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Tigers Designate Sam Howard For Assignment

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The Tigers announced Tuesday that they’ve designated left-hander Sam Howard for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to righty Drew Hutchison, who’s back up for a third stint with the big league club. Hutchison is starting tonight’s game.

Howard, 29, was a waiver claim out of the Pirates organization in mid-May but has yet to pitch at the big league level with Detroit. He’s logged a dozen innings with the Tigers’ top minor league affiliate in Toledo, pitching to a 3.75 WERA with a huge 36.5% strikeout rate but also a very concerning 17.3% walk rate.

There’s little doubting that Howard has the ability to miss bats in droves. He punched out 30.1% of the batters he faced in 66 innings with the Pirates from 2020-21 and, for a time early in the 2021 campaign, at least brandished impressive surface-level numbers. Howard opened the 2021 season with 25 2/3 innings of 2.45 ERA ball and had whiffed 33% of his opponents to that point in the season. However, he’d also walked 15.5% of opponents and skated by with an unsustainable 88.2% left-on-base rate and .163 average on balls in play.

Howard was torched for six runs on June 18 last year, hit the injured list with knee tendinitis, and returned to give up another six runs over his next 3 1/3 innings. An oblique strain then sent him to the shelf for another six weeks. He returned to yield another nine runs in his final 15 1/3 innings, maintaining the ability to miss bats but also maintaining his lack of comment and displaying increased susceptibility to home runs.

Taking a broader look, Howard’s strikeout numbers exploded when the Rockies, who selected him with their third-round pick in 2014, moved him to the bullpen for the 2019 season. However, the command issues that have plagued him over the past two seasons have been an ongoing problem, never more so than in the past two seasons. The Tigers will have a week to trade Howard, attempt to pass him through  outright waivers, or release him.

Tigers Claim Sam Howard From Pirates

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The Tigers announced they’ve claimed reliever Sam Howard off waivers from the Pirates and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. He’d been designated for assignment last week. Detroit had two vacancies on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

Howard, 29, has pitched in the big leagues with the Rockies and Bucs in each of the past five seasons. The Georgia Southern product has shown the ability to generate plenty of whiffs, but he’s also battled notable control woes. He’s tallied 91 MLB innings across 103 appearances, pitching to a 5.34 ERA with a solid 27.2% strikeout rate but a 14.1% walk percentage. He had an even more extreme version of that batted ball-averse style last season, when he fanned 30.2% but walked 16.1% of opponents in a personal-high 45 innings.

Those strike-throwing concerns became problematic enough for the Bucs to move on, but the Tigers will roll the dice on Howard’s swing-and-miss capabilities. He generated whiffs on 15.8% of his offerings last season, the 16th-highest rate among relievers with 40+ innings pitched. His four-seam fastball, in particular, was excellent at missing bats.

Howard still has a couple minor league option years remaining, so the Tigers can keep him at Toledo as a depth option for a while if he holds onto a 40-man roster spot. He’ll be the third left-handed reliever on the depth chart behind offseason signee Andrew Chafin and primary closer Gregory Soto.

Pirates Place Roberto Perez On 10-Day IL

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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 Place Mitch Keller, Michael Feliz On 10-Day Injured List

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The Pirates placed right-handers Mitch Keller and Michael Feliz on the 10-day injured list, the club announced.  Keller is dealing with left side discomfort while Feliz is suffering from right forearm discomfort.  Right-hander Cody Ponce and southpaw Sam Howard were called up to fill the two spots on the 30-man active roster.

Keller and Feliz both left the Pirates’ 4-3 loss to the Cubs on Saturday.  Keller tossed 2 2/3 innings before bouncing a pitch to Willson Contreras and promptly asked for a trainer visit to the mound before leaving the game.  Feliz also made an immediate departure in the eighth inning, following a pitch to Jason Heyward.

Keller’s injury hints at a possible oblique strain, and even minor oblique problems have been known to sideline players for at least a couple of weeks.  If the strain ends up being more severe, Keller’s entire season could possibly be in jeopardy.  Feliz’s issue is perhaps even more ominous considering how forearm injuries can sometimes lead to Tommy John surgery, though he doesn’t have a past history of forearm or elbow issues.

Losing the two pitchers is a big hit to a Pirates team that is already short on reliable pitching options.  In the bigger picture, Keller’s injury might also present a significant setback to one of the team’s top young assets, as Keller has been a consensus top-100 prospect for the last four years.  He didn’t impress in his first Major League action last season (a 7.13 ERA over 48 innings), though the 24-year-old was still slated to be a major part of Pittsburgh’s rotation plans both in the present and in the future.

Feliz may still be best known for being part of the four-player package sent to the Pirates from the Astros in the January 2018 Gerrit Cole trade, though the righty quietly delivered some solid bottom-line numbers in 2019.  Feliz posted a 3.99 ERA, 2.70 K/BB rate, and an 11.7 K/9 over 56 1/3 innings, having some problems with home runs (1.8 HR/9) but also limiting opposing batters to just a 29.2% hard-hit ball rate.

Both Ponce and Howard will be making their debuts on the Pirates’ roster.  Howard posted a 5.87 ERA over 23 innings with the Rockies in 2018-19 before being claimed off waivers during the offseason.  He moved exclusively to relief pitching in 2019 after mostly working as a starter in his five previous pro seasons in Colorado’s farm system, and Howard has also displayed some reverse-splits tendencies over his career.

In Ponce’s case, this will be his first time in the big leagues.  A second-round pick for the Brewers in the 2015 draft, Ponce came to Pittsburgh as the return for Jordan Lyles last July, and Ponce owns a 3.83 ERA, 3.36 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9 over 418 2/3 minor league innings.  He has worked as both a starter and reliever in the minors, so Ponce could potentially get some rotation work for the Bucs either as a proper starter or as part of a piggyback system.

Pirates Option Cole Tucker, Six Others

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The Pirates have optioned seven players, the team announced on Twitter. They include relief pitchers Geoff Hartlieb, Sam Howard, Edgar Santana and Yacksel Rios, as well as outfielder Jason Martin and third base prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes. But the most notable name in the bunch is shortstop Cole Tucker. The 23-year-old had been hitting well in spring training before the league-wide shutdown, putting up a slash line of .296/.387./.667, much better than his 2019 big league output of .211/.266/.361.

Tucker was a well-regarded prospect going into 2019, coming in at #83 on the FanGraphs Top 100 Prospects. He went on to have an up-and-down year, getting called up and making his big league debut on April 20 before being optioned and recalled twice more as the season wore on. He ended up getting into 56 games and producing a lackluster 61 wRC+ at the plate , but balancing that out with solid enough defense at short to break even in the WAR department with 0.0, according to FanGraphs. The numbers at Baseball Reference are slightly kinder, pegging him at 64 OPS+ and 0.2 WAR.

The shortstop position in Pittsburgh is currently occupied by Kevin Newman, who put together a very nice season in 2019, with a wRC+ of 110 and 2.4 fWAR. Erik Gonzalez should be slotted into the backup role, although JT Riddle could also play some shortstop in a pinch. It seems the team thinks the best path forward for Tucker is to get regular playing time in AAA and try to force his way into the picture. “We definitely believe in Cole as an every-day player”, said Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Twitter. “He’s young enough where we think he should be playing every day still. Certainly see him contributing at the major league level really soon.”

Pirates Claim Sam Howard

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The Pirates have claimed left-handed reliever Sam Howard off waivers from the Rockies, per an announcement from Colorado. Howard, 26, had spent his whole career with the Rockies after they selected him in the third round in 2014.

A slider specialist, Howard made his MLB debut in 2018 but got his first significant big league action in 2019. He tossed 19 innings in 20 relief appearances with a strong 25.3% strikeout rate, but problems with walks and home runs contributed to a 6.63 ERA. Howard showed better in 42 relief appearances in Triple-A Albuquerque, working out of the bullpen full-time for the first time in his minor-league career.

Howard comes with another option season, so he’ll give the club a flexible lefty relief piece with swing-and-miss stuff so long as he sticks on the 40-man roster throughout the winter.

Rockies Designate Mark Reynolds For Assignment

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10:38 am: Hoffman will work out of the Rockies’ bullpen instead of replacing Senzatela in the rotation, tweets Nick Groke of the Athletic. The club’s fifth starter, who is scheduled to start Thursday, remains up in the air.

9:32 am: The Rockies announced they have designated first baseman Mark Reynolds for assignment, clearing space on the 40-man roster for left-handed pitcher Sam Howard. Additionally, the club has optioned right-hander Antonio Senzatela to Triple-A Albuquerque, recalling fellow righty Jeff Hoffman in his place.

The move brings to an end Reynolds’ second stint in Colorado. Soon to turn 36, the longtime power hitter simply hasn’t performed at the plate in 2019. Through 162 plate appearances, Reynolds sports a woeful .170/.290/.311 slash despite calling the most hitter-friendly park in baseball home. While he has continued to sport a keen eye at the plate, evidenced by a 13.6% walk rate, his 35.2% strikeout rate simply became unpalatable. Reynolds is only one year removed from solid offensive production with the Nationals and has a long track record of hitting for power, but as a right-handed hitter who can only play first base, he’s a difficult roster fit. He’ll almost certainly be released in the coming days, before he can explore interest on a minor-league deal from suitors searching for a power-hitting depth piece who’s respected in the clubhouse.

Howard will get his first base of big-league action in 2019 after throwing four innings for Colorado last season. A soft-tosser, Howard converted to relief full-time this season and has seen his production take off in Albuquerque. His strikeout rate in Triple-A is up ten points from where it was last season, perhaps reflecting an uptick in stuff in shorter stints, although his 11.9% walk rate this year is also a career-high. There’s little to lose in giving Howard a look, as the Rockies’ bullpen has a pedestrian 4.93 ERA on the season.

The club’s rotation has fared even worse than the relief corps, with Senzatela partly to blame. Through 17 starts, he’s posted a woeful 6.29 ERA. The 24 year-old does have an above-average 52.8% ground-ball rate, but his 12.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate give him the worst K%-BB% of any starter in baseball in 2019 (minimum 80 innings).

In his stead, the Rockies will turn to Hoffman, a former top prospect who, like most of the team’s arms, has struggled in the majors this year. Through seven starts, Hoffman has a 6.75 ERA, having been undone by the home run ball (1.89 HR/9). He’s been even worse in Albuquerque, but unlike Senzatela, he at least has flashed some strikeout stuff and a mid-90’s fastball. That Hoffman is in the majors at all following his abysmal performance this season, though, sums up the freefalling club’s surprising inability to find competent arms to trot out, just a year after boasting one of the best pitching staffs in franchise history.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/13/19

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Catching up on some recent minor league moves from around the baseball world….

  • The Cubs signed catcher Francisco Arcia to a minor league deal, as originally reported by the Cubs Prospects Twitter feed.  Originally signed as a teenager by the Yankees in 2006, the 29-year-old Arcia finally cracked the big leagues last season, appearing 40 games for the Angels and hitting .204/.226/.427 with six homers over 106 plate appearances.  Arcia will provide the Cubs with some depth behind backup Victor Caratini, and Arcia could also battle for the backup role himself in Spring Training.
  • The Rays signed right-hander Luis Santos to a minors contract, Baseball America’s Matthew Eddy reports.  Santos posted a 5.15 ERA over 36 2/3 innings out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen over the last two seasons, though a big problem with the long ball (2.0 HR/9) belied some better peripherals, such as a 9.8 K/9 and a 2.86 K/BB rate.
  • Also from Eddy, the Rockies re-signed left-hander Sam Howard to a minors deal, after originally non-tendering Howard at the start of December.  Howard was a third-round pick for the Rockies in 2014, and he made his Major League debut last season, tossing four innings over four games with Colorado.  MLB.com ranks Howard as the 24th-best prospect in the Rockies’ farm system, describing him as a potential fourth starter in the big leagues “if he can improve his slider and command.”
  • The Padres signed left-hander Eric Stout to a minor league contract, according to Zone Coverage’s Brandon Warne (Twitter link).  Stout posted a 3.68 ERA, 2.63 K/BB rate, and 7.4 K/9 over 269 1/3 career innings in the Royals’ farm system, appearing as a reliever in all but five of his 153 career games.    Stout also made his MLB debut in 2018, appearing in three games for Kansas City.
  • Also from Warne, the Royals inked infielder Taylor Featherston to a minors contract.  After playing in 137 games with the Angels, Phillies, and Rays from 2015-17, Featherston didn’t see any Major League action last season, spending time in the farm systems of the Twins and Reds, plus a short stint in independent ball.  Featherston has offered more with the glove than his bat over his career, with a lot of experience at second base, third base, and shortstop, plus some time as a left field and first baseman.
  • The Giants have signed righty Keyvius Sampson to a minors deal.  Sampson makes his return to North American baseball after spending 2018 with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization, posting a 4.68 ERA over 161 2/3 IP for the Eagles and posting a league-best 195 strikeouts.  Sampson has pitched for five different MLB organizations during his 10-year pro career, though he only reached the majors for 91 2/3 innings with the Reds in 2015-16.
  • The Giants also signed second baseman Donovan Solano to a minors deal, as per the Giants Prospects Twitter feed.  Solano was a regular for the Marlins in his first three MLB seasons, though he appeared more sporadically for the Marlins and Yankees in 2015-16 and hasn’t since returned to the Show, playing for the Yankees’ and Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliates over the last two seasons.  Playing mostly as a second baseman but with some experience around the infield, Solano has a .257/.306/.331 slash line over 1168 MLB plate appearances.

West News & Rumors: Haniger, Santana, Bumgarner, Rangers, Morton, Rockies, Myers

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Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger is not untouchable, but if they’re going to trade him, it’s going to take a substantial offer. General manager Jerry Dipoto is holding out for a three- to four-player package headlined by a pair of “high-level prospects,” including a pitcher, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. While Haniger may continue in Seattle, there’s a growing likelihood they’ll trade first baseman Carlos Santana for prospects, according to Divish. The expensive Santana, who’s only a little over a week into his Mariners career, has drawn interest from several teams since the M’s acquired him from the Phillies.

Here’s more from the game’s West divisions:

  • The likelihood of the Giants trading ace Madison Bumgarner this offseasn is dropping, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. It’s more probable the Giants will move Bumgarner at next summer’s trade deadline – if they’re out of contention, that is – Feinsand hears. Bumgarner, 29, is entering his last year of team control (and perhaps the final season of his storied Giants tenure), in which he’ll earn a reasonable $12MM.
  • Even though the Rangers are in a rebuild, the club has “strong interest” in 35-year-old right-hander Charlie Morton, Jeff Wilson of the Star Telegram reports. Morton spent the previous two seasons in Texas, where he did brilliant work for the Astros. He’s not the only veteran starter on Texas’ list, as tweets from TR Sullivan of MLB.com and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News indicate the team has at least discussed J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn, Yusei Kikuchi, Shelby Miller, Martin Perez, Derek Holland, Nate Karns and Sam Howard.
  • Contrary to a prior report, the Rockies are not interested in Padres slugger Wil Myers, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets. Myers presumably would’ve taken over at first base in Colorado had it acquired him, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards. The 28-year-old is owed a guaranteed $64MM through 2023, which could make him a tough sell after back-to-back seasons of unspectacular offensive production.
  • Even after signing Chris Herrmann on Tuesday, the Athletics will continue to monitor the market for catchers, according to GM David Forst (via Jane Lee of MLB.com). However, Forst noted that “it’s nice to be in a spot right now where we have two Major League catchers who fit well,” referring to Herrmann and Josh Phegley.
  • The Rockies have hired Dave Magadan as their hitting coach and moved Ron Gideon to first base coach, GM Jeff Bridich told Nick Groke of The Athletic and other reporters Tuesday. Magadan will take over for Duane Espy, whom the Rockies parted with last month. A major league infielder from 1986-2001, Magadan has garnered significant coaching experience since his playing career ended. The 56-year-old was the Diamondbacks’ hitting coach from 2015-18, but they let him go after the season.

Rockies Non-Tender Sam Howard

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The Colorado Rockies non-tendered Sam Howard yesterday, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com (via Twitter). Howard is now a free agent.

Howard, 25, made his major league debut last season, appearing in four games for the Rockies and giving up just a single earned run in four innings. The Georgia native was a third round pick of the Rockies in 2014, spending most of his time in the minors as a starter. Last year with Triple A Albuquerque, Howard started 21 games, earning a 3-8 record with a 4.95 ERA.

The Rockies will presumably look into bringing Howard back, but with their 40-man roster maxed out, the non-tender gives Colorado a valuable roster spot to work with.

Meanwhile, Colorado agreed to a new one-year, $1.6875MM deal with lefty Chris Rusin yesterday, while tendering contracts to their other arbitration eligible players. The Rockies 40-man roster now sits at 39.

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