Blue Jays Designate Tanner Roark For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated right-hander Tanner Roark for assignment, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet was among those to report. They reinstated outfielder Teoscar Hernandez from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned fellow outfielder Jonathan Davis in corresponding moves.
This certainly isn’t the outcome Toronto expected when it signed Roark to a two-year, $24MM guarantee entering the 2020 season, but the deal will go down as a major mistake for the club. When the former National and Red joined the Blue Jays, he had five seasons of 165-plus innings on his resume and was at least a useful back-of-the-rotation starter. But Roark has been a liability as a member of the Jays, with whom he has recorded a horrific 6.75 ERA/5.26 SIERA with an 18.3 percent strikeout percentage and a 10.0 walk percentage in 54 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old has also seen his average fastball drop from the 92 mph range to below 91 since he signed with Toronto.
Roark threw just seven innings and made one start over three appearances this year for Toronto, and that small workload is damning when considering the injuries the team has dealt with in its rotation. The Jays will now have a week to trade Roark, pass him through waivers or release him. It seems likely they’ll wind up releasing Roark, who carries no appeal on a $12MM salary.
Hernandez, who hasn’t played since April 8, tested positive for COVID on April 13. He went an underwhelming 6-for-29 (five singles and a home run) with 14 strikeouts against no walks before going on the IL, though Hernandez was one of the majors’ top hitters a season ago. The Blue Jays have gone without Hernandez and center fielder/designated hitter George Springer for the vast majority of the season, but both are now back in their lineup.
COVID Notes: 4/23/21
The latest coronavirus-related updates from around the game:
- Second baseman Jose Altuve has cleared Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols and will return to the Astros, manager Dusty Baker told Jake Kaplan of The Athletic and other reporters. Baker isn’t sure when Houston will activate Altuve, one of five Astros who went on the COVID list back on April 14. The team has since activated the other four (Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia). Altuve had a down 2020 season, but the former AL MVP has gotten off to a fast start this year with a .318/.380/.455 over 50 plate appearances. Houston has started Aledmys Diaz and Alex De Goti at the keystone during Altuve’s absence.
- Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has cleared the testing phase and can return to the team, manager Rocco Baldelli informed reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Simmons stormed out to a .355/.474/.452 start in 38 PA this year before testing positive for the virus and landing on the IL on April 14. He’ll need time to ramp back up before he can return to the Twins’ lineup, Park notes. Jorge Polanco has received the lion’s share of playing time at short with Simmons out, and he’ll start there again Friday.
- Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has also gotten through the protocols, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets. Hernandez, who tested positive two weeks ago, has returned to taking batting practice and hitting in the case. Manager Charlie Montoyo said he’s hopeful Hernandez will be back in Toronto’s lineup soon.
COVID Notes: 4/18/21
The latest on the coronavirus:
Latest Updates
- The five Astros players who are currently on the COVID-19 injured list- José Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, Alex Bregman, Martín Maldonado and Robel García– were cleared for individual workouts, manager Dusty Baker tells reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). There’s still no defined timetable for their return to the team.
- The Giants placed pitchers Logan Webb and Jake McGee on the COVID-19 injured list, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to relay. The duo had some adverse effects after receiving their second doses of a vaccine but are not expected to be out for extended periods of time.
Earlier Notes
- Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernández was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 on April 13. Fortunately, Hernández is no longer feeling symptoms of the virus, reports Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). He’ll have to remain in quarantine for ten days from the time of his positive test under the league’s 2021 health and safety protocols. That he’s currently asymptomatic is obviously good news for Hernández personally and seems to bode well for his chances of returning to play in relatively short order once his mandatory quarantine is up.
- Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull has been in the health and safety protocols for almost a month, having first been placed on the COVID-19 injured list on March 20. He has been building back arm strength in recent days, though, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) Turnbull could return to action early next week. It’s possible the Tigers will pivot to a six-man rotation at that point, adding Turnbull to a group currently consisting of Matthew Boyd, Michael Fulmer, José Ureña, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Hinch said the organization hasn’t yet made that decision. If the Tigers were to go back to a five-man starting staff, Fulmer (who began the season in relief) or Ureña (who has struggled over three starts) would seem the most likely options to be bumped to the bullpen to make room for Turnbull. [UPDATE: Turnbull will start on Wednesday against the Pirates, per Jason Beck of MLB.com (Twitter link).]
Latest On George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez
The Blue Jays will have to continue waiting for center fielder George Springer to make his much-anticipated debut with the team. The right quad strain that Springer suffered last week is likely to shelve him until at least April 27, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports.
Toronto’s outfield will also continue to go without Teoscar Hernandez, who tested positive for COVID-19, per Scott Mitchell of TSN. Manager Charlie Montoyo said Hernandez will quarantine for 10 days, and then the Jays will re-evaluate from there.
The Blue Jays signed Springer to the offseason’s richest guarantee – six years, $150MM – though multiple injuries have dogged the former Astros standout since last month. Before going down with this quad strain, Springer was delayed by a strained oblique. At 4-6, Toronto has gotten off to a slow start without Springer, though primary center field fill-in Randal Grichuk has produced great numbers at the plate so far. The same can’t be said for backup Jonathan Davis, however.
Hernandez first went on the COVID-related injured list April 9, though it didn’t appear then that he had tested positive. Hernandez starred in 2020 with a .289/.340/.579 line and 16 home runs in 207 plate appearances, but he has slumped to a .207/.207/.310 with one HR, 14 strikeouts and no walks in 29 PA this year. Both Grichuk and Josh Palacios have seen time in right since Hernandez last played April 8.
COVID Notes: 4/9/21
The latest COVID-related notes from the majors:
- The Blue Jays placed outfielder Teoscar Hernandez on the COVID-19 injured list after “someone close to him tested positive,” Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star tweets. The team also placed left-hander Ryan Borucki on the COVID IL because he is dealing with side effects from the vaccine. [UPDATE: Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exited Friday’s game with vaccine-related symptoms, the team announced.]
- Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela landed on the COVID IL on Friday because of side effects from the vaccine, according to a club announcement. The hope is that Urshela will return Saturday, manager Aaron Boone said (via Marly Rivera of ESPN). In the meantime, the Yankees recalled first baseman Mike Ford to take Urshela’s roster spot.
- In better news, Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull has returned to the team’s alternate site and could throw a simulated game this weekend, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports. The Tigers have been without Turnbull since March 20 because of health and safety protocols. Turnbull piled up 56 2/3 innings for the Tigers last year and notched a 3.97 ERA with a 50 percent groundball rate.
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Players Avoiding Arbitration: 1/15/21
The deadline to exchange arbitration figures is today at 1pm ET. As of this morning, there were 125 arbitration-eligible players who’d yet to agree to terms on their contract for the upcoming 2021 season. Arbitration is muddier than ever before thanks to the shortened 2020 schedule, which most believe will lead to record number of arb hearings this winter. Be that as it may, it’s still reasonable to expect dozens of contractual agreements to filter in over the next couple of hours.
We’ll highlight some of the more high-profile cases in separate posts with more in-depth breakdowns, but the majority of today’s dealings will be smaller-scale increases that don’t radically alter a team’s payroll or a player’s trade candidacy. As such, we’ll just run through most of today’s agreements in this post.
I’ve embedded MLBTR’s 2021 Arbitration Tracker in the post (those in the mobile app or viewing on mobile web will want to turn their phones sideways). Our tracker can be sorted by team, by service time and/or by Super Two status, allowing users to check the status on whichever groups of players they like. You can also check out Matt Swartz’s projected arbitration salaries for this year’s class, and we’ll do a quick sentence on each player’s agreement at the bottom of this post as well, with the most recent agreements sitting atop the list.
Today’s Agreements (chronologically, newest to oldest)
- Rockies outfielder Raimel Tapia avoided arbitration with a $1.95MM deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. The team also reached an agreement for $805K with reliever Robert Stephenson, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- The Tigers have deals with infielder Jeimer Candelario ($2.85MM), outfielder JaCoby Jones ($2.65MM) and righty Jose Cisnero ($970K), Chris McCosky of the Detroit News relays.
- The Yankees and reliever Chad Green settled for $2.15MM, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
- The Marlins and lefty Richard Bleier have a deal for $1.425MM, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets.
- The Dodgers reached a $3.6MM settlement with lefty Julio Urias, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- The Angels announced a deal with righty Dylan Bundy for $8.325MM.
- The Tigers and southpaw Matthew Boyd have settled for $6.5MM, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News tweets.
- The Yankees have deals with catcher Gary Sanchez ($6.35MM), first baseman Luke Voit ($4.7MM), third baseman Gio Urshela ($4.65MM), shortstop Gleyber Torres ($4MM) and outfielder Clint Frazier ($2.1MM), per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- The Rays and outfielder Manuel Margot avoided arbitration with a $3.4MM agreement, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
- The Padres and outfielder Tommy Pham have a deal for $8.9MM, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Reliever Dan Altavilla settled for $850K, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets.
- The Angels and righty Felix Pena have come to terms for $1.1MM, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.
- The Red Sox and third baseman Rafael Devers have reached a $4.575MM agreement, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
- The Mets and outfielder Brandon Nimmo have come to a $4.7MM agreement, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets.
- The Reds and righty Luis Castillo have settled for $4.2MM, Robert Murray of FanSided relays.
- The Rays reached a $2.25MM agreement with infielder Joey Wendle and a $1.175MM settlement with righty Yonny Chirinos, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
- The Cardinals and flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks have an agreement for $862,500, according to Heyman.
- The White Sox and ace Lucas Giolito avoided arbitration with a $4.15MM agreement, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.
- The Pirates and righty Joe Musgrove have reached an agreement for $4.45MM, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. They also made deals with second/baseman outfielder Adam Frazier ($4.3MM), third baseman Colin Moran ($2.8MM) righty Chad Kuhl ($2.13MM) and lefty Steven Brault ($2.05MM), per reports from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Adam Berry of MLB.com.
- Hard-throwing right-hander Reyes Moronta agreed to a $695K deal with the Giants after missing the 2020 season due to shoulder surgery, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided.
- The Tigers agreed to a $2.1MM deal with infielder Niko Goodrum, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided. They also inked lefty Daniel Norris for a $3.475MM salary, tweets Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Pirates agreed to a $1.3MM deal with catcher Jacob Stallings and a $1.1MM deal with righty Chris Stratton, per Robert Murray of Fansided (Twitter links).
- Athletics right-hander Lou Trivino agreed to a $912,500 salary for the 2021 season, tweets Robert Murray of Fansided.
- Right-hander Richard Rodriguez and the Pirates agreed to a $1.7MM deal, tweets Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Catcher Jorge Alfaro and the Marlins agreed to a $2.05MM deal, tweets Craig Mish of SportsGrid.
- The Reds agreed to a $2.2MM deal with right-hander Tyler Mahle, tweets Fansided’s Robert Murray. Cincinnati also signed lefty Amir Garrett for $1.5MM, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
- The Indians agreed to a $2.4MM deal with newly acquired shortstop Amed Rosario and a $975K deal with righty Phil Maton, tweets Zack Meisel of The Athletic.
- The Tigers and righty Buck Farmer settled at $1.85MM, tweets Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Marlins agreed to a $1.9MM deal with right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Transaction Retrospection: Teoscar Hernandez Trade
Few players raised their stock more this past season than Teoscar Hernández. A competent but unspectacular hitter from 2018-19, Hernández had what looked like a breakout in 2020. Over 207 plate appearances, the Blue Jay outfielder hit .289/.340/.579 with 16 home runs. Along the way, he ranked in the 94th percentile or better in such Statcast metrics as average exit velocity, hard contact, expected weighted on-base average and barrel rate.
Hernández isn’t a flawless player. He’s a below-average defender. He has long had issues making contact, with a career 31.6% strikeout rate only marginally higher than last year’s 30.4%. Moving forward, the 28-year-old looks more like a solid regular than a star in the making. Regardless, Hernández is a valuable and important part of a Toronto roster coming off a berth in the expanded playoffs and looking on the verge of perennial postseason contention.
With that in mind, it’s worth looking back at the deal that landed Hernández with the Jays in the first place. Originally signed as an international amateur by the Astros, Hernández was flipped (alongside veteran outfielder Nori Aoki) to Toronto in advance of the 2017 trade deadline for left-hander Francisco Liriano. To that point, the veteran southpaw had posted just a 5.88 ERA as a starter for the Blue Jays. He had stifled opposing left-handed hitters, though, holding them to a .230/.254/.361 slash line.
The Houston front office thought a bullpen transition, where Liriano could be heavily leveraged against same-handed batters, could make him an asset. With George Springer, Josh Reddick, Derek Fisher and Jake Marisnick all on hand (and Kyle Tucker rapidly climbing the minor-league ladder), the Astros felt they could part with an MLB-ready outfield prospect to acquire a relief weapon. Unfortunately, Liriano continued to scuffle down the stretch, pitching to a 4.40 ERA with an 11:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14.1 relief innings as an Astro.
Despite mediocre production from Liriano, the Astros went on to win the World Series. However one feels about the legitimacy of that title after subsequent revelations of Houston’s sign-stealing operation, the team probably wouldn’t undo any specific transaction related to the roster in retrospect. But from a pure value perspective, there’s no question Toronto came out ahead in the swap. Aoki barely played for the team, but Hernández looks to have emerged as a capable everyday performer as the Jays’ new contention window opens. He remains under club control through 2023.
Blue Jays Place Ken Giles On IL, Activate Teoscar Hernandez
Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles has returned to the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. The team also placed outfielder Derek Fisher on the IL with a knee issue, optioned lefty Anthony Kay, activated outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, and recalled righties Jacob Waguespack and Hector Perez.
It’s an alarming situation for Giles, whom arm injuries have weighed down dating back to 2019. He was enjoying an all-world campaign last year before elbow troubles shelved him and prevented the Blue Jays from dealing him before the trade deadline. Giles came back healthy this year, but after making two appearances at the beginning of the campaign, he sat from late July until Sept. 11. The 29-year-old struggled in the two outings sandwiched between IL stints, and has given up four earned runs in 3 2/3 frames this season.
Giles’ season could be over at this point, though he may have a chance to return if the Blue Jays qualify for the playoffs. For now, though, his loss is a blow to their bullpen and potentially to his bank account. As a pending free agent, Giles could have been in for a sizable contract had he been healthy and effective this season. That could still prove to be the case when the offseason rolls around, but Giles’ value certainly hasn’t risen in 2020.
The good news for Toronto is that it’s getting back Hernandez, who was among the league’s top hitters before he went on the IL on Sept. 7 with a left oblique strain. So far, Hernandez has slashed .308/.358/.637 with 14 home runs in 159 plate appearances.
Bo Bichette Back, Teoscar Hernandez And Rowdy Tellez Hopeful To Return Before Playoffs
The Toronto Blue Jays have pushed their contention window up with a strong first two-thirds of the season. At 24-20, Charlie Montoyo’s club sits half a game ahead of the Yankees for second place in the AL East. If the season ended today, Toronto would find themselves in the playoff bracket for the first time since back-to-back ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016.
The Blue Jays have remained competitive despite a number of injuries to their offense. Bo Bichette is their biggest absence to date, but he’s back in the lineup for tonight’s game, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter). They may have other reinforcements on the way as well. GM Ross Atkins sounds hopeful that Rowdy Tellez can return soon, though his language suggests a playoff return is more likely, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Said Atkins, “Hopefully Rowdy becomes an option for us if not by the end of the season, hopefully by the playoffs.”
Tellez hit the injured list just a couple days ago with a knee strain. For the first 35 games of the season, the Blue Jays featured Tellez prominently as the big first baseman slashed .283/.346/.540 with 8 home runs and 23 RBIs while splitting his time between first base and designated hitter.
Teoscar Hernandez could return to the lineup even sooner, per Nicholson-Smith. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign as his contact and on-base skills have – at least in the small sample of the season – caught up with his considerable power. Over the previous two seasons, Hernandez posted a triple slash of .235/.304/.470 with 8.7 BB%, 32 K%, and a .235 ISO. This season, slight improvements in strikeout rate (28.3 K%) and a robust display of power (.329 ISO) have led to a .308/.358/.637 line with 14 home runs across 159 plate appearances this season for the right fielder. Of course, a .352 BABIP, perhaps brought on a by rising 56.9% Hard Hit percentage, hasn’t hurt his cause either. Per Nicholson-Smith, Hernandez’s recovery has thus far gone better than expected.
Blue Jays Place Teoscar Hernandez On 10-Day IL
The Blue Jays have placed outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (left oblique strain) and right-hander Wilmer Font (right shin contusion) on the 10-day injured list, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets. The team recalled outfielder Jonathan Davis and righty Sean Reid-Foley to fill out its roster.
While the severity of Hernandez’s injury is unknown, oblique issues are always a concern – especially considering that the regular season is in its final month. The Blue Jays, owners of a 22-18 record, are a playoff team as of now, and Hernandez has contributed plenty to their cause so far. After a pair of roughly league-average full seasons at the plate, the 27-year-old has seemingly broken through with a tremendous .308/.358/.637 line over 157 plate appearances in 2020. Hernandez ranks second among qualified hitters in home runs (14), 16th in wRC+ (163) and 20th in fWAR (1.5). He also sits near the top of the league in several Statcast categories, including expected weighted on-base average (.443).
Defensively, Hernandez has primarily handled right field for the Blue Jays, who have also used Cavan Biggio and Derek Fisher there. But Toronto did better its infield/outfield depth when it acquired Jonathan Villar at last week’s trade deadline, and he could give the team another option in right as long as Hernandez is out. For Monday’s crucial game against the division-rival Yankees, though, the Blue Jays will have Biggio take over for Hernandez.