Mariners Sign Shane Carle
The Mariners have signed reliever Shane Carle to a minor league contract, per Mike Curto, broadcaster for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. The 29-year-old has been assigned to the Rainiers.
Carle signed a minors pact with the Reds in February. He spent the entire season with Cincinnati’s top farm team in Louisville, working to a 3.45 ERA with decent strikeout and walk rates (21.7% and 7.2%, respectively). Despite the solid performance, Cincinnati released Carle earlier this week rather than add him to the big league roster.
The right-hander appeared in the majors with the Rockies and Braves between 2017-19. The overwhelming majority of his playing time came with Atlanta in 2018, when Carle worked to a 2.86 ERA over 63 frames. His peripherals never supported that run prevention level, though. Carle only struck out 16.6% of batters faced that year while walking an average 10.4% of opponents, contributing to a less inspiring 4.59 SIERA.
Carle got off to a bad start the following season, allowing ten runs on eleven hits and nine walks while striking out six. The Braves designated him for assignment after just six appearances, and he didn’t return to the majors after being acquired by the Rangers. Nevertheless, there’s no harm for the Mariners in brining him aboard as high minors depth, particularly given his solid numbers with Louisville this year.
Welington Castillo Retires
Former big league catcher Welington Castillo is retiring from baseball, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter link). He’ll hang up his spikes having appeared for five teams in parts of ten major league seasons.
Castillo began his professional career with the Cubs, signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2004 and reaching the majors by 2010. He went on to spend the next four-plus years on the North Side of Chicago, hitting fairly well as the Cubs regular catcher from 2013-14. Chicago traded him to the Mariners in May 2015, and Seattle flipped him to the Diamondbacks as part of a deal to acquire Mark Trumbo a little more than a month later.
The right-handed hitting backstop spent the next year and a half in Arizona, working as the D-Backs primary backstop before being non-tendered. He signed on with the Orioles for the 2017 campaign, again offering his typical blend of quality offense and fringy but playable defense behind the dish. He then returned to Chicago — this time on the South Side — on a two-year deal with the White Sox.
Unfortunately, Castillo’s White Sox tenure didn’t go as hoped. He was suspended for eighty games after testing positive for a banned substance midway through the 2018 season, and he struggled at the plate for the first time in his career in 2019. While Castillo signed minor league deals with the Nationals in each of the past two offseasons, he didn’t make it back to the majors. The 34-year-old opted out last season due to COVID-19 concerns and has spent this year with Washington’s Triple-A affiliate.
While Castillo’s career didn’t end the way he’d likely envisioned, there’s little doubt he had a solid run. Castillo tallied 2701 plate appearances over his ten big league campaigns, compiling a .254/.313/.426 line that betters the .243/.311/.390 mark managed by the league average catcher between 2010-19. Castillo picked up 626 hits (including 98 home runs), drew 183 walks, scored 251 times and drove in 339 runs. Baseball Reference estimates he was worth around 12 wins above replacement. (FanGraphs, which accounts for his generally poor pitch framing metrics, pegs him closer to five wins). B-Ref tallies his career earnings at just north of $28MM. MLBTR congratulates Castillo on a fine career and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
AL Notes: Blue Jays, Jansen, Moreno, Mariners, White, Mize, Skubal
Before this afternoon’s game against the Rays, the Blue Jays activated catcher Danny Jansen from the injured list and optioned Riley Adams to Triple-A. Jansen will be limited to scripted usage in the near-term, as manager Charlie Montoyo is committed to riding the hot hand of Reese McGuire for now, per Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports (via Twitter). McGuire was designated for assignment at the start of the season, and he’d have to be waived again for Toronto to take him off the active roster. He’s not going anywhere for now, however, not while he continues to hit as he has, with a .302/.350/.406 triple slash line through 104 plate appearances. That means Alejandro Kirk will remain in Triple-A for the time being, where he is currently on a rehab assignment.
More from Toronto and the rest of the American League:
- In other Blue Jays catching news, top prospect Gabriel Moreno underwent surgery on his fractured right thumb, as first reported by Future Blue Jays (and confirmed by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). There’s no specific timetable on his return, but the young backstop will be out for multiple weeks. Moreno entered the season as one of the top catching prospects in the minors, and he’s taken his stock to another level with Double-A New Hampshire. Despite only being 21 years old, Moreno has thrived at the minors’ second-highest level, hitting .373/.441/.651 with eight homers across 145 plate appearances.
- The Mariners don’t appear particularly close to returns from either of a pair of injured regulars. There’s still no timetable on center fielder Kyle Lewis, who is recovering from a meniscus tear in his right knee, relays Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). Lewis isn’t eligible to return from the 60-day injured list until early August, but it doesn’t seem feasible to expect him back at that point given the vague outlook on his injury. First baseman Evan White, meanwhile, “isn’t close” to even resuming baseball activities after receiving a cortisone shot in his ailing left hip, per Divish. White is eligible to return from the 60-day IL in a little over a week, but he’s obviously going to need significantly more time than that to recover.
- The Tigers are planning to be more judicious with Casey Mize’s and Tarik Skubal’s in-start workloads in the coming weeks, writes Evan Woodbery of MLive. Detroit isn’t planning to shut down either of their prized young hurlers entirely; instead, there’ll be pre-planned quick hooks during some starts to keep their innings totals in check. The process already began during Mize’s start yesterday, as manager A.J. Hinch lifted the 24-year-old after three innings and 56 pitches against the White Sox. Mize, who threw 28 1/3 innings during last year’s shortened season, is up to 91 1/3 frames in 2021. Skubal tossed 32 innings in 2020 and is up to 82 2/3 this season after today’s five-inning outing against Chicago.
Roster Notes: Mariners, Tigers, Indians, Rockies, Mets
The Mariners have reinstated Marco Gonzales from the paternity list, the team announced. Donovan Walton has been optioned to Triple-A to create the roster spot. Gonzalez was gone for just a couple of days, and he’ll step right back into his rotation spot. Walton, meanwhile, has appeared in 21 games and posted a .205/.254/.365 line.
Let’s make the rounds and check in on some roster moves and injury updates…
- The Tigers and Indians will play a doubleheader today, meaning both teams get to add a 27th man for the day. The Indians have brought up infielder Owen Miller, per Mandy Bell (via Twitter). The Tigers, meanwhile, will add Derek Hill, who only recently has been healthy enough to return from the injured list.
- Ryan Castellani has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A, the Rockies announced. Castellani made one start for the Rockies this year, tossing 3 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs. The 25-year-old will look to put together more productive outings in Triple-A where he owns a 7.82 ERA across 35 2/3 innings.
- Mets infielders Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis will both begin rehab assignments with the Syracuse Mets today, tweets Tim Britton of The Athletic. What began as a hand contusion has ended up keeping Davis out for all but 14 games of the season thus far. Villar filled in ably for much of the year, but he, too, went down with a calf strain. Both now appear to be on the mend.
MLB Suspends Hector Santiago 10 Games For Foreign Substance
3:10pm: The league actually did not further inspect Santiago’s glove, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports (Twitter link). The ejection and suspension are based solely on the umpire’s discretion. That’s a rather surprising development and one that, speculatively speaking, could prompt some union pushback.
2:20pm: Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Mariners lefty Hector Santiago has been suspended 10 games and been fined an undisclosed amount for possessing a foreign substance on his glove in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game against the White Sox. Santiago is appealing the decision.
Mariners manager Scott Servais said after the game that umpire Phil Cuzzi was mistaken and that there was no illegal substance on Santiago’s glove — only rosin (which is permissible under MLB rules) and sweat. The league, after conducting an analysis of Santiago’s glove, clearly does not agree and has elected to punish the veteran lefty. Santiago’s suspension will be held in abeyance until the appeal process is complete. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets, Santiago’s case will now be heard by an arbiter who works for Major League Baseball, which all but eliminates the possibility of the suspension being overturned. It could potentially be reduced, Passan suggests.
The 33-year-old Santiago has been quite effective with the Mariners thus far in 2021 after not pitching in the big leagues last season. He’s worked to a 2.65 ERA with a 23-to-7 K/BB ratio in 17 innings of work. This year’s 32.4 percent strikeout rate is easily a career-high, which will raise some eyebrows in light of the suspension, but it should be noted that Santiago hasn’t seen any appreciable uptick in spin rate this year. The spin on his four-seam fastball, in fact, has dropped from its previous levels, while the spin on his slider is right in line with his career marks.
Under the league’s new enforcement policy for foreign substances, the Mariners won’t be able to replace Santiago on the roster if his suspension is indeed upheld. They’ll have to play a man down while he serves his punishment.
Mariners’ Hector Santiago Ejected Following Foreign Substance Inspection
Mariners left-hander Héctor Santiago was ejected from today’s game against the White Sox by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi after a between-innings foreign substance inspection, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post was among those to relay. Santiago’s glove was confiscated. (Ben Verlander of Fox Sports provides video of the incident).
Seattle manager Scott Servais confirmed (via Jesse Rogers of ESPN) that Santiago was deemed to have used a foreign substance but claimed Cuzzi’s judgment was incorrect. “He had rosin all over himself. Phil thought he had sticky stuff on his glove,” Servais said. “There is no sticky stuff in the glove.” Rosin is permitted under the league’s substance policy.
If Santiago’s ejection is ultimately deemed to be due to a foreign substance and not rosin, as Servais suggested, the left-hander wiill be subject to a ten-day suspension under the terms of Major League Baseball’s new enforcement of the prohibition against ball doctoring. Santiago would become the first player to be disciplined since MLB’s crackdown went into effect on Monday. The Mariners would not be permitted to replace him on the active or 40-man rosters during the course of any suspension.
The 33-year-old Santiago first appeared in the majors in 2011 and has thrown just under 1000 innings at the big league level. Signed to a minor league deal last month, he’s made nine appearances since being selected to the roster. Santiago entered play today with a 2.45 ERA/2.89 SIERA across 14 2/3 innings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/21
The latest minor moves from around baseball:
- The Mariners announced that left-hander Daniel Zamora has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. The southpaw will remain in the organization as non-roster depth. Zamora has pitched in parts of three major league seasons with the Mets and Mariners, tossing 22 innings of 4.50 ERA/3.60 SIERA ball. He’s punched out a strong 28.5% of batters faced in his major league career, but Zamora hasn’t managed to consistently keep runs off the board at either the major league or Triple-A level.
Rays Trade Wyatt Mathisen To Mariners
The Mariners announced Thursday that they have acquired infielder/outfielder Wyatt Mathisen from the Rays in exchange for cash. Left-hander Daniel Zamora was designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Tampa Bay had designated Mathisen for assignment earlier in the week as a corresponding roster move when promoting top prospect Wander Franco.
Seattle also announced that righty reliever Keynan Middleton has been recalled from Triple-A Tacoma. Fellow right-hander Vinny Nittoli was optioned back to Tacoma in his place.
Mathisen, 27, will give the Mariners additional depth at second base and both corner infield and corner outfield positions. He never appeared in a big league game with the Rays, who acquired him in a cash deal with the the Diamondbacks earlier this season.
While he’s posted just a .159/.298/.290 hitter in a small sample of 84 MLB plate appearances — all coming with Arizona — Mathisen has a productive career track record in Triple-A. He’s hitting .288/.344/.525 there in 2021 and, in parts of three seasons of Triple-A ball (183 games), Mathisen owns a .269/.368/.515 batting line with 35 homers, 37 doubles and a triple. He also not only has an option for the 2021 season remaining but can be optioned in 2022, making him a nice bit of depth for the Mariners as they began to transition out of a rebuilding phase. For now, he’ll start his Mariners tenure in Triple-A.
The Mariners claimed Zamora, 28, off waivers from the Mets organization a month ago. He yielded four runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings out of the big league ‘pen and pitched to nearly identical results in a brief look with Tacoma.
That Zamora made it to the big leagues at all is somewhat remarkable, given his status as a former 40th-round pick of the Pirates. He looked dominant in his 2018 MLB debut with New York, holding opponents to three runs on six hits and three walks with 16 strikeouts through his first nine MLB frames. But Zamora was hit much harder the following season in the Majors while also logging pedestrian numbers in Triple-A.
Zamora is in his final option season and has yet to have sustained success above the Double-A level, although his numbers up through Double-A are quite good. The Mariners will have a week to trade him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. If he goes unclaimed, they’d be able to send him outright to Triple-A, keeping him in the organization without dedicating a 40-man roster spot.
Mariners Claim Jake Hager; Evan White Seeking Second Opinion
5:34 pm: In an ominous-sounding development, White has been sent for a second opinion on his injured hip, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
3:23 pm: The Mariners announced they’ve claimed infielder Jake Hager off waivers from the Brewers. First baseman Evan White has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster space. Milwaukee designated Hager for assignment last week.
The 28-year-old Hager was an offseason minor league signee of the Mets. He got off to an incredible start with their Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse and earned a mid-May promotion while the big league club was dealing with a rapid succession of injuries. Hager picked up his first eight MLB plate appearances and collected a hit, but New York designated him for assignment after a one-week stint. The Brewers, in whose system Hager played from 2018-19, claimed him, but he couldn’t maintain his strong minor league start with their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. Altogether, he’s compiled a .278/.336/.500 mark at the minors’ highest level in 2021.
Hager still has all three minor league option years remaining, so the Mariners can send him back and forth between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma for the next few seasons, if he sticks on their 40-man roster. He has plenty of minor league experience at all four infield positions (as well as some brief outfield time), so he’ll add some defensive versatility to the highest levels of the Seattle organization.
White has been on the IL since May 14 due to a left hip flexor strain. He won’t be able to return for 60 days from the date of that original placement, so he’s now out until at least mid-July. White recently suffered a setback during a minor league rehab assignment that pushed back his projected recovery timeline. His current timetable is unclear, but White wasn’t expected to return “anytime soon,” tweets Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
Mariners Select Vinny Nittoli, Place Justin Dunn On Injured List
TODAY: Dunn’s MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, but he does have a shoulder strain. (Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times was among those to report the news.) Dunn will be shut down from throwing for two weeks.
JUNE 18, 5:12 pm: As expected, the Mariners formally announced Nittoli’s selection. Reliever Yohan Ramirez has been recalled from Tacoma, while catcher Jose Godoy was optioned and Dunn was placed on the 10-day IL to create active roster space. Lewis was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot for Nittoli.
9:18 am: The Mariners on Friday will select the contract of right-hander Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Tacoma, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). The move, which will require a corresponding 40-man transaction, marks the culmination of an eight-year journey to the big leagues for Nittoli — a 25th-round pick back in 2014 who turned 30 over the winter. The Mariners do have a pair of 60-day IL candidates in outfielder Kyle Lewis and first baseman Evan White, so either could be transferred over from the 10-day IL to accommodate Nittoli on the 40-man roster. White’s rehab from a hip strain was halted this week due to a setback.
It also appears likely that the M’s will place right-hander Justin Dunn on the 10-day injured list. The 25-year-old righty exited last night’s start after two shutout innings due to shoulder discomfort. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported after the game that Dunn was headed for an MRI and could be placed on the IL for precautionary reasons, even if that imaging came back clean.
Nittoli was a senior sign by the Mariners out of Xavier University and spent three years solid but unremarkable numbers against younger competition in the lower levels of Seattle’s system. He was cut loose and spent the next two years pitching for the St. Paul Saints — then an independent club in the American Association — and for los Aguilas de Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League. Nittoli split the 2019 season between the Double-A affiliate for the Blue Jays and the Triple-A affiliate for the D-backs. He was set to spend the 2020 season in the Jays’ minor league ranks, but he wasn’t included in last summer’s 60-player pool following the resumption of play in the summer.
The well-traveled righty returned to the Mariners on a minor league deal over the winter, and he’s turned heads thus far in Tacoma. In a league that is once again seeing enormous levels of offensive output, Nittoli has held opponents to seven runs on 14 hits and five walks with 26 strikeouts in 18 innings out of the bullpen. The 3.50 ERA may not sound like much, but it ranks 37th in the entire league (min. 10 innings), and Nittoli is also fifth in Triple-A West with a 2.95 FIP and ninth with a 35.6 percent strikeout rate. It’s a small sample, of course, but his performance thus far has been strong.
As for Dunn, he’s out to a nice start in 2021 himself, having logged a 3.75 ERA through 50 1/3 frames. Location remains an issue for the righty, which was never more apparent than in his season debut when he walked eight batters in 4 2/3 frames. Since that woeful outing, Dunn has righted the ship with 45 2/3 innings of 3.55 ERA ball. He’s punched out 23.5 percent of his opponents in that time, and his 10.7 percent walk rate, while still north of the league average, is at least passable.
If Dunn indeed lands on the injured list, this would be his second such stint owing to shoulder discomfort. Dunn spent 10 days on the shelf with shoulder inflammation earlier this month and has only made two appearances since returning. It’s perhaps telling that he yielded five runs in three innings in the first of those two starts before exiting after two frames in last night’s effort.