Reds Designate Scott Schebler For Assignment, Add Brooks Raley To 40-Man Roster
The Reds have added left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley to the 40-man roster and have designated outfielder Scott Schebler for assignment, as reported by Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Schebler, a mainstay on Reds teams of 2017 and 2018, has seen himself swiftly fall out of favor with the club as it collects a new crop of young outfielders. Jesse Winker, Phil Ervin, Nick Senzel, and Aristides Aquino have overtaken Schebler for playing time, and new arrivals Nicholas Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama only further cut into Schebler’s role.
Last year was a disaster for the 29-year-old Schebler, who limped to a .123/.253/.222 batting line, albeit in just 95 plate appearances. In the two years prior, however, Schebler was a different player, even reaching the 30-homer benchmark in 2017. From 2017-2018, he notched a .785 OPS while playing all three outfield positions on a consistent basis. That’s a player who can provide some value for a team, and teams with a thin outfield mix should have some interest in Schebler, who must either be traded or exposed to the other 29 teams via waivers in the next 7 days. Should he pass through waivers, he may then be released or assigned outright to the minors. That’s not a given, though, and he may be worth a claim as a depth outfielder.
Raley, meanwhile, is a particularly interesting case: the 32-year-old southpaw hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since 2013, when he was with the Cubs. After a stint in the Angels’ and Twins’ minor league systems, he commuted to South Korea, where he’s played in the KBO since 2015.
He’s getting a chance with the Reds this year as a non-roster invitee, and now he’s parlayed that into a spot on the 40-man roster. Nothing is certain, but there’s a decent chance he cracks Cincinnati’s Opening Day 30, joining a bullpen that will be key to the Reds’ performance this year. There’s no question that the rotation can be up there with the best in the National League, but the bullpen will need to collectively improve if they’re to compete in the Central division.
In five seasons with the KBO’s Lotte Giants, Raley threw 910 2/3 innings, making at least 30 starts every year. He struck out a total of 755 batters and posted a 4.13 ERA. Last year was his best in terms of home run prevention, but he also surrendered more walks than ever.
Mets Add Rene Rivera To 40-Man Roster
The Mets have added catcher Rene Rivera to the 40-man roster, according to Tim Healey of Newsday. The 36-year-old Rivera signed a minor league contract with the Mets in January and was named to the 60-player pool.
This offseason was the second consecutive winter in which the Mets brought Rivera aboard on a minor league pact, and the third time they’ve done so since 2016.
Rivera figures to be penciled firmly into the Mets’ third catcher spot, behind starter Wilson Ramos and Tomas Nido. Last year he emerged as Noah Syndergaard’s “personal catcher,” and while Syndergaard won’t be on the field this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Rivera is nonetheless respected as a solid defensive catcher and offers serviceable depth beyond Ramos and the light-hitting Nido.
Rivera himself doesn’t offer much offensively, with a career batting line of just .221/.272/.354 over 1,547 plate appearances. And while he only got into 9 games for the Mets last year, he evidently brought enough to the table to earn himself a spot on the 40-man roster. With teams deploying a three-player taxi squad, one of whom is required to be a catcher, it seems that Rivera is tailor-made for the role.
Padres Add 3 To Player Pool
The Padres announced today that they have added left-handed pitcher Daniel Camarena, right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis, and outfielder Abraham Almonte to the 60-man player pool. In addition, lefty Tim Hill, acquired from the Royals on Thursday, has reported to Padres camp. After the roster moves, there are 55 players in the Padres’ pool.
Yacabonis broke into the Majors in 2017 with the Orioles, and has appeared in parts of three seasons with Baltimore. He’s gotten playing time as both a starter and reliever, though he hasn’t found great success in either role. In 41 innings last year, he struck out 33 batters but walked 24, also struggling to prevent home runs. His career ERA is 5.75. He figures to settle into a relief role with the Padres, though he’s a longshot to crack the Opening Day roster.
Almonte, a switch-hitting 31-year-old outfielder, was brought aboard on a minor league contract last December, getting a bid in Padres camp as a non-roster invitee. It’s his second stint in San Diego, as he spent parts of 2014 and 2015 with the team. Last year, he played in 17 games for the Diamondbacks. For his career, he owns a .239/.298/.373 batting line, also making stops with the Mariners, Indians, and Royals.
Camarena, 27, has yet to debut in the Majors since the Yankees made him a 20th-round draft choice in 2011. He’s also made stints with the Twins and Giants before the Yankees re-signed in 2019. He’s reached Triple-A in each of the last four years, but has failed to find sustained success at the level. Last year, he played in 18 games at Triple-A, notching a 6.27 ERA. He threw 103 1/3 innings and posted 94 strikeouts.
Twins Release Jhoulys Chacin
Right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin requested his release from the Twins today, and he is no longer in camp with the team, according to Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Chacin had inked a minor-league deal with the Twins in February which included an opt-out clause that allowed him to enter free agency. The 32-year-old will hit the open market in hopes of latching on with another team ahead of Opening Day.
Chacin signed on in the winter with a chance to compete for a spot in the back of the Twins’ rotation, representing an insurance option against Michael Pineda‘s suspension and the health of Rich Hill. Chacin would’ve competed with Randy Dobnak and Devin Smeltzer, but after subsequently acquiring starter Kenta Maeda and with Hill back to full strength, the need for Chacin has diminished. Presently, the Twins’ rotation is shaping up to consist of Maeda, Hill, Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, and Homer Bailey.
Last year was a frustrating one for Chacin, who went from starting Opening Day for Milwaukee to being released in August. That came after he stumbled to a 5.79 ERA through 19 starts with the Brewers. A September run with the Red Sox didn’t go much better, with his ERA climbing to 7.36 in a handful of appearances.
Still, Chacin authored an impressive stretch in 2017 and 2018, posting a cumulative 3.69 ERA in 67 starts with the Padres and Brewers. He has never been much of a strikeout specialist, as he averaged just 7.5 K/9 in those two years, but his increased reliance on his slider made him a tougher matchup for hitters. Last year, home runs were Chacin’s downfall, and teams looking at Chacin will have to decide if the 21% HR/FB rate was simply a streak of bad luck, or indicative of the pitcher Chacin will be this year and beyond.
Athletics Release Ryan Goins
The Athletics announced they’ve released infielder Ryan Goins. The 32-year-old had been in the A’s Summer Camp player pool after joining the organization on a minor-league deal over the offseason.
Goins is most well-known for his time with the Blue Jays from 2013-17. Over that stretch, he logged pretty significant playing time in the middle infield. He’s long rated well defensively (especially at second base), but has never managed anything approaching a league average season at the plate. For his career, he carries just a .230/.279/.335 line (65 wRC+) in 1680 plate appearances.
Since leaving Toronto, Goins has suited up with the 2018 Royals and 2019 White Sox, marking seven consecutive seasons of big league action. He’ll presumably now look to latch on with another club looking to bolster its infield depth.
Royals Add Jake Brentz To Player Pool
The Royals added reliever Jake Brentz to their Summer Camp player pool this week, reports Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link). He has been assigned to their alternate training site in Kansas City, Kansas, per MiLB.com.
Originally an 11th-round selection of the Blue Jays, Brentz has yet to make the majors but has twice been traded as a prospect. He was sent from the Toronto organization to the Mariners as part of a package for reliever Mark Lowe. Seattle would move him for MLB middle relief help as well, including him in a package to pick up Arquimedes Caminero from the Pirates. Pittsburgh released Brentz last August; he hooked on with the Royals on a minor-league deal shortly thereafter.
The 25-year-old has spent the better part of the past three seasons in the high minors, where he’s been undercut by control issues. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Brentz has a combined 6.10 ERA with an unpalatable 7.5 BB/9. He’s also shown some swing-and-miss stuff, though, registering 10.3 K/9 over that same period. He’ll be on hand as left-handed relief depth for a Royals club that just traded its top southpaw, Tim Hill, to acquire Franchy Cordero and Ronald Bolanos from the Padres.
LaMarre, Herrmann Exercise Opt-Out Clauses In Rays Contracts
8:44PM: Ryan LaMarre has also been released after exercising his own opt-out clause, Topkin reports (Twitter link). The outfielder has hit .236/.286/.338 over 246 PA in five Major League seasons, with the bulk (180 PA) of that playing time coming with the Twins and White Sox in 2018. LaMarre inked a minors deal with Tampa after being let go by Minnesota last fall.
5:54PM: Catcher Chris Herrmann has requested his release from the Rays after enacting the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the club, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin reports (Twitter link). Herrmann signed the club back in January.
Mike Zunino is slated to be the Rays’ starting catcher, with Michael Perez in line for backup duty and Kevan Smith and Ronaldo Hernandez also part of the 60-man player pool. It is clear that Herrmann didn’t like his chances of moving up the depth chart, and will now seek out a better opportunity elsewhere. Speculatively, the Pirates and Giants stand out as obvious potential landing spots — the Bucs just lost Luke Maile to a season-ending finger injury, while Buster Posey‘s decision to sit out the 2020 season has left San Francisco without a starting catcher.
Though Herrmann has at times flashed some hitting potential over his eight MLB seasons, he has been a below-average offensive producer overall, with a career .205/.282/.344 slash line and 25 home runs over 992 career plate appearances. The bulk of that playing time came with the Twins and Diamondbacks from 2012-17, though Herrmann hit well in 87 PA with the Mariners in 2018 before suffering through an injury-plagued 2019 campaign in Oakland. Herrmann’s ability to play first base and both corner outfield spots gives him more of a versatile resume than your average backup catcher, which could help his chances of catching on with a new team.
Phillies Release Logan Forsythe, Francisco Liriano; Neil Walker To Make Opening Day Roster
The Phillies announced a series of roster moves, including the news that left-hander Francisco Liriano and infielder Logan Forsythe have been granted releases. Infielder Neil Walker, meanwhile, has been told he will be on Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster, so the team will be officially selecting his minor league contract at some point between now and the first game. In other moves, catcher Henri Lartigue has been removed from the Summer Camp player pool and righty Victor Arano was optioned to Triple-A.
Liriano and Forsythe both had opt-out decisions coming this week, and it seems as if the club gave them an early start on the open market since neither were in the Phillies’ plans. Walker, by contrast, also had an opt-out clause but will now receive the prorated sum of his original (non-specified) guarantee for making the big league team.
Forsythe and Walker were among several veteran infielders added by the Phillies this winter, as Josh Harrison, Ronald Torreyes, and Phil Gosselin were also signed to minor league deals. The latter trio is still in camp, though it remains to be seen how many other roster spots will be available. Scott Kingery is back after recovering from COVID-19 though it isn’t yet known if he’ll be ready for Opening Day, while star prospect Alec Bohm figures to arrive at some point in 2020, perhaps once service time considerations are no longer a factor.
Walker, 34, hit .261/.344/.395 with eight homers over 381 PA with Miami last season, delivering roughly league-average (98 OPS+, 99 wRC+) offensive production. The switch-hitting Walker did much of his damage from the left side of the plate last season, as has been the norm for much of his career.
It seemed as if Forsythe was having a comeback season for the first two months of his tenure with the Rangers last season, but a hot start quickly turned, and the 33-year-old ended up with only a .227/.325/.353 slash line from 367 PA. Forsythe will now look to catch on with his fifth different organization within the last two years.
There was some doubt as to whether or not Liriano would play at all during the 2020 season, as the southpaw reportedly considered sitting out due to COVID-19 concerns before eventually showing up at Philadelphia’s camp. 2019 saw Liriano work exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his long career, and he delivered a 3.47 ERA, 1.80 K/BB rate, 50.3% grounder rate, and 8.1 K/9 over 70 innings out of the Pirates’ bullpen. As you would expect, Liriano performed better against left-handed batters (holding them to a .659 OPS) but also held righty swingers to a respectable .730 OPS.
Beyond these numbers, however, Liriano also allowed a lot of hard contract, so there is some uncertainty as to whether he’d be able to replicate his solid 2019 statistics again. Given teams’ ever-present need for left-handed pitching, one would think Liriano will be able to find another minor league deal elsewhere.
Matt Adams Elects Free Agency
First baseman Matt Adams has exercised the opt-out clause in the minor-league contract he signed with the Mets, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He’s now a free agent. Adams had been included in the Mets’ 60-player pool.
Adams will look for an opportunity with a new team, with the Mets’ group of position players making it unlikely that Adams would find significant playing time this year, even with the National League playing with a Designated Hitter.
With Pete Alonso firmly entrenched at first base and Dominic Smith right behind him, Adams fell firmly behind that combination in the Mets’ pecking order. Smith will likely get priority as the Mets allocate DH at-bats, and Yoenis Cespedes figures to get some run in that role ahead of Adams.
Adams, 31, was a contributor on last year’s title-winning Nationals team, making 333 plate appearances and slugging 20 homers for the Nats. But his overall performance offensively was nothing special, as he tallied a mediocre .741 OPS. And for a player who’s limited defensively, average offense is often not enough to justify clearing space in the lineup for his bat.
That said, Adams is a decent bet to latch on with another club as a situational role-player. He’s made a living as a pinch hitter and reserve bat, and with a track record of solid power numbers, there are certainly teams who can make use of his skillset.
Braves Add Josh Tomlin, Yonder Alonso To 40-Man Roster
The Atlanta Braves added Josh Tomlin and Yonder Alonso to the 40-man roster today, per David O’Brien of The Athletic.
Tomlin, 35, spent last season in the Braves bullpen. It was his first year away from the Cleveland Indians, where he spent the first nine years of his career as a sometimes-regular piece of the rotation. Pitching out of the Braves pen in 2019, Tomlin appeared 50 times (with 1 start as well), going 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA/4.49 FIP across 79 1/3 innings. He’ll continue to be a long man for the Braves in 2020.
Alonso has bounced around in recent seasons since his days as a regular first baseman with the Padres and A’s. After coming up with the Reds, he has also appeared in the bigs with the Mariners, Indians, White Sox, and Rockies.
The Braves’ roster construction has gone through a number of potential iterations since the restart was announced. Freddie Freeman‘s debut was at risk after he tested positive for coronavirus, but their franchise first baseman is back and he plans to be ensconced in the middle of the lineup by Opening Day.
Still, Alonso provides the Braves with a safety net. He struggled mightily to start the year in 2019 while in Chicago (.178/.275/.301 across 251 plate appearances), but after joining the Rockies, Alonso stepped up his production to .260/.357/.479, albeit over a small sample of just 84 plate appearances. Alonso has experience in the DH role, and he’ll compete with Adam Duvall, Austin Riley, and Charlie Culberson to snag the extra ABs afforded by the universal DH. The 33-year-old is a career .259/.332/.404 batting line with 100 home runs over his 10 years in the bigs.