Astros Outright Luis Contreras
The Astros have sent right-hander Luis Contreras outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment earlier this week when the club signed righty Enyel De Los Santos.
Contreras, 29, will stick with the Astros as non-roster depth. He has less than three years of big league service time and does not have a previous career outright. That means he does not have the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency.
He will therefore have to report to the Space Cowboys and try to pitch his way back onto the roster. His big league track record is still quite limited. He has pitched 18 innings for the Astros across this season and the 2024 campaign. He allowed 15 earned runs in that time via 18 hits and 10 walks while striking out 19. His minor league track record is greater in both quality and quantity. He has thrown 76 1/3 innings for the Space Cowboys since the start of 2024 with a 2.36 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
White Sox Release Gus Varland
The White Sox have released right-hander Gus Varland, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment earlier this week when the Sox selected infielder Jacob Amaya.
A release was inevitable once Varland entered DFA limbo. A trade wasn’t possible since the deadline had passed. Varland was also on the minor league injured list at the time of his DFA. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers.
He’ll now head to the open market and see what offers await him. He won’t be able to help any club in the short term. Per Scott Merkin of MLB.com, a forearm strain sent him to the IL earlier this year. James Fegan of Sox Machine reports that Varland now has a lat strain, suggesting he may be out for the rest of the year.
Clubs should still be interested in Varland as a long-term play. The 28-year-old has some major league success on his track record. Overall, he has a 4.82 earned run average in 46 2/3 innings, but his most recent big league stretch was better than that. The Sox claimed him off waivers from the Dodgers in August of last year. After that claim, he went on to toss 20 1/3 innings for the Sox down the stretch with a 3.54 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate, 4.7% walk rate and 40.4% ground ball rate.
Here in 2025, he had a rough spring and started the season on optional assignment in the minors. He made just two appearances before landing on the IL. He tried rehabbing in June but that rehab assignment only lasted six appearances. Varland will still have an option remaining after this season and less than a year of service time. Even though he can’t help this year, teams will be interested in him for 2026 and beyond.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/9/25
Leading up to the trade deadline, dozens of moves were made. In the wake of those trades, several players were designated for assignment. Here are the results of a few recent DFAs which MLBTR hasn’t yet covered…
- Right-hander Sean Hjelle has been sent outright to Triple-A Sacramento, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment by the Giants when they traded Tyler Rogers to the Mets. Two of the players the Giants received, José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, required 40-man roster spots. The departure of Rogers opened one spot, with Hjelle DFA’d to open another. This was Hjelle’s first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, meaning he didn’t have the right to elect free agency. He will give the Giants non-roster depth and try to earn his way back to the majors. His Triple-A numbers have been good this year, having tossed 41 2/3 innings with a 2.81 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 52.7% ground ball rate.
- Left-hander Zach Penrod has been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment by the Dodgers when left-hander Blake Snell was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. This was his first career outright and he has less than three years of big league service time, meaning he had to accept the assignment. Penrod was just acquired from the Red Sox in a DFA trade in June and was kept on optional assignment, so he still hasn’t pitched for the Dodgers in the majors.
- Right-hander Connor Gillispie has been outrighted to Triple-A St. Paul, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment by the Twins in late July when Michael Tonkin was selected. This was Gillispie’s first career outright and he has less than three years of big league service time, meaning he had to accept the assignment. He reported to the Saints but they put him on the minor league injured list a few days later. It’s unclear what his current health status is but he hasn’t pitched since July 27th.
- Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb is back with the Tigers on a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment in late July when Detroit signed Luke Jackson. Hartlieb cleared waivers and elected free agency, which was his right as a player with a previous career outright, but reunited with the Tigers on a new minor league deal. He has a 7.95 career ERA in the majors but better minor league numbers. He has tossed 41 Triple-A innings this year with a 3.29 ERA, 27.5% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate and 40.6% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Eakin Howard, Imagn Images
A’s Place Luis Severino On 15-Day IL Due To Oblique Strain
The Athletics announced that Luis Severino has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain. Left-hander Hogan Harris was called up from Triple-A to take Severino’s spot on the active roster.
The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, but anything more than a Grade 1 strain (the least-serious type) could put the remainder of Severino’s 2025 season in jeopardy. Since the A’s are out of contention, the team might choose to just shut the right-hander down if he’s going to miss anything beyond six weeks of action, as there would be little point in bringing Severino just to make a token start or two at season’s end.
Severino’s injury adds another layer to what has been an unusual first season for the veteran’s Athletics tenure. The A’s shocked many in the baseball world last winter with an uncharacteristic spending splurge when they signed Severino a three-year, $67MM free agent contract. Even if this deal and other relatively larger expenditures from the A’s were as much about avoiding a grievance from the players’ union as much as they were about improving the roster, on paper Severino certainly seemed like a solid addition to the club’s pitching staff.
Instead, Severino has a 4.82 ERA over 136 1/3 innings, as well as very poor strikeout and whiff rates. While Severino hasn’t missed many bats over his last few seasons, he has allowed far more hard contact this year than he did during his more successful 2024 campaign with the Mets.
The story of Severino’s 2025 season may lie in his home/road splits, as the righty has a 3.17 ERA over 65 1/3 away innings and a garish 6.34 ERA in 71 innings at Sutter Health Park. Severino has been public about his displeasure with playing in the minor league ballpark, and this reportedly made A’s management eager to trade the righty. Despite some rumors, no deal was struck prior to the deadline, which isn’t surprising given how the Athletics reportedly weren’t keen on eating much or any of Severino’s salary to accommodate any potential move.
Severino is owed $20MM in 2026, and he has a $22MM player option for the 2027 season. Given his feelings about Sutter Health Park, an opt-out might seem like a possibility even if his numbers continue to be uninspiring, which perhaps creates an unusual situation for both the player and the team down the road. Barring a trade for another team’s unwelcome contract, Severino’s opt-out clause and recent performance would make an offseason move tricky, and this oblique strain now adds another wrinkle to the situation.
Padres Release Mike Brosseau
The Padres released infielder Mike Brosseau from his minor league contract on Friday, as initially reported by the Mad Friars website. Brousseau inked his deal with San Diego back in December, but didn’t receive any time on the active roster during his stint in the organization.
With only a .222/.308/.358 slash line over 344 plate appearances with Triple-A El Paso, Brosseau didn’t do much to force the issue for a call-up. Even with the Padres hurting for bench depth for much of the season, it would seem that Brosseau simply didn’t hit enough to get himself on the team’s radar. It perhaps didn’t help that Brosseau has played almost exclusively as a third baseman in El Paso, and the Padres naturally had no needs at that position due to Manny Machado‘s presence.
Brosseau hit .242/.313/.428 over 647 plate appearances with the Rays and Brewers from 2019-23. He posted particularly big numbers during the shortened 2020 season for Tampa Bay’s pennant-winning club, and also hit well in 2019 and 2022. However, Brosseau’s numbers tailed off during the 2023 season, and the Brewers released him midway through the season so Brosseau could sign with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball. That brief stint in Japan was followed up by minor league contracts with the Royals and Mets during the 2024 season, before Brosseau signed on with the Padres this past offseason.
Though most of his 2025 has been spent at the hot corner, Brosseau has plenty of experience at a first and second baseman, plus he has played as a shortstop and at both corner infield slots in the past. Teams could have interest in adding Brosseau for the remainder of the 2025 campaign either as a depth option, or just to fill out any Triple-A roster vacancy left open by prospect trades at the deadline.
Brewers Place Logan Henderson On 15-Day IL Due To Flexor Strain
Prior to yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Mets, the Brewers placed right-hander Logan Henderson on the 15-day injured list with what was initially termed as elbow inflammation. Manager Pat Murphy revealed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) postgame that an MRI indicated Henderson is dealing with a right flexor strain. A rehab timeline isn’t yet known, but it is at least a good sign that the rookie pitcher has avoided structural damage.
Henderson had been scheduled to start today’s game, but Tobias Myers will now take the ball for his first start since May 17. Milwaukee called Myers up from Triple-A Nashville in the corresponding move for Henderson’s IL placement. Reliever Shelby Miller (acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline) was also activated from the 15-day IL, with right-hander Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A on Thursday to open up roster space in advance of Miller’s reinstatement.
It was just a week ago that Henderson was himself recalled from Triple-A as an injury replacement, taking over Jacob Misiorowski‘s rotation spot after Misiorowski was sidelined by a left tibia contusion. Since that injury wasn’t considered to be too serious, it is possible Misiorowski could be activated from the 15-day IL when first eligible on August 15. Since the Brew Crew have an off-day on Thursday, Myers might just be needed for one turn in the rotation if all goes well with Misiorowski’s recovery.
Milwaukee’s rotation was crushed by injuries in the first few weeks of the season, which opened the door for Henderson to make his Major League debut on April 20. He was optioned back to Nashville after that outing, called back for three more starts in May, then sent down again until his return to the big leagues last week.
It is a testament to the Brewers’ pitching depth that Henderson has been a spare part, even though he has a 1.78 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, and an 8.1% walk rate over his first 25 1/3 innings in the Show. His 3.12 SIERA is only slightly less impressive, and Henderson has benefited from the big outlier of a 96.2% strand rate, and a favorable .255 BABIP. This batted-ball luck is noteworthy since Henderson has only a 22.8% grounder rate, but opposing batters are only making hard contact 33.2% of the time against the righty’s offerings.
Between these numbers in the majors and a 3.59 ERA over 77 2/3 Triple-A frames, there has been a lot to like about Henderson’s 2025 season. A fourth-round pick for the Brewers in the 2021 draft, Henderson has lined himself up nicely to be a big part of the club’s rotation plans going forward, probably as soon as 2026. Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana are both expected to become free agents this winter once their mutual options are declined, leaving a couple of holes to be filled on the pitching staff.
This assumes, of course, that Henderson is able to recover properly from this flexor strain. Even a relatively minor strain will certainly result in more than 15 days on the IL, just out of natural precaution about arm-related injuries. It is probably safe to rule Henderson out for the remainder of August, and his availability for the rest of the regular season (and the playoffs) could potentially be in jeopardy. As noted by McCalvy, Henderson’s injury history includes a surgery to fix a fractured elbow, which limited him to 13 2/3 innings during the 2022 minor league season.
Cubs Sign Forrest Wall To Minor League Deal
The Cubs are in agreement with outfielder Forrest Wall on a minor league contract, reports Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register. He opted out of a non-roster deal with the Padres last week.
Wall had spent the entire season in Triple-A with San Diego. He hit .298/.384/.429 while going 21-22 in stolen base attempts. Wall only hit four home runs but reached base at a strong clip behind a high batting average and a solid 10.4% walk rate. That wasn’t enough to get an MLB look from the Padres. Wall did get brief big league stints with the Braves and Marlins last year, combining for 16 games. He had eight hits (all singles) with a trio of walks and eight strikeouts in 35 plate appearances.
A former supplemental first-round pick, Wall has played parts of six Triple-A seasons. He owns a .273/.360/.391 slash in nearly 1900 trips to the plate. Wall is a plus runner who has played all three outfield positions, but his big league experience has mostly come in left field. He’s a patient hitter but doesn’t have a ton of power and only makes contact at a league average rate.
The Cubs have a crowded outfield picture. Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker have the spots secure. Seiya Suzuki is at designated hitter but would play the corner outfield in the event of an injury. Kevin Alcantara and top prospect Owen Caissie are on the 40-man roster and on optional assignment. Wall’s best path to a big league job is probably as a September call-up who could serve as a pinch-runner. He has more than 300 steals in nearly 1000 career minor league games.
Giants Select Drew Gilbert, Designate Daniel Johnson For Assignment
The Giants announced that outfielder Jerar Encarnación has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 7th, with a right hamstring strain. To fill his spot on the active roster, they have selected outfielder Drew Gilbert. To open a 40-man spot for Gilbert, outfielder Daniel Johnson has been designated for assignment.
Gilbert, 24, has been in the system less than two weeks. He was one of three players the Giants acquired when trading Tyler Rogers to the Mets ahead of the deadline. That was actually the second trade of Gilbert’s career. Originally drafted by the Astros, he was sent to the Mets in the 2023 deadline deal which sent Justin Verlander back to Houston.
Though he was once seen as a top 100 prospect, his stock isn’t quite that high anymore. Baseball America ranked him as the #77 prospect in all of baseball ahead of the 2023 season. Gilbert had just been drafted 28th overall in the summer of 2022. He then made his professional debut by playing ten games in the lower levels of Houston’s system, slashing .313/.405/.531 in a tiny sample of 39 plate appearances.
As he has climbed the minor league ladder, he has continued to perform, though it’s possible he may be a decent all-around player without a standout tool. This year, he has 408 minor league plate appearances. His 12.3% walk rate and 16.2% strikeout rate are both better than average. He has hit 14 home runs and stolen six bases. His combined .262/.369/.466 batting line leads to a 119 wRC+. He has played all three outfield positions.
BA listed him as the #14 prospect in the Mets’ system prior to last month’s trade. They note that he is basically decent at everything. He makes contact and hits a few home runs. He’s an above-average runner. While he can hold his own in center, he might be destined for right field.
For the Giants, he’s a sensible flier to take. Rogers is 34 years old and was about to hit free agency. Once the club slid in the standings, they made it their priority to focus on the future. They also traded Mike Yastrzemski, opening some outfield playing time. Encarnación’s injury opens up some more, at least for the short term.
Going into next year, the Giants have two outfield spots spoken for by Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos. They can use the remainder of their season to get a look at Gilbert and see if he can earn a spot. Guys like Grant McCray, Luis Matos, Marco Luciano and Wade Meckler could also be in the mix, though the latter three are all on pace to be out of options next year. That could make it harder for them to hold a 40-man spot through the winter.
Johnson, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Giants in May. He was selected to the 40-man roster in June. He has since slashed .172/.226/.345 in 31 plate appearances. That gives him a career .193/.238/.336 line in 126 trips to the plate, dating back to his 2020 debut.
Now that he’s been bumped into DFA limbo and the trade deadline has passed, he’ll have to be placed on waivers. He has generally hit well in the minors. Dating back to the start of 2023, he has a combined .267/.333/.469 line and 107 wRC+ on the farm. He is still optionable for the rest of this season but will be out of options next year.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Rockies Select Kyle Karros, Aaron Schunk
The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of infielders Kyle Karros and Aaron Schunk. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported on those promotions prior to the official announcement. In corresponding moves, they have placed infielder Orlando Arcia on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation, transferred infielder Thairo Estrada to the 60-day IL and placed right-hander Angel Chivilli on the restricted list. It’s unclear why Chivilli has been placed on the restricted list.
Karros, 23, is the son of Eric Karros. The younger Karros was Colorado’s fifth-round draft pick in 2023. Since then, he has been climbing the minor league ladder, generally putting up good numbers. He has taken 1,010 minor league plate appearances across multiple levels with an 11.5% walk rate, 20.4% strikeout rate, .304/.393/.459 batting line and 135 wRC+. That includes a .301/.398/.476 line this year, mostly at Double-A but also with a few games at the Complex League and at Triple-A.
Baseball America currently lists him as the #14 prospect in the Rockies’ system. Their report notes that he is a strong defender at third base with a good arm. His offensive profile is highlighted by his contact ability, which matches with his numbers. His strikeout and walk numbers are good but he doesn’t appear to have a ton of power. He hit 15 home runs in High-A last year but has just six so far in 2025.
Schunk, 28, was outrighted off the roster in June. He has a dismal .230/.254/.311 line in 127 big league plate appearances. His minor league work has been better but still subpar. From 2023 to the present, he has 1,065 Triple-A plate appearances. His .293/.344/.469 line in that time looks impressive at first glance but actually translates to an 87 wRC+ in the context of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
The Colorado infield took a few recent hits. Estrada landed on the 10-day IL two days ago due to a right hamstring strain. With today’s transfer to the 60-day IL, his season is done. With Arcia landing on the 10-day IL today, that’s two infield vacancies created this week. The club also lost Ryan Ritter to the IL last month due to a finger laceration.
Those injuries have created openings for Karros and Schunk. The Rockies don’t have a lot to play for this year but have long-term opportunities available. Aside from Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop, there’s not much certainty in the infield for future seasons. Guys like Warming Bernabel and Adael Amador are already getting some big league at-bats and now Karros and Schunk can join them.
Circling back to Estrada, this is the final nail in the coffin for his very challenging season. He had a solid three-year run with the Giants from 2021 to 2023. He slashed .266/.320/.416 for a 105 wRC+ in that time while stealing 45 bases and bouncing around the diamond to all three outfield spots and the three infield positions to the left of first base.
He had a rough campaign last year, however. He went to the IL multiple times due to left wrist sprains and slashed just .217/.247/.343 for a 65 wRC+. The Rockies gave him $4MM for 2025 with the hope of a return to form, a logical bet for a rebuilding club. If Estrada had been able to get back to his previous level of production, he could have been an intriguing midseason trade candidate.
That did not come to pass. He was hit by a pitch in spring training and broke his right wrist. That put him on the IL for the first two months of the season. He also missed time with a sprained left thumb and now this hamstring strain has put him out for the rest of the campaign. Around those injuries, he only got into 39 games and hit .253/.285/.370. He can be retained for 2026 via arbitration but is surely going to be non-tendered. He will return to the open market but his appeal should be light on the heels of these two injury-marred seasons.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Rays Designate Connor Seabold For Assignment, Select Tristan Peters
The Rays announced that they have placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 7th, with a left hamstring strain. They have selected fellow outfielder Tristan Peters to take his active roster spot. To open a 40-man spot for Peters, right-hander Connor Seabold has been designated for assignment. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported on the moves prior to the official announcement.
Peters, 25, gets called up to the big leagues for the first time. The Brewers selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. He was sent to the Giants in the 2022 trade which sent Trevor Rosenthal to Milwaukee. A few months later, he was flipped to the Rays in the deal which sent Brett Wisely to the Giants.
Since joining the Rays, Peters’ offense has been up and down. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A, he has a combined .264/.358/.425 line since the start of 2023. His 11.8% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate are both decent figures. However, he has modest power. His career high for home runs in a season is 12, set last year. He was on pace to get past that, having hit 11 so far in Triple-A this season. His 2025 slash line is .282/.370/.453, good for a 117 wRC+.
He doesn’t show up on lists of the top prospects in the system but he seems to be a solidly well-rounded player. His strikeout and walk rates are better than par. He doesn’t hit a ton of home runs but has notched a few. He generally gets to double digits in terms of stolen bases as well, having swiped 11 bags this year. He has also played all three outfield spots. He’ll jump into the club’s outfield mix, replacing DeLuca. Since this is his first time coming up to the show, he has a full slate of options and can be easily sent back down in the future.
Seabold, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rays in the offseason. He was selected to the big league roster in May but he has largely been on optional assignment since then. He has only appeared in three games of the Rays, having tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven.
His work in the minors hasn’t been strong this year. He has been in a swing role, having made ten starts and six relief appearances. In his 61 innings, he has a 6.49 ERA, 21% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.
Seabold now heads into DFA limbo. Since the trade deadline has passed, he’ll be placed on waivers soon, if he hasn’t already. It’s been a few years since he looked good in affiliated ball but he had a good year in Korea in 2024. He tossed 160 innings for the Samsung Lions with a 3.43 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images