Royals Designate Nick Heath For Assignment
The Royals announced Wednesday that they’ve designated outfielder Nick Heath for assignment, reinstated righty Josh Staumont from the injured list and optioned righty Carlos Hernandez to their alternate site. Staumont was only just placed on the injured list earlier this week, though the Royals did not specify a reason.
Players can be placed on the injured list for Covid-19 related reasons — a positive test, close contact with someone who was positive, or self-reported symptoms — and briefly be removed from the 40-man roster while on the IL. Staumont has obviously been cleared to return in a day’s time, which suggests there was no positive test. However, the Royals also selected the contract of veteran righty Ervin Santana last night, so with Staumont now coming back onto the active roster, they needed a 40-man spot. Heath’s DFA will provide that roster spot.
Heath, 27, made his MLB debut in 2020 and went 2-for-13 with a double and a pair of steals in four tries. He’s not a particularly imposing threat at the plate, evidenced by a .266/.348/.361 batting line in four minor league seasons, but Heath is one of the fastest players in professional ball. Scouting reports at FanGraphs, MLB.com and Baseball America peg him at either 70- or 80-grade speed on the 20-80 scale. He’s swiped 160 bases in 200 tries (80 percent) through just 323 total minor league games.
Heath can play all three outfield spots and has a full slate of three minor league options remaining, so he could certainly intrigue another club in a minor trade or in the event that the Royals try to pass him through outright waivers. Kansas City will have a week to trade him or place him on waivers.
Twins Place Andrelton Simmons On Covid-19 List, Select JT Riddle, Promote Alex Kirilloff
11:39am: Simmons did test positive and has exhibited “very mild” symptoms, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey announced to reporters (Twitter links via Dan Hayes of The Athletic). There were no other positives on the roster. Simmons will be away from the team for at least a 10-day period, under the league’s 2021 health and safety protocols.
11:23am: The Twins announced a series of roster moves Wednesday, placing shortstop Andrelton Simmons on the Covid-19 related injured list, selecting the contract of JT Riddle in his place and promoting top prospect Alex Kirilloff as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader. Simmons won’t occupy a spot on the 40-man roster while on the Covid-19 list, so an additional corresponding move to accommodate Riddle isn’t necessary.
Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli also tells reporters that the club expects to activate third baseman Josh Donaldson for the second game of today’s doubleheader and adds that the organization has multiple members going through contact tracing (Twitter links via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).
With Simmons sidelined for at least 10 days from the point of the test, the Twins can utilize Riddle and Jorge Polanco at shortstop in his place. Polanco was the team’s primary shortstop for the past several seasons but shifted over to second base as the club eyed a defensive upgrade up the middle. However, playing Polanco at shortstop regularly will make it easier to get the hot-hitting Luis Arraez into the lineup on a daily basis now that Donaldson is set to return at third base.
Donaldson ripped a blistering double to the left-center gap in his first at-bat of the season but pulled up a bit when heading into second base. The Twins opted to take the cautious route and place him on the 10-day IL due to a hamstring strain rather than chance a few days of rest and Donaldson worsening the injury. It’s surely frustrating for Twins fans to have already seen Donaldson sidelined with an IL stint, though if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the injury was to his hamstring and not to the calf muscle that has given him frequent trouble over the past three seasons.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Kirilloff moving forward. While he was announced as the 27th man for the upcoming doubleheader, we’re also nearing the point of the schedule at which he could remain in the Major Leagues without accruing a full year of big league service. We’re not quite to that point yet, which makes this a likely one-day promotion, but by this weekend he could return and the promotion could carry some more permanence.
The 23-year-old Kirilloff made his big league debut for the Twins in the playoffs last year and has rated as one of the game’s best all-around prospects since being selected in the first round of the 2016 draft. His proximity to MLB readiness undoubtedly played a role in Minnesota’s decision to non-tender Eddie Rosario this winter.
Kirilloff seemingly had a chance to make the big league roster this spring, but he struggled through a .129/.182/.258 showing in 33 plate appearances. That small sample notwithstanding, he’s a lifetime .317/.365/.498 hitter in the minors and widely regarded as one of baseball’s top 30 overall prospects. Even if it doesn’t happen within the next week, at some point before long, Kirilloff should be expected to get an audition as the everyday left fielder for the Twins.
Several Former Big Leaguers Sign With Mexican League’s Guadalajara Mariachis
6:50pm: Bonifacio’s representatives at CAA tell MLBTR that despite the announcement from Guadalajara, Bonifacio has not signed with the club and remains a free agent.
9:14am: Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, infielder Dawel Lugo and right-hander Justin Grimm are among the former Major Leaguers on the spring roster for the Mexican League’s Guadalajara Mariachis, the team announced this week (Twitter link). Infielders Luis Sardinas and Deven Marrero are on the roster as well, as are pitchers Jason Gurka and Daniel Corcino. All have big league experience, though only Bonifacio, Grimm and Lugo were in the big leagues last season. Five-time MLB All-Star Adrian Gonzalez is also on the roster for the Mariachis, an expansion club in 2021, as was initially reported late last month.
Bonifacio, now 27, looked like a potential option for the Royals in right field back in 2017 when he slugged 17 homers in 113 games as a 24-year-old rookie. He batted .255/.320/.432 that season and was in line for a lengthier audition in 2018 before being hit with an 80-game PED suspension during Spring Training that year. Bonifacio struggled through 270 plate appearances upon returning and was out of the Royals organization a year later. He played in 30 games with the Tigers last season but managed just a .221/.277/.326 slash in 94 trips to the plate.
Grimm was an oft-used and generally successful member of the Cubs’ bullpen from 2014-16, working to a collective 3.36 ERA with a hearty 28 percent strikeout rate against a 10.5 percent walk rate through 171 1/3 innings in that time. He struggled considerably in 2017, however (5.53 ERA in 55 1/3 frames), and has yet to regain his form at the game’s top level. Now 32 years old, Grimm is certainly young enough to make another big league run if he can right the ship pitching with Guadalajara.
Lugo, meanwhile, was the headliner of the prospect package the D-backs sent to the Tigers in exchange for J.D. Martinez back in 2017. The now-26-year-old infielder appeared in the big leagues each season from 2018-20 but didn’t provide much reason for optimism, slashing just .236/.270/.358 in 400 plate appearances.
The 30-year-old Marrero was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in 2012, and while he’s a strong defender he’s never hit much in 163 big league games. Sardinas, 27, was a top prospect back in 2013-14 but hit .224/.274/.292 in 500 big league plate appearances from 2014-18. Gurka and Corcino both briefly reached the Majors between 2014-18, though they have only 40 2/3 total innings combined between them. Corcino does have a 3.97 ERA in his limited time, but he walked nearly as many hitters (13) as he struck out (16) in 22 2/3 innings.
Angels Make Handful Of Roster Moves
The Angels have selected outfielder Jon Jay from their alternate site and placed outfielder Dexter Fowler on the 60-day injured list, the team announced. In other moves, the Angels placed catcher Max Stassi (left thumb sprain) and outfielder Juan Lagares (calf) on the 10-day IL, and they recalled backstop Anthony Bemboom.
The 36-year-old, whom the Angels signed to a minor league contract before the season, has put together a respectable career going back to his Cardinals debut in 2010. However, his numbers plummeted from 2018-20 with the Royals, Diamondbacks and White Sox. He hit a miserable .160/.211/.240 in 57 trips to the plate with Arizona last year, though Jay will get a chance to rebound beginning tonight with Fowler out for the season and both Lagares and Justin Upton (back stiffness) dealing with injuries.
Stassi has typically been known for his defensive acumen, but he has come alive at the plate since 2020. Including a red-hot start this season, Stassi has slashed .292/.371/.538 with eight home runs – albeit over a small sample of 124 PA and 38 games. Bemboom and Kurt Suzuki will handle the catching duties while Stassi is out.
Royals Select Ervin Santana
Right-hander Ervin Santana is returning to the majors for the first time since 2019. The Royals selected the veteran’s contract, placed righty Josh Staumont on the IL for an undisclosed reason, recalled righty Tyler Zuber and optioned infielder/outfielder Ryan McBroom, Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets.
Santana pitched for five big league teams, including the Royals, from 2005-19, and typically produced solid results while eating up a significant number of innings. The 38-year-old has six seasons of 200-plus innings under his belt, 2,421 in total, as well as a 4.09 ERA. While with the Royals in 2013, he fired 211 innings of 3.24 ERA ball, though Santana then rejected KC’s qualifying offer and went through a prolonged stay in free agency before signing with the Braves.
Santana lasted just one year in Atlanta before joining Minnesota, with which he delivered quality seasons in 2016-17. However, a middle finger injury limited Santana to five starts, 24 2/3 innings and an ugly 8.03 ERA. He continued to struggle during his most recent action, as he recorded a 9.45 ERA in three starts and 13 1/3 frames as a member of the White Sox. Santana finished the year in the Mets organization, but he didn’t pitch for them that season, and he sat out 2020 before signing a minors pact with the Royals.
Santana has started in 384 of 387 appearances, though it remains to be seen which role he’ll fill now. Notably, Royals starters have put up a 5.56 ERA – the sixth-worst mark in baseball.
Rangers Place Ronald Guzman On 10-Day IL, Select Adolis Garcia
The Rangers have placed first baseman/outfielder Ronald Guzman on the 10-day injured list with a meniscus cartilage tear in his right knee, per a team announcement. In other moves, the team selected outfielder Adolis Garcia‘s contract and transferred injured right-hander Matt Bush from the 10-day IL to the 60-day version.
It isn’t known yet whether Guzman will require surgery, but either way, it seems likely he’ll miss a fair amount of time. Guzman suffered the injury Monday during his first career start in left field and had to leave on a cart. It’s the latest tough development for the 26-year-old, who has generally struggled to produce dating back to his 2018 debut. Guzman took 17 trips to the plate this year before suffering the injury and batted just .063/.118/.250.
Garcia, whom the Rangers acquired from the Cardinals in 2019, saw brief major league action over the prior two seasons. He has hit .087/.125/.130 in 24 PA.
Cubs Place Matt Duffy On COVID IL, Select Ildemaro Vargas
The Cubs have placed infielder Matt Duffy on the COVID-19 list and selected the contract of fellow infelder Ildemaro Vargas from their alternate site, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic tweets.
Duffy is the fourth Cubs player to land on the COVID list this week, joining pitchers Jason Adam, Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler. As Sharma notes, though, it doesn’t necessarily mean Duffy tested positive.
Chicago claimed Vargas via waivers from the Twins last September, but he lost his 40-man roster spot when the Cubs designated him for assignment in March. Vargas remained with the organization after clearing waivers. Also a former Diamondback, the light-hitting Vargas carries a .254/.282/.391 line in 298 plate appearances, though he does offer plenty of defensive versatility in the infield.
Diamondbacks Sign Josh Reddick To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Josh Reddick to a minors contract, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Reddick will receive $750K in guaranteed salary if he makes the team’s Major League roster.
It was a quiet offseason for Reddick news, as there weren’t any publicly-known reports of teams interested in the 34-year-old’s services on the free agent market. Reddick’s contract with the D’Backs could have been aided by a couple of personal connections — as Piecoro notes, both GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Ariel Sawdaye were both working in the Red Sox organization when Reddick began his career in Boston.
A veteran of 12 big league seasons with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, and Astros, Reddick comes to Arizona on the heels of a four-year, $52MM free agent contract with Houston signed prior to the 2017 season. Reddick arguably delivered on that commitment in the first season alone, hitting .314/.363/.484 over 540 PA to help the Astros capture the 2017 World Series title.
Over the last three years, however, Reddick has produced at a below-average (92 OPS+, 96 wRC+) pace, hitting .258/.318/.400 over 1247 PA. He also became essentially a reverse-splits player, with his left-handed bat doing better against southpaws than against right-handed pitching.
Reddick will provide some outfield depth to a D’Backs team that is missing its best player in Ketel Marte, who is on the injured list with a strained hamstring. Reddick could theoretically see a bit of center field action in a pinch, but is better served as a corner outfielder, though his right field defense took a big dropoff last season in the view of the Outs Above Average (-5), Defensive Runs Saved (-3) and UZR/150 (-22.3) metrics. The Diamondbacks don’t have much in the way of experience among their backup outfield options, though like Reddick, Josh Rojas, Josh VanMeter, and Pavin Smith are all left-handed hitters. (Corner outfield starters David Peralta and Kole Calhoun also swing from the left side of the plate.)
Angels Place Anthony Rendon On 10-Day IL
The Angels have placed star third baseman Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Rendon suffered the injury Saturday, and the Angels are hopeful he won’t miss more time than 10 days, according to manager Joe Maddon.
Rendon, a former National whom LA signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract before 2020, has been a smash success in an Angels uniform. He was one of the most valuable players in baseball last season, when he batted .286/.418/.497 (154 wRC+) with nine home runs in 232 plate appearances and tied for fifth in the majors in fWAR (2.7). Rendon hasn’t been that hot at the start of this season, but he has slashed a more-than-respectable .290/.378/.387 with a homer in 37 trips to the plate.
Along with placing Rendon on the IL, the Angels called up infielder Jack Mayfield, selected right-hander Ben Rowen and optioned righty Jaime Barria. Mayfield and Jose Rojas will help fill in for Rendon during his absence, while Rowen could see his first major league action since he was a member of the Brewers in 2016. The Angels signed the longtime farmhand to a minor league contract in the offseason.
Rockies To Sign Chris Rusin
Left-hander Chris Rusin has agreed to a minor league contract with the Rockies, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets.
This will be the second stint in the Colorado organization for the 34-year-old Rusin, who appeared in the majors with the Rockies in each season from 2015-19. During his best two-year stretch with the team, 2016-17, Rusin ate up 169 1/3 innings and recorded a stingy 3.19 ERA with a quality 6.1 percent walk rate and a similarly impressive 58.5 percent groundball mark.
Unfortunately, Rusin’s career has fallen off track since his halcyon days with the Rockies. He struggled to a 6.09 ERA over 54 1/3 frames in 2018 and then dealt with back problems in 2019, when he threw only one inning. Rusin latched on with the Braves last year, though he totaled just 3 1/3 innings and yielded three runs before they released him in September.
Also a former Cub, the 34-year-old Rusin owns a 4.65 ERA/4.10 SIERA with a 16.8 percent strikeout rate, a walk percentage of 7.6 and a 53.2 percent grounder rate in 468 2/3 big league innings.