- Longtime major league center fielder Mike Cameron has accepted a coaching job in the Mariners organization, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. The 46-year-old Cameron will work with Mariners outfielders on defense and baserunning, largely at the minor league level. Cameron excelled in those two areas during his MLB career, which spanned from 1995-2011 and included a tremendous four-year run in Seattle from 2000-03. He was a key cog on the ’01 Mariners, who won 116 regular-season games and still stand as the franchise’s most recent playoff team.
Mariners Rumors
Mariners Promote Justus Sheffield, Designate Shawn Armstrong
The Mariners announced Friday that they’ve recalled top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield for his team debut and designated righty Shawn Armstrong for assignment. Sheffield’s promotion is expected to be a short-term one, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, who tweets that the lefty is expected to be optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma after tonight’s game. At that point, newly acquired Mike Wright will be added to the MLB roster in his place.
Sheffield, 22, has been regarded as one of the game’s top pitching prospects for the majority of his professional career. The Indians selected him with the 31st overall pick in the 2014 draft but later traded him to the Yankees alongside Clint Frazier in the trade that netted them Andrew Miller. Sheffield made his big league debut with the Yankees last September but tossed just 2 2/3 innings of relief. The Yankees flipped him to the Mariners this winter as the centerpiece of the James Paxton trade.
Per MLB.com’s Greg Johns, Sheffield won’t actually start tonight’s game; rather, he’ll follow Yusei Kikuchi in relief. Kikuchi will function as an opener in tonight’s game, pitching only one inning as part of the Mariners’ plan to acclimate the Japanese rookie to a larger workload (both in terms of volume of innings and the frequency with which he pitches as compared to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where starters pitch every sixth day). At some point, of course, the Mariners will take a look at Sheffield as a full-time rotation cog, though that apparently won’t come until later in the season. For now, righty Erik Swanson (also acquired from the Yankees in the Paxton swap) is getting the first look in the rotation.
The Mariners will now have a week to trade Armstrong or pass him through outright waivers. The organization likely hopes to be able to retain the 28-year-old, who was brilliant in 56 innings of Triple-A ball last season (1.77 ERA, 13.2 K/9) before posting a 1.23 ERA and a 15-to-3 K/BB ratio in 14 2/3 innings at the big league level. Armstrong has been tagged for six runs on eight hits and three walks through just 3 2/3 innings with the Mariners so far in 2019. Armstrong is out of minor league options, so any club that acquires him would have to carry him on its active roster (or else once again try to pass him through outright waivers).
Mariners Sign Jon Niese To Minor League Deal
The Mariners have signed left-hander Jon Niese to a minor league contract, per Long Island Ducks general manager Michael Pfaff (Twitter link). Niese had been set to open the season with the Ducks in the Atlantic League, but the Mariners purchased his contractual rights. He’ll report to Triple-A Tacoma.
Niese, 32, didn’t pitch in either 2017 or 2018 due in part to injuries. He went to Spring Training with the Yankees in ’17 and the Rangers in ’18 but didn’t pitch for an affiliate of either club during the regular season. His 2018 stint with the Rangers was slowed due to a subscapularis strain that cropped up in Spring Training.
The last big league appearance for Niese came back in a 2016 season that saw the southpaw struggle to a 5.50 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 51.1 percent ground-ball rate in 121 innings between the Pirates and the Mets. Prior to that ugly year, Niese enjoyed a solid six-year run as a mainstay in the Mets’ rotation, pitching in 174 games (169 starts) and compiling a 3.86 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 over the life of 1028 2/3 innings.
Rotation depth in the upper minors has been an issue for the Mariners, who have also signed righties Tyler Cloyd and Christian Bergman to minor league contracts in the past 10 days. Niese will slot in alongside that duo, fellow veteran Tommy Milone and top prospect Justus Sheffield as part the Mariners’ set of starters in Tacoma for the time being.
Mariners, Tyler Cloyd Agree To Minor League Deal
The Mariners and righty Tyler Cloyd have struck up a minor league deal, as first reported by Mike Curto, who calls games for the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma (Twitter link). He’ll start tomorrow’s game for the Rainiers.
Cloyd, 32 next month, spent Spring Training with the Rays organization and allowed a pair of runs in seven innings of relief. He’s no stranger to the Mariners organization, having spent the bulk of his 2017 season there. Cloyd made one big league appearance for Seattle in ’17 (a scoreless inning of relief) and moved onto the Marlins organization in 2018. Cloyd logged 85 1/3 innings with Miami’s Triple-A club and another 17 2/3 frames at the MLB level, though he struggled in both stops (5.17 ERA in Triple-A, 8.66 in the Majors). In all, he has a 6.35 ERA in 112 big league frames but a more encouraging 3.96 mark in 568 2/3 innings of Triple-A work.
Cloyd will step into a Rainiers rotation that includes top prospect Justus Sheffield, former big leaguer Tommy Milone and fellow journeyman Christian Bergman. Per Curto, he’ll take the place of former White Sox prospect Tyler Danish, who has been reassigned to extended Spring Training for the time being. Right-hander Erik Swanson, the other key prospect who came to the Mariners alongside Sheffield in this winter’s James Paxton swap, had been starting in Triple-A as well but was called up to the big league rotation in place of injured lefty Wade LeBlanc.
Mariners Acquire Mike Wright
The Mariners have acquired righty Mike Wright from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Infield Ryne Ogren will head to the Baltimore organization in return.
Wright was designated for assignment recently by the O’s. The out-of-options hurler will head onto the active roster for the M’s. He’ll need to remain there or be exposed to waivers.
The results haven’t been there for Wright, who carries a 5.95 ERA through 242 career frames in the majors. He has been hurt by the long ball this year, surrendering five in just 13 1/3 innings of work en route to a ghastly 9.45 ERA.
It’s not entirely clear what the Mariners hope to accomplish with the move beyond adding another arm to the stable. Perhaps their analytics department has an idea for how to squeeze improved results from his raw stuff, which includes a four-seam fastball that sits at around 94 mph.
As for Ogren, the 22-year-old was a 12th-round draft pick in 2018. He has been stationed at the Class A level to open the 2019 season, where he carries a .229/.319/.343 slash in 48 plate appearances.
Prospect Notes: Hernandez, Sheffield, Senzel, Bichette, Vlad Jr., Luzardo
Here’s the latest on some prospects of note from around the game:
- The Red Sox brought up top pitching prospect Darwinzon Hernandez for his first taste of the majors, with Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reporting the move. Hernandez, a 22-year-old from Venezuela, still needs to iron out his command but has shown some impressive swing-and-miss capabilities. It was on display tonight, as he allowed five baserunners but also racked up four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings in relief.
- Left-handed pitching prospect Justus Sheffield will join the Mariners on Friday for his first action with his new club, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports on Twitter. He’s expected to piggyback with Yusei Kikuchi for a start; it’s possible he’ll be dropped back to Triple-A thereafter, though that’s not yet clear. While he already has 13 days of MLB service on his odometer, Sheffield won’t be able to reach a full year of service even if he stakes a permanent claim to a big-league roster spot. Sheffield hasn’t been himself thus far at Triple-A, carrying an 11:14 K/BB ratio through 18 1/3 innings.
- It’s possible the Reds will soon welcome top prospect Nick Senzel to the majors. As Fletcher Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, Senzel is back in the lineup at Triple-A after recovering from a sprained ankle. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be promoted in the near-term, but the organization doesn’t have much cause to hesitate at this point. Senzel can no longer achieve a full year of MLB service in 2019; the club is sitting at five games under .500 and can’t wait long to make its move. Once Senzel gets his timing down and gets comfortable in the outfield — he’s lined up in center field tonight for Louisville — he’ll likely be called up.
- The Blue Jays got some unwelcome news on exciting infield prospect Bo Bichette. Robert Murray and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported on Twitter that Bichette had suffered a broken hand. As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets, the fracture was to the second metacarpal of his left hand. Widely considered one of the game’s very best prospects, Bichette will now need to get back to health before he can begin pressing for a major-league promotion. Meanwhile, anticipation grows that teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will soon get the call; Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs tweets that some around the game anticipate it’ll come this week.
- Top Athletics prospect Jesus Luzardo is beginning to work back toward the hill, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). He’s moving from 75 feet to 90 feet tomorrow, so it’s still rather early in his progression back from shoulder soreness. Slusser estimates that it could take four to six weeks before the prized southpaw could be ready for game action. In all likelihood, he won’t be seen as a candidate for a MLB promotion until he has at least a few Triple-A starts under his belt and the club feels confident there aren’t any lingering issues with the joint.
Poll: Which Early-Season Surprises Are For Real?
As we approach the one-month mark of the young 2019 season, the MLB standings are starting to take shape, with fast starters trying to separate from the pack and rebuilding teams falling behind. With that said, the current slate of division leaders features some surprises. Notably, preseason favorites like the Yankees and Red Sox have encountered considerable adversity, while juggernauts like the Dodgers and Astros have thus far met expectations. Meanwhile, a number of teams that received less attention as potential contenders have found themselves climbing MLB’s rankings. Power surges in Seattle and Minnesota have carried the Mariners and Twins to the top of AL’s West and Central divisions, respectively. Elite run prevention in Pittsburgh has allowed the Pirates to flourish in the hyper-competitive NL Central. An injection of youthful energy has driven the Padres to within striking distance of the powerhouse Dodgers. Let’s examine these upstart clubs and look ahead to their outlook for the rest of the season.
The Mariners made headlines throughout the offseason, but often for the wrong reasons. General manager Jerry Dipoto spent the winter shipping off nearly every Major Leaguer with value, and now fields a team that only vaguely resembles the one that won 89 games in 2018. Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano, Jean Segura, and James Paxton were all dealt to the East Coast. Last season’s iteration of the Mariners was notorious for its unsustainable first-half performance, repeatedly winning one-run games, often thanks to the heroics of Edwin Diaz. In 2019, the story is of a different flavor, though skeptics may once again challenge the sustainability of April’s returns. This year’s team is slugging home runs at a historic rate, including a streak of 20 games in which the team hit at least one round-tripper. The 2019 Mariners have belted 56 home runs, 12 more than the next closest team, the Dodgers. Tim Beckham and Domingo Santana are churning out extra-base hits, and Mitch Haniger is rising to stardom. Still, the Astros are looming, and a spot in the AL Wild Card will not come easy, with sleeping giants in the AL East working through early adversity–to say nothing of the undeniable Rays.
In a division that has all the makings of a bloodbath, many might have counted out the Pirates after an uninspired offseason: whereas rivals’ offseasons were highlighted by flashy additions like Paul Goldschmidt, Yasiel Puig, and Yasmani Grandal, the Pirates were quiet in the winter, with names like Lonnie Chisenhall and Erik Gonzalez headlining the team’s moves. However, it has quickly become clear that the 12-7 Pirates boast one of the Majors’ best pitching staffs. Behind Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams has emerged as an automatic quality start every outing. Meanwhile, Joe Musgrove is showing off the dynamic stuff that made him the centerpiece in the Gerrit Cole trade, and Jordan Lyles has been a pleasant surprise to round out the rotation. Felipe Vazquez is dynamite in the late innings, and Richard Rodriguez showed promise last season as a high-leverage option, though the bullpen is somewhat shaky beyond that combination. On offense, things are less peachy, but Josh Bell is turning heads by coupling prodigious power with a keen batting eye. Again, the NL Central will provide no shortage of resistance, but a starting rotation of this caliber should keep the Pirates in more than their fair share of games.
With the last three seasons resembling a roller coaster ride, the Twins entered the offseason hoping to turn a corner. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine set out with essentially blank future payroll, capitalizing on that flexibility by bringing aboard veterans like Nelson Cruz, Marwin Gonzalez, and Jonathan Schoop to bolster a group of young position players that the Twins hope will be galvanized by rookie manager Rocco Baldelli. Jorge Polanco, fresh off a spring contract extension, has provided encouraging production from the shortstop position, and Eddie Rosario is blasting home runs at an impressive rate. Byron Buxton appears to have unlocked the potential that made him a top prospect, and Jose Berrios is entering bona fide ace territory. The pitching appears much improved from years’ past, with a bullpen headed by Taylor Rogers, who belongs in conversations with the league’s elite relief arms. This team may have the most attainable path to October baseball, playing in a weak division where their primary competition is the Indians, a team that has at times appeared vulnerable in 2019.
The Padres thrust themselves into the conversation for the postseason when general manager A.J. Preller and company added Manny Machado to the mix in a franchise-altering move. The team doubled down when the front office broke the mold by breaking camp with top prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack on the Opening Day roster. Those moves have paid massive dividends thus far, with Tatis forcing his way into the national spotlight, displaying a five-tool skillset. The club’s rotation of young outfielders is launching homers, and the anonymous bullpen has quietly been one of the best in baseball dating back to last season. Meanwhile, with a host of young starters comprising the rotation, the possibility of a Dallas Keuchel addition remains on the table–a move that would emphatically declare the Friars’ intention to make a postseason push. At the top of the NL West, the Dodgers represent a daunting giant to topple, and the rest of the National League features no shortage of contending teams, but the Padres’ spunk might lead to meaningful autumn baseball for the first time in nearly a decade.
While there are months of baseball left to play, trades to be made, injuries to work around, and breakouts to emerge, the games played in March and April are no less important than those in September. Early-season results can lay the groundwork for what’s to come. Which of the aforementioned blossoming clubs are best positioned to sustain their success and exceed expectations?
(Poll link for app users)
Mariners To Sign Christian Bergman
The Mariners have agreed to a minors deal with righty Christian Bergman, according to the Mariners Minors Twitter account (link). He’ll head to Triple-A Tacoma, per broadcaster Mike Curto (via Twitter).
Bergman, who’s closing in on his 31st birthday, has seen MLB time in each of the past five seasons. That includes brief time in each of the prior two campaigns with the Mariners. Through 215 2/3 career frames at the game’s highest level, Bergman carries a 5.59 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
Injury Notes: Trout, Jeffress, Benintendi, Cobb, LeBlanc
Angels megastar Mike Trout, who has been unavailable for several days due to a groin injury, has shown improvement and will rejoin the Angels for their series in Texas, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group. He remains day-to-day and it is yet unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup, but the update is certainly welcome news for the Angels. Trout exited the Angels’ April 9 contest with the Brewers after suffering a right groin strain and remained in Los Angeles while the rest of the team traveled to Chicago. The club has managed well in Trout’s absence, finishing a three-game sweep of the Brewers and winning one of two games against the Cubs, with Sunday’s rubber match postponed. The news should certainly inspire some optimism for Angels fans, who have collectively been holding their breath since Trout’s injury. Considering the circumstances, it would feel like the best-case scenario for the Halos to get their franchise cornerstone back after just a handful of games, a stretch in which the team has maintained its winning form.
Here are the latest updates on other injuries from around Major League Baseball…
- Brewers reliever Jeremy Jeffress has completed his rehab assignment and will rejoin the Brewers on Monday, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Jeffress, a stalwart of the Brewers’ dynamic bullpen in 2018, has been on the shelf for the beginning of the season with a shoulder issue, which has since been resolved, says Haudricourt. He will join Josh Hader in a Milwaukee bullpen that will be without Corey Knebel, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this season.
- In Sunday’s victory over the Orioles, Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi fouled a ball sharply off his right foot and had to exit the game. In some good news for the Sox, though, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that x-rays on Benintendi’s foot returned negative results, though Benintendi will be day-to-day with a foot contusion. He was replaced in left field by Blake Swihart on Sunday, who could continue to serve as Benintendi’s substitute if he misses any time.
- Orioles righty Alex Cobb, out since April 6 with a lumbar strain, won’t come off the IL when first eligible, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report. It doesn’t appear Cobb will miss much more time, however. Manager Brandon Hyde indicated he could start during the Orioles’ upcoming series against the Twins, which runs from April 19-21. Cobb pitched well in his lone start of the season, an April 4 loss to the Yankees in which he threw 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball.
- Seattle Mariners southpaw Wade LeBlanc will miss 4-6 weeks with a grade 2 oblique strain, skipper Scott Servais told reporters, including The Athletic’s Corey Brock (Twitter link). With LeBlanc headed to the 10-day IL, the team has called up right-hander Erik Swanson from Triple-A. Swanson will take LeBlanc’s place in the starting rotation and is slated to make his first Major League start on Wednesday.
Brewers Acquire David Freitas From Mariners
The Brewers and Mariners have made a trade, per a Mariners team announcement. The Brewers will acquire catcher David Freitas from Seattle in exchange for minor league pitcher Sal Biasi. Freitas will report to Triple-A with his new team.
In Freitas, who had been playing in Triple-A, the Brewers will add veteran catching depth. The 30-year-old appeared in 36 games with Seattle last season, after spending several years in the minor leagues with the Nationals, Athletics, Orioles, Cubs, and Braves organizations. In 106 Major League plate appearances in 2018, Freitas posted an unimpressive .215/.277/.312 slash line. However, his Triple-A numbers in the last two seasons have been more encouraging: Freitas worked to a .955 OPS in 36 games in 2018, and the early returns in 2019 have been equally promising. He will enter the Brewers’ catching mix behind Yasmani Grandal and Manny Pina, with Jacob Nottingham also on the 40-man roster. Though opportunities at the MLB level may be limited behind the Grandal/Pina combination, Freitas should slot in as the third catcher if needed.
In return, the Mariners will acquire Sal Biasi, a 23-year-old right-handed relief pitcher currently at the Class-A level. Biasi was the Royals’ 11th-round selection in the 2017 draft, but was traded last season to Milwaukee in a minor-league swap. In 116 career minor league innings, Biasi has posted a solid 3.26 ERA and an even 9.0 K/9, compared to 3.9 BB/9. He will represent added depth to the M’s improving farm system.
