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The Top Remaining Free Agent Middle Infield Options

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Jean Segura came off the board last week on a two-year deal with the Marlins. That removed the top remaining free agent middle infielder, leaving clubs with very few possibilities for help either at shortstop or second base.

Of course, Carlos Correa lingers over the entire market. Until he officially puts pen to paper somewhere, there’s at least a chance for another twist in that saga. Various reports have suggested Correa’s focused on hammering out his deal with the Mets in spite of their concerns about his physical, and that was essentially confirmed yesterday by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. We’ll set Correa aside and look at the best options remaining for teams outside of Queens.

Here are the still-unsigned free agent middle infielders who tallied at least 150 plate appearances in 2022:

  • Elvis Andrus (34): Andrus is arguably the top unsigned free agent infielder. The 14-year veteran still brings a high-contact bat and quality baserunning to the table. Public defensive metrics have been divided on his work recently, with Statcast’s Outs Above Average generally rating him as an above-average shortstop despite less enthusiastic reviews from Defensive Runs Saved. Andrus looked like a glove-only player after hitting .255/.302/.360 from 2018-21, but he bounced back with a solid 2022 campaign. He hit .249/.303/.404 with 17 home runs (the second-highest total of his career) last season. That included a very strong finish, as Andrus hit .271/.309/.464 in 43 games with the White Sox after the A’s released him in mid-August in a move seemingly motivated by a desire to keep him from vesting a $15MM option in his contract for the 2023 season.
  • Josh Harrison (35): The final couple months of the season saw Andrus and Harrison overlap on Chicago’s South Side. The latter played the entire season there after signing a one-year free agent deal during Spring Training. Harrison appeared in 119 games, mostly split between second and third base. He hit .256/.317/.370 with seven home runs across 425 trips to the plate, overcoming a slow start to finish the year with roughly average offensive numbers. The veteran had posted similar numbers in each of the previous two seasons. He doesn’t draw many walks or hit for significant power, but he’s a respected clubhouse presence who consistently puts the ball in play. Harrison still earns solid grades from defensive metrics for his second and third base work; he’s not an option at shortstop, however.
  • José Iglesias (33): Iglesias spent the 2022 season as the primary shortstop in Colorado. He hit .292/.328/.380 through 467 plate appearances, right in line with the production he’s managed over the past four seasons. Igleias is very difficult to strike out and hits for consistently high batting averages, albeit without much else to drive the offensive profile. He rarely walks or hits home runs, though he’s a threat for 25-plus doubles annually. That offense sufficed when paired with the excellent defense that defined his early MLB tenure. He’s drawn less favorable reviews from public metrics the past two seasons though. Statcast has pegged him as a league average shortstop in each of the last two campaigns, but Defensive Runs Saved has rated him a staggering 26 runs below average since the start of 2021. How teams feel about Iglesias’ glove at this stage of his career figures to determine whether he’ll get semi-regular playing time again or have to assume more of a utility role in 2023.
  • César Hernández (32): Hernández suited up 147 times and tallied 617 plate appearances with the Nationals last season. He was a durable presence in the lineup for manager Dave Martinez but had a rough season. Just a year after popping a career-high 21 home runs, the switch-hitter mustered only one longball in the nation’s capital. Hernández is limited to second base and has posted subpar defensive metrics in each of the last two years. He might be limited to minor league offers.
  • Rougned Odor (29): Odor spent the 2022 campaign in Baltimore, his third team in as many seasons. The production was similar as it has been at each of the previous two stops. Odor has enough left-handed power to connect on 10-15 home runs with fairly regular playing time. Yet he also makes plenty of outs thanks both to consistently low walk rates and a propensity for infield pop-ups. Odor is almost strictly a second baseman — he has intermittent experience at third base as well — and posted below-average defensive numbers last year.

Utility Types/Bounceback Fliers

  • Hanser Alberto (30): Alberto brings a high-contact righty bat to a bench. He never walks and has only once topped three home runs in a season but has plus bat-to-ball skills and is well-regarded as a clubhouse presence. Alberto hit .244/.258/.365 in 159 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2022.
  • Johan Camargo (29): Camargo spent the 2022 season with the Phillies, hitting .237/.297/.316 through 166 plate appearances. The switch-hitter had a pair of productive years with the Braves to open his MLB career but has since had four straight well below-average seasons. Camargo’s most natural fit is at third base, though he played more shortstop with Philadelphia.
  • Harold Castro (29): A left-handed hitter, Castro makes a decent amount of contact. He’s a career .284 hitter but rarely walks or hits for power. He’s played extensively throughout the infield and even logged a fair bit of center field work but rated poorly defensively at every stop. The Tigers non-tendered him at the end of the season.
  • Yu Chang (27): Chang bounced around the league via waivers in 2022, suiting up for four teams. He hit .208/.289/.315 in 190 combined plate appearances. Chang had been a prospect of some regard during his time in the Cleveland farm system. He hasn’t hit in limited MLB looks in any of the past four seasons but can play all four infield spots.
  • Didi Gregorius (33): Gregorius was an above-average shortstop as recently as 2020. Unfortunately, a two-year free agent deal to return to the Phillies over the 2020-21 offseason didn’t pan out. Gregorius struggled offensively in both seasons, including a .210/.263/.304 line in 232 trips to the plate last year. The Phils cut him in early August and he didn’t sign elsewhere before year’s end.
  • Josh VanMeter (28): VanMeter is primarily a second baseman who has some experience at the corner spots. He hit .187/.266/.292 with a trio of home runs through 192 plate appearances with the Pirates last season.
  • Jonathan Villar (31): Villar has excellent speed and has stolen more than 35 bases on three separate occasions. He’s intermittently been a productive hitter, posting above-average offensive numbers as recently as 2021. Last season was a disappointment, however. Villar hit .208/.260/.302 in 220 plate appearances between the Cubs and Angels. He spent the final couple months of the year in Triple-A.

Three Teams Interested In Yu Chang

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Free agent infielder Yu Chang is reportedly drawing interest from three big league teams (h/t to CPBL Stats).

Chang, 27, suited up for four teams last year, making appearances for the Guardians, Red Sox, Pirates and Rays. He slashed a combined .208/.289/.315 with four home runs over 190 plate appearances, striking out in 31.1% of those and walking 8.4% of the time.

Signed by the Guardians out of Taiwan in 2013, Chang made his debut with Cleveland as a 23-year-old in 2019. He wouldn’t get many opportunities at the big league level in his first few seasons, but did get an extended run in 2021. That year, Chang slashed .228/.267/.426 with nine home runs over 251 plate appearances. Cleveland designated him for assignment after appearing in just four games in 2022, and he’s bounced round the league a bit since.

Defensively, Chang has generally spent time at first, second and third base, although he has seen a little bit of time at shortstop as well. Over his career, he’s been worth two Outs Above Average at first, three at second and four at third.

While it’s not known what sort of interest he’s getting around the majors, it seems likely he’d land on a minor league deal providing some infield depth in case of injuries. As such, it’s largely pointless to try and speculate which three teams may be interested as just about any team could do with a bit more infield depth on minor league deals.

American League Non-Tenders: 11/18/22

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The deadline to tender contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm Central. Here’s a rundown of the players on American League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month. Onto the transactions…

Latest Transactions

  • The Mariners announced that they have non-tendered three players: catchers Brian O’Keefe and Luis Torrens, as well as righty Luke Weaver. Weaver was just claimed off waivers from the Royals a few weeks ago but will now become a free agent.
  • The White Sox announced three non-tenders: outfielders Adam Engel and Mark Payton, as well as infielder Danny Mendick. Engel is generally considered a strong defensive outfielder but he struggled at the plate in 2022. Mendick played all over the diamond while hitting .289/.343/.443 for a wRC+ of 125.
  • The Guardians announced they have non-tendered lefty Anthony Gose and catcher Luke Maile. Gose was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Maile got into 76 games hit at a below-average level with roughly average defensive marks.
  • The Angels announced four non-tenders: lefties Jhonathan Diaz and Rob Zastryzny, as well as righties Touki Toussaint and Nash Walters. The latter three names were designated for assignment a few days ago.
  • The Rays have non-tendered Ryan Yarbrough, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they have non-tendered outfielders Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer, as well as infielder Vinny Capra. The two former names were designated for assignment a few days ago.

Earlier Moves

  • The Athletics announced that they did not tender contracts to three players: right-hander Deolis Guerra, left-hander Jared Koenig and infielder David MacKinnon. Guerra is the most seasoned of the trio, having made his MLB debut back in 2015 and made 136 appearances. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in April, missing the entire 2022 campaign and possibly some of 2023 as well.
  • The Red Sox are non-tendering outfielder/first-baseman Franchy Cordero, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cordero appeared in 84 games for the Red Sox this past season, but hit just .219/.300/.397 with eight home runs while grading out very poorly on defense.  The Sox have also non-tendered infielder Yu Chang, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The versatile infielder began the year with the Guardians but subsequently went to the Pirates in a trade, then went to the Rays and Red Sox on waiver claims. Across those four teams, he hit .208/.289/.315 for a wRC+ of 78.
  • The Astros will part ways with reliever Josh James, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports they’re expected to non-tender him tonight. He spent the entire 2022 campaign in the minors, and underwent flexor tendon surgery in October and is without a timetable to return.
  • The Rangers announced that right-hander Nick Snyder has not been tendered a contract. He only has 4 2/3 innings of MLB experience over the past couple of seasons. He spent most of 2022 in Triple-A, posting a 4.97 ERA over 38 innings, though with a 30.9% strikeout rate.
  • The Royals opted to non-tender lefty Jake Brentz and right-hander Nate Webb, the team announced. That’s no surprise, as both players were designated for assignment earlier this week. They lost their 40-man roster spots as a result, but the non-tender means Kansas City won’t need to run them through waivers before sending them directly to free agency. Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets that Kansas City is tendering contracts to the rest of their arbitration class, including Brad Keller and Amir Garrett — each of whom seemed to have a small chance of being cut loose after tough seasons.

Jeurys Familia Elects Free Agency

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Sept. 16: Familia cleared waivers and rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency, tweets Cotillo.

Sept. 13: The Red Sox have designated reliever Jeurys Familia for assignment, the hurler himself told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive). The club has not officially announced the move. Boston’s 40-man roster tally drops to 39.

Familia spent around a month on Boston’s big league roster. He opened the season with the Phillies but was released by Philadelphia in early August after posting a 6.09 ERA across 34 innings. Within a few days, Familia signed a minor league deal with Boston and was quickly promoted back to the big leagues. He’s continued to struggle, though, allowing eight runs (seven earned) with seven walks and eight strikeouts over 10 appearances in a Boston uniform.

That included a tough outing during tonight’s matchup with the Yankees. Called upon in the tenth inning, Familia issued a leadoff walk to Aaron Hicks. After inducing a Marwin González double play and intentionally walking Aaron Judge, he unintentionally walked Giancarlo Stanton to load the bases. Familia then coughed up a three-run double to Gleyber Torres before recording the final out. He took the loss in a 7-6 Yankees win.

In the wake of that disappointing outing, the Red Sox elected to move on. The 32-year-old is headed for free agency at the end of the season regardless, and any faint hope the Sox had of making a playoff push a month ago has long since been dashed. Rather than continuing to devote a bullpen spot to a scuffling veteran, Boston will turn elsewhere. Cotillo reports that the Sox will go with 13 pitchers for the time being, with the recently-claimed Yu Chang taking the vacated active roster spot.

Familia will land on waivers in the next few days, but his struggles in both Philadelphia and Boston make it a virtual lock he’ll clear. With only a few weeks remaining on the schedule, he plans to turn his attention to the upcoming offseason and opportunities for 2023 (relayed by Jahmai Webster of NESN).

While Familia’s 2022 results have been subpar, he’s only a season removed from being an effective reliever. Familia posted a 3.94 ERA across 59 1/3 innings with the Mets in 2021, striking out 27.5% of batters faced that year. His strikeouts are well down this season, but he’s averaged north of 95 MPH on his fastball. At the very least, he figures to find minor league offers this winter as a result of his relatively recent success and extant arm strength.

Red Sox Claim Yu Chang, Designate Jaylin Davis

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The Red Sox have claimed infielder Yu Chang off waivers from the Rays, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Chang had been designated for assignment last week. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jaylin Davis has been designated for assignment by Boston.

Chang, 28, has been a fixture of transaction logs this year, now joining his fourth organization of the season. He began the year with the Guardians but was designated for assignment in late May. He got traded to the Pirates for cash considerations but was designated for assignment again after a month in Pittsburgh. The Rays claimed him off waives from the Bucs and have kept him around for the past two months.

Chang was a fairly well regarded prospect but hasn’t yet had strong results in the major leagues. Since he is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors, he’s been continually nudged off rosters all year, with some other club always stepping up to give him another shot. His overall batting line this year is .216/.280/.324 for a wRC+ of 77. He has been better in recent months with the Rays, however, hitting .260/.305/.385 for a wRC+ of 101. Whether Chang’s bat has turned a corner or not, he will at least provide defensive versatility, having spent some time at each of the four infield positions this year.

The Red Sox are 69-72 on the year, leaving them 10 games out of a playoff spot with just over three weeks remaining on the schedule. With their hopes of competing effectively dashed at this point, they can use their remaining games to evaluate players prior to the winter, with Chang now entering the mix. The club’s current infield picture includes Xander Bogaerts, Trevor Story, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Christian Arroyo, with Bogaerts expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this winter. The Sox make sense as a fit for a free agent shortstop to replace Bogaerts, though if they don’t succeed in signing one, they could also slide Story over and make Arroyo the everyday second baseman. That would give Chang a path to a job as a utility/bench infielder.

As for Davis, 28, the Red Sox claimed him from the Giants in April but passed him through waivers a couple weeks later. He was selected back to the roster in July. He has a great batting line in the majors though in a tiny sample of just 27 plate appearances. He’s hit .333/.407/.375 in the bigs this year despite striking out 40.7% of the time. He’s hit just .198/.315/.318 for Triple-A Worcester while going down on strikes in in 30.8% of his 305 plate appearances. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Sox will have no choice but to put him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. Since Davis was previously outrighted, he’d have the ability to reject an assignment and elect free agency in the event he clears waivers again.

Rays Activate Wander Franco, Designate Yu Chang For Assignment

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The Rays welcomed Wander Franco back from the injured list Friday, designating fellow infielder Yu Chang for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster. Tampa Bay also reinstated righty Drew Rasmussen from the paternity list and optioned right-hander Yonny Chirinos to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Chirinos will remain with the club on the taxi squad.

Franco’s forthcoming reinstatement was reported last night. The star shortstop has been out since the second week of June after fracturing the hamate bone in his right hand. He had some brief setbacks upon first trying to begin a rehab stint in late August, but he made it back to Durham on Tuesday. After just a pair of games there, Tampa Bay will welcome him back to the lineup in advance of a pivotal weekend series against the Yankees, whom they trail by 4 1/2 games in the AL East.

With their star shortstop back healthy, the Rays ran out of room for Chang. Claimed off waivers from the Pirates in July, he’s spent the past couple months in a utility capacity with the big league club. The 27-year-old has played reasonably well in Tampa Bay, hitting .260/.305/.385 with three home runs and doubles apiece over 105 trips to the dish. Paired with his ability to cover anywhere around the infield, he was a useful contributor to the Rays bench, but he hadn’t fared as well during earlier-season stints with the Guardians and Pirates.

Including his dismal results with Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Chang still owns a below-average .216/.280/.324 line over 164 plate appearances on the year. He’s a .215/.275/.365 hitter through parts of four MLB seasons, a dip compared to his .258/.332/.427 showing in four seasons at Triple-A. Chang was a fairly well-regarded prospect and has drawn interest from a few teams this year, but he’s had a hard time carving out a permanent role. That’s in large part due to his out-of-options status, as teams can’t demote Chang to Triple-A without first running him through waivers.

The Rays will now take a shot at getting Chang through waivers themselves. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the only courses of action are to place Chang on outright or release waivers within the next few days.

Rays Claim Yu Chang, Transfer Brandon Lowe To 60-Day IL

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The Rays are claiming Yu Chang from the Pirates, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Pittsburgh designated the infielder for assignment last week. To create a spot on the 40-man roster, Tampa Bay transferred second baseman Brandon Lowe from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Chang heads to his third organization of the season. A longtime member of the Cleveland farm system, the right-handed hitter saw action with the MLB club every year between 2019-22. Despite a decent prospect pedigree, Chang never secured regular playing time in a series of generally strong infields, and he struggled when he did find his name in the lineup. The Taiwan native hit only .208/.265/.372 with a lofty 28.5% strikeout rate over 358 plate appearances in Cleveland, bouncing on and off the active roster for his first three years.

That shuffle exhausted all of Chang’s minor league option years, and the Guardians were left to carry him on the big league roster or take him off the 40-man this season. They kept him in the big leagues for a couple months but eventually designated him for assignment in late May. Pittsburgh acquired him for cash considerations a few days later, but Chang continued to scuffle during his month in the Steel City.

Through 18 games as a Pirate, Chang hit .135/.237/.212 with a 42.4% strikeout percentage (18 in 49 plate appearances). The Bucs quickly moved on, and the Rays become the next team to take a low-risk shot to see if they can unlock some of his upside. Chang appeared among Baseball America’s ranking of Cleveland’s top 30 prospects each season from 2015-21, drawing praise for his plate discipline, serviceable power and ability to play all around the infield. As he’s reached the upper levels, however, Chang has shown an alarming propensity for swinging and missing.

It’s possible Chang’s stay in Tampa Bay also proves brief. Because he’s out of options, he has to stick on the active roster or again be designated for assignment. The Rays have a fair bit of infield depth, with Wander Franco ensconced at shortstop and the hot-hitting Isaac Paredes bouncing between second and third base. Yandy Díaz is on hand as a corner option, while former top prospects Taylor Walls and Vidal Bruján can cover virtually anywhere on the dirt. Each of Walls and Bruján has struggled at the plate this season and do have options remaining, however, so the Rays could decide to send either player back to Triple-A Durham once Chang reports to the team.

The infield mix will only become deeper once Lowe is able to make his return. Tampa Bay’s starting second baseman has been out since May 16 while battling a stress reaction in his lower back. Today’s transfer rules him out for 60 days from that initial placement, meaning he’ll be eligible to return right around the All-Star Break.

Lowe progressed to taking batting practice last week, but manager Kevin Cash noted at the time he was still a ways from returning to MLB action (Topkin link). He’ll surely need to head out on a minor league rehab assignment before stepping back into the big league lineup, so the decision to move him to the 60-day IL isn’t a surprise.

Pirates Designate Yu Chang For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated infielder Yu Chang for assignment and reinstated fellow infielder Tucupita Marcano from the Covid-related injured list. Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic first pointed out that Marcano was in the clubhouse and that Chang, who is out of minor league options, was collecting his things and likely to be the corresponding roster casualty.

Chang has spent about a month in the Steel City, having been acquired from the Guardians at the end of May. He appeared in 18 games but managed only a .167/.286/.262 line, striking out in 18 of his 49 trips to the plate. That was enough for the Bucs to move on fairly quickly, as manager Derek Shelton has turned to Hoy Park and Josh VanMeter on the right side of the infield over the past few days. Chang is capable of covering all four spots on the dirt, but the Bucs’ left side is spoken for by Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes.

The 26-year-old Chang was regarded by evaluators as a solid prospect for much of his time climbing the Cleveland farm system. He reached the big leagues in 2019 and has seen sporadic MLB action in each of the past four seasons. He’s posted a meager .204/.268/.359 slash in just more than 400 career plate appearances, striking out at an alarming 29.5% rate in the process. He has rarely had much opportunity for everyday at-bats, however, and he owns a more serviceable .258/.332/.427 mark over parts of four Triple-A seasons.

Within the next week, the Bucs will trade Chang or try to run him through waivers. That Pittsburgh sent cash to Cleveland for him a month ago indicates they believed there was a good chance he’d be claimed off waivers or acquired by another team at the time. Whether that’ll still be the case after another month of struggles remains to be seen, but Chang’s prospect pedigree and affordability could hold some appeal. Any club that acquires him would need to keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment themselves.

Pirates Designate Cole Tucker For Assignment

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The Pirates have announced their acquisition of Yu Chang from the Guardians, which was reported yesterday. In order to create space for Chang on the 40-man roster, utility player Cole Tucker has been designated for assignment. A corresponding move on the active roster will be required once Chang reports to the team.

This potentially marks the disappointing end of the Tucker-Pirates relationship that was once so full of hope. Tucker was a first round selection of the Pirates in 2014, 24th overall. As he rose through the ranks of the minors, he was considered by Baseball America to be one of the club’s ten best prospects from 2015 to 2019.

Tucker often impressed with his defense and speed, stealing over 30 bags in the minors in both 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, his bat never provided enough for him to earn any kind of extended look in the big leagues. This is his fourth season seeing MLB action, yet he’s never played more than the 56 games he got in his 2019 debut.

Tucker exclusively played shortstop that first season, when it was hoped that he could take the position and run with it for years to come. But after a tepid .211/.266/.361 batting line on the year for a wRC+ of just 60, the club tried transitioning him into a super utility type, slotting him in at each infield position as well as center and right field at times. He never really seemed to settle into a good home anywhere on the diamond, and the bat never did anything to justify his roster spot. He’s now played 154 games over the past four seasons with 469 plate appearances, roughly a full season’s worth. His career batting line is .211/.259/.314 for a wRC+ of just 53. He has a 6% walk rate and 27.5% strikeout rate, both of those being a bit worse than league average. Despite his speed, he only has four steals on his ledger.

The Pirates will now have a week to try and trade Tucker or put him on waivers. Despite all those struggles, Tucker is still just 25 years old and is in his final option year. Some rival team could put in a claim and send him to Triple-A for the final few months of the year and see if he can get into any kind of a groove. But he’ll be out of options next year, meaning he’ll need to keep his roster spot or else be designated for assignment again. Should he clear waivers, the Pirates can keep him in the minors without him taking up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Pirates Acquire Yu Chang

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The Pirates are acquiring infielder Yu Chang from the Guardians for cash considerations, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Chang had been designated for assignment by the Guardians on Thursday.

This will be the first new organization for Chang, who has spent the entirety of his professional career with Cleveland so far. A native of Taiwan, Chang was signed as an international free agent in 2013 for a signing bonus of $500K and started playing Rookie ball before his 19th birthday. As he rose through the ranks of the minor leagues, he often hit well, especially for power. Baseball America considered him to be one of the top 30 prospects in Cleveland’s system for seven straight years from 2015 to 2021.

Unfortunately for Chang, he’s struggled to translate his skills to the major league diamonds thus far, in limited opportunities. Over the past four seasons, he’s gotten into 131 games and hit 10 home runs, producing an overall slash line of .208/.265/.372, 71 wRC+. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment last week, after exhausting his option years and his time with the Guardians.

Pittsburgh should be able to give Chang more opportunities to get into a groove than he saw in Cleveland, as they have a number of position players currently on the injured list. Ben Gamel just went on the IL today, joining Roberto Perez, Jake Marisnick, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Daniel Vogelbach, Kevin Newman and Greg Allen among hitters currently out of action due to injury. Chang has played all four infield positions during his time in the big leagues but is likely to get consideration for extended time at first base. Up until yesterday, every Pirates’ game this season had featured either Tsutsugo or Michael Chavis starting at first. With Tsutsugo on the IL and Chavis day-to-day with forearm discomfort, the club has put Josh VanMeter into the starting lineup yesterday and today, who has played first before but is much more experienced elsewhere. Shortly before the trade, Mackey relayed word from assistant general manager Kevan Graves, who said the club was looking to supplement the first base situation. With Vogelbach on the IL, the club is also missing its primary DH, freeing up more at-bats for whoever the club deems most worthy.

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