Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Reds Claim Ryan Vilade, Designate Jacob Hurtubise

By | at

The Reds announced that infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade has been claimed off waivers from the Cardinals, and Vilade was optioned to Triple-A.  To create roster space, Cincinnati designated outfielder Jacob Hurtubise for assignment.

St. Louis designated Vilade two days ago, after Vilade had appeared in seven games during a brief stint on the Cards’ roster.  Signed to a minor league contract in December, Vilade hit an impressive .280/.375/.476 over 192 plate appearances with Triple-A Memphis to earn a selection to the Cardinals’ active roster at the end of May, though he had only one hit in 15 PA on the Cards’ active roster.

To some extent, this has been the story of Vilade’s pro career, as he had a .141/.200/.188 slash line in 71 PA over 27 career games in the majors with the Rockies, Tigers, and Cardinals.  His career .272/.353/.406 slash in 2093 Triple-A appearances is much more impressive, yet it hasn’t stood out quite enough for Vilade to get much in the way of regular playing time in the Show, nor has he hit anywhere near well enough to capitalize on his small sample.

While Vilade has played only as an outfielder and in one single game as a first baseman in the majors, he has some experience at all four infield positions, including time as a first, second, and third baseman with Memphis this year.  This expanded defensive repertoire seems like a logical way for Vilade to improve his usefulness to big league teams, and it might help him earn some bench time on a Reds team that is somewhat unsettled in teams of everyday regulars.  In particular, Vilade’s right-handed bat might help him become a complement within a Reds outfield overloaded with left-handed hitters.

That crowded outfield may have factored into the limited playing time that Hurtubise received in his first two MLB seasons, though the left-handed hitter has batted only .167/.291/.212 over 83 PA in the bigs.  This season, he made the Reds’ Opening Day roster but didn’t last long before being optioned, and then briefly returned to the majors in May.

An undrafted free agent for the Reds in 2020 (the year of the pandemic-shortened five-round draft), Hurtubise reached Triple-A for the first time in 2023, but his numbers at Cincinnati’s top affiliate have gone steadily downward over the last three years.  He has hit just .144/.336/.186 in 133 PA in Louisville this season, making him an expendable piece on the Reds’ 40-man roster despite some tremendous speed and base-stealing ability (124 steals in 147 chances in his minor league career).  Hurtubise can’t reject an outright assignment, so he would remain in the Reds’ organization if he clears waivers.

Angels Return Rule 5 Pick Garrett McDaniels To Dodgers

By | at

The Angels announced that left-hander Garrett McDaniels has been returned to the Dodgers, as per his status as a Rule 5 Draft pick.  McDaniels was designated for assignment earlier this week, and since he went unclaimed on waivers, the Angels were required to offer him back to the Dodgers for $50K (teams that select players away in the R5 give a $100K fee to the club losing the player).

Rule 5 picks must spend an entire season on their new team’s active roster before the new team can fully obtain their rights, and McDaniels’ stint in Anaheim ended after 10 relief appearances and an IL stint for biceps tendinitis that lasted over a month.  McDaniels posted a 5.91 ERA over his first 10 2/3 career innings as a big leaguer, as he had never pitched above the Double-A level before making his MLB debut this season.  In fact, even McDaniels’ Double-A resume consisted of only two appearances and three innings with the Dodgers’ Tulsa affiliate in 2024.

A 30th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2018 draft, McDaniels chose to attend Coastal Carolina instead of starting his pro career out of high school, and a subsequent Tommy John surgery limited his college ball experience.  He went undrafted entirely and didn’t join the Dodgers until May 2022, but then made a relatively quick climb up their minor league ladder.  McDaniels has a 3.43 ERA in 99 2/3 career minor league innings, and he recorded a good number of strikeouts while working mostly as a reliever, though he made a handful of starts in A-ball.

This was enough to get the Angels’ attention in the Rule 5 Draft, but McDaniels didn’t quite seem ready for the majors.  He’ll now return to the Dodgers’ farm system to continue his development, and another trip back to the big leagues might not be out of the question in 2025 given how the injury-plagued Dodgers are constantly churning through arms.

White Sox Outright Bryse Wilson To Triple-A

By | at

TODAY: Wilson cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte, the White Sox announced.

JUNE 10: The White Sox announced that they have selected right-hander Grant Taylor to the roster, a move that was reported yesterday. Fellow righty Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Wilson, 27, was signed in December to a one-year deal that guaranteed him $1.05MM. He was a sensible pickup for Chicago since he had experience as both a starter and a reliever. With the Brewers over 2023 and 2024, he tossed 181 1/3 innings with a 3.42 earned run average. The rebuilding Sox came into the year with a fairly young and inexperienced pitching staff and could deploy Wilson as needed, depending on how he and everyone else performed.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t really provided the club with much in either role. He has made five starts and 14 relief appearances so far this year, logging 45 1/3 innings with a 6.95 ERA. That includes a 6.23 ERA as a starter and a 7.61 mark in relief work. His 8.7% walk rate is right around average but his 12.4% strikeout rate is barely half of league par.

That performance has nudged Wilson off the roster and into DFA limbo, which can last for a week at most. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Sox can theoretically take five days to explore trade interest. However, given Wilson’s salary and performance this year, there isn’t likely to be strong interest.

If he is passed through waivers unclaimed, he will likely stick with the Sox as non-roster depth. Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, if they have less than five years of service, they have to forfeit their remaining salary in order to exercise that right.

Wilson came into this year with four years and 36 days of service. By my count, he has added 75 days so far in 2025, putting him at 4.111. That’s still 61 days shy of the five-year mark. Assuming he wants to keep the rest of that $1.05MM flowing, he would choose to report to Charlotte as opposed to electing free agency.

The Sox are 22-44 this year and will clearly be deadline sellers. Any pitcher with limited control who is putting up decent numbers should be available in the coming weeks. That includes guys like Adrian Houser, Dan Altavilla and Steven Wilson. That could further thin out the pitching staff and open further opportunities for Bryse later in the year.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images

Pirates Claim Michael Darrell-Hicks

By | at

TODAY: After a consultation with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Rodriguez will get a PRP injection next week and then be shut down for the next four weeks, Pirates manager Don Kelly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf).

JUNE 13: The Pirates announced that they have claimed right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks off waivers from the Angels and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. He had been designated for assignment by the Halos a few days ago. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, catcher Endy Rodríguez has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Darrell-Hicks, 27, was an undrafted free agent signing from 2022. The Angels moved him from a starting role to the bullpen going into the 2024 season. He logged 62 1/3 innings combined between Double-A and Triple-A last year, allowing 2.60 earned runs per nine. He struck out 26.4% of batters faced, limited walks to a 5% clip and got grounders on 48.8% of balls in play. FanGraphs ranked him as the #21 prospect in the system going into this year.

The Angels added him to their roster in early April and he has been shuttled between Triple-A and the majors since then. In his 7 2/3 big league innings, he has allowed eight earned runs while striking out six and giving out four walks. In his 22 1/3 Triple-A innings, he has an 8.87 ERA but a lot of that is likely luck, as his .386 batting average on balls in play and 59.5% strand rate are both on the unfortunate side. His 21.3% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 46.7% ground ball rate are all decent numbers.

He still has a full slate of options and just a handful of service days, so he can potentially be a long-term depth arm for the Pirates if he continues to hang onto his 40-man roster spot. For now, he’ll head to Indianapolis and await his next big league opportunity.

As for Rodríguez, his status isn’t clear but the transfer to the 60-day IL is a bit ominous. He was only placed on the 10-day IL a few days ago due to right elbow inflammation. Based on today’s move, the Bucs don’t expect him back until August at the earliest. He missed the entire 2024 season due to UCL surgery on that elbow.

More information should be forthcoming on his status in the coming days or weeks. For the time being, he won’t factor into the club’s catching mix. Henry Davis and Brett Sullivan are the active backstops. Joey Bart is on the concussion-related IL but should be back in the mix soon since he has already begun a rehab assignment.

Photo courtesy of Raymond Carlin III, Imagn Images

Reds Acquire Brian Van Belle

By | at

The Reds and Red Sox have each announced that right-hander Brian Van Belle has been traded to Cincinnati in exchange for cash considerations.  Boston designated Van Belle for assignment earlier this week, and he has now been assigned to Triple-A Louisville.

It has been a busy six days for Van Belle, who joined a big league roster for the first time on Monday when the Sox selected his contract from Triple-A.  Van Belle’s cup of coffee in Boston came and went without an official in-game appearance, so the 28-year-old is still awaiting his Major League debut.  Since Van Belle has experience as both a starter and a reliever, his first MLB game might well come with the Reds in a number of different roles if the club makes the call to Louisville.

Van Belle began his pro career with the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent in 2020, though he almost surely would’ve been selected if that year’s draft hadn’t been shortened to five rounds due to the pandemic.  Working his way up to Triple-A Worcester by the 2023 season, Van Belle has a 4.48 ERA, 21.7% strikeout rate, and 6.97% walk rate over 205 career innings at the Triple-A level.  He has started 29 of his 55 Triple-A games, working primarily as a reliever in 2024 and getting most of action as a starter in 2023 and 2025.

On paper, Van Belle might fit best in the majors as a multi-inning reliever, though Cincinnati will probably consider him for at least spot-start duty should a need arise within the rotation.  Ace Hunter Greene is on the 15-day injured list and seems likely to miss the rest of June while dealing with a groin strain and back/hip tightness, leaving the Reds a bit short on rotation depth now that Wade Miley has joined the starting five in Greene’s place.

Astros Place Jacob Melton On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

The Astros announced five roster moves today, including outfielder Jacob Melton’s placement on the 10-day injured list due to a right ankle sprain.  Shay Whitcomb was also optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, and as reported earlier, Houston selected the contracts of both Cooper Hummel and Luis Guillorme from Triple-A to fill the two open spots on the active roster.  The Astros had one 40-man roster spot already available, and to create the other, Spencer Arrighetti was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.

Melton’s injury occurred in yesterday’s 10-3 Astros win over the Twins, spoiling what was looking like a great game for the rookie after he went 2-for-2 with three RBI in his first two plate appearances.  In the top of the fourth inning, however, Melton turned his ankle while preparing to field what ended up being a homer from Minnesota’s Willi Castro.

“When I realized that I wasn’t going to have a play on it, tried to back off the wall and get turned around and get squared up with where I thought it was going to hit and just kind of rolled it, landed on it a little awkward,” Melton told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters.  “Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll play the cards that I’m dealt.”

Melton finished the inning but was replaced in left field by Whitcomb prior to the top of the fifth.  Called up to make his MLB debut on June 1, Melton has hit only .241/.290/.310 over his first 31 PA against big league pitching, though he provided respectable defense and filled a hole amidst an injury-riddled outfield situation for Houston.  Unfortunately, Melton has now gone down to injury himself, joining fellow outfielders Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick, Zach Dezenzo, Taylor Trammell, and Pedro Leon on the 10-day IL.

If this wasn’t enough, Isaac Paredes is battling a mild hamstring strain, leaving the Astros temporarily without their starting third baseman.  Guillorme can play all over the infield and Hummel figures to get some time in both corner outfield slots as Houston figures out how to best juggle their roster and perhaps prepare for another call-up if Paredes also requires an IL stint.

Arrighetti fractured his right thumb more than two months ago, so he has already been sidelined for 60 days while remaining on the 15-day IL.  His move to the 60-day IL is therefore just a paper transaction that frees up a 40-man roster spot for the Astros, and Arrighetti is expected to be out for several weeks more, through he has resumed playing catch.

Trevor Richards Elects Free Agency

By | at

The Royals announced that right-hander Trevor Richards has become a free agent after clearing outright waivers.  Kansas City designated Richards for assignment earlier this week, and since he has been previously outrighted in his career, Richards had the ability to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A in favor of re-entering the open market.

As a free agent this past winter, Richards signed a minor league contract with the Cubs that didn’t yield any MLB playing time, as Chicago released him in early May.  The veteran righty caught on with the Royals on another minors deal a few days later, and a 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha earned Richards a ticket back to the big leagues last weekend.

Unfortunately, Richards allowed four runs over his three innings and three total appearances as a Royal, resulting in an ugly 12.00 ERA.  Most of the damage came on June 8, as Richards was charged with three runs when he couldn’t retire any of four White Sox batters faced.  While a total sample size of 18 batters isn’t that much to go on, Richards allowed two walks and threw three wild pitches during his brief time in K.C.

Richards has enough MLB service time (six years and 70 days heading into the 2025 campaign) that he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent.  This makes his roster situation a little tricky going forward, and he’ll almost surely be limited to minor league offers in his latest trip to free agency.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Richards re-sign with the Royals on a new deal after he’s tested the market, or the 32-year-old might seek out another stop in what has been something of an itinerant career.  Richards has a 4.54 ERA over 563 innings with six different clubs in his eight Major League seasons, beginning as a starter and then moving into long relief or swingman roles in recent years.

Astros To Select Cooper Hummel

By | at

The Astros will select the contract of outfielder/first baseman Cooper Hummel from Triple-A Sugar Land, according to KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander.  Now in his second stint in the Astros organization, Hummel rejoined the club on a minor league deal last week.

Hummel’s first stint ended when the Astros designated him for assignment on Opening Day, and Hummel rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency after clearing waivers.  This set off a bit of a transactional whirlwind for Hummel over the next two-plus months until he returned to Houston, as Hummel signed a minor league contract with the Yankees and two separate contracts with the Orioles.  He triggered an out clause in his deal with New York when the Yankees didn’t include him on their active roster by late May, and Hummel twice elected free agency in lieu of outright assignments off of Baltimore’s 40-man roster.  Hummel is out of minor league options, resulting in this flurry of roster shuffles.

Through it all, Hummel’s actual on-field play in 2025 consists of a single at-bat with the Orioles (as a late-game sub on May 30 in a 2-1 win over the White Sox) and 16 games with the Yankees’ and Astros’ Triple-A affiliates.  Hummel has been hitting quite well in the minors, with a .273/.382/.473 slash line over 68 Triple-A plate appearances this season.  This solid performance is actually a step down from his usual numbers, as Hummel has a career .284/.418/.480 slash in 1487 trips to the dish against Triple-A pitching.

As much as Hummel has been crushing it in the minors, however, he hasn’t received much of a look at the big league level.  Hummel has hit .159/.254/.274 over 236 career PA in the majors, with 201 of those plate appearances coming in his 2022 rookie season with the Diamondbacks.  He began his career as a part-time catcher in addition to being a backup outfielder, though he hasn’t suited up behind the plate since 2023.  Hummel has also been limited to just corner outfield duty this season without any work at first base, and Christian Walker’s presence at first in Houston probably means Hummel will stick to the outfield during his time with the Astros.

Houston will need to make room on both the 26-man and 40-man roster to accommodate Hummel — the club has an open 40-man spot at the moment, but reports from yesterday indicated that Luis Guillorme’s contract is also being selected.  Taylor Trammell and Pedro Leon have each yet to play this season but have remained on the 10-day injured list, so the Astros could simply shift either of them to the 60-day IL to create space for Hummel.

In terms of the 26-man roster moves, both Isaac Paredes (hamstring strain) and Jacob Melton (ankle sprain) could be candidates for the 10-day injured list.  Manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that both players are considered day-to-day for now, but Espada indicated that Melton had the more severe injury of the two.  The Astros are also carrying three catchers on their active roster, so little-used backup Cesar Salazar could be optioned to Triple-A.

Nationals Place Andrew Chafin On 15-Day Injured List

By | at

The Nationals announced that left-hander Andrew Chafin has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Chafin’s placement is retroactive to June 11.  Right-hander Ryan Loutos (who was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers earlier this week) was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding roster move.

Signed to a one-year, $1MM Major League deal at the start of May, Chafin has a 3.18 ERA over 11 1/3 relief innings for Washington.  The secondary metrics include a 25.9% strikeout rate that exactly matches Chafin’s career average, as well as a 57.1% groundball rate that harkens back to Chafin’s early-career model as more of a groundball specialist.  Chafin has yet to allow a home run this season, which partially explains why he has kept his ERA in check despite a huge .414 BABIP and an uncharacteristically huge 20.4% walk rate (almost double his career 10.3BB%).

Chafin has traditionally kept pretty even numbers against both left-handed and right-handed batters, though his splits are rather pronounced this year — right-handed hitters have an .871 OPS over 26 plate appearances and lefty batters have only a .607 OPS in 28 PA.  Chafin, Jose A. Ferrer, and Colin Poche (who is now in the Mets organization) are the only left-handers who have seen action in Washington’s bullpen this season, and Ferrer is now the last southpaw standing with Chafin sidelined.

The severity of the hamstring strain isn’t yet known, so for now there isn’t any reason to expect Chafin to be out of action for much more than the 15-day minimum.  The 30-39 Nationals will need to really heat up in order to avoid being sellers at the trade deadline, and a veteran rental pitcher like Chafin would seem like a prime candidate to be moved if healthy.

White Sox, Brewers Swap Aaron Civale, Andrew Vaughn

By and | at

The White Sox acquired right-hander Aaron Civale and cash considerations from Milwaukee for first baseman Andrew Vaughn. The Brewers optioned Vaughn to Triple-A Nashville, while Civale will step directly into Chicago’s rotation. The Brewers are reportedly sending cash to offset the difference in remaining salary between Civale’s $8MM sum and Vaughn’s $5.85MM figure.

It’s a quick turnaround after Civale requested a trade away from Milwaukee on Thursday. Civale’s trade request came on the heels of the club’s decision earlier this week to bump him from the rotation in order to call up top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski. Civale, a free agent after the 2025 campaign who struggled a bit last year but has pitched to a 3.32 ERA and 3.92 FIP in four starts since returning from the injured list last month, evidently wants to hold onto a rotation job to set himself up for success in free agency this winter as much as possible.

The 30-year-old’s wish was promptly granted, as he’s now headed for the White Sox. The South Siders have no real hope of competing for a playoff spot this year, but with a patchwork rotation that features multiple Rule 5 draftees it’s not hard to see Civale as a potentially substantial upgrade for their starting rotation. While a team headed for their second-consecutive 100-loss campaign acquiring a rental starting pitcher in the middle of the season is a rare occurrence, one can see the logic from Chicago’s perspective given that they’ll have the opportunity to flip Civale to a club with postseason aspirations closer to the trade deadline.

The logic is particularly sound for the White Sox given the player they’re giving up in return. Vaughn was the third-overall pick in the 2019 draft and a longtime top 100 prospect, but his major league career has been a disappointment so far. He entered the 2025 season with a career .253/.310/.415 (102 wRC+) slash line at the major league level and has had just one season where he had hit at a clip substantially better than league average. Things took a more pronounced nosedive this year, as he’s slashed just .189/.218/.314 (44 wRC+) across 48 games for the White Sox in 2025. It’s the lowest on-base percentage of any player with at least 120 plate appearances in the majors this year, and his -1.3 fWAR this season is dead last among all hitters who have stepped up to the plate in the majors this season. The Sox optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte a few weeks ago and he has hit .211/.328/.351 in 15 games for the Knights since then.

That’s not a player the White Sox could expect to get a substantial prospect return for this summer, and while Vaughn has one year of control remaining after this one he currently has the look of a clear non-tender candidate. That surely made the opportunity to roll the dice on flipping a veteran starting pitcher a very attractive option for Chicago.

With all that being said, it’s not as though the deal doesn’t make sense for the Brewers. Civale no longer fit in an increasingly deep Brewers rotation mix, and his roster spot is likely better used on other arms more suited for bullpen duty than a veteran starter with zero career relief appearances. What’s more, Vaughn’s underlying numbers paint the picture of a player whose actual performance isn’t all that different from his previous seasons as a league average hitter. While he’s walking at a career-low 3.6% clip, he was never an especially patient hitter. His 22.3% strikeout rate is only a tick higher than last year, and his 13.3% barrel rate this season is actually the best of his career and four points better than last season. Vaughn’s ghastly .217 BABIP should improve with time, and with incumbent first baseman Rhys Hoskins likely ticketed for free agency this winter getting Vaughn on board as a much cheaper possible replacement makes sense.

In the shorter term, Vaughn will serve as minor league depth. The Brewers reportedly view him as a full-time first baseman/DH even though he has experience in the outfield.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported that Milwaukee was trading Civale to the White Sox. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that Vaughn was headed back to the Brewers. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported the cash exchange.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top