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Matt Beaty Elects Free Agency

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Corner infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty has elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Giants, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’ll look for other opportunities after being designated for assignment last week.

Beaty had a fairly brief tenure as a Giant. Acquired from the Royals on Opening Day, the left-handed hitter stepped to the plate just five times for San Francisco. He spent the majority of the year with Triple-A Sacramento, where he put up a solid .272/.406/.447 showing. He walked at a 10.9% clip while striking out just 18.6% of the time and hitting four home runs.

Upper minors success is nothing new for the former 12th round draftee. Beaty carries a .286/.388/.415 line in 137 career games at the Triple-A level. His major league results are more mixed. Beaty showed some early promise with the Dodgers, including a .270/.363/.402 showing in 2021. He’s struggled in a very limited look since then, hitting .104/.173/.167 in 52 plate appearances between the Padres and Giants over the last two years.

Beaty’s Triple-A track record is sure to lead to minor league interest now that he’s back on the market. That he went unclaimed on waivers suggests he’s unlikely to secure an immediate big league roster spot in free agency. A team seeking left-handed hitting depth could bring him in on a non-roster deal.

Roger Craig Passes Away

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The Giants announced that former big league player and manager Roger Craig has passed away. He was 93 years old.

“We have lost a legendary member of our Giants family,” said Larry Baer, Giants president and chief executive officer in a press release from the club. “Roger was beloved by players, coaches, front office staff and fans. He was a father figure to many and his optimism and wisdom resulted in some of the most memorable seasons in our history. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Carolyn, his four children, Sherri Paschelke, Roger Craig Jr, Teresa Hanvey and Vikki Dancan, his seven grandchildren, his 14 great grandchildren as well as his extended family and friends.”

Craig was born in Durham, North Carolina and began his professional career when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. A right-handed pitcher, he spent some time in the minors but military service during the Korean War prevented him from playing in 1952 or 1953. He made his major league debut in 1955, tossing 90 2/3 innings with a 2.78 ERA. The Dodgers won the pennant that year and faced the Yankees in the World Series. Craig started Game 5 and tossed six innings of two-run ball, earning the victory and giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. The Yanks would go on to win Game 6 but the Dodgers eventually won the deciding game and became champions. He went on to spend a further six years with the Dodgers, sticking with them as they moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and through the end of 1961, largely serving as a starter but also working out of the bullpen. They won another World Series title in 1959.

His tenure with the Dodgers ended when he was selected by the Mets in the 1962 expansion draft, making him one of the original Mets. The team fared poorly in their first two seasons but Craig was one of the more reliable members of the club, tossing over 230 innings in both 1962 and 1963. He gradually transitioned into more of a relief role in the next few years, pitching for the Cardinals in 1964, the Reds in 1965 and the Phillies in 1966. He won a third World Series ring with the Cards in 1964, tossing five scoreless relief innings as his club beat the Yankees in seven games.

That was his last season as a player but he quickly moved into other baseball roles. He became a scout and minor league manager with the Dodgers before being hired as the first pitching coach of the Padres, taking that role in their inaugural 1969 season. He stayed with the Padres for many years and also coached with the Astros before returning to the Friars. Just before Opening Day in 1978, Padres manager Alvin Dark was fired and Craig was put into the Skipper’s chair. They had a solid 84-78 showing that year but dropped to 68-93 the year after, leading to Craig’s firing.

Craig then joined the Tigers as a pitching coach for several years before being hired as the manager of the Giants late in 1985. That season saw the club finish with a losing record for the third straight year but they turned things around from there. They won 83 games in 1986, the first of five straight winning seasons. They won the National League West division in 1987 and 1989, losing the NLCS to the Cardinals in the former and the World Series to the Athletics in the latter. It was during this time that he earned the nickname “Humm Baby” that stuck with him from that point forward. The club’s fortunes tailed off in the next few years and Craig was fired after the 1992 season.

Craig’s playing career resulted in 1536 1/3 innings pitched with 803 strikeouts and a 3.83 ERA. On top of that, he had many postseason accolades and won three titles during his playing career. He then went on to have a lengthy coaching career, winning another title in that capacity while with the Tigers in 1984. As a manager, he went 738-737 overall but 586-566 with the Giants, leading that club to the postseason twice and the World Series once. We at MLB Trade Rumors join in the rest of the baseball community in sending condolences to his family, friends, fans and colleagues who are mourning him today.

Giants Place Alex Wood On 15-Day IL

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The Giants announced a pair of roster moves this afternoon, as the club placed left-hander Alex Wood on the 15-day IL with a low back strain and recalled right-hander Tristan Beck from Triple-A.

Wood joined the Giants in 2021 on a one-year, $3MM deal and posted a solid 3.83 ERA with a 3.48 FIP across 26 starts as the Giants won 107 games en route to an AL West crown. That performance earned Wood a two-year, $25MM deal to return to San Francisco during the 2021-22 offseason. That deal hasn’t gone well to this point, however. Despite much of Wood’s underlying performance staying consistent in 2022, his results took a significant tumble as he posted a 5.10 ERA, 22% below average by measure of ERA+, in 130 2/3 innings despite solid underlying metrics (3.76 FIP, 3.41 xFIP, 4.00 xERA) thanks in part to an unusually low 63.9% strand rate.

In 2023, Wood has again struggled to find his footing. He managed just ten innings across three starts before heading to the injured list with a hamstring strain in mid-April that would keep him out for nearly a month. Since returning, he’s struggled to a 6.30 ERA with a 5.14 FIP in 20 innings of work that culminated in a 4 1/3 inning, six run start where Wood allowed eight hits and three walks while striking out just four batters last week. Now, Wood heads back to the injured list where he’ll look to get healthy and hopefully get his season back on track upon his return.

Taking Wood’s spot on the roster is the right-handed Beck, who made his big league debut earlier this season out of the San Francisco bullpen, posting a 4.10 ERA and 4.62 FIP in 26 1/3 innings as a multi-inning reliever for the club. It’s unclear whether Beck will take the ball in Wood’s stead Tuesday against the Rockies, or if that start could perhaps go to Sean Manaea, who was demoted to the bullpen last month but has looked good since then, with a 0.84 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work across four appearances.

Whoever takes the ball on Tuesday, it seems unlikely to be right-hander Ross Stripling, who Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle reports received a cortisone shot after going on the IL and has made some tweaks to his delivery while rehabbing. Sussler notes that Stripling could progress to facing live hitters soon, though that timeline still puts him a ways away from returning to the big league club.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans

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Episode 9 of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Will the Giants impact the National League West race? (13:20)
  • What do the Padres do with Juan Soto if they fall out of the race? (16:20)
  • What will the Twins do before the trade deadline? (18:20)
  • What can the Angels do with their rotation? (22:00)

Check out our past episodes!

Nine Veterans With Upcoming Minor League Opt-Out Opportunities

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As part of last year’s collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the Players Association agreed to a few automatic opt-out dates for some veteran players on minor league contracts. Article XX(B) free agents — players with over six years of MLB service who finished the preceding season on a big league roster — who sign minor league contracts more than ten days before Opening Day now receive three uniform chances to retest free agency if they’re not added to the majors.

The first comes five days before the start of the season. For players who pass on that initial opt-out, they have additional windows to explore the open market on both May 1 and June 1 if they’ve yet to secure a spot on the 40-man roster. The second of those dates spurred some roster movement this year. Chris Devenski, Jeff Hoffman and Billy Hamilton were all called up to keep them from testing the market. Chase Anderson and Gary Sánchez found MLB opportunities with other organizations after leaving the Reds and Giants, respectively.

As that third opt-out date nears, it’s worth checking in on a few players with opt-outs under the CBA (as well as one player whose minor league contract contained a June 1 opt-out provision).

Alfaro is not an Article XX(B) free agent, as he hit the open market via non-tender from the Padres last fall. However, the minor league deal he signed with Boston reportedly afforded him opt-out chances on both June 1 and July 1.

There’s certainly an argument for the 29-year-old catcher to trigger that provision. Alfaro has had an excellent year with the Red Sox’s top affiliate in Worcester. Through 187 plate appearances, he’s hitting .320/.364/.523 and has connected on six home runs. His 4.8% walk rate is modest but he’s kept his strikeouts to a near-average 23% clip while hitting for power.

Alfaro has had an inconsistent big league career, flashing power potential and big arm strength but struggling with his plate discipline and receiving work. He’s a .256/.305/.396 hitter in over 1600 major league plate appearances.

The Red Sox have used Connor Wong and Reese McGuire as their catching tandem. They’ve combined for a decent .272/.309/.440 line, with Wong supplying some power while McGuire has done a serviceable job reaching base. Neither Wong nor McGuire stands as an obvious roadblock to an addition behind the plate but their cumulative production has been solid. Manager Alex Cora was noncommittal on bringing Alfaro up, telling reporters today the club is “very comfortable with Reese and Wong” (relayed by Chris Cotillo of MassLive). Cora expressed his hope that Alfaro would stick in the organization even if the Sox don’t call him up this week, though it remains to be seen if he’ll find a better immediate opportunity elsewhere.

Doolittle’s return stint in Washington last year was cut short by a UCL internal brace procedure. He returned on a minor league deal but has been behind schedule as he works back to game shape. The 36-year-old has been on the injured list all season. He began a rehab stint a few days ago and has thrown two innings between Low-A and High-A. It seems likely he’ll remain with Washington and make it back to Triple-A Rochester before much longer.

Duffy has spent the entire season on the injured list. He’s working back from forearm issues that have prevented him from throwing a major league pitch since July 2021. It’s unclear when he’ll be ready to return to game action.

Gamel has had a solid showing in Triple-A since signing a non-roster pact in Spring Training. The left-handed hitting corner outfielder has a .257/.387/.436 line over 124 plate appearances for the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham. He’s walking at a stellar 17.7% rate against a manageable 24.2% strikeout percentage. He spent a couple weeks on the injured list earlier this month but returned to the Bulls’ lineup a week ago.

Unfortunately for the veteran, he could find it hard to crack a quality Tampa Bay outfield. Randy Arozarena has left field secured and the lefty-swinging Josh Lowe has had a breakout year to claim most of the right field reps. Luke Raley and Manuel Margot — neither of whom can be optioned to the minor leagues — are also in the outfield mix; Raley, in particular, has played very well this season. Gamel passed on his CBA opt-out dates in March and May.

Naquin was an Article XX(B) free agent who didn’t break camp with the big league club. He split the 2022 campaign between the Reds and Mets, combining to hit .229/.282/.423 over 334 trips to the plate. The left-handed hitting outfielder has only played 13 games with Triple-A Nashville after signing with the Brewers, hitting .250/.294/.375 with a pair of homers. He’s been on the minor league injured list since April 28.

Rosenthal has had his last couple seasons washed away by injury. He lost 2021 to thoracic outlet syndrome and hip surgery, while his ’22 campaign was wiped out by hamstring and lat strains. The Tigers took a look at the one-time star closer in Spring Training and kept him in the organization with their highest affiliate in Toledo. Rosenthal pitched twice in the season’s first week before being placed on the minor league IL with a sprained throwing elbow.

Ross is recovering from last June’s Tommy John surgery and will spend most of the year on the injured list. He bypassed his first two opt-out chances and seems likely to do so again.

Sanchez served a depth role for Minnesota last season, logging 60 innings over 15 outings (ten starts). He was tagged for a 6.60 ERA at the MLB level but performed well enough in Triple-A the organization brought him back. The former ERA champ has started ten games with their top affiliate in St. Paul this year. He has a 4.17 ERA over 41 frames. His 49.2% ground-ball rate is solid but he’s walked nearly 16% of batters faced while punching hitters out at just an 18.8% clip. Even with injuries to Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda, the Twins have had one of the game’s best rotations through two months.

Stammen suffered a capsule tear in his shoulder in Spring Training. The 39-year-old has spent the year on the injured list and has admitted the injury might unfortunately end his career.

Michael Conforto Day-To-Day With Heel Bruise

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5:30pm: Conforto’s MRI came back clean, per Pavlovic. The club considers him day-to-day with a heel bruise.

1:52pm: Giants outfielder Michael Conforto is dealing with a heel bruise on his left foot and will undergo an X-ray, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Conforto will also undergo an MRI, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, who adds that the outfielder is walking with a limp at the moment.

To this point, it’s unclear how severe the injury is, but it’s obviously somewhat concerning that Conforto is having trouble putting his weight on the foot. The fact that he’s about to undergo a series of tests points to some level of concern on the part of the club as well. “He was feeling much better last night than he is today,” manager Gabe Kapler tells Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. “He’s in more discomfort.” The results of that testing will provide some clarity on what to expect going forward.

Health has been a major focus for Conforto in recent years, as he missed the entire 2022 season due to shoulder surgery. The Giants then took a shot on a bounceback by signing him to a two-year, $36MM deal, one that allowed him to opt out after the first season. There was an added level of risk since he also struggled in 2021, hitting .232/.344/.384 that year for a wRC+ of 106. He was still above average but well off his previous form, as he hit .265/.369/.495 from 2017 to 2020 for a 133 wRC+.

Despite an entire year off, he has been in good form so far this year, having hit 11 home runs already. His .250/.347/.464 batting line translates to a 123 wRC+, just about in line with his career production. He has been on a particularly torrid stretch lately, hitting seven of those 11 home runs in the past three weeks while slashing .373/.421/.716 for a wRC+ of 202 in that time.

It would obviously be a blow to the Giants if that kind of bat was removed for the lineup, so the results of the imaging will be significant for the club. They are already without other outfield options, as each of Joc Pederson, Heliot Ramos and Luis González is on the injured list right now. Should Conforto join them, the Giants would have to figure out a plan for moving forward.

Mitch Haniger and Mike Yastrzemski would have two outfield spots spoken for, with Bryce Johnson and Austin Slater also on the roster. Johnson is generally considered a glove-first option while Slater is an effective hitter but primarily against left-handed pitchers. He’s hit .290/.380/.476 against southpaws in his career but .226/.314/.336 otherwise. Blake Sabol could also spend some time in the outfield though he’s also part of the catching mix alongside Patrick Bailey. Luis Matos is on the 40-man roster and playing well in the minors but hasn’t yet made his major league debut. He has a .315/.395/.452 batting line this year, split between Double-A and Triple-A.

The extent of the heel injury could also potentially have ramifications for Conforto personally, as he will be deciding whether or not to trigger his opt-out at season’s end. He’s making salaries of $18MM this year and next and will have to decide whether to leave the back half on the table or return to the open market in search of a larger guarantee. The opt-out provision is contingent on him reaching 350 plate appearances on the season and he’s already more than halfway there, currently at 196. A significant absence would decrease his chances of getting over that threshold. Even if he does make it over the 350 line, any injury-related dip in performance could impact his decision.

Looking Ahead To Upcoming Club Options: NL West

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We’re roughly a third of the way through the 2023 season. Players have had a couple months to build something of a performance track record that’ll play a role in their future contracts. With that in mind, MLBTR will take a look over the coming days at players whose contracts contain team or mutual options to gauge the early trajectory for those upcoming decisions.

We’ll go division by division and open things in the National League West:

Arizona Diamondbacks

Chafin lingered in free agency over the winter after opting out of his deal with the Tigers. The seeming lack of market interest was perplexing given the lefty reliever’s consistent effectiveness over the past few seasons. He’s carried that over into his second stint in the desert. Through 20 1/3 innings, Chafin owns a 3.10 ERA. He’s punched out 36% of opposing hitters on a huge 16.2% swinging strike percentage, both of which would be career-high marks. He’s not a prototypical fireballing reliever but he’s demonstrated he’s capable of missing bats and thriving in high-leverage situations for the past few years. The $6.5MM net decision on next year’s option looks more than reasonable if he keeps this up.

  • Zach Davies: $5.5MM mutual option ($300K buyout, rises to $500K with 16+ starts)

Davies has been limited to three starts by a left oblique strain. He has allowed eight runs with a modest 10:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 2/3 innings. There’s not much to go on yet in terms of 2023 performance but Davies looked like a borderline fifth starter the previous two years. The Diamondbacks have enough young pitching they seem likelier to buy him out unless the soft-tossing righty rediscovers his 2019-20 form for the stretch run.

  • Miguel Castro: $5MM option vests with 60+ appearances; would become $6MM player option with 40+ games finished (no buyout)

Castro has already pitched 26 times since signing with Arizona over the winter. He’s on pace to easily surpass the 60-appearance threshold needed to vest next year’s $5MM option if he can avoid the injured list. It could be a closer call as to whether he can turn that guaranteed $5MM salary into a $6MM player option; Castro has finished 12 games thus far, putting him just off the 40-game pace he’d need to do so. (He’s on pace for 36 games finished). Castro has been effective — a 2.22 ERA with roughly average strikeout, walk and swinging strike numbers through 24 1/3 innings — so vesting the player option and retesting the market isn’t out of the question.

Melancon struggled to a 4.66 ERA in 56 innings during his first season in Arizona. He hasn’t pitched this year on account of a Spring Training shoulder strain. Melancon might return in the second half but this is trending towards the team buying him out.

Colorado Rockies

Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. He’ll miss the majority of next season as he rehabs. A healthy Márquez would’ve made this an easy call for the Rockies to exercise but the procedure means they’ll buy him out. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Rox try to bring him back on a lesser salary or a multi-year deal with an eye towards 2025.

Hand’s peripherals had fallen back between 2021-22 from his All-Star peak. He’s continued to keep runs off the board and seen a notable bounceback in his strikeout rate since a Spring Training deal with Colorado. Hand owns a 3.20 ERA through 19 2/3 frames while striking out 33.7% of batters faced on a decent 11.6% swinging strike percentage. The veteran southpaw has dominated left-handed hitters and is yet to allow a home run this season. If he maintains this form, he’ll be one of the top reliever trade candidates this summer. If Colorado hangs onto him, they could be faced with an interesting decision as to whether to keep him around for an extra $6.5MM next winter.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers signed Muncy to a $13.5MM deal last summer even as he was amidst his worst season since landing in L.A. They’ve been rewarded with a massive bounceback showing. Muncy is tied for second in the majors with 17 home runs. He’s only hitting .208 but carrying a strong .340 on-base percentage thanks to an elite 15.8% walk rate. The $10MM price point would be an easy decision for the Dodgers if Muncy keeps up anything approaching this pace.

Los Angeles brought Hudson back last summer on the heels of a season-ending ACL tear. The veteran reliever hasn’t recovered as quickly from that procedure as he’d hoped. Hudson hasn’t pitched yet this season. He told reporters last night he’ll throw a bullpen session this week but is without a timeline for a return to game action (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). It remains to be seen how he’ll look when he takes the mound.

  • Alex Reyes: $3MM team option with escalators ($100K buyout)

The Dodgers took a $1.1MM flier on Reyes after he lost the 2022 season to shoulder surgery. He’s on the 60-day injured list and not expected to be a factor until around the All-Star Break. This one remains to be determined based on his post-rehab form.

  • Blake Treinen (option value between $1-7MM dependent on time spent on IL)

Treinen underwent surgery to repair the rotator cuff and labrum in his throwing shoulder last November. He won’t pitch much, if at all, this season. Treinen’s contract contains an option with a floating value between $1MM and $7MM depending on how much time he spends on the injured list and the issue that puts him on the shelf. Its precise value is yet to be determined, but MLBTR has confirmed it’ll land towards the lower end of that range given Treinen’s surgery.

San Diego Padres

  • Nick Martinez: team has two-year, $32MM option; if declined, Martinez has two-year, $16MM player option

Martinez has taken on a similar swing role as he served during his first year in San Diego. The right-hander started his first four outings and pitched reasonably well. He was nevertheless bumped back into relief thereafter. For the second consecutive season, Martinez has proven a key multi-inning arm out of the bullpen. He’s posted a 1.35 ERA with a quality 20:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 20 relief innings, holding opponents to a pitiful .240/.278/.267 batting line.

There’s little question of Martinez’s effectiveness in a relief role, though a $16MM average annual value could be pricy if the organization isn’t planning on giving him another look out of the rotation. Perhaps Martinez’s production over the final four months makes this a clearer decision for San Diego by season’s end. As of now, it looks like a borderline call — not too dissimilar from Martinez’s question of whether to opt out of three years and $18MM last winter. The Padres liked him enough to subsequently re-sign him to a $26MM guarantee with the complex option structure.

  • Michael Wacha: team has two-year, $32MM option; if declined, Wacha has $6.5MM player option (with successive player options for 2025-26)

Wacha lingered in free agency last winter. Clubs seemed reluctant to buy into his solid results for the Red Sox, a reflection of middling strikeout and ground-ball numbers. Since landing in San Diego, he’s basically repeating last year’s script. The run prevention is excellent; he’s allowed a 3.45 ERA through 57 1/3 innings over ten starts. Wacha is again throwing strikes and keeping runs off the board despite roughly average strikeout and swinging strike rates.

Maintaining a mid-3.00s ERA for a second straight season might build confidence in his ability to outperform ERA estimators that suggest he’s more of a solid #4 starter than a mid-rotation arm. That said, Wacha doesn’t look all that different now than he did three months ago, when he signed a four-year guarantee with a $6.5MM average annual value. A jump to the $16MM per-year range could be a tougher sell for San Diego, although there’s little doubt Wacha would opt out of the final three years and $18.5MM on his contract if he keeps pitching like this and the Padres decline their end.

San Francisco Giants

Cobb has pitched well since signing a two-year deal with San Francisco over the 2021-22 offseason. He carries a 3.05 ERA through his first 11 starts this year. Cobb’s 60.6% ground-ball rate is stellar and he’s posted average strikeout and walk numbers (21.3% and 6.7%, respectively). An $8MM net decision would be an easy call for the Giants to exercise if Cobb maintains this pace. He’s dealt with injuries in the past but managed 149 2/3 innings over 28 starts last year and has avoided the IL in 2023.

All stats through play Monday.

Giants To Reinstate Luke Jackson

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The Giants are reinstating right-hander Luke Jackson from the injured list, reports Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News. The righty will be making his first appearance since the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2022. Infielder David Villar will be optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in an associated active roster move, reports Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Jackson was on the 60-day injured list, so the club will still need to make a corresponding move to put him back onto the 40-man roster.

Jackson was an effective middle innings arm for the Braves before the Tommy John procedure. While he’d struggled in the abbreviated 2020 season, he posted sub-4.00 ERA seasons in the two surrounding full schedules. That included a sparkling 1.98 ERA through 63 2/3 innings in 2021. Jackson punched out a solid 26.8% of opponents while inducing grounders on well over half the batted balls he allowed.

That quality performance led the Giants to take a shot on Jackson in spite of last year’s lost season. San Francisco signed him to a somewhat surprising two-year, $11.5MM free agent guarantee over the winter. He’s making $3MM this year and will be paid a $6.5MM salary in 2024 and at least a $2MM buyout on a 2025 club option. That’s a reasonable price tag for a setup type but a roll of the dice on the 31-year-old recapturing his pre-surgery form. Jackson has made five rehab appearances with Sacramento, allowing four runs with eight strikeouts and four walks through 4 1/3 innings.

Villar entered the season as San Francisco’s expected third baseman. He’d performed well as a rookie following a late-season call in 2022. The right-handed hitter has had a rough start to his ’23 campaign, however. Over 108 plate appearances, he has hit just .135/.222/.292 with four home runs and a 32.4% strikeout rate. J.D. Davis has taken hold of the third base job and pushed Villar into a depth capacity.

Giants Place Thairo Estrada On 10-Day Injured List

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The Giants placed infielder Thairo Estrada on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 26) due to a left wrist sprain.  Infielder David Villar was recalled from Triple-A to take Estrada’s place on San Francisco’s roster.

Estrada has been dealing with the injury for a few days, as The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly writes that Estrada hurt himself during a swing in Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Twins.  After trying to tough it out on Thursday, Estrada was out of the lineup on Friday and will now need at least a 10-day hiatus to recover.  The good news is that an MRI revealed just inflammation and no structural damage in Estrada’s wrist.

Estrada has quietly been one of the better all-around players in baseball this season, as only 16 players have a higher fWAR than his 1.9 total.  Beyond hitting .301/.345/.466 with six homers and stealing 13 of 16 bases, Estrada’s versatility has also been a weapon for the Giants, as he got a lot of time at shortstop when Brandon Crawford was on the injured list earlier this season.  Most of the time, Estrada has settled in as San Francisco’s regular second baseman, and he has also made a few appearances in left field.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco profiled Estrada in greater depth earlier this month, and how the Giants have gotten a ton of return out of a rather unheralded player since acquiring Estrada from the Yankees for cash considerations early in the 2021 season.

There’s no easy way to replicate Estrada’s production over even a 10-day stint, and given the Giants’ penchant for platoons, they probably won’t turn to a single player to replace Estrada.  Villar, Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt, and Wilmer Flores could all pitch in at second base, though Schmitt has been seeing an increasing amount of time at shortstop in Crawford’s place.

Phillies Claim Cal Stevenson

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The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve claimed outfielder Cal Stevenson off waivers from the Giants. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia transferred Rule 5 right-hander Noah Song from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Stevenson originally came to the Giants from the A’s, coming over in exchange for cash. He went hitless in 12 plate appearances as a Giant and has just a .145/.259/.188 slash in 83 trips to the plate at the big league level. That’s an unsightly look, of course, but it comes in a tiny sample.

Down in the minors, he’s been a much more productive hitter. Stevenson touts a .271/.382/.386 batting line with seven home runs and 21 steals in 26 attempts. He’s walked at a hefty 15% clip in Triple-A against a lower-than-average 18.2% strikeout rate. Stevenson can play all three outfield spots, though the bulk of his work has come in center field.

The Phils don’t necessarily have a dire outfield need, with Kyle Schwarber, breakout 25-year-old Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos lining up from left to right, respectively. However, with Cristian Pache on the mend from surgery to repair a meniscus tear, Philadelphia also doesn’t have a true fourth outfielder. Veteran utilityman Josh Harrison is no stranger to the outfield corners, and rookie infielder/outfielder Dalton Guthrie has spent time in center field. However, Guthrie has more experience on the infield than in the outfield. Stevenson will give the Phillies a pure fourth outfield option who carries nearly 1800 professional innings of experience in center, plus another 1300 in the corners.

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