Tigers Claim Troy Stokes
The Tigers have claimed outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. off waivers from the Brewers, per a club announcement. To create 40-man space, the Detroit organization released lefty Ryan Carpenter.
Stokes has at times been considered a solid prospect, but lost his 40-man spot recently. He has managed only a .233/.341/.385 batting line this year in 381 plate appearances at Triple-A.
Carpenter, who just turned 29, has been on the injured list but obviously wasn’t in the Tigers’ future plans. He has struggled to an 8.57 ERA in 63 career MLB frames.
Brewers Activate Nelson, Suter; Designate Wilkerson, Stokes
The Brewers announced they have reinstated right-hander Jimmy Nelson and left-hander Brent Suter from the 60-day injured list. To create 40-man roster space, the club has designated right-hander Aaron Wilkerson and outfielder Troy Stokes, Jr. for assignment. The club also confirmed the previously-reported designation of right-hander Jeremy Jeffress.
Nelson, the former staff ace, has worked out of the bullpen on rehab, where he’ll presumably factor in down the stretch. He’s battled velocity loss and ineffectiveness in the wake of 2017 shoulder surgery. Suter, too, figures to work in short stints as he returns from 2018 Tommy John Surgery. He’s worked primarily as an opener on rehab, although he did work his way up to four innings in his most recent minor-league start. The soft-tossing lefty was a solid back-end command artist for the club before going under the knife, which would be valuable for a rotation that has undergone its fair share of struggles in 2019.
To welcome back the veterans, Milwaukee cuts bait with Wilkerson and Stokes. Wilkerson’s a 30 year-old swingman whose logged 35.2 subpar innings for the club the past three seasons. He has long been an adequate high minors starter though, explaining why he’s lasted three years on Milwaukee’s 40-man.
Stokes, a former fourth-round pick, has emerged as a noteworthy prospect in Milwaukee’s system the past few seasons. Featuring above-average raw power and speed, per Fangraphs’ prospect duo, Stokes had generally shown solid power and walk rates in the low minors. He hit a speed bump in his first taste at Triple-A, though, where his .233/.341/.385 line was 20% below PCL average. That proved too much for Milwaukee’s taste for a player who has increasingly seen time in left field, not center, in recent years, likely due to a below-average arm. That said, it’s easy to imagine a non-contender taking a chance on Stokes’ physical gifts and pre-2019 track record, so it’s possible, if not likely, he’ll be claimed off waivers. He comes with two additional option seasons, so there’d be no hurry to get him to the big leagues before he’s ready.
Players Added To The 40-Man Roster
Tonight marks the deadline for players to be added to their respective organizations’ 40-man rosters. Over the nine hours, there’ll be a flurry of moves, ranging from minor trades (like the one the Indians and Rays made yesterday), waiver claims and players being designated for assignment or outrighted. Each will be made to clear room for players who need protection from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. As a reminder, players who signed at 18 years of age or younger and have five professional seasons are eligible, as are players who signed at 19 or older and have four professional seasons under their belts.
Here’s a rundown of players who’ve been added to their respective 40-man rosters (which will be updated throughout the day)…
- There are three additions for the Twins: outfielder LaMonte Wade and infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez.
- The Giants announced that they have added a trio of righties: Melvin Adon, Sam Coonrod, and Logan Webb.
- Lefty Justin Steele is now a member of the Cubs‘ 40-man, per an announcement.
- The Rangers announced that they are protecting veteran hurler Edinson Volquez, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery, along with outfielder Scott Heineman, righty Wei-Chieh Huang, and lefty Taylor Hearn.
- Righties Mitch Keller and JT Brubaker, infielder Cole Tucker, and outfielder Jason Martin are all joining the Pirates‘ 40-man, per Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects (via Twitter).
- The Blue Jays will add righty Patrick Murphy to their 40-man, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Toronto has announced his addition, along with those of fellow righties Trent Thornton, Yennsy Diaz, Hector Perez, and Jacob Waguespack.
- Three Indians players have been boosted up to the 40-man, the club announced: first baseman Bobby Bradley, southpaw Sam Hentges, and righty Jean Carlos Mejίa.
- Righty Joe Harvey is joining the Yankees‘ MLB roster, the club announced.
- The Phillies have added shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa along with righties Edgar Garcia and Adonis Medina to the 40-man, per a club announcement.
- Former first-round draft pick Dillon Tate, a right-handed pitcher, was selected to the Orioles‘ 40-man.