Blue Jays Promote Hagen Danner For MLB Debut, Option Alek Manoah
The Blue Jays announced today that right-hander Hagen Danner has been recalled from Triple-A. He will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. Righty Alek Manoah was optioned as the corresponding move.
Danner, 24, was both a pitcher and a catcher in high school when the Jays drafted him in 2017. They initially tried him behind the plate but he didn’t hit much in the lower levels of the minors and got moved back to the mound. In 2021, he tossed 35 2/3 innings in High-A, allowing 2.02 earned runs per nine innings. He struck out 29.4% of batters faced, walked 8.4% and got grounders at a 36.3% rate.
With his early attempts at catching and the canceled minor leagues in 2020, that was the totality of his professional pitching experience in November of 2021. Nonetheless, the Jays were clearly intrigued, as they added Danner to their 40-man roster to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.
Last season, the righty spent much of the time on the minor league injured list, only throwing 3 2/3 innings for the year. Here in 2023, he’s thrown 39 1/3 innings across three different levels with a 3.66 ERA. He’s struck out 35.7% of batters he’s faced while walking just 7%. The long ball has been a bit of an issue, however, with eight balls having gone over the fence so far this year. But his 26.7% rate of fly balls turning into home runs is more than double the major league average and unlikely to be sustained.
As for Manoah, this is the second time this year that he’s been sent on optional assignment. The first came in June after he struggled mightily in the first couple of months in the season, with a 6.36 ERA at that time. He was recalled about a month later and has been a bit better, with a 4.91 ERA since coming back up. His 23.3% strikeout rate in that time is close to average but his 12.8% walk rate is a few ticks on the high side.
The Jays have been running a six-man rotation recently, thanks to the return of Manoah as well as Hyun Jin Ryu returning from his Tommy John surgery rehab, joining Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. That arrangement has been fine for a while as they are currently in a stretch of playing 17 days in a row, but that will end after this weekend. Starting on Monday, the Jays have three off-days in an eight-day period, making the six starters unnecessary.
It seems Manoah will be the odd man out for now, as he’ll head to Triple-A Buffalo and await his next opportunity. An injury to one of the club’s other starters could open a spot for him, or perhaps the expanded September rosters will get him back aboard.
José Bautista To Officially Retire
José Bautista hasn’t played in a big league game since 2018 but had never officially retired in the years after his last appearance. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet was among those to report today that Bautista will sign a one-day contract with Toronto to officially retire as a Blue Jay, as part of the ceremony wherein he will be added to the club’s Level of Excellence on Saturday.
Bautista, now 42, didn’t have the typical path to baseball stardom as he wasn’t a high draft pick or top prospect. The Pirates selected him in the 20th round of the draft in 2000 and he would get some modest attention from prospect evaluators after that, with Baseball America ranking him #14 in the system in 2002 and #7 in 2003.
In 2004, he had an especially unusual season, getting selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 draft. As the season wore on, he was claimed off waivers by the Devil Rays, then was subsequently traded to the Royals, Mets and back to the Pirates. He would stick with the Pirates for a few years, mostly as a third baseman but also playing some outfield. He showed glimpses of his potential at the plate, hitting 16 home runs in 2006, 15 the year after and another 15 in 2008.
That 2008 season saw him traded to the Blue Jays in August for a player to be named later, which was eventually revealed as Robinzon Díaz. A fairly forgettable transaction at the time, it would later prove to be the start of the defining era of Bautista’s career.
His first full season as a Blue Jay wasn’t especially noteworthy, as Bautista hit 13 home runs in 2009, though there were a few developments that would prove to be important in later years. He began incorporating a leg kick into his swing and also started to spend more time in right field, with his strong throwing arm a good fit for that spot.
In 2010, at the age of 29, Bautista broke out in stunning fashion. He launched 54 home runs for the Jays that year, setting a new single season record for the franchise. He also showed a keen eye at the plate, drawing walks in 14.6% of his plate appearances. His .260/.378/.617 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 165, indicating he was 65% better than the league average hitter. The Jays decided to bank on that breakout, giving Bautista a five-year, $65MM extension that covered his final arbitration season and four free agent years, with a club option for 2016.
He followed that up with an even better season overall. His home run tally dropped to 43 in 2011, but his patient approach allowed him to take advantage of pitchers giving him less to hit. He was walked in 20.2% of his trips to the plate in 2011, leading to a .302/.447/.608 slash line. His 180 wRC+ was the best in the majors that year and would eventually prove to be his personal best as well. He was considered to be worth 8.1 wins above replacement by FanGraphs and 8.4 by Baseball Reference. He came in third in AL MVP voting behind Justin Verlander and Jacoby Ellsbury.
His production would continue in fairly similar fashion for years to come, defined by both his power output and on-base abilities. From 2012 to 2016, he hit between 22 and 40 home runs each year with his walk rate never finishing below 13.1%. Despite that excellent production, and that of another late-blooming star in Edwin Encarnación, the Jays struggled to push too far beyond .500 in most of those seasons.
The 2015 season finally changed that, with the Jays aggressively bolstering the roster by adding Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin and others in the offseason. The trade deadline saw further aggression, with the club adding a batch of players headlined by Troy Tulowitzki and David Price. The moves paid off when the Jays surged in the final months of the season and finished 93-69, winning the American League East and cracking the postseason for the first time since 1993.
Bautista’s first opportunity to play in the playoffs would lead to a singular moment and image that are now cemented in the minds of millions of baseball fans. The Jays squared off against the Rangers in the Wild Card series, which had a best-of-five format at that time. The Jays lost the first two games but rallied to tie it up and force a fifth contest.
In the deciding game, the Jays fell behind in the top of the seventh 3-2 on a strange play wherein Rougned Odor scored when Martin’s attempted throw back to pitcher Aaron Sanchez hit the bat of Shin-Soo Choo and ricocheted away. Home plate umpire Dale Scott initially ruled the ball dead but the umpiring crew eventually allowed the run to score. That soured the mood in the stadium, with many fans throwing debris to express their displeasure.
In the bottom of the frame, several defensive miscues from the Rangers allowed the Jays to tie the game up before Bautista launched a two-out, three-run home run to give the Jays a 6-3 lead. Bautista reacted to the emotionally-charged atmosphere by flipping his bat high into the air, which proved to be controversial in some baseball circles, though it would quickly become an iconic moment among Jays’ fans. Toronto held on to win that game but would lose to the Royals in the ALCS.
After Bautista’s extension ended, the Jays gave him a $17.2MM qualifying offer for 2017. He rejected that and became a free agent but eventually returned to Toronto via a one-year, $18.5MM deal. He still hit 23 home runs and walked in 12.2% of his plate appearances, but his overall production fell to .203/.308/.366 and a wRC+ of 81.
In 2018, he returned to the journeyman status that started his career, bouncing to the Braves, Mets and Phillies. He didn’t sign with a club in the years to come, though he did reportedly consider a comeback as a two-way player in 2020, but later threw some cold water on those reports. He played for the Dominican Republic team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed to 2021 by delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now it seems his playing days will be officially ended during this weekend’s festivities, tying a bow on one of the more unique baseball journeys. Though Bautista began and ended his career as a journeyman, he had a late bloom that led to a lengthy stretch as one of the best players in the league. From 2010 to 2015, he hit 227 home runs, easily the most in the league for that time with Miguel Cabrera second at 199. He slashed .268/.390/.555 in that time for a wRC+ of 156 and tallied 33.2 fWAR, that latter figure placing him sixth among position players. His 60 outfield assists in that stretch were topped by just three other big leaguers. He engineered many memorable moments during that peak, too many to list here, featuring both his tremendous talents as well as his fiery and standout personality.
Over his career as a whole, he played 1,798 games and took 7,244 trips to the plate. He launched 344 home runs and walked at a 14.2% rate, leading to a .247/.361/.475 batting line and 126 wRC+. He had 1,496 hits, 1,022 runs scored, 975 driven in and stole 70 bases. He tallied 35.3 fWAR and 36.7 bWAR. He made six straight All-Star teams from 2010 to 2015, led the league in home runs twice, earned a couple of Hank Aaron awards and three Silver Sluggers. As a Blue Jay, his tallies of 38.3 bWAR and 36.2 fWAR are both the best in franchise history among position players, with only Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay ahead of him overall.
We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Bautista on an incredibly special career and wish him the best in all his post-playing endeavors.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Blue Jays Place Kevin Kiermaier On Injured List
The Blue Jays announced that outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 7, due to a right elbow laceration. Fellow outfielder Nathan Lukes was recalled in a corresponding move.
Kiermaier collided with the center field wall in Fenway Park on Sunday while making a catch. He required eight stitches, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, though manager John Schneider said there were no structural concerns and that Kiermaier was considered day-to-day. Now it seems the club will give him an extra week-plus to rest his arm and get into game shape.
He’s having yet another excellent defensive season, having earned 13 Defensive Runs Saved and eight Outs Above Average on the year, as well as a mark of 4.1 from Ultimate Zone Rating. His bat is also above average, as he’s slashing .274/.336/.415 on the year for a 109 wRC+. That’s been a bit frontloaded, as he hit .319/.365/.521 through the end of May but just .222/.303/.294 since the start of June. Nonetheless, it’s been a strong season overall for the 33-year-old.
With Kiermaier out, the club will likely rely on Daulton Varsho as the everyday center fielder. He’s hitting just .218/.280/.367 this season though has shown some recent signs of life. He’s hit .320/.370/.600 since July 30, though in a small sample of just nine games. Even with the tepid offense, he’s provided 19 DRS, 6.1 UZR and 5 OAA, along with 12 steals, though the Jays would surely love for his bat to stay hot for an extended stretch.
With Varsho in center and George Springer in right, left field could be covered by some combination of Lukes, Whit Merrifield, Davis Schneider and Cavan Biggio. Lukes has hit just .190/.280/.333 through his first 25 major league plate appearances but has a strong .333/.414/.564 line in Triple-A this year. He’s mostly played the corners but has seen some time in center in the minors, allowing him to serve as Varsho’s backup, though Merrifield and Biggio also have some experience there.
Pirates Claim Thomas Hatch Off Waivers
The Pirates have claimed right-hander Thomas Hatch off outright waivers from the Blue Jays, as announced by both teams. Toronto designated Hatch for assignment earlier this week.
The move officially ends Hatch’s tenure in the Jays organization after a little over four years, as Toronto initially acquired the righty in a deadline deal with the Cubs on July 30, 2019. He made his MLB debut in 2020 without the benefit of any Triple-A experience (due to the canceled minor league season) and made a good first impression, as Hatch had a 2.73 ERA over 26 1/3 relief innings despite some shaky peripheral numbers.
Hatch ran into struggles after that debut season, posting a 4.45 ERA over 240 2/3 innings at Triple-A Buffalo from 2021-23. This inconsistency as both a starter and a reliever translated into Hatch’s limited big league work, as the Blue Jays have given him a few looks in each of the last three seasons without much success. Hatch has an 8.85 ERA over 20 1/3 Major League innings since the start of the 2021 season, with seven of his 10 appearances coming out of the bullpen.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington was working in Toronto’s front office when Hatch was first acquired in 2019, and that familiarity surely contributed to the Bucs’ claim. Hatch gives Pittsburgh extra depth for the rotation or the pen, and he can still be optioned to the minors through the 2024 season, providing more flexibility. It is possible Hatch (who turns 29 in September) might thrive with a change of scenery, but at the very least, he’ll give the Pirates another arm to perhaps eat some innings over the remaining two months.
Blue Jays Outright Mitch White
The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that right-hander Mitch White went unclaimed on waivers. Since this is his first career outright and he has less than three years of major league service, White has to stick in the organization at Triple-A Buffalo.
Toronto acquired White from the Dodgers at last summer’s trade deadline. That deal looks quite regrettable in hindsight, as Double-A righty Nick Frasso has developed into one of the better prospects in a strong L.A. farm system. White was brought in to battle for a spot at the back of the Toronto rotation.
He started eight of 10 games down the stretch last summer, surrendering a 7.74 ERA across 43 innings. He was nevertheless in the mix for the fifth starter role in Spring Training, but an elbow injury cost him the first couple months of the year. White returned in early June and was pushed to middle relief. He tallied 12 2/3 innings across 10 appearances, giving up 11 runs with 13 strikeouts and seven walks.
While the former second-round pick had 3.58 ERA in 105 2/3 innings as a Dodger, he owns a 7.60 mark in 55 2/3 frames since being traded. White is also out of minor league option years, leaving the Jays to either carry him on the MLB roster or designate him for assignment. They chose the latter route upon acquiring Jordan Hicks from St. Louis last Sunday.
The Jays can keep White in Buffalo for the remainder of the season as rotation or long relief depth. He’d qualify for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason unless the Jays add him back onto the MLB roster.
Twins Claim Jordan Luplow
The Twins have claimed outfielder Jordan Luplow off waivers from the Blue Jays, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Toronto designated Luplow for assignment prior to the trade deadline. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Twins moved Brock Stewart from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.
Luplow adds some balance to a lefty-heavy Minnesota outfield. A right-handed hitter, he’s been a solid power threat against left-handed pitching throughout his career. Luplow owns a .226/.337/.497 slash in 520 MLB plate appearances versus southpaws. He’s been leveraged in a platoon capacity throughout his big league time, only picking up 467 trips to the dish against same-handed arms (and hitting .199/.289/.354).
The bulk of Luplow’s production has come in previous seasons, however. The 29-year-old has barely played at the big league level this year. He’s made seven appearances around a pair of DFAs with the Blue Jays, who’d claimed him from Atlanta during the first week of the year. He’s posted roughly average numbers at Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .239/.341/.438 over 208 plate appearances.
Stewart had been amidst a breakout season that was interrupted by elbow soreness. He went for an MRI this week after experiencing renewed discomfort (relayed by Dan Hayes of the Athletic). It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, though the transfer officially puts him on the shelf until the final week of August.
Blue Jays Designate Thomas Hatch For Assignment
The Blue Jays announced a series of roster moves this morning. The club has selected the contract of infielder Davis Schneider from Triple-A, optioned infielder Ernie Clement to Triple-A, reinstated right-hander Jay Jackson from the family emergency list, and designated right-hander Thomas Hatch for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster stands at 40.
Hatch, 28, came over from the Cubs in a 2019 trade that sent reliever David Phelps to Chicago. He made his big league debut with Toronto in 2020 and has seen Major League action every season since. The 2016 third-round pick has pitched to a 5.28 ERA in 44 1/3 big league innings, fanning 21.3% of his opponents against a 12.4% walk rate.
While he’s worked primarily as a starter in Triple-A, Hatch has moved to the bullpen for the majority of his work in the upper minors this season. He’s pitched to a 4.40 ERA in 30 games — 45 innings — and notched a 27.8% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. Hatch has typically kept the ball on the ground at average or better rates in Double-A and Triple-A, and this year’s 4.40 ERA in Triple-A is right in line with the 4.45 mark he’s posted in 240 2/3 total innings at that level.
Hatch can still be optioned for the remainder of the 2023 season. Add that to his respectable results in parts of three Triple-A seasons, his ability to work multiple innings in relief, and his experience as a starter — and it pique the interest of another club seeking some depth now that the trade deadline has passed. The Jays can’t trade Hatch at this point, so they’ll have to place him on outright waivers.
As for the 24-year-old Schneider, he’ll be making his big league debut the first time he gets into a game. A 28th-round pick in 2017, Schneider has been primarily a second baseman in the minors but also has more than 900 innings at the hot corner, more than 600 innings in left field and has added eight games at first base in the 2023 season. He’s posted an excellent .275/.416/.553 batting line in 392 plate appearances this season, walking at a massive 18.4% clip against a 21.9% strikeout rate.
Blue Jays Expected To Select Davis Schneider
The Blue Jays plan to promote Davis Schneider before tomorrow’s game in Boston, as first reported by Johnny Giunta (Twitter link). Toronto will need to create a vacancy on the 40-man roster to select his contract.
Schneider, 24, has spent six seasons in the minors. The Jays selected him in the 28th round of the 2017 draft out of a New Jersey high school. Schneider moved slowly up the ladder, first reaching Double-A last season. He had a solid .253/.366/.457 showing between a trio of minor league levels in 2022 but was nevertheless left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft.
After going unselected, he remained in the Jays’ system and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. Schneider has been one of the better hitters in the International League this season. Over 392 trips to the plate, he’s hitting .275/.416/.553 with 21 home runs. The 5’9″ hitter has walked at a huge 18.4% clip against an average 21.9% strikeout rate. While this year’s Triple-A environment has been very offense-heavy, that production still stands out.
Schneider ranks eighth among 88 International League batters (minimum 300 PA’s) in on-base percentage. He leads the league in walk rate and ranks 10th in slugging output. That breakout showing led Baseball America to slot him 15th among Toronto prospects in their recent farm rankings — the first time he’d made an organizational top 30 list at BA. The outlet points to a jump in Schneider’s minor league exit velocities and strong strike zone awareness.
Defensively, he bounces between second base, third base and left field. He’ll bring some flexibility to the bench but is regarded as more of a bat-first utility type. The Jays have Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Ernie Clement on the big league bench with a primary middle infield duo of Paul DeJong and Whit Merrifield while Bo Bichette is hurt.
Blue Jays Sign Rowan Wick To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays signed reliever Rowan Wick to a minor league contract. He made his organizational debut with Triple-A Buffalo this evening.
Wick’s transaction log at MLB.com indicated he’d agreed to a minor league deal with the Braves last week. He was released three days later without making an appearance. That quick turnaround led to a shot with Toronto.
The 30-year-old appeared in the majors with the Cubs every season between 2019-22. He combined for a 3.66 ERA across 137 2/3 innings, missing bats at a slightly above-average rate but issuing a few more walks than ideal. The Cubs ran him through outright waivers in Spring Training and had kept him in Triple-A for the first half before releasing him last month.
Wick has had a tough season at the top minor league level. He’s been tagged for more than a run per inning through 30 1/3 frames. His 24.1% strikeout percentage was fine, but he’d walked upwards of 13% of batters faced and allowed nine home runs. Wick is making $1.55MM this season; the Cubs are on the hook for that tab, as Toronto will only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K minimum salary if he spends any time on the big league roster.
Toronto has had a solid relief corps this year. They entered play Wednesday ranked 10th with a 3.80 ERA and fourth at a 26.2% strikeout rate. A pair of trades with St. Louis to bring in Jordan Hicks and Génesis Cabrera further deepened the group. There’s no harm in taking a change-of-scenery flier on Wick to add some veteran depth to the upper level of the minor league system.
Blue Jays Place Bo Bichette On IL With Right Patellar Tendinitis
The Blue Jays announced that they have placed shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 1, due to right patellar tendinitis. His roster spot will go to newly-acquired shortstop Paul DeJong, while the club also recalled right-hander Thomas Hatch and optioned righty Nate Pearson. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet relayed the details prior to the official announcement.
The Jays haven’t released any information about how long they expect Bichette to be out of action, but it will be a blow to the club regardless. He suffered the injury on Monday, pulling up after rounding first and trying to stop to go back to the bag. Yesterday, manager John Schneider said there was “no significant structural damage” and that the club was still deciding on an IL stint. It now seems they have made the call to let Bichette have at least a week-plus to rest his knee.
The fact that the IL stint was a tough decision perhaps indicates he’s in for a quick stay, but that will still be an unwelcome development for the club. Bichette is hitting .321/.352/.494 this year for a wRC+ of 135, the highest such mark among qualified shortstops this year. The Jays will have to proceed without that production for a little bit as they have some key divisional matchups. They have two more games against the Orioles, after dropping the first two of the four-game set, before heading to Fenway Park for three against the Red Sox. The Jays hold a Wild Card spot in the American League but Boston are just a game and a half back coming into today’s action.
For now, the Jays will try to proceed with DeJong in Bichette’s spot. He was just acquired from the Cardinals at yesterday’s deadline, likely spurred on by Bichette’s injury, and is in the lineup at shortstop tonight. He has bounced back from a really rough showing last year, when he hit .157/.245/.286 while striking out in 33.3% of his plate appearances. He’s dropped the strikeout rate to 28.4% this year while slashing .233/.297/.412. His wRC+ of 96 is still a bit below average but is miles better than his 55 wRC+ from last year.
Even with the bounceback, DeJong’s offensive numbers still pale in comparison to Bichette’s. DeJong’s glovework is generally considered stronger between the two, which should make up some of the difference, but it’s unquestionably a challenge for the Jays. Once Bichette is healthy, DeJong could perhaps move over to second base. Whit Merrifield is having a solid season but can also play left field.