Giants Place Joe Panik On Release Waivers
The Giants announced today that they have placed second baseman Joe Panik on unconditional relief waivers. He had been designated for assignment recently.
This was the likely outcome of the situation once Panik hit DFA limbo. He’d have had the right to elect free agency had he been outrighted. It seems most likely that Panik will end up on the open market. A claiming team would have to take on the remainder of his $3.8MM salary. Instead, they can wait and pay him only for a pro-rated portion of the league minimum salary.
Either way, Panik will be eligible for arbitration one final time in the 2020 season. It’s unlikely he’ll be tendered, but perhaps that’s still possible if he catches on elsewhere and turns things around down the stretch.
Angels Acquire Drew Hutchison
The Angels have acquired right-hander Drew Hutchison from the Twins, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Cash considerations went in return, per Morrie Silver of the Rochester Red Wings (via Twitter).
Hutchison, who’ll soon turn 29, will add to the depth for an Angels organization that has had to work to keep its MLB staff afloat. The staff has been taxed again recently by more injuries.
Conditions are tough for hurlers in the International League, where Hutchison has pitched all year long. He owns a 5.55 ERA in 108 2/3 frames, with 9.4 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Through 460 1/3 career innings at the game’s highest level, Hutchison carries a 5.10 ERA.
Marlins Select Contract Of Deven Marrero
The Marlins announced today that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Deven Marrero. He’ll take the roster spot of fellow infielder Miguel Rojas, who is heading to the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
Marrero, 29, is a former first-round pick who has yet to show he has the stick to hang in the big leagues. The shortstop owns a .197/.250/.283 slash line through 343 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.
There has been a notable change for Marrero this year at Triple-A, where he has cracked 14 long balls in 380 plate appearances after never previously finishing a season with even a double-digit tally. Of course, that’s the sort of thing we’ve seen from quite a few other players in the homer-friendly International League, so it’s hard to put too much stock in this particular development.
Giants, Justin Haley Reportedly Agree To Minor League Deal
The Giants are set to sign right-hander Justin Haley to a minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup (Twitter link).
Haley, 28, appeared in 10 games with the 2017 Twins as a Rule 5 pick before he was returned to the Red Sox. He was selected to the Red Sox’ roster a year later in 2018 but pitched in only four games at the MLB level before being outrighted off the 40-man roster at season’s end. In the offseason, he opted to sign with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization rather than pursue a minor league contract with an MLB organization. Things didn’t go well for Haley in the hitter-friendly KBO. He made 19 starts there and was tagged for a 5.75 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 34 walks in 87 2/3 innings of work before being cut loose (somewhat ironically, in order to open roster space for former Giants outfielder Mac Williamson to sign with the Lions).
That may all be a relatively unappealing profile at first glance, but Haley has a strong track record in Triple-A, where he’s pitched to a 3.53 with 7.6 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 260 1/3 innings across parts of three seasons (47 starts, two relief outings). He’s typically posted average or better ground-ball tendencies and has limited home runs fairly well, surrendering an average of 0.97 long balls per nine innings pitched.
Nationals Designate Kyle Barraclough For Assignment
The Nationals have designated right-hander Kyle Barraclough for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, whose previously reported one-year contract has now been officially announced by the Nationals. Infielder Adrian Sanchez has been optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in an additional corresponding move.
Acquired in a rare October trade that sent international bonus allotments from Washington to Miami, Barraclough was viewed as a controllable, buy-low ‘pen option at the time the Nationals picked him up. While he was fresh off a fairly disappointing 4.20 ERA in 55 2/3 innings, Barraclough joined the Nationals with a long track record of missing bats and posting quality bottom-line results to match his gaudy strikeout totals. From 2015-18, Barraclough pitched to a 3.21 earned run average with 11.5 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9 in 218 2/3 innings of work. Although his walk rate was too high, he offset some of those strike-throwing issues with a minimal 0.6 HR/9 mark.
The 2019 campaign, however, proved to be an unmitigated disaster for Barraclough. Gone was his penchant for limiting the long ball — a problem that has plagued many hurlers throughout the league, albeit not to this extent — as he served up eight dingers in just 25 2/3 innings. Barraclough’s time with the Nationals will likely come to a close with a dismal 6.66 ERA and a 30-to-12 K/BB ratio in those 25 2/3 frames.
The Nats won’t have the opportunity to trade him thanks to the newly implemented August trade restrictions, but they could potentially save a bit of cash if another organization claims Barraclough on outright waivers. While this year’s results are obviously troubling, the 29-year-old Barraclough is making $1.725MM in 2019 and is controllable through the 2021 season.
A team willing to take on his remaining $510K salary this season would only owe him a small raise in arbitration and then would have the opportunity to help the right-hander round back into form. Between that and the fact that Barraclough has two minor league option years remaining beyond the 2019 campaign, a claim seems fairly likely. Other clubs have limited access to acquiring depth, and an optionable bullpen piece with a solid pre-2019 track record will be difficult to come by between now and the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility.
Tigers Claim David McKay
The Tigers announced that they’ve claimed right-hander David McKay off waivers from the Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. The move fills Detroit’s 40-man roster.
McKay, 24, made his big league debut with Seattle earlier this season, tossing seven innings out of the bullpen. He was tagged for four runs on five hits and eight walks with five strikeouts in that time, continuing to display the control problems that began to plague him upon reaching Triple-A this season.
McKay logged 43 2/3 innings with Seattle’s Tacoma affiliate but struggled to a 5.15 ERA with 31 walks and 10 hit batsmen in that time. While that’s obviously an ugly line, McKay also racked up an eye-popping 71 strikeouts in that time (14.63 K/9). Control wasn’t an alarming issue for him prior to this season, and he punched out 85 hitters in 59 1/3 innings a season ago when topping out in Double-A, so the Tigers will try their hand at sorting out his location issues. McKay averaged 93 mph on his fastball in his brief big league time this season and drew a plus grade on his slider in MLB.com’s scouting report on him. He lacks a third average pitch, though, making him a rather clear-cut bullpen prospect.
Reds, Brad Boxberger Agree To Minor League Deal
The Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran righty Brad Boxberger, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. It’s a full-circle moment for Boxberger, who was drafted by Cincinnati with the No. 43 overall pick of the 2009 draft.
Boxberger, now 31, never pitched for the Reds in the Majors before being included alongside Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso and Edinson Volquez in the blockbuster deal that sent Mat Latos to Cincinnati. There’s no guarantee that Boxberger will get the opportunity to do so now, although one can easily envision him being added to the big league roster as a September call-up — if not at some point this month.
Boxberger began the season with the Royals and got out to a rocky start. The former AL saves leader — 41 with the 2015 Rays — was clobbered for a 7.30 ERA in 12 1/3 March/April innings, although he rebounded with just three runs allowed in 9 1/3 frames the following month. Even as Boxberger’s ERA dropped, however, he posted questionable K/BB numbers out of the Kansas City bullpen. He was ultimately designated for assignment on June 26 and released on July 1.
From there, Boxberger went on to sign a minor league deal with the Nats and toss 8 2/3 innings with just one run allowed for their Double-A club. However, Washington cut Boxberger loose over the weekend rather than giving him a look in the big leagues — the Nationals acquired three relievers at the trade deadline — leaving Boxberger to search for a new opportunity.
Boxberger will bring a career 3.59 ERA, 11.4 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, 1.24 HR/9 and 77 saves with him back to the Reds organization, although most of his success came with the Padres and Rays from 2012-15. Over his past 133 2/3 innings, Boxberger has a 4.44 ERA with a 160-to-79 K/BB ratio.
Marlins Designate Yadiel Rivera, Select Hector Noesi
The Marlins have selected the contract of veteran right-hander Hector Noesi to start tonight’s game and designated infielder Yadiel Rivera for assignment in order to clear roster space, per a club announcement.
Noesi, 32, will return to the big leagues for the first time since 2015 when he takes the mound tonight. He spent the interim seasons pitching for the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization and throwing rather well; in 582 1/3 KBO innings, Noesi notched a 3.79 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9.
The well-traveled righty has enjoyed a strong season thus far in a deadly Triple-A environment for pitchers, working to a 3.82 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 39.4 percent ground-ball rate. That 3.82 ERA might not sound like much, but Noesi, somewhat remarkably, is one of just seven qualified starters in all of Triple-A with an ERA south of 4.00. The adoption of the homer-happy big league ball in Triple-A has transformed an already hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League into a nightmare for pitchers, and the International League has become extremely hitter-friendly as well.
Noesi’s success has come, in part, due to some good fortune. He’s averaged a whopping 1.94 homers per nine innings pitched, but the majority of the round-trippers he’s yielded have been of the solo variety. He’s likely a short-term option for the Marlins anyhow, although the trades of Zac Gallen and Trevor Richards have thinned out the Miami staff somewhat.
The 27-year-old Rivera appeared in 34 games with Miami but made just 66 plate appearances. He managed only a meager .183/.258/.217 batting line in that time — a similar output to the .173/.269/.216 slash he logged last season in 160 plate appearances as a Marlin.
Cardinals Designate Adalberto Mejia, Select Junior Fernandez
The Cardinals announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Junior Fernandez from Triple-A Memphis and designated left-hander Adalberto Mejia for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man and 25-man rosters. St. Louis also announced that right-hander Mike Mayers cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Memphis.
Mejia, 26, was claimed by the Cardinals just last week and made only three appearances before being cut loose by his third team this season. He allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts over three innings in his short-lived St. Louis stint.
A former top 100 prospect who profiled as a fourth starter, Mejia never established himself with the Twins and has now bounced from Minnesota to Anaheim to St. Louis this season. He’s posted a 7.54 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, though he’s only a season removed from solid numbers as a starter with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate a season ago. Mejia, though, is out of minor league options, so any club to claim him would need to allow him to try to sort things out at the MLB level, as he can’t be sent down without first clearing waivers. He’s missed time due to blister, wrist, biceps and calf injuries dating back to 2017, so durability could be an issue as well.
As for the 22-year-old Fernandez, he’s soared through three minor league levels in 2019, posting an ERA of 1.55 or better at each stop. In all, he’s totaled 61 1/3 innings with a 1.47 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and, incredibly, no home runs allowed. He’s unlikely to have that type of success in limiting long balls in the Majors — particularly given the apparent changes to the ball in 2019 — but he’ll nonetheless give the Cards an intriguing jolt of youth in their relief corps.
Giants Designate Joe Panik For Assignment
The Giants announced Tuesday that they’ve designated second baseman Joe Panik for assignment and optioned lefty Sam Selman to Triple-A Sacramento. Southpaws Conner Menez and Williams Jerez were recalled from Sacramento in their place.
Panik’s future with the Giants looked to be in question when the club not only acquired well-regarded second base prospect Mauricio Dubon from the Brewers but also veteran second bagger Scooter Gennett from the Reds. Panik, a former first-round pick, has been the Giants’ regular second baseman since debuting in 2014 but has seen his production crater over the past two seasons. In 780 plate appearances dating back to 2018, he’s managed only a .245/.308/.325 batting line.
Injuries have hampered Panik’s career in recent seasons, as he’s missed time due to thumb, groin and back injuries in addition to (most notably) multiple concussions. Panik made the 2015 All-Star team when he hit .312/.378/.455, but he’s never come close to replicating those offensive heights. He’d have been a non-tender candidate this winter by virtue of the fact that he’d be in line for a raise on this season’s $3.8MM salary.
Normally, the Giants would have a week to trade Panik or put him on outright or release waivers. However, with the elimination of August trades, San Francisco’s only recourse will be to waive Panik — likely in the hopes that another club will save them some money by claiming the remainder of his salary. Panik is owed about $1.12MM through season’s end, and any team to claim him would be responsible for the entirety of that sum. If he goes unclaimed, Panik can become a free agent without forfeiting any of that salary. At that point, any team to sign him would only owe him the prorated league minimum through the end of the year — about $164K.
There’s an obvious connection between the Mets, who have lost Robinson Cano to the injured list, and the New York-born Panik. Whether the Mets deem him an upgrade over internal options, based on his past two seasons of play, remains to be seen though. New York could simply slide Jeff McNeil from the outfield back to second base and pursue an additional outfielder, which figure to be in greater supply in the coming weeks.