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Pirates Claim Ildemaro Vargas, Designate Troy Stokes Jr.

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The Pirates have claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Cubs.  Outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. has been designated for assignment to create room for Vargas on Pittsburgh’s active roster.

Chicago DFA’ed Vargas on Saturday, after the 29-year-old hit .143/.250/.238 over 24 plate appearances this season.  Vargas came to the Cubs via a waiver claim off the Diamondbacks roster last September, and this is the second time he has been designated for assignment by the team — Vargas cleared waivers in April and was outrighted to the Cubs’ alternate training site.

This time, however, Vargas found a home with a new team, joining a Pirates squad in search of depth.  With Ke’Bryan Hayes, Colin Moran, and Phillip Evans all on the injured list, Vargas can add some versatility to the bench.  Vargas has mostly played second base over his five MLB seasons, but he has experience all over the infield, and has also made a couple of appearances as a corner outfielder.  This multi-positional flexibility has been Vargas’ calling card rather than his bat, since he has hit only .246/.280/.380 in 322 career PA with the D’Backs, Twins, and Cubs.

Stokes also joined the Pirates through the waiver wire, as the Bucs claimed the outfielder off the Tigers’ roster back in January.  Like Vargas, Stokes already has one DFA under his belt in 2021, as the Pirates designated and outrighted Stokes not long after acquiring him from Detroit.  Originally a fourth-round pick for the Brewers back in 2014, Stokes made his Major League debut this season, hitting .111/.200/.167 in 20 PA over eight games with Pittsburgh.

Dodgers Sign Albert Pujols

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TODAY: The Dodgers have officially announced Pujols’ deal.  Right-hander Tony Gonsolin was shifted to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding roster move.

Pujols issued a statement on the signing via his personal Twitter feed, saying “First, I would like to thank God for the opportunity he has given me to play this game.  While this is not how I thought my time in Anaheim would end, I am truly grateful for the memories and friendships that have been created over the past 10 years.  Thank you to my teammates and Angels fans everywhere for your support.  You will always hold a special place in my heart.”

“While everyone in the big leagues wants to compete every day, I understand roles do change and that is something I’ve accepted for the past couple of years.  The role that Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts have presented to me is one that I embrace.  I am excited to be part of the Dodger family and want to thank Andrew, Dave and the rest of the Dodger organization for this opportunity.  My goal is the same as it’s always been – to help the ballclub win a championship in 2021.  I’ve seen up close just how talented this team is and I look forward to contributing.”

MAY 15: Albert Pujols is staying in Los Angeles: He and the Dodgers have agreed to a major league contract for the rest of the season, Jorge Castillo of the LA Times reports.

The Pujols signing comes just over a week after the Angels let the future Hall of Famer go. Pujols then reportedly garnered interest from a few teams, including the Cardinals – with whom he had his greatest success – but the first baseman will join a Dodgers team aiming for its second consecutive World Series championship. He’ll presumably serve as a bench bat for the Dodgers, who have relied on Max Muncy at first base for most of 2021.

Pujols is far from the superstar he once was, but the Dodgers obviously believe the 10-time All-Star and three-time MVP will give them a credible bat in a part-time role. The 41-year-old hasn’t produced much since his stark decline began in 2017, having batted .240/.289/.405 (84 wRC+) with 76 home runs in 1,934 plate appearances over the past four-plus seasons.

Pujols also got off to an ugly .198/.250/.372 start with five home runs in 92 PA this year before the Angels parted with him, but there were some positives during that span. He was the victim of a ridiculously low .176 batting average on balls in play, .110 points below his career mark, and at least a few Statcast numbers suggest he deserved better during his final month-plus with the Angels. For instance, Pujols’ .347 expected weighted on-base average far outdoes his .270 wOBA.

Considering Pujols’ weak bottom-line production over the past few seasons, this signing may not amount to much for the Dodgers. But it’s a low-risk move for the Dodgers, who will pay him the prorated minimum salary, and it gives Pujols an opportunity to chase his third World Series ring as he nears the end of his marvelous career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves Designate Jesse Biddle For Assignment, Recall Tucker Davidson

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The Braves recalled Tucker Davidson from Triple-A today while designating fellow southpaw Jesse Biddle for assignment, per the club.

Biddle, 29, is a former first round pick of the Phillies way back in 2010. He made his Major League debut for the Braves in 2018. He made 15 appearances for Atlanta the following season before also appearing for the Mariners and Rangers. Biddle made just one appearance in the Majors last season with the Reds. The left-hander’s bugaboo has been his control, and it haunted Biddle again this season in eight outings with the Braves. While walking 15.7 percent of hitters, Biddle struggled to a 8.44 ERA/5.10 FIP across 10 2/3 innings. He’ll now be exposed to waivers.

Davidson, 25, made his debut with just 1 2/3 innings of work last season. He’s done good work in Triple-A this season, however, allowing just one earned run on seven hits and three walks while striking out a batter per inning in 14 innings across two starts.

Pitching Notes: Blue Jays, Allgeyer, Nats, Strasburg, Astros, Valdez, Odorizzi

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The Blue Jays have optioned Nick Allgeyer to Triple-A, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Allgeyer did not make an appearance and has yet to make his Major League debut. The Jays won’t make a corresponding move until tomorrow. There’s no need to fill his roster spot today given their day off. Since service time is measured in days and not games, there’s no reason to make a move any earlier than necessary. In other pitcher news…

  • The Nationals may be close to activating Stephen Strasburg, depending on how his shoulder feels today, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). Nationals’ starters rank an uncharacteristic 25th in the Majors by fWAR, 16th with a 4.29 ERA and next-to-last with a 4.83 FIP. Strasburg has contributed just two starts totaling 10 innings on the year.
  • Framber Valdez and Jake Odorizzi will start on back-to-back days for the Sugar Land Skeeters this week, per Sports Director at Fox 26 Mark Berman (via Twitter). That’s especially good news considering that Jose Urquidy just landed on the injured list. Because of their schedule, however, Houston could largely get by with only four starters until June, writes the Athletic’s Jake Kaplan. If everyone can get healthy, the Astros will have a surplus of starters, which could lead to Cristian Javier or Luis Garcia being bumped to the bullpen or back to Triple-A, despite their solid efforts thus far.

Rays Acquire Wyatt Mathisen From Diamondbacks

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The Rays have acquired utilityman Wyatt Mathisen from the Diamondbacks, with cash considerations heading back Arizona’s way.  Mathisen was designated for assignment by the D’Backs earlier this week, and he will report to Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate.

The 29-year-old Mathisen made his MLB debut last season with Arizona, and over 32 games and 84 plate appearances in 2020-21, Mathisen has hit .159/.298/.290.  He has also seen time at both corner infield positions and in left field.

Third base has been Mathisen’s primary position over 649 games in his minor league career.  Initially breaking into the pros as a catcher when he was a second-round pick for the Pirates in the 2012 draft, Mathisen hasn’t been behind the plate since 2013, moving on to play mostly third base but also a lot of time at first and second.  The outfield work is a relatively new part of his defensive arsenal, as Mathisen hadn’t played outside the infield until 2019.

With a .272/.360/.396 slash line over 2507 PA in the minors, Mathisen has shown some decent on-base skill, and he’ll add yet another multi-position weapon to the Rays’ stash of versatile players.  Yandy Diaz, Mike Brosseau, and Kevin Padlo are all on the big league roster and are all right-handed hitters who can play corner infield roles, so Mathisen may have to wait until circumstances change for his next call-up to the Show.

Diamondbacks Place Kelly, Bukauskas, Devenski On Injured List

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MAY 16: “All options,” including surgery, are a possibility for Devenski, Lovullo said this afternoon (via Zach Buchanan of the Athletic).

MAY 15, 7:05PM: Right-hander Chris Devenski has also been sidelined, as the D’Backs announced that Devenski is headed to the 60-day injured list due to a sprained right UCL.  Left-hander Joe Mantiply’s contract has been selected from Triple-A to take Devenski’s place on both the active roster and 40-man roster.

MAY 15, 6:49PM: Both Kelly and manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill) that they’re hopeful Kelly will be able to return shortly after his 10-day minimum absence.

MAY 15, 5:48PM: The Diamondbacks announced that catcher Carson Kelly and righty J.B. Bukauskas have been placed on the 10-day injured list.  Kelly is suffering from a tuft fracture in his big left toe, while Bukauskas has a right elbow flexor strain.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Yoan Lopez was called up from Triple-A and infielder Domingo Leyba’s contract was selected from Triple-A.  To create a 40-man roster spot for Leyba, Kole Calhoun was moved to the 60-day IL.

It’s another damaging injury blow to an Arizona team that has placed Zac Gallen, Christian Walker, and Asdrubal Cabrera on the IL just in the last few days, and the D’Backs have already been without Calhoun and Ketel Marte for the majority of the season.

Kelly’s loss is particularly tough, as the catcher has hit a scorching .338/.491/.613 over his first 110 plate appearances of the season.  While Kelly has enjoyed some BABIP luck (.344) and isn’t posting memorable hard-hit ball numbers, he is also doing an outstanding job at getting on base and making contact.  Kelly’s .491 OBP leads the National League, and he has more walks (23) than strikeouts (16).

Depending on the severity of the fracture, Kelly’s absence could either be relatively short or rather lengthy.  Stephen Vogt could now assume starting catching duties with Kelly out, or the D’Backs could explore giving top prospect Daulton Varsho more of a look behind the plate.  Since making his MLB debut last season, Varsho has made 11 total appearances at catcher, but he has only played the position once in 2021.  Given Varsho’s ability to play the outfield, the Diamondbacks could more or less split his playing time between catcher and outfield whenever Vogt needs a break.

Bukauskas made his Major League debut this season, and has posted an 8.31 ERA out of Arizona’s bullpen over his first 8 2/3 innings in the Show.  While the righty has given up a lot of hard contact, his ERA isn’t quite indicative of how he has pitched — Bukauskas has a much more respectable 3.64 SIERA, as he has been hampered by an abnormally low 54.8% strand rate and an abnormally high .433 BABIP.  Bukauskas the 15th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and was sent to the D’Backs from the Astros as part of the Zack Grienke trade in 2019.

Leyba was also a trade pickup for Arizona, coming to the organization from the Tigers along with Robbie Ray as part of the three-team trade in 2014 that saw Shane Greene go to Detroit and Didi Gregorius to the Yankees.  Leyba made a solid accounting of him by hitting .280/.367/.440 in 30 PA during his 2019 rookie season, but missed all of 2020 due to an 80-game PED suspension.

Leyba has plenty of experience as a shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman, so he represents a versatile asset for the Diamondbacks as they figure out how to juggle their roster amidst all these injuries.  Speculatively, Leyba could provide infield depth if Josh Rojas sees more time in the outfield on account of Varsho getting more catching starts.

Angels Designate Noe Ramirez For Assignment

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The Angels announced they’ve designated reliever Noé Ramirez for assignment. The move clears space on the active and 40-man rosters for Hunter Strickland, who has been activated after being acquired from the Rays yesterday.

Ramirez has pitched for Los Angeles over the past four seasons. He was a durable, generally productive reliever in the middle innings from 2018-20, working to a 4.13 ERA/4.20 FIP across 172 innings. The Angels traded Ramirez to the Reds over the winter as part of the Raisel Iglesias deal.

The 31-year-old had a very rough Spring Training with Cincinnati, leading the Reds to cut him loose before the start of the season. Ramirez promptly returned to the Angels’ organization on a minor league deal and was selected to the roster earlier this week. The veteran righty went on to make two appearances, allowing a pair of runs on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts through 3 1/3 innings.

Los Angeles will now have a week to trade or waive Ramirez. As a player with more than three years of MLB service, Ramirez has the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he clears outright waivers, although doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of his guaranteed salary for this season.

Cubs Place Alec Mills On Injured List

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The Cubs are placing right-hander Alec Mills on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to pass along (Twitter link). Fellow righty Tommy Nance was selected to the 40-man roster in a corresponding move.

Mills was a key member of the Chicago rotation last season, starting eleven games and finishing third on the team in innings pitched (62 1/3). On the whole, he wasn’t particularly effective in that role (September no-hitter notwithstanding), working to a 4.48 ERA/4.81 SIERA. The offseason acquisitions of Jake Arrieta and Trevor Williams bumped Mills to a long relief role early this season. Through 22 2/3 innings, the sinkerballer has managed just a 5.96 ERA with a very low 12.7% strikeout rate. Mills has continued to throw strikes and induce plenty of grounders, but he doesn’t miss many bats and has proven susceptible to homers when opposing hitters have managed to elevate the ball.

With Mills out of action, Nance is in line to make his major league debut. The 30-year-old signed with Chicago out of indy ball in 2016 after going undrafted out of Santa Clara University. Given that non-traditional background, it’s no surprise he’s never appeared on a Cubs’ organizational prospects ranking at Baseball America or FanGraphs. Nance has been quietly productive all the way up the minor league ladder, though, working to a 3.33 ERA with decent strikeout and walk rates (25.7% and 9.5%, respectively) over 113 2/3 professional innings. Nance has pitched six stellar innings of one-run ball at Triple-A Iowa this season, strikeout out ten while allowing just one hit (a homer) and a walk.

Rays Activate Francisco Mejia, Designate Kevan Smith

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The Rays are reinstating catcher Francisco Mejía from the 10-day injured list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was among those to pass along (Twitter link). Fellow backstop Kevan Smith was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Mejía went on the IL last week with left intercostal discomfort. It proved to be a minimal stay, as he returns ten days later to again pair with Mike Zunino behind the plate. Acquired from the Padres over the winter as part of the Blake Snell return, Mejía has gotten off to a fine start with his new team. Over his first 67 plate appearances, the switch-hitter has slashed .300/.348/.450 with a home run. That’s a rather significant improvement over the .225/.282/.386 mark he carried as a big leaguer entering 2021.

Obviously, Mejía will need more than a month of strong performance to cement himself as a foundational piece for the Rays, but he certainly carries the pedigree to do so. Mejía was once regarded among the top prospects in baseball as a potentially impactful bat-first catcher. He’s still just 25 years old and making contact at a career-best clip so far, although he hasn’t tamped down the overaggressive approach that contributed to his prior big league struggles.

With Mejía and Zunino healthy, the Rays determined there wasn’t place on the active roster for Smith, who is out of minor league option years. The 32-year-old was selected to the roster when Mejía went on the IL and only picked up five plate appearances over the past week-plus. The Rays now have a week to trade or waive Smith, who has been in the Tampa Bay organization over the past two seasons. Having previously been outrighted in his career, Smith would have the right to elect free agency in lieu of a minor league assignment if he clears waivers.

Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On Injured List, Select Ryan LaMarre

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MAY 16: The Yankees officially placed Hicks on the IL, retroactive to May 13, with a left wrist sprain. LaMarre was indeed selected to the roster in a corresponding move. The 32-year-old has a .236/.286/.338 line in 246 MLB plate appearances over parts of five seasons. He signed a minor league deal with New York over the winter and was off to a .273/.333/.303 start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees already had a pair of 40-man roster vacancies, so no additional move was needed to accommodate LaMarre’s selection.

MAY 15: The Yankees will indeed place Hicks on the 10-day IL, according to Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network (Twitter link).  Ryan LaMarre will be called up to take Hicks’ spot on the active roster, as per Jack Curry of YES.

MAY 14: Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks has suffered a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports. There is no word on how much time Hicks will miss. He could play this weekend, go on the injured list or undergo surgery, per Rivera. He’s on medication for the time being.

This continues a difficult start to the season for Hicks, who hasn’t been able to replicate his strong effort from 2020. The switch-hitting 31-year-old has hit just .194/.294/.333 with four home runs in 126 plate appearances, making it easily his worst production since the Yankees acquired him from the Twins before 2016. Hicks performed well enough in the Bronx from 2017-18 that the team signed him to a seven-year, $70MM extension heading into the 2019 campaign. But Hicks dealt with back and elbow problems that year, limiting him to 54 games, and had to undergo Tommy John surgery after the season.

Although Hicks has had a rough go this year, any extended absence would be a significant blow to New York’s outfield depth. Hicks has played the vast majority of the team’s games this year in center field, starting at the position in 30 of 37 contests. The Yankees’ next option has been Brett Gardner, who has also posted uncharacteristically poor numbers this season, and the club took from its center depth when it traded Mike Tauchman to the Giants for reliever Wandy Peralta in late April.

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