Mariners Sign Mac Williamson To Minors Deal, Select His Contract
The Mariners have placed outfielder Braden Bishop on the 10-day injured list due to a lacerated spleen. Taking Bishop’s spot on the 25-man roster is Mac Williamson, who signed a minor league contract with the Mariners just today and will immediately have that contract selected.
Williamson’s stint on the open market didn’t last long, as he only elected to become a free agent on June 1 after clearing waivers following his second designation for assignment of the season from the Giants. Once an intriguing prospect who posted strong numbers in San Francisco’s farm system, Williamson has yet to turn that promise into results at the Major League level. Williamson has a .207/.283/.359 slash line over 396 plate appearances, spread over parts of the last five seasons for the Giants.
A change of scenery seemed in order for the 28-year-old, and he’ll now get another big league opportunity in Seattle. He’ll provide backup in both corner outfield spots for the Mariners, and he is currently the only backup outfielder on the M’s roster (behind regulars Mitch Haniger, Mallex Smith, and Domingo Santana). Williamson is out of options, and his long-term chances of sticking with Seattle could be limited given that Dee Gordon and Ryon Healy are both slated to begin rehab assignments as they work their way back from the IL.
Bishop has appeared for 10 games in his rookie season, with just two hits to show for 24 plate appearances. Bishop was only just promoted back up to the MLB roster on Sunday, though he told reporters (including Root Sports’ Jen Mueller) that he was hit in the ribs with a pitch while in the minors last week, which could have led to the spleen injury.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/5/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The Pirates outrighted Jesus Liranzo to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Liranzo was designated for assignment last week to make 40-man roster room for the Bucs’ acquisition of Yefry Ramirez from the Orioles. Over 22 2/3 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, Liranzo has an ungainly 7.54 ERA and a 6.8 BB/9, continuing the control problems that have plagued the 24-year-old throughout his seven pro seasons.
Rockies To Promote Peter Lambert
The Rockies will promote Peter Lambert from Triple-A in time for the 22-year-old right-hander to start tomorrow’s game against the Cubs, according to several reports. The Athletic’s Nick Groke tweets that Lambert is already at Wrigley Field today in preparation for his upcoming Major League debut.
A second-round pick for the Rockies (44th overall) in the 2015 draft, Lambert has a 3.92 ERA, 7.5 K/9, and 3.61 K/BB over 508 professional innings. Those numbers include a troubling 5.07 ERA in 60 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, though an inflated 1.5 HR/9 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League could be an explanation.
Prior to the season, ESPN.com’s Keith Law (subscription required) ranked Lambert as the 92nd-best prospect in baseball, describing the righty as owning a repeatable delivery and a quality four-pitch mix, even if nothing in Lambert’s arsenal is considered a true plus pitch. Lambert’s fastball is in the 94-95mph range, while he has generated consistently good ground-ball rates of close to 50% throughout his minor league career.
Lambert will get his chance in a Rockies rotation that has struggled to match its strong results from last season, as German Marquez and Jon Gray have been Colorado’s only consistently good starters. As of sign how quickly things have changed from 2018 to 2019 for the Rockies’ staff, Lambert will take the place of Kyle Freeland, a fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young voting last season who was sent down to Triple-A last week after scuffling badly in his first 12 outings this year.
Giants Place Buster Posey On 10-Day IL, Activate Trevor Gott
The Giants have placed catcher Buster Posey on their 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain (placement retroactive to June 2). To fill Posey’s roster spot, right-hander Trevor Gott has been activated from his own IL stint.
Posey hasn’t played since last Saturday, when he was forced out of the Giants’ game in the seventh inning while running out a grounder. The strain isn’t thought to be overly serious, though an IL stint was ultimately deemed necessary to give Posey full time to recover.
The longtime Giants catcher hasn’t hit much like his old self, with a modest .257/.321/.408 slash line and three home runs over 168 plate appearances. Posey underwent hip surgery last August but recovered quickly enough to make San Francisco’s Opening Day lineup, though he also missed a week in May on the seven-day concussion IL. It’s been a tough stretch overall for Posey, between these injuries and enduring what is looking like a third straight season of losing baseball in the Bay Area.
Gott was sidelined on May 25 with a forearm strain, though that worrisome diagnosis didn’t result in anything beyond a minimal stay on the injured list. The quick return allows Gott to continue what has been a very strong season, as the right-hander had a 3.00 ERA, 9.4 K/9, and 4.17 K/BB rate through 24 innings out of the Giants’ bullpen. If Gott is able to remain healthy and effective in the coming weeks, he could become a trade candidate for reliever-needy teams at the deadline.
Mets Activate Robinson Cano From IL, Designate Aaron Altherr
The Mets have activated second baseman Robinson Cano from the 10-day injured list, according to multiple reports. In a corresponding move, the Mets have designated outfielder Aaron Altherr for assignment.
A quad strain went Cano to the IL on May 23, so he’ll miss only a bit of time beyond the 10-day minimum. The veteran was acquired with great fanfare in a blockbuster trade with the Mariners during the offseason, though Cano has yet to take off in a Mets uniform. The 36-year-old has hit just .241/.287/.371 (on pace for his lowest career totals in all three slash-line categories) over 181 PA this season.
Despite the struggles, Cano will resume his regular spot at second base within a Mets lineup that is slowly starting to make its way back to full health. Though the team is still short in the outfield with the absence of Brandon Nimmo, the returning Jeff McNeil and converted first baseman Dominic Smith should factor into the outfield picture, with J.D. Davis also on hand, the Carlos Gomez/Juan Lagares pairing in center field, and Michael Conforto holding down everyday duty in right field.
All of these names made Altherr an expendable piece, less than two weeks after the Mets claimed the 28-year-old off waivers from the Giants. This is now the third time Altherr has been DFA’ed in a little over a month’s time, after going from the Phillies to the Giants on another waiver claim. The constant roster shuffles certainly haven’t helped Altherr’s performance, as he has only an .050/.095/.150 slash over 42 combined plate appearances for Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York this season.
This is the second consecutive year that Altherr has struggles, though the flashes of breakout potential he showed with the Phils in 2015 and 2017 could be enough to earn him a look on another roster. Altherr is out of options, so he’d have to pass through the DFA period unclaimed for the Mets to keep him at Triple-A.
Cubs To Sign Sixth-Rounder Ethan Hearn
The Cubs have reached an agreement with their sixth-round pick, high school catcher Ethan Hearn, NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan reports (Twitter link). Hearn had been committed to Mississippi State, though he will instead begin his pro career after receiving a substantially large signing bonus. Kaplan reports that Hearn “will receive second round money,” rather than the $247K recommended slot price attached to the 192nd overall selection. This likely means Hearn’s bonus is in the seven figures, as the second-round slot prices range from $929.8K to just over $1.771MM.
Hearn’s college commitment dropped him into the sixth round, though most draft pundits projected him in the low-second/high-third round area (Baseball America ranked him 66th among all draft prospects, and Hearn was ranked 67th by MLB.com, and 71st by Fangraphs). Generally considered the top high school catcher in this year’s draft class, Hearn is described by Baseball America’s scouting report as possessing “above-average raw power but a below-average hit tool” for now. He has a strong throwing arm and strong defensive potential behind the plate, though his overall defensive work may still need some seasoning, which isn’t unusual for such a young catcher.
By going significantly over slot to sign Hearn, the Cubs will eat into a big chunk of their $5,826,900 overall draft pool. It’s worth noting that Hearn is the only high schooler taken within Chicago’s first seven picks, so the Cubs have positioned themselves to create some savings elsewhere.
Indians Place Carlos Carrasco On 10-Day IL Due To Blood Condition
The Indians announced that right-hander Carlos Carrasco has been placed on the 10-day injured list, due to a non-baseball-related blood condition. With Carrasco on the IL and outfielder Greg Allen sent down to Triple-A Columbus, right-handers Nick Goody and Jon Edwards have been called up from Triple-A to fill the two open roster spots.
The full statement from the team on Carrasco’s situation…
“Carlos was recently diagnosed with a blood condition following several weeks of feeling lethargic. While in the information-gathering stage, Carlos is stepping away from baseball activities to explore the optimal treatment and recovery options, the details of which will be conveyed at the discretion of Carlos and his family. We do not know when Carlos will rejoin the club but expect him back at some point this season. At this time, our primary concern is Carlos’ health and we will respect his wishes to keep this a private matter. We ask everyone to keep Carlos and his family in their thoughts during his challenging time.”
As by recently noted by MLBTR’s Connor Byrne, Carrasaco was enduring a tough season, with a 4.98 ERA thanks to huge spikes in his hard-contact, fly ball, and home run rates. While the exact timeline of Carrasco’s illness isn’t known, he tossed 12 innings of shutout ball over starts on May 9 and May 14 before allowing 14 earned runs over his next three outings (17 2/3 IP).
The fact that Carrasco is expected back on the mound this season is certainly good news, and we at MLBTR join the rest of the baseball world in wishing Carrasco and his family all the best. This isn’t the first health issue that the 32-year-old Carrasco has faced, as he dealt with a heart condition in 2015, as well as a pair of major baseball-related major injuries (Tommy John surgery in 2011, a broken hand at the end of the 2016 season that sidelined him for Cleveland’s postseason run).
The Indians went into the season counting on being carried by arguably the game’s best rotation, though that starting five has now lost Carrasco, Corey Kluber, and Mike Clevinger for extended periods. Clevinger is close to beginning a rehab assignment after missing almost two months due to back problems, though Carrasco is out indefinitely and Kluber is still a long ways from a return after suffering a fractured forearm in early May. Yefry Rodriguez had made eight starts for the Tribe filling in for Kluber, though Rodriguez himself went on the IL yesterday with a shoulder strain.
This leaves Trevor Bauer, Shane Bieber, and rookie Zach Plesac as the only healthy members of Cleveland’s rotation. Cody Anderson and Adam Plutko have made starts for the Tribe this season and could again be recalled from Triple-A, plus Chih-Wei Hu and Asher Wojciechowski are also available in the Columbus rotation as further depth. Cleveland currently has a 10-man bullpen, and could also deploy an opener to account for at least one of those open rotation spots rather than a regular starter.
As the injuries continue to mount, it will increase speculation that the Tribe could be sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline. Though the Indians entered today’s action just a game out of a wild card spot, Cleveland has a 30-30 record, a minus-13 run differential, and is already staring at a 10.5 game deficit behind the surprising Twins in the AL Central. The Tribe were already aggressive in cutting salary over the offseason, and rather than go all-out in pursuit of a one-game playoff, the team could continue to move payroll to streamline its roster and perhaps reload for another shot at contending in 2020.
Padres Designate Alex Dickerson For Assignment
The Padres announced that they’ve designated outfielder Alex Dickerson for assignment on Wednesday. His spot on the roster will go to righty Miguel Diaz, whose reinstatement from the 60-day injured list had already been announced by the team.
Dickerson, 29, has collected three singles in 19 trips to the plate this season in his first action since the 2016 season. Back injuries wiped out Dickerson’s 2017 campaign, and he underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, which cost him the 2018 season as well. Prior to those significant injury troubles, Dickerson looked like an intriguing late bloomer; through 285 plate appearances in 2016, he hit .257/.333/.455 with 10 homers, 16 doubles, a pair of triples and five stolen bases.
There’s a known outfield crunch in San Diego, however, with Wil Myers, Manuel Margot, Franchy Cordero, Franmil Reyes, Hunter Renfroe and the recently promoted Josh Naylor all vying for at-bats on the big league roster (although Cordero is injured at the moment). That glut of outfielders ultimately left Dickerson as the odd man out, though his prior success and strong .372/.469/.606 slash through 113 Triple-A plate appearances this season could very well lead to interest from another club. The Padres will have a week to either trade Dickerson or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
Tigers Sign First-Rounder Riley Greene
The MLB draft isn’t even over yet, but the Tigers announced on this morning’s draft conference call that they’ve officially signed first-rounder Riley Greene. Greene was selected with the No. 5 overall pick, which comes with a $6,180,700 slot value, although bonus terms are not yet known. He’s represented by Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Karon.
Greene, 18, will forgo a commitment to the University of Florida in order to begin his professional career with the Tigers. An outfielder out of Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla., he was a consensus top-tier talent in the 2019 draft, with Baseball America ranking him fifth overall while ESPN, MLB.com and Fangraphs all ranked him as the draft’s No. 6 prospect. Scouting reports on Greene laud his hit tool, with BA’s report labeling him the “best pure hitter in the prep class.” He’s a hit-over-power prospect at present, although BA and Fangraphs suggest that his raw power could eventually turn into above-average game power as well. The consensus on him from a defensive standpoint seems to be that he’ll land in an outfield corner.
Greene is obviously several years away from being a factor at the big league level, as is the case with most high school draftees, but he’ll nonetheless add a high-upside bat to the top of a Tigers farm system that is currently headlined primarily by pitchers. Right-handers Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Franklin Perez, Beau Burrows and Alex Faedo are among the most highly regarded prospects in a rapidly improving Detroit system.
Nationals Sign Fernando Rodney
June 4: Rodney’s deal with the Nats is official, per an announcement from Paul Braverman of the Fresno Grizzlies’ communications department (Twitter link). He joined the Grizzlies in New Orleans and is active for tonight’s game.
June 1: The Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Fernando Rodney, according to Craig Mish of SiriusXM. Rodney will report to Triple-A Fresno.
The well-traveled Rodney was last with the Athletics, who designated him for assignment a week ago before releasing him on Tuesday. Even though Oakland had to eat the remaining $3.53MM on Rodney’s club option in moving on from him, the club decided the 42-year-old was no longer worth a roster spot. It was an understandable call on the part of the A’s, for whom Rodney turned in 14 1/3 innings of 9.42 ERA/5.52 FIP ball with 8.79 K/9 and 7.53 BB/9 this season.
While 2019 has been a nightmare for the arrow-slinging Rodney, he was a useful reliever between Oakland and Minnesota just a year ago. Since his career began with the Tigers back in 2002, the right-hander has notched a 3.79 ERA/3.77 FIP with 9.08 K/9, 4.48 BB/9, a 50.2 percent groundball rate, 325 saves and 96 holds in 899 2/3 innings.
Rodney’s typical production would be welcome in Washington, whose bullpen has been one of the majors’ worst this year. The Nationals haven’t been able to find solutions leading up to closer Sean Doolittle, and the Rodney signing is their latest low-risk attempt to repair their unenviable late-game situation. Rodney follows Jonny Venters and George Kontos as the third veteran reliever the Nats have brought in on a minors pact since last Saturday.