Jorge Soler Tests Positive For COVID-19; Cristian Pache Added To Braves’ NLDS Roster
Braves outfielder Jorge Soler has been removed from his team’s NLDS roster due to a positive test for COVID-19, the league announced. Cristian Pache has been approved as a substitute to take Soler’s spot on the roster. Soler will be allowed to return the club once he clears COVID protocols.
The news comes less than two hours before the Braves look to close out the Brewers in Game 4 of their NLDS series. Soler had been announced as Atlanta’s starting right fielder and leadoff hitter in the game, but the revised lineup now sees Joc Pederson slide from left field to right, Adam Duvall from center to left field, and Guillermo Heredia (batting eighth) added as the new starter in center.
Soler will be quarantined for at least five days, as per David O’Brien of The Athletic (Twitter link), and he has to cleared as non-infectious by a four-person joint health and safety committee (two doctors, and one representative each from the league and the players’ union). If he is able to return after only that five-day minimum, Soler would possibly be in line to play by Game 2 of the National League Championship Series if the Braves advance past Milwaukee.
It has been a tough postseason for Soler, who has only one hit in 13 NLDS plate appearances. Nonetheless, the veteran was a big reason why Atlanta won the NL East in the first place, as Soler hit .269/.358/.524 with 14 home runs over 242 PA after being acquired from the Royals in a trade deadline deal. Soler had struggled over the first four months of the season, so his re-emergence with the Braves will surely help the 29-year-old’s case in free agency this winter.
The bigger issue at hand for the moment, however, is that the Braves now have a significant hole in their lineup. The trio of Pederson, Duvall, and Eddie Rosario (along with Soler, all midseason pickups) now projects as Atlanta’s first-choice outfield, with Heredia, Pache, Terrance Gore, and utilitymen Ehire Adrianza and Orlando Arcia all providing additional depth.
Delino DeShields Jr. Elects Free Agency
Reds outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. has refused an outright assignment and become a free agent, reports MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (via tweet).
The speedy outfielder bounced around a few organizations this year after signing with the Rangers on a minor league deal. Owing to a robust walk rate and strong base stealing numbers in their Triple-A affiliate, Texas found a trade partner in Boston to take in DeShields as outfield depth and a potential playoff weapon. Cincinnati found similar appeal in DeShields and plucked him from the Red Sox in an early August deal for cash.
DeShields’ minors production included solid numbers, including 21 stolen bases (in 24 tries) and a .750 OPS. With the Reds, however, he saw big league action for the first time in 2021 and had a nice showing in sample size of 25 games, producing a .255/.375/.426 slash (105 OPS+) with almost as many walks as strikeouts.
Despite solid production down the stretch, the Reds likely didn’t view DeShields as an indispensable part of their future. The 29-year-old could have been retained via arbitration but will instead head to the open market in search of more steady Major League work. With plenty to like about DeShields’ profile, there are plenty of teams, including the Reds themselves, who may come knocking in the offseason to fortify their outfield ranks.
Minor MLB Transactions: 10/10/21
Catching up on minor league moves from around baseball….
- The Cardinals outrighted Seth Elledge to Triple-A Memphis after the righty cleared waivers. Elledge was designated for assignment prior to the Cards’ appearance in the NL wild card game. The right-hander has pitched exactly 11 2/3 innings for St. Louis in each of the last two seasons, and also posted identical 4.63 ERAs in both campaigns. Originally acquired by the Mariners for Sam Tuivailala in July 2018, Elledge has some solid numbers at the lower levels of the minors but has struggled in two seasons at Triple-A, with a 5.66 ERA over 70 innings for Memphis.
Ryan Meisinger, Kevin Quackenbush Elect Free Agency
Right-handers Ryan Meisinger and Kevin Quackenbush have elected for free agency, as per the official transactions page for Triple-A West. The two hurlers had been part of the Dodgers organization, and both had the option of becoming free agents since they have both been outrighted off 40-man rosters more than once in their careers. Los Angeles outrighted both Meisinger and Quackenbush within the last two months.
The Dodgers claimed Meisinger off waivers from the Cubs in August but he never saw any big league action in Dodger Blue, though he did impress at the Triple-A level with an 0.84 ERA over 10 2/3 frames for the Oklahoma City affiliate. Over 40 1/3 combined innings at Triple-A in 2021, Meisinger had a 3.35 ERA and a very impressive 34.6% strikeout rate, but also with an 11.17% walk rate.
Meisinger has had pretty solid numbers in the minors, except with steadily increasing walk and homer rates as he has moved up the ladder, culminating in some rough numbers over his brief big league career. Over 31 career IP with the Orioles, Cardinals, and Cubs, Meisinger has allowed eight homers and issued 19 walks (against 30 strikeouts), resulting in a 7.26 ERA.
Quackenbush signed a minor league deal with L.A. in May and made it to the majors for one game, tossing a third of an inning in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Angels on August 8. This cup of coffee represented Quackenbush’s first MLB action since 2018. A regular in the Padres bullpen from 2014-17, Quackenbush has since bounced around to a few different clubs, including a previous stint in the Dodgers’ farm system in 2019. Like Meisinger, Quackenbush also pitched well at Triple-A this season, posting a 1.65 ERA over 43 2/3 frames of work.
CPBL’s CTBC Brothers Sign Shawn Morimando, Jose Valdez; Release Gabriel Ynoa
TODAY: The additions of Morimando and Valdez will help make up for the loss of right-hander Gabriel Ynoa, who was released by the Brothers (hat tip again to CPBL Stats). Ynoa has spent the last two seasons overseas, pitching in Japan in 2020 before inking a one-year deal with the Brothers last offseason. A veteran of three MLB seasons, Ynoa had a 5.39 ERA over 163 2/3 innings with the Mets and Orioles from 2016-19.
OCTOBER 8: The CTBC Brothers of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League announced agreements with left-hander Shawn Morimando and right-hander José Valdez last week (h/t to CPBL Stats). Both Morimando and Valdez have appeared in the major leagues.
Morimando was in the majors as recently as this past August with the Marlins. The 31-year-old bounced on and off the Marlins’ roster a few times, ultimately making four appearances. He was tagged for eleven runs over 10 1/3 innings over his brief MLB look but had a nice 2021 campaign with Triple-A Jacksonville. Morimando made eighteen appearances (including sixteen starts) with the Jumbo Shrimp, tossing 89 2/3 frames of 4.32 ERA ball with strikeout and walk rates not far off the league average and a strong 50.4% ground-ball percentage.
The 2021 season marked Morimando’s second in which he picked up some big league time. The southpaw also worked 4 2/3 innings over a pair of outings with the Indians in 2016. He’s tossed fifteen frames altogether, allowing seventeen runs with fourteen strikeouts and ten walks.
Valdez has appeared in parts of four major league seasons. From 2015-18, he bounced between the Tigers, Angels, Padres and Giants. Overall, he’s worked 55 1/3 innings of relief at the big league level, posting a 6.34 ERA. Valdez has spent the past few seasons pitching in the Mexican League.
Ildemaro Vargas, Chris Devenski Elect Free Agency
Utilityman Ildemaro Vargas and right-hander Chris Devenski have elected to become free agents, as reported by the official transaction pages for Triple-A West (for Vargas) and MLB.com (for Devenski). The two 30-year-olds both finished the 2021 season with the Diamondbacks.
Vargas was outrighted off Arizona’s roster earlier this week, and since he’d been previously outrighted earlier this week, Vargas had the option of either accepting the assignment to Triple-A or choosing to become a free agent. He’ll now hit the open market and could be on the move again after a whirlwind 14 months that saw Vargas play for three different teams (the Twins, Cubs, and Pirates) in between two stints with the D’Backs.
Vargas received 211 plate appearances while playing in 92 games with Arizona in 2019, hitting .269/.299/.413. He hasn’t matched even that modest production since, posting only a .477 OPS over 137 total PA in 2020-21.
Devenski signed a minor league contract with the D’Backs last winter and made it to their big league roster, but delivered only an 8.59 ERA over 7 1/3 relief innings. A tough season got worse due to Tommy John surgery around early June, and Devenski will now be sidelined until at least (in a best-case scenario) the 2022 All-Star break.
It is the second elbow injury in as many seasons for Devenski, who was limited to 3 2/3 innings in 2020 due to an arthroscopic procedure. The former Astros reliever has been in decline since his 2017 All-Star season, and now faces a very uncertain winter. Depending on when he recovers and is able to showcase himself for scouts, Devenski might conceivably have to wait until the 2022-23 offseason before landing his next contract.
Three Rangers Elect Free Agency
Mike Foltynewicz, Hunter Wood, and outfielder Jason Martin have elected free agency, per the Rangers. The trio will now hit the open market.
Foltynewicz is the biggest name of the three, though it’s been some time since the right-hander seemingly broke out with Atlanta back in 2018. In his first and only season with the Rangers, Folty was given some leash, making 24 starts and adding four bullpen appearances for a total 139 innings. Folty pitched to a 5.44 ERA/6.02 FIP with a below-average 16.6 percent strikeout rate, though solid 6.1 percent walk rate.
Wood, formerly of the Rays and Indians, made just five appearances with the Rangers, tossing five innings and giving up a pair of earned runs. For his career, the swingman owns a 3.34 ERA/4.09 FIP across 91 2/3 innings.
Martin’s primary claim to fame comes via his inclusion in the trade that sent Gerrit Cole from the Pirates to the Astros. After appearing in the Majors with the Pirates in 2019 and 2020, he was granted free agency, signing with the Rangers. The 26-year-old saw the most playing time of his career in his lone season in Texas, slashing .208/.248/.354 across 154 plate appearances.
Twins Outright Six Players
The Twins have outrighted six players off their 40-man roster after they went unclaimed on waivers, as first noted on the transactions page at MLB.com. Right-handers Kyle Barraclough, Nick Vincent, Ian Gibaut and Luke Farrell were all removed from the roster, as were lefty Andrew Albers and infielder Drew Maggi.
All of the players dropped from the roster today will be eligible to become free agents. The 30-year-old Farrell spent more time in the big leagues than any of the bunch this season, tossing 24 2/3 innings with a 4.74 ERA, a 22.1 percent strikeout rate and an 11.5 percent walk rate. It was the fifth straight season with some Major League action for Farrell, although the Twins are already his fifth big league team as well. In 87 2/3 innings at the MLB level, Farrell carries a 4.93 ERA.
Vincent, 35, is the most experienced of the group, having accrued more than seven full years of Major League service time across the past 10 seasons. He held opponents to just one run in 12 2/3 innings, albeit with a tepid 19.1 percent strikeout rate, a higher-than-average 10.6 percent walk rate and a fastball that averaged just 89.3 mph. Vincent was set to become a free agent anyway, based purely on service time, so his outright is largely a formality.
The 31-year-old Barraclough worked in a setup role for the Marlins from 2015-18, logging 218 2/3 innings of 3.21 ERA ball with a hefty 29.8 percent strikeout rate but also a bloated 14.3 percent walk rate. He’s bounced around the league a good bit since that time, and in 13 frames with Minnesota this season allowed eight runs on 12 hits and eight walks with 18 strikeouts — a 5.54 ERA on the whole.
Albers, 36, returned for a third stint with the Twins and was tagged for 16 runs in 19 innings (7.58 ERA) in a late-season call back to the big leagues. He had a solid year in the rotation for the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, logging a 3.88 ERA in 102 innings. Albers had spent the three prior seasons pitching with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, logging a 4.02 ERA in 266 1/3 innings.
Gibaut, 27, only pitched 6 2/3 big league innings with the Twins. He held opponents to a pair of runs in that time but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A St. Paul, where he posted an unsightly 6.80 ERA with a solid 26 percent strikeout rate against a 10.1 percent walk rate. He’s now seen MLB time with the Rays, Rangers and Twins but only managed a 5.40 ERA in 33 1/3 innings.
Maggi, 32, had his contract selected to the Majors late in the season, but the Twins somewhat surprisingly didn’t get the veteran minor leaguer into what would’ve been the first big league game of his career. He’s spent two seasons in their system and turned in a .252/.354/.456 batting line with a career-best 16 home runs and a dozen stolen bases while playing shortstop, second base, third base and left field in Triple-A this year.
Today’s slate of subtractions will help to open roster space for a Twins club that finished the year with eight players needing to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list. They’ll still need to open a couple more spots to accommodate a 60-day IL group that includes Kenta Maeda, Taylor Rogers, Alex Kirilloff, Cody Stashak, Devin Smeltzer, Randy Dobnak, Kyle Garlick and Lewis Thorpe.
Players Recently Electing Free Agency
With the regular season over, a series of players are closing in on free agency. The highest-profile will be available as major league free agents, those with six-plus years of MLB service time not under contract with a team. But there will be dozens of players in the coming weeks who qualify for minor league free agency and more quietly reach the open market as well.
Players can qualify for minor league free agency in a few ways. The most notable of these include: players with 3+ years of MLB service time who have been outrighted off their teams’ 40-man rosters this season, players who have been outrighted off a 40-man roster multiple times in their careers, and unsigned players not on a 40-man roster who have spent parts of at least seven seasons on a minor league roster or injured list.
Many of these players won’t officially reach free agency until the start of the offseason, but some were let go by their teams a few weeks early once the regular season concluded. Each of the following players has elected minor league free agency within the past week, according to the MLB.com and Triple-A transactions trackers:
- R.J. Alaniz (Reds)
- Albert Almora Jr. (Mets)
- Travis Bergen (Blue Jays)
- Jesse Biddle (Braves)
- A.J. Cole (Blue Jays)
- Jairo Díaz (Rockies)
- Jerad Eickhoff (Mets)
- Michael Feliz (A’s)
- Trevor Gott (Giants)
- Dany Jiménez (Blue Jays)
- JaCoby Jones (Tigers)
- Ryan Lavarnway (Indians)
- Derek Law (Twins)
- Kyle Lobstein (Brewers)
- Luis Madero (Marlins)
- José Marmolejos (Mariners)
- Shawn Morimando (Marlins)
- Taylor Motter (Red Sox)
- Joe Panik (Marlins)
- Adam Plutko (Orioles)
- Austin Pruitt (Marlins)
- Nick Ramirez (Padres)
- Roel Ramírez (Mets)
- Austin Romine (Cubs)
- Adrián Sánchez (Nationals)
- Scott Schebler (Angels)
- Chance Sisco (Mets)
- Wilfredo Tovar (Mets)
- César Valdez (Orioles)
- Hyeon-jong Yang (Rangers)
Diamondbacks Outright Three Players
The offseason roster shuffle has begun in the desert. The Diamondbacks announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Brandyn Sittinger, outfielder Henry Ramos and infielder Ildemaro Vargas to Triple-A Reno. The moves leave the club with 37 players on their 40-man roster.
Sending those three down comes as no surprise, given the players’ performances so far. Sittinger joined the D-backs on a minor league deal prior to the 2020 season, and saw his first big league action last month. He tossed 4 2/3 innings over five appearances, posting an unsightly 13.03 FIP.
Arizona signed the 29-year-old Ramos to a minor league deal on May 19 of this year. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, and was called up September 5. In 18 games he accumulated 55 plate appearances but only posted a meager 48 wRC+.
The well-traveled Vargas appeared in the big leagues each of the last five seasons, mostly with the Diamondbacks. He also played briefly for the Twins and Cubs last year. In 381 total plate appearances at the MLB level, he’s put up -1.2 fWAR.