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Taylor Widener

Braves Sign Taylor Widener To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have signed right-hander Taylor Widener to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The righty has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett for now but could perhaps be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Widener, 29, was drafted by the Yankees but was sent to the Diamondbacks in the complex three-team deal involving Brandon Drury, Steven Souza Jr. and others. He went on to toss 107 2/3 innings for the Snakes from 2020 to 2022 with an earned run average of 4.26. He struck out 22.3% of batters faced but also gave out walks at an 11% clip. His .274 batting average on balls in play and 80.8% strand rate were both on the lucky side of average, leading to a 5.54 FIP and 4.68 SIERA that weren’t as impressive as his ERA.

He was outrighted by the Diamondbacks in January and ended up spending the most recent season in South Korea, pitching for two different clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization. He started with the NC Dinos but was released in August and then signed with the Samsung Lions. Between the two clubs, he tossed 115 innings over 20 starts and one relief appearance. He had a combined ERA of 4.54 in that time, striking out 20% of batters while walking 8.1% and keeping 60.4% of balls in play on the ground.

Widener was working exclusively out of the bullpen in 2022 but was mostly back in a starting gig in 2023. It’s unknown if Atlanta prefers him in one role or the other but they might like the flexibility. They signed reliever Reynaldo López this offseason and will reportedly stretch him out in the spring, with the plan of moving him back to the bullpen if he doesn’t win a rotation job.

The club currently projects to have a rotation of Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder, with López in the mix for a spot at the back alongside guys like AJ Smith-Shawver and Huascar Ynoa. Widener will give the club a non-roster option in that competition or perhaps in their relief mix. If he gets a roster spot at any point, he still has a couple of options remaining.

KBO’s Samsung Lions To Sign Taylor Widener

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The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization have agreed to a deal with right-hander Taylor Widener, reports Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (Twitter link). Righty Albert Suarez is being released in a corresponding move.

Widener has spent the ’23 campaign in South Korea. The former Diamondback signed an offseason deal with the NC Dinos. He started 11 games, working to a 4.52 ERA over 61 2/3 frames. Widener had a decent 22% strikeout rate against a slightly elevated 8.9% walk percentage.

While his production was serviceable, it wasn’t enough for the Dinos to commit one of their two allotted roster spots to foreign-born pitchers. They released him last week and signed left-hander Tanner Tully out of the Yankees’ organization. According to Yoo, Widener’s contract will be made official on Friday, as KBO rules require a player to wait a week upon being waived before signing with another team.

It’s not common to see foreign players immediately catch on with a different KBO team after being released. Widener is healthy, though, so the Lions will swap him in for Suarez. The Venezuelan-born hurler (and older brother of Padres reliever Robert Suarez) recently suffered a calf injury and is expected to be out around a month, tweets Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.

Suarez, a 33-year-old righty who pitched in the majors with the Giants from 2016-17, spent a year and a half with the Lions. He had an excellent 2.49 ERA showing through 173 2/3 innings a season ago and carried a 3.92 ERA over 19 starts this year. Unfortunately, the injury cut that productive run short.

Tanner Tully Signs With KBO’s NC Dinos

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The Yankees announced they’ve granted minor league southpaw Tanner Tully his release to pursue a contract with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, he’ll be paid $200K for the stretch run. The Dinos released right-hander Taylor Widener in a corresponding move.

Tully, whose MLB experience consists of three relief outings for the 2022 Guardians, never cracked the big league roster in the Bronx. He signed a minor league deal over the winter and has spent the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Ohio State product started all 19 appearances there. His 5.64 ERA through 91 innings isn’t eye-catching, though it’s at least partially inflated by a lofty .365 average on balls in play.

The 28-year-old has kept his walks to a tidy 6.3% clip for the RailRiders. His 18.6% strikeout rate is a few percentage points below average. Tully has had a pitch-to-contact approach throughout his career. Over seven seasons in the minors, he has a 17.4% strikeout rate and 4.8% walk percentage.

Widener heads back to the free agent market and could find minor league interest in the U.S. He made 49 appearances (13 starts) with the Diamondbacks between 2020-22, working to a 4.26 ERA across 107 2/3 innings. He moved to Korea after being waived off Arizona’s roster in January. Widener’s lone season with the Dinos consisted of 11 starts with a 4.52 ERA. He fanned 22% of KBO opponents against an 8.9% walk rate.

KBO’s NC Dinos Sign Taylor Widener

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The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization have signed right-hander Taylor Widener, reports Jiheon Pae, relayed by Sung Min Kim.

Widener, 28, was a Yankees draft pick who got dealt to the Diamondbacks in the three-team trade that sent Brandon Drury to the Bronx. Widener’s first year with his new organization went quite well, as he posted a 2.75 ERA in 137 1/3 Double-A innings in 2018. However, the move to Triple-A in 2019 was far less rosy, as he was lit up for an 8.10 ERA in 100 innings.

He was still able to make his MLB debut the following year and appeared in each of the past three seasons. Through 107 2/3 MLB frames thus far, he has a 4.26 ERA, with a 22.3% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate and 34.1% ground ball rate. Last year, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, tossing 36 2/3 innings for the Reno Aces. He struck out 29.6% of batters faced there and walked just 7.5%, but his ERA was 5.40. That was probably elevated by a .368 batting average on balls in play in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, with advanced metrics feeling he deserved better, such as a 4.05 FIP and 4.59 xFIP.

The D-Backs designated him for assignment in December when they acquired infielder Diego Castillo from the Pirates. The other 29 clubs passed on the opportunity to grab Widener off waivers and he was outrighted in January. Now he’ll head overseas to see if the change of scenery can help him unlock some better results. He’ll also get a better salary than he would if he were languishing in the minors in North America. The Google translation of the Korean tweet linked above says that Widener will make $743K this year, which is actually more than the MLB minimum of $720K. Many pitchers have parlayed success overseas into a return to the majors, such as Miles Mikolas, Drew Rucinski and Widener’s former teammate Merrill Kelly. If Widener can have a good run in the KBO, he could follow a similar path in the years to come.

Outrights: William Woods, Ali Sanchez, Taylor Widener, Jake Reed

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William Woods, Ali Sanchez, Taylor Widener and Jake Reed have all cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster of their respective teams, according to the MILB transaction page. All four had been designated for assignment.

The Mets had claimed Woods, 24, off waivers from the Braves in November, but needed the 40-man roster spot to announce the signing of Adam Ottavino last month. Woods pitched two scoreless innings for Atlanta last year, his only taste of big league action. He owns a fastball that has reached triple-digits, but struggled in the minor leagues last year, working to a 6.04 ERA over 25 1/3 innings at various levels. While he hasn’t found a ton of success in recent times, the Braves did see enough in him to add him to their 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, so the Mets will now get to keep hold of an intriguing young relief arm at Triple-A Syracuse.

Widener, 28, was designated for assignment after the Diamondbacks acquired Diego Castillo from the Pirates. Over the past three years in Arizona, he’s made 13 starts and 36 relief appearances. As a starter he owns a 4.28 ERA over 61 innings, while he’s worked to a 4.24 ERA over 46 2/3 innings of relief work. That has come with a 22.3% strikeout rate and an 11% walk rate. Given his solid big league numbers and two option years remaining it certainly won’t hurt Arizona to stash an arm like that at Triple-A Reno as a depth piece this season.

The Dodgers DFA’d Reed, 30, to make room on the 40-man roster for new signing J.D. Martinez. Reed is no stranger to DFA limbo, and this was the fifth time he’d been exposed to waivers in 2022 alone. Reed, a right-handed reliever, made appearances for the Dodgers, Orioles and Mets in 2022, working to a combined 7.36 ERA over 11 innings. At Triple-A, he worked to a much more encouraging 3.09 ERA over 23 1/3 relief innings. After being claimed four times in 2022, he’s passed through waivers this time and the Dodgers have now outrighted him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Diamondbacks claimed Sanchez, 25, off waivers from the Pirates last month, but DFA’d him a few weeks later to make room on the 40-man roster after the trade for Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Sanchez didn’t make it to the big leagues in 2022, instead appearing at Triple-A for the Tigers and Cardinals. The right-handed hitting catcher tallied 291 plate appearances over 74 games, posting a .262/.354/.389 line with six home runs. He did get a brief cup of coffee in the majors over 2020-21, appearing in seven games for the Mets and Cardinals and picking up three hits. He’s now been outrighted to Triple-A Reno where he’ll provide some catching depth in the upper minors for the Diamondbacks.

Diamondbacks Acquire Diego Castillo, Designate Taylor Widener

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The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired infielder Diego Castillo from the Pirates. Castillo had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh earlier in the week. In exchange, the Pirates will receive minor league right-hander Scott Randall. The Diamondbacks designated right-hander Taylor Widener for assignment in a corresponding move.

Castillo, 25, was one of two players traded from the Yankees to the Pirates as part of the July 2021 trade that sent Clay Holmes to the Bronx. He was a contact-over-power guy for the beginnings of his professional career, striking out around 10% of the time in the lower levels of the minors but rarely putting the ball over the fence. 2021 seemed to be a breakout for him, as he hit 19 home runs between the systems of the Yankees and Pirates, finishing the year with a combined slash line of .278/.355/.487 and a wRC+ of 128.

He was selected to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster in November of last year but couldn’t carry his positive developments forward. He got into 96 games at the big league level in 2022 and hit 11 home runs, but he also struck out in 26.5% of his plate appearances while walking just 4.9% of the time. He finished the season with a batting line of .206/.251/.382, production that was 27% below average, as evidenced by his 73 wRC+. He also got into 35 Triple-A games but the results were only marginally better.

Despite that disappointing season, the D-Backs are likely intrigued by his previous performance and defensive versatility. He’s played all four infield positions and a bit of right field, in addition to having a couple of option years remaining. The Arizona infield should have three spots taken by Christian Walker at first, Ketel Marte at second and Josh Rojas at third. Shortstop is a bit less certain, however, with Nick Ahmed the likely frontrunner at the moment. He’s never been an above-average bat but has long provided excellent defense. However, he’s been frequently injured, is turning 33 in March and is entering the last deal of his extension. Geraldo Perdomo is also on the roster but Castillo can give him some competition for playing time.

Randall, 24, was just drafted by the D-Backs last year and spent 2022 in High-A. He threw 108 1/3 innings over 21 starts with a 3.82 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate, 5.6% walk rate and 37.3% ground ball rate. He’ll add some starting depth to the lower levels of the Pittsburgh system.

Widener, 28, was drafted by the Yankees but came to the Snakes in the three-team trade that sent Brandon Drury to the Bronx. He posted an ERA of 8.10 in 23 Triple-A starts in 2019 and has spent more time in relief since then. In 49 MLB appearances, 13 starts, over the past three major league seasons, he has a 4.26 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate and 34.1% ground ball rate.

In 2022, he spent more time in Triple-A, throwing 36 2/3 innings for the Reno Aces. He posted an ERA of 5.40 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, along with a 29.6% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. The Diamondbacks will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Should any team acquire him, he can provide versatile depth due to his two remaining option years.

Justice delos Santos of MLB.com announced Arizona’s acquisition of Castillo prior to the official announcement.

Diamondbacks Reinstate Kole Calhoun From Injured List, Designate Nick Heath

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The Diamondbacks announced that outfielder Kole Calhoun has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list.  In corresponding moves, righty Taylor Widener was optioned to Triple-A and outfielder Nick Heath was designated for assignment.  As noted by The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan, Widener’s demotion is likely just an on-paper move due to the All-Star break, and he’ll be back in Arizona’s rotation when the second half begins.

Calhoun underwent hamstring surgery in late April, which followed another surgery to fix a torn meniscus during Spring Training.  After clocking only 51 plate appearances in between his two injury absences, Calhoun will now return for what could potentially be his last few weeks in an Arizona uniform.

If Calhoun can get hot at the plate and stay healthy, he’d certainly look like a decent trade chip for a D’Backs team that is open to selling.  The 33-year-old isn’t a pure rental player, as there is a $9MM club option on his services for the 2022 season that carries a $2MM buyout.  Owed an $8MM salary for 2021, Calhoun would have roughly $2.7MM remaining of that total if he was dealt on July 30, so between that and the $2MM buyout, it isn’t an unreasonable price for teams looking for a veteran outfield bat.  (The D’Backs could also include money in a trade.)

Since joining the Diamondbacks on a two-year, $16MM free agent deal in December 2019, Calhoun has hit .239/.337/.517 with 18 home runs over 279 PA.  Generally an above-average hitter over his 10 big league seasons with the Angels and D’Backs, the left-handed hitting Calhoun has pretty even splits against both right-handed and left-handed pitching.  In addition, he has played solid-to-strong defense as a right fielder, highlighted by a Gold Glove back in 2015.

This is the second time Heath has been designated for assignment this season, and when the Royals DFA’ed the outfielder back in April, the D’Backs stepped in to arrange a trade that brought Heath to the desert.  Originally a 16th-round pick for Kansas City in the 2016 draft, Heath has appeared in 20 games for the Diamondbacks, with just a .402 OPS over 39 plate appearances.

West Notes: Angels, Adell, Mariners, France, Diamondbacks, Widener

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Angels manager Joe Maddon spoke with his GM Perry Minasian about potentially turning to top prospect Jo Adell in the wake of Mike Trout’s injury, per Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (via Twitter). Ultimately, the Angels feel Adell needs more development time and that takes precedence to the team’s need in the short-term. Adell has hit .246/.319/.631 in Triple-A, but his strikeout rate remains disconcertingly high at 36.1 percent. Elsewhere out west…

  • Ty France could be back as early as tomorrow for the Mariners, per Corey Brock of the Athletic (via Twitter). Left wrist inflammation sent France to the injured list in the middle of May. France has walked at a career-best 10.5 percent rate in 153 plate appearances this season, but his numbers have otherwise been a touch down from last year. Still, despite a .278 BABIP and .137 ISO, both of which should rebound at least a touch, France has still been five percent better than average with the bat. If he’s not back on Tuesday, the Mariners regardless expect him to return at some point in their series against Oakland.
  • Taylor Widener was removed from his start today with right groin discomfort, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Widener had just been activated from the injured list after a groin injury, so this is certainly an unwelcome development for the right-hander. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings before handing the ball to the bullpen. The bullpen did a nice job keeping the Diamondbacks in the game, but they ultimately lost 4-3 to the Rockies, their eighth straight loss.

Injury Notes: Wacha, Widener, Arroyo, Wood, Engel

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Michael Wacha will return from the 10-day injured list to start the Rays’ game against the Blue Jays today.  As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the plan is for Wacha and Josh Fleming to essentially work in a piggyback capacity today, with Wacha handling the first couple of innings before Fleming takes over for a longer stint.  Brent Honeywell Jr. was already optioned to Triple-A yesterday to create roster room for Wacha’s return.

Wacha has been out of action since May 4 due to right hamstring tightness.  After signing a one-year, $3MM free agent deal with Tampa this winter, Wacha’s first 28 1/3 innings with the Rays has resulted in a 4.76 ERA/4.06 SIERA.  An above-average 6.9% walk rate is just about the only good news for Wacha advanced metric-wise, as his Statcast numbers have been quite underwhelming.

More injury updates from around baseball…

  • Taylor Widener has been activated off the 10-day injured list, the Diamondbacks announced.  The right-hander will get the start today’s game against the Rockies, and he will take the roster spot left open when Josh VanMeter was optioned to Triple-A yesterday.  Widener hasn’t pitched since April 22 due to a right groin strain, after posting some solid bottom-line numbers (a 2.82 ERA in 22 1/3 innings) in four starts for the D’Backs, though Statcast indicates Widener had quite a bit of good fortune in managing that quality ERA.  Arizona’s rotation will get a bit closer to full health with Widener back, as Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver are still on the injured list.
  • Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo will likely be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters.  A left hand contusion sent Arroyo to the 10-day IL on May 9 (retroactive to May 7) after he was hit by a pitch.  Arroyo cooled down after a strong start to the season, but he still has a respectable .275/.333/.377 slash line in 76 PA, serving as Boston’s regular second baseman.
  • Hunter Wood was removed from last night’s game due to what the Rangers termed as right elbow tightness.  Wood recorded two outs and issued a walk after entering last night’s game in the seventh inning, but then departed in the midst of an Alex Bregman plate appearance.  Wood has a 3.60 ERA in five innings out of the Texas bullpen this season, after signing a minor league deal with the team during the offseason.
  • Adam Engel told The Athletic’s James Fegan (Twitter links) and other reporters that his minor league rehab assignment will begin tomorrow.  The White Sox outfielder has yet to play this season due to a hamstring strain, as Engel explained that his rehab was slowed by a further injury that tore the muscle off his tendon, increasing his strain from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3.

Kole Calhoun Undergoes Hamstring Surgery

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APRIL 30: Calhoun underwent surgery on his hamstring, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic tweets. He could miss six to eight weeks, general manager Mike Hazen announced (via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com).

APRIL 28: The Diamondbacks announced that they have placed outfielder Kole Calhoun and right-hander Taylor Widener on the 10-day injured list. They recalled catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho and righty Riley Smith to fill the empty roster spots.

Calhoun suffered a left hamstring strain during the Diamondbacks’ win over the Padres on Tuesday, forcing him to leave early. This will already be the second IL stint of 2021 for Calhoun, who was unavailable to start the season after undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus. Calhoun, who’s in the last season of a two-year, $16MM guarantee, has been one of Arizona’s top hitters since he joined the team. The ex-Angel had an impressive 2020 and has continued to fare well this season with a .292/.333/.479 line and a pair of home runs in 51 plate appearances.

Calhoun’s injury creates another opportunity for the 24-year-old Varsho, whom Baseball America ranks as the sport’s 60th-best prospect. Varsho, the 68th pick in the 2017 draft, debuted in the majors last year and batted .188/.277/.368 with three homers over 115 trips to the plate. He was far more productive during his most recent minor league action in 2019, when he slashed .301/.378/.520 with 18 HRs and 21 steals across 452 PA.

Widener’s heading to the shelf with a right groin strain, retroactive to April 25. The 26-year-old is tied for second on the Diamondbacks in starts (four) this season and has pitched to a 2.82 ERA with a 6.5 percent walk rate through 22 1/3 innings. However, Widener’s fielding-independent numbers – including a 4.52 SIERA, 4.73 FIP and 4.75 xFIP – aren’t as encouraging. Smith will start in Widener’s place Wednesday against the Padres.

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