Athletics Release Chris Herrmann
The Athletics announced today that catcher Chris Herrmann was released. He had rejected an outright assignment after clearing release waivers.
Herrmann was dropped from the MLB roster recently when the A’s decided to add backstop Beau Taylor. The club preferred the long-time minor-leaguer, who has a notable amount of experience with some of the organization’s recently promoted young pitchers.
While Herrmann was and is earning at a $1MM rate this year, the Oakland org wasn’t getting what it had hoped for out of the 31-year-old. He drew that deal after a strong offensive showing last season, but was slashing just .202/.280/.274 in 94 plate appearances this year before being cut loose.
Indians Designate Josh Smith
The Indians have designated lefty Josh Smith for assignment, per MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (via Twitter). That’s the corresponding move for the club’s already announced promotion of James Karinchak.
Smith seemingly found another gear at 29 years of age. The long-time minor-leaguer earned his first MLB call-up after racking up a 74:24 K/BB ratio in 52 2/3 innings at Triple-A.
Unfortunately, the walks also piled up in Smith’s brief big-league showing. Over 8 1/3 frames, he struck out a dozen batters but also doled out eight free passes and recorded a lowly 7.5% swinging-strike rate.
Pirates Claim Williams Jerez
The Pirates have claimed southpaw Williams Jerez off waivers from the Giants, per a club announcement. Righty Kyle Crick — another former Giant who was injured recently in memorable fashion — was moved to the 60-day injured list to create roster space.
Jerez had been designated for assignment after a brief MLB showing with the San Francisco club, during which he walked six hitters over six innings. He had earned the promotion with a promising showing at the Triple-A level. In 56 innings on the year, Jerez carried a 3.86 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. He limited left-handed hitters to a paltry .174/.260/.314 collective batting line.
The Bucs will utilize Jerez in the majors late in 2019, the team has announced. He’ll have an opportunity to stake a claim to holding a 40-man spot throughout the winter. Ironically, he’ll also join Chris Stratton in Pittsburgh after being dealt for him late in Spring Training, as Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group notes on Twitter.
Latest On Rich Hill
9:51pm: Hill suffered a strained left MCL, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. It’s not yet clear how much time he’ll miss, though it obviously doesn’t sound promising.
7:05PM: Hill’s outing only lasted six batters and two-thirds of an inning, as Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link) that Hill had a problem with his left knee. A strain to that same knee put Hill on the IL for the first month of the season.
2:10PM: The Dodgers have officially activated veteran left-hander Rich Hill from the 60-day injured list, as Hill will start tonight’s game against the Orioles. To create roster space, right-hander Jaime Schultz has been designated for assignment.
Hill last took the mound on June 19, as a flexor tendon strain sidelined him for close to half the season. As per the team’s plan to get Hill ready for the postseason, he’ll only throw two innings or 30 pitches tonight (essentially working as an opener) and then gradually build up his workload over four outings before the end of the season. If all goes well, Hill will be in line to take the fourth starter role for Los Angeles in the playoffs, behind Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Walker Buehler.
Hill has been no stranger to injuries over his career, and as per usual during the southpaw’s late-career renaissance, he has been very effective then he has been able to pitch. Hill had a 2.55 ERA, 5.08 K/BB rate, and 10.4 K/9 over 53 innings in 2019, also missing the first month of the season due to a knee sprain. Though his numbers included a career-high 1.7 HR/9 (perhaps not usual for any pitcher in this homer-happy season), Hill’s .265 xwOBA put him in the 91st percentile of all pitchers.
After tossing 30 1/3 innings for Tampa Bay in his rookie season, Schultz pitched only five innings over four MLB games for the Dodgers in 2019, spending the bulk of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had a 5.85 ERA over 47 2/3 Triple-A innings, though unlike many pitchers in the Pacific Coast League, homers weren’t the problem — Schultz had only an 0.6 HR/9, as the larger issue was a 5.1 BB/9, continuing the control issues that have bothered the 28-year-old for much of his pro career. Also as per the norm for the hard-throwing Schultz, he posted some strong strikeout numbers, whiffing Triple-A batters at a rate of 11.7 K/9.
Giants Sign Andrew Triggs To Minors Contract
In a transaction that flew under the radar back on August 30, the Giants signed righty Andrew Triggs to a minor league deal, as per Roster Roundup (Twitter link).
Triggs hasn’t pitched since an April 10 appearance for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate. It was almost a full year ago that Triggs underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and he pitched in just three games for Triple-A Las Vegas before going on the injured list for the remainder of the season. The A’s released Triggs in early August.
It stands to reason that Triggs’ Giants deal could be a two-year contract, as the team didn’t get an opportunity to see him in any sort of competitive environment in their system, and a deal that covers the 2020 season would allow the Giants to more fully evaluate the 30-year-old’s health and readiness to possibly contribute next season.
Prior to his TOS surgery, Triggs posted a 4.53 ERA, 8.17 K/9, 49.6% grounder rate, and 2.96 K/BB rate over 163 innings for the Athletics from 2016-18, starting 27 of his 45 career Major League games. He also went under the knife in 2017, as his season was cut short by hip surgery in July of that year.
Braves Activate Grant Dayton, Place A.J. Minter On 60-Day IL
The Braves have exchanged one left-handed reliever for another off the 60-day injured list. The club announced that Grant Dayton has been activated, while A.J. Minter‘s season was placed on the IL due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, which will end his season.
After missing all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, Dayton returned to a big league mound for 8 1/3 innings over 10 games for Atlanta this season, posting a 2.16 ERA and 11.9 K/9 over his brief stint. A fractured big toe sent him to the injured list on July 12, however, so Dayton will return after exactly a two-month absence. Over 58 1/3 career innings with the Braves and Dodgers, Dayton has dominated left-handed batters (holding them to a .574 OPS) and also performed quite well against righty batters (.711 OPS) en route to a 3.24 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate, and 10.8 K/9.
As a whole, Atlanta’s bullpen has middle-of-the-pack type of numbers against left-handed hitters this season, so Dayton could provide more of an overall boost than Minter, who has struggled through a very rough campaign. After breaking out and even stepping into a part-time closer role for the Braves in 2018, Minter has a 7.06 ERA over 29 1/3 innings this year, due in large part to major control issues. He has issued 23 walks (18 international) over those 29 1/3 IP, making for a 7.1 BB/9 that more than doubles his previous highs in that category at either the MLB or minor league levels.
Royals Claim Randy Rosario
The Royals have claimed southpaw Randy Rosario off waivers from the Cubs, as per a team announcement. Rosario was designated for assignment by Chicago earlier this week. To create a 40-man roster spot, Kansas City recalled infielder Kelvin Gutierrez and placed him on the 60-day injured list.
Rosario posted a 5.91 ERA over 10 2/3 innings for the Cubs this season, a decided step back from the 3.66 ERA he delivered over 46 2/3 relief frames in his 2018 rookie season. Per ERA predictors, however, Rosario was fortunate (4.68 FIP, 4.60 xFIP, 4.74 SIERA) to escape at least an extra run’s worth of damage in 2018, as the grounder specialist only notched a 5.79 K/9.
This season saw Rosario miss more bats to the tune of an 8.4 K/9 in his brief time in Chicago, though his Triple-A numbers (3.11 ERA, 2.21 K/BB rate, 7.4 K/9) were almost an exact match for his career numbers over 413 minor league innings in the Cubs’ and Twins’ organizations. Rosario has shown some very good splits against left-handed batters, giving him a possible path to regular work as a specialist in Kansas City’s bullpen.
Indians To Promote James Karinchak
The Indians are calling up right-hander James Karinchak, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). Cleveland has a full 40-man roster, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Karinchak prior to tomorrow’s game.
A ninth-round pick for the Tribe in the 2017 draft, Karinchak made his Triple-A debut in 2019 and posted a 4.67 ERA over 17 1/3 relief innings. Beyond that fairly unimpressive mark, however, stands an eyebrow-raising strikeout total — Karinchak struck out 42 batters in his brief time at Triple-A Columbus, continuing an incredible season of missing bats for the 23-year-old. Over 30 1/3 total minor league innings in a year shortened by hamstring injuries, Karinchak has 74 strikeouts.
MLB.com ranks Karinchak as the 21st-best prospect in Cleveland’s farm system, giving high grades on the 20-80 scouting scale to his 95-98mph fastball (a 70 grade) and a “12-to-6 curveball that he can get them to chase out of the bottom of the zone” (60 grade). Between a high arm slot and a tendency to overthrow, however, Karinchak has also had problems limiting free passes. He has a 5.5 BB/9 over his 102 1/3 career minor league innings, and a 6.8 BB/9 at Columbus this season.
The Tribe will hope that Karinchak’s live arm can help reinforce a bullpen that has fallen on hard times recently. Closer Brad Hand‘s recent struggles are the largest concern, though Cleveland relievers as a whole have a cumulative 5.20 ERA over the last 30 days, the fifth-highest mark of any team’s relief corps over that span. While Indians relievers have been pretty good as a whole all season, they rank near the middle of the pack in K/9, so Karinchak promises a particular boost in that department.
Blue Jays Release Clayton Richard, Activate Elvis Luciano
The Blue Jays have released left-hander Clayton Richard, Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae reports (Twitter link). As expected, the team used the open 40-man roster spot to reinstate righty Elvis Luciano from the 60-day injured list.
The move ends a disappointing tenure for Richard in Toronto, as knee and lat injuries limited him to only 45 1/3 innings pitched (all as a starter) this season. The Jays acquired Richard from the Padres last winter in the hopes that he could be a veteran innings-eater, though like similar acquisitions Clay Buchholz and Matt Shoemaker, injuries ultimately scuttled those plans.
Richard wasn’t very effective when he did pitch, posting a 5.96 ERA, 1.22 K/BB, and only a 4.37 K/9, low even by Richard’s standards as a groundball specialist (his grounder rate was a typically sturdy 55.8%). Home runs have become an increasingly big problem for Richard over the last three seasons, culminating in an ugly 24.3% home run rate, as he allowed nine big flies over his 45 innings.
Richard just turned 36 years old today, making the release a particularly unwelcome birthday present. Between his age and a lack of effectiveness over the last three years, he’ll likely have to take a minor league contract with his next team.
Luciano hasn’t pitched since June 12 due to an elbow sprain, though he’ll return to the roster in time to clock the 90 days of active duty necessary to keep him in the Blue Jays organization. The Jays picked Luciano away from the Royals in the last Rule 5 Draft, meaning that the 19-year-old had to remain on Toronto’s 25-man roster for the entire season (or for at least 90 days in case of injury, as was the situation here) for the Blue Jays to permanently secure his rights.
As expected for a youngster who had never pitched above rookie ball, Luciano had a tough go of things in his first exposure to Major League hitting. Luciano had a 6.51 ERA over 27 2/3 innings out of the Jays’ bullpen, with an equal number (22) of unintentional walks and strikeouts. Once he’s officially in the organization, the Blue Jays will return Luciano to the minors for 2020.
Cubs Outright Taylor Davis
Cubs catcher Taylor Davis, who was designated for assignment over the weekend, cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Iowa, per the MLB.com transactions log.
Davis, 29, has been up and down with the Cubs over the past three seasons, appearing in just 20 games and putting together a .222/.256/.333 slash with a homer and a double in 39 trips to the plate. He also made one lone appearance on the mound in 2019, entering an 11-2 blowout and allowing three straight singles against the A’s before pulling an improbable Houdini act and escaping the jam unscathed.
A .277/.350/.386 hitter across parts of five Triple-A seasons, Taylor is known as a difficult player to strike out (12.5 percent) with a penchant for drawing plenty of walks (9.9 percent). Davis has thwarted exactly one quarter of the stolen-base attempts against him in his minor league career (60 of 240) and has posted well-above-average framing numbers in Triple-A over the past few seasons.