Mariners Option Jarred Kelenic
The Mariners announced that they have reinstated infielder Shed Long from the 60-day injured list, optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Tacoma and transferred infielder/outfielder Sam Haggerty to the 60-day IL with right shoulder inflammation.
Kelenic, one of the game’s most touted prospects, reached the majors for the first time in the middle of May. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old could only produce an .096/.185/.193 line over his first 92 plate appearances in the bigs, punching out at a 28.3 percent clip along the way. Kelenic drew walks at a solid 8.7 percent clip, connected on a pair of homers and went 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, but it was still far from the debut most hoped to see.
Of course, it’s easy to forget that even the most-hyped prospects in the sport don’t hit the ground running all the time. Kelenic in particular was rather aggressively pushed through the minors, perhaps in part due to former Mariners president Kevin Mather rather blatantly broadcasting the organization’s plans to hold him in the minors for service time purposes, regardless of performance in Spring Training or early in the season.
Kelenic played just 21 Double-A games in 2019, and while he was with the club’s alternate site in 2020, he didn’t actually play in competitive games against other organizations last year. The delayed start to the minor league season meant more of the same intra-squad action for Kelenic to begin the 2021 campaign, and while that certainly carries some developmental value, it’s not the same as actual competition against other clubs. He utterly destroyed Triple-A pitching when the minor league season finally got underway in May, but he only played in six games before being summoned to the Majors.
The service time issue raised by Mather shined a spotlight on Kelenic’s ascension to the Majors, so it’s worth looking at just how a return to Triple-A will now impact his service clock. Kelenic was already guaranteed to finish the season shy of one year of service, so it’s unlikely his path to free agency will be further delayed by this demotion. He was always going to finish this year with between zero and one year of service, finish the 2022 season between one and two years, the 2023 season between two and three years, and so on, up until the completion of the 2027 season.
Kelenic accrued 26 days of Major League service time in his first run through the big leagues. In order for that free-agent calculus to change, he’d need to spend fewer than 146 days in the Majors between 2021 and 2022 combined. That seems decidedly unlikely, barring an untimely major injury or injuries sustained while playing at the minor league level. What today’s demotion could do, however, is impact whether Kelenic eventually qualifies as a Super Two player who’d be eligible for arbitration four times (assuming the arbitration system as we know it remains intact in the next collective bargaining agreement, which isn’t a given).
Super Two designation is awarded to the top 22 percent of players (in terms of service time) who have between two and three years of service in a given season. Generally speaking, prospects who are called up in mid-to-late June and stick in the big leagues end up falling just shy of Super Two status. Kelenic’s early-May promotion had him on track for Super Two status, but if he were to spend another four to six weeks in the minors, he could fall into a more traditional arbitration schedule.
There’s obviously no indication as to how long the club plans to keep him down for at the moment, and he’ll probably control his own fate to some extent. If he immediately takes the Pacific Coast League by storm and continues hitting near the .370/.414/.630 pace he did in his brief Triple-A showing earlier this year, his stay in the minors could prove brief. If Kelenic’s struggles persist in Tacoma, however, it’s feasible that the early struggles could cost him one trip through arbitration.
With Kelenic now back in Tacoma and Kyle Lewis facing a prolonged absence due to another knee injury, the Mariners’ promising young outfield has a much different look. Fellow top prospect Taylor Trammell is back for a second look after dominating Triple-A himself (the exact path the Mariners no doubt hope Kelenic will travel in the coming weeks). He’ll handle center field. Mitch Haniger has been excellent in right field all season and should remain the primary option there, though he’s also a logical trade candidate, particularly if the Mariners slip further below .500. (They’re currently 30-31.) Seattle also recently got 26-year-old Jake Fraley back from a notable hamstring strain, so he could step into Kelenic’s spot in left. Utilityman Donovan Walton could see some occasional time there, and Long has logged time in left field in the past as well.
Speaking of the now-25-year-old Long, he’s now set for his 2021 debut after spending months working back from the surgery he underwent on his right tibia last September. The former Reds prospect impressed in his first major league action in 2019, when he batted .263/.333/.454 with five home runs and three stolen bases in 168 plate appearances, but he was unable to build on that in 2020 as he attempted to play through a stress fracture that eventually led to that September surgery.
Long took 128 plate appearances last summer but posted a disastrous .171/.242/.291 with three homers and four steals before landing on the injured list. It’s admirable that he tried to gut things out, but the injury was clearly hindering him at the plate. He’ll now get a fresh chance, presumably at full health, to prove he’s more the 2019 version of himself than the 2020 version.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/6/21
A couple of minor moves from around the league:
- Marlins infielder Luis Marté has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, relays Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Marté was designated for assignment earlier this week when the club reinstated Elieser Hernández from the 60-day injured list. (Unfortunately, Hernández has subsequently gone back on the IL.) Marté officially debuted in the big leagues by appearing in one game with Miami, and he’ll now return to Triple-A, where he’s hitting .263/.279/.456 this season.
- The Giants acquired minor league catcher Bruce Maxwell from the Mets in exchange for cash considerations, the two clubs announced. He’ll be assigned to Double-A Richmond, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Maxwell spent parts of the 2016-18 seasons across the Bay, appearing in 127 games with the A’s and posting a .240/.314/.347 line over 412 plate appearances at the MLB level. Maxwell signed a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason, so he won’t require a 40-man roster spot. He’d only picked up 31 plate appearances for the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
Royals To Select Jackson Kowar
The Royals will call-up Jackson Kowar to start tomorrow night’s game against the Angels, manager Mike Matheny announced to reporters (including Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City). Jakob Junis will be optioned to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move.
Selected with the 33rd overall pick of the 2018 draft (one spot ahead of fellow vaunted Royals rookie Daniel Lynch), Kowar is now regarded as one of the sport’s more promising pitching prospects. Entering this season, Baseball America ranked him as baseball’s #95 overall prospect and the #4 farmhand in the Kansas City organization. Keith Law of the Athletic also placed Kowar fourth in the system, while Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs slots him eighth. All three outlets credit him with a potentially elite changeup and a mid-90s sinker. Whether Kowar will develop into an efficient strike-thrower figures to determine his ultimate role.
BA projects Kowar as a potential middle of the rotation starter, feeling he’ll develop “at least average control.” Law feels he could settle in at the back of a rotation if his command improves a bit in the coming seasons. Longenhagen, meanwhile, suggests he’s most likely to wind up in high-leverage relief, likening him to former Royal Ryan Madson. Regardless of the exact form it takes, public prospect forecasters all view Kowar as a potential noteworthy part of a pitching staff in some capacity.
Kowar has gotten off to a fantastic start in Omaha this year, his first taste of the minors’ top level. Through six starts, he’s worked to a 0.85 ERA in 31 2/3 frames, striking out a whopping 33.9% of opposing hitters while walking 8.3%. That strong showing has brought his career minor league ERA down to 3.10, slightly better than the 3.53 mark he managed over three seasons at the University of Florida.
He becomes the third of the Royals crop of well-regarded pitching prospects to make his MLB debut. Brady Singer, Kowar’s college teammate, reached the big leagues last season and has thrown 117 2/3 innings of 4.51 ERA/4.20 SIERA ball over his first 23 starts. Lynch was promoted on May 3, although he’s since been optioned back to Triple-A after giving up 15 runs in his first eight innings.
Junis, who moved to the bullpen when Lynch was selected, will head to Omaha to build back up as a starting pitcher, Worthy relays. Junis performed fairly well in the season’s first month while working out of the rotation, although he’s struggled in a relief role. His demotion will open an active roster spot for Kowar, but Kansas City will need to make another transaction before tomorrow’s game. The Royals 40-man roster is full, so a move is necessary to accommodate Kowar’s formal selection.
Even if Kowar sticks in the majors for good, he’ll be controllable through the end of the 2027 season. The early-June timing of his promotion makes it possible he’ll qualify for Super Two status, which would allow him to reach arbitration eligibility for the first time after 2023 (assuming the existing arbitration structure remains in the next collective bargaining agreement). Future optional assignments could change that trajectory.
Mets To Sign Cesar Puello
The Mets are signing outfielder César Puello to a minor league contract, reports Tim Healey of Newsday (Twitter link). He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Puello, 30, has appeared in the big leagues with four different teams across parts of three seasons. Altogether, he’s tallied 197 plate appearances at the highest level, compiling a useful .246/.354/.347 line while lining up at all three outfield positions. A one-time top prospect during his first stint in the Mets system (2008-15), Puello has spent significantly more time at the Triple-A level, where’s posted a .289/.391/.439 slash over parts of six seasons.
While Puello has generally been a productive minor league player, that hasn’t been the case so far in 2021. Signed to a minor league contract by the Red Sox over the winter, the right-handed hitter stumbled to a .158/.370/.184 mark over 54 plate appearances with Triple-A Worcester. The Sox released him earlier this week. Puello will now hook on with a Mets organization that is still without outfielders Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Albert Almora Jr., Johneshwy Fargas and José Martínez due to injury.
Additionally, Cameron Maybin and Wilfredo Tovar have accepted their outright assignments and reported to Syracuse. The pair of veterans cleared waivers earlier this week but have foregone their respective rights to elect free agency.
Braves Outright Victor Arano
JUNE 6: Arano has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Gwinnett, per David O’Brien of the Athletic (Twitter link). He doesn’t have the requisite service time to reject a minor league assignment, so he’ll remain with the Stripers and look to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster.
JUNE 4: The Braves announced Friday that they’ve designated right-handed reliever Victor Arano for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Ty Tice, whose previously reported acquisition from the Blue Jays has now been formally announced by the Braves.
The 26-year-old Arano has been excellent in the big leagues when healthy, pitching to a combined 2.65 ERA with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate and 7.6 percent walk rate in 74 2/3 innings for the Phillies from 2017-19. Unfortunately, healthy innings are far from a given with Arano. He missed the vast majority of the 2019 season due to elbow surgery, and he’s also missed time in the past due to a rotator cuff strain in his pitching shoulder. He spent last year in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool but wasn’t called to the Majors. The Braves claimed him off waivers back in February.
Arano was a starter early in his minor league career with the Phillies but moved to the ‘pen on a full-time basis in 2016. He racked up 79 2/3 innings out of the ‘pen across two levels that season, but he’s managed to throw just 126 1/3 innings combined since that season drew to a close. He’s appeared in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2021, during which time he’s yielded four runs (three earned) on seven hits, four walks and a hit batter through seven innings. He’s punched out five hitters along the way.
It seems as though the Braves weren’t enamored of what they saw in that brief stretch of games. They’ll now have a week to trade Arano or to attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He can still be optioned both this year and next, which could lead another club to take a chance on the talented but (at least recently) oft-injured righty.
Cardinals Claim Brandon Waddell, Outright Tyler Webb
The Cardinals have claimed lefty Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both teams. Additionally, St. Louis lefty Tyler Webb has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Memphis. Both clubs now have a full 40-man roster.
St. Louis becomes Waddell’s third team of the 2021 season. A former Pirates prospect, Waddell opened the year with the Twins, but the Orioles claimed him off waivers last month. Between Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Baltimore, Waddell has logged 8 1/3 innings over the past two seasons, allowing seven runs (six earned) on twelve hits and six walks with just three strikeouts.
Obviously, Waddell hasn’t found success at the big league level yet, but he’s continued to attract interest from teams. He’s shown the ability to spin his low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider at high rates during his limited MLB time. Waddell has also posted impressive minor league numbers up through Double-A, although he’s only managed a 6.02 ERA in parts of three Triple-A seasons.
Waddell could be an option to replace Webb as a lefty relief option for St. Louis. The Cards designated the 30-year-old for assignment earlier this week after a dreadful start to the season. Webb doesn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment. He’ll instead report to Memphis and look to work his way back into the major league mix at some point.
Pirates Place Mitch Keller On Injured List, Activate Colin Moran
11:17 am: Pittsburgh isn’t ruling out the possibility Keller could make his next scheduled start Thursday against the Dodgers, GM Ben Cherington said (via Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
9:31 am: The Pirates announced they’ve activated first baseman Colin Moran and reliever Austin Davis from the injured list. Starter Mitch Keller has been placed on the COVID-19 IL, while utilityman Cole Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Moran has been out of action for just under a month as a result of a left groin injury. Before going down, the 28-year-old had gotten off to a fantastic start at the plate. Moran has hit .297/.352/.468 with four home runs over his first 122 plate appearances. If he continues to produce at that level, he figures to draw some interest from contenders in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. Moran is controllable through 2023 via arbitration, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the rebuilding Bucs were willing to discuss him in trade as they continue to bolster the farm system.
Keller was removed from his start on Friday with what the team termed a “heat illness.” It’s not clear if that issue is related to his current IL placement. The 25-year-old has made eleven starts this season, tossing 44 2/3 innings of 6.65 ERA/6.94 SIERA ball. The team didn’t provide a timetable for Keller’s return.
With Keller going on the COVID injured list, the Pirates created the 40-man roster spot necessary to reinstate Davis. The southpaw hasn’t pitched this year on account of an elbow sprain, spending the entire season to date on the 60-day IL. Davis has a 5.66 ERA/4.04 SIERA in parts of three seasons with the Phillies and Pirates.
Tigers Place Spencer Turnbull On 10-Day IL Due To Forearm Strain
JUNE 6: Follow-up testing on Turnbull confirmed the issue is indeed muscular, not structural, in nature. Turnbull has a bit of forearm inflammation, Hinch said (via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com), but the team is “very happy with the initial diagnosis.”
JUNE 5: The Tigers announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. Righty Bryan Garcia has been called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Turnbull’s spot on the active roster.
The move isn’t a surprise, after Turnbull left last night’s start after four innings. Though he was still pitching well (one ER on two hits and no walks, with four strikeouts), Turnbull was experiencing forearm tightness and the Tigers opted to pull him from the game.
More will be known about Turnbull’s injury in due time, but manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jason Beck) that “the initial diagnosis is positive,” since Turnbull’s problem seems to be muscular rather than structural. Another good sign was that Turnbull didn’t appear to be in severe pain, as Hinch said that the righty “fought to stay in the game.”
The IL placement interrupts that has already been a memorable season for Turnbull, who authored a no-hitter back on May 18 and has looked solid over an even 50 innings pitched in 2021. Turnbull has a 2.88 ERA/3.71 SIERA, with a big 57.2% grounder rate, six percent walk rate, and some strong soft-contact numbers that have allowed him to succeed despite not missing many bats (21.9% strikeout rate).
Jose Urena could serve as a ready-made replacement for Turnbull, as Urena is scheduled to start Sunday in his own return from the injured list. Urena is back after only a minimum 10 days after a forearm strain of his own, so his situation would represent the best-case scenario for Turnbull if his forearm problem is also relatively minor. Since Michael Fulmer isn’t likely to be shifted out of relief work and Julio Teheran isn’t ready to return from the 60-day IL, the Tigers could turn to the opener strategy to fill the open spot in the rotation, or perhaps turn to Tyler Alexander or a minor league call-up.
Indians Designate Jake Bauers, Promote Bobby Bradley, Select Blake Parker
The Indians have designated first baseman Jake Bauers for assignment, the team announced. Right-hander Eli Morgan has also been optioned to Triple-A, while first baseman Bobby Bradley has been called up to Cleveland’s roster and righty Blake Parker has had his contract selected.
Today’s news could mark the end of Bauers’ star-crossed tenure in Cleveland. A top-100 prospect during his time in the Rays’ farm system, Bauers came to the Tribe as part of a major three-team swap involving the Rays and Mariners in December 2018. The deal brought Carlos Santana back to Cleveland as veteran reinforcement for the Indians’ lineup, and Bauers was supposed to be a young building block, though he hasn’t delivered on that promise.
Over 160 games and 536 plate appearances with the Tribe, Bauers has hit only .218/.305/.352 with 14 home runs, delivering below replacement-level (-0.8 fWAR) production. This playing time came during the 2019 and 2021 seasons, as Bauers was at Cleveland’s alternate training site in 2020 but never received a call-up to the big league club. Bauers is out of options, so it’s possible another team might make a waiver claim on a player who is still only 25 and not that far removed from his prospect heyday.
With Bauers struggling so mightily, Tribe fans have spent pretty much all season wondering why Bradley wasn’t being given a shot on the MLB roster. Bradley had a big Spring Training but has not hit overly well (aside from the power department) at Triple-A this season, with a .196/.266/.485 slash line and nine homers in 109 PA.
Bradley doesn’t bring much versatility as a first base-only player, but with the Indians in desperate need of some extra offense, the decision was finally made to part ways with Bauers and give Bradley another opportunity in the Show. Bradley received some top-100 prospect attention himself prior to the 2016-17 seasons, and he has hit .251/.339/.503 with 156 homers in 2865 minor league plate appearances since being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft. Bradley’s only MLB exposure came in 2019, when he posted a .600 OPS over 49 PA.
Parker signed a minor league deal with the Indians in the offseason, and with just one official appearance, Parker will make it seven different teams over parts of nine MLB seasons. The right-hander (who turns 36 on June 19) most recently pitched for the Phillies in 2020, recording a 2.81 ERA and a huge 36.2% strikeout rate over 16 innings, albeit with an also-hefty 13% walk rate. Parker has maintained a solid 27.7% strikeout rate over his career, though home runs have been a persistent issue for the veteran.
Mariners Latest Roster Moves
The Mariners announced a number of roster moves today. Following yesterday’s trade for Yacksel Rios, the Mariners have selected his contract and added the right-hander to the active roster. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will have a chance to make an impression in the Mariners’ injury-depleted bullpen.
Drew Steckenrider will join Rios in the pen. Steckenrider has been reinstated from the injured list. The 30-year-old right-hander has been out since May 21st as part of the COVID-19 protocols. Prior to landing on the IL, the former Marlin had appeared 14 times and logged 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA/2.32 FIP.
To make room for Rios and Steckenrider, Robert Dugger and Daniel Zamora have been optioned to Triple-A. Dugger started yesterday’s game in an Opener capacity, tossing 2 1/3 innings and yielding a pair of earned runs. Zamora, 28, has made four appearances on the year, tossing 4 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.