 16.7K% over 132 2/3 career Major League innings with Miami and Anaheim.
- Diamondbacks left-hander Taylor Guilbeau has been outrighted to Triple-A, the team announced. Guilbeau cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week, and he will also be invited to Arizona’s big league Spring Training camp. Guilbeau posted a 2.70 ERA over 20 MLB innings with the Mariners from 2019-20, with the D’Backs acquiring the grounder specialist on a waiver claim in October.
- The Twins announced that southpaw Brandon Waddell has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A after being designated for assignment last Thursday. Waddell has been invited to the Twins’ Major League Spring Training camp. A fifth-round pick for the Pirates in the 2015 draft, Waddell made his MLB debut in 2020, tossing 3 1/3 innings over two games with Pittsburgh. Minnesota claimed Waddell off waivers from the Pirates in October.
Phillies Release Drew Storen, Matt Szczur
The Phillies announced they have released right-handed reliever Drew Storen and outfielder Matt Szczur. Both were among a large group of veterans in camp on minor-league deals this spring.
Storen is most famous for his run with the Nationals, where he combined for a 3.02 ERA/3.09 FIP in 334 relief innings between 2010-15. He fell on tough times after leaving Washington and hasn’t seen big league action since suiting up with the 2017 Reds, partially due to Tommy John surgery.
Szczur, meanwhile, hit well in limited time with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to earn him another shot in the majors, where he logged a bit of time every season from 2014-18. The 30-year-old has a career .231/.312/.355 slash (81 wRC+) in 667 plate appearances.
Phillies To Sign Matt Szczur
The Phillies have a minor-league deal in place with outfielder Matt Szczur, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly. It includes an invitation to participate in MLB Spring Training.
Szczur, 30, failed to crack the majors last year for the first time since he broke in with the Cubs in 2014. The New Jersey native stayed put at Triple-A with the Diamondbacks in 2019, due in no small part to leg issues that limited him to 44 games of action.
When he was available for the Snakes’ top affiliate, Szczur turned in a strong .322/.309/.577 batting line over 172 plate appearances. That output dwarfs his lifetime .231/.312/.355 slash in 667 trips to the plate in the majors.
It’s possible that Szczur could earn an active roster spot with a big showing in camp. He’s capable of spending some time in center and has traditionally performed better against southpaws, making him a possible match to complement presumptive Phillies center fielder Adam Haseley.
Mets Notes: CF, Bench Coach, Bullpen
Here’s the latest on the Mets:
- Although the Mets are in need of a center fielder, Japanese free agent Shogo Akiyama isn’t near the top of their list, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. This year’s free-agent class is limited in center, where Brett Gardner (who’s not even a full-time CFer) looks like the premier player available. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Akiyama is coming off a productive nine-season run in Nippon Professional Baseball, but he’s no sure thing to succeed in the majors. And Akiyama’s a left-handed hitter, which seems to run counter to their ideal acquisition in center. The club wants a player who hits from the right side and is a better defender than Brandon Nimmo, Mike Puma of the Post tweets. Shortstop Amed Rosario‘s a righty batter, and though the team has considered moving him to center in the past, those days are gone. “I don’t see a scenario for him to be in center field,” general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said (via Sherman).
- While the Mets may not want Akiyama, they are among the teams interested in free-agent center fielder Matt Szczur, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The righty-hitting Szczur, 30, would likely be a minor league pickup, as the former Cub and Padre hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2018. He had a brutal year then in San Diego, which forced him to sign a minors pact with the Diamondbacks last offseason. Szczur batted a solid .322/.390/.577 with eight home runs in 172 plate appearances as a member of the D-backs’ top affiliate.
- Pirates third base coach Joey Cora is the latest possibility to take over as the Mets’ bench coach, per Sherman. Cora, a former major league second baseman and the brother of Red Sox manager Alex Cora, has ties to new Mets manager Carlos Beltran and special assistant Omar Minaya, Sherman notes. He managed in the Mets’ minor league system when Minaya was their GM in the early 2000s. Cora, Fredi Gonzalez and Jerry Narron are the only known candidates to become the Mets’ bench coach. Longtime San Francisco assistant Ron Wotus had been in the running, but he’ll stay with the Giants as their third base coach, Daniel Brown of The Athletic relays.
- The Mets were aggressive in trying to upgrade their bullpen last offseason, when they surrendered significant resources for Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson. The latter was the only somewhat effective member of the trio, while the struggles of Diaz and Familia played a key part in another non-playoff season for the Mets. Considering that their bullpen was a letdown this season, the Mets could again look for help in that area this winter, though Van Wagenen contends that the club’s relief corps must “largely sink or swim based on how Diaz and Familia perform,” Sherman writes. Van Wagenen suggested Diaz, Familia, Wilson, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman are set to reprise their late-game roles, but it’s unclear who will join that quintet.
Diamondbacks Sign Matt Szczur
The Diamondbacks have signed a minors deal with outfielder Matt Szczur, per an announcement from the club’s top affiliate. Szczur has been assigned to the Reno Aces to begin his tenure with the Arizona organization, but he’ll have a shot to earn a big league job in camp next spring.
Szczur, 29, has seen at least some time in each of the past five MLB campaigns, though he has totaled only about a full season’s worth of plate appearances in the aggregate. With a .231/.312/.355 career batting line, he’ll need to show quite a lot in Spring Training to crack the D-Backs’ roster. The former fifth-round pick is capable of playing all three outfield positions, increasing his versatility, but would be limited to the short side of a hypothetical platoon as he hits from the right side of the plate.
If he is able to make it back to the majors, Szczur will earn at a $950K rate, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). He’ll also have a pair of opt-out opportunities to force the hand of the Snakes or, perhaps, to strike out looking for work elsewhere.
Players Electing Free Agency
Quite a few players will hit the open market this fall, and they’ll do so by way of varying mechanisms. The end of the regular season triggered a recent wave of free agents, consisting of a certain subset of players — namely, those who were outrighted from 40-man rosters during the season and accepted minor-league assignments at that time despite having the right to elect free agency. Players in that situation are entitled instead to hit the open market at season’s end, if they were not added back to the 40-man roster in the meantime.
As conveyed by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, who also covers quite a few other minor moves, these players have now elected free agency:
Athletics: RHP Raul Alcantara, LHP Danny Coulombe
Blue Jays: RHP Mike Hauschild, INF/OF Darnell Sweeney
Braves: LHP Rex Brothers, RHP Miguel Socolovich
Cardinals: LHP Tyler Lyons
Indians: RHP Evan Marshall, RHP Alexi Ogando
Mariners: RHP Christian Bergman, LHP Ross Detwiler, RHP Mike Morin, INF Zach Vincej
Marlins: OF JB Shuck
Mets: RHP Chris Beck, OF Bryce Brentz, RHP Scott Copeland, OF Matt den Dekker, INF Ty Kelly
Nationals: LHP Tommy Milone, OF Moises Sierra, RHP Carlos Torres
Orioles: RHP Jhan Marinez, INF Luis Sardinas
Padres: OF Matt Szczur
Phillies: INF Trevor Plouffe
Pirates: LHP Buddy Boshers, RHP Casey Sadler, RHP A.J. Schugel
Rangers: C Juan Centeno, LHP Anthony Gose, RHP Drew Hutchison, INF Tommy Joseph, RHP Chris Rowley
Rays: INF Brandon Snyder, RHP Ryan Weber
Reds: C Tim Federowicz, RHP Kevin Quackenbush
Tigers: INF Dixon Machado, RHP Jacob Turner
White Sox: RHP Tyler Danish
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/8/18
Keeping track of Sunday’s minor moves…
- Tigers infielder Dixon Machado has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, per an announcement from Detroit. Machado had the right to elect free agency instead, but he’ll remain with the Tigers, who designated him on July 4. Although the 26-year-old opened the season as the Tigers’ starting second baseman, he lost his grip on both that job and his roster spot after hitting just .206/.263/.290 in 233 plate appearances.
- Padres outfielder Matt Szczur will also remain with his organization after clearing waivers, the team announced. The Padres designated Szczur last weekend, after the 28-year-old began 2018 with a .187/.265/.267 line in 84 trips to the plate.
- The Cubs announced that they’ve selected right-hander James Norwood from Triple-A and placed reliever Anthony Bass on the disabled list (illness, retroactive to July 5). Norwood is in position to make his major league debut four years after the Cubs chose him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. The 24-year-old has spent most of this season at Double-A, where he has pitched to a sterling 2.48 ERA with 9.92 K/9 and 3.31 BB/9 over 32 2/3 innings.
- The Royals have signed right-hander Dallas Beeler to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Double-A affiliate, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The 29-year-old Beeler comes with a bit of major league experience, having pitched 19 1/3 innings for the Cubs from 2014-15. Beeler has mostly worked at the Triple-A level as a professional, combining for a 3.73 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 243 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch for anyone last season, though, and then opened 2018 with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League.
Padres Designate Matt Szczur
The Padres have designated outfielder Matt Szczur for assignment, per a team announcement. Additionally, San Diego reinstated infielder Allen Cordoba from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Single-A, and recalled infielder Carlos Asuaje from Triple-A.
The 28-year-old Szczur’s in his second season with the Padres, who acquired him in a trade with the Cubs in 2017. Szczur has struggled over 84 plate appearances this year in San Diego, where he has hit .187/.265/.267. Overall, the right-handed hitter’s a .231/.312/.355 in 667 major league PAs.
The Padres plucked Cordoba from the Cardinals in the December 2016 Rule 5 draft. Cordoba managed to hang with the Padres despite slashing just .208/.282/.297 in 227 PAs last season, his age-22 campaign. He has totaled just 49 PAs this year – all at the Single-A level – on account of a concussion.