Pirates Promote Oneil Cruz
TODAY: Cruz’s promotion has been officially announced by the Pirates. Right-hander Tanner Anderson has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a right foot contusion.
OCTOBER 1: The Pirates are planning to promote shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz to make his major league debut, reports Héctor Gómez of Z101 (Twitter link). The 22-year-old checked in as the game’s #50 overall farmhand on Baseball America’s midseason update. Cruz is already on the 40-man roster.
Cruz signed with the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic over the 2015-16 international signing period. Los Angeles included Cruz, who was then in Low-A, as part of a package headed to Pittsburgh for Tony Watson at the 2017 trade deadline. The left-handed hitter has spent the past four years climbing the minor league ranks, moving fairly slowly but posting big numbers at every level.
In 2018, Cruz hit .286/.343/.488 while spending the entire season at Low-A. He split the 2019 campaign between High-A and Double-A and was added to the 40-man roster that offseason to keep him from selection in the Rule 5 draft. Last year’s canceled minor league season obviously cost Cruz the chance to play in games, although he was part of the Bucs’ alternate training site group.
As Cruz has aged, he’s continued to fill out one of the bigger frames in affiliated ball. The 22-year-old is now listed at 6’7″, 210 pounds, and he’ll soon become the tallest shortstop in major league history. That atypical profile has led to some concern among prospect evaluators he’d eventually have to move off the position, but he’s worked there exclusively in the minors this year and has continued to hold his own. In their midseason report, BA pegged Cruz as a capable defender, and evaluators credit him with one of the better arms in the minor leagues. There’s still some sentiment he could wind up moving into the outfield eventually, but it seems he’ll at least get an opportunity to first try and stick on the left side of the infield.
While there may be some questions about his long-term defensive home, there’s no debate concerning Cruz’s power potential. His exceptional size and athleticism leads to some of the game’s biggest power projection, with Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs grading his raw power as a future 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. BA, meanwhile, pegs his power potential at a 70 on the same scale.
Cruz’s size has led to some trepidation about his ability to consistently make contact. Longer-levered players can sometimes have trouble synchronizing their swing mechanics, and Cruz indeed had some alarming strikeout numbers early in his minor league career. As he’s climbed the ladder, he’s ironed out those issues significantly. Cruz has taken 302 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A this season, hitting .310/.375/.594 with seventeen home runs and a 22.8% strikeout rate that’s right in line with this year’s major league average.
With Cruz performing at a high level on both sides of the ball, the Pirates will give him a two-game cameo to close out the season. He can still be optioned to the minors in one more season, and he’s only played in six career Triple-A games. It’s certainly possible he starts next season back in the upper minors, whether for developmental or service time reasons. (Barring a change to the current service time structure in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, the Pirates would only have to keep Cruz in the minors for a couple weeks to delay his path to free agency by an additional season). But whatever long-term plans the organization has, they’ll reward his consistently strong performance with his first big league call to close out this season, giving fans a glimpse at one of the most exciting young players in the organization in the process.
Giants Activate Jake McGee, Option Thairo Estrada
The Giants will activate southpaw Jake McGee today, bringing their nominal closer back to the roster in time for a tune-up before the postseason begins next week. To make room on the roster, infielder Thairo Estrada has been optioned to Triple-A, per Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com (via Twitter).
McGee returns after two lost weeks due to a right oblique strain. Fortunately for McGee and the Giants, it was on the milder side of oblique problems, so McGee is able to return even before the regular season is out, let alone the playoffs. After being part of the Dodgers’ World Series team last year, McGee is looking to capture his second ring in as many years, and the veteran lefty has been a major part of the Giants’ success.
McGee has a 2.72 ERA/3.45 SIERA over 59 2/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen, with a 4.2% walk rate that ranks among the league’s best. That excellent control has helped McGee overcome some hard contact, and with a .228 BABIP, it’s fair to say McGee that had some good fortune behind his 2021 numbers.
Though the Giants are pretty flexible with their late-game relief alignment, McGee has gotten the bulk of save chances this year, with 31 saves in 36 opportunities. Seven other pitchers have also gotten saves for the Giants this year, with Tyler Rogers leading the second-choice pack with 13 saves, and rookie Camilo Doval stepping up in recent days with three saves. In short, manager Gabe Kapler will have plenty of bullpen arms to work with as the Giants head into October, as the club is more apt to roll with the hot hand or play matchups rather than deploy McGee in a traditional closer role.
Phillies Recall Seranthony Dominguez, Place Connor Brogdon On 10-Day Injured List
The Phillies have recalled Seranthony Dominguez from Triple-A for the final two games of the season. Connor Brogdon surrenders his roster spot, heading to the 10-day injured list with groin tightness, per the team.
Dominguez makes his return from Tommy John surgery. Still just 26-years-old, Dominguez was going to be a key piece for the Phils bullpen before the injury. He has not appeared in the Majors since 2019. Over his first two seasons, Dominguez flashed potential as a high-leverage arm, making 80 appearances from 2018-19 and logging 82 2/3 innings with a 3.27 ERA/3.20 FIP, 30.2 percent strikeout rate, 10.0 percent walk rate, and very strong 54.8 percent groundball rate.
Brogdon appeared in 56 games this year with a 3.43 ERA/3.77 FIP over 57 2/3 innings. Brogdon picked up 10 holds and a save while accruing 1.0 rWAR/0.7 fWAR as one of the more consistent arms in a much-maligned Philly bullpen.
Brogdon and Dominguez have yet to overlap in the Phillies’ bullpen, but they should both play a role next season. The Phillies maintain team control over Dominguez for the next three seasons and Brogdon for the next five.
Nationals Activate Gerardo Parra, Place Josh Rogers On 10-Day Injured List
The Nationals have placed starter Josh Rogers on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain. The move allows local legend Gerardo Parra to return to the active roster from the injured list. Parra will bring baby shark back to Nats Park for the final two games of the season.
The 34-year-old Parra received more run than one might have expected this season, stepping to the plate 105 times and slashing .232/.288/.347 with a pair of home runs. Parra continues to be a positive clubhouse influence and fan favorite. Just two years removed from their title run, Parra is one of surprising few links left to that title team.
As for Rogers, the southpaw was a scrap heap pickup from the Orioles who gave the Nats some valuable innings down the stretch. The 27-year-old has some fan fav flair of his own, bringing a bouncy energy to the mound in six starts totaling 35 2/3 innings. Rogers did enough to likely earn himself a look next year for the pitching-needy Nationals.
Rogers finishes the year with a 3.28 ERA/5.83 FIP, the latter number due to a disinclination to miss bats. Rogers has just a 14.6 percent strikeout rate and 8.6 percent swinging strike rate, well below the 22.6 percent and 10.9 percent mark averaged by starters throughout the game. Regardless, with only Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray, and Stephen Strasburg (if healthy) guaranteed rotation spots next season, Rogers should have a continued opportunity to prove he can continue to keep runs off the board in Washington.
Yankees Recall Andrew Velazquez, Option Albert Abreu
The Yankees have recalled Andrew Velazquez and put him right into the starting lineup at shortstop. In a corresponding roster move, right-hander Albert Abreu was optioned to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter).
Velazquez’s return to the lineup provided the Yankees with some infield insurance over these final two games while DJ LeMahieu deals with a sports hernia. LeMahieu had a cortisone injection, but the hernia will require further treatment in the offseason, per The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler (via Twitter).
The Yankees have had to cover at shortstop since finally moving Gleyber Torres off the position. Gio Urshela has taken the bulk of the snaps at short, but Velazquez can share the burden. The 27-year-old former Ray has a .234/.246/.375 triple slash line over 65 plate appearances.
Abreu has a 5.15 ERA/5.89 FIP in 28 appearances out of the pen covering 36 2/3 innings. The overall run prevention numbers aren’t great, but the 26-year-old has contributed as a multi-inning arm capable of eating innings. Abreu 2/3 innings yesterday in his first appearance in almost two weeks.
Rays Recall Chris Mazza, Option Louis Head
We still have two days left in the regular season, so the Rays roster churn continues. Chris Mazza has been recalled from Triple-A, while Louis Head has been optioned, though he’ll remain on-hand as part of the taxi squad, per the team.
Head is no stranger to the taxi squad. The 31-year-old has put together a solid rookie season with a 2.31 ERA/3.11 FIP in 35 innings of work. Head has a 23.9 percent strikeout rate, enviable 6.7 percent walk rate, and 31.1 percent groundball rate. Despite keeping the ball in the air, he’s limited long balls to just a 1.5 percent home run rate.
Mazza will be available out of the bullpen for these final two regular season games. Mazza, also 31, has appeared in 13 games for the Rays, pitching to a 4.97 ERA/4.35 FIP across 25 1/3 innings.
Padres Select Pedro Avila
6:06 pm: The Padres officially announced Avila’s promotion. Catcher Austin Nola was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open 40-man roster space. Nola underwent season-ending thumb surgery last week.
11:14 am: The Padres will select the contract of right-hander Pedro Avila and give him the start in tonight’s game, reports Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base (Twitter link). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move.
Avila, 24, will be returning to the big leagues for his second stint. He first debuted as a 22-year-old back in 2019, making an April spot start in which he allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings. San Diego optioned him back to Triple-A El Paso the next day, and he’d continue to pitch there until sustaining an elbow injury that eventually led to Tommy John surgery. The Padres removed him from the 40-man roster that winter as they made a series of transactions in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, but they re-signed Avila to a new minor league pact the day after he elected free agency.
Avila wasn’t in the Padres’ player pool during last year’s shortened season, but he’s returned to the mound in 2021 and split the season between Double-A and Triple-A. In a combined 74 2/3 frames, Avila has worked to a 4.22 ERA with a solid 25.1 percent strikeout rate but a lofty 11 percent walk rate.
San Diego’s rotation has been decimated by injury in 2021. Joe Musgrove and Vince Velasquez — the latter of whom was signed after being released by the Phillies — are the only healthy starters on the active roster at the moment (with Dinelson Lamet currently working out of the bullpen). Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Chris Paddack and Adrian Morejon are all on the injured list. Top prospect Ryan Weathers, meanwhile, is down in Triple-A after struggling badly following an impressive two-month stretch to begin his MLB career.
All of that will lead to a late cup of coffee for Avila, who could function as a depth option for the Padres next year if he sticks on the 40-man roster all winter. Avila still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, which is critical for him given the lack of an obvious path to a rotation spot next season. Darvish, Snell, Musgrove, Lamet, Paddack, Morejon and Mike Clevinger are all either signed or under team control in 2022 and figure to be in the mix for rotation innings. Alternatively, Avila could vie for a spot in next year’s bullpen; he’s split his time in the minors as a starter and reliever in 2021.
Cubs Select Johneshwy Fargas, Tyler Ladendorf
The Cubs are selecting outfielder Johneshwy Fargas and infielder Tyler Ladendorf to the major league roster, the team informed reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). Outfielder Nick Martini and infielder David Bote were placed on the COVID-19 injured list in corresponding moves. Additionally, Chicago placed infielder Nico Hoerner on the 10-day IL due to right oblique tightness and recalled righty Cory Abbott to start this evening’s game.
Fargas opened this season with the Mets after signing a minor league deal last winter. He popped four extra-base hits in his first 22 MLB plate appearances but landed on the injured list after hurting his shoulder running into an outfield wall. By the time he returned, the Mets’ previously-injured outfield had returned to health and he was squeezed back off the roster. Chicago claimed him off waivers but designated him for assignment themselves just a few weeks later.
Between the two clubs, Fargas hit .277/.292/.426 over 49 trips to the dish. He’s hitting .246/.295/.395 in a bit more playing time at Triple-A. Now that he’s back on the 40-man roster, Fargas technically remains controllable for the foreseeable future. It’s possible the Cubs remove him from the roster again after this final weekend of play, though. If that were to happen, the 26-year-old would qualify for minor league free agency this offseason.
Ladendorf is back in the big leagues for the first time in five years. He picked up 68 plate appearances between 2015-16 with the A’s but hasn’t played at the highest level since. The right-handed hitter has bounced between a few Triple-A clubs and independent ball, landing with the Cubs on a minor league deal in May. Through 210 plate appearances with their top farm team in Iowa, the 33-year-old Ladendorf hit .241/.297/.424 with eight homers.
Marlins Select Three Players
The Marlins announced a set of roster moves in advance of their final series against the Phillies. Infielder Deven Marrero and right-handers Preston Guilmet and Andrew Bellatti were all selected to the big league club, while outfielder Brian Miller was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. Outfielder Jesús Sánchez (right hamstring strain) and right-hander Edward Cabrera (blister) were placed on the 10-day injured list. To create 40-man roster space, utilityman Jon Berti was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list, while infielder Joe Panik and right-hander Luis Madero have been designated for assignment.
It’s promotion number six for Marrero, who has been shuttled on and off the 40-man roster at various points throughout the season. He’s been limited to just twelve big league plate appearances amidst all the back-and-forth. The right-handed hitter owns a .215/.299/.337 line over 207 trips to the plate with Jacksonville.
Guilmet and Bellatti were also in the majors at earlier points this season before being outrighted. Guilmet tossed a scoreless inning back on July 28, his first MLB action in three years. He’s had a solid campaign with Jacksonville, working 52 1/3 frames of 3.78 ERA ball with very impressive strikeout and walk rates (32.5% and 6.3%, respectively). Bellatti — back in the bigs for the first time since 2015 — made two appearances in late July, allowing five runs in 2 1/3 innings. He owns a sterling 1.52 ERA in 29 2/3 frames of Triple-A work with similarly strong peripherals as Guilmet’s.
Sánchez and Cabrera were both injured in last night’s game against the Mets. Their respective seasons will come to a close a few days early, but both young players look to be potential core pieces in Miami moving forward. The 23-year-old Sánchez posted an impressive .251/.319/.489 showing over 251 plate appearances this season. That came with an elevated strikeout rate, but he demonstrated the impressive power potential that once made him a top prospect. Cabrera struggled badly through his first seven big league starts, but he’s regarded by public prospect evaluators as one of the more promising young pitchers in the game.
Panik joined the Marlins as a salary offset in this summer’s trade that sent Corey Dickerson and Adam Cimber to Toronto. A New York-area native, he accompanied the team on their trip to Queens for the series against the Mets but decided to stay in his home area to attend to the birth of his child, manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald) after last night’s game. Panik is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season anyhow, so the Marlins free up a 40-man roster spot by designating him for assignment a few days early. (Had they placed Panik on the paternity list, he’d have still counted against the 40-man). Over 257 trips to the plate between Miami and the Jays, the lefty-hitting Panik slashed .208/.266/.284 with three home runs.
Madero has been selected and outrighted a few times this season. He’s allowed twelve runs in as many innings at the big league level, his first taste of the majors. Should Madero again clear waivers, he’d have the right to elect free agency. Even were he to accept another outright assignment, Madero would reach minor league free agency this offseason unless Miami were to add him back to the 40-man roster.
Braves Promote Spencer Strider
The Braves are set to promote right-handed pitching prospect Spencer Strider to the Majors this weekend, as first reported by Eric Cole of Talking Chop. He’ll work out of the Atlanta bullpen and give the Braves a highly intriguing postseason option. More specifically, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that he’ll be added to the big league roster today.
It’s the culmination of a remarkable, meteoric rise through the Braves’ farm system. Strider, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft and barely pitched in 2020 due to the NCAA shutdown and the canceled minor league season. He opened the 2021 season with the Braves’ Low-A affiliate but has skyrocketed to the Majors with outrageous strikeout numbers across four different minor league affiliates. The Clemson product pitched to a 0.59 ERA in Low-A, a 2.45 ERA in Class-A Advanced, a 4.71 ERA in Double-A and recently struck out the side in his Triple-A debut.
While the combined 3.64 ERA doesn’t necessarily jump out, Strider’s power arsenal certainly does. He’s punched out 153 batters in 94 innings this season — 39.3 percent of the 389 hitters he’s faced overall. David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets that Strider’s fastball was up to 101 mph in his recent Triple-A debut.
In the long run, the Braves will likely give Strider the opportunity to continue developing as a starting pitcher. That Triple-A debut this week was the lone relief appearance of the season, as all 21 of his other outings have been starts. That said, Baseball America noted when listing Strider sixth among Atlanta farmhands on their midseason rankings that because of his Tommy John surgery in college, a relatively slight size (six feet tall) and below-average command, he may ultimately settle in as a power reliever anyhow.
For now, Strider gives Braves fans even more to be excited for over the final weekend and gives manager Brian Snitker a potential relief weapon that postseason opponents won’t have had a first-hand look at. He’ll technically require commissioner approval to be added to the postseason roster as an injury replacement, because he wasn’t on the 40-man roster on Sept. 1. However, such replacements are reasonably common, and it seems unlikely the Braves would’ve called Strider up for the final three games if they weren’t at least contemplating him as an option for the looming NLDS.