NL Central Notes: Matz, Perez, Pirates, Reds Deadline
Steven Matz suffered a torn left MCL in late July, leading to fear that the left-hander’s season would possibly be over, even if surgery wasn’t required. However, Matz is now making increased progress towards a return, with Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol telling reporters (including MLB.com’s John Denton) that Matz’s knee was pain-free while fielding some grounders on Wednesday. Matz also threw 30 pitches off the mound during the warm-up session. It could mean that Matz is nearing a minor league rehab assignment, though the Cardinals will continue to closely monitor his status considering his lack of workload.
Matz has pitched just once since May 22, as a shoulder impingement kept him on the injured list for almost two months, and he then suffered his MCL injury in his first start back off the IL. St. Louis has Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, and trade deadline acquisitions Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana all thriving in the rotation, so if Matz is able to return, he could be used in a bullpen role or competing with Dakota Hudson, Jake Woodford, or another rehabbing starter in Jack Flaherty for that final spot in the rotation. The Cardinals could potentially also explore using a six-man rotation down the stretch, or perhaps just give some of their regulars some rest if the Cards can clinch the NL Central title relatively early. With a 17-5 record thus far in August, the Cards have opened up a 5.5-game lead over the struggling Brewers in the division race.
Some other items from around the Central…
- Roberto Perez believes “there’s interest from both parties” in a new deal between the Pirates and the veteran catcher, Perez told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Perez inked a one-year, $5MMM free agent contract with the Pirates last winter, but played in only 21 games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left hamstring. The catcher confirmed that his season is indeed over, as he had been hoping to make enough rehab progress to return for the final few games of the schedule. Re-signing Perez would add a seasoned backstop to a Pittsburgh catching mix that doesn’t include a lot of big league experience, though the Bucs are hoping that if all goes well, former first overall pick Henry Davis might be able to make his MLB debut before the 2023 season is up.
- The Reds dealt away Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, and Brandon Drury at the trade deadline, in a flurry of rebuilding moves that added a lot of depth and quality to Cincinnati’s farm system. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer explores the front office’s approach to the deadline, which first included some last-minute contract extension talks with Castillo and Drury’s representatives. When those talks didn’t result in much progress, the Reds shifted focus to the trade market, with GM Nick Krall noting that the interest in Castillo allowed them to make high initial asks. If other clubs weren’t open to that first ask, “then we can just move on….It was a pretty good way to trim the number (of teams) down from the very beginning,” Krall said. Cincinnati had always targeted Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo when speaking with the Mariners, and both of those highly-regarded infield prospects ended up included in the package the Reds received for Castillo. The Reds also had several offers on the table for Mahle and Drury, with the front office ultimately deciding that the offers from the Twins (for Mahle) and Padres (for Drury) were the best of the group.
Roberto Perez To Undergo Season-Ending Hamstring Surgery
Pirates catcher Roberto Perez will undergo surgery on his left hamstring and miss the rest of the 2022 season, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (Twitter link). Perez was already on Pittsburgh’s 60-day injured list, and it was expected that his hamstring injury would require a long absence.
The Bucs initially placed Perez on the 10-day IL in between games of a doubleheader on May 7, after Perez injured his leg running the bases. Reports immediately filtered in that Perez (who was in obvious pain leaving the field) had suffered a serious injury, and the veteran backstop may have now already played his last game in a Pittsburgh uniform.
It marks the second straight injury-ravaged year for Perez, as he played only 44 games with Cleveland last season due to a pair of IL stints (a fractured right finger and shoulder inflammation). After the Guardians declined their $7MM club option on Perez for 2022, the Pirates inked the 33-year-old to a one-year, $5MM deal just prior to the lockout and just after the club had dealt former starting catcher Jacob Stallings to the Marlins.
A Gold Glove winner in both 2019 and 2020, Perez has long been appreciated for his excellent defense and ability to throw out would-be basestealers. He hasn’t enjoyed much success at the plate apart from a surprising 24-homer season in 2019, but Perez was off to a decent start with the Pirates, hitting .233/.333/.367 (106 wRC+) over 69 plate appearances.
With Perez now gone for the season, the Pirates will turn to a combination of Michael Perez and Tyler Heineman behind the plate. (Heineman was just claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays on Monday.) For those wondering former first overall pick Henry Davis could factor into the Pirates’ catching plans this season, Davis only just made his debut in Double-A ball, and has been himself sidelined with a left wrist contusion. Mackey reports that Davis will be examined by doctors in Pittsburgh, but initial testing hasn’t revealed any fractures.
Pirates Likely To Select Cam Alldred
The Pirates announced this afternoon they’re expected to select left-hander Cam Alldred onto the major league roster. If that happens, they’ll transfer catcher Roberto Pérez from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Righty Beau Sulser was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear active roster space.
The Bucs selected Alldred in the 24th round of the 2018 draft out of the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio native had worked as a starter for the Bearcats but converted to relief immediately after entering the professional ranks. He signed for a modest $100K and has never appeared on an organizational prospects ranking at either Baseball America or FanGraphs, but Alldred has generally posted a strong minor league resume. He owns a 2.75 ERA in 173 2/3 career pro innings.
The 25-year-old has gotten off to a nice start with Indianapolis this year. He’s worked 17 2/3 frames across eight appearances, posting a 1.53 ERA. Allred’s 22.7% strikeout rate is a hair lower than average, but he’s induced ground-balls at an excellent 60.9% clip and only walked 4.5% of opponents. That’ll earn him his first shot in a big league bullpen.
Pérez’s transfer to the 60-day IL is a disappointing but unsurprising development. The 33-year-old, signed to a one-year deal over the offseason, suffered a left hamstring strain last week, and the Bucs quickly determined it to be a severe issue. He’ll be out of action for at least 60 days from the date of his original IL placement, May 7. That’ll keep him out of commission until the second week of July at the earliest, and it seems plausible he may not return until after the All-Star Break. Pittsburgh figures to rely on a catching tandem of Andrew Knapp and Michael Pérez for the foreseeable future.
Pirates Place Roberto Perez On 10-Day IL
MAY 8: Roberto Perez may be facing a long absence, as a source tells Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) that the catcher’s hamstring injury is “very severe.”
MAY 7: The Pirates have placed catcher Roberto Perez on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain. Catcher Michael Perez‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A, to provide the Bucs with more depth in time for the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Reds. To open a 40-man roster spot, left-hander Sam Howard was designated for assignment.
Roberto Perez suffered the injury in Game 1 of the doubleheader, injuring his hamstring while rounding second base in the eighth inning. Perez was in obvious pain as he left the field, and his absence forced a rare “emergency catcher” situation since backup Andrew Knapp had been ejected earlier in the game. This forced Josh VanMeter behind the plate for his first professional game as a catcher, and having an inexperienced backstop surely played a role in the Pirates surrendering seven runs to Cincinnati in the bottom of the eighth.
The 33-year-old Perez signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Pirates last winter, after the Guardians declined their $7MM club option his services for 2022. Known much more for his defense than his bat over nine MLB seasons, the two-time Gold Glover has also provided a bit of pop for Pittsburgh in the early going — Perez’s two singles in today’s game improved his slash line to .233/.333/.367 (109 wRC+) over 69 plate appearances.
Unfortunately, it now looks like the veteran will miss more than just 10 days, gauging by the apparent severity of his injury. This opens the door for Michael Perez (no relation) to get his first Major League action of the 2022 campaign. The Pirates claimed the 29-year-old Perez off waivers from the Rays in October, and it now appears that Perez and Knapp will handle the catching duties while the elder Perez recovers.
Howard has spent much of the season on the IL with a back sprain, only pitching two innings over three appearances. A pair of IL stints (most notably a six-week absence due to an oblique strain) limited Howard to 45 innings and 54 games in 2021. Control problems have limited Howard’s effectiveness over his 91 career MLB innings with the Rockies and Pirates, as despite a solid 27.2% strikeout rate, Howard also has a 14.1% walk rate and 5.34 ERA.
Pirates To Sign Roberto Perez
1:00pm: The Pirates and Perez have agreed to a one-year contract, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The MDR Sports Management client will be guaranteed $5MM on the contract, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette further reports (Twitter link).
11:08am: The Pirates are in talks with free-agent catcher Roberto Perez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Pittsburgh has an obvious need behind the dish after trading Gold Glover Jacob Stallings to the Marlins yesterday. Perez would give them a defensive-minded backup with some power in his bat — albeit one who has struggled mightily while battling injuries in Cleveland over the past two seasons. The Guardians declined their $7MM option on Perez following the season.
Perez, 33 next month, has long rated as one of the game’s premium defenders behind the dish and looked to have turned a corner at the plate in 2019, when he hit .239/.321/.452 with a career-high 24 home runs. However, he’s limped to a .155/.253/.277 slash with eight homers in 276 trips to the plate since.
Perez missed significant time in 2020-21 due to a pair of shoulder injuries and a fractured ring finger. It’s certainly plausible that the shoulder and hand injuries contributed to his decline at the plate, but the 2019 season looks increasingly like an outlier campaign for a defensive-minded backstop.
While Perez may not have stacked up to Stallings’ defense in 2021, he’s a two-time Gold Glove winner himself, taking home the American League award at catcher in both 2019 and 2020. Perez had never posted a season with negative marks in Defensive Runs Saved or FanGraphs’ pitch framing prior to 2021 but did rate ever so slightly below par in both categories. Of course, he was limited to 364 innings and wasn’t at 100% health this past season, and his body of work behind the dish is otherwise stellar.
From 2017-20, Perez’s 55 DRS ranked not only tops among all catchers but fifth among all players in Major League Baseball — regardless of position. He also led the American League with a gaudy 41% caught-stealing rate in 2019 and led all of baseball with a borderline-comical 71% caught-stealing mark in 2020 — nabbing 10 of the 14 runners who tried to take a base against him. Even with a lowly 16% mark in 2021, Perez still has a 39% mark in his career. And, given that the pair of shoulder problems he’s had recently (one in 2020, one in 2021) were in his throwing shoulder, it’s eminently plausible that he could rebound in that regard with better health in 2022.
Photo courtesy of Imagn/USA Today Sports.
Guardians Exercise Option On Jose Ramirez, Decline Option On Roberto Perez
The Guardians announced Friday that they’ve exercised their 2022 club option on third baseman Jose Ramirez and declined a club option on catcher Roberto Perez, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. Cleveland also confirmed the previously reported hiring of Chris Valaika as the team’s new hitting coach.
Ramirez’s $12MM option was among the easiest option calls any team will ever have to make. His contract also contains a $14MM club option for the 2023 season. Perez, meanwhile, will receive a $450K buyout in lieu of a $7MM option and explore the open market.
There was never a shred of doubt that Ramirez’s option would be picked up. The 29-year-old has cemented himself as one of the game’s elite players and lived up to that billing once again in 2021, slashing .266/.355/.538 with 36 home runs, 32 doubles, five triples, 27 stolen bases and elite defense at the hot corner.
With just two years remaining on his contract, Ramirez will surely be the subject of offseason trade inquiries, but Cleveland needn’t feel obligated to move him unless an absolutely mammoth trade offer is made. Ramirez’s contract is the only one on the books for the team in 2022, and with a modest arbitration class there’s no real financial concerns for Cleveland, even if the hope is to again operate on a relatively stripped-down payroll. Suffice it to say, president of baseball ops Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff will have plenty of leverage if (when) clubs do come calling about Ramirez.
For all the speculation about a potential Ramirez trade, however, it’s important to note that there’s no reason Cleveland can’t seek to contend in 2022. Ramirez will return alongside a core that features Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Triston McKenzie and 2020 breakout arm Cal Quantrill. The lineup is rife with question marks, but Amed Rosario hit well in his first season with the club and there are several top-end prospects on the cusp of big league readiness. For the first year under a rebranded moniker, it’s only sensible that the Guardians would look to put out a more compelling product.
As for Perez, he’s been unable to replicate his breakout 2019 showing at the plate — a season that saw him swat 24 home runs and post a .239/.321/.452 batting line. Paired with his excellent defense, that offensive output made Perez one of baseball’s best all-around catchers in 2019. Since then, he’s dealt with a pair of shoulder injuries and a fractured finger. It’s quite obviously possible that the arm/hand injuries have combined to sap Perez’s production, but with a more affordable and comparably strong defender available in the form of Austin Hedges, Cleveland unsurprisingly chose to move on.
Option Notes: Perez, Vazquez, Chafin
Catcher Roberto Perez‘s $7MM option for the 2022 season isn’t likely to be exercised by the Guardians, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes in his latest mailbag column. Set to turn 33 in December, Perez has long rated as one of the game’s premium defenders behind the dish and looked to have turned a corner at the plate in 2019, when he hit .239/.321/.452 with a career-high 24 home runs. However, he’s limped to a .155/.253/.277 slash with eight homers in 276 trips to the plate since. Perez has missed significant time over the past two seasons due to a pair of shoulder injuries and, earlier this year, a fractured ring finger. It’s certainly plausible that the shoulder and hand injuries contributed to his decline at the plate, but a budget-conscious Cleveland club doesn’t seem likely to bet $7MM on a rebound — particularly when the buyout is a relatively light $450K. Cleveland has a more affordable, similarly defensive-minded backstop already on the roster in arbitration-eligible Austin Hedges. He’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a $3.8MM salary next season.
Some more notes on various contract options around the league…
- The Red Sox hold a $7MM club option on catcher Christian Vazquez, but the price to retain their backstop was nearly a bit steeper. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo points out that Vazquez’s contract called for that option to rise to $8MM upon reaching 502 plate appearances, but he fell just four trips to the plate shy of that mark. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom spoke highly of Vazquez in his end-of-season press conference, telling reporters: “It’s a hard position to check all the boxes and you don’t take for granted when you have someone who has shown that he can do it.” The 31-year-old Vazquez hit .258/.308/.352 with plus defense behind the dish this season, and based on Bloom’s comments imply there’s a good chance he’ll be back in the fold next season as well.
- Andrew Chafin‘s one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Cubs was structured to include a $2.25MM salary plus a $500K buyout on a $5.25MM mutual option. The contract, however, also allowed Chafin to pick up a $125K bonus for reaching 50, 55, 60 and 65 games in 2021. Chafin was heavily used both by the Cubs and then by the Athletics following a trade, and he ultimately reached all four of those milestones while wearing an A’s jersey. As such, he’s now sitting on a $5.75MM option for next season. Chafin will have first say of whether to exercise his half of the option and could very well decline in search of a multi-year deal, which would render it a moot point. (He’d get the $500K buyout even if he declines.) If not, the fact that the option is now $500K more expensive makes it even tougher for the cost-conscious A’s pick up their end in what could be an offseason filled with tough financial decisions. Oakland also holds a $4MM club option on fellow southpaw Jake Diekman, which is effectively a net $3.25MM decision for the A’s, given its $750K buyout.
Indians Select Wilson Ramos
The Indians have selected the contract of veteran catcher Wilson Ramos, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com (Twitter link). Starting backstop Roberto Pérez is landing on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Cleveland already has three openings on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was needed in that regard.
Ramos opened the season with the division-rival Tigers after signing a one-year deal over the offseason. He got off to a strong start but his bat faded after the season’s first couple weeks. Ultimately, Ramos hit .200/.238/.392 across 128 plate appearances for Detroit before missing more than a month with a lumbar spine strain. Upon his activation from the injured list, the Tigers designated Ramos for assignment and subsequently released him. He hooked on with Cleveland on a minor league deal not long thereafter.
The two-time All-Star played his way back into the majors (ironically beginning with this weekend’s series against Detroit) with a strong performance for the Indians’ top affiliate in Columbus. Ramos has taken 62 trips to the dish with the Clippers and posted a .317/.328/.517 line. He’s only drawn one walk in that time, but he’s also popped three home runs and only gone down on strikes on six occasions. Ramos will offer a bat-first backup option behind defensive specialist Austin Hedges while Pérez is out.
Cleveland didn’t provide a timetable for Pérez’s return. This will be his second IL stint of the season, as the 32-year-old also missed sixty days with a finger fracture on his right hand between May and July. Over the course of the year, he’s hitting just .136/.246/.318.
Indians Activate Roberto Perez, Designate Rene Rivera For Assignment
The Indians activated catcher Roberto Perez from the injured list and designated Rene Rivera for assignment, per MLB.com’s Mandy Ball (via Twitter).
Cleveland has been without their starting catcher since May 5th when a fracture of his ring finger sent Perez to the injured list. While Perez doesn’t produce much at the plate, he’s nevertheless been considered a core piece of the Indians’ roster for the way he handles the pitching staff. He has won a Gold Glove Award in each of the past two seasons. At the plate, he was hitting .131/.274/.295 over 73 plate appearances to start the year.
The veteran Rivera appeared in 21 games as coverage for Perez’s absence, slashing .236/.300/.400 in 63 plate appearances. The well-traveled veteran could be claimed by one of the other 29 teams, and if not, he’ll likely have the opportunity to accept an assignment to Triple-A or elect free agency.
Austin Hedges is firmly entrenched as the other piece of the Indians’ catching tandem, so Rivera isn’t likely to see the roster again in Cleveland unless there’s another injury. That said, Hedges has struggled at the plate as well, putting up a paltry .159/.213/.262 line across 139 trips.
Indians Select Ryan Lavarnway
The Indians announced they’ve placed catcher Austin Hedges on the seven-day concussion injured list. Veteran backstop Ryan Lavarnway has been selected to the roster to pair with René Rivera in Hedges’ absence. To create 40-man roster space for Lavarnway, Cleveland transferred outfielder Jordan Luplow from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Lavarnway, who’ll get the start behind the plate this afternoon against the Orioles, will be making his first MLB appearance of 2021. It’ll mark his fifth consecutive year getting big league time (and his tenth overall), each of the last five with a different club. Lavarnway has suited up for the A’s, Pirates, Reds and Marlins over the last four years, totaling fewer than twenty plate appearances at each stop. A quintessential third catcher, the 33-year-old has appeared for seven teams in total (the Indians will be his eighth) and hit .215/.272/.344 across 456 MLB plate appearances. He’s hit .258/.313/.551 in 97 trips to the dish this year with Triple-A Columbus.
Hedges missed yesterday’s game with an illness that now appears to be related to a concussion. This is the second time in his MLB career he’s gone on the concussion IL. The defensive specialist has hit just .144/.205/.240 so far this season.
Luplow has been on the injured list since May 27. His transfer rules him out for sixty days from the date of that original placement, so he’ll now be ineligible to return to the majors until late July. Before the injury, the 27-year-old had posted an odd, but fairly productive, .173/.331/.439 line (113 wRC+) with seven homers across 121 plate appearances. Luplow’s on-base and slugging percentages exceed the respective major league averages of .317 and .405 despite the low batting average.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti provided reporters (including Mandy Bell of MLB.com and Zack Meisel of the Athletic) updates on a few other injured players this morning. Designated hitter Franmil Reyes and catcher Roberto Pérez could begin minor league rehab assignments within the next week. Starter Zach Plesac, meanwhile, is slated to throw a bullpen session tomorrow and could embark on a rehab assignment of his own in the next couple weeks.