Giants Acquire Kevin Padlo From Mariners
The Giants have acquired corner infielder Kevin Padlo from the Mariners for cash, according to announcements from both teams. The M’s had designated him for assignment over the weekend. San Francisco has optioned Padlo to Triple-A Sacramento, while the team had a pair of 40-man roster spots available after recently placing Mike Yastrzemski and Zack Littell on the COVID-19 injured list.
Padlo has just ten MLB games under his belt, but he’s now on his fourth different organization. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Rockies, he was dealt to the Rays as part of the swap saw Jake McGee and Germán Márquez head to Denver. Padlo was in the low minors at the time, and he spent the next few seasons climbing up the Tampa Bay system. His minors tenure was a bit up-and-down, but he had an excellent 2019 campaign split between the top two levels.
That strong showing against high-level pitching set Padlo up to reach the majors for the first time last season. He debuted in April and appeared in nine games but spent most of the season on optional assignment to Triple-A Durham. He struggled to a .194/.270/.379 line there, and Tampa Bay designated him for assignment in August. Seattle grabbed him off waivers, but his Mariners tenure consisted of a lone pinch-hitting appearance during a game in Arizona last September.
Padlo began this year with Triple-A Tacoma, where he’s gotten off to a slow start. He is hitting just .173/.317/.327 through 15 games, striking out in 36.5% of his plate appearances. The M’s bumped Padlo off their 40-man roster when they acquired outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the D-Backs on Saturday.
Over the winter, Baseball America slotted the 25-year-old as the #24 prospect in the Seattle system. BA praised his huge raw power and wrote that he’s athletic enough to play average defense at third base, but the outlet also raised questions about his bat-to-ball skills. Padlo is a .235/.330/.469 hitter in 621 career Triple-A plate appearances. He’s hit 31 homers with a robust 11.4% walk percentage in that time, but a 29.4% strikeout rate speaks to his hit tool concerns.
The Southern California native is in his final minor league option year. The Giants can shuttle him between San Francisco and Sacramento for the remainder of the season, if he sticks on the 40-man roster. He’ll add some right-handed depth to a third base group that is currently without Evan Longoria. Non-roster players Alex Blandino and Wyatt Mathisen are also righty-swinging infielders with the River Cats, but both players have gotten off to tough starts in 2022.
Guardians Claim Luis Oviedo From Pirates
The Guardians have claimed right-hander Luis Oviedo off waivers from the Pirates, reports John Dreker of Pirates Prospects (Twitter link). Pittsburgh had designated Oviedo for assignment last week. Cleveland had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, but they’ll need to create spots for both Anthony Castro and Yu Chang once those players are ready to be reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
Oviedo returns to his original organization. Cleveland signed the 6’4″ hurler out of Venezuela during the 2015-16 international signing period. He spent five seasons in their farm system, never advancing past Low-A. Oviedo’s numbers in the low minors weren’t great, but he worked in the mid-upper 90s with a sinker and had a pair of promising breaking pitches. Baseball America named him the #8 prospect in the organization entering the 2019 season, although he dipped to 18th the following year due to concerns about his control and minor league performance.
The canceled 2020 minor league season robbed Oviedo of a needed development year, and the Indians declined to add him to their 40-man roster that winter. Nevertheless, the Pirates nabbed him in the Rule 5 draft (via trade with the Mets) and carried him on the Opening Day roster. Oviedo stuck in Pittsburgh the entire season — albeit with a pair of injured list stints mixed in — and tossed 29 2/3 innings over his first 22 MLB outings.
As one would expect for a pitcher who had zero previous appearances above Low-A, Oviedo didn’t do well in his first big league look. He posted an 8.80 ERA while walking an untenable 17.7% of opponents. His fastball averaged nearly 95 MPH, however, and he generated quality swing-and-miss rates on each of his curveball and slider. The rebuilding Bucs were willing to live with his control woes last year, but he lost his spot on the 40-man roster after walking four and hitting two of the first 19 batters he faced in the minors this season.
Oviedo has still yet to reach his 23rd birthday. He owns intriguing stuff and is only in his first of three minor league option years. The Guardians are clearly of the belief he has a chance to blossom into a productive MLB pitcher down the road, although it’s obvious he at least needs more time in the minors to get to that point. If Oviedo sticks on Cleveland’s 40-man roster, they’ll have plenty of time to try to help him tap into that upside.
Mets, Tommy Hunter Agree To Minor League Deal
The Mets are in agreement with reliever Tommy Hunter on a minor league contract, report Ken Rosenthal and Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic (Twitter link). The Athletic adds that the righty will report to the team’s complex in Port St. Lucie this week and is hoping to build into MLB game shape by June.
Ghiroli reported this morning that Hunter recently conducted a showcase in front of scouts. It didn’t take long for him to find a home after demonstrating his current form, as he’ll return to the place where he began the 2021 season. The 6’3″ hurler signed a minor league deal with New York last February, then pitched his way onto the MLB roster by the first week of May. Hunter worked eight scoreless innings across four appearances, punching out six while issuing three walks and allowing four hits.
Unfortunately, Hunter landed on the injured list just two weeks after the Mets called him up. He was nebulously diagnosed with lower back pain, but he was transferred to the 60-day IL not long thereafter. New York traded Hunter to the Rays to offset some money in the teams’ July Rich Hill deal, but he remained on Tampa Bay’s IL all season. The veteran qualified for free agency, and his stay on the open market was quiet until today.
According to Ghiroli, Hunter underwent back surgery at some point last year. He’s now progressed to throwing, and he’ll take the next month-plus to accumulate pitches and build stamina in hopes of making a midseason return to the bullpen. If healthy, the 14-year MLB veteran should have a good shot at landing a middle innings role for skipper Buck Showalter. Since moving from the rotation to the ‘pen with Showalter’s Orioles in 2013, Hunter has tossed 402 innings of 3.18 ERA ball, holding opposing hitters to a .238/.285/.370 slash line. Hunter’s velocity has fallen from its 97 MPH peak into the 92-94 range of late, but he has excellent control and has generally induced ground-balls at a better than average clip.
Staying healthy has been an issue for Hunter, who spent some time on the IL in each season between 2016-21 (although his 2020 stint was COVID-related, not due to a physical injury). On a non-roster deal, there’s little risk for the Mets in gauging Hunter’s form over the next few weeks to determine whether to add him back to the big league bullpen.
Eloy Jimenez To Miss 6-8 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
April 26: Jimenez underwent surgery to “repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee,” the White Sox announced. It’s a similar injury to the one incurred by Lynn earlier this year. Jimenez’s estimated timeline remains unchanged; he’s still expected to miss six to eight weeks.
April 24: The White Sox released a statement today in regards to outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who left yesterday’s game with an injury. Jimenez has a right hamstring strain and will be heading to the injured list. While further updates are coming, the statement says that he is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. (Statement relayed by James Fegan of The Athletic.) The club later announced that Jimenez has been placed on the 10-day IL, with Lucas Giolito being reinstated and starting today’s game.
This is yet another blow to a White Sox team that has been pummeled by injuries in the first few weeks of the 2022 season. Lance Lynn, Garrett Crochet, Yoan Moncada and a handful of other players are already on the shelf, with Jimenez now set to join them. Giolito had been a part of that group as well, though the bit of good news is that he has now returned and rejoined the rotation.
The absence of Jimenez will put a dent in the club’s lineup for a second straight season. Last year, a ruptured left pectoral tendon kept him out of action beyond the halfway point of the season. He eventually returned to play 55 games down the stretch, but he only hit at around a league average level with a line of .249/.303/.437, 101 wRC+. That was certainly a few notches below his 2019-2020 output of .276/.321/.527, 122 wRC+, though perhaps understandable given the long layoff.
This year, he was off to a slow start, hitting .222/.256/.333, 74 wRC+. That’s a tiny sample of just 11 games and he surely would have improved it as time went on, but he will now have to sit on the injured list for around two months, give or take, depending on what further testing reveals. Once healthy, he will have to ramp back up and get back into game shape, just like last year.
The White Sox will now have an awkward situation on their hands for their outfield picture, as center fielder Luis Robert has also been dealing with an injury. Although he hasn’t been placed on the injured list, Robert’s groin injury has kept him out of the lineup for the past two games. AJ Pollock was just activated from the injured list on Friday after missing time with a strained hamstring. Pollock is starting in right field today, with Andrew Vaughan in left and Adam Haseley in center. Gavin Sheets and Adam Engel will likely be in the mix for some outfield time as well, with Robert eventually getting folded back in as he heals.
Astros Designate Pedro Baez For Assignment
The Astros have designated right-hander Pedro Baez for assignment and recalled righty Seth Martinez from Triple-A Sugar Land, the team announced Tuesday.
Baez, 34, is just weeks into the second season of a two-year, $12.5MM contract that also contained a club option for the 2023 season. He missed the majority of the 2021 season due to shoulder troubles, however, pitching just 4 1/3 innings. He’s been limited to 2 1/3 frames thus far in 2022, during which time he’s been clobbered for six runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks with two punchouts. Baez’s fastball, which averaged nearly 98 mph at its peak and sat at 96 mph as recently as 2019, has averaged just 90.2 mph so far in 2022.
Houston will technically have a week to trade Baez or place him on outright waivers, but that’s a generally moot point. Another team isn’t going to take on the remainder of this season’s $5.5MM salary or the $2MM buyout he’s still owed on next year’s club option — not with his recent shoulder troubles and alarming velocity dip. Even if Baez were to be passed through outright waivers, he could reject an outright assignment to a minor league affiliate, elect free agency and retain his salary based on the level of big league service time he’s accrued.
The most likely outcome here is that the Astros will eat the remaining $4.91MM on Baez’s salary, as well as the $2MM buyout on next year’s option and simply release him. Baez would be free to sign with a new club, at which point that team would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time he spent in the Majors. That sum would be subtracted from the $6.91MM the ‘Stros otherwise owe him.
Disheartening as Baez’s brief time with the Astros was, he was a well-regarded late-inning arm for the Dodgers in the years leading up to his free agency. From 2014-20, Baez tallied 356 innings of 3.o3 ERA ball with 100 holds, three saves, a 25.3% strikeout rate and an 8.2% ground-ball rate. He tacked on another 29 1/3 innings of 3.99 ERA ball in the playoffs, and if you set aside a rough showing in the early stages of his career (2014-15), Baez notched a 2.70 mark in 26 1/3 postseason innings from 2016-20.
Reds Activate Jonathan India, Designate JT Riddle For Assignment
The Reds announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated second baseman Jonathan India from the injured list and designated utilityman JT Riddle for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Cincinnati also optioned infielder Alejo Lopez to Triple-A and added infielder Matt Reynolds to the active roster. The Reds claimed Reynolds off waivers a couple days ago.
India, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, wound up requiring only a minimal stay on the injured list while nursing a hamstring strain. He’s back in the lineup hitting leadoff for today’s game. The 25-year-old has gotten out to a slow start in his sophomore season, hitting just .241/.267/.276 — albeit in a tiny sample of 30 plate appearances. The 2021 season saw India, a former No. 5 overall draft pick, break out with an outstanding .269/.376/.459 batting line, 21 home runs, 34 doubles, two triples and a dozen steals.
As for Riddle, the 30-year-old journeyman appeared in two games and went 1-for-4 with a single in that brief look. He signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati in the offseason and got out to a fast start in Triple-A Louisville, where he hit .258/.333/.516 in 36 trips to the plate. That said, Riddle is a career .244/.296/.396 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A seasons, including a tepid .202/.269/.333 last season with the Twins’ top affiliate in St. Paul. The former Marlins prospect has spent the bulk of his pro career playing shortstop, but he’s moved into more of a utility role in recent seasons, seeing ample time at second base, third base and all three outfield spots (center, in particular).
The Reds will have a week to trade Riddle, place him on outright waivers or release him.
Ronald Torreyes Granted Release By Phillies
Veteran infielder Ronald Torreyes has requested and been granted his release by the Phillies, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Torreyes had been with the Phils on a minor league pact but is now a free agent who is free to explore opportunities with other clubs.
Torreyes, 29, has gotten out to a slow start in Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, hitting just .171/.237/.200 while seeing time at second base, shortstop and third base. The Phillies’ recent move to option top prospect Bryson Stott to Lehigh Valley surely stood to impact the playing time available to Torreyes — which may have been a contributing factor in his decision to request his release.
Last season, Torreyes appeared in 111 games with the Phils and took 344 turns at the plate, posting a .242/.286/.346 slash that rated well below the league average (32% worse, by measure of wRC+). He provided some value with the glove, appearing at third base, shortstop, second base and center field — with particularly strong marks for his defensive work at the hot corner (2 Defensive Runs Saved, 2.9 Ultimate Zone Rating, 4 Outs Above Average in 354 innings).
Torreyes is a favorite of Phillies skipper Joe Girardi, dating back to the pair’s time together with the Yankees, but it seems there’s no opportunity for him at the MLB level presently. As such, he’ll head into free agency in search of a new opportunity — ideally with a club that is thin in terms of its infield options at the moment. In 983 plate appearances in the Majors, Torreyes is a .265/.299/.361 hitter who has fanned at just a 12.6% clip.
Reds Sign Taylor Motter To Minor League Deal
The Reds have signed infielder Taylor Motter to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Motter has been assigned to the Louisville Bats, the club’s Triple-A team.
Motter, 32, played in 143 total games over the 2016-2018 seasons, spending time with the Rays, Mariners and Twins. He brought some speed and defensive versatility, swiping 13 bags in that stretch while lining up defensively at every position on the diamond except for catcher and center field. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to provide much with the bat, hitting just .191/.263/.312 in that stretch, a 57 wRC+.
In 2019, he lingered in the minors and then went to the KBO in 2020. Last year, he bounced around and got into 16 MLB games, split between the Rockies and Red Sox, producing a similar batting line to his previous numbers. However, he fared quite well in Triple-A last year. In 82 games, he hit .313/.436/.668 for a 167 wRC+. If he could carry any of that up to the big leagues with him this year, the Reds would surely be very grateful.
Cincy has been hit hard by injuries in the early part of the season, particularly on the infield. Mike Moustakas, Jose Barrero, Jonathan India, Donovan Solano and Max Schrock are all currently on the injured list. Motter will spend some time in Triple-A and try to earn his way into the club’s plans.
Guardians Promote Richie Palacios, Activate Luke Maile
The Guardians announced they’ve recalled left fielder/second baseman Richie Palacios to make his major league debut. Cleveland also activated catcher Luke Maile from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, backstop Bryan Lavastida was optioned to Triple-A Columbus, while left-hander Kirk McCarty was returned to the minors and removed from the 40-man roster.
Palacios was already on the 40-man, having been selected before Rule 5 protection day last November. A third-round pick out of Towson in 2018, the left-handed hitter has played his way up the minor league ladder with strong numbers at every stop. Palacios had a nice run in the low minors during his post-draft summer, but he missed the entire 2019 campaign after tearing the labrum in his shoulder. The canceled 2020 minors season cost him another year, but the Brooklyn native played his way onto the 40-man roster with an impressive showing last year.
Splitting the season between Double-A Akron and Columbus, Palacios hit .297/.404/.471 in 428 plate appearances. While he only hit seven home runs, he rapped 33 doubles and swiped 20 bases. As his excellent on-base percentage attests, Palacios drew walks in a robust 13.6% of his plate appearances against just a 16.4% strikeout rate. Baseball America named him the #14 prospect in a deep Guardians’ farm system this winter, praising his hit tool, plate discipline and gap power while noting some questions about his best defensive fit.
The Guardians signed Maile to a one-year deal over the winter to serve as the #2 backstop behind Austin Hedges. He missed the first few weeks of the year with a left hamstring strain, leading Cleveland to turn to the 23-year-old Lavastida for a brief first look. He collected just one hit and three walks in 15 plate appearances, but that was to be expected for a player with just 36 games above High-A coming into the year. Lavastida will have a chance to get more regular reps at Triple-A with Maile back to spell Hedges as needed.
McCarty, meanwhile, was selected to the majors as a COVID substitute last week. Cleveland was without Cal Quantrill, Owen Miller and Anthony Castro at the time, but Quantrill and Miller have since made it back. Tanner Tully, who had also been selected as a COVID replacement, was returned to Columbus over the weekend. Cleveland now has one open 40-man roster spot, but both Castro and Yu Chang remain on the COVID injured list and will have to be reinstated once healthy.
Diamondbacks Designate Oliver Perez For Assignment
The D-Backs announced this evening they’ve activated outfielder Jordan Luplow from the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Jake McCarthy was optioned to Triple-A Reno. Additionally, left-hander Tyler Gilbert was recalled from Triple-A, while veteran reliever Oliver Pérez was designated for assignment. Arizona’s 40-man roster now sits at 39.
The Diamondbacks acquired Luplow from the Rays over the offseason, sending infield prospect Ronny Simon to Tampa Bay. The right-handed hitting Luplow has a history of excellent offensive production when holding the platoon advantage. In 378 career plate appearances against southpaws, he owns a .245/.360/.549 line. That batting average isn’t eye-catching, but Luplow’s elite 14.3% walk rate and 23 home runs in that time result in a 139 wRC+ that indicates he’s been 39 percentage points above league average against lefties.
Luplow has been a below-average hitter against right-handers, making him a best fit for a corner outfield platoon. The D-Backs have lefty swingers David Peralta, Pavin Smith and Seth Beer as their primary corner outfielders and designated hitter, respectively. There should be plenty of opportunity for Luplow to spell those players against opposing southpaws. He missed the first few weeks of the season recovering from an oblique strain but figures to rotate fairly frequently into the outfield mix for manager Torey Lovullo.
Pérez signed a minor league deal with the Snakes shortly after the lockout lifted. He made the Opening Day roster but had a rough go in the desert. Over seven appearances, he’s tallied four innings of nine-run ball. Pérez has fanned just one of the 24 hitters he’s faced, and Arizona has decided to move forward with Joe Mantiply and Kyle Nelson as their top two southpaws in the bullpen.
The D-Backs have a week to trade Pérez or place him on waivers, and it remains to be seen whether the 40-year-old will look to continue his MLB career. Given his poor start to the year, it seems likely Pérez will clear waivers and wind up released. He’d likely find some minor league interest at that point, but it’s possible he may not have the desire to attempt to work his way back onto an MLB roster.
The Mexico native had been set to play the 2022 season with the Toros de Tijuana in his home country before signing with Arizona. At the time, Pérez announced that this year with the Toros would be his final in professional baseball. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he returns to Tijuana if/when he’s officially let go by the D-Backs.