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Angels Announce Roster Moves

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The Los Angeles Angels announced a number of roster moves today. Luis Rengifo and Ryan Buchter have been recalled from the team’s alternate site, while Hoby Milner hits the 10-day IL and the recently-acquired Franklin Barreto has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Barreto’s placement on the COVID IL is a matter of protocol, as it will take a couple of days to complete the intakes tests before joining his new squad. Barreto was acquired on Friday in a straight-up swap for Tommy La Stella. La Stella, however, is already in the Oakland lineup for tonight’s game against the Astros.

Rengifo re-joins the club and figures to get some extra playing time at the keystone until Barreto passes testing protocols. David Fletcher steps in as the de facto everyday second baseman now that Andrelton Simmons has returned to shortstop. Fletcher, however, can play all over the diamond and will likely continue to do so in order to give some run to Rengifo and/or Barreto.

Presumably, Maddon and the Angels will give time to all three players with the hopes of clarifying their second baseman arsenal ahead of 2021. Thus far, Barreto has managed just a 50 wRC+ mark in 211 at bats spread across four seasons, while Rengifo saw semi-regular playing time last year in his debut season. He’s off to a slow start this year, however. In total, Rengifo owns a 82 wRC+ mark across 466 at bats.

On the pitching side, Milner heads to the injured list with right back spasms. The move is retroactive to August 26th. Milner, 29, has been utilized liberally this season out of the pen by Maddon. Across 11 appearances, the journeyman southpaw has managed a 3.86 ERA with 6 strikeouts to 2 walks in 7 innings.

Buchter takes over at least temporarily as a lefty option for Maddon. The former Oakland Athletic has made 9 appearances this season with the Angels, sporting a 5.40 ERA across 5 innings. Like Milner, the 33-year-old Buchter has been called upon fairly often, but rarely for more than a couple of batters at a time.

Nationals Sign Brock Holt

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The Nationals have agreed to terms with free-agent infielder Brock Holt, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. Holt had been designated and released by the Brewers earlier this week. The Nats will have to make a corresponding move to clear a spot for Holt on the roster.

Holt, formerly of the Red Sox, will join the Nats as an option to play virtually anywhere on the diamond. He’s in line to serve as depth primarily at third base and in the corner outfield.

As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted on Thursday when Holt was released, he can be signed for a prorated version of the league minimum salary, which comes out to a hair under $100K. That made him a viable target for interested teams, despite an abysmal start to the season with Milwaukee.

After signing a one-year deal with the Brewers in the winter, Holt’s Milwaukee tenure was short-lived following a 3-for-30 stretch in his first 16 games.

Still, the 32-year-old Holt can point to a more passable .270/.340/.374 batting line during his seven years in Boston. As a depth option, he’ll offer another left-handed bat, a welcome balance to the right-handed Howie Kendrick and Josh Harrison.

Padres Acquire Trevor Rosenthal

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The Padres have officially acquired right-handed reliever Trevor Rosenthal from the Royals, both teams have announced. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports that outfielder Edward Olivares is part of the return headed to Kansas City in the deal. In addition, a player to be named later will go to the Royals in the deal, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Rosenthal, 30, has emerged as one of the most sought-after relief pitchers on the trade market, representing a dramatic turnaround from a disastrous 2019 season—his return from Tommy John Surgery, which cost him the previous year—that saw him walk 26 batters in just 15 1/3 innings of work.

However, it seems that Rosenthal has for the most part returned to the form that made him an All-Star closer with the Cardinals in the first leg of his career. He’s grounded his walk numbers while striking out as many batters as ever, and he’s boasting a nice 3.29 ERA to match.

The Royals brought Rosenthal aboard as a minor-league signing last winter, and they’ve parlayed that low-cost acquisition into a nice payoff, not only getting 13 games of solid pitching from Rosenthal, but now acquiring a pair of pieces (the second of which remains unknown) that are more in line with the organization’s long-term outlook.

Rosenthal will join the Padres with the expectation that he’ll bolster a Padres bullpen that’s been worn down by injuries to Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz. Emilio Pagan and Craig Stammen have struggled to fill Yates’s shoes, and for the first time in years the Padres find themselves in position to make a win-now move to strengthen their best roster in recent memory. Rosenthal is only under contract through this year, so he’s a true rental, but his acquisition addresses a glaring need for San Diego.

Rosenthal, who by making the Royals’ MLB roster secured a $2MM base salary for the season, is only owed about $350K for the remainder of the year (due to prorated salaries and roughly half the season in the books), so there’s little obligation on San Diego’s end, outside of the prospect capital required to bring Rosenthal aboard.

The 24-year-old Olivares will depart the Padres after getting his first shot at the big leagues this year. Originally acquired from the Blue Jays in 2018, Olivares has forged a solid minor-league track record, including a 2019 season in which he slugged 18 home runs and stole 35 bases at the Double-A level. To start this year, he’s hit just .176/.222/.294 for the Padres, but he’s still just 34 at-bats into his Major League career.

Marlins Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Marlins have made a series of roster moves this afternoon, announcing via Twitter that they’ve activated three players—pitchers Robert Dugger and Alex Vesia, along with catcher Chad Wallach—from the injured list. Meanwhile, right-hander Humberto Mejia was optioned to the team’s alternate training site, while RHP Brett Eibner, catcher Brian Navarreto, and LHP Josh D. Smith were designated for assignment.

Eibner, Navarreto, and Smith will no longer occupy a position on the Miami 40-man roster. The Marlins will have a week to either trade, release, or outright assign those three players.

Eibner, a former outfielder, has made the transition to pitcher, making his first two big league appearances with the Marlins, though they didn’t play out as hoped, with Eibner surrendering three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Dugger and Vesia will replace Eibner and Smith in the Miami pitching staff, offering one righty and one lefty option. Dugger, Vesia, and Wallach were all placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons.

Dodgers Call Up Gavin Lux

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The Dodgers have recalled infielder Gavin Lux up to their Major League roster, the team announced.  Right-hander Mitch White has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site to make roster space.

Lux is making a quick return to the L.A. roster just two days after making a one-game cameo as the 29th man in a doubleheader against the Giants.  That lone game (which saw Lux go 0-for-3 with two strikeouts) was the star prospect’s only bit of MLB action this season, as he has spent the rest of the year at the Dodgers’ alternate training site.

It remains to be seen if this promotion will stick, or if Lux could be on something of a regular shuttle between the Dodgers’ active roster and taxi squad.  Manager Dave Roberts indicated earlier this month that Lux wouldn’t be called up unless the team was ready to give him everyday playing time, and it’s possible a more regular role could emerge given the status of Justin Turner.  The veteran third baseman left last night’s game with a hamstring problem that Roberts hoped was only a cramp, though more won’t be known until Turner undergoes extra tests today.

Should Turner require a stint on the injured list, the Dodgers could shuffle their infield by giving third-base at-bats to any of Max Muncy, Enrique Hernandez, or Chris Taylor, thus opening the door for Lux to play second base.  As always with the Dodgers, they could easily rotate all of these players around the diamond (and through the DH spot) based on matchups.

Lux is one of baseball’s top prospects, and a dominant performance in Triple-A last season led to his first MLB promotion, and a .240/.305/.400 slash line over 82 plate appearances in 2019.  Lux has only played second base at the Major League level but he does a lot of minor league experience as a shortstop, so his arrival will give Los Angeles a bit of extra depth behind Corey Seager.

Cardinals Make Several Roster Moves

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The Cardinals have made four call-ups from their alternate training site, as left-hander Rob Kaminsky, first baseman John Nogowski, and right-handers Ryan Meisinger and Seth Elledge are all joining the active roster.  They will take the roster spots left open by infielder Max Schrock and righties Daniel Ponce de Leon and Junior Fernandez, who are all headed to the alternate site.  In addition, left-hander Ricardo Sanchez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to pain in his throwing elbow.

Ponce de Leon, Fernandez, Sanchez, and even Schrock (in mop-up duty) pitched in last night’s 14-2 loss to the Indians.  Ponce de Leon started and lasted only two-thirds of an inning, allowing four runs on four walks and two hits.

This demotion won’t last long, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Ponce De Leon will be back as the 29th man for next weekend’s doubleheader against the Cubs.  As for Ponce De Leon’s normal starting spot, however, Johan Oviedo will now take a regular turn in the rotation.  Oviedo has made two starts already for the Cards this season, looking solid in posting a 3.60 ERA over 10 innings.

Sanchez’s ominous-sounding injury continues what has already been a difficult year for the 23-year-old, as he missed two weeks in July recovering from a COVID-19 diagnosis.  The southpaw did make his big league debut this season, posting a 6.75 ERA over 5 1/3 IP (three games).

Yankees Activate DJ LeMahieu From Injured List

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The Yankees have activated DJ LeMahieu from the 10-day injured list, the team announced.  Miguel Andujar has been optioned back to the club’s alternate training site in a corresponding move.

LeMahieu hit the IL due to a sprained left thumb back on August 16, and while his IL stint didn’t last much beyond the 10-day minimum, the absence was surely noted by a Yankees team that is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.  With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres still injured, the return of LeMahieu’s bat will be very welcome in the Bronx.  LeMahieu was hitting .411/.456/.534 over 79 PA prior to his injury.

Andujar’s latest call-up resulted in a 2-for-10 showing over 10 plate appearances in four games.  The young slugger has only a .285 OPS in 32 Major League PA this season, though his attempts to get on track haven’t been helped by either the lack of consistent playing time available in the Yankee lineup.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/28/20

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Friday’s minor moves…

  • The Marlins announced that they’ve sent infielder Logan Forsythe to the 60-day injured list with a right oblique strain. That should wrap up the 2020 season for Forsythe, whom the Marlins signed July 29. He made his Marlins debut Aug. 4 and went on to hit a miserable .118/.211/.235 with one HR in 35 plate appearances before going on the IL. Overall, it has been a rough few years for Forsythe, a once-valuable member of the Rays who has combined for minus-0.3 fWAR since the beginning of the 2018 campaign.
  • The Angels outrighted Michael Hermosillo to their alternate training site after he cleared waivers, the team announced. Hermosillo, whom the Angels designated for assignment last Sunday, has slashed a paltry .188/.288/.287 with one home run 118 plate appearances with the Angels since 2018. The 25-year-old outfielder has been far better at the Triple-A level, where he has batted .261/.344/.478 with 32 homers over 748 trips to the plate.

Athletics Acquire Tommy La Stella For Franklin Barreto

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10:26pm: Both teams have announced the trade.

9:15pm: The Athletics have acquired infielder Tommy La Stella from the division-rival Angels, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Fellow infielder Franklin Barreto is headed to the Angels, per Rosenthal.

Now 31 years old, La Stella was a capable part-time player with the Braves and Cubs from 2014-18, but he has found another gear since joining the Angels before last season. Going back to 2019, La Stella has slashed .289/.353/.483 (125 wRC+) with 20 home runs and as many walks as strikeouts (35). La Stella even earned his first All-Star nod a season ago, though he was unable to play in the game after suffering a fractured tibia.

To his credit, La Stella has come back strong from his injury this year. He could soon emerge as the No. 1 option at second base for a contending Oakland club that has relied on Tony Kemp to handle the position so far.

Although La Stella was terrific as an Angel, they’re well out of contention, and he’s a pending free agent. As such, it made sense for the club to move on from La Stella and take on the 24-year-old Barreto, a former top prospect who didn’t receive consistent playing in Oakland.

Originally acquired from the Blue Jays as part of the two teams’ Josh Donaldson trade before 2015, Barreto batted a woeful .180/.210/.360 with nine homers in 219 plate appearances as an Athletic, and he has totaled just 10 trips to the plate this year. However, in addition to his prospect pedigree and youth, Barreto owns a strong track record in Triple-A, where he has hit .285/.356/.505 with 53 HRs in 1,285 PA. The Angels are obviously hoping Barreto will tap into his potential in their uniform, but because he’s out of minor league options, they won’t have the luxury of demoting him without possibly losing him.

Defensively, most of Barreto’s MLB playing time has come at second, where La Stella and Luis Rengifo have gotten the lion’s share of action for the club this year. But as the Angels go through the final month of what’s very likely to be another non-playoff season, they should be in position to evaluate Barreto as a possible everyday option at the keystone. The A’s, on the other hand, are taking a chance that La Stella will provide yet another weapon on a team aiming for an AL West title and a World Series this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rays Acquire Cody Reed

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The Rays have acquired left-hander Cody Reed from the Reds for righty Riley O’Brien, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic tweets. To make room for Reed, Tampa Bay placed newly acquired outfielder Brett Phillips on the COVID-19 injured list as he goes through intake protocols, the team announced. Meanwhile, O’Brien is now a member of the Reds’ 60-man player pool, per Rosecrans.

The Reds designated Reed for assignment earlier this week after he started 2020 with 9 1/3 innings of 10-hit, six-earned run ball with 10 strikeouts and eight walks. But the 27-year-old was effective for Cincinnati in 2018-19, and the AL East-leading Rays are in a position where they need to acquire pitching help in the wake of several injuries – including to notable bullpen arms in Nick Anderson, Jose Alvarado, Jalen Beeks, Oliver Drake, Andrew Kittredge, Colin Poche and Chaz Roe.

In the event Reed turns things around in a Rays uniform, he could be a multiyear piece for the club, as he’s not due to reach free agency until after 2024. However, Reed doesn’t have any minor league options remaining, so he’ll have to stick on the Rays’ MLB roster or be subjected to the waiver wire.

The Reds are getting a promising farmhand in O’Brien, a 25-year-old who made his Double-A debut in 2019 and registered a 3.93 ERA/3.49 FIP with 9.44 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 45.7 percent groundball rate in 68 2/3 innings. Prior to the trade, O’Brien ranked as a top 25 Rays prospect at MLB.com (No. 20), Baseball America (24) and FanGraphs (24). MLB.com, the most bullish of those outlets, writes that O’Brien has the potential to amount to a mid-rotation starter or “a late-inning force,” depending on whether he’s able to improve his control.

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