Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Royals Acquire Joel Payamps

By | at

The Royals have acquired reliever Joel Payamps from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both teams. He has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha. Kansas City had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

Toronto somewhat surprisingly designated Payamps for assignment last weekend. The righty has had a nice season, pitching to a 2.70 ERA/4.59 SIERA across 30 innings of relief. Payamps has only struck out 18.5% of batters faced (the league average for relievers is 24.5%), but he’s generated swinging strikes on a decent 11.6% of his offerings. Payamps has thrown strikes at an average rate and has thus far been excellent at avoiding damaging contact. The 27-year-old ranks in the 75th percentile or better in terms of suppressing opponents’ barrel rate, hard contact rate and average exit velocity, per Statcast.

Payamps is in his final minor league option year, meaning the Royals can shuttle him back-and-forth between Kansas City and Omaha for the remainder of this season. If he sticks on the 40-man roster over the winter, he’ll need to break camp on the active roster in 2022 or else again be offered around the league.

Mets Claim Roel Ramirez Off Waivers From Cardinals

By | at

The Mets announced they’ve claimed right-hander Roel Ramírez off waivers from the Cardinals. New York had a vacancy on the 40-man roster after designating Jerad Eickhoff for assignment last night.

St. Louis selected Ramírez to the big league roster last month. He made one appearance before being optioned out, giving him two combined big league outings in as many seasons. Ramírez has otherwise the spent the year with Triple-A Memphis, where he’s tossed 29 relief innings across 20 games. Ramírez compiled a 4.34 ERA with strong strikeout and walk rates (27.8% and 7.0%, respectively) for the Redbirds.

New York’s relief corps has had to shoulder a lot of work over the past few days, particularly after last night’s starter Robert Stock was forced to depart in the second inning due to a right hamstring strain. Ramírez’s ability to work multiple innings out of the bullpen could help the Mets’ beleaguered back-end weather the next few days.

Tigers Release Nomar Mazara

By | at

JULY 21: Detroit has requested unconditional release waivers on Mazara. He’ll almost certainly clear after 48 hours, at which point he’ll be free to sign elsewhere.

JULY 16: The Tigers announced Friday that they’ve designated outfielder Nomar Mazara for assignment and optioned infielder Willi Castro to Triple-A Toledo. Outfielder Derek Hill and infielder Isaac Paredes are up from Toledo in a pair of corresponding roster moves. Detroit has also appointed lefty Miguel Del Pozo as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Twins.

Still just 26 yeas old, Mazara once ranked as one of baseball’s elite prospects, entering the 2016 season as one of the consensus 25 most promising minor leaguers in the sport. He looked the part when he made his MLB debut that season, too, hitting .266/.320/.419 with 20 home runs in 145 games. It wasn’t a dominant showing, of course, but Mazara was just 21 years old at the time and was making the jump with only 23 Triple-A games under his belt. It was an impressive showing, and it was reasonable to expect that he’d only improve with more reps against big league pitching.

That, however, never really proved true. Mazara spent the next four seasons as the primary right fielder in Texas but more or less just kept repeating his 2016 season. He posted a 93 OPS and 91 wRC+ as a rookie in ’16 and, from 2017-19, posted collective marks of 94 and 92 in those same respective categories. He hit exactly 20 home runs again in 2017 and 2018 before hitting 19 in 2019. Essentially, he’d settled in as a slightly below-average hitter with well below-average defensive grades. The Rangers trade him to the White Sox during the 2019 Winter Meetings.

At that point, Mazara was a highly interesting change-of-scenery candidate. He’d plateaued in Arlington, to be sure, but he was a former Top 25 prospect who was heading into his age-25 season with two years of club control remaining. For the White Sox, it was a sensible enough roll of the dice to see if they could help Mazara take the next step. Instead, he turned in a career-worst .228/.295/.294 batting line with just one home run and a career-high 29.5 percent strikeout rate through 149 plate appearances last summer. Chicago non-tendered him in the offseason.

Mazara took a chance with his second AL Central club, landing with the Tigers on a one-year, $1.75MM deal late in the offseason. Things have gone a bit better in Detroit than in Chicago, but only by a slight margin. Mazara’s strikeouts are down a bit and he’s shown a little more pop. However, his overall .212/.276/.321 batting line through 181 plate appearances so far simply wasn’t enough for the Tigers to keep giving him at-bats over more controllable players who are hoping to emerge as long-term fits in Detroit.

The Tigers will have a week to trade Mazara, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or place him on release waivers. Mazara has more than five years of service time, so even if he does go through outright waivers without a claim, he can reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues and retain the entirety of his remaining salary. It’s unlikely that another club would claim that salary, given his poor showing at the plate. The likeliest outcome is that Mazara becomes a free agent, whether via unconditional release from the team or via rejecting an outright assignment. At that point, he’d be free to sign elsewhere for only the prorated league minimum. That amount would be subtracted from the roughly $753K the Tigers still owe him through season’s end.

Hill, 25, is a former Tigers first-rounder who has had some sparse big league looks but hasn’t yet had a lengthy audition. He’s hitting .320./.373/.508 in 133 Triple-A plate appearances, however, and he’ll now return to Detroit for his second stint of the 2021 campaign.

The 22-year-old Paredes has been ranked among the Tigers’ better prospects since coming to the Tigers alongside Jeimer Candelario in the 2017 trade that sent Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to the Cubs. He hasn’t hit much in 145 prior MLB plate appearances, but his .261/.357/.412 slash in Triple-A will net him a look over the struggling Castro — another infield prospect who has stumbled to a .214/.278/.341 slash through 280 plate appearances with the big league club so far in 2021.

Mariners Select Darren McCaughan

By | at

The Mariners announced they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Darren McCaughan. Outfielder Dillon Thomas has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to create space on the active roster. Seattle had a vacancy on the 40-man roster after placing outfielder Jake Fraley on the COVID-19 injured list last weekend.

It’s the first big league call for McCaughan, whom Seattle originally selected in the 12th round out of Long Beach State in 2017. The 25-year-old has never appeared on an organizational prospect list at FanGraphs or Baseball America, but he’s pitched well throughout his minor league career. Over parts of four professional seasons, McCaughan has worked to a 3.75 ERA with a below-average 20.8% strikeout rate but a minuscule 4.7% walk percentage.

It has been more of the same for McCaughan this season with Triple-A Tacoma. Through ten starts, he’s worked to a 3.97 ERA. That’s the fourth-lowest mark among the thirty hurlers with 40+ innings in the hitter-friendly league. McCaughan still hasn’t missed many bats (18.5% strikeout percentage) but he’s continued to pound the strike zone (5.3% walk rate) and generally been quite effective at retiring high level hitters.

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported McCaughan’s promotion shortly before the official announcement.

Braves Activate Alex Jackson From Injured List

By | at

The Braves announced they’ve reinstated catcher Alex Jackson from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Space on the 40-man roster was created when Atlanta placed outfielder Ender Inciarte on the COVID-19 injured list earlier this week. A corresponding 40-man transaction will be necessary once Inciarte returns.

Jackson has picked up 50 MLB plate appearances over the last two seasons. He hasn’t played well, but the right-handed hitter has a massive .269/.337/.667 line over 104 trips to the dish with the Stripers this year. For now, Jackson will serve as high minors’ depth behind the veteran catching duo of Stephen Vogt and Kevan Smith. He had been out since early May due to a left hamstring strain.

Atlanta placed Inciarte on the IL on Monday. The team announced at the time that he’d tested negative for the virus, suggesting he’d either been a close contact of a person who’d tested positive or had been experiencing viral symptoms.

Orioles Place Two Players On COVID-19 Injured List

By | at

The Orioles have placed outfielder Anthony Santander and left-hander Keegan Akin on the COVID-19 injured list. Outfielder Ryan McKenna and lefty Alexander Wells have been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace them on the active roster.

There’s no indication at this point that either of Santander or Akin has tested positive for COVID-19. Players can land on the IL for feeling symptoms or for viral exposure. The COVID-19 IL does not come with a minimum stint.

Santander has gotten the bulk of playing time this season in right field. He’s hitting .231/.280/.387 across 247 plate appearances, a drop-off from last year’s strong .261/.315/.575 line. Akin, meanwhile, has made thirteen appearances (including eight starts) this year. He’s tossed 48 1/3 innings of 8.19 ERA/4.62 SIERA ball. The southpaw had been the projected starter for this afternoon’s game against the Rays. Wells will take the ball instead.

Dodgers Designate Andy Burns For Assignment

By | at

The Dodgers announced they’ve designated infielder Andy Burns for assignment. The move creates space on the 40-man roster for the promotion of top pitching prospect Josiah Gray, which has been made official.

Los Angeles selected Burns, a longtime minor league veteran, to the roster last month. He tallied fifteen plate appearances over nine games, his first MLB action since a cameo with the 2016 Blue Jays. Burns has spent the bulk of the year with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he’s performed quite well. The 30-year-old has a .259/.382/.459 line with five home runs and a massive 16.4% walk rate over 165 plate appearances with the Dodgers’ top affiliate this year.

The Dodgers will have a week to trade Burns or place him on waivers. He has previously been outrighted in his career, so Burns would have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Blue Jays Designate T.J. Zeuch For Assignment

By | at

The Blue Jays announced they’ve reinstated catcher Alejandro Kirk from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo. To clear space on the 40-man roster, Toronto designated right-hander T.J. Zeuch for assignment.

The move might bring an end to Zeuch’s tenure with the Jays, who selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft. The big righty has made thirteen appearances (seven starts) with Toronto over the past three seasons, working to a 4.59 ERA across 49 innings. Zeuch has induced grounders on over half the balls put in play against him, but he’s struggled to miss bats at the big league level. The 25-year-old has only managed a 14.1% strikeout rate, while walking an elevated 10.9% of opponents.

Zeuch has spent the bulk of the year at Triple-A, posting a 4.03 ERA in 58 innings. His production there isn’t all that dissimilar from what he’s managed in the majors. Zeuch has racked up grounders (50.5%) but hasn’t struck out many batters (16.6%). To his credit, the 25-year-old has been better at throwing strikes in Triple-A, doling out free passes to just 5.1% of batters faced.

The Jays will have a week to trade Zeuch or expose him to waivers. It wouldn’t at all be surprising to see another club acquire him in the coming days. Zeuch has a strong minor league track record, and he’s shown the ability to carry his groundball tendencies over to the highest level. He also comes with an additional option year beyond this season. Any club that acquires Zeuch could keep him in the high minors through the end of 2022 so long as he sticks on the 40-man roster.

Kirk, one of baseball’s top catching prospects, has been out since early May with a left hip flexor strain. He’s hit very well in limited big league time to date, but the Jays will stick with the more experienced duo of Reese McGuire and Danny Jansen behind the plate for now.

Mets Designate Jerad Eickhoff For Assignment

By | at

The Mets announced they’ve designated right-hander Jerad Eickhoff for assignment. The move creates roster space for righty Robert Stock, who has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start tonight’s game against the Reds.

It’s the second time this season New York has designated Eickhoff. The veteran starter was selected to the big league roster last month, re-signed with the organization after being passed through waivers, and was again brought back to the majors two weeks ago. Between his pair of stints, Eickhoff has tossed 16 1/3 innings of 4.96 ERA/5.71 SIERA ball. He’s thrown strikes at a strong rate, but Eickhoff hasn’t missed many bats and he’s been tagged for six home runs in his limited work.

The Mets will have a week to trade Eickhoff or expose him to waivers. If he clears outright waivers — as he did in June — he can reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Phillies Activate Aaron Nola, Place Zach Eflin On Injured List

By | at

The Phillies have reinstated starting pitcher Aaron Nola from the injured list to start this evening’s game against the Yankees. Rotation mate Zach Eflin landed on the 10-day IL with patellar tendinitis in his right knee in a corresponding move.

Nola landed on the COVID-19 IL on July 11 as a close contact of third baseman Alec Bohm, who had tested positive for the virus. (Bohm has also been cleared to rejoin the team, manager Joe Girardi told reporters — including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer — but won’t be activated until he works himself back into game shape). That cost Nola his July 11 start, but he winds up only missing a single turn in the rotation thanks to the intervening All-Star Break.

It’s not clear precisely how long Eflin will be out, but the Phillies don’t believe his injury to be a long-term concern (according to Breen). That’s welcome news considering Eflin’s history of knee issues, which includes a season-ending 2016 surgery to repair the same patellar tendon.

The Phils can ill afford a long absence from Eflin, who’s been one of their more productive starters over the past couple seasons. The 27-year-old has a typically solid 4.17 ERA/3.79 SIERA across 105 2/3 frames this year. At 47-45, Philadelphia trails the Mets by just 2.5 games in the NL East, so a prompt return from Eflin is of critical importance.

Show all

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

hide arrows scroll to top