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Minor MLB Transactions: 9/1/20

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Keeping up with the latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The White Sox have outrighted outfielder Nicky Delmonico, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. He’ll remain with the organization at the team’s alternate training site. Now 28 years old, Delmonico enjoyed a terrific 166-plate appearance debut with the White Sox in 2017, when he slashed .262/.373/.482 with nine home runs. Success in the majors has eluded Delmonico since then, though, as he has combined for a weak .210/.287/.346 line with nine HRs in 408 PA dating back to 2018. The White Sox designated him for assignment Aug. 28.
  • The Mariners have outrighted Zac Grotz to Triple-A Tacoma, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com. The right-handed Grotz struggled mightily across five appearances and 7 1/3 innings before the Mariners booted him from their 40-man. So far this season, offenses have tattooed Grotz for 12 earned runs on 11 hits and 11 walks, and he has totaled just four strikeouts.
  • The Rangers have added infielder Davis Wendzel and outfielders Steele Walker and Bubba Thompson to their 60-man player pool, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. They’re headed to the Rangers’ alternate site. All three rank among the Rangers’ top 15 prospects at MLB.com, which places Wendzel 11th, Walker 12th and Thompson 15th. Wendzel’s only a year removed from going 41st overall in the 2019 draft, but a thumb injury limited him to 24 plate appearances between rookie and Low-A ball. Walker was a 2018 second-rounder of the White Sox who joined the Rangers in the two teams’ Nomar Mazara trade last winter. The Rangers used a first-rounder on Thompson in 2017, but the 22-year-old is coming off a rough 2019 in High-A, where he batted .178/.261/.312 in 228 trips to the plate.

Diamondbacks Make Several Roster Moves

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The Diamondbacks announced that they’ve selected righties Artie Lewicki and Keury Mella and lefty Joe Mantiply from their alternate site. They also recalled infielder/outfielder Josh Rojas, placed righty Taylor Widener on the 10-day injured list with a strained right rib cage and transferred a pair of hurlers – righty Merrill Kelly and Jeremy Beasley – to the 45-day IL. After all of that, Arizona has 39 players on its 40-man roster.

Lewicki has been part of the Arizona organization since it claimed him off waivers from the Tigers after 2018, but he hasn’t pitched for the Diamondbacks yet, owing to Tommy John surgery. He last took the mound professionally in ’18 for Detroit, where he recorded a 4.89 ERA with 6.98 K/9 and 3.26 BB/9 in 38 2/3 innings.

Mella, formerly a Red and Giant, joined the D-backs on a minor league contract in the offseason. The 27-year-old logged 17 innings as a Red from 2017-19, though he carries a much bigger sample of work – 172 2/3 frames – in Triple-A ball. Mella has notched a 4.59 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 at the minors’ highest level.

Mantiply also became a Diamondback on a minors pact last winter. He has 5 3/3 innings’ experience as a Tiger and Yankee in his past, though obviously most of his action has come in the minors. Mantiply, 29, combined for 39 2/3 frames at three different minors levels as a Yankee and Red last season, when he recorded a 4.31 ERA and put up 7.5 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9.

Pirates Promote Ke’Bryan Hayes

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TODAY: The Pirates have officially called Hayes up, and also promoted recent waiver claim Anthony Alford to the active roster.  Southpaw Brandon Waddell and outfielder Jason Martin were optioned to the club’s alternate training site in corresponding moves.

AUGUST 31: The Pirates will promote top third base prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes before their game against the Cubs on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Hayes’ promotion was slowed thanks in part to a positive coronavirus test in July.

Now 23 years old, Hayes was a 2015 first-round pick (No. 32) who has established himself as a high-end major league prospect since the Pirates drafted him. In fact, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (No. 26), FanGraphs (30), MLB.com (45), Keith Law of The Athletic (46) and Baseball America (59) recently placed Hayes among the game’s 60 best farmhands. McDaniel wrote that Hayes, the son of ex-major leaguer Charlie Hayes, possesses “plus speed, a plus arm and a potential 70 glove,” and if he proves to be a capable offensive player in the majors, the package could make him a star.

So far, Hayes has not necessarily thrived against minor league pitching. He owns a .752 OPS in the minors, and in his most recent showing at the lower levels in 2019, he batted .265/.336/.415 (92 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases across 480 Triple-A plate appearances. Still, his promotion makes for a rare bit of excitement in a Pittsburgh season that has largely been devoid of it.

The Pirates are a major league-worst 10-21 and have received below-average production from the third base tandem of Erik Gonzalez and JT Riddle, two players who probably won’t be part of the solution over the long haul. Hayes, on the other hand, has a chance to emerge as a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Because the Pirates are waiting until Sept. 1 to call him up, he’ll miss out on Super Two status and won’t be on track to reach free agency until after 2026.

Blue Jays Designate Daniel Vogelbach, Brandon Drury, Sam Gaviglio

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The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that they’ve designated first baseman Daniel Vogelbach, infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury and right-hander Sam Gaviglio for assignment. The DFAs open roster space for lefty Robbie Ray, righty Ross Stripling and infielder Jonathan Villar, each of whom were acquired leading up to the trade deadline yesterday.

Vogelbach had a short run on the 40-man roster of the Blue Jays, who acquired him from the Mariners Aug. 23. The 27-year-old rode a hot first half of 2019 to an All-Star nod with Seattle, but his numbers cratered in the second half and haven’t rebounded with either club this season. Vogelbach owns a nightmarish .088/.246/.211 line with two home runs in 69 plate appearances so far.

Drury himself was a deadline pickup by the Jays in 2018, when they sent lefty J.A. Happ to the Yankees. Drury had struggled mightily since being acquired to fill a versatile infield role (likely similar to the one ultimately taken up by DJ LeMahieu). At the time of his trade to Toronto, he was only a half season removed from a two-year stretch that saw him hit .275/.323/.453 with 29 homers, 68 doubles and three triples while logging time at second base, third base, first base and both outfield corners. His 2018 scuffles aside, Drury looked like a solid acquisition.

Obviously, things haven’t played out that way. Drury has now spent parts of three seasons with the Jays and racked up a bit less than a full year’s worth of playing time without any offensive production to show for it. He’s appeared in 149 games and tallied 525 plate appearances with just a .208/.253/.353 slash to show for it. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter and was a surefire non-tender given his lack of production, so it’s not a surprise to see him cut from the roster early. Another club could technically claim Drury, but to do so they’d need to assume the remaining $298K on this year’s prorated salary. For a player who is hitting .152/.184/.174 through 49 plate appearances — that seems highly improbable.

The likeliest outcome, then, is that the Jays will either run Drury through outright waivers or simply opt to release him. If he does pass through outright waivers, he can be outrighted to the club’s alternate training site and remain on hand as a depth piece. He’d have the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but because he does not yet have five years of MLB service, doing so would mean forfeiting that $298K he is still owed. Again — that seems quite unlikely.

Turning to Gaviglio, he’s been up and down with the Jays dating back to the 2018 season himself, showing some flashes of quality production at times but ultimately posting lackluster numbers. In 222 1/3 frames with the Blue Jays, Gaviglio carries a 5.06 ERA and 4.70 FIP with 7.9 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.58 HR/9 and a 47.6 percent ground-ball rate.

Cardinals Designate Jesus Cruz

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The Cardinals have designated right-hander Jesus Cruz for assignment, Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets. They also activated reliever Ryan Helsley from the injured list and optioned lefty Rob Kaminsky.

The 25-year-old Cruz had a short run on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, as the club selected him Aug. 18. He made one appearance as a Cardinal and yielded a pair of earned runs over a single inning of work. Cruz spent last season between Single-A and Double-A, where he combined for a 6.02 ERA and recorded 13.1 K/9 against 6.8 BB/9 over 61 1/3 frames.

Helsley threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in late July, but he then became one of the many Cardinals who tested positive for the coronavirus, which put a temporary halt to their season. Now that he’s back, though, the 26-year-old could be a rather useful piece for St. Louis’ bullpen down the stretch. Helsley debuted in the majors last year and has since ridden a 97 mph fastball to a stingy 2.75 ERA (with a much less impressive 4.05 FIP), 7.78 K/9 and 2.25 BB/9 in 39 1/3 innings.

Brewers Release Justin Grimm, Select Phil Bickford

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The Brewers have released reliever Justin Grimm, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The club also announced that it has selected right-hander Phil Bickford, placed infielder Jedd Gyorko on the bereavement list, optioned righty Trey Supak and recalled outfielder Tyrone Taylor.

Milwaukee was the fifth major league team for Grimm, who has logged a 5.14 ERA/4.20 FIP with 9.16 K/9 and 3.94 BB/9 across a lifetime 360 2/3 innings. He only racked up 4 2/3 frames as a member of the Brewers, with whom he surrendered nine earned runs on nine hits and four walks (six strikeouts). The Brewers designated Grimm for assignment Aug. 28.

Bickford, 25, entered the pros as the 18th overall pick of the Giants in 2018 and eventually became a top 50 prospect, though he hasn’t pitched above the Single-A level yet. But Bickford has been rather effective in the minors, including when he posted a 2.48 ERA/2.03 FIP with 14.6 K/9 and 3.03 BB/9 over 32 2/3 frames last season.

Rangers Make Series Of Moves

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The Rangers have made a series of moves, per a team announcement. The club reinstated shortstop Elvis Andrus and reliever Brett Martin from the 10-day injured list, placed second baseman Rougned Odor on the 10-day IL with an eye infection, selected outfielder Eli White and recalled infielder Anderson Tejeda.

Andrus is returning after landing on the IL on Aug. 20 with a lower back strain. The 31-year-old hit an ugly .184/.244/.250 in 82 plate appearances before then, and he won’t have his double-play partner, Odor, around upon his return. Odor, like Andrus, has gotten off to a difficult start this year. His IL placement is retroactive to Aug. 28.

White, 26, looks to be in line for his major league debut four years after the Athletics chose him in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. He joined the Rangers in the division rivals’ pre-2019 trade that Jurickson Profar and Emilio Pagan headlined. White reached the Triple-A level for the first time in his initial season in the Texas organization, but he only managed a .253/.337/.418 line with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases across 499 plate appearances. He ranked as FanGraphs’ 37th-best Rangers prospect before the current campaign.

Mets Designate Hunter Strickland

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The Mets have designated reliever Hunter Strickland and transferred infielder Eduardo Nunez to the 45-day injured list, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Those moves help make room for righty Ariel Jurado, whom the team recalled.

This is the second time this year the Mets have designated Strickland, whom they brought back to their roster Monday four weeks after his previous DFA. Strickland wound up throwing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and a walk last night, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in the fray. The 31-year-old has now tossed 3 1/3 innings this season and yielded four runs (three earned) on five hits and four strikeouts against one walk.

Nunez, 33, has been even less of a factor for the Mets than Strickland. He totaled two at-bats on the opening weekend of the season, but Nunez has been dealing with left knee problems since then. It’s unclear whether he’ll return this year.

Cubs Activate Kris Bryant, Steven Souza Jr.

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The Cubs have activated Kris Bryant and Steven Souza Jr. off the 10-day injured list amidst a flurry of roster moves this afternoon.  To make room for Bryant, Souza, and their trade deadline acquisitions, the Cubs also placed right-hander Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day IL with a right forearm strain, optioned outfielder Albert Almora to their alternate training site, and designated righty Casey Sadler for assignment.

Bryant hasn’t played since August 17, as he suffered a sprained left ring finger (the official cause for his IL stint) and a wrist injury while trying to make a diving catch five days prior.  This was the latest in rather a long list of minor health problems for Bryant this season, as he had also previously dealt with some stomach issues as well as back and elbow soreness.  Given all of these problems, it probably isn’t surprising that Bryant hasn’t been himself at the plate, hitting only .177/.271/.323 over his first 70 plate appearances.

The Cubs are in first place in the NL Central even without much of a contribution from Bryant, and they’re also hoping to finally get some kind of extended look at Souza, as injuries (a right hamstring strain) and his part-timer status have limited him to just 24 PA this season.  Injuries have plagued Souza throughout his career, most notably a major knee operation that sidelined him for the entire 2019 season.  The right-handed hitting Souza and new acquisition Cameron Maybin are likely to get some playing time when a left-handed starter is on the mound, spelling the lefty-swinging Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward in the outfield.

Chatwood’s placement is retroactive to August 31, and he left his start on the previous day in the third inning due to elbow discomfort.  While any forearm problem will be closely monitored, the Cubs do have some expectation that Chatwood will be back before the end of the season, though manager David Ross described Chatwood’s situation as “a long wait-and-see” in a chat with reporters (including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune) today.  The righty has a 5.30 ERA over five starts and 18 2/3 innings for Chicago this season.

Sadler appeared in 10 games for the Cubs in 2020, posting a 5.79 ERA and almost matching his walk total (8) with his strikeout total (9) over 9 1/3 innings of work.  The 30-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers over the winter, and hasn’t been able to replicate in Chicago what he achieved over 46 1/3 innings with Los Angeles and Tampa Bay in 2019 — a 2.14 ERA, 6.0 K/9, and only a 2.5 BB/9, though advanced metrics were less impressed by Sadler’s overall performance.

Mariners Acquire Alberto Rodriguez From Blue Jays

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The Mariners have acquired minor league outfielder Alberto Rodriguez from the Blue Jays to complete the teams’ trade for right-hander Taijuan Walker, Seattle announced.

The two teams swung the deal for Walker on Aug. 27, though Toronto included a player who was not in its 60-man player pool. His identity was unknown until now as a result.

Still just 19 years old, Rodriguez spent the first two professional seasons of his career playing in rookie ball for the Jays organization. He batted .274/.356/.392 with seven home runs and 34 stolen bases on 42 attempts over 458 plate appearances during his time in Toronto’s system.

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