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Shawn Armstrong

Rays Sign Three Pitchers To Minor League Deals

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The Rays announced that they have signed a trio of righties to minor league deals, as relayed by team broadcaster Neil Solondz. Shawn Armstrong, Kevin Herget and Joe Wieland are now all in the organization, with all heading to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. (Wieland will get built up in extended Spring Training before joining the Bulls.)

Armstrong is the most experienced of the bunch and likely the one most recognizable to Tampa fans, as he spent time with the club last year. After being acquired midseason from the Orioles for cash considerations, Armstrong was eventually selected to the roster and logged 16 innings of 4.50 ERA ball for the Rays. The team may have found a way to unlock a new gear for him, as his strikeout rate shot up 33.8%, well above his career rate of 23.4%, though in an obviously small sample size.

He was outrighted at the end of the year and elected free agency. He signed on with the Marlins on a minor league deal and made the Opening Day roster. He wasn’t able to transfer his 2021 performance across the state, however, as his 6 2/3 innings with Miami this year have resulted in a 10.80 ERA and just five punchouts. The 31-year-old will head to Durham and see if the Rays can work their magic again and get him back to where he was last year.

Wieland, 32, saw scattered MLB action from 2012 to 2016. Appearing for the Padres, Dodgers and Mariners, he logged 52 2/3 innings over ten starts and a couple of relief appearances with a 6.32 ERA. He then spent a couple of seasons in Japan, followed by one in Korea. He spent the 2017-18 campaigns pitching for the Yokohama Bay Stars of the NPB, where he worked to a combined 3.80 ERA. With the Kia Tigers of the KBO in 2019, things didn’t go quite as well, with his ERA jumping to 4.75. In 2020, Wieland signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs. Of course, the pandemic ended up wiping out the minors, and he was unable to crack the big league roster. He doesn’t appear to have pitched anywhere in 2021. Although he’s made the occasional relief appearance, the bulk of his work has come as a starter, meaning he could take a slot in the Bulls’ rotation and try to earn his way into the big leagues for the first time since 2016.

Herget, 31, has yet to make it up to the show. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 39th round in 2013. He worked his way up to Triple-A by 2016 but never got the call to join the big league team. After eventually reaching free agency, he was signed by Cleveland and spent last year with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. He appeared in 28 games, seven of them starts, throwing 80 1/3 innings with a 4.48 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 41.9% ground ball rate.

Marlins Designate Shawn Armstrong For Assignment

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The Marlins announced they’ve designated reliever Shawn Armstrong for assignment. Miami also optioned bullpen arm Zach Pop to Triple-A Jacksonville. The moves satisfy the requirement to cut active rosters from 28 to 26, and Armstrong’s designation brings Miami’s 40-man roster total to 39.

A designation was the only way to remove Armstrong from the big league roster. Like many of the players who have lost their 40-man spots in recent days, he is out of minor league option years. Once the Fish determined that Armstrong wasn’t going to stick in the majors, they had no choice but to risk losing him on waivers.

Armstrong made seven appearances during the season’s first month. He served up ten runs (eight of them earned) in 6 2/3 innings, striking out five while issuing three walks. The 31-year-old had a longer run in the majors last year, tallying 36 frames of 6.75 ERA ball between the Orioles and Rays. Outrighted by Tampa Bay at the end of the season, he hooked on with Miami via minor league deal in Spring Training and cracked the Opening Day roster.

While Armstrong hasn’t gotten great results at the MLB level over the past couple seasons, he posted excellent numbers in Triple-A last year. The righty has also averaged a personal-high 94.9 MPH on his fastball thus far in 2022. If another team doesn’t take a shot on Armstrong via waivers in the coming days, he’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment by virtue of his previous career outrights.

Marlins Select Shawn Armstrong

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The Marlins announced this morning that reliever Shawn Armstrong has made the Opening Day roster. Miami cleared a 40-man roster spot with yesterday’s trade of Alex Jackson to the Brewers. The Fish also placed reliever Dylan Floro and infielder Jose Devers on the 10-day injured list and recalled outfielder Bryan De La Cruz from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Armstrong, 31, has pitched in the big leagues in each of the past seven seasons. He owns a career 4.63 ERA in 167 innings, striking out and walking batters at roughly average respective clips. Last year, the right-hander split the season between the Orioles and Rays and posted a 6.75 ERA in spite of a capable 26.7% strikeout rate. Outrighted off the Tampa Bay roster at the end of the year, he latched on with Miami on a minor league contract.

Home runs were a real issue for Armstrong, as he served up ten longballs in just 36 innings. The Miami front office is certainly hopeful that’ll even out in a more pitcher-friendly home environment. He’s out of minor league option years, so the Marlins will have to carry Armstrong on the active roster moving forward or else make him available to other teams.

Marlins Sign Shawn Armstrong To Minors Deal

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The Marlins have inked right-hander Shawn Armstrong to a minor league contract, according to The Miami Herald’s Craig Mish (Twitter link).  Armstrong will get an invite to the Marlins’ Major League spring camp.

After finishing last season with the Rays, Armstrong will head to Florida’s other team and try to win a job in Miami’s bullpen.  It was something of a nervous wait on the open market for the righty, as he recently discussed with the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin about how he was unable to sign even a minors contract despite being a minor league free agent, as Armstrong was one of those free agents considered locked out as per league regulations.

Armstrong has pitched in each of the last seven MLB seasons, and he posted a 6.75 ERA over 36 innings with the Orioles and Rays.  Despite a solid 26.7% strikeout rate, Armstrong was hurt by allowing 10 homers over his rather small sample size of action.  The 31-year-old hasn’t displayed much consistency over his 167 career innings, managing a 4.63 ERA over stints with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Seattle, and Cleveland.

East Notes: Casas, Armstrong, Harris

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Triston Casas had a busy year in 2021, bouncing between Double-A, the Team USA Olympic squad and Triple-A. “I was bouncing all over the place,” Casas said to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. “I did my best to take it one day at a time and I’m happy with the way I handled it. But hopefully I’ll be a little more settled this year.” All of that bouncing around did nothing to slow Casas down, as the Red Sox first base prospect hit .279/.394/.484 for a wRC+ of 141 in 86 games, between Double-A and Triple-A. That showing has him on the cusp of making his major league debut, though he doesn’t yet have a spot on the roster. That means he’ll have the extra challenge of having to earn that roster spot before getting called up, but also comes with the positive of Casas not being locked out and thus eligible to participate in Spring Training. “I absolutely appreciate what they’re doing,” Casas said of the MLBPA’s efforts in the lockout. “I know they’re working diligently to make sure baseball is a fair game. I don’t know all the information, but they’re making a sacrifice to help younger players.” As for what comes next for the 22-year-old, “My goal is to make the major league team.” The Sox currently project to have Bobby Dalbec at first base and J.D. Martinez in the DH slot most of the time. However, Martinez is a free agent after 2022, meaning that, even if Casas struggles to force his way into the lineup this year, his chances of doing so will be much greater one year from now.

Elsewhere in the East…

  • Though Shawn Armstrong is a minor league free agent, the rules specifying which players are locked out have kept the right-hander on the open market and unable to sign even a minor league deal, according to The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin.  It’s a tough blow for the 31-year-old, especially since Armstrong said he heard from over 20 teams in November prior to the lockout, with the Rays (Armstrong’s former club) and roughly a dozen other teams offering minor league or split contracts.  Armstrong opted to wait for a guaranteed offer, but now finds himself stuck waiting to determine the next step in his career.  “I know, it’s going to be very, very quick when the lockout ends versus being able to talk and communicate and counteroffer and those types of things,” Armstrong said. “But it is what it is.  Nothing I can do about it.  Just got to stay ready.”
  • Braves outfield prospect Michael Harris II had a solid year in 2021, playing 101 High-A games and hitting .294/.362/.436, wRC+ of 114. But he might just be scratching the surface of what he’s capable of, at least according to fellow Braves prospect Braden Shewmake. “I think (Harris) could help (the big club). I definitely do,” Shewmake tells Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When he gets his chance, I think he’s going to stick. I don’t think he’s going to be a guy that bounces back and forth.” Despite his promise, Harris is aware that he still has to make strides, telling Toscano that “There’s always somewhere to improve, so I don’t really focus on one specific area.” Harris doesn’t yet have a roster spot, meaning other outfielders like Drew Waters and Cristian Pache have a clearer path to playing time than he does. But unlike them, Harris has the advantage of not being locked out, and thus able to participate in team activities and access team facilities.

Players Recently Electing Free Agency

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We’ve seen dozens of players elect minor league free agency over the past couple weeks, and that has continued to be the case in recent days. We’ll round up a few more players who are hitting the open market here, courtesy of the Triple-A transactions trackers.

Players can qualify for minor league free agency in a few ways. The most notable of these include: players with 3+ years of MLB service time who have been outrighted off their teams’ 40-man rosters this season, players who have been outrighted off a 40-man roster multiple times in their careers, and unsigned players not on a 40-man roster who have spent parts of at least seven seasons on a minor league roster or injured list.

Each of this group of players has hit the market within the past week and not yet been covered at MLBTR:

Rays Outright Shawn Armstrong, David Hess

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The Rays announced that right-handers Shawn Armstrong and David Hess have each cleared outright waivers (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Both pitchers had the right to elect free agency, but they’ve each chosen to accept an assignment to Triple-A Durham. Tampa Bay had designated Armstrong and Hess for assignment last week.

Armstrong began the season with the Orioles, where he struggled badly and wound up designated for assignment and passed through outright waivers. He performed well with Baltimore’s top minor league affiliate, and the Rays acquired him for cash on the day of the trade deadline and selected him to the big league club a few weeks later.

The 30-year-old Armstrong worked sixteen innings over eleven frames of relief with Tampa Bay, pitching to a 4.50 ERA with rather bizarre peripherals. Armstrong’s strikeout and walk rates with the Rays have been stellar, as he’s punched out 33.8% of opponents while issuing free passes at only a 7.7% clip. But Armstrong was tagged for five home runs in that limited body of work, with an extremely low opponents’ batting average on balls in play and high rate of stranding baserunners keeping his ERA at a respectable level.

Hess has been up and down with a few teams this season. Originally signed by the Rays to a minor league deal, he was traded to the Marlins and made eighteen appearances with Miami. After being designated for assignment, he returned to Tampa Bay on another minors pact, and he’s already been selected and outrighted twice more since landing back in the Rays’ organization.

Between the two clubs, Hess has logged twenty innings with a 9.90 ERA. Like Armstrong, Hess has been plagued by the long ball, as he’s served up ten homers in his MLB action this season. Despite the nightmarish results at the big league level, Hess has been quite impressive with Durham. Over 35 2/3 frames with the Bulls, he has a 3.28 ERA with better than average strikeout and walk numbers (27.2% and 5.4%, respectively).

Rays Place Chris Archer On Injured List, Designate Shawn Armstrong, Activate Nick Anderson And Brett Phillips

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The Rays have made a flurry of roster moves, as first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links).  Right-hander Chris Archer has been placed on the 10-day injured list with discomfort in his left hip, while fellow right Shawn Armstrong has been designated for assignment.  To fill the two open roster spots, Tampa Bay has activated right-hander Nick Anderson from the 60-day injured list and outfielder Brett Phillips from the 10-day IL.

Archer was solid over four innings in yesterday’s 7-2 victory over the Tigers, allowing one run on a walk and two hits during his brief start.  However, Archer’s hip issue forced him out of the game early, marking the second time in less than a month that the injury led to an early exit from a start.

Injures have been a constant for Archer in recent years, and yesterday’s start was only Archer’s sixth game of the season.  After missing all of 2020 recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, he spent over four months of the 2021 campaign on the IL due to forearm tightness.

While this latest trip to the IL might be just be a way to rest Archer and allow him to fully get over a nagging injury, it also has to call into question Archer’s availability for Tampa Bay’s playoff roster.  Over the small sample size of 19 1/3 innings, Archer has a 4.66 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate, and 9.6% walk rate — not eye-popping numbers by any means, though perhaps productive enough for a Rays team that seems poised to use a bullpen-heavy approach with their postseason pitching staff.  Tampa will need as many quality arms as possible to keep everyone fresh for what the club hopes will be a more successful trip to the World Series.

That same logic applies to Anderson, who is finally set to make his 2021 debut after suffering a partial tear of his right elbow ligament near the end of Spring Training.  It is a testament to the Rays’ incredible bullpen depth that their relief corps has remained among the game’s best even despite the absence of arguably their best reliever from 2019-20.  A trade deadline pickup from the Marlins in July 2019, Anderson has been all but untouchable over 37 2/3 regular-season innings with Tampa, as he has posted a 1.43 ERA, a tiny 3.68% walk rate, and an absurd 49.26% strikeout rate.

The Rays leaned hard on Anderson during their postseason run last October, and it seems the increased usage took its toll on the right-hander.  Anderson pitched in 10 of Tampa Bay’s 20 playoff games, and allowed runs in eight of his appearances.  Most infamously, Anderson was the pitcher called in to replace a seemingly-cruising Blake Snell in Game 6 of last year’s World Series — Anderson immediately surrendered the Rays’ lead within two batters, putting the Dodgers ahead for good in the Series-clinching game.

Armstrong was a trade deadline pickup from the Orioles, and the veteran righty posted a 4.50 ERA over his 16 innings in a Rays uniform.  Despite some solid peripheral numbers, Armstrong was again hurt by the home run ball, as he has already allowed five homers in his brief time with Tampa Bay.  Armstrong has surrendered 10 homers in his 36 combined innings with Baltimore and Tampa this season, a jarring spike for a pitcher who gave up just 17 home runs over his 131 previous career frames as a big league pitcher.

Since Armstrong is out of minor league options, the Rays had to put him through DFA waivers in order to remove him from their roster.  Armstrong has the right to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A, since he was already outrighted off the Orioles’ roster earlier this week.  It is also possible another team simply claims Armstrong off waivers, in order to add another relief arm down the stretch.

Rays Select Shawn Armstrong

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The Rays announced they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Shawn Armstrong. Infielder Mike Brosseau was optioned to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. To create space on the 40-man roster, Tampa Bay designated infielder Kevin Padlo for assignment.

The Rays added Armstrong from the Orioles for cash considerations just before the trade deadline. While he began the year on Baltimore’s big league roster, he was passed through outright waivers in July. Because of that, the Rays didn’t need to place Armstrong on the 40-man roster at the time of the trade, but they’ve elected to add him a few weeks later as they continue to shuffle around a tired relief corps.

Armstrong made twenty appearances with the O’s earlier this year. He was tagged for twenty runs in as many innings out of the bullpen, thanks largely to the five home runs he surrendered. That said, he also generated swinging strikes at a quality 13% clip and allowed only three earned runs over fifteen frames with Baltimore last season.

The 30-year-old Armstrong has had a solid season at Triple-A. Between the two teams’ top affiliates, he’s posted a 3.57 ERA with a quality 27.2% strikeout rate and a lower than average 6.8% walk percentage. That high minors work has earned him another look at the highest level. Armstrong is out of minor league options, so the Rays will need to keep him on the active roster from here on out or place him back on waivers.

The Rays’ tinkering on the pitching staff costs Padlo his spot on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old has picked up his first fourteen big league plate appearances this year but has spent the rest of the season with Durham. It’s been a miserable year there for Padlo, who’s hitting just .194/.270/.379 across 282 plate appearances.

Those struggles are new for Padlo, who had a fantastic 2019 season in the high minors. The right-handed hitter showed enough power and patience to offset lofty strikeout totals, hitting .265/.389/.538 between Double-A and Triple-A. That earned him a place on the 40-man roster that winter, but he’ll lose his spot amidst his struggles this season. Padlo will be placed on waivers over the coming days.

Rays Acquire Shawn Armstrong From Orioles

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The Rays have acquired reliever Shawn Armstrong from the Orioles, for cash considerations, according to Baltimore.  Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was first with the news.

Armstrong, a 30-year-old righty, was thought to be a saves candidate for the Orioles back in March.  However, he started his season with trips to the paternity and COVID-19 list.  After that Armstrong struggled mightily, with an 8.55 ERA in 20 innings – including five home runs allowed.  By June Armstrong was designated for assignment by Baltimore, clearing waivers and joining Triple-A Norfolk.  Armstrong spoke to Kubatko about his tumultuous start to the season, a good reminder of the human side of the game.  Things went better for Armstrong in his 17 innings there, as he posted a 3.18 ERA with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate.

The Rays would need to add Armstrong to their 40-man roster to deploy him in their big league bullpen, which has endured significant turnover this year.  Pete Fairbanks has seen the highest-leverage work this month, but he just hit the IL yesterday for shoulder inflammation.  Collin McHugh went on the IL recently as well.  Also yesterday, Diego Castillo was sent to the Mariners, with JT Chargois joining the Rays.  Matt Wisler, acquired in June, has played a prominent role this month.  And Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen were acquired from the Brewers back in the May Willy Adames deal.  Nick Anderson, one of the club’s top relievers from last year, is currently on a minor league rehab assignment.

If the Rays do put Armstrong on their 40-man roster, they’ll retain control of him as an arbitration eligible player, since he entered the season with just over three years of MLB service time.

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