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Rockies Sign AJ Ramos

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SEPT. 7: Ramos has signed a minor league deal, the Rockies announced. He’ll join their 60-man player pool.

SEPT. 4: The Rockies have signed free-agent reliever AJ Ramos, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. It’s presumably a minor league contract for Ramos, whom the Cubs released from a minors pact Thursday.

Ramos’ best years came in Miami, where he debuted in 2012, logged sub-3.00 ERAs and accumulated 64-plus innings in each season from 2014-16, and piled up 92 of his 99 career saves. But Ramos fell off substantially in 2017 between the Marlins and Mets, who acquired him in advance of that year’s trade deadline, and endured a career-worst 2018 before undergoing shoulder surgery.

Ramos hasn’t pitched in the majors since he went under the knife, but the 33-year-old right-hander has latched on with three teams over the past few months during his comeback attempt. Deals with the Dodgers and Cubs didn’t lead to MLB opportunities for Ramos, but perhaps he’ll get a chance to join a Colorado bullpen that entered Friday with the bigs’ second-worst ERA (6.58).

Giants Release Abiatal Avelino; Latest On Drew Smyly

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The Giants have released infielder Abiatal Avelino, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He had been part of the Giants’ alternate training site.

The 25-year-old Avelino – whom San Francisco acquired from the Yankees in a 2018 trade centering on Andrew McCutchen – had brief stints with the Giants in each of the previous two seasons, during which he totaled five hits (all singles) in 19 plate appearances. Avelino has garnered far more experience in Triple-A, though he also hasn’t been a world-beater there, evidenced by his .266/.302/.402 slash with 15 home runs  across 873 trips to the plate.

In other Giants news, manager Gabe Kapler announced to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and other reporters that the team could activate left-hander Drew Smyly from the injured list on Wednesday or Thursday. Smyly, whom the Giants signed to a $4MM guarantee in the offseason, has only made three appearances this year and hasn’t pitched since Aug. 1 on account of a strained left index finger. Before that, the 31-year-old threw 8 1/3 innings of three-run ball with 11 strikeouts and four walks, and he averaged a career-best 93.4 mph on his fastball. Two of Smyly’s three outings this season have come as a starter, but it’s unclear whether he’ll return to the playoff-contending Giants’ rotation when he comes back.

Nationals Place Dakota Bacus On IL, Recall James Bourque

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The Nationals have placed Dakota Bacus on the 10-day disabled list with a right flexor strain. James Bourque has been recalled to take his roster spot, per the team.

Bacus, 29, made his major league debut this season for Washington to meandering results. He’s appeared in 11 games for a 7.94 ERA/5.44 FIP across 11 1/3 innings. Bacus started the year out strong with four scoreless appearances, but he’s been called upon a lot this season, and his last couple of appearances went particularly poorly. Still, outside of a couple of blowups, Bacus did a nice job stepping up when he wasn’t necessarily a Plan A option for manager Dave Martinez coming into the season.

Of course, very little has gone as planned for the Nationals this season, and that includes the bullpen. Sean Doolittle – once a stalwart of the Nats’ pen – has seen his struggles from the tail end of 2019 carry over to this season with a 7.11 ERA. Daniel Hudson has continued to pitch fairly well despite a bloated 7.35 ERA, though he, like Bacus, has been overtaxed. He’s also blown three saves in definitive fashion. On the plus side, Tanner Rainey (2.08 ERA, 17 1/3 innings) brought his triple-digit heat to high-leverage innings and established himself as a setup option for the Nats.

Bottom line: Stephen Strasburg being lost for the season and Joe Ross opting out thinned the Nationals’ pitching corps. Struggles in the rotation from Erick Fedde and Anibal Sanchez spilled over into the bullpen and put a lot of innings on the Nats’ bullpen arms.

They’ll get a fresh one now to help out in Bourque. The 27-year-old has been featured at the tail end of Nationals’ top-30 prospect lists. He’s made two appearances so far this season at the tail end of July, providing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019, Bourque logged 64 innings across 47 appearances with a 4.22 ERA, 12.1 K/9, and 5.1 BB/9.

Cubs Claim Billy Hamilton

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The Chicago Cubs claimed Billy Hamilton off waivers from the Mets today, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Cubs also added Ildemaro Vargas to the active roster and designated Matt Dermody for assignment. Bastian also reports that the Pedro Strop deal is official.

Hamilton, in the conversation for the fastest player in baseball, joins his third team of the 2020 season, though he was DFA’ed by the Giants before the start of the season. With the Mets, Hamilton appeared in 17 games, but saw just 25 plate appearances. He was unable to muster much at the dish, slashing .045/.083/.045 in that time. Hamilton did steal 3 bases in 4 attempts, which might be a better gauge of his success at this point in his career. He appeared 6 times as a pinch-runner for the Mets.

Hamilton could serve as a defensive option late in games for the Cubs in center, but his primary usage should be as a pinch-runner. The Cubs have Ian Happ playing most days in center with Albert Almora, Cameron Maybin, and Nico Hoerner used when Happ needs a day off or moves around the diamond. Any of those three might be used at times to run, but none have the speed of Hamilton. He’ll fill the role of a late-inning burner that’s been filled by Quintin Berry and Jarrod Dyson in the post, notes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Dermody made just one appearance for the Cubs, pitching a scoreless ninth in yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals. The 30-year-old lefty was signed as a free agent early in August. He’ll now be exposed to waivers.

Vargas, 29, has been through a whirlwind 2020. After starting the season with the Diamondbacks, the Twins purchased his contract from Arizona, but then lost him to the Cubs on waivers about a month later. He didn’t see extended playing time with either team, slashing .190/.222/.263 across 45 plate appearances split between Arizona and Minnesota. The switch-hitter gives the Cubs another versatile bat for their bench.

Additionally, the Cubs added Duncan Robinson to their 60-man player pool and released catcher Jose Lobaton.They have one open spot in their player pool. Robinson, 26, is a big-bodied right-handed pitcher who spent four years at Dartmouth before being drafted by the Cubs in the 9th round of the 2016 draft. He has yet to pitch in the majors.

Mariners Activate Casey Sadler, Place Sam Haggerty On IL

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The Mariners have added Casey Sadler to their active roster. Sadler was claimed off waivers from the Cubs a couple of days ago. In a corresponding move, Sam Haggerty has been placed on the 10-day IL, per a team release.

Sadler has bounced around in his professional career, suiting up for the Pirates, Rays, Dodgers, and Cubs prior to the Mariners. Last season was the busiest of his career: he made 33 appearances between the Rays and Dodgers with a 2.14 ERA/4.39 FIP across 46 1/3 innings. He was less effective for the Cubs this year as he struggled to find the plate (7.7 BB/9). He came out of the Cubs’ pen 10 times this year, finishing with a 5.79 ERA/6.58 FIP before being placed on waivers.

Haggerty was another waiver claim made by the Mariners this past January. The Mariners snagged the utlity man from the Mets, who had in turn acquired him from the Indians along with Walker Lockett for catcher Kevin Plawecki.

The 26-year-old Haggerty can play all over the field, but he mostly settled into left field for the Mariners this season. The switch-hitter held his own with a triple slash of .260/.315/.400 over 54 plate appearances, racking up 0.4 rWAR. The Mariners are flush with multi-positional athletes who can take the at-bats that otherwise would have gone to Haggerty. Dylan Moore will see time in left as could Dee Strange-Gordon or Shed Long Jr., who appeared in 16 games in left last season, though he has yet to play there this year.

Marlins Recall Monte Harrison, Place Brandon Leibrandt On 10-Day IL

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The Marlins left-hander Brandon Leibrandt has been placed on the 10-day injured list. Monte Harrison has been recalled to take his roster spot, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

A sixth-round pick of the Phillies in the 2014 draft, the 27-year-old Leibrandt made his major league debut this season. He appeared in 5 games, pitching to an even 2.00 ERA across 9 innings, though he struggled with his control by walking 7 over that span. He now heads to the injured list with left elbow ulnar neuritis. While anything short of Tommy John surgery should be a relief, ulnar neuritis is still likely to require a months-long recover process, effectively ending Leibrandt’s season.

Harrison rejoins the club, hoping for better results than the last go-round. The 25-year-old Harrison could muster a triple slash of just .133/.212/.267 over his first 33 plate appearances in the big leagues. The speedy Harrison mostly lined up in center, but with Starling Marte now manning the middle, Harrison is more likely to see time in the corners, where he should be a plus defensively.

Twins Option Devin Smeltzer, Reinstate Cody Stashak

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The Twins optioned southpaw Devin Smeltzer to their alternate training site while reinstating Cody Stashak from the injured list, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. The team has also announced the moves.

Smeltzer played a relatively important role on the 2019 Twins because of his ability to plug the gaps on the pitching staff, hurling 49 innings by way of 6 starts and 5 relief appearances with a 3.86 ERA. This season has been more of a grind for the New Jersey native. In 7 appearances including 1 start, Smeltzer has picked up a pair of wins with a 6.75 ERA. The bloated ERA might not be as bad as it seems: 8.4 K/9 to 2.8 BB/9 and a 4.02 FIP suggest a much better effort from the left-hander. He nonetheless heads back to the alternate training site a day after allowing 2 runs on 3 hits over 1 1/3 innings to the Tigers.

Without Smeltzer, the Twins are down to Taylor Rogers and Caleb Thielbar as the only lefties in the pen. Rogers, of course, doesn’t function as a traditional lefty given his role as the team’s closer. Sergio Romo is also an effective weapon against lefties, as the veteran has held opposite-hand hitters to a .174/.231/.261 line this season. He’s been effective against lefties primarily by staying away with his frisbee slider and hammering the bottom corner of the zone with his sinker.

Stashak, 26, came into the season with a 3.24 ERA/3.01 FIP from 18 appearances covering 25 innings in 2019. This season he’s appeared in 6 game thus far, allowing 3 earned runs across 7 innings for a 3.86 ERA. Stashak brings a 92 mph heater about 50% of the time, backing it up with a slider away to righties and in on left-handers. He’ll give the Twins another option for the middle innings.

Phillies Recall Connor Brogdon, Option Mauricio Llovera

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The Phillies recalled right-hander Connor Brogdon from their alternate training site in Lehigh Valley today while optioning fellow righty Mauricio Llovera, the team announced.

Brogdon, 25, made three appearances earlier this season for Philly, sandwiching a scoreless inning against Boston between two rough outings against the Orioles and Blue Jays, respectively. A 10th-round pick in 2017, Brogdon pitched at three levels in the Phillies’ system in 2019, finishing the year in Triple-A. He appeared in 51 games combined with a 2.61 ERA across 76 innings, showing an ability to work multi-inning stints if need be. Not necessarily considered a top prospect in part because of his role coming out of the pen, Brogdon nonetheless came in as Philadelphia’s #28 ranked prospect by Baseball America at the start of the season. Brogdon mostly relied on a 92-96 mph heater and a sinking change-up, though he could unlock further potential if he can find consistency with his occasional slider.

Llovera slotted in one spot behind Brogdon as the Phillies’ 29th ranked prospect. Forearm soreness has been a concern in the past, and he’s shuffled between starting and relieving as a result, but at his best, Llovera can hit triple digits and profiles as a power reliever. The 24-year-old Venezuelan made just one appearance for the Phillies this year, serving up four runs on five hits in just an inning of work. Still, his future remains relatively bright if he can stay healthy and continue to miss bats.

Marlins Reinstate Jose Urena

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The Marlins announced a number of roster moves today. Infielder Eddy Alvarez was optioned to the team’s alternate training site, Harold Ramirez was transferred to the 60-day IL, and Jose Urena was reinstated from the IL.

Alvarez, 30, was an medal-winning Olympian in a past life, but the former speed skater slashed just .189/.268/.216 in his first stint with the Marlins. While playing all over the infield, Alvarez managed to steal a couple of bases, but a strikeout rate of 39% slowed his offensive progress and relegated him to the team’s alternate training site for the near-term.

Ramirez only appeared in 3 games this year before a strained hamstring sent him to the injured list. The 25-year-old established himself as a useful player last season with a triple slash of .276/.312/.416. It wasn’t necessarily a standout season, but enough to get a look this season, had he been healthy. Ramirez’s future is probably as an extra outfielder because of his ability to play all three outfield spots. Starling Marte now mans the middle, and Ramirez doesn’t likely holster enough thunder to provide regular ABs in the corner.

The Marlins are on the verge of a playoff spot as of today, but they remain percentage points behind the Giants. Getting Urena back from the COVID-19 injured list should provide a boost to their pitching corps. The right-hander will step right back into the rotation today to take on the Braves. Urena has been a starter for most of his Miami tenure, though he was moved to the bullpen at the end of last season where he was used primarily to finish games.

Urena holds a 4.57 ERA /4.69 FIP for his career, but he’s usually been either a tick better or worse than those averages. The Dominican righty looked sharp from 2017 to 2018 over which time he went 23-19 in 59 starts with a 3.90 ERA. While he was able to outperform his FIP for each of those seasons, his fortunes reveresed last year when he put up a 5.21 ERA despite a marginally-better 4.74 FIP. His strikeout-to-walk numbers have shown modest improvement from his younger days, though the biggest jump came during the 2018 season when he posted 6.7 K/9 to 2.6 BB/9 for a 2.55 K/BB.

For now, at least, it appears Urena will fill out the rotation alongside Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara, Sixto Sanchez, and Trevor Rogers. Assuming Urena can return to form, the Marlins suddenly boast a potentially formidable starting five. The remaining few weeks of the season provide a stretch of baseball that should test their mettle, as they have little more than three weeks to find their way past the Giants to earn their first playoff berth since 2003.

Ryan Yarbrough Returning To Rotation On Tuesday

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Ryan Yarbrough will return to the Tampa Bay Rays rotation on Tuesday against the Nationals, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Yarbrough doesn’t have the name appeal of many of his rotation mates, but he’s developed into a solid rotation arm for the Rays. This season: 7 starts with a 3.65 ERA/4.55 FIP with 6.3 K/9 to 2.2 BB/9 over 37 innings. Over his first two seasons, the lanky Texan has been a 140-150 innings a year swingman who survives by limiting hard contact.

That undersells his impact, however. Throwing a four pitch mix (cutter, changeup, curveball, sinker), he’s one of the game’s softest-tossers to hold down a regular rotation spot. Thus far, he’s been more Dallas Keuchel or Hyun Jin Ryu than Tommy Milone or Wade LeBlanc: He was in the top 1% last season in opposing exit velocity (84.8 %) and hard hit percentage (26.2%) while posting a 2.7 fWAR season in 2019.

The Rays haven’t gotten tremendous length from their starters, but they’ve held their own with a 3.74 ERA that ranks 7th in the majors for starters. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have been within the realm of expectations. Charlie Morton just returned for a couple of 2-inning semi-rehab starts, looking especially sharp his last time out versus the Yankees. Josh Fleming, 24, has become the Rays’ annual out-of-nowhere contributor through three starts after Yonny Chirinos was lost for the year to Tommy John. Yarbrough will slot back into the fourth spot in the rotation on Tuesday.

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