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Brewers, Padres, Rays Interested In Joey Gallo

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10:57AM: The Rays may not be too deep in the Gallo hunt, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News hears that the “Yankees wanted too much back” in return.

7:56AM: Joey Gallo’s time in the Bronx is widely expected to be up by Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the Yankees have been exploring trade possibilities for the struggling outfielder.  The Brewers, Padres, and Rays are among the clubs who have shown interest in the former All-Star, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes.

San Diego discussed a Gallo deal during Spring Training, and has been linked to the slugger’s market multiple times in the past, dating back to Gallo’s time with the Rangers.  The Rays and Brewers also had interest in Gallo at last year’s deadline, and seem to be again revisiting a trade 12 months later.

Of course, quite a lot has happened to Gallo’s trade value in the past year, none of it good.  After posting only a .707 OPS in 228 plate appearances as a Yankees in 2021, Gallo’s slump has only deepened this season.  Gallo has hit only .159/.282/.339 with 12 homers over 273 PA, with a wRC+ of 81 (the league average is 100) and strikeout and whiff rates that rank near the bottom of the league.

On the flip side, Gallo is still posting outstanding hard-contact numbers and his 14.7% walk rate is one of the best of any player in baseball.  A .217 BABIP only deepens the frustration, yet Gallo is so rarely making contact in the first place that his scuffles can’t be chalked up to just bad batted-ball luck.  This lack of production in the pinstripes is “something I’m gonna have to really live with for the rest of my life,” Gallo told The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler earlier this week.  “It’s going to be tough.  I didn’t play well, I didn’t live up to expectations.  And that’s a tough pill to swallow.”

The Yankees’ acquisition of Andrew Benintendi has all but confirmed that Gallo will be dealt, though what New York can expect back in return is an open question.  The 28-year-old outfielder is a free agent after the season and is owed roughly $3.4MM for the remainder of the year, making it quite possible that the Yankees will have to eat most or all of that money unless another unwanted contract is swapped in return.  While interested teams surely view Gallo as a change-of-scenery candidate, the Yankees don’t have much leverage in trying to market him as such, since it is so widely known that the club wishes to part ways with the outfielder.

In Tampa Bay’s case, the Yankees are surely wary of the idea of Gallo reviving himself on an AL East rival, and it is fair to wonder if New York would want more in order to move Gallo within the division.  The Rays may have the more glaring need for outfield help given that Manuel Margot, Harold Ramirez, and Kevin Kiermaier are all injured, with Kiermaier being out for the season in the wake of hip surgery.

However, the Rays already made a left-handed hitting outfield upgrade yesterday, landing David Peralta in a trade with the Diamondbacks.  It is possible this move could take the Rays out of the Gallo market, though the club is still looking for more outfield depth, as Nightengale also reports that Tampa is interested in former Ray and current Red Tommy Pham.

Christian Yelich, Andrew McCutchen, Hunter Renfroe, and Tyrone Taylor have comprised Milwaukee’s outfield mix for much of the season, with McCutchen also getting the majority of DH time.  Yelich is the only left-handed bat of the quartet, and Gallo could become a platoon partner with Taylor in center field.  2019 was the only season Gallo played a sizeable amount of center field, but he acquitted himself quite well defensively up the middle, even if right field is his ideal position — Gallo has won the last two American League right field Gold Gloves.

Diamondbacks Trade David Peralta To Rays

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The Rays added some help to their injury-plagued outfield mix, announcing the acquisition of veteran David Peralta from the D-backs. Minor league catcher Christian Cerda is headed to the Diamondbacks in return.

David Peralta

Peralta, 35 next month, has spent all nine seasons of his Major League career with the D-backs prior to this trade. The veteran lefty hitter has produced a solid .248/.316/.460 batting line this season (110 wRC+), connecting on a dozen homers, 19 doubles and two triples through 310 plate appearances. He’s striking out at a career-high 23.9% clip and drawing walks at a roughly average 8.7% rate that clocks in a percentage point higher than his career mark.

The D-backs signed Peralta to a three-year, $22MM extension in his final season before he would’ve reached free agency, and he’s playing out the final season of that contract now in 2022. Peralta is a pure rental for the Rays, then, but he’ll give them a much-needed outfield bat to plug into the lineup following injuries to Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot and Harold Ramirez.

Peralta not only provides that crucial outfield reinforcement — he also provides the Rays with a noted boost against right-handed pitching. Tampa Bay has handled righties at only a league-average clip this season, but Peralta owns a .267/.325/.498 batting line against right-handers this year and a stout .295/.351/.492 output over the course of his career. He’s long been ineffective against left-handed pitching, however, and is batting just .114/.261/.200 against southpaws this year (albeit in a tiny sample of 35 plate appearances). As such, the Rays will surely shield him from left-handed opposition as much as possible.

While he’s not the slugger he was when he hit 30 homers in 2018 or the defender he was when he won a Gold Glove in 2019, Peralta is still a solid platoon bat with above-average defensive ratings in the corners. Arizona has used him primarily in left field this season, though the Rays may prefer him in right, given Randy Arozarena’s presence in left. Peralta has a career mark of +7 Defensive Runs Saved in 1435 innings of right field (and has been a scratch defender there, per Outs Above Average). His work in left field is more highly regarded, but Peralta shouldn’t hurt the Rays in either corner slot and also hits well enough to spend time at DH against righties.

Heading to the Diamondbacks is the 19-year-old Cerda, whom the Rays signed as an international free agent back in 2019. Cerda was actually born in New York but moved to the Dominican Republic in his early teens and developed into a prospect of some note. He signed a $325K bonus with Tampa Bay that summer, drawing praise from Baseball America for his plus arm, agility and intriguing power potential.

Because there was no minor league season in 2020, Cerda is playing in just his second season of pro ball. He’s spent the season with the Rays’ Rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and posted an impressive .315/.464/.519 batting line through his first 69 trips to the plate. Cerda played in the Dominican Summer League last season and slashed .218/.366/.338 in 164 trips to the plate. He’s caught 30 of 79 runners who’ve attempted to steal against him at this point in his young career — an excellent 38% rate.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported (via Twitter) that Peralta was headed to the Rays. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Cerda was going back to Arizona in return.

Juan Soto Rumors: Saturday

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Trade winds are swirling around Juan Soto, as it still isn’t clear if the Nationals will deal the superstar outfielder prior to Tuesday’s 5pm CT trade deadline.  The market continues to change on an hourly basis based on other deals, and certainly based on countless private discussions happening between front office executives around baseball, and yet Soto (MLBTR’s top trade candidate of deadline season) looms over everything.  Certainly, some clubs will want to explore all possibility of acquiring Soto, yet waiting too long could leave that team empty-handed for other trade options if Soto goes elsewhere.

The Padres are widely seen as one of the top contenders to land Soto, and are apparently open to surrendering the type of huge prospect package it will take to get Washington’s attention.  As per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Padres are “willing to discuss” such names as C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and Adrian Morejon with the Nationals.  All three are or have been staples of top-100 prospect lists for the last few years, though Morejon has “graduated” from most prospect lists due to his MLB experience, and MLB Pipeline also removed Abrams from their list due to his 43 big league games played earlier this season.

Since the Nationals are known to be targeting younger, controllable players either already in the majors or on the cusp of their big league debuts, the Padres’ trio would seem to check those boxes.  That said, it is quite likely that the Nats would want even more from the top tier of San Diego’s farm system (or from the active roster) in order to part with Soto, and the Padres could possibly have to up their offer in order to outbid other suitors.

For instance, the Cardinals also have a stockpile of young talent, and have also been mentioned as one of the favorites to land Soto.  Dylan Carlson is a name on Washington’s radar, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Nats “are fond of” the outfielder.

Carlson is only 23 and has already made a mark in the Show, delivering above-average production at the plate and strong defense (as both a center fielder and right fielder).  The Nationals could be eyeing Carlson as their next outfield cornerstone, as the team would already be fairly certain that he could contribute right away, whereas players like Abrams, Hassell, or Morejon are still unproven at the MLB level.

On paper, the Cardinals would seemingly have the depth to move Carlson as part of a Soto deal, yet that would leave the Cards without a reliable center fielder.  Harrison Bader is still on the 10-day injured list due to plantar fasciitis, and a setback will extend his stint for at least another few weeks, manager Oliver Marmol told Goold and other reporters.  Bader won’t even be out of a protective right boot for another week or two, so while Carlson has capably filled in up the middle, St. Louis could also have to pivot to landing a center fielder in another deal if Carlson was moved.  A makeshift combo of Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman in center, for instance, wouldn’t be an ideal option for a would-be contender.

As mentioned, other trades can drastically change the situation for multiple teams, and it appears as though two other potential Soto suitors are no longer involved.  The Rays would’ve been something of an eyebrow-raising team to land Soto, yet the Nationals’ demands were “beyond their tolerance,” Joel Sherman of The New York Post writes.  As such, the Rays eschewed the blockbuster route and instead landed David Peralta from the Diamondbacks earlier today.  Yesterday’s acquisition of Luis Castillo would also seemingly take the Mariners out of the running for Soto, as Seattle dealt away a sizeable chunk of its prospect capital to obtain Castillo from the Reds.

Rays Designate Angel Perdomo For Assignment

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The Rays announced that lefty Angel Perdomo has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to outfielder David Peralta, whose acquisition from the D-backs has now been formally announced by the teams.

Perdomo, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Brewers just 11 days ago and has not appeared in the big leagues with Tampa Bay. The huge 6’8″ lefty has allowed 18 earned runs in 19 2/3 Major League innings as a Brewer, struggling mightily with his command — as evidenced by the fact that he’s walked 23 of the 98 hitters he’s faced. That said, Perdomo has also struck out 33 of those 98 hitters and has routinely posted eye-popping strikeout numbers in the minors.

Injury has limited him to just 7 1/3 minor league frames between the Rays and the Brewers this season, but Perdomo has yielded just one hit and hasn’t allowed a run to score in that time. True to form, he’s punched out 16 of his 31 minor league opponents but also walked seven of them, hit another and thrown two wild pitches.

The Rays will have until Tuesday’s 6pm ET deadline to trade Perdomo, and they can otherwise attempt to pass him through waivers at any point in the next seven days.

Rays Looking For Catching Help

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The Rays are in the market for catching help, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Tampa Bay recently ruled out Opening Day backstop Mike Zunino for the remainder of the season after it was revealed he’d require thoracic outlet syndrome surgery.

That Zunino won’t return surely didn’t come as much of a surprise to the Tampa Bay front office. He’s been out since early June with TOS symptoms. He’d been trying to avoid going under the knife, but surgery has long loomed as a possibility. The Rays already addressed the position to some extent in the wake of Zunino’s absence, landing Christian Bethancourt from the A’s three weeks ago. He’s primarily paired with Francisco Mejía behind the dish, but Mejía himself landed on the injured list with a shoulder impingement a few days ago.

Tampa Bay is down to Bethancourt, René Pinto and prospect Ford Proctor — who’s struggling in Triple-A and has never played in the majors — as healthy backstops on the 40-man roster. Even if Mejía isn’t expected to miss too long, catching’s a viable target area. Both Mejía and Bethancourt have hit for some power this season, but neither has an on-base percentage approaching .300. Both are also generally regarded as fringy receivers — albeit with excellent arm strength — and Mejía typically rates as a below-average pitch framer. Currently holding a 1 1/2 game lead on the Guardians for the American League’s final Wild Card spot, the Rays figure to explore a wide range of possibilities to upgrade the roster over the next three days.

Willson Contreras is easily the top catcher who’s likely to move. It’s a virtual inevitability the Cubs will deal the impending free agent, who carries a career-best .252/.369/.460 line. He’s playing this season on a $9.625MM salary, around $3.6MM of which remains to be paid out. Longtime division rival Christian Vázquez, who’s due around $2.6MM through season’s end, would be available if the Red Sox market their impending free agents. Pedro Severino and Tucker Barnhart are less impactful options who’d come at a light acquisition cost.

As long-term solutions go, A’s backstop Sean Murphy is the top candidate on the market. He won’t qualify for arbitration until next offseason, and he’s controllable through the 2025 campaign. One of the sport’s top defensive backstops, Murphy has gotten hot at the plate this month after a slow start. He’s up to a .241/.318/.421 season mark that easily tops the .225/.294/.363 line compiled by catchers around the league. The acquisition cost would be massive given his control, but the A’s figure to at least entertain offers with top prospect Shea Langeliers nearing major league readiness. With Zunino headed for free agency at the end of the year, the Rays could inquire on Murphy as a player who’d upgrade their catching corps both for the stretch run and the next couple seasons.

Draft Signings: Rays, Giants, Cubs, Brewers, Red Sox

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With three days left for teams to sign draftees, agreements continue to trickle in. Here’s the latest notable news on that front:

  • The Rays have agreed to terms with first-round selection Xavier Isaac. Jim Callis of MLB.com reports (on Twitter) he’ll receive a $2.5489MM bonus that matches the pick’s slot value. The lefty-hitting high schooler is something of a sleeper target for Tampa Bay, as he’d placed just 92nd on the pre-draft ranking at Baseball America. A 6’4″ prep first baseman from North Carolina, Isaac has huge power potential, although BA suggests his hit tool has proven a bit more divisive. The Rays are clearly confident Isaac’s a good enough hitter to clear the high bar associated with the position, paying him first-round money to forego a commitment to the University of Florida.
  • The Giants are in agreement with their first-rounder, as Callis reports they’ve come to terms with Reggie Crawford on a $2.2975MM deal (Twitter link). That’s a touch below the $2.49MM slot value that accompanies the #30 overall pick. Crawford is one of the more intriguing players in the class. A first baseman for much of his early time at the University of Connecticut, the left-hander made just 14 pitching appearances between 2020-21. He ran his fastball into the upper-90s and showed a plus slider during his limited mound work, but a Tommy John surgery dashed the Huskies’ chances of getting him into the rotation this spring. Callis notes that Crawford, who has big raw power upside as a hitter, is likely to both pitch and hit during his early minor league career. Baseball America, which placed him as the #59 prospect in the class, suggests he’s more highly-regarded as a pitcher than as a first baseman.
  • The Cubs agreed to terms with second-round pick Jackson Ferris on an overslot $3.005MM bonus, Callis reports (Twitter link). The slot value for the #47 pick was around $1.67MM. It’s a typical overslot deal for a high school pitcher whom some evaluators viewed as a first-round talent. The left-hander runs his fastball into the mid-90s, and both BA and Callis praise his curveball and changeup. Baseball America expressed some concerns about his delivery and control, but he owns an impressive enough repertoire the Cubs will buy him out of a commitment to Ole Miss.
  • The Brewers have also gone well overslot in the second round, with Callis reporting (on Twitter) they’ve agreed to a $2.35MM bonus for Jacob Misiorowski. The slot value associated with the #63 selection checks in at $1.1MM. Misiorowski, a right-hander from Crowder junior college in Missouri, had been set to attend LSU next year. He checked in 67th in the class according to BA, with a fastball that sometimes clocks triple-digits and a possible plus slider. The 6’7″ hurler has questions about his control and the quality of his third pitch, but Milwaukee is clearly intrigued by his high-powered top two offerings.
  • The Red Sox also went well above slot on a mid-round player, as Callis reports they’ve agreed to a $2.5MM bonus with supplemental 2nd-rounder Roman Anthony (Twitter link). The 79th selection comes with a slot value of $820.4K. Anthony, a 6’3″ prep outfielder out of Florida, is credited by both Callis and BA with big left-handed power projection. He has some swing-and-miss concerns and BA suggests he’s likely to move to the corner outfield in pro ball. An Ole Miss commit, Anthony was BA’s #72 prospect.

Rays Evaluating Cubs' Relievers as Trade Deadline Looms

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Cubs closer David Robertson is among the most popular names on the trade market for relievers, and both New York clubs have interest in bringing him aboard. The Yankees, who’ve enjoyed two separate stints from Robertson in the past, are interested in another reunion with the 37-year-old righty, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Davidoff’s colleague Mike Puma, meanwhile, writes that the Mets are intrigued by Robertson in part because of how effective he’s been against left-handers this season. The Mets don’t have a reliable southpaw option at the moment and there that many quality lefty relievers available, so Robertson’s lack of a platoon split is an understandably appealing trait. FanSided’s Robert Murray writes that the Mets “love” Robertson. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote yesterday that the Rays were among the teams evaluating the Cubs’ relievers.

Rays, Chase Anderson Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Chase Anderson, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. The Hub Sports Management client opted out of a minor league pact with the Tigers earlier this month and will now head to Triple-A Durham to give the Rays some additional depth.

Anderson, 34, is an eight-year big league veteran who’s pitched to a 4.20 ERA with a 20.1% strikeout rate, a 7.9% walk rate and a 37.6% ground-ball rate in 938 2/3 innings dating back to his 2014 MLB debut with the Diamondbacks. The past two seasons have been a struggle, as he’s been tagged for a combined 6.94 ERA in 81 2/3 frames between the Blue Jays and the Phillies.

Prior to that tough stretch, however, Anderson was a quietly solid fourth starter for the D-backs and Brewers for several seasons. From 2014-19 he started at least 25 games per full big league season, pitching to a combined 3.94 ERA. He topped out at a career-high 158 innings and averaged about 5 1/3 innings per start along the way, so he was never necessarily a workhorse innings eater, but Anderson was an effective and underrated member of both the Arizona and Milwaukee pitching staffs.

Anderson began the season with the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in Toledo and pitched well more often than not. His overall 4.63 ERA in 70 frames isn’t exactly eye-catching, though it’s inflated by one particularly poor outing in which he was blasted for five runs while only recording five outs. Anderson allowed just seven runs over his final 25 Triple-A innings, posting a 24-to-5 K/BB ratio along the way, so it’s a bit surprising that an injury-decimated Tigers club didn’t at least give him a brief big league look.

Anderson will now move from one organization that’s thin on rotation depth to another, however, as the Rays have had their own rash of injuries among the starting staff. Tampa Bay currently has Corey Kluber, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Cy Young frontrunner Shane McClanahan in the rotation, but each of Shane Baz, Tyler Glasnow, Josh Fleming, Yonny Chirinos and Brendan McKay is on the injured list. As such, starting pitching could well be an area of focus for Tampa Bay in the coming week, but Anderson will give them some veteran depth down the stretch.

Outrights: Tully, Swarmer, Ogando

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A couple updates on some recently DFAed players who’ll remain with their organizations…

  • The Rays announced that righty Cristofer Ogando was outrighted to Triple-A Durham (h/t to Neil Solondz). He was designated for assignment when the team signed Roman Quinn last week. The 28-year-old only made one appearance, tossing two innings of one-run ball during his major league debut on July 3. He’s otherwise spent the season with the Bulls, logging 36 2/3 frames with a 3.68 ERA and roughly average strikeout and walk rates (24.2% and 8.2%, respectively). Ogando has never previously been outrighted, so he’ll remain in the organization and try to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster before the end of the year.

Earlier

  • The Guardians assigned left-hander Tanner Tully to Triple-A Columbus after he went unclaimed on outright waivers, per the transactions log at MLB.com. The 24-year-old Tully has pitched six big league innings this season and yielded four runs on eight hits and a hefty six walks with just two punchouts. Tully, a former 26th-round pick, has pitched better in Columbus but still doesn’t have dominant numbers: a 4.93 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate, 3.4% walk rate and 50% grounder rate through 80 1/3 innings. That outstanding walk rate and strong ground-ball ability are undeniably impressive, but Tully has never been regarded among the organization’s best prospects and has a career 4.91 ERA in parts of four Triple-A seasons. He’ll continue to serve as rotation depth for the time being.
  • Cubs righty Matt Swarmer was assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa after clearing waivers, per the team. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweeted this morning that Swarmer rejoined the club today. The 28-year-old allowed just two earned runs through his first dozen innings during this year’s MLB debut, but the success proved fleeting. Swarmer was tagged for 14 runs over his next three starts (12 2/3 innings) before being moved to the bullpen and continuing to struggle there (2.89 ERA but 10 walks in 9 1/3  innings). On the whole, Swarmer has a 5.03 ERA with a 36-to-20 K/BB ratio in 34 innings. He does have a 2.08 ERA in 39 Triple-A frames this season, and he’ll look to build on that in hopes of earning another big league look in the season’s final few months.

Kevin Kiermaier, Mike Zunino To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

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The Rays will be without two key players for the rest of the season. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and Joe Trezza of MLB.com) that center fielder Kevin Kiermaier has elected to undergo surgery to address a labrum issue with his left hip. Catcher Mike Zunino is also done for the year, as Topkin reports (on Twitter) he’ll need surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. Cash said Kiermaier is expected to be ready for next Spring Training; the longer-term timetable for Zunino remains unclear.

Both Kiermaier and Zunino were already on the 60-day injured list. Kiermaier was initially diagnosed with hip inflammation, while Zunino’s problem was first termed left shoulder inflammation. The team quickly thereafter revealed Zunino may be battling thoracic outlet syndrome, however. He received Botox treatment in hopes of remedying the issue without going under the knife, but that evidently proved unsuccessful. Thoracic outlet surgery has become fairly prevalent for pitchers, with hurlers like Stephen Strasburg, John King, Brendan McKay and Daulton Jefferies requiring the procedure within the past year. It’s been far less common an occurrence for position players.

Kiermaier and Zunino were known to be facing lengthy recovery processes even before today’s news, so there was already a fair bit of urgency for the club to address the vacated center field and catching positions. Tampa Bay already added help in the latter area, bringing in Christian Bethancourt in a deal with the A’s. Neither Bethancourt nor incumbent Francisco Mejía has performed so well the Rays should rule out further upgrades behind the dish, although the market is fairly shallow. Willson Contreras is one of the game’s most obvious trade candidates, but the Cubs will have plenty of interest around the league in perhaps the top rental bat on the market. Bethancourt’s former teammate, Sean Murphy, is drawing attention as a controllable option, although the acquisition cost for three and a half seasons of his services would be even more substantial than the haul required to land Contreras.

Oakland also has one of the better center fielders who could be available, with Ramón Laureano having three-plus seasons of remaining club control. Beyond Laureano, it’s a murky market there as well, with Bryan Reynolds and Cedric Mullins seemingly unlikely to move. The Royals could market Michael A. Taylor to capitalize on perhaps the best season of his career, while the Nationals may be willing to part with Víctor Robles amidst another down year. The Rays are also without Harold Ramírez and Manuel Margot due to injury, leaving them to rely on Josh Lowe and Brett Phillips — neither of whom is doing much at the plate — alongside Randy Arozarena in the outfield.

The deadline outlook will be the most immediate concern for the Tampa Bay front office, but the longer-term ramifications of today’s news could be the end of Kiermaier’s and Zunino’s tenures in Tampa Bay. Each is in the final guaranteed year of his respective contract. The Rays hold a $13MM option on Kiermaier’s services for 2023, but it’s hard to envision the club bringing him back at that sum. The lefty-hitting outfielder had a modest .228/.281/.369 showing over 221 plate appearances on the season. Between his age (32) and another significant lower body injury, one may wonder how much longer he’ll remain one of the sport’s best defensive outfielders.

Zunino, meanwhile, will hit the market coming off one of the more disappointing years of his career. He popped 33 home runs a season ago, leading the Rays to bring him back on a $7MM option. He managed only a .145/.198/.304 showing in 36 games this year. The 31-year-old is among the sport’s top defensive backstops, but the combination of his woeful 2022 numbers and the TOS procedure deals a tough blow to his stock as he heads towards free agency.

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