Rays Designate Javy Guerra For Assignment
The Rays have designated right-hander Javy Guerra for assignment, per a club announcement. The move makes room for Zack Littell on the active roster after the Rays claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox on Friday.
Guerra, 27, had joined the Rays after the club acquired him from the Brewers two weeks ago in exchange for cash considerations. It’s been a difficult 2023 campaign for Guerra so far, as the righty has posted a 6.75 ERA with a 7.41 FIP in 13 1/3 innings between his time in Milwaukee and in Tampa. Guerra’s results improved over his 5 innings of work with the Rays, as he surrendered just two runs, but the control woes that saw him struggle in Milwaukee did not change. On the season, Guerra has allowed free passes to a massive 24.7% of batters he has faced, a figure that more than doubles his 12.3% strikeout rate.
Assuming Guerra is not claimed off of waivers or traded again, the righty will head back into free agency and look for a shot with his third club of the season, presumably on a minor league deal.
Guerra’s departure clears room for the right-handed Littell on the roster as he joins the Rays in the Bronx for this afternoon’s game against the Yankees. In 172 2/3 innings of work throughout his career, Littell sports a 4.17 ERA and 4.66 FIP with a 20.6% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. Littell joins a Rays bullpen that has seen a characteristically high turnover rate behind stalwarts like Jason Adam, Colin Poche, and Ryan Thompson.
Drew Rasmussen Shut Down For Two Months With Flexor Strain
4:53pm: Rasmussen will be shut down from throwing entirely for two months, Topkin reports (on Twitter). If all goes as planned, he could restart a throwing program in the middle of July. That’d be a multi-week process involving bullpen sessions, batting practice and likely multiple minor league rehab starts. It’d be a surprise if he’s back on an MLB mound before August, but it at least appears the club is hopeful he’ll be able to return for the stretch run.
3:04 pm: The Rays have been dealt another huge blow to their rotation. As first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay placed starter Drew Rasmussen on the 60-day injured list after the righty was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his forearm. He’ll be out until at least the All-Star Break.
It’s an out-of-the-blue development. Rasmussen pitched just yesterday and didn’t show any signs of being hampered. He twirled seven shutout innings in a win over the Yankees, striking out seven while allowing just two baserunners. The velocity on each of his fastball, slider and curveball was right in line with his previous work this season.
Surprising as it is, Rasmussen apparently came down with a severe forearm issue from that appearance. Topkin tweets that he’s hopeful of avoiding surgery but he’s obviously in line for a notable absence in any event. The Rays wasted no time in putting him on the 60-day IL, indicating they didn’t feel there was any chance of him being back on an MLB mound before July.
It’s horrible news for the 27-year-old hurler. Rasmussen has a checkered injury history. He underwent Tommy John surgery midway through his sophomore year at Oregon State in 2016. The Rays drafted him in the first round the following year, but issues with his post-draft physical led the team to decline to sign him. Rasmussen subsequently underwent a second Tommy John surgery and didn’t pitch as a senior, causing him to fall to the sixth round of the 2018 draft.
Selected by Milwaukee, Rasmussen debuted in the majors as a reliever with the Brew Crew in 2020. The Rays acquired him alongside J.P. Feyereisen for Willy Adames and Trevor Richards in May 2021. Tampa Bay began to stretch him back out to starting at the end of that season and has seen him blossom into an excellent starting pitcher over the past couple years.
Rasmussen started 28 games and tallied 146 innings last season. He worked to a 2.84 ERA with a decent 21.4% strikeout rate and an excellent 5.3% walk percentage. He’d been off to an even better start this year. Last night’s performance brought him to 44 2/3 frames of 2.62 ERA ball over eight outings. He punched out 26.6% of batters faced and upped his ground-ball rate to a strong 52.6% clip.
His stellar early-season work was among the reasons the Rays have sprinted to a 30-9 start. They’re remarkably five games up in a division in which every team is at least three games above .500. It has been an incredible first few weeks for Tampa Bay, but they’re navigating a mounting number of rotation injuries. They were always going to be without Shane Baz for the bulk of the season after last year’s Tommy John procedure. Tyler Glasnow has been out all year after a Spring Training oblique strain. He’s on a minor league rehab assignment and should be back within the next couple weeks, but left-hander Jeffrey Springs is out for the season after undergoing a Tommy John procedure of his own.
Rasmussen’s injury leaves Shane McClanahan as the last starter who has been a constant all year. Offseason signee Zach Eflin missed some time with low back tightness but returned a couple weeks ago. He’s been excellent through six starts. Tampa Bay has gotten their first look at top pitching prospect Taj Bradley, who seems likely to return from Triple-A Durham to eventually take Rasmussen’s rotation spot. Josh Fleming and Calvin Faucher have worked in a swing capacity and could take some starts, as could one-time starter Yonny Chirinos. Cooper Criswell and Luis Patiño are on the 40-man roster and working out of the rotation in Durham.
Depending on Rasmussen’s long-term prognosis, it’s possible the Rays eventually look outside the organization for rotation depth. They’re going to be left to rely mostly on internal options until the trade deadline draws nearer, though.
Rasmussen will be paid around the MLB minimum rate and collect big league service while on the injured list. He’s slated to be eligible for arbitration for the first time at the end of this season and is controllable through 2026. He and the organization will obviously hope he’ll be able to avoid another serious arm procedure and return to the mound without too extended of an absence.
Rays Select Chris Muller
The Rays announced they’ve selected reliever Chris Muller onto the major league roster. He’ll take the active and 40-man spots of Drew Rasmussen, who was placed on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain.
Muller, 27, entered the professional ranks six years ago. Tampa Bay selected him in the 17th round of the 2017 draft out of UT San Antonio. The Dallas native has worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen for his entire career. He’s spent some time on the injured list but showed an impressive enough arsenal that Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs named him the #46 prospect in a deep Tampa Bay system over the winter. Longenhagen praised his mid-90s fastball and a slider and split that both can miss bats but expressed concerns about his strike-throwing.
The 6’5″ hurler went unselected in last year’s Rule 5 draft. He was assigned to Triple-A Durham to open 2023 and has made 14 appearances there. Over 17 innings, he’s allowed nine runs (seven earned) with 19 strikeouts and ten walks. Muller worked 58 2/3 frames of 4.91 ERA ball in Triple-A last season; he’s up to a 4.64 ERA with an intriguing 27.6% strikeout rate but elevated 12.9% walk percentage at the top minor league level.
Muller adds an arm with some swing-and-miss capability to Kevin Cash’s bullpen. He’ll be in his first of three minor league option years, so the Rays can freely bounce him between Tampa and Durham for the extended future if he hangs onto his 40-man roster spot.
Rays Claim Zack Littell
The Rays have claimed right-hander Zack Littell off of waivers from the Red Sox, according to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. The Rays have transferred Garrett Cleavinger to the 60-day IL to clear space on the 40-man roster for Littell, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Littell, 27, was acquired by the Red Sox from the Rangers last week in exchange for cash considerations. In three innings of work with the Red Sox, Littell struggled, allowing 3 runs on four walks (one intentional) and three hits while striking out just two. An eleventh round pick by the Mariners in the 2013 draft, Littell made his debut for the Twins in 2018, pitching to a 4.52 ERA with the club in 63 2/3 innings over the course of the next three seasons.
The best season of Littell’s career to this point came in 2021, as a member of the Giants. In 61 2/3 innings of work that season, Littell posted a phenomenal 2.92 ERA (142 ERA+) with a 3.87 FIP. That season, Littell struck out a career-high 25% of batters faced while walking 9.5%. The then 25-year-old also posted a career high 46.9% groundball rate during the 2021 campaign. Unfortunately, Littell’s previous struggles returned in 2022, as he posted a 5.08 ERA in 44 1/3 innings with San Francisco.
Without options remaining, Littell figures to factor into the Rays’ bullpen that has posted the third best ERA in the majors as a group thanks to stellar performances from the likes of Jason Adam, Colin Poche, and Ryan Thompson in addition to Cleavinger, who is likely out for the season after suffering an ACL injury.
Rockies Claim Chase Anderson
The Rockies have claimed right-hander Chase Anderson off waivers from the Rays, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Rockies have open space on their 40-man roster, meaning no corresponding move is necessary.
Anderson, 35, was acquired by the Rays last week from the Reds in exchange for cash. He ultimately made two appearances for the Rays, picking up a save while not allowing a run in five innings of work. Anderson was then designated for assignment to clear room on the roster when Tampa signed lefty reliever Jake Diekman earlier this week.
Now in his tenth season as a major league player, Anderson has struggled in recent seasons with an ERA of 6.81 from 2020-2022 across 105 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays, Phillies, and Reds organizations. Those seasons saw Anderson struggle with the long ball, as he allowed more than two home runs per nine innings as 19.2% of his fly balls left the yard for home runs, far above his career 12.8% rate heading into the 2020 campaign.
Given Anderson’s terrible fly ball luck in recent years and his flash of quality results with the Rays this past week, it’s of little surprise that a team elected to claim him off waivers. That team ended up being the Rockies, who could certainly use the rotation depth that Anderson can provide. The club has already lost German Marquez and Noah Davis to injury, and right-hander Antonio Senzatela left his most recent start with forearm tightness. With the addition of a swingman to the roster in Anderson, the Rockies figure to have a potential replacement for Senzatela should he require a stint on the injured list, and a quality multi-inning relief arm should Senzatela be able to make his next start.
AL Notes: Moncada, Lewis, Glasnow
The White Sox could welcome third baseman Yoan Moncada back tomorrow, manager Pedro Grifol tells reporters, including James Fegan of The Athletic. It doesn’t seem to be confirmed yet but Moncada, who has been rehabbing with Triple-A Charlotte, won’t be playing with them tonight.
Moncada was off to a great start this year, hitting .308/.325/.564 through nine games before landing on the injured list with back tightness. It was later revealed that the pain was caused by a protruding disc that was touching a nerve. It seems he’s moved passed the issue, if the minor league numbers are any indication. He’s hit a comical .571/.667/1.071 through five rehab games for Charlotte. Getting Moncada back without missing a beat would be a tremendous boost for the Sox, who have also seen Moncada’s replacement Jake Burger hit the injured list recently.
2022 was a disappointing season for Moncada, who dealt with various injuries and hit just .212/.273/.353 in 104 games. But a healthy Moncada can be a gamechanger, as he showed with a .263/.375/.412 performance in 2021. With a 13-26 record, they’ll need a boost like that to help them get back into contention.
Some other notes from around the American League Central…
- Twins infielder Royce Lewis began a rehab assignment today with Double-A Wichita. As Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic writes, Lewis is expected to play both shortstop and third base during his rehab stint as he looks to recover from last year’s torn ACL. A shortstop for the majority of his career thus far, Lewis started spending a bit of time in the outfield last year in deference to Carlos Correa. Now that Correa is locked in as the shortstop in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, he probably has a better path to playing time at third, where the club just optioned José Miranda yesterday. The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis has long been considered one of the top prospects in baseball but has been frequently held back by injuries. He posted an excellent .300/.317/.550 batting line in his first 12 major league games last year before tearing the ACL in his right knee, the second year in a row he was felled by tearing that ligament.
- Rays’ fans were dealt a minor scare yesterday when Tyler Glasnow left his rehab outing after one inning because of some side soreness. The club maintained the removal was precautionary, and it doesn’t seem there’s any cause for concern. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters before tonight’s win over the Yankees that Glasgow’s tests came back clear and he’s expected to resume his rehab stint next Tuesday (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). The big righty is ticketed for one following rehab start as he works back from an oblique strain that sent him to the IL to open the season. He should be back in the MLB rotation thereafter if all goes as planned. The Rays have had no issues without Glasnow, sprinting to a 30-9 start to open the year.
MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Willson Contreras Out At Catcher For Cardinals, Braves Rotation, Rays, Astros
Episode 6 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 Simon Hampton is joined by Katie Woo of The Athletic to discuss:
- The Cardinals’ decision to move Willson Contreras out of the catching position for the time being (3:16)
- Nolan Arenado‘s early-season struggles (8:22)
- Will the Cardinals trade an outfielder to fill other needs? (9:49)
- Jordan Montgomery, possible extension candidate? (12:06)
After Katie talked Cardinals with Simon, MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald comes on the podcast to dig into:
- The Braves’ rotation in the wake of Max Fried‘s forearm strain (15:56)
- Why have the Rays been so good? (19:17)
- The Astros’ sluggish start to the season (25:16)
Check out our past episodes!
- White Sox trade candidates, Red Sox options for improvements, managers on the hot seat – listen here
- The state of the Twins, Bryan Reynolds’ extension and Madison Bumgarner’s future – listen here
- Free agent power rankings, Shohei Ohtani’s next contract and Aaron Nola or Julio Urias in free agency? Listen here
Rays Sign Jake Diekman To Major League Deal
May 10: The Rays have now officially signed Diekman, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The corresponding move had been reported earlier today as righty Chase Anderson getting designated for assignment, which is also now official.
May 9: The Rays are finalizing a major league deal with left-hander Jake Diekman, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN, who adds that the deal is expected to be finalized in the next 48 hours. Once the move is official, a corresponding move or moves will be required to get the southpaw onto the active and 40-man rosters.
Diekman, 36, began the season with the White Sox but was released after posting a 7.94 ERA in 13 outings. In spite of those unfortunate results, he has quickly found a new home with the Rays. As Passan points out, Tampa recently got the unfortunate news that left-hander Garrett Cleavinger will likely miss the rest of the season due to an injury to the ACL in his right knee. In order to counteract that blow to their lefty relief mix, they’ll insert Diekman into Cleavinger’s spot.
It won’t be any kind of significant commitment from the Rays since Diekman already has a salary of $3.5MM this year and a $1MM buyout on an option for 2024 as part of the deal he signed with the Red Sox going into 2022. Since the White Sox released him, they will be on the hook for the majority of that, with the Rays only responsible for the prorated league minimum for any time Diekman is on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Sox pay.
Diekman has been a useful reliever in the past and the Rays will surely be hoping to find a way to get him back to that previous form. Control has always been an issue for the lefty as he only once posted a walk rate below 10%, which was way back in 2013, and his career walk rate currently sits at 13.3%. But he’s been most successful when overcoming those walks by racking up strikeouts. From 2012 to 2022, he struck out between 25% and 32% of batters faced in each full season, as well as punching out 36.9% in the shortened 2020 campaign. However, it’s been just 19% in the early going here in 2023.
Despite that fairly consistent strikeout stuff, the walks have caused his ERAs to fluctuate wildly over the years. He’s finished above 4.00 in four of the last seven full seasons while getting as low as 2.53 in 2017 and a sparkling 0.42 figure in the truncated 2020 year.
Since the Rays will be paying him the league minimum, there’s very little risk in giving him a shot to see if he can get a better handle on his stuff. If it doesn’t work out, they can quickly make him another casualty of the ongoing roster churn they do at the fringes of their roster without really losing anything.
Rays To Designate Chase Anderson For Assignment
The Rays will designate right-hander Chase Anderson for assignment in order to clear a roster spot for left-hander Jake Diekman, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Tampa Bay and Diekman were finalizing a Major League contract yesterday, but the team has not yet formally announced the signing or the corresponding 40-man move.
Tampa Bay acquired the veteran Anderson from the Reds in exchange for cash earlier this month after he exercised an out clause in his minor league deal with Cincinnati. The Reds apparently weren’t keen on adding Anderson to the 40-man roster but found him another opportunity and shipped him to the Rays. Anderson tossed five scoreless frames and notched a three-inning save with the Rays, allowing two hits and a walk while punching out two batters. It was a solid showing, but as is often the case for veterans on minor league deals, it’ll be a relatively short stay on the big league roster nonetheless.
Anderson, 35, has now appeared with six big league clubs over the course of a decade-long MLB career. While he was a solid starter for the D-backs and Brewers from 2014-19 — 3.94 ERA in 857 innings — his results dropped sharply after being traded to the Blue Jays following the 2019 campaign. Anderson was torched for a 7.22 ERA in 10 appearances (seven starts) for the Jays in the shortened 2020 season, and subsequent stops in Philadelphia (6.75 ERA, 48 innings) and Cincinnati (6.38 ERA, 24 innings) over the past two seasons haven’t produced better results.
All told, Anderson has a 4.23 ERA in 967 2/3 big league innings since making his debut back in 2014. However, even including his brief scoreless run with the Rays, he’s sporting a grisly 6.51 ERA dating back to 2019. He has ample rotation experience and is stretched out to throw multiple innings already, so it’s possible another team will come calling, whether via a small trade, waiver claim or a quick signing should the Rays release him. Tampa Bay will have the next week to trade Anderson or place him outright waivers or release waivers.
Rays’ Garrett Cleavinger Likely Done For Season With ACL Injury
Earlier today, the Rays announced that they had placed left-hander Garrett Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list with a right knee sprain and recalled right-hander Trevor Kelley in a corresponding move. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times now reports that Cleavinger has an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament and is likely out for the season.
Cleavinger departed yesterday’s game against the Yankees after appearing to hurt himself while trying to tag out Aaron Hicks during a rundown (Twitter video courtesy of Bally Sports Sun: Rays). It seemed likely that the lefty would have to miss some time but he now seems to be facing a significant absence that is obviously a rough development for both him and the team.
The 29-year-old southpaw has bounced around the league in his career, having been drafted by the Orioles but getting flipped to the Phillies in the 2017 trade that sent Jeremy Hellickson to Baltimore. He made his major league debut with the Phils in 2020 but got into just one game and then was flipped to the Dodgers in the offseason. He spent the next couple of years as a frequently-optioned depth arm for the Dodgers but was traded to the Rays at the 2022 deadline, likely at least partially motivated by the fact that he would be out of options in 2023.
Amid all those transactions, he’s managed to get into 55 games over the past four seasons with a combined 3.52 ERA in that time. His 29.8% strikeout rate is quite strong but he’s also walked 11% of batters faced. He was posting similar results this year, with an ERA of 3.00 along with a 29.2% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. He’s already on the 15-day IL but will surely be transferred to the 60-day whenever the club needs his roster spot. He will continue to a major league salary and service time for the remainder of the schedule.
As for the Rays, they will now proceed without Cleavinger in the bullpen, leaving Colin Poche and Jalen Beeks as their left-handed relief options. Josh Fleming is also in the mix though he’s been working more as a bulk guy behind an opener as opposed to a more traditional reliever.