Orioles Release Jahmai Jones
June 4: Jones cleared waivers and was released. He is now a free agent.
June 3: The Orioles announced they’ve placed infielder Jahmai Jones on unconditional release waivers. The 29 other clubs will have an opportunity to put in a claim. If he passes through unclaimed, he’ll be a free agent.
This was the likely outcome once the O’s designated Jones for assignment over the weekend. The 24-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the remainder of the season. By rule, injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers. When the O’s designated Jones for assignment, they committed to either trading him or releasing him.
Jones suffered the injury while on optional assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He could’ve been placed on the minor league injured list but would’ve continued to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster for the rest of the season. Baltimore could’ve recalled him and placed him on the MLB 60-day IL to free a 40-man roster spot, but doing so would’ve required paying him at the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum salary for the rest of the year.
Rather than do so, Baltimore will run the risk of losing Jones on waivers or via free agency. It’s not out of the question another team places a claim and is willing to pay Jones the big league minimum — the Giants snagged Luis González from the White Sox last summer in a similar circumstance, for instance — but it’s also possible he simply clears waivers. In that event, the O’s could try to re-sign Jones on a minor league deal, but he’d be free to explore similar arrangements with other teams.
The Orioles acquired Jones over the 2020-21 offseason in the deal that sent starter Alex Cobb to the Angels. The former second-round pick and well-regarded prospect hit .149/.208/.194 over 26 big league games last year. He’d had a .212/.339/.343 line through 118 plate appearances with Norfolk prior to the injury.
Marlins Option Elieser Hernandez
The Marlins have optioned right-hander Elieser Hernandez to Triple-A, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Hernandez has mostly pitched out of the rotation this season, making nine starts, though he also has a pair of relief outings to his name.
It was not long ago that Hernandez looked like a bedrock arm for the Marlins’ rotation, but the 27-year-old has been unable to keep the ball in the ballpark this season. He has surrendered a whopping 18 home runs in just 48 innings of work, leading to a 6.75 ERA/7.25 FIP. Hernandez has continued to control the zone in line with his career marks, posting a 47-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hernandez tends to keep this ball in the air, but he’s done so this year more than usual with just a 30.0 percent groundball rate.
Though no corresponding move has been made yet, Braxton Garrett is expected to get the call-up tomorrow to step into Hernandez’s rotation spot, per MLB Network contributor Craig Mish (via Twitter). The 24-year-old southpaw has yet to appear in the Majors this season, but he has made 10 appearances (nine starts) over the past two seasons for Miami, compiling a 5.18 career ERA over 41 2/3 innings. Time will tell whether Garrett is able to hold onto a rotation spot in the long-term.
Rangers Promote Ezequiel Duran
The Rangers are promoting top infield prospect Ezequiel Duran to the big league club, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). He will start today’s ballgame at third base. Duran, 23, is already on the 40-man roster, so no move is required on that front.
Before the season started, Duran was the 83rd-ranked prospect in baseball per MLB.com and the 99th-ranked prospect by Baseball Prospectus. He has risen to the 66th-ranked overall prospect per Baseball America, who ranks him as the 4th-best prospect in the Rangers’ system. He was one of the pieces sent to Texas as part of the Joey Gallo trade.
Duran has improved his stock without appearing as high as Triple-A. In Double-A, he has a .317/.365/.574 triple slash line through 200 plate appearances this season. He spent all of last season in High-A. Duran will play third base today, but he has the ability to play up the middle. Of course, the Rangers doled out millions this winter for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to play second and shortstop, respectively. Both players are signed through 2028.
Josh Smith was placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left shoulder, per the team. Smith, also acquired in the Gallo deal, has raked in his first taste of the big leagues, going 5-for-12 with a pair of walks to just one strikeout over five games. Smith is the Rangers’ 9th-ranked prospect, per Baseball America.
Royals Recall Kris Bubic, Option Ronald Bolanos
The Royals recalled Kris Bubic to start today’s ballgame and optioned Ronald Bolanos to Triple-A, per the Athletic’s Alex Lewis (via Twitter).
Bubic, 24, got off to a disastrous start this season with a 12.83 ERA over five starts and one relief appearance totaling 13 1/3 innings. He fared little better over three starts in Triple-A, surrendering 10 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. His peripheral numbers did improve, however, with a 4-to-17 walk-to-strikeout ratio after posting a 11-to-10 such mark in the bigs.
Bolanos, 25, has made eight appearances out of the bullpen this year while serving as a bulk reliever. He has a 4.42 ERA/5.71 FIP over 18 1/3 innings of work with 12 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. Bolanos has primarily served as a starter while in the minors.
Cubs Select Caleb Kilian, Option Mark Leiter Jr., DFA Conner Menez
The Cubs have officially selected the contract of Caleb Kilian while making a number of other roster moves to accommodate his arrival and prepare for today’s doubleheader against the Cardinals. Mark Leiter Jr. was optioned to Triple-A and Conner Menez was designated for assignment, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). Anderson Espinoza was also brought aboard to serve as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.
The news of Kilian’s promotion first came across the wire yesterday. His performance will carry more consequence to Cubs’ fans than a normal prospect because of his status as the trade return for Kris Bryant, the one-time face-of-the-franchise. Whether or not it makes sense to put that burden on Kilian, the optics of Kilian’s progress are likely to serve as a touch point for judging the effectiveness of President of Baseball Ops Jed Hoyer’s rebuilding efforts. He’s not the only one, but because Kilian was one of only two pitching prospects returned in the deals for Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Yu Darvish, and Javier Baez, his importance among the group of acquired prospects is somewhat bloated.
Leiter Jr., 31, has been up and down this season as both a starter and reliever. He has been a tad generous with free passes with a 9-to-16 walk-to-strikeout ratio over 17 1/3 innings in the bigs. Though a 4.53 FIP suggests he can be a serviceable arm, the bottom-line results have not been there, as he has racked up a 6.23 ERA.
Menez, 27, was designated for assignment to clear a space on the 40-man roster. He made just one appearance for the Cubs, tossing a scoreless inning. The southpaw has logged 17 1/3 innings in Triple-A, however, with a 2.08 ERA. Claimed off waivers from the Giants this past December, Menez will again be exposed to open waivers.
Espinoza, meanwhile, made his Major League debut just a couple of days ago, tossing four innings against the Brewers, giving up two earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six.
Yankees Reinstate Giancarlo Stanton
The Yankees have reinstated slugger Giancarlo Stanton from the 10-day injured list, per the team. He is back on the active roster batting cleanup as the designated hitter.
New York weathered the loss of Stanton just fine, having gone 7-2 in his absence. Stanton spent the minimum amount of time away, missing only nine games. Prior to his placement on the injured list, Stanton was hitting .285/.339/.523 in 168 plate appearances with 11 long balls.
The corresponding roster moves were made yesterday after last night’s ballgame. Miguel Andujar was optioned to Triple-A. Andujar appeared in 12 games, slashing .268/.279/.317 through 43 plate appearances while mostly playing left field.
Tim Locastro also completed his rehab assignment. He was reinstated and optioned to Triple-A as well. The speedy Locastro is largely a reserve option for the Yankees. His ability to play all three outfield positions provides some value as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.
Reds Sign T.J. Zeuch To Minor League Deal
The Reds have signed right-handed pitcher T.J. Zeuch to a minor league deal, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Zeuch had been released by the Cardinals earlier this week.
A first round draft pick of the Blue Jays, Zeuch struggled in his first tastes of MLB action. Over the 2019-2021 seasons, he got into 13 games but put up an ERA of 4.59. His 50.9% ground ball rate in that time was fairly healthy, though he struck out just 14.1% of the batters he faced, well below league average. Toronto designated him for assignment last year and traded him to the Cardinals.
After the trade, Zeuch had a 4.93 in Triple-A last year, but took a huge step back this season. Through five starts and 19 1/3 innings, he let up 25 earned runs for an ERA of 11.64. He got his strikeout rate up to 20% but lost the ground balls, with his rate dropping to 36.8%.
Despite that lackluster start to the year, there’s little harm in the Reds taking a flier on him. He’s still just 26 years old and is a former first round draft pick. The club recently recalled Mike Minor to a rotation that also includes Tyler Mahle, Luis Castillo, Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft. Mahle and Castillo are each free agents after 2023 and have been in trade rumors for quite some time. They both could be on the move this summer, given the club’s 18-32 record. Minor was just acquired in an offseason trade not long ago but could also be a trade candidate. The Reds have a club option for his 2023 season valued at $13MM with a $1MM buyout, though the Royals agreed to pay that buyout as part of the trade.
Zeuch will try to put up some better results in the minors and earn his way up the starting pitching depth chart, with the club potentially needing innings to be eaten later in the year if they decide to pull the trigger on trading away some arms from their rotation.
Dodgers Select Eddy Alvarez, Transfer Kevin Pillar To 60-Day IL
7:58 pm: The Dodgers have announced that Alvarez has had his contract selected, with Kevin Pillar being transferred to the 60-day IL in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. The Pillar move isn’t terribly shocking, as he was placed on the 10-day IL just yesterday due to a fractured left shoulder, with a months-long absence seeming like a possibility.
6:48 pm: The Dodgers are planning to select utilityman Eddy Alvarez onto the big league roster, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Corner infielder Edwin Ríos is headed to the injured list after tearing his right hamstring during last night’s game.
Alvarez is going to the majors for the first time this season. He appeared in 36 games with the Marlins from 2020-21, hitting .188/.287/.287 through 115 plate appearances. That’s obviously not a great showing, but the right-handed hitter had a much more impressive .288/.423/.441 line in 31 games with the Fish’s Triple-A affiliate. Alvarez took some time off to suit up with the US national baseball team at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. He was part of the Silver Medal-winning club, adding to a silver he’d won in 2014 at Sochi as a speed skater.
Los Angeles inked the 32-year-old to a minor league contract during the lockout. Alvarez has played the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and mashed to the tune of a .304/.430/.500 clip. He’s walked in an excellent 13.4% of his plate appearances and hit five home runs while splitting time between both middle infield spots.
Ríos is hitting .244/.293/.500 through 92 plate appearances. He’s overcome a 38:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio by making a massive power impact, blasting seven home runs as a part-time player. Roberts indicated the tear won’t require surgical repair, but the left-handed hitter will miss some time recovering. It’ll be the second consecutive season with a notable injury for Ríos, who underwent shoulder surgery in May 2021 that ended his campaign 25 games in.
Yankees Acquire Jake Bauers From Reds
The Yankees have acquired first baseman/corner outfielder Jake Bauers from the Reds in exchange for cash, according to team announcements. He’s not on the 40-man roster and has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Bauers has appeared in parts of three big league seasons, suiting up with the Rays, Indians and Mariners. The left-handed hitter was a highly-regarded prospect, seen by many as a potential plus hitter based on the strength of his minor league numbers. Bauers hit for high batting averages and drew plenty of walks on his way up the ladder, and he appeared among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list each season from 2016-18.
The California native has never carried over that success during a lengthy run against MLB arms, though. While he’s continued to draw walks at a strong 11.5% clip in the big leagues, he’s also fanned in 26.4% of his trips to the plate. Bauers hit 11 home runs in 96 games with Tampa Bay as a rookie, but he’s not made much extra-base impact in the seasons since then.
Seattle outrighted Bauers off their 40-man roster at the end of last season, at which point he elected minor league free agency. The 26-year-old caught on with the Reds via minor league contract, and he’s appeared in 29 games with their top affiliate in Louisville. Bauers has gotten off to a dreadful start there, hitting .135/.276/.271 with a 28.4% strikeout rate for the Bats.
Despite that slow start, New York decided to add Bauers as non-roster depth at the upper levels. He’s continued to show quality plate discipline, at the very least, and he’s only a few years removed from being seen as one of the better young bats in the minors.
Cubs To Promote Caleb Kilian
The Cubs are planning to promote pitching prospect Caleb Kilian to make his major league debut tomorrow against the Cardinals, manager David Ross told reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). The right-hander is not yet on the 40-man roster, so Chicago will need to formally select his contract tomorrow. The Cubs’ 40-man is full, meaning there’ll be a corresponding move forthcoming.
Chicago acquired Kilian last summer, adding him alongside outfield prospect Alexander Canario from the Giants for Kris Bryant minutes before the trade deadline. San Francisco had selected Kilian in the eighth round of the 2019 draft out of Texas Tech, and he’s elevated his stock with a strong showing in the minor leagues. The right-hander owned an excellent 2.43 ERA through 63 Double-A innings at the time of the trade, and he’s continued to thrive since changing organizations.
Kilian made four starts with the Cubs Double-A affiliate down the stretch, then has started this season at Triple-A Iowa. He’s worked nine starts and tossed 39 1/3 innings, pitching to a 2.06 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates (24.8% and 9.1% respectively). Kilian has induced grounders on nearly 60% of batted balls against him — well north of the 43.1% MLB average.
Baseball America recently ranked Kilian the #5 prospect in the Chicago system, writing that he’s improved his raw stuff since entering pro ball. According to BA, the 6’4″ hurler works in the low-mid 90s on his fastball and has a trio of average or better secondary offerings (curveball, cutter and changeup). The outlet credits Kilian with plus control, while FanGraphs wrote this offseason that he may wind up with plus-plus command (a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale) at peak. Both publications suggest he’s likely to be a long-term starting pitcher — probably a middle or back of the rotation arm.
The Cubs would’ve had to add Kilian to the 40-man roster after this season to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, and they’ll bring him aboard a few months early. It remains to be seen whether the first call will be more than a spot start, as the Cubs and Cards are slated for a doubleheader. Whether it’s immediate or at some point a bit down the line, though, the retooling club figures to install Kilian as a regular rotation member fairly soon.
Even if Kilian is in the majors from here on out, he won’t reach a full year of service time this season. He won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 campaign at the earliest. Kilian would be in strong position to qualify for early arbitration after 2025 as a Super Two player, but optional assignments back to Iowa could change that trajectory.