Giants Promote Joey Bart
The Giants have promoted top catching prospect Joey Bart to the Majors, per a club announcement. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Bart will make his debut one day after 2018 No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize debuted with the Tigers.
Bart, 23, spent most of the 2019 season in Class-A Advanced, hitting .265/.315/.479 (116 wRC+) before a 22-game stint in Double-A where he finished on a tear: .316/.368/.544 (163 wRC+). Bart went on to the Arizona Fall League and hit .333/.524/.767 with four homers in 42 plate appearances before a broken thumb cut his AFL stint short. His 6.2 percent walk rate doesn’t immediately jump out, but Bart’s 21 percent strikeout rate isn’t particularly alarming either.
Defensively, there’s little doubt about Bart’s abilities behind the dish. Scouting reports at MLB.com and FanGraphs place a 60 and potential 70 grade on his glovework, and Bart was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year in his final season with Georgia Tech. Scouting reports laud his framing and pitch-blocking abilities, and Bart carried a career 31 percent caught-stealing rate in the minors before thwarting nine of the 13 stolen-base attempts against him in last year’s Arizona Fall League.
All in all, Bart is career .284/.343/.532 hitter in the minors, and he has the defensive tools to make him one of baseball’s premier all-around backstops. He’s yet to see a pitch in Triple-A and has only 87 Double-A plate appearances under his belt, so it’s far from a given that he’ll immediately thrive against big league pitching. However, with the Giants hitting just .250/.314/.415 as a team (17th in the Majors in wRC+) — with much of that coming from Mike Yastrzemski — Bart doesn’t need to be an offensive juggernaut to provide a boost.
San Francisco catchers, in particular, have floundered at the dish. The trio of Tyler Heineman, Chadwick Tromp and Rob Brantly (who saw only three plate appearances) have combined for a .180/.227/.270 slash in the absence of stalwart Buster Posey. The veteran Posey opted out of the 2020 season, citing health concerns, after he and his wife adopted twin daughters who were born prematurely.
Bart ranked as baseball’s No. 7 overall prospect heading into the 2020 season, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. He’s currently No. 8 on FanGraphs’ top 100, No. 15 at MLB.com and No. 33 at Baseball America. The Athletic’s Keith Law pegged him 44th prior to the season. Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, is the only catching prospect that is generally ranked on the same level as Bart, who is the heir-apparent to the aforementioned Posey and expected to be a fixture on the Giants’ roster for years to come.
By waiting until this point in the year to promote Bart, the Giants have ensured that he can’t become a free agent until after the 2026 season (at least), and they’ve likely avoided Super Two status as well. There are only 39 days remaining in the 2020 season, and each of those days counts for about 2.77 days of Major League service in this year’s prorated system. That leaves Bart with roughly 108 days of MLB service time to possibly accrue in 2020, which should comfortably leave him shy of Super Two designation when he approaches his arbitration years.
Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported just before the Giants’ announcement that Bart was on his way to the big leagues.
Red Sox Claim Andrew Triggs, Designate Stephen Gonsalves
The Red Sox have claimed righty Andrew Triggs off waivers from the Giants and designated southpaw Stephen Gonsalves for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, per a team announcement. Triggs has been optioned to their alternate training site.
Back in 2016-17, the Athletics looked as though they might’ve unearthed a useful starter in Triggs after claiming him from the Orioles. He gave the A’s 121 1/3 frames of 4.29 ERA ball but with more encouraging secondary numbers: 3.88 FIP, 3.96 xFIP and SIERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 50.3 percent grounder rate. It wasn’t a world-beating performance, but Triggs looked like a capable fourth starter — a mighty fine outcome for a simple waiver claim.
Injuries, however, have spoiled those hopes. Triggs had surgery to repair the labrum in his left hip in 2017, cutting his season short, and 14 months later he underwent thoracic outlet surgery. He was bothered by nerve irritation for months leading up to that second procedure, and Triggs has totaled just 41 2/3 innings in the Majors since the end of that ’17 season (including one-third of an inning with the Giants in 2020).
The Red Sox are in dire need of serviceable options on the pitching staff, though, and Triggs’ background is clearly of some interest to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and his staff. The right-hander won’t join the big league staff just yet, but he could be an option at virtually any time given the ragged state of the Red Sox’ Major League staff.
Gonsalves, 26, could have a brief stay in the Red Sox organization. Boston claimed him earlier this month after the Mets designated him for assignment. The former fourth-round pick at one point a top-100 prospect as he rose through the ranks with the Twins, but Gonsalves has battled some arm troubles in recent years and struggled at the MLB level in very limited opportunities. The Sox likely hope to be able to sneak him through waivers and keep him in the player pool as a depth piece, but another club could show some interest in a waiver claim of its own.
NL Health Notes: Braves, Mets, Cards, Giants, Padres, Dodgers
The Braves placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the injured list Saturday (retroactive to Aug. 12) because of left wrist inflammation, and the team’s hope then was that Acuna would be back by the upcoming weekend. However, there’s still no timetable for the superstar’s return, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who reports he’s continuing to battle soreness in his wrist. Meanwhile, second baseman Ozzie Albies – whom the Braves put on the IL on Aug. 5 with a bone contusion in his right wrist – is progressing but still has a ways to go, according to O’Brien.
- Mets starters David Peterson and Jacob deGrom will take the ball as scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Tim Healey of Newsday relays. Peterson had to leave his previous start last Thursday against the Nationals with left shoulder fatigue, while the club scratched deGrom on Friday because of a stiff neck. They’ve been the two best members of the rotation this year for the struggling Mets, as Peterson has performed like one of the game’s top rookies and the back-to-back Cy Young winner deGrom has continued to shine.
- Cardinals righty Carlos Martinez and infielder Edmundo Sosa have been cleared to resume baseball activities, manager Mike Shildt announced to Mark Saxon of The Athletic and other reporters. They’re two of the many Cardinals who recently tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s not clear when either could return, as Shildt noted they’ll need time to build themselves back up. Martinez, long a key part of the Cardinals’ pitching staff, made one very rocky appearance earlier this season. Sosa hasn’t played in the majors this year.
- Giants righty Jeff Samardzija will begin a throwing program Wednesday, according to the club (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Samardzija went on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder impingement, which came after he opened the season with three rough performances. The pending free agent, 35, owns a ghastly 9.88 ERA across 13 2/3 innings, has already given up 18 hits and six home runs, and has only struck out five hitters.
- The Padres placed catcher Francisco Mejia on the IL on Monday with a thumb bruise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. With him and outfielder Tommy Pham (previously reported) headed to the shelf, the Padres recalled backstop Luis Torrens and utility player Ty France. Prior to going on the IL, Mejia got off to a woeful start this year with an .079/.146/.184 line in 41 plate appearances. He and fellow Padres catcher Austin Hedges have combined for a disastrous minus-1 wRC+ over 79 trips to the plate thus far.
- The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed infielder Edwin Rios on the IL with a left hamstring strain and recalled lefty Adam Kolarek. The Rios injury is a blow to the Dodgers’ offense, as even though he’s just a part-time player, the 26-year-old has done nothing but hit since debuting last season. So far in 2020, Rios has slashed .276/.323/.690 with three home runs in 31 plate appearances.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/16/20
The latest minor moves from around the game…
- The Giants outrighted infielder Abiatal Avelino off their 40-man roster and assigned him to their alternate training site. (Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group was among those to report the transaction.) Avelino cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. The 25-year-old Avelino recorded 19 plate appearances over 10 games with the Giants in 2018-19, and was originally acquired from the Yankees as part of the Andrew McCutchen trade in August 2018. Avelino has been touted for his defensive ability as a middle infielder, and his bat hasn’t been unproductive over 3201 minor league plate appearances — .272/.328/.385 slash line with 43 homers, plus 189 steals from 245 attempts.
NL West Notes: Oberg, Rockies, Bumgarner, Cueto
Rockies reliever Scott Oberg is on the 45-day injured list due to blood clots in his throwing arm, marking the third time blood clots have interrupted Oberg’s career. It remains to be seen if Oberg will be able to return during the 2020 season, though the right-hander told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding that he fully intends to keep pitching. “If this is what it’s going to have to be, it’s just another hurdle to overcome. I’ve dealt with the adversity road plenty of times,” Oberg said. After already undergoing three different procedures in the past, it isn’t yet certain if a fourth surgery will be required; Oberg has consulted with doctors and specialists about his latest issue, with more consultations planned for the coming week.
More from around the NL West…
- With Oberg and the struggling Wade Davis both on the IL, the Rockies‘ search for a closer is still ongoing. It seemed as if Jairo Diaz was laying claim to the job, though after a rough outing (three walks, one hit, and two unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning) today, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post and other media that the club has no “designated closer.” It seems likely that Diaz will still get some save chances as part of the Rockies’ closing committee, though Yency Almonte, Carlos Estevez, Daniel Bard, and possibly others could all figure into the ninth inning depending on the situation.
- Madison Bumgarner will throw a 50-pitch simulated game on Monday, a week after the southpaw was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a back strain. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that the simulated game “is a way for us to see how he looks, see how he feels and have him evaluate how his body feels and give us that information and determine what the next step is moving forward.” Piecoro notes that Bumgarner is still expected to miss at least one more start while on the IL, though the left-hander might not miss much beyond the 10-day minimum if he reports a clean bill after the sim game.
- Could Johnny Cueto be turning himself into a trade candidate? With the Giants in last place and looking like deadline sellers, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Cueto could get some attention from teams looking for veteran pitching. Cueto has a 4.62 ERA, 1.73 K/BB rate, and 6.8 K/9 through 25 1/3 innings this season, some fairly middling numbers that ERA indicators (4.72 FIP, 5.55 xFIP, 5.28 SIERA) hint could or should be worse. On the plus side, Statcast metrics show that Cueto is doing a good job of limiting hard contact, and Cueto is averaging 91 mph on his fastball, roughly the same average velocity he was posting in the couple of seasons prior to his August 2018 Tommy John surgery. The Giants would likely have to eat some money to accommodate a trade, given that Cueto is owed $21MM in 2021, there is a $5MM buyout of his $22MM club option for 2022, and he is also owed the prorated remainder of his original $21MM salary for the rest of this season.
Giants Designate Andrew Triggs
The Giants have designated righty Andrew Triggs for assignment. That’ll create 40-man space for Trevor Cahill, whose contract was selected.
Triggs only made one appearance this year, coughing up three earned runs while recording only a single out. He’s still looking to reestablish himself in the majors after his career was interrupted by surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome.
From 2016-18, Triggs provided the Athletics with 163 innings of 4.53 ERA pitching, though ERA estimators have pointed to greater promise. Triggs owns a career 4.17 FIP, 4.11 xFIP, and 4.09 SIERA.
Trevor Cahill To Start For Giants On Wednesday
Right-hander Trevor Cahill will make his Giants debut Wednesday with a start against the Astros, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports. The Giants will announce a corresponding roster move before the game.
Cahill signed with the Giants in the offseason as someone with a great deal of starting experience, but he was only able to score a minor league deal in free agency. He just joined the Giants’ taxi squad over the weekend.
At his best, the 32-year-old Cahill has been a productive starter for the Athletics and Diamondbacks, including as recently as 2018. Cahill threw 110 innings of 3.76 ERA/3.54 FIP ball with Oakland that year, but his numbers nosedived in 2019 as a member of the Angels, who inked him to a $9MM guarantee in free agency. He logged only a 5.98 ERA/6.43 FIP over 102 1/3 frames, most of which came out of the Angels’ bullpen.
Cahill will now attempt to rebuild his stock with another California-based club, San Francisco, whose rotation has been a mixed bag during its 8-11 start. Kevin Gausman, Drew Smyly and Logan Webb have been bright spots so far, but Smyly and Jeff Samardzija are on the injured list, which has helped open up an opportunity for Cahill.
Giants Announce Multiple Roster Moves
In addition to a trade this morning, the Giants have made a series of roster moves ahead of this afternoon’s matchup with the Dodgers (first reported by Maria Guardado of MLB.com). They’ll make a few tweaks to the pitching staff, reinstating left-hander Jarlin Garcia from the 60-day injured list and adding veteran Trevor Cahill to the taxi squad. To make room, Andrew Suarez has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site and infielder Abiatal Avelino was designated for assignment.
The Giants will rejigger their bullpen, adding Garcia, who was on the injured list with an undisclosed illness, and subtracting Suarez. Garcia, 27, will get his first shot with his new club after spending the first three years of his career with the Marlins. He emerged as a valuable lefty in Miami, notching a 4.29 ERA in 170 innings of work. He got work as both a starter and reliever, though he’s likely to settle firmly into a relief role.
Cahill, meanwhile, might be on the cusp of a promotion to the big league club, after news of Jeff Samardzija‘s placement on the injured list yesterday. He figures to be one of the foremost options to replace Samardzija in the starting rotation for the foreseeable future.
Avelino, acquired in the 2018 trade that sent Andrew McCutchen to the Yankees, will see his Giants tenure come to a swift end, having appeared in just 10 games for the MLB club. The Giants will have a week to either trade, release, or place Avelino on outright waivers. At just 25 years old, and with plenty of remaining team control, Avelino could be a worthwhile pickup for a team in search of infield depth. His offensive track record in the minors is not especially strong, but his last two seasons in the upper minors have undoubtedly been his best.
Giants Acquire Luis Basabe
The Giants and White Sox have completed a trade, with outfielder Luis Basabe heading to San Francisco in exchange for cash considerations. Right-hander Jordan Humphreys was placed on the restricted list to make room for Basabe on the Giants’ roster. (Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Humphreys is dealing with a family matter.)
The White Sox designated Basabe for assignment earlier this week, ending an injury-plagued three-year run for the outfielder in Chicago’s farm system. Basabe was acquired from the Red Sox as part of the trade package in the Chris Sale blockbuster, though he sandwiched a very impressive (and healthy) 2018 campaign in between injury-shortened 2017 and 2019 seasons.
It was enough for Chicago to make Basabe expendable, though the Venezuelan prospect was once a well-regarded international prospect and is still a couple of weeks shy of turning 24 years old. There’s certainly no harm for the Giants in spending a few dollars to acquire Basabe’s services and see if he can unlock some higher potential in a new environment.
MLB Pipeline has already ranked Basabe as the 18th-best prospect in San Francisco’s farm system, with a scouting report noting that he “has the tools to be a worthwhile fourth outfielder,” even if his hitting is still a question mark. Basabe has batted .248/.345/.392 across 2570 PA in the minors (none above the Double-A level), and he has shown a lot of swing-and-miss in his approach at the plate.
Giants Place Jeff Samardzija On 10-Day IL
The Giants have placed right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija on the 10-day injured list due to a shoulder impingement, according to Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News. He’s set to undergo an MRI today. Meanwhile, left-hander Andrew Suarez has been recalled to replace Samardzija on the active roster.
A blister on his right hand has prevented Samardzija from utilizing his splitter, which is crucial to Samardzija’s repertoire as his go-to two-strike pitch. That has contributed to the 35-year-old’s unsightly 9.88 ERA through three starts. He’s struck out just 5 batters in 13 2/3 innings, and no National League pitcher has allowed more earned runs or hits. Suffice it to say, it’s been a frustrating start to the final year of the five-year, $90MM contract Samardzija earned prior to the 2016 season.
Indeed, if the results of his MRI are damning, Samardzija may see his Giants tenure come to a premature end, though hopefully that’s a fate that can be avoided yet. At the earliest, he’ll be eligible to return August 18, and the results of the MRI should bring clarity to the veteran’s timetable for a return.
The news is that much more concerning given Samardzija’s previous shoulder problems: he missed a considerable portion of the 2018 season with tightness and inflammation in his right shoulder, limiting him to just 10 starts that year. While the injury never required surgery, it hampered him throughout the year and he struggled to recover. Nearly two years removed from those injuries, it’s hard to conclude that his current issues are related to those he suffered in 2018, but one can’t help but draw a connection.
With Samardzija out of the picture for the foreseeable future and Drew Smyly also on the IL, the Giants are faced with a rotation conundrum. Beyond Johnny Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, and Tyler Anderson, they’ll need to cobble together a plan in the meantime. While Suarez, taking Shark’s spot on the roster, has started for the Giants in the past, Gabe Kapler might look to deploy him in relief in the immediate future. Elsewhere on the 60-man player pool, Trevor Cahill and Dereck Rodriguez are leading depth options. They figure to be the primary candidates to replace Samardzija in the rotation.