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MLB To Cancel Field Of Dreams Game

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Major League Baseball has decided to cancel the “Field of Dreams Game” it had previously scheduled for August 13. The Cardinals and White Sox were supposed to square off in the famed Iowa cornfield.

The Cardinals are currently waiting to see just how bad an internal COVID-19 outbreak turns out to be. No matter how far it has spread, a significant portion of the team will be sidelined for some time and the organization will be forced to scramble to fill out a club.

While that would seem at first glance to be a rather important factor in the decision, Rosenthal says that wasn’t the driving force. Rather, it’s “a logistical problem,” per the report. It’s not entirely clear why those considerations are only now counseling in favor of cancellation, but it was undoubtedly a tricky undertaking even before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

White Sox Activate Nomar Mazara

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The White Sox announced Monday that they’ve activated right fielder Nomar Mazara for his season debut. In a pair of corresponding moves, catcher Yermin Mercedes was optioned to their alternate training site and right-hander Jimmy Lambert was placed on the 45-day injured list.

Mazara has yet to live up to the top prospect hype that surrounded his MLB debut with the Rangers, but he’s been a steady 20-homer producer with slightly above-average offense against right-handed pitching (career 103 wRC+). And while he’a already a four-year MLB veteran by virtue of his early call to the bigs in Arlington, his youth leaves the hope for some yet untapped upside at the dish.

As MLBTR’s George Miller explored a few months back, Mazara is quite impactful when hitting to the opposite field, by virtue of the fact that he elevates the ball with much greater regularity than when pulling the ball. Mazara’s number of pulled grounders are alarming and indeed have limited his output to this point in his career. However, he generally ranks above the league average in terms of average exit velocity, barrel rate, expected slugging percentage and a number of other Statcast metrics that portend some remaining upside. Mazara will likely be platooned with righty-hitting Adam Engel early in the season, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, but there’s obvious potential for Mazara to work his way into a larger role.

Even if Mazara simply maintains the status quo, though, that’s not an entirely bad thing for the Sox. Granted, plugging in a slightly above-average bat to the lineup doesn’t sound like a huge boost, but in nine games this season, White Sox right fielders have turned in a putrid .167/.211/.333 slash. Mazara’s lifetime .271/.337/.462 line against right-handed opponents looks all the better when juxtaposed with that to-date production (or lack thereof) from Chicago right fielders. Engel’s career .253/.299/.390 slash against lefties isn’t great — though it is better than Mazara’s career levels — but that platoon arrangement should lead to some improvement for what has already been a strong White Sox lineup.

The White Sox acquired Mazara in December trade that sent minor league outfielder Steele Walker to the Rangers. Mazara is playing out the 2020 season on a one-year, $5.56MM contract (prorated to about $1.97MM) and is controllable through the 2021 season via the arbitration process.

White Sox Release Kelvin Herrera

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The White Sox have requested waivers on right-hander Kelvin Herrera for his unconditional release, as first reported by James Fegan of The Athletic. Herrera was playing out the final year of a two-year, $18MM contract signed with the Sox prior to last season. Herrera was designated for assignment on Friday.

Herrera’s White Sox tenure will come to an unceremonious end after one-plus year in Chicago, a period during which he hardly resembled the late-inning menace that helped the Royals to a World Series title. His velocity has been in a steady decline since 2015, with his four-seamer measuring in at 94.5 mph this year, a far cry from the 98.8 mph he averaged five years ago (to be fair, he’s thrown just seven four-seamers this season; perhaps last year’s 96.3 mph velocity is closer to the “truth”).

In 57 games with the White Sox last year, he notched a disappointing 6.14 ERA while striking out 53 batters in 51 1/3 innings. Walks have been an issue since signing with Chicago, as he’s averaged an even 4.0 BB/9, up considerably from the 2.8 BB/9 he surrendered during his Royals tenure.

Speculatively, Herrera may have a future in Miami with the Marlins, whose need for depth pitching is undeniable given the state of the roster. They figure to be a potential landing spot for just about any hurler that becomes available. And for what it’s worth, Herrera would seem to fit in with the theme of the Marlins’ offseason: low-cost veterans such as Jesus Aguilar, Jonathan Villar, and Corey Dickerson were prioritized last winter and have helped the Marlins to a 2-1 start to the year (firmly in playoff position!).

White Sox Place Tim Anderson On IL, Promote Yermin Mercedes

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The White Sox have placed shortstop Tim Anderson on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin, according to James Fegan of The Athletic. In turn, they’ve recalled catcher Yermin Mercedes to fill Anderson’s roster spot. It will be Mercedes’s first foray in the Majors after nearly a decade in pro ball.

Anderson, 27, is the reigning American League batting champion, and he picked up where he left off. Through the young season’s first seven games, Anderson has slashed .333/.355/.567 with seven runs scored. The White Sox leadoff man is a big part of their offensive attack, but his effectiveness would be severely limited with a strained groin. Considering the role speed plays in Anderson’s game both with the bat and in the field, Chicago will want to do their best to get him fully up to speed before returning to the diamond.

In his absence, Leury Garcia can slide over to shortstop from the keystone. It’s a small bit of serendipity that the White Sox only just purchased the contract of highly-regarded prospect Nick Madrigal to take over at second base. Garcia has been the primary second baseman thus far while also appearing in right field and at shortstop. He doesn’t bring much to the dish, however, as a career .256/.291/.359 hitter. Danny Mendick, 26, could also help fill the void at shortstop. Garcia and Madrigal make up the middle infield in tonight’s ballgame against the Royals.

Mercedes, 27, started in professional baseball as a catcher with the Nationals back in 2011. After a pitstop with the Baltimore Orioles, Mercedes has spent the last two seasons in the White Sox organization. He can play anywhere on the four corners, finishing last season in Triple-A with a triple slash of .310/.386/.647 with 17 home runs in just 220 plate appearances. He brings some potential with the stick but finding him a position has been much of the struggle in recent seasons. He’s not likely to get a lot of playing time in Chicago, not with designated hitter options like Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Abreu, James McCann, Yasmani Grandal, Zack Collins, and Eloy Jimenez already vying for at-bats.

AL Notes: Anderson, Giles, Red Sox, Indians

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White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson left the team’s win over the Royals on Friday with right hip soreness, the club announced. The reigning AL batting champion is day-to-day, and the White Sox will re-evaluate him Saturday, manager Rick Renteria told James Fegan of The Athletic and other reporters. Anderson had a multi-hit game Friday, continuing a terrific start in which he has slashed .333/.355/.567 over 31 plate appearances. Chicago replaced him with utilityman Leury Garcia.

  • Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles went on the injured list July 27 with a right forearm strain, but the team is “very optimistic” he’ll return this season, according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic). After getting a second opinion on the injury, Giles underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection. Not only would his return boost the Blue Jays’ of pushing for a playoff spot, but it would be a positive for Giles as he prepares for a trip to free agency in a few months. The 29-year-old was absolutely dominant when he was healthy enough to pitch in 2019, but arm problems have troubled him since last summer.
  • Pitching has been a problem for the Red Sox early this season, but a couple of their hurlers are on the way back from the COVID-19 injured list. Left-handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor could join the Red Sox sometime within the next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. The 23-year-old Hernandez reached the majors for the first time last season and struck out a ridiculous 16.91 hitters per nine across 30 1/3 innings, though a horrid 7.71 BB/9 helped lead to a below-average 4.45 ERA. Taylor, 27, somewhat quietly notched a 3.04 ERA/3.11 FIP with 11.79 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9 in 47 1/3 frames as a rookie.
  • Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com relayed updates on a trio of injured Indians on Friday. Catcher Roberto Perez, whom the Indians placed on the IL this week with a right shoulder issue, has experienced improvement. The club will re-evaluate him Tuesday. Outfielder Tyler Naquin, on the IL since last weekend with a fractured toe, has started sprinting. And fellow outfielder Delino DeShields, an offseason acquisition who still hasn’t made his Cleveland debut on account of a positive COVID-19 test, played 4 1/2 rehab innings Friday. There’s no word on when any of them will be ready to rejoin the Indians, though.

White Sox Promote Nick Madrigal, Designate Kelvin Herrera

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The White Sox have called up second baseman Nick Madrigal, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). His promotion had been anticipated but was not yet confirmed to be imminent.

Reliever Kelvin Herrera was designated for assignment to create 40-man and active roster space. He was in the second season of a two-year, $17MM deal.

Madrigal, the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, will not have a chance to accrue a full season of MLB service. He will, however, be on track to ultimately qualify for arbitration after the 2022 season as a Super Two player.

It’ll certainly be fun to watch the 23-year-old in the majors. He has quite an unusual skillset, with negligible power but otherworldly contact ability and plate discipline.

A consensus top-50 prospect leaguewide, Madrigal have to keep hitting and walking at a tremendous rate to be an above-average MLB hitter. Last year, over the three highest levels of the minors, he logged 532 plate appearances of .311/.377/.414 hitting. Though he managed only four home runs, Madrigal amazingly struck out only 16 times while drawing 44 walks.

As exciting as it is for the Sox to welcome Madrigal, bidding adieu to Herrera represents an acknowledgement of a disappointment. The 30-year-old signed his contract after recovering from a major foot procedure but just hasn’t returned to form.

As MLBTR’s Connor Byrne examined in depth recently, the once-excellent reliever has struggled mightily in Chicago. He limped to a 6.14 ERA in 51 1/3 innings in 2019 and was shelled for four earned runs over his first two outings in 2020. Worst still, his typically upper-nineties fastball velocity has drooped to about 94 mph thus far this season.

With the decision, the White Sox will owe Herrera the remainder of the pro-rated portion of his $8.5MM salary this year. They’ll also still have to pay him a $1MM buyout on a 2020 vesting/club option.

Nick Madrigal “Pretty Close” To White Sox Promotion

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Even though the White Sox have begun the season without one of their top prospects, second baseman Nick Madrigal, it doesn’t seem as if he’ll wait much longer to make his MLB debut. Director of player development Chris Getz said Thursday (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) that Madrigal is “pretty close” to joining the club, though he didn’t provide a timeline for when it could happen.

Now 23 years old and a top 100 prospect, Madrigal became a member of the White Sox when they chose him fourth overall in the 2018 draft. Madrigal, who’s a diminutive 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, has only hit four home runs in professional ball since the Sox drafted him, but he has nonetheless been productive. He reached the Triple-A level for the first time last season and slashed .331/.398/.424 (117 wRC+) across 134 plate appearances. The hope is he’ll maintain those type of numbers (or even exceed them) when he reaches the White Sox, who also boast the steady trio of first baseman Jose Abreu, shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Yoan Moncada in their infield.

With Madrigal off their 30-man roster in the early going, the White Sox have primarily gone with Leury Garcia at second base. Garcia has never been a threat at the plate, though, and with Chicago off to a 2-4 start in a 60-game season, it may behoove the club to bring up Madrigal in the very near future. Service time shouldn’t be a concern for the White Sox in regards to Madrigal in the coming days, as keeping him down for a week of games will clinch an extra year of control for the team.

White Sox Outright Cheslor Cuthbert

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The White Sox have outrighted infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, James Fegan of The Athletic was among those to cover on Twitter. He has cleared waivers after recently being designated for assignment.

The 27-year-old Cuthbert had hoped to carve out a role in Chicago after parts of five seasons with the division-rival Royals. But he’ll now have to earn his way back after taking a lone plate appearance on the 2020 season. He will remain with the organization as part of the 60-man player pool.

Cuthbert’s peak to this point came in a 2016 season in which he took 510 plate appearances for a competitive Kansas City outfit that was then seeking to defend a World Series title. He popped a dozen home runs and finished with a .274/.318/.413 slash, good for a just-below-average 95 OPS+, but has struggled badly with the bat ever since.

KBO’s Samsung Lions Place Tyler Saladino On Waivers

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The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization have waived former big league infielder Tyler Saladino, per Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency. The move opens a spot for Daniel Palka, whose previously reported agreement with the Lions is now official.

Saladino has been excellent with the Lions this season, but he’s currently out with a back injury. The Lions, who at 34-34 are still in the playoff mix, seemingly did not expect Saladino back in the near future. Otherwise, there’d be little reason to justify cutting bait on a player who’d slashed .280/.411/.477 with six homers and six steals apiece through 163 plate appearances. It was a strong showing for the 31-year-old Saladino — one that could perhaps create additional opportunities in South Korea or Japan once he’s worked back to health. Alternatively, Saladino may opt to pursue a new opportunity with a big league club.

In parts of five Major League seasons between the White Sox and Brewers, Saladino is a .226/.278/.330 hitter through 1064 plate appearances. He’s appeared at every position other than catcher and pitcher in the Majors, and in his 44 games with the Lions, Saladino saw action at third base, first base, shortstop and in left field.

Latest On Nomar Mazara

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White Sox outfielder Nomar Mazara has reported to the team’s alternate training site, Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets. He has been on the injured list since July 22 for an undisclosed reason.

It’s not known when Mazara will make his 2020 debut, but it’s nonetheless nice to see that he’s making progress. When he is able to take the field for the White Sox, it’ll be the 25-year-old’s first appearance in their uniform. Chicago acquired the former standout prospect from Texas during the offseason in one of many notable winter White Sox transactions.

Of course, it’s anyone’s guess whether Mazara will prove to be a valuable part of the White Sox team. Mazara looked like a can’t-miss farmhand during his younger days, but he failed to post inspiring production as a member of the Rangers, with whom he batted .261/.320/.435 (92 wRC+) with 79 home runs in 2,189 plate appearances from 2016-19. By measure of wRC+, Mazara was never even a league-average hitter in any of his seasons in Texas.

Defensively, Mazara has earned unspectacular reviews in right field, where he has logged minus-17 DRS and a 0.0 UZR across 3,000-plus innings. Once he’s ready to return, though, Mazara figures to take over the position for the White Sox, who have turned to Nicky Delmonico there in the early going this season.

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