Rangers Designate Jeanmar Gomez
The Rangers have designated righty Jeanmar Gomez, per a team announcement. His active roster spot will go to lefty Kyle Bird.
Gomez, 31, was brought in on a minors deal that included a $1MM salary in the majors. He made the roster out of camp when the team decided to keep him rather than control-challenged flamethrower Connor Sadzeck.
That decision hasn’t worked out for the Rangers to this point. While Sadzeck has found a home in Seattle, Gomez has mostly been ineffective.
Through 15 1/3 innings this year, Gomez carries an ugly 8.22 ERA. That’s due in no small part to a low 55.2% strand rate, as well as a .389 BABIP that would be expected to trend down over a full season.
Gomez does carry a 55.2% groundball rate. ERA estimators think he has been better than the results. Still, with just 5.9 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 and a minuscule 5.9% swinging-strike rate, he did not exactly have the peripherals of a successful reliever.
Pirates Acquire Yefry Ramirez, Designate Jesus Liranzo
The Pirates have acquired right-hander Yefry Ramirez from the Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations, per announcements from both teams. To make room for Ramirez on its 40-man roster, Pittsburgh designated righty Jesus Liranzo for assignment.
Ramirez lasted just under two years with the Orioles, who acquired him from the Yankees for international bonus money in July 2017. His time with Baltimore essentially ended May 22 when it designated him for assignment.
The 25-year-old Ramirez saw extensive action with the Orioles in 2018, his major league debut, but pitched to an unappealing 5.92 ERA/5.29 FIP with 8.54 K/9, 4.96 BB/9 and a 34 percent groundball rate in 65 1/3 innings. Most of Ramirez’s 17 appearances (12) came as a starter last year, but he primarily worked from the Orioles’ bullpen this season before they parted with him. Ramirez opened the campaign with one start over four appearances and allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits and nine walks (with 11 strikeouts) in 10 1/3 frames.
Ramirez hasn’t established himself in the majors, but he does carry a 3.40 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 90 Triple-A innings. Meanwhile, Liranzo has endured a terrible season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. The 24-year-old posted a 7.54 ERA and 7.9 K/9 against 6.8 BB/9 in 22 2/3 innings prior to his designation. Liranzo happens to be an ex-Orioles farmhand, but he joined the Pirates as a waiver claim from the Dodgers in April 2018.
Mariners Claim Jimmy Cordero
The Mariners announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Jimmy Cordero off waivers from the Blue Jays. Seattle also transferred righty Gerson Bautista from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
Cordero will report to Triple-A Tacoma with his new organization, though maybe he shouldn’t get too comfortable. The Jays just claimed Cordero off waivers from the Nationals on May 15, only to designate him May 23. Interestingly enough, Toronto jettisoned Cordero to grab lefty Zac Rosscup off waivers from his new team, the Mariners.
The 27-year-old Cordero debuted in the majors with the Nationals last season, when he threw 19 innings out of their bullpen. He added another 1 1/3 with the Blue Jays before they cut him. Between the two teams, Cordero has pitched to a 5.75 ERA/5.96 FIP with matching strikeout and walk rates of 5.31 per nine and a strong groundball percentage (53.4). The hard-throwing Cordero has been better at the Triple-A level, where he owns a 3.41 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 over 63 1/3 frames.
Red Sox Activate Brock Holt, Move Dustin Pedroia To 60-Day IL
The Red Sox have activated infielder Brock Holt from the 10-day injured list and transferred second baseman Dustin Pedroia to the 60-day IL, per a club announcement. The team also optioned left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez to Double-A Portland.
Holt’s back after eye and shoulder injuries caused a nearly two-month absence. Since Holt went to the IL on April 6, the Red Sox have seen rookie Michael Chavis emerge at the former’s main position (second base). However, Chavis will concede the keystone to Holt on Monday and line up at first.
Given his defensive versatility, playing time shouldn’t be hard to come by for Holt. The 30-year-old has seen significant action at several positions during his career, and he also enjoyed one of his most productive offensive seasons in 2018. As part of the franchise’s latest title-winning team, Holt batted .277/.362/.411 (109 wRC+) with seven home runs and steals apiece in 367 plate appearances.
Pedroia’s ongoing left knee issues have made Holt all the more valuable to the Red Sox, who have gone without the former for all but nine games since last season. Pedroia didn’t debut until April 9 this year, and he ended up back on the IL eight days later. The 35-year-old had been rehabbing his knee in the minors, but he suffered a setback on Friday. Now, because the Red Sox shifted him to the 60-day IL, Pedroia won’t be able to return for at least another few weeks. That could prove to be an overly optimistic forecast, though.
Pirates Select Alex McRae, Transfer Corey Dickerson To 60-Day IL
The Pirates announced that they’ve selected right-hander Alex McRae‘s contract from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make 40-man room for McRae, Pittsburgh transferred outfielder Corey Dickerson from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL. The club also optioned reliever Dovydas Neverauskas.
McRae, a 10th-round pick of the Pirates in 2014, debuted in the majors last year with a 6 1/3-inning showing. He struggled during that small sample size, though, and the team outrighted him off its 40-man in December. The 26-year-old McRae also hasn’t been all that effective in Indianapolis, where he has logged a 4.89 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 165 2/3 innings since 2018.
Dickerson went to the 10-day IL on April 4 because of a right posterior shoulder strain. Considering he has already missed almost two months, Monday’s transaction shouldn’t affect Dickerson’s timetable. He just embarked on a rehab assignment May 24.
Cubs Select Jim Adduci
10:04am: Neither Bryant nor Heyward (sore hip) will start Monday, opening the door for Adduci to line up in right field, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com relays.
9:46am: The Cubs have selected outfielder/infielder Jim Adduci‘s contract from Triple-A Iowa, giving them a full 40-man roster, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets. In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned reliever Tim Collins.
This will be the first time in a Chicago uniform for Adduci, whom the team signed to a minors deal over the winter. He previously played in their minor league system from 2007-12.
The 34-year-old didn’t hit much with Iowa this season prior to Monday’s promotion, batting .261/.306/.478 with seven home runs in 147 plate appearances, though he has been hot of late. Adduci will give the Cubs a fourth bench player as they await Kris Bryant‘s status. The superstar third baseman/outfielder had to leave the Cubs’ game early on Sunday after colliding with teammate Jason Heyward in the outfield, and it’s unclear whether Bryant will play Monday.
Adduci has spent most of his professional career in the minors, but he did combine for 426 plate appearances with the Rangers and Tigers from 2014-18. However, he only put up a .235/.286/.340 line with five home runs in that span.
Astros To Select Jack Mayfield, Place Aledmys Diaz On IL
The Astros are set to select infielder Jack Mayfield‘s contract from Triple-A Round Rock, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Mayfield will take the place of fellow infielder Aledmys Diaz, who’s going to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, and will grab the last open spot on Houston’s 40-man roster.
Mayfield, 28, is finally receiving his first big league call-up six years after joining the Astros as an undrafted free agent in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has seen action at the Triple-A level in each season since 2016, combining for a .262/.320/.452 line with 34 home runs in 970 plate appearances. Mayfield has gotten off to a .283/.362/.572 start with 10 homers in 177 PA this year, which impressed the Astros enough for him to warrant a promotion.
It may be a short-lived Houston stint for Mayfield, who will temporarily fill Diaz’s void as a multi-position infielder. Everyday second baseman Jose Altuve could bump Mayfield off the Astros’ roster when he returns from his own IL stay in the coming days.
Indians Release Carlos Gonzalez
TODAY: Gonzalez has officially been released, as per Roster Roundup (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY: The Indians have designated veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for assignment in order to open a spot on the active roster for catcher Eric Haase, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Haase was already on the 40-man roster, but the club opted to cut ties with Gonzalez rather than place Roberto Perez on the 7-day concussion list. Perez apparently tested well enough following last night’s concussion that the team isn’t currently planning to place him on the IL (though he’ll quite likely still sit out the next couple of days at the least).
Gonzalez, 33, will see his time with Cleveland come to an end after 30 games and 117 ugly plate appearances that didn’t inspire much confidence. The three-time All-Star and former NL batting champ hit just .210/.282/.276 with a pair of homers, a double and 33 strikeouts in his short time with the Indians. That type of production wouldn’t cut it even if the Indians were a first-place club, but the fact that they’re sitting six and a half games back in the American League Central only further creates a sense of urgency to coax production out of what has been a dismal lineup.
Gonzalez is the second former superstar with whom the Indians have parted ways since Opening Day; Hanley Ramirez cracked the Opening Day roster as the team’s designated hitter but was cut loose after 16 games and 57 plate appearances worth of similarly disappointing numbers.
With Gonzalez now subtracted from the outfield mix, the Indians will free up additional at-bats for younger options. Oscar Mercado has shown well in his first handful of MLB games, and the Indians could take further looks at some combination of Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers and Jordan Luplow their corner outfield/DH rotation. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel tweets that former first-round pick and top prospect Bradley Zimmer, who is recovering from 2018 shoulder surgery, is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus sometime next week, so he’ll emerge as an option in the not-too-distant future as well.
Cleveland will have a week to either find a trade partner for Gonzalez or release him. An outright assignment is technically possible but seems unlikely; Gonzalez would have to accept the assignment despite knowing that there are younger options that the team wishes to evaluate at length before giving him another look. The most probable outcome is that Gonzalez will simply be released and look for a new opportunity to rebuild his stock following a change of scenery.
Tigers Sign Carlos Torres To Minors Deal
The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Carlos Torres, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter link).
Torres recently opted out of his previous minor league deal with the Padres, and will now look to crack Detroit’s 25-man roster and appear in his tenth Major League season. The 36-year-old ate a lot of innings and posted some quality results for the Mets and Brewers from 2013-17, averaging 79 innings and 61 games per season over that five-year stretch, with a 3.52 ERA, 2.6 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9.
Torres had something of a down year in 2017, and he had to settle for minor league deals from the Indians and Nationals in 2018, posting only a 6.52 ERA over 9 2/3 IP for Washington at the big league level last season. Torres has by far the most experience of any reliever in the Tigers’ organization, giving the team some veteran depth as they figure out their struggling bullpen situation. If Torres can regain any of his old workhorse form, he could be a solid long-relief addition to a pen that could see some changes before the trade deadline, most notably if closer Shane Greene is moved.
Pirates Designate Jake Elmore, Select Jacob Stallings, Place Francisco Cervelli On 7-Day IL
The Pirates have designated infielder Jake Elmore for assignment and selected the contract of catcher Jacob Stallings from Triple-A Indianapolis, per Adam Berry of MLB.com. The club has also placed injured catcher Francisco Cervelli on the seven-day concussion IL and recalled outfielder Jose Osuna from Indianapolis.
Elmore spent just under two full weeks on the Pirates’ roster, as they promoted him May 13 to take the injured Jung Ho Kang‘s 25-man spot. He collected just one hit (a single) and no walks in 20 plate appearances thereafter, making it easier for the Pirates to subject him to DFA limbo. Formerly a Diamondback, Astro, Red, Ray and Brewer, the 31-year-old Elmore is a meager .208/.287/.269 hitter in 498 career PA. However, Elmore has been an asset at the minors’ top level, especially during a .380/.444/.546 showing in 124 trips to the plate this year.
Pittsburgh outrighted Stallings off its 40-man May 17, but he’s quickly back to help cover for Cervelli. The 29-year-old has appeared in the majors in five straight seasons and combined for a .286/.325/.325 line in 83 PA.