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Yu Chang Likely Joining CPBL’s Fubon Guardians

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Infielder Yu Chang announced on his social media that he is planning to enter the 2024 draft for the Chinese Professional Baseball League of Taiwan, relayed by CPBL Stats on X. Per a report from Kayleigh Madjar at the Taipei Times, the Fubon Guardians have the top pick in the draft, which is scheduled for Friday next week. It seems the Guardians plan to select Chang as the club released a statement saying that they have been in contact with Chang for some time, adding that the “look forward to [Chang] wearing a Fubon Guardians jersey in the second half of the season.” Per CPBL Stats on X, the Guardians will likely offer Chang a contract of 3.5 years worth between $2.34MM and $2.67MM USD. The Guardians are also expected to give the Rays $100K to buy Chang out of his minor league deal with that club.

“It’s been ten years working away from home, I miss home very much,” Chang said on his social media. “Therefore I’ve decided to enter the 2024 CPBL draft. I really appreciate that the Rays organization has been very understanding and supportive of my decision. I’m currently in Florida playing rehab games, will be 100% healthy and get back to the game soon!”

Chang, now 28, was born in Taiwan and signed with Cleveland as an international free agent in 2013. On his way up the minor league ladder, he was generally considered one of that club’s top prospects. Baseball America had him on the Cleveland top 30 for seven straight years starting in 2015.

Broadly speaking, he hit well in the upper levels of the minors but was never able to do much at the major league level. His Triple-A production was usually solid, as he hit .264/.339/.436 at that level over multiple seasons. He was also a good defender around the infield. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average considered him an above-average fielder at all four spots on the dirt.

But multiple call-ups with Cleveland saw him struggle at the plate and get sent back down. He exhausted his final option year in 2021, which kicked off a nomadic period of his career. He was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians in May of 2022 but got plenty of interest from other clubs, hoping that he could bring some of that Triple-A production up to the majors and combine it with his strong glovework. He would go to the Pirates, Rays and Red Sox on cash deals or waiver claims throughout the 2022 season, failing to stick with any of them.

Boston non-tendered him after that season and then re-signed him for 2023. He played for Chinese Taipei in that year’s World Baseball Classic, putting up a huge line of .438/.500/.938. But he suffered a hamate fracture early in the MLB season which sent him to the injured list for a few months. His offensive struggles continued when he returned and he was designated for assignment in August. Over the five big league seasons from 2019 to 2023, he hit .204/.265/.359 in his 650 major league plate appearances.

Chang signed a minor league deal with the Rays coming into 2024 but hasn’t been able to play much this year. An oblique strain suffered in late February came with a six to eight week recovery timeline. Per his MLB.com transactions tracker, he was activated off the minor league injured list on April 26 but was sent back there on May 22. He had appeared in just 14 games in the interim.

If all goes as reported, it’s possible Chang’s time in North American ball is over. If he signs a deal that covers the remainder of this season and three more, he will be 32 years old by the time that pact runs out.

Kevin Cash Reportedly Under Contract With Rays Through 2030

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The Rays are having a bit of a disappointing season so far in 2024 but it’s unlikely that manager Kevin Cash is going to be on the hot seat because of it. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently took a look at some things the franchise could do but noted that Cash is incredibly safe since his contract runs through the 2030 season.

It was reported back in February that both Cash and president of baseball operations Erik Neander had been signed to long-term extensions. Topkin reported at that time that the deals went beyond 2028, but the exact length was vague. This additional reporting from Topkin puts the specifics out in the open, at least for Cash’s deal.

The Rays have generally been incredibly successful in the Cash era. He took over in 2015 after Joe Maddon left to take the skipper job with the Cubs. The Rays posted losing records in the first three seasons under Cash but then went 90-72 in 2018. That would have been good enough for the third American League Wild Card spot but there were only two at that time. In the five completed seasons since then, the Rays have qualified for the postseason in each of them, going as far as the World Series in 2020.

The club is just 34-38 this year and is currently in last in the American League East, but they’re not entirely buried in the standings, still just six games out of a playoff spot. Even if the club can’t quite get back in the mix, it’s understandable that it wouldn’t fall on Cash’s head. The overall track record of his tenure is strong and this season’s struggles can be attributed to factors outside of his control.

Wander Franco was supposed to be Tampa’s long-term franchise shortstop but he’s been away from the club since August as he is under investigation for engaging in a sexual relationship with a minor. The Rays also traded away players like Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot and Andrew Kittredge in the offseason to lower the payroll. Many of the players that stuck around have endured slumps, with Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz and others performing well below their previous levels this year.

Perhaps the club will climb back into this year’s race or maybe pivot to a deadline selloff, a decision that will reportedly wait until closer to the July 30 deadline. Either way, it seems like Cash is going to be the bench boss for many years to come.

Rays Release Harold Ramirez

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The Rays have released designated hitter/outfielder Harold Ramirez following last week’s DFA, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’s now a free agent who can sign with any club.

Ramirez always seemed likely to end up on the open market after his DFA. As we noted when he was designated for assignment, the 29-year-old’s combination of offensive struggles and relatively notable salary obligation made him a virtual lock to pass through either outright waivers or release waivers. And since he surpassed five years of major league service time earlier this season (and thus gained the right to retain his salary even upon rejecting an outright assignment), there was no real distinction between the two types of waivers in his case.

The Rays will remain on the hook for the balance of Ramirez’s $3.8MM salary. There’s about $2.19MM of that sum left to be paid out as of this writing. A new team would only owe Ramirez the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster (about $426K from now through season’s end, or just shy of $4K per day). That sum would be subtracted from what Tampa Bay owes Ramirez, but the Rays are stuck with the significant majority of his salary regardless.

Tampa Bay explored trades involving Ramirez both at the offseason’s non-tender deadline and again during spring training but didn’t find a deal to their liking. That came in spite of a big 2022-23 showing that saw Ramirez slash .306/.348/.432 in 869 trips to the plate, with a particular knack for pummeling left-handed pitching. Strong as that offensive output was, Ramirez lacks defensive value — he’s a poor defender in the outfield corners and at first base — and is a free-swinger who rarely draws a walk. He’s been primarily a designated hitter with the Rays.

The 2024 season has been a challenge for Ramirez. He’s hitting .268, a perfectly fine mark, but has coupled that with an ugly .284 on-base percentage and a punchless .305 slugging percentage. He’s hitting .310 in a small sample of 58 plate appearances against lefties but has only one walk and a .379 slugging percentage in those matchups. Effectively, Ramirez has been a singles-hitting, short-side platoon designated hitter. Because of his lack of walks and power, his overall offensive output has been 27% worse than league-average, by measure of wRC+.

Given those struggles, it’s not at all surprising that no team wanted to commit nearly $2.2MM to Ramirez by placing a waiver claim. But now that he’s a free agent who’d cost the prorated minimum, Ramirez becomes a far more interesting flier who should draw broad-reaching interest — especially from teams who have been lacking production against left-handed pitching. Speculatively speaking, each of the Reds, Nationals, Rangers and Cardinals rank in the bottom-third of the league in terms of both DH production and production against left-handers. But, given the low cost of acquisition now associated with Ramirez — who can be controlled through the 2025 season via arbitration — it’s easy to make a case for the majority of teams taking a no-risk roll of the dice on his right-handed bat.

How Will The Rays Approach The Deadline?

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The Rays enter tonight’s series finale against the Cubs sitting at the bottom of the AL East. They’re 32-36, within two games of the Red Sox and Blue Jays, but any chance they have of keeping pace with the Yankees and Orioles is gone. The Rays are four games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League with four teams between them and the Twins.

While that deficit is hardly insurmountable, the Rays have played more poorly than their record indicates. They’ve been outscored by 63 runs, a worse run differential than the Angels’ -60 mark. Only the White Sox, Rockies, Marlins, and A’s — very likely the four worst teams in the majors — have been outscored by more than Tampa Bay has. The Rays are in the bottom third of the league in batting average and on-base percentage. Only the White Sox and Miami have a worse slugging output. Tampa Bay’s rotation is 20th in ERA; their bullpen is 23rd.

With that level of play around the roster, it’s fairly remarkable that they’re only four games under .500. That’s mostly attributable to a 12-5 record in one-run games. That’s not a pace that most teams can sustain over the course of a season, and it’s not as if the Rays have had a lights-out bullpen locking down every small lead.

As deadline season approaches, the Rays have played like a team that looks like it won’t have much choice but to sell. They certainly haven’t resembled a club that has made five straight trips to the postseason and was one of the best in the American League en route to 99 wins last year. Some measure of regression was probably inevitable. Tampa Bay entered the season without three of its top starters in Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen. They traded their ace (Tyler Glasnow) before his final year under contract. Wander Franco had been the team’s best position player. There was no way to completely replace the production they were losing at shortstop with Franco on administrative leave while he faces sexual abuse charges in the Dominican Republic.

All that said, the front office probably didn’t anticipate the team struggling to this extent. Their issues go beyond the players who aren’t available. Randy Arozarena is hitting .174/.282/.317 over 266 plate appearances. Yandy Díaz won a batting title and finished sixth in AL MVP voting last season. He has a league average .255/.315/.375 slash line in a team-leading 295 trips to the plate. Harold Ramírez had a .313/.353/.460 showing in 122 games a year ago. He hit .268/.284/.305 with only one homer in 48 contests before being designated for assignment last week. Brandon Lowe missed six weeks with an oblique strain and hasn’t hit well in the 27 games he’s played.

There are similar stories on the pitching side. The Rays acquired Aaron Civale last summer to stabilize their injury-riddled rotation. The righty has been tagged for a 5.20 ERA across 14 starts. Zach Eflin has been solid — a 4.06 mark through 12 outings — but hasn’t performed at the level that earned him a sixth-place finish in last year’s Cy Young balloting. Pete Fairbanks had a few rocky outings early in the season (although he’s found his form since returning from the injured list in mid-May). Phil Maton, signed to pitch in a high-leverage role, has been hit hard.

Opposing teams have taken notice. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote yesterday that other clubs are monitoring in case Tampa Bay decides to orchestrate a deadline sell-off. Rosenthal lists Arozarena, Brandon Lowe and Díaz as potential buy-low targets for other teams. That trio, not coincidentally, are three of the four highest-paid players on the Tampa Bay roster.

Rosenthal reports that the Rays have yet to seriously entertain selling, hoping the team will show signs of a turnaround. There’s still time for that to happen before the July 30 deadline. The Rays’ record in one-run games may not be sustainable, but it has prevented them from falling completely out of the playoff mix. The team hasn’t played well, yet there’s clearly more talent on the roster than they’ve shown through two-plus months.

Still, the Rays presumably won’t have qualms about moving veteran pieces if things do not improve over the next six weeks. Tampa Bay’s front office is accustomed to dealing stars even while the team is in contention, building a talent pipeline that generally keeps them competitive despite bottom five payrolls.

Arozarena is making $8.1MM in his second of four trips through the arbitration process. Lowe is making $8.75MM in the final guaranteed season of the extension he signed in Spring Training 2019. The team holds successive options at $10.5MM and $11.5MM (with a $1MM buyout) for the next two years. The Rays just extended Díaz during the 2022-23 offseason. He’s playing on an $8MM salary this year and will make $10MM next season. Tampa Bay holds a $12MM option for the ’26 campaign.

While no one from that group is playing up to their previous standards, they’d each have appeal on the trade market. Arozarena, who had been a well above-average hitter in every season before this one, would net a particularly strong haul. Díaz is a limited defender, but he combined for a .314/.406/.475 slash line between 2022-23. His $10MM salary for 2025 is still below market value. Lowe should have the lowest trade value of the group given his injury history, but he’s one of the game’s better offensive second basemen at his best. While the Rays are probably trending toward declining next season’s $10.5MM option, it provides some contractual upside if Lowe finds his stride in the second half.

The players of intrigue go beyond that trio of potential rebound targets. Third baseman Isaac Paredes has been the team’s best player in 2024. He’s raking at a .291/.371/.479 clip and should be on pace for his first All-Star nod. Paredes owns a .245/.341/.469 batting line in more than 1200 plate appearances since the Rays pulled him from the Tigers in the Austin Meadows trade. He’s playing on a $3.4MM salary this year after qualifying for early arbitration as a Super Two player.

Paredes is under team control through 2027. The Rays would need a huge haul to seriously entertain moving him, but there’s some chance with top third base prospect Junior Caminero waiting in the wings. Eflin is due $11MM this season (making him the highest-paid player on the team) and will collect $18MM next year. There’d be a lot of interest at that price point for a quality mid-rotation starter. Tampa Bay could get a modest return for Amed Rosario as a solid multi-positional player on a $1.5MM salary. There’d be varying levels of interest in Fairbanks, Jason Adam, Garrett Cleavinger and Shawn Armstrong among contenders seeking bullpen depth.

Rays Reinstate Colin Poche, Place Richard Lovelady On 15-Day IL

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The Rays announced that left-hander Colin Poche has been activated from the 15-day injured list.  Poche will return to take the roster spot of fellow southpaw Richard Lovelady, who is headed to the 15-day IL due to a flexor strain in his left forearm.

Poche last pitched on April 23, as he has been recovering from tightness in the middle of his back.  Poche required two injections to aid the healing process, the second coming just under a month ago after his initial throwing program was shut down due to recurring back discomfort.  He officially returned to the mound in game action this past week with Triple-A Durham, tossing 2 2/3 total innings over three rehab appearances.

The back problems likely contributed to Poche’s slow start, as he had a 6.75 ERA across his first 9 1/3 big league innings for Tampa this season.  Poche’s average fastball velocity was down to 90.9mph from 92.5mph in 2023, and his strikeout rate plummeted from 24.8% to 14.3%.  After allowing 15 homers over 119 1/3 relief innings for the Rays in 2022-23, Poche had already given up three long balls in his small sample size of work this season.

A return to form for Poche would greatly aid a Rays bullpen that has been uncharacteristically average this season, with a cumulative 4.20 ERA that ranks 20th of 30 teams.  Poche joins Garrett Cleavinger as the pen’s two left-handed options, while Lovelady will now be sidelined with a potentially serious arm injury.

Lovelady’s health history includes a Tommy John surgery in 2021, and then a pronator muscle strain in his forearm that brought an early end to his 2023 season.  A flexor strain likely indicates a lengthy rehab process even for a pitcher without these past injuries on his resume, though hopefully Lovelady can avoid another surgery.

The Rays only just brought Lovelady into the organization three weeks ago, when Tampa acquired the left-hander from Chicago after the Cubs had designated him for assignment.  The results haven’t been there for Lovelady before or after the trade, as his 7.62 ERA breaks down as a 7.94 ERA in 5 2/3 frames for the Cubs and a 7.36 ERA in 7 1/3 innings with Tampa Bay.  Despite the ugly bottom-line numbers, Lovelady’s SIERA is only 3.65, as he has hampered by a very low 45.9% strand rate and a very high .386 BABIP.

Rays Designate Harold Ramirez For Assignment

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The Rays have designated corner outfielder/designated hitter Harold Ramirez for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to infielder Taylor Walls, who is being reinstated from the 60-day injured list now that his rehab from last October’s hip surgery has been completed.

Ramirez, 29, was a semi-regular with the Rays in 2022-23, particularly versus left-handed pitching. He appeared in 242 games and in 869 plate appearances logged a strong .306/.348/.432 batting line. Ramirez has more gap power than home run power (43 doubles, two triples, 18 homers in that time) but was a strong bat in a relatively limited role. He’s played both outfield corners and first base in the big leagues but is considered a defensive liability at all three spots. The Rays have used him primarily as a designated hitter.

This season has seen a precipitous drop in Ramirez’s production, however. His .268 average remains a solid mark, but Ramirez’s free-swinging approach has produced fewer walks than ever (1.8%), leading to a paltry .284 OBP. He’s also seen his limited power completely erode. In 169 plate appearances, he has just one homer and three doubles. Overall, Ramirez’s .268/.284/.305 slash is about 27% worse than league-average production, by measure of wRC+.

Ramirez is still hitting .310 against lefties this year in a small sample of 58 plate appearances. However, he hasn’t taken even one walk against a southpaw and is slugging only .379 against them. He’s essentially been a good short-side platoon singles hitter who lacks defensive value and, as importantly, lacks minor league options.

With Amed Rosario hitting quite well in an infield/outfield role and Jonny DeLuca offering far more value on the defensive end of things, the Rays opted to jettison Ramirez in order to get Walls and his versatile, slick-fielding glove back on the roster. Rosario, DeLuca, Walls and catcher Alex Jackson will comprise the Rays’ bench group for the time being. Ramirez has largely been squeezed out by DeLuca and 27-year-old Richie Palacios, whom the Rays acquired via trade this winter (DeLuca from the Dodgers in the Tyler Glasnow deal, Palacios from the Cardinals for Andrew Kittredge). Palacios has gone on to bat .262/.355/.369, and his versatility has allowed the Rays to begin to rotate Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe through the DH spot.

Ramirez himself was an oft-discussed trade candidate over the winter. Between his dwindling club control (through 2025), rising price in arbitration ($3.8MM this season) and extreme defensive limitations, he stood as a trade or even non-tender candidate. The Rays typically prefer to find this type of player/skill set early in his pre-arbitration seasons and then flip them elsewhere as that price tag climbs. But despite Ramirez’s quality results at the plate in 2022-23,the market clearly offered tepid enthusiasm for him. Tampa Bay reportedly shopped him prior to the non-tender deadline and again in spring training but never found a deal.

Because of his $3.8MM salary, Ramirez is unlikely to be claimed on waivers if he gets there. It’s unlikely that any potential trade partner would take on the remainder of his contract, but the Rays could perhaps facilitate a swap if they’re willing to pay down some of the money still owed to Ramirez. If Ramirez does reach waivers and ultimately clear, he surpassed five years of major league service time last month, giving him the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency while still retaining his entire salary.

Ramirez would surely go that route, and at that point there’d presumably be many teams interested in bringing him aboard, perhaps even on a big league deal that would land him right on a major league roster. He is, after all, a lifetime .322/.357/.455 hitter against left-handed pitching and can be controlled into next season if he can get back on track at the plate. Ramirez would only be owed the prorated league minimum for any time spent on his new team’s MLB roster. That number would be subtracted from what the Rays owe him, but Tampa Bay is going to be on the hook for the bulk of the $2.35MM he still has left on his deal.

The Rays will trade Ramirez or place him on waivers within the next five days. If he ends up on waivers, that process would take an additional 48 hours.

Phillies Acquire Ruben Cardenas From Rays

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2:03pm: The Rays have made it official, announcing that they have traded Cardenas to the Phillies for cash considerations.

12:56pm: The Phillies have acquired minor league corner outfielder Ruben Cardenas from the Rays, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN on X. Cardenas wasn’t on Tampa’s 40-man roster and therefore won’t require a roster spot with Philadelphia. It’s not known what the Rays will receive in return but small trades involving minor leaguers often involve cash considerations going the other way.

Cardenas, 26, was a sixth-round selection of Cleveland in 2018 but went to the Rays a year later. Prior to the 2019 deadline, he was traded to Tampa along with international bonus pool space, as Hunter Wood and Christian Arroyo went the other way.

He’s been climbing the minor league ladder since then, generally providing a bit of power but also striking out a fair bit. He split 2021 between High-A and Double-A, hitting 25 home runs in 441 plate appearances but also striking out 26.1% of the time and only walking at a 5.4% clip.

He got to Triple-A in 2022, getting into 82 games at that level. He hit 16 home runs and improved his walk rate to 10.1% but was also punched out 29.2% of the time and slashed .208/.289/.440 for wRC+ of 89. Returning to Triple-A last year resulted in slight improvements: 22 home runs in 132 games, an 11.3% walk rate, 26.4% strikeout rate, .269/.358/.475 batting line and 108 wRC+.

Back at Triple-A in 2024, he has lowered his strikeout rate to 21% but has only walked 5.9% of the time. The power is still present, as he has 11 home runs in just 49 games this year, leading to a .281/.346/.530 line and 121 wRC+. Cardenas has never been a highly-touted prospect but did get an honorable mention from FanGraphs on their lists of Rays prospects in 2022 and 2023.

The Phillies recently lost outfielder Brandon Marsh and infielder/outfielder Kody Clemens to the injured list, subtracting their position player depth a bit. That’s prompted them to call up the oft-injured David Dahl to play alongside a struggling Nick Castellanos and their glove-first center fielder Johan Rojas. They’ve also given some brief outfield playing time to Cristian Pache and Whit Merrifield, who aren’t hitting much this year.

Though the Phillies are tied with the Yankees for the best record in baseball, the outfield is a relative weak part of the roster and Cardenas will give them a bit of extra depth there without taking up a roster spot. The Rays, however, have an outfield mix consisting of Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe, Richie Palacios, Jose Siri, Jonny DeLuca and Harold Ramírez. Also, infielder Taylor Walls has begun a rehab assignment and could rejoin the club soon, which could push Amed Rosario from the dirt to the grass/turf. Cardenas would have been challenged to find playing time in Tampa so they have sent him to Philly instead for what is likely a bit of cash.

Rays Select Justin Sterner, Option Tyler Alexander

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The Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Justin Sterner from Triple-A Durham, per a team announcement. He’ll be making his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Left-hander Tyler Alexander was optioned to Durham in a corresponding move to create space on the active roster. Tampa Bay already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary. Their 40-man roster is now at capacity.

Sterner, 27, is a reliever whom the Rays acquired in 2021 swap sending right-hander David Hess to the Marlins. The 2024 season marks the third in which he’s logged time in Triple-A but the first in which he’s found much success. Sterner allowed eight runs in seven Triple-A frames back in 2022 and pitched to a 5.80 ERA in 35 2/3 innings there last season.

This year in Durham, however, Sterner has notched a much-improved 3.60 ERA in 25 innings, thanks in large part to huge gains in his ability to miss bats and limit walks. Sterner has fanned one-third of his opponents in Triple-A after posting a 26.1% strikeout rate a year ago. His 8.1% walk rate in 2024 is more than three percentage points south of last year’s 11.8% mark.

For the 29-year-old Alexander, this will be his first optional assignment since way back in 2019. The Rays acquired the southpaw via a November waiver claim after he’d been designated for assignment in Detroit. He’s effectively been the Rays’ fifth starter for much of the season, though only six of his 11 outings have been true starts. Alexander has frequently followed a one- or two-inning opener, but even his relief appearances have averaged five innings apiece this season.

Alexander had a decent stretch from mid-April to mid-May, but he’s been shelled for a dozen runs in just 9 2/3 innings over his past two appearances. He’s now yielded four or more runs in three of his past four outings. That ugly stretch has left the southpaw with a 6.19 ERA on the season, although fielding-independent metrics are more bullish (particularly his 4.09 SIERA). Alexander has a below-average 19.4% strikeout rate on the season but also a very sharp 5.3% walk rate. He’s also an extreme fly-ball pitcher (48.6% fly-balls, 29.6% grounders) who’s seen a larger-than-average 15% of his fly-balls leave the yard this year — an average of 2.06 homers per nine innings.

Alexander entered the season with 4.058 years of big league service time and is up to 4.122 as of this assignment. He’ll reach five full years of service with another 50 days on the active roster or major league injured list, at which point he’d gain the right to refuse an optional assignment to the minors. For now, he’ll get a reset in Durham while the Rays go with a rotation of Zack Littell, Aaron Civale, Taj Bradley and Ryan Pepiot.

Right-hander Zach Eflin went on the injured list due a lower back issue on May 20, and the Rays are awaiting returns from injured pitchers Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen and (in 2025) Shane McClanahan. Longtime top prospect Shane Baz could be a rotation candidate at some point as well. He very recently wrapped up his rehab from 2022 Tommy John surgery and was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A himself.

Wander Franco’s Administrative Leave Extended To July 14

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Rays’ shortstop Wander Franco will stay on administrative leave through July 14, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. That will be the last day before this year’s All-Star break, which will run from July 15 to 18.

Franco has essentially been on administrative leave since late last year, when allegations surfaced that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor. A second complaint against Franco also emerged later. He was reinstated to Tampa’s roster over the winter in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 season began, with an end date of June 1.

Major League Baseball usually waits for criminal proceedings to play out before rendering its own judgements and/or penalties. As such, Franco’s administrative leave is likely to be continually extended as long as his legal situation remains unresolved. Per Topkin, Franco is likely to be presented with formal accusations in the Dominican Republic June, with authorities having a July 5 deadline. While on administrative leave, Franco will not count against Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster.

Placing a player on administrative leave is standard protocol in MLB when a player is being investigated under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. It is not considered punitive in nature, and the leave is paid — though any accrued payments can be rescinded depending on the outcome of both criminal proceedings and potential discipline (i.e. suspension) following the league’s own investigation of the matter in question.

Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic initially brought charges of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering against Franco, with the laundering charges stemming from alleged payments that Franco made to the purported victim’s mother. Those charges were eventually lessened to an extent, with the latest reporting out of the Dominican Republic indicating that Franco is facing charges of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. He’s been released on bond and was initially required to report to court on a monthly basis. Topkin relays that the monthly check-ins are no longer required but Franco did not get back the $33K bond as he requested.

Back in November of 2021, the Rays signed Franco to an 11-year, $182MM contract covering the 2022-32 seasons. It’s not at all clear at this time whether Franco will ever return to Major League Baseball. If Franco ultimately faces criminal charges or a lengthy ban resulting from MLB’s own investigation, he would not collect his salary for time missed (including retroactive forfeiture of any payments made while on administrative leave).

Rays’ Prospect Junior Caminero To Miss Four To Six Weeks With Quad Strain

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Rays’ prospect Junior Caminero has been placed on the minor league injured list due to a quad strain. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash says it’s a Grade 2 strain and that the infielder is likely to miss four to six weeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relayed the information on X.

Coming into the season, it was easy to imagine Caminero playing a significant role for the Rays. He has been launching himself up prospect lists in recent years and even reached the majors last season. He didn’t hit much in his first 36 major league plate appearances last year but he was barely 20 years old when called up late in the season.

The fact that he was even up in the majors at such a young age speaks to his talent and his performance. He hit .324/.384/.591 in the minors last year between High-A and Double-A, leading to a combined 156 wRC+ and a leap over the Triple-A level.

As 2024 kicked off, he was considered a consensus top five prospect in the sport. Baseball America had him at #2, ESPN at #3 FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline at #4, with Keith Law of The Athletic putting him in the #5 spot.

Unfortunately, injuries have made 2024 a mostly lost season for Caminero so far. The Rays planned for him to start the year in the minors, optioning him fairly early in Spring Training, the second week of March. He landed on the minor league injured list in early April due to a quad strain and is now back in the same position yet again.

Around his injured list stints, he has appeared in 34 Triple-A games and stepped to the plate 153 times. His .261/.333/.478 batting line translates to a 106 wRC+, indicating he’s been above average but not outrageously so. Perhaps that’s due to the injury interruptions with better results to be expected with a longer stretch of health.

That will now have to wait, likely into July, considering the time frame provided by Cash. For the team, that will leave them with less infield depth for the next few weeks. Caminero has played all four infield spots in his minor league career but has mostly been at Triple-A this season, perhaps suggesting that’s where the Rays view his future home. Isaac Paredes is currently the regular at the hot corner and is playing well, though he is capable of moving elsewhere at some point down the line if Caminero forces his way into the big leagues.

Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz are getting most of the playing time at second and first base, respectively, but each is set to make an eight-figure salary in the next two seasons. Given the Rays’ penchant for trading players when they reach that position, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a scenario wherein Caminero comes up and takes over third base, moving Paredes to the other side of the diamond and thus bumping another player into the designated hitter slot and later onto the trading block.

All of that will remain theoretical for now, particularly with Caminero on the shelf. For the player, it’s undoubtedly a frustrating situation, as he’s missing plenty of time in a key development season. Since this is all happening in the minor leagues, it’s also preventing him from moving his service clock forward. Caminero was able to get ten service days during his brief debut last year. His early-season injury already prevented him from getting to the one-year mark here in 2024, meaning he can’t reach free agency until after 2030 at the earliest. A call-up in the first half could have put him on track for Super Two status after 2026, but that’s likely out the window now with this further injury.

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