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Reds Designate Phillip Ervin, Place Wade Miley On IL, Sign Jay Jackson

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The Reds have made several moves, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic was among those to report. They’ve designated outfielder Phillip Ervin for assignment; placed left-hander Wade Miley on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder issue; activated right-hander Anthony DeSclafani from the paternity list; signed righty Jay Jackson to a minor league contract; and recalled righty Jose De Leon from their alternate site.

Now 28 years old, Ervin’s a former Reds first-round pick (No. 27 in 2013) who typically posted strong production in the minors before earning his first big league promotion in 2017. Ervin’s major league numbers hovered around the league-average mark from then through last season, but he got off to a rough start this year before the Reds booted him from their roster. Over 42 plate appearances in 2020, Ervin has hit an ugly .086/.238/.086 without a home run. Between that awful output and his lack of minor league options, he may have trouble landing anywhere else in the next week.

This is the second IL placement of the year for Miley, who previously missed time with a groin strain. When Miley has been healthy, he has only managed a 6.57 ERA/4.86 FIP across four starts and 12 1/3 innings, though he did throw four scoreless frames against the Brewers on Thursday. DeSclafani will replace him in the Reds’ rotation and rejoin the excellent trio of Trevor Bauer, Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, with Tyler Mahle also in the mix.

The 32-year-old Jackson’s most recent MLB experience came last year as a member of the Brew Crew, with whom he logged a 4.45 ERA/4.66 FIP and recorded 13.95 K/9 against 5.34 BB/9 across 30 1/3 innings. Jackson then signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball and tossed seven innings of three-run ball with 12 strikeouts and three walks this year before returning stateside. He’ll report to the Reds’ alternate training site for the time being.

Mets Claim Guillermo Heredia

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The Mets have claimed outfielder Guillermo Heredia off waivers from the Pirates, tweets Tim Healey of Newsday. Pittsburgh designated Heredia for assignment earlier this week when they claimed Carson Fulmer off waivers from the Tigers. Heredia has been optioned to the Mets’ alternate training site in Brooklyn.

Heredia inked a one-year deal, $1MM contract with the Pirates in the offseason but played in just eight games and took 18 plate appearances before the Bucs optioned him to their own alternate site. Because the Mets are claiming Heredia, they’ll be on the hook for the remainder of his prorated salary — a total of about $172K between now and season’s end.

Heredia has appeared in 390 Major League games, mostly with the Mariners, and posted a combined .239/.317/.339 batting line. As a solid outfield defender with a bit of speed and a career .275/.338/.400 batting line against lefties, he can be a useful bench piece when he’s at his best. The Mets just cut Juan Lagares — a player with a comparable skill set — loose earlier today when they designated him for assignment when Jake Marisnick was activated from the injured list. Unlike Heredia, however, Lagares couldn’t be optioned to the alternate site without his consent, given that he has more than five years of big league service.

Yankees Release Luis Avilan, Select Jordy Mercer

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The Yankees have released left-hander Luis Avilan in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Jordy Mercer, whose contract has been selected from the alternate training site, manager Aaron Boone told reporters at today’s media session (Twitter link via ESPN’s Marly Rivera). The club hopes to re-sign Avilan but felt the move was the best course of action amid a roster crunch.

Avilan, 31, just landed on the IL earlier this week due to inflammation in his left shoulder. He’d been quite effective for the Yanks before coughing up two runs in one-third of an inning in his final appearance prior to going on the IL. Overall, Avilan has a 4.32 ERA with nine strikeouts and five walks in 8 1/3 frames.

The addition of Mercer was necessitated in large part by injuries to both DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres. Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade are starting up the middle for the Yankees right now, but Mercer could factor into the middle-infield mix while the club’s regulars mend on the IL. LeMahieu, in particular, could return this weekend, Boone said today.

Mercer, 34, spent six seasons as the Pirates’ primary shortstop from 2013-18, hitting .257/.317/.383 in 779 games along the way. He spent the 2019 season in Detroit, and while he struggled immensely early before going on the injured list for much of the year, Mercer returned to close out the season with a torrid .312/.343/.512 slash in his final 48 games. He returned to the Tigers in 2020 but was cut loose early in the year when they opted to give younger talent a look as their rebuild progresses. Mercer latched on with New York shortly thereafter and will now head back to the big leagues to provide some infield depth for an ailing Yankees club.

Mets Designate Juan Lagares For Assignment

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves to reporters Friday, designating outfielder Juan Lagares for assignment and reinstating righty Michael Wacha, shortstop Andres Gimenez and outfielder Jake Marisnick from the injured list (Twitter link via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). The team also placed righty Corey Oswalt on the 10-day IL due to biceps tendinitis, optioned right-hander Drew Smith to the alternate training site in Brooklyn and added catcher Patrick Mazeika as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader.

Lagares, 31, was a mainstay on the Mets’ roster from 2013-19 before his 2020 club option was declined at the beginning of this past offseason. He eventually inked a minor league contract with the Padres but elected free agency when the team didn’t include him in its player pool. Lagares wound up returning to the Mets organization and getting called up this week, but he appeared in just two games without taking a plate appearance prior to this DFA. The return of Marisnick, who had been on the injured list since July 28, likely made Marisnick expendable. Both are right-handed-hitting, glove-first outfielders.

White Sox Designate Nicky Delmonico For Assignment

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The White Sox have designated outfielder Nicky Delmonico for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot will go to outfielder Jarrod Dyson, whose previously reported acquisition from the Pirates has now been formally announced. Chicago also announced that second baseman Nick Madrigal has been reinstated from the injured list, with catcher Zack Collins and outfielder Luis Gonzalez both being optioned to the alternate training site in a corresponding move.

Delmonico, 28, was released by the ChiSox last year but found his way back to the club on a minor league pact over the winter. He appeared in six games this year, going 3-for-20 with two walks and two strikeouts. The former Orioles prospect has spent time with the South Siders in each of the past for seasons, hitting at a combined .224/.312/.384 clip. However, since a terrific rookie showing at the plate in 2017, Delmonico has mustered only a .210/.287/.326 slash.

Sox fans will surely be thrilled to welcome Madrigal back into the fold. The 2018 No. 4 overall pick and top prospect debuted earlier this season but separated his shoulder while diving into a base. He’s 5-for-17 to begin his big league career, but the Sox hope that Madrigal, who slashed .311/.377/.414 with 35 steals and a minuscule 3.0 percent strikeout rate across three minor league levels in 2019, will cement himself as their second baseman of the future.

White Sox To Acquire Jarrod Dyson

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9:51am: The White Sox are sending their remaining $243,300 of international bonus space to the Pirates in the deal, tweets MLB.com’s Adam Berry. International space typically must be sent in chunks of $250K but are able to trade the remainder of their entire pool as one block if they have under $250K remaining. That’s what happened in this instance.

That pool space will be added to the Pirates’ 2019-20 signing pool. While the international signing period typically runs from July 2 in one year to June 15 the next, the 2019-20 signing period was extended into October while the forthcoming signing period was pushed back into January. Those changes, much like the shortened 2020 Draft, were agreed upon by the league and union as owners sought means of offsetting some of their revenue losses from the pandemic-altered season.

8:58am: The White Sox are set to acquire speedy center fielder Jarrod Dyson from the Pirates, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The White Sox are expected to send international bonus pool space to Pittsburgh to complete the deal, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

Jarrod Dyson | Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Dyson, 36, inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the Pirates this winter and is still owed $333K of his prorated $720K salary. That makes him an affordable late-inning defensive upgrade and pinch-running option for the ChiSox, who currently are tied with the Indians for second place in the AL Central and just a half game behind the division-leading Twins.

Dyson is out to a miserable start at the plate, hitting .157/.218/.157 in a tiny sample of 57 plate appearances, but he’s an all-world defender and elite baserunner. Dating back to 2012, Dyson is sixth in the Majors in stolen bases (234), and his 84.7 percent success rate is remarkably efficient. He’s also eighth among MLB outfielders with +79 Defensive Runs Saved in that time despite having played thousands of innings fewer in the field than all but one player (Juan Lagares) ahead of him due to his status as a part-time player.

The White Sox have a full outfield with Eloy Jimenez in left, Luis Robert in center and Nomar Mazara in right. They also have fellow speedster Adam Engel on hand to back up at all three positions, but between Jimenez and Mazara, the corners could both stand to use a defensive upgrade in late, close games. Dyson’s left-handed bat also complements Engel’s righty bat, allowing manager Rick Renteria to optimize his late-inning outfield options based on platoon matchups.

As for the Pirates, they’ll add some additional international funds in exchange for the final month or so of Dyson’s contract. Dealing him also opens up additional reps for the Bucs to take a look at shortstop Cole Tucker in the outfield — an experiment the team has been exploring under the new front office/coaching regime. Dyson was a free agent at season’s end anyhow and clearly not going to receive a qualifying offer, so cashing him in for even a relatively minimal return makes perfect sense for Pittsburgh.

Nationals Add Sterling Sharp, Jeremy De La Rosa To Player Pool

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9:45am: The Nats are adding Sharp and outfield prospect Jeremy De La Rosa to their 60-man player pool, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports (via Twitter). Both will head to the team’s alternate training site in Fredricksburg. De La Rosa, 18, ranks 15th among Nats farmhands at MLB.com and at FanGraphs. He’ll be able to get some developmental reps with the club’s staff now, although being added to the 60-man pool also makes him eligible to be directly included in a trade to another club (as opposed to being shipped off as a PTBNL).

8:50am: The Marlins have returned right-hander Sterling Sharp, their pick in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, to the Nationals, per a team announcement from the Nats. Miami designated Sharp for assignment earlier this week, and the fact that he was returned indicates he went unclaimed on outright waivers.

Sharp, 25, appeared in four games with the Fish but struggled in his final two outings. Overall, he was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on seven hits, five walks and a hit batter with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. Sharp’s heavy sinker helped him keep the ball on the ground at a 65 percent clip in his brief time with the Marlins. However, the Marlins were forced to make a broad-reaching series of moves in the wake of their team-wide Covid-19 outbreak, one of which was to designate Sharp for assignment. It’s eminently possible that this outcome would’ve occurred eventually anyhow, particularly in light of his struggles.

Regardless, Sharp now returns to the Nats and gives them a relatively near-term option for their pitching staff. He’s not on the 40-man roster but could emerge as a candidate for a big league call up before long. Sharp logged 49 2/3 frames in Double-A last year, pitching to a 3.99 ERA and 2.59 FIP with 8.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.18 HR/9 and a whopping 63.3 percent ground-ball rate.

Twins Designate Danny Coulombe, Select Juan Minaya

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The Twins announced that they’ve designated left-hander Danny Coulombe for assignment in order to open a roster spot for right-hander Juan Minaya, whose contract has been selected from the alternate training site in St. Paul. Minnesota will also add lefty Lewis Thorpe from St. Paul as the team’s 29th man for today’s doubleheader against the Tigers.

Coulombe, 30, appeared in a pair of games for Minnesota, tallying 2 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and three walks. He inked a minor league contract over the winter after posting excellent Triple-A strikeout numbers with the Yankees and Brewers over the past couple season: 61 in 36 1/3 frames. This year’s small sample of data shows him relying much more on his curveball than his slider — a departure from his past big league work which could help to explain his recent jump in punchouts.

Overall, Coulombe has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, working to a combined 4.19 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.99 HR/9 and a 56.3 percent grounder rate. The Twins will have a week to run him through outright waivers or release him, and they can also trade him to another club before Monday afternoon’s deadline.

As for Minaya, he’s spent the past four seasons with the division-rival White Sox, where he’s pitched to a combined 3.93 ERA with 10.0 K/9, 54.6 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9 and a 36.8 percent grounder rate in 128 1/3 frames. Minaya’s control has caused him troubles in the past, but he’ll give the Twins a fresh bullpen arm with some swing-and-miss abilities prior to tonight’s doubleheader.

Dodgers To Option Gavin Lux Back To Taxi Squad

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9:39PM: Lux will be optioned back to the Dodgers’ taxi squad, Roberts told Gurnick (Twitter link) and other media after the game.

5:45PM: The Dodgers have called up infielder Gavin Lux from their alternate training site, with Lux set to serve as the extra 29th man for Game 2 of today’s doubleheader with the Giants.

Lux will appear on the Los Angeles roster for the first time this season, after he was somewhat surprisingly not included on the club’s roster for its July opener.  Lux did miss part of Summer Camp for unexplained reasons, and while there was speculation that Lux may have been kept in the minors for service-time reasons, manager Dave Roberts explained in early August that the Dodgers didn’t “feel he’s ready right now.”

“It was a short ramp-up for Gavin and he wasn’t right mechanically,” Roberts told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick and other media on August 5.  “And he knows that, we know that.  He’s still getting there at [alternative training site] USC, getting at-bats daily, it’s coming.  I see video every day, it’s getting better.”

Roberts said at the time that Lux would only be called up to the Dodgers on an everyday basis, so though the “29th man” designation could imply some fluidity with Lux’s status, it would seem like the star prospect will now be part of the team’s regular mix.  Lux is in tonight’s starting lineup as a second baseman, which was also his position during his 23-game debut with Los Angeles last season.

Corey Seager obviously has Lux’s normal minor league position of shortstop covered at the MLB level, so Lux now looks to be the first-choice option at the keystone.  Enrique Hernandez, Max Muncy, and Chris Taylor have split time at second base this season with Hernandez getting the bulk of the playing time at that particular position, though all three players have been deployed elsewhere around the diamond given the Dodgers’ penchant for versatility.  With the DH spot in play for the 2020 season, Roberts should be able to find enough at-bats to keep everyone satisfied and rested as the Dodgers are already essentially in tune-up mode for the postseason.

Lux hit .240/.305/.400 over 82 PA with the Dodgers last season, plus an .856 OPS over 10 postseason PA.  A consensus top-five prospect in baseball coming into the 2020 campaign, Lux has dominated minor league pitching since being selected 20th overall in the 2016 draft, and now aims to be the next homegrown Dodgers prospect to find stardom in the majors.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/27/20

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Catching up on some minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Rangers outrighted Rob Refsnyder off their 40-man roster and assigned him to their alternate training site after the utilityman cleared waivers.  Texas designated Refsnyder for assignment earlier this week.  Refsnyder signed a minors contract with the Rangers back in November and has appeared in 15 games this season, marking his first Major League action since the 2018 campaign.  With only a .200/.265/.233 slash line through 34 PA, however, Refsnyder became expendable.  The five-year veteran will remain in the organization as a depth option at first base and both corner outfield slots.
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