Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Orioles Outright Cody Poteet

By | at

The Orioles announced this afternoon that right-hander Cody Poteet has been activated from the 60-day injured list and outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The club had not previously announced that Poteet was placed on waivers, but he evidently cleared and now will head to the minor leagues if he accepts the assignment.

Poteet, 31, made just one appearance for the Orioles this year where he surrendered five runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of work while walking two and striking out just one. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins all the way back in 2015, Poteet did not make his big league debut until 2021. He spent two years in Miami as an up-and-down swing man, with a 4.45 ERA and 5.15 FIP in 58 2/3 innings of work. That roughly league-average work (with below average peripherals) on the mound, but a UCL injury limited him in 2022. He signed with the Royals on a minor league deal while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but returned to free agency following the 2023 season having made just one appearance for Triple-A Omaha that year.

Poteet signed a big league deal with the Yankees prior to the 2024 season, and it was in the Bronx where the right-hander posted the best numbers of his career. Poteet made only five appearances (four starts) for New York last year, but in those 24 1/3 frames he posted a sensational 2.22 ERA. The right-hander’s peripherals (including a 16.7% strikeout rate and a 4.03 FIP) weren’t quite as impressive as those raw results, but he still demonstrated the ability to be a valuable depth starter and swing man for the Yankees. He was tendered a contract for the 2025 campaign by the Yankees and stuck around on the club’s 40-man roster but was traded to the Cubs back in December as the return for Cody Bellinger.

The right-hander entered Spring Training with the Cubs but did not make the club’s roster out of camp after a strong showing from non-roster invitee Brad Keller. Poteet was DFA’d to make room for Keller on the roster and found himself back in the AL East shortly thereafter when he was traded to the Orioles in late March. After Poteet made his aforementioned single appearance for the Orioles on April 20, he was shelved with right shoulder inflammation that has kept him out of action ever since. Poteet did begin a rehab assignment last week and threw two scoreless innings for the Norfolk Tides, and now that he’s been activated from the shelf and outrighted to the minors he’ll continue pitching for the Tides through the end of the year if he decides to remain in the organization.

Of course, that’s not necessarily guaranteed. Poteet was outrighted to the minors by the Marlins previously in his career, meaning that he has the opportunity to reject Baltimore’s assignment in favor of electing free agency. Poteet will remain eligible for a team’s postseason roster if he signs with another organization prior to September 1, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land elsewhere as a depth option for a pitching-hungry club still in the playoff hunt. Of course, with Poteet only built up to one inning so far and minimal work at the big league level this season, the righty might also simply go wherever gives him the best shot of cracking a big league roster in September, whether that’s staying in the Orioles organization or signing a fresh contract elsewhere.

Orioles Release Matt Bowman

By | at

The Orioles released right-hander Matt Bowman, according to the team’s official transactions page.  Bowman was designated for assignment earlier this week, which marked the fourth time this season Baltimore had sent the righty to DFA limbo.

This time, however, the O’s opted to just release Bowman rather than outright him off the 40-man roster.  Bowman cleared waivers after his previous three DFAs and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, even though he had the ability to elect free agency after any of those outrights.  It could be that the Orioles and Bowman agreed to a release this time just to give Bowman a bit more opportunity to catch on with a contender before August 31 (the postseason roster eligibility deadline), or perhaps the O’s are just ready to part ways with the 34-year-old.

Since Bowman is out of minor league options, his last few seasons have been a flurry of moves on and off rosters, with 59 1/3 total innings and 48 appearances with five different teams since Opening Day 2023.  That includes a four-inning stint with the Yankees in 2023, appearances with the Orioles and three other clubs in 2024, and a return to Baltimore in the form of 24 2/3 frames in the majors this year.  With only a 6.20 ERA over those 24 2/3 innings, Bowman didn’t do much to help his case to stick in the Orioles’ bullpen.

His 4.10 ERA, 21.8K%, and 5.5% walk rate over 26 1/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk has been better, even if his ERA has been inflated by home runs.  Bowman could possibly parlay these solid numbers into another minor league contract elsewhere, and a return to Baltimore’s organization probably can’t be ruled out if Bowman can’t find a deal with a new club.

Pirates Promote Cam Devanney, Place Ronny Simon On 10-Day IL

By | at

2:27PM: The Pirates officially announced Devanney’s promotion, with Simon heading to the 10-day IL.  Simon suffered a dislocated left shoulder, so in all likelihood his 2025 season is over.  Making his MLB debut with the Marlins earlier this year, Simon’s first year in the Show saw him hit .234/.299/.273 over 88 total PA with Miami and Pittsburgh, with the move to the Bucs coming via waiver claim in early June.

11:37AM: Ronny Simon is likely to be placed on the 10-day injured list in the corresponding move for Devanney, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.  Simon was removed from yesterday’s game due to a left shoulder injury after an awkward slide into home plate.  This means that Devanney could be used more in the outfield than in the infield, depending on what happens with Kiner-Falefa’s situation.

10:26AM: The Pirates are calling up infielder Cam Devanney from Triple-A Indianapolis, according to Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports.  The corresponding 26-man roster move isn’t yet known, and Devanney is already on the Bucs’ 40-man roster.

Devanney will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game, though this isn’t his first time in the Show.  The Royals selected his contract from Triple-A in July but didn’t use Devanney in a game during his week-long stint on the active roster, though some of that stint was taken up by the All-Star break.  Before the second half of the season could begin, Kansas City traded Devanney to Pittsburgh in the one-for-one swap that brought Adam Frazier back to the Royals.

The change of scenery has led to a downturn in Devanney’s offense, as his .256/.327/.361 slash line over 147 plate appearances with Indianapolis is well below the .272/.366/.565 slash he had with Triple-A Omaha this season prior to the trade.  While Devanney hasn’t exactly kicked down the door and forced a promotion, the Pirates may soon have a vacancy in the infield if Isiah Kiner-Falefa is claimed off outright waivers.  Rival teams will have to acquire IKF before September 1 to include him on a postseason roster, so Devanney’s call-up could be a hint that Pittsburgh is expecting a claim soon.

Devanney could perhaps replicate Kiner-Falefa in terms of versatility.  Devanney has played mostly shortstop during his career but has a lot of experience at second and third base, plus a handful of appearances as a first baseman and left fielder.  This season’s numbers in Omaha were the high point of a generally productive run in Triple-A for the infielder, who has slashed .264/.349/.469 with 53 homers over 1404 with the top affiliates of the Pirates, Royals, and Brewers.  A 15th-round pick for the Brew Crew in the 2019 draft, Devanney was dealt to the Royals as part of the 2023-24 offseason trade that sent Taylor Clarke from K.C. to Milwaukee.

Royals Sign Spencer Turnbull To Minors Contract

By | at

The Royals announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull has been signed to a minor league contract.  Turnbull had been in the Cubs organization on another minors deal until two days ago, when he triggered an opt-out clause to obtain a release.

It has been an unusual season in many ways for Turnbull, who pitched well for the Phillies in 2024 before a lat strain cut short his year.  Heading into free agency last winter, he didn’t find an acceptable contract until well after Opening Day, when Turnbull signed with the Blue Jays to a prorated deal worth $1,265,306 (or just $1MM in remaining money).  He finally made his 2025 debut in June but struggled to a 7.11 ERA over three outings and 6 1/3 innings with Toronto before being released.

The minors deal with the Cubs didn’t result in any more MLB playing time, as Turnbull’s struggles continued with a 9.49 ERA over 24 2/3 innings with Triple-A Iowa.  Overall, Turnbull has a 7.96 ERA over 46 1/3 total minor league innings in 2025, with a lackluster 10.5% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate adding to his struggles.

Kansas City would owe Turnbull just the prorated portion of a Major League minimum salary for any time spent on the big league roster, with the Jays covering the remainder of what Turnbull is owed in 2025.  In that sense, there’s really no risk for the Royals in seeing if Turnbull can still turn things around late in the season, and perhaps become an option for the club’s pitching staff down the stretch.

Turnbull could potentially act as rotation depth for a team with multiple starters on the IL, though Cole Ragans may be able to make a return to the Royals some time in September.  Or, Turnbull could bolster the staff in another way by acting as a swingman or multi-inning reliever, akin to his role in Philadelphia in 2024.  This hinges on Turnbull finding his old form in at least the minors, of course, but every bit of pitching depth is helpful for a Royals team still battling for a wild card berth.

Mets Designate Jose Castillo For Assignment

By | at

The Mets announced that left-hander Jose Castillo has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Chris Devenski was called up from Triple-A Syracuse in the corresponding move.  The transaction brings Devenski’s fresh arm into the bullpen, as Castillo tossed 47 pitches over a two-inning relief outing in Friday’s 19-9 rout of the Marlins.

Castillo is out of minor league options, and thus this is the fourth time this season he has been DFA’d since has to first clear waivers before being sent to Triple-A.  The first designation came in May when Castillo was still a member of the Diamondbacks, and the Mets then brought the southpaw into the organization via trade.  In Castillo’s previous two DFAs with New York, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse.  It stands to reason that the same will happen here, though Castillo has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency if he wants to explore the open market.

Despite the roster churn, Castillo has pitched quite well during his time in Queens, posting a 2.35 ERA, 53.3% grounder rate, 25.7% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate over 15 1/3 innings with the Mets.  This represents Castillo’s best stretch in the majors since his 2018 rookie season, when he broke into the Show with a 3.29 ERA over 38 1/3 relief innings with the Padres.

However, Castillo tossed just two MLB innings between the 2019-24 seasons, due to a variety of injuries that included a Tommy John surgery.  His bottom-line numbers for New York provide some proof that the 29-year-old can still be effective against big league hitters, even if the Mets see him as an expendable arm.

Nationals Place MacKenzie Gore On 15-Day Injured List

By | at

12:13PM: Gore downplayed the seriousness of his injury when speaking with MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters, saying that he feels he can pitch again this season.  An MRI showed “nothing crazy” in Gore’s shoulder, according to the lefty.

11:49AM: The Nationals announced that left-hander MacKenzie Gore has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 27) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Right-hander Mason Thompson was called up from Triple-A to take Gore’s spot on the active roster.

Given the timing of the IL placement, it is fair to wonder if the Nationals will just shut Gore down for the remainder of 2025, since Washington has nothing to play for in the final weeks of a lost season.  This would be the third time in Gore’s four MLB seasons that an injury has kept him from finishing a season, as his 2022 rookie season was cut short by elbow inflammation and the Nats chose to shut Gore down in September 2023 due to blisters on his left hand.

More will be known about Gore’s situation when Nats interim manager Miguel Cairo meets with reporters later, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Gore has been trying to pitch through discomfort for a while, given how his production has cratered since the All-Star break.  The southpaw has a 7.54 ERA over his last eight starts and 37 innings, which came on the heels of a 3.02 ERA in his first 110 1/3 innings.

That first-half performance earned Gore his first career All-Star nod, and seemingly cemented him as a building block within what seems like a somewhat stalled rebuild in Washington.  Despite interest from multiple teams at the trade deadline, the Nats refused to move Gore, viewing him as a cornerstone player who is controlled through the 2027 season.

Today’s injury news might lessen any regrets teams had about not acquiring Gore, even if his two years of arbitration control give him value beyond just the 2025 campaign.  If this is indeed it for Gore this season, he’ll finish with a 4.15 ERA over 147 1/3 innings, with a very strong 27.7% strikeout rate but a subpar 8.7% walk rate.

Brewers Reinstate Jackson Chourio From 10-Day Injured List, Designate Oliver Dunn

By | at

The Brewers made a quartet of transactions prior to today’s game with the Blue Jays, including the headline news that Jackson Chourio has been activated from the 10-day injured list.  Outfielder Brandon Lockridge was optioned to Triple-A to create room for Chourio on the 26-man roster.  Milwaukee also activated Robert Gasser from the 60-day IL and optioned the southpaw to Triple-A, and to create room for Gasser on the 40-man roster, infielder Oliver Dunn was designated for assignment.

Chourio last played on July 29, when he strained his right hamstring while running the bases after a triple.  The injury cut short what had been a scorching stretch for Chourio, who had a 1.065 OPS over the 93 plate appearances prior to his IL stint.  That hot streak brought Chourio’s season-long slash line up to .276/.311/.474 over 472 PA — almost identical to the numbers he posted in 573 PA during his 2024 season.  The outfielder has also hit 17 homers and stolen 18 bases, approaching his 2024 totals of 21 home runs and 22 steals.

It is a testament to Milwaukee’s depth that the Brewers haven’t missed a beat in Chourio’s absence, as the club has gone 20-9 without a key piece of their starting outfield.  The Brew Crew now have the good problem of too many outfield options for too few spots, as Blake Perkins will be shuffled into fourth outfielder duty with Chourio and occasionally Sal Frelick taking over as the primary center fielders.  Isaac Collins has established himself as a regular left fielder, leaving Chourio and Frelick in center and right in some capacity, and Perkins providing excellent glovework off the bench.

This surplus bodes well for the Brewers’ chances of making a World Series run, and Gasser might also factor into late-season plans.  The former top prospect posted a 2.57 ERA over his first 28 MLB innings (and five starts) in 2024 before a Tommy John surgery quickly ended Gasser’s rookie campaign.  He has already pitched in nine minor league games as part of his recovery process, including five outings with Triple-A Nashville.

The reinstatement from the 60-day IL relates to the end of Gasser’s allotted 30-day rehab window, and he’ll continue to get ramped up in Nashville while waiting for a probable call-up in September.  Though Gasser has worked as a starter almost exclusively throughout his career, it seems likelier that the Brewers would use him as a reliever if he is included on a postseason roster.  His stuff could play up well in a bullpen role and make him a secret weapon for Milwaukee’s relief corps for the playoffs, though it would be a pressurized environment for a 26-year-old has little big league experience, and is just coming back from a major surgery.

Dunn had his own 2024 rookie season ended early by a 60-day IL stint due to a back injury.  Seen as a potential contender to win regular work as the Brewers’ third baseman heading into 2025, Dunn hasn’t hit much in his limited time in the majors, batting .206/.261/.290 over 145 plate appearances.  Milwaukee optioned Dunn to Triple-A back in April, and now today’s DFA might end the infielder’s time in the organization altogether.

Teams interested in adding infield depth could consider a waiver claim, plus Dunn has a minor league option year remaining, which bolsters his roster flexibility.  He brings some defensive versatility as a regular second and third baseman, plus some time as a shortstop and left fielder.  The bat is Dunn’s big question mark, as he has hit only .205/.311/.338 in 459 career PA at the Triple-A level along with his uninspiring small sample size of big league at-bats.

Red Sox Release Walker Buehler

By | at

The Red Sox announced that they have released right-hander Walker Buehler. That the corresponding move for the Sox to select prospect Payton Tolle, a move which was reported yesterday. The Sox also optioned outfielder Jhostynxon García and recalled infielder Nick Sogard. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported Buehler’s release prior to the official announcement.

The Sox signed Buehler to a one-year, $21.05MM deal in the offseason. That was a bet on a bounceback. Buehler had been an ace earlier in his career with the Dodgers. He finished 9th in National League Cy Young voting in 2019 and then fourth in 2021. However, he required Tommy John surgery in 2022, the second of his career. He was back on the mound in 2024 but wasn’t as sharp, posting a 5.38 earned run average.

He didn’t have a ton of momentum going into free agency but helped his cause somewhat with a decent playoff performance. He tossed 15 innings in the postseason last year with a 3.60 ERA, including getting the final outs in Game Five against the Yankees.

The Sox pushed in some chips with the hope of Buehler being better in 2025 but it didn’t pay off. He made 22 starts for the Sox with a 5.40 ERA, almost an exact match for his regular season work last year. He only struck out 16.5% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 10.8% clip. He averaged 94 miles per hour on his fastball, one tick below last year and a few ticks below his prime, when he was in the 96-97 mph range.

Clearly, the Sox ran out of patience. He was bumped to the bullpen a week ago. He made one long relief appearance on Sunday. They could have kept him around as a long reliever but rosters expand in September, giving every club an extra arm and a bit less need for someone to be on mop-up duty.

By cutting Buehler loose now, they are giving him a chance to land somewhere else. He will be postseason eligible with a new club as long as he joins that new organization prior to September 1st. Given his performance and the roughly $3.4MM left on his contract, it feels unlikely that anyone would claim him off release waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours. It’s unclear when exactly the Sox started that process. If they did it after last night’s game, perhaps Buehler could be a free agent by Saturday night. That would give him about 24 hours to sign somewhere else. If they are just putting him on the wire now, then the timeline is tighter, though it’s likely that his agent will be fielding calls from interested clubs while the waiver process plays out.

Assuming he does clear waivers, the Sox will remain on the hook for what remains of that salary. Another club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated portion of the major league minimum salary, with that amount subtracted from what the Sox pay. For a contending club need to patch a rotation hole, they might be tempted to take a free look at Buehler and hope to strike gold.

For the Sox, they are going into the stretch in decent position. They have a record of 75-60. They are just 3.5 games back of the Blue Jays in the American League East. They have the top Wild Card spot and are 5.5 games ahead of the Royals, the top non-playoff team in the A.L. With still a lot of meaningful games left, they have decided Buehler isn’t one of their horses. They head into the final few weeks of the season with Garrett Crochet as their clear ace, backed up by Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Dustin May. They are giving Tolle a shot at taking a spot and also have Kyle Harrison in Triple-A, if needed.

Photos courtesy of Brian Fluharty, Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images

Pirates Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Outright Waivers

By | at

The Pirates have placed veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on outright waivers, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He’ll be available to all 29 other clubs, with waiver priority determined based on the reverse order of the MLB-wide standings. (Outright waiver priority is not league-specific like the now-defunct revocable August trade waivers were.)

Because he has not been designated for assignment, Kiner-Falefa can continue to play while on waivers. If another team claims him, which seems plausible, he’d be postseason-eligible because he’d join that club before Sept. 1. (Waivers are a 48-hour process.) He’s being paid $7.5MM this season, with about $1.21MM of that sum yet to be paid out.

The Pirates do not have to assign him outright to a minor league affiliate if he goes unclaimed. They could do so if they choose, but Kiner-Falefa would have the right to then elect free agency and retain the remainder of his guaranteed money. They could also opt to simply release Kiner-Falefa if he goes unclaimed, as the Guardians did with veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, which would give him one more chance to jump into a playoff hunt between now and season’s end.

In 419 plate appearances, Kiner-Falefa is batting .268/.304/.337. It’s a light batting line (78 wRC+), but he’s gone 15-for-19 in stolen base attempts and played a respectable shortstop this season. Kiner-Falefa is a versatile defender with experience at short, second base, third base and all three outfield spots.

The Pirates somewhat surprisingly didn’t trade Kiner-Falefa at the deadline. Presumably, his middling offensive contributions didn’t garner strong interest. However, as teams gear up for the stretch run and look to deepen their benches, Kiner-Falefa’s brand of speed, contact (15.5% strikeout rate) and defensive versatility could hold appeal. He’s struggling quite a bit against lefties this year, despite being a right-handed bat, but he entered the season with more or less neutral platoon splits in his career.

For the Bucs, the waiver route presents an opportunity to trim some payroll and to afford a veteran player the opportunity to join a postseason chase in the season’s final month. By waiting until the end of the month to make the move, they made it as affordable as possible for teams with interest in claiming him. Kiner-Falefa’s contract does contain $250K bonuses for reaching 500 and 550 plate appearances, but he’s 81 shy of that mark right now thanks largely to a monthlong stay on the IL for a hamstring strain back in April/May.

If another club claims Kiner-Falefa, it’d open more at-bats for younger infield options. There’s no way the Bucs would call up 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, currently ranked as MLB’s top prospect, when he has just eight games above A-ball to his credit right now, but they could give some reps to former trade acquisitions like Nick Yorke or Cam Devanney in the season’s final month.

Angels Re-Sign Connor Brogdon To Minor League Contract

By | at

The Angels re-signed reliever Connor Brogdon on a minor league deal, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Brogdon, who had elected free agency last week after being designated for assignment, reports to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Los Angeles initially signed Brogdon to a minor league contract over the offseason. He had an ERA approaching 13.00 in Triple-A when the Angels nevertheless called him up in early May. Brogdon held an MLB bullpen spot for the next three months. He allowed 5.30 earned runs per nine over 37 1/3 innings. His strikeout, walk and home run rates were each on the wrong side of league average.

Brogdon looked like a potential leverage piece for the Phillies early in his career. He combined for a 3.36 ERA with solid strikeout and walk numbers in more than 100 innings between 2021-22. His numbers have tanked in the past few years (though he did collect a World Series ring last year after pitching one inning for the Dodgers in April). Brogdon still has a mid-90s fastball, and the Angels clearly still like him as a depth option. He’ll provide non-roster bullpen depth down the stretch.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top