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Mets Release Stephen Tarpley

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TODAY: The Mets have officially released Tarpley, as first reported by SNY’s Jacob Resnick (Twitter link).  Tarpley also recently announced on his Instagram page that he will be undergoing some type of surgery, though the exact nature of the procedure isn’t known.

JULY 11: The Mets have designated reliever Stephen Tarpley for assignment, according to the MLB.com transactions tracker. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for Jerad Eickhoff, whose previously-reported selection has been made official.

Tarpley has made one appearance for New York this season, failing to record an out while allowing a hit, two walks and a hit batsmen. He has made nine appearances at Triple-A Syracuse, allowing seventeen runs (fifteen earned) in just 8 2/3 innings.

It obviously hasn’t been a banner season for Tarpley, but he’s appeared in the big leagues in each of the past four years. A former Orioles and Pirates prospect, the southpaw made his debut with the Yankees and has also seen some time with the Marlins. Across 44 2/3 MLB innings, the 28-year-old has a 7.05 ERA/4.46 SIERA. He’s missed bats at a slightly above-average 11.3% clip and struck out a solid 26.7% of batters faced at the big league level. But Tarpley’s also issued walks at an alarming 14.3% rate and served up eight home runs in his brief major league work. The Mets will have a week to trade him or expose him to waivers.

Orioles Sign First-Round Pick Colton Cowser

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The Orioles have signed first round pick Colton Cowser with a $4.9MM bonus, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter). Cowser was selected with the #5 overall pick, which carries a slot value of $6,180,700.

As with their first round pick last season, Heston Kjerstad, the Orioles chose Cowser with an eye on signing him to a below-slot value, which should enable them to spend more money further down in the draft. Of course, just because Cowser signed for under slot doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of the pick. Cowser spent three seasons at Sam Houston State University, winning the Southland Conference Player of the Year Award in his junior season, slashing .374/.490/.680 with 16 home runs.

Baseball America ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in the draft, calling him “a rare safe harbor who provides a long history of hitting.” Keith Law put him at No. 14 in his draft preview for The Athletic, while Fangraphs was more bullish, placing him at No. 6 overall with a 50 Future Value.  Cowser’s contact is a plus tool, and he’ll unlock his ceiling if he continues to display power while playing centerfield.

Mariners Return Rule 5 Pick Will Vest To Tigers

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The Mariners have returned Rule 5 selection Will Vest to the Tigers, the team announced.

The right-hander was selected by Seattle with the 12th overall pick in the Major League phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, 2020. He was designated for assignment back on July 12th, and now that no team claimed him, he will be returned to the Tigers for one half of the Rule 5 selection fee.

Vest, 26, actually saw a fair amount of playing time with the Mariners, appearing in 32 games and logging 35 innings with a 6.17 ERA/4.17 FIP. He had a 1.38 ERA through his first 12 outings, but things unraveled a bit from there as he allowed 22 earned runs in his next 22 innings.

The control and strikeout numbers aren’t all that encouraging, as a 11.5 percent walk rate is a decent tick above the 8.9 percent league average, and he has only struck out 17.3 percent of opponents, well below the league-average mark of 23.8 percent. Still, there’s enough there to be an interesting arm for the Tigers to take a look at now that he’s back in Detroit. Generally speaking, he did a nice job avoiding barrels and limiting hard contact with a 93.5 mph four-seamer, slider, and change-up.

White Sox, Lance Lynn Agree To Two-Year, $38MM Extension

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The White Sox and Lance Lynn have agreed to a two-year, $38MM extension with a third-year club option that could keep Lynn in Chicago through the 2024 season, the team announced.

The White Sox’ acquisition of Lynn this past winter has thus far proved worthwhile. As you may recall, last December 8th, Chicago sent right-hander Dane Dunning and lefty Avery Weems to the Rangers in exchange for Lynn, who was scheduled to hit free agency after 2021. Dunning has proved himself a capable rotation arm, and on a strict measure of value, it’s possible to give the “trade win” to Texas. Dunning, after all, has produced 1.1 rWAR, and the Rangers maintain control for another five seasons, not to mention six years of control for Weems, should he reach his potential.

In actuality, the deal speaks to the changing needs of franchises moving in different directions. The White Sox are no doubt thrilled with their return, not only because Lynn has produced 3.4 rWAR while making the second All-Star game of his career, but because of the peripheral benefits that came with upgrading from Dunning to Lynn. Lynn’s track record brought a slimmer margin for error, he brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse, familiarity with manager Tony La Russa, and the fiery, chip-on-the-shoulder quality that’s long been a staple of South Side baseball.

Sure enough, the 34-year-old has found a home in Chicago, where he’ll now stay through at least the 2023 season. After making $9.33MM this year in the final season of the three-year, $30MM deal he signed with Texas prior to 2019, Lynn will make $18.5MM in each of the next two seasons.

The White Sox hold an $18MM option for 2024 that includes a $1MM buyout, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter). There are bonuses, as well, should Lynn finish in the top-3 for Cy Young voting, adds MLB Networks Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Though Lynn has never been a top-3 finisher for the award, he has finished in the top-6 in each of the past two seasons.

Lynn’s 94 mph heater is where its been the past couple of seasons, though he’s dropped its usage from around 50 percent to 43.1 percent. The cutter has picked up the slack, going from 22.2 percent usage last year to 32.2 percent this season. Interestingly, Lynn sticks almost entirely to the fastball, cutter, sinker mix, only rarely turning to a change-up or more traditional curve/slider like he threw in his youth.

The cutter has taken over as a go-to put away pitch for Lynn. Opponents are hitting just .183 with a .295 xSLG against his 88.5 mph cutter. In terms of the bottom line results, however, Lynn has been just about the same guy in Chicago that he was in Texas: he pounds the zone (44.1 Zone%), plays to contact with a below-average 26.5 CSW%, all while coaxing batters to swing the bat (72.7 Z-Swing%, 49.4 Swing% — both marks being above-average), despite just an average ability to get batters to chase outside the zone (30.9 O-Swing%). All in all, he’s posted a 1.99 ERA/3.20 FIP in 16 starts covering 90 2/3 innings.

Securing Lynn keeps another member of Chicago’s impressive core in place. Carlos Rodon is the only member of the rotation not currently signed through next season. The White Sox control Dallas Keuchel and Lucas Giolito through 2023 and Dylan Cease through 2025. No matter what happens with Rodon now, the White Sox should feel secure about their rotation moving into next season.

The White Sox have been wisely proactive about signing their young core to extensions. Yoan Moncada is under contract through 2024, Eloy Jimenez and Aaron Bummer through 2026, and Luis Robert through 2027. Free agent signings Liam Hendriks and Yasmani Grandal also have contracts that run through 2024 and 2023, respectively. Other young talents like Nick Madrigal, Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech and Codi Heuer have yet to even begin the arbitration process.

Securing Lynn, however, was arguably the most important item on GM Rick Hahn’s agenda. Even still, the White Sox should have financial flexibility moving forward. Their luxury tax payroll for 2022 projects to be around $145MM, still well below this season’s $170MM mark. They have just $106MM against the tax on the books for 2023. Those numbers will go up with arbitration raises for Giolito, Evan Marshall and Adam Engel, but not so much as to seriously hinder Chicago’s flexibility, should they want to expand their payroll further while still avoiding the tax.

Those raises, however, will be enough to bring their cash payroll in 2022 already beyond the $133MM they have on the books this season. With Lynn’s extension now in place, the White Sox cash payroll for 2022 sits around $127MM before those arbitration raises. Still, given Chicago’s market and the aggressiveness they’ve shown to build this contender, they should still have room to grow.

A’s Reinstate Mark Canha, Option Skye Bolt

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The A’s reinstated Mark Canha from the injured list, optioning Skye Bolt to Triple-A to make room on the roster, per the team.

Canha has been tremendous this season, slashing .255/.375/.450 in 325 plate appearances while knocking 11 home runs. Canha was on-pace for a career year before a hip strain sent him to the injured list on June 20th. He’s been out for 20 days, but with a career-high of 126 games, Canha still has the potential to post career-best marks this season, should his good health hold.

Bolt, 27, has stepped in as an injury replacement on multiple occasions for the A’s, slashing just .109/.109/.196 in 48 plate appearances. Though defense is his calling card, Bolt’s -23 wRC+ suggests he has fallen on particularly hard times at the plate. With the A’s starting outfield back together, Bolt heads back to Triple-A to try to get his bat back on track.

Twins Place Derek Law On 10-Day Injured List, Move Randy Dobnak To 60-Day Injured List

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The Twins announced a number of roster moves today, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press (Twitter links). First and foremost, Derek Law has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder impingement. Danny Coulombe also steps away from the team with a trip to the paternity list.

To take their roster spots, Beau Burrows was recalled from Triple-A and Juan Minaya had his contract selected. Charlie Barnes also joins the club to make his Major League debut as the 27th man to start game one of today’s doubleheader. The 25-year-old southpaw has a solid 3.88 ERA across 13 starts in Triple-A this season.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Twins moved Devin Smeltzer and Randy Dobnak to the 60-day injured list. Smeltzer has already been out for more than 60 days, so his movement was largely clerical.

Dobnak, however, has been out since just June 21st with a finger strain. He’s now likely to miss most of the rest of the season. He won’t be eligible to come off the injured list until late August. All in all, it’s been a disappointing season for Dobnak, whom the Twins signed to a five-year, $9.25MM extension back in March. It was a modest deal, but Minnesota still likely expected more from Dobnak than 43 2/3 innings with a 7.83 ERA/6.19 FIP.

Burrows, 24, was claimed off waivers earlier this year after making just one appearance for the Tigers. The right-hander made five appearances for Detroit last season, all out of the bullpen. He throws a fastball, slider, change-up mix, occasionally going to a sinker and curveball, too. Mostly a starter coming up, it will be worth watching to see if Burrows scales back his pitch mix while working regularly in relief.

Minaya, 30, has made four appearances for the Twins this season after getting relatively regular time out of the White Sox bullpen from 2016 to 2019. In that time, Minaya appeared in 125 games while pitching to a 3.93 ERA across 128 1/3 innings.

Law, 30, has nine appearances spanning 15 innings with a 4.20 ERA/4.64 ERA. His strikeout and walk rates aren’t knocking anyone’s socks off, but his ability to soak up multiple innings at a time has been an asset for a Twins team that has struggled at times to get length from their starters. He does not have any options remaining, though he could theoretically see time in the minors on a rehab stint before returning.

Braves Acquire Stephen Vogt From Diamondbacks

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The Braves and Diamondbacks agreed to a one-for-one player swap late last night. The Diamondbacks sent veteran catcher Stephen Vogt to the Braves in exchange for first baseman Mason Berne, per the Diamondbacks.

The Braves are in veteran acquisition mode after picking up Joc Pederson from the Cubs, and now Vogt from the Diamondbacks. The Braves have been in full-on carousel mode behind the dish ever since starter Travis d’Arnaud went down with a torn ligament in his hand in early May.

In terms of their catcher-of-the-future types, Alex Jackson also landed on the injured list at the same time as d’Arnaud with a strained hamstring, and William Contreras hit just .204/.278/.387 across 158 plate appearances before being sent back to Triple-A.

Vogt will join veterans Jonathan Lucroy and Kevan Smith on the Braves’ active roster. Jeff Mathis also saw a few games of action earlier this season, but he failed to register a hit in three games. Lucroy is also a new addition, having played just two games in Atlanta this year. Smith, meanwhile, may not be long for the roster after slashing .197/.274/.227 in 69 plate appearances. Bringing in both Lucroy and Vogt over the last couple of days suggests the Braves don’t see much long-term utility in Smith as they try to remain in the hunt for the National League East crown.

As for Vogt himself, he does bring the added value of being able to play elsewhere in the field, which would enable the Braves to hold three catchers on the roster if they so chose. The 36-year-old veteran has hit .212/.307/.386 this across 151 plate appearances this season, starting 35 games for the Snakes.

The Braves are nowhere near the luxury tax, so that’s not a concern for them, though Vogt is playing on a one-year, $3.5MM contract, so he’s affordable regardless. He will be a free agent at the end of the year.

In exchange for a couple months of Vogt, the Diamondbacks are getting a 25-year-old infield prospect in Berne. The 33rd round draft pick signed for $10K out of UNC in 2018, and because of the pandemic, Berne doesn’t have much professional experience to speak of. He has appeared in just five games in rookie ball for the Braves this year, and considering his age, the first baseman is little more than a flyer for the Diamondbacks.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/16/21

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Today’s minor moves:

  • The Reds transferred infielder Alex Blandino from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list before this evening’s game against the Brewers. The move created 40-man roster space for the previously reported activation of right-hander Michael Lorenzen from the 60-day IL. Blandino was placed on the IL on June 6 with a fractured right hand. Today’s transfer rules him out until the first week of August at the earliest.

COVID Notes: 7/16/21

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The latest coronavirus-related news around baseball:

  • Before this afternoon’s doubleheader agains the Phillies, the Marlins placed outfielder Jesús Sánchez on the COVID-19 injured list. It’s not clear whether he tested positive for the virus; players can also land on the IL for experiencing symptoms or for viral exposure. Sánchez is hitting a solid .265/.315/.434 through 89 plate appearances this season.
  • The Phillies reinstated reliever Bailey Falter from the COVID-19 injured list this afternoon. The southpaw landed on the IL as part of contact tracing efforts last weekend after third baseman Alec Bohm tested positive for the coronavirus. Falter has tallied 17 2/3 innings of multi-inning relief across eight appearances this season.

Blue Jays Designate Joel Payamps For Assignment

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Before this evening’s game against the Rangers, the Blue Jays designated reliever Joel Payamps for assignment. The move cleared roster space for the reinstatement of fellow bullpen arm Ryan Borucki from the 60-day injured list.

Payamps’ designation comes as a bit of a surprise, as the righty has worked to a 2.70 ERA across 30 innings this season. That’s the second-best mark of the seven Jays’ relievers who have tossed 20+ frames this year. Payamps’ fielding independent metrics don’t quite support that level of run prevention. His 18.5% strikeout rate is well below the 24.5% league average for relievers, while his 9.9% walk percentage is fine but unspectacular.

That said, Payamps has generated swinging strikes at a fine 11.6% clip, so it’s fair to assume he could strike out a few more batters moving forward. He’s also been one of the game’s best pitchers at avoiding hard contact, and he can be optioned for the remainder of the season. Between his performance and roster flexibility, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Payamps drew interest from other clubs via trade or waiver claim. Toronto will have a week to trade him or expose him to the wire.

Borucki has been out since early May with a flexor strain in his forearm. Before going down with injury, the southpaw pitched to a 4.05 ERA/3.25 SIERA over 13 2/3 innings.

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