Mets Claim Aaron Altherr, Designate Tim Peterson For Assignment
The Mets announced Thursday that they’ve claimed outfielder Aaron Altherr off waivers from the Giants and designated right-hander Tim Peterson for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Altherr, who is out of minor league options, will be added directly to the Mets’ roster after today’s game. He’ll step into a depleted outfield mix that is currently without Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo or Jeff McNeil, each of whom is on the injured list.
Altherr, 28, has spent the majority of his career with the division-rival Phillies, but Philadelphia ultimately had to designate him for assignment earlier this month due to a lack of playing time and his lack of options. He briefly landed with the Giants and appeared in all of one game with one plate appearance before his second DFA of the season. Given that the Mets have a whole outfield on the IL at the moment but none of the three is seriously injured, it’s possible that Altherr’s stay with his new organization will also be brief (though it’ll surely be longer than his Giants tenure).
Altherr has had an up-and-down career with the Phillies, showing great promise on multiple occasions but also battling frequent injuries that, at times, hampered his ability at the plate. He hit .241/.338/.489 through 161 plate appearances as a rookie in 2015 and .272/.340/.516 in 412 plate appearances in 2017. Altherr, however, posted miserable seasons at the plate in both 2016 (.587 OPS, 59 OPS+) and 2018 (.628, 68 OPS+), and he’s off to a 1-for-30 start so far in 2019. He possess an enticing blend of power and speed, but he’s also prone to strikeouts and prolonged slumps at the plate.
Peterson, also 28, has a 5.56 ERA and a 28-to-11 K/BB ratio through 34 MLB innings — 6 1/3 of which came earlier this season. An extreme fly-ball pitcher who doesn’t throw especially hard, Peterson hasn’t missed many bats at the MLB level but has a 3.90 ERA with 11.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 60 innings at the Triple-A level. He currently has a 2.89 ERA and a 16-to-2 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings with the Mets’ affiliate in Syracuse. He’s a pure reliever who also has a minor league option remaining beyond the 2019 season, so it’s possible another club could view him as some optionable bullpen candidate.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/22/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The Mariners have outrighted Nick Rumbelow and Mike Wright to Triple-A after both relievers cleared waivers, as per a team announcement. The two right-handers were each designated for assignment last week. Wright was acquired from the Orioles last month and made seven appearances (a 9.00 ERA over 11 innings) before being designated, while Rumbelow tossed 1 1/3 innings for Seattle over three appearances.
- The Reds have released third baseman Taylor Sparks, according to Roster Roundup (Twitter link). Sparks was a second-round draft pick for Cincinnati in 2014, selected 58th overall out of UC Irvine. Heralded for his speed, athleticism, and third base glovework, Sparks didn’t generate consistent results at the plate over six seasons in the Reds’ farm system, with just a .217/.291/.389 slash line over 1940 career plate appearances in the minors.
Nationals Claim Javy Guerra, Designate Dan Jennings
WEDNESDAY: Jennings has elected to become a free agent, the Nationals announced.
MONDAY: The Nationals announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Javy Guerra off waivers from the Blue Jays and designated veteran lefty Dan Jennings for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Toronto had designated Guerra for assignment last week.
Guerra, 33, appeared in 11 games with the Jays to open the season and has turned in 14 innings of 3.86 ERA ball with a 15-to-5 K/BB ratio and a 27 percent ground-ball rate. It’s a solid showing, though it comes on the heels of a 5.55 ERA in 35 2/3 frames with the Marlins last season. The Nationals, however, need bullpen help perhaps more than any club in the game and will hope that Guerra can maintain his early success from Toronto and stabilize a relief corps that has been the worst in MLB in terms of ERA (6.60) and xFIP (5.15) as well as 25th in FIP (5.03).
Washington brought the 32-year-old Jennings aboard last month under similar circumstances, hoping that he could help to smooth things over. That didn’t prove to be the case, however, as he was tagged for seven runs on eight hits and seven walks with nine strikeouts in just 4 2/3 innings. A team in less dire circumstances might’ve given Jennings a bit more leash given his strong track record, but the Nats are eight games under .500 and eight games back in the NL East.
Mets Designate Paul Sewald, Select Rajai Davis, Send Brandon Nimmo To 10-Day IL
The Mets have announced a series of roster moves, including the placement of outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day IL due to a stiff neck (placement retroactive to May 21). Veteran outfielder Rajai Davis will be coming up to replace Nimmo, as the Mets have selected his contract. To create 40-man roster space for Davis, reliever Paul Sewald has been designated for assignment.
The 38-year-old Davis was one of several veteran players signed to minors deals by the Mets last winter, and he now joins Carlos Gomez and Adeiny Hechevarria as names from that list who have seen their contracts selected in the wake of multiple injuries on the Mets’ roster. Davis will now suit up for his 14th MLB season and eighth different team to help New York fill its outfield void.
Davis has long been known more for his speed (415 career stolen bases) and fielding ability than his bat, though he hasn’t delivered an above-average season at the plate since 2015. This includes a .224/.278/.281 slash line over 216 PA with the Indians last season, though Davis was still a threat when he did get on base, swiping 21 bags in 28 chances.
Sewald has a 5.18 ERA over 128 1/3 relief innings for the Mets since the start of the 2016 season, including an 3.86 mark in seven frames this season. He misses a fair number of bats (career 9.2 K/9) for a pitcher whose average fastball sits around the 90mph threshold, though Sewald doesn’t generate many grounders, and has a career 1.2 HR/9.
After a breakout 2018 season that saw him hit .263/.404/.483 with 17 homers in 535 plate appearances, Nimmo had gotten off to a much slower start (.200/.344/.323) in his first 161 PA of the 2019 campaign. The neck issue could be somewhat to blame for this performance, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes that Nimmo has been bothered by neck soreness since April.
Today’s moves leave the Mets with an outfield mix of Davis, Gomez, Juan Lagares, converted infielder J.D. Davis, and Jeff McNeil, though McNeil isn’t in today’s lineup due to hamstring tightness. While McNeil told DiComo and other reporters that he expects to be back as soon as tomorrow, the lack of depth has left the Mets exploring their options. Manager Mickey Callaway said today that the Mets could consider using Dominic Smith in the outfield again, as the erstwhile first baseman has been lobbying for more outfield work as a way of getting back into the lineup. (SNY.tv’s Scott Thompson was among those to report the news). Smith has hit well in limited time this season, as he has made only 48 PA due to Pete Alonso‘s emergence as the everyday first baseman.
Michael Conforto also began some light baseball activities today as he continues his recovery from a concussion suffered last weekend. There wasn’t yet any timetable on when Conforto could return, Callaway said.
Angels Select Dustin Garneau’s Contract, Place Kevan Smith On 7-Day Concussion IL
The Angels have selected the contract of catcher Dustin Garneau from Triple-A, the team announced. Garneau will take the spot of backup catcher Kevan Smith, who has been placed on the seven-day version of the injured list due to a concussion. No additional roster move was necessary, as the Angels had an open 40-man roster spot.
Smith left last night’s game in the fifth inning after taking a C.J. Cron foul tip off his mask. Selected off waivers from the White Sox roster last fall, Smith has played quite well in his first season with the Angels, hitting .290/.397/.435 over 73 plate appearances. Between Smith’s strong numbers and Jonathan Lucroy‘s comeback season, the Halos have been receiving both good production and good pitch-framing behind the plate.
Garneau inked a minors deal with Los Angeles over the offseason, and will look to at least get a bit more Major League action than he did in 2018, when he appeared in just a single game for the White Sox. Garneau, 31, has a .194/.269/.321 slash line over 280 career plate appearances for the White Sox, A’s, and Rockies over the last four seasons.
Orioles Acquire Keon Broxton, Claim Chandler Shepherd
The Orioles have acquired outfielder Keon Broxton from the Mets and claimed righty Chandler Shepherd from the Cubs, per a club announcement. $500K in international signing bonus slots are headed to the Mets in the swap.
Those additions created a need for two 40-man slots. To do so, the team moved starter Alex Cobb to the 60-day IL and designated fellow righty Yefry Ramirez for assignment.
Broxton, 29, obviously drew some interest since it took a non-trivial trade return to add him. He’ll need to stay on the active roster since he’s out of options. It’ll be interesting to see whether the O’s give him an extended audition in center field. While the results just haven’t been there for Broxton at the game’s highest level, he also has not had much of a chance to get going since the 2017 campaign.
This year has been a wreck so far for Broxton, who saw action in 34 games but took only 53 plate appearances with the Mets. He struck out 22 times in that span while delivering just one extra-base hit. Broxton did still manage to swipe four bags and figures to be a strong contributor in the field and on the bases.
As for the 26-year-old Shepherd, he’s on the move again just days after being claimed by the Cubs from the Red Sox. The right-handed hurler has been hit exceptionally hard this year at Triple-A, allowing 33 earned runs on 53 hits (eleven of them long balls) in 29 2/3 innings. But he had previously been a solid performer in the upper minors. The O’s are in need of innings and may have some ideas for getting him sorted out.
In any event, the organization obviously preferred Shepherd to Ramirez, who has had his own struggles this year. In 10 1/3 MLB frames, Ramirez has issued nine walks against eleven strikeouts while coughing up eight earned runs. Though it had never been an issue in the minors, he also struggled with the free passes last year in the majors.
Blue Jays Release Ben Revere
The Blue Jays have released veteran outfielder Ben Revere from their Triple-A club, per Baseball America’s Kegan Lowe. He was in his second stint with the Jays after signing a minor league deal in late April. He’d previously had a brief but solid run as a regular in left field with Toronto after being acquired prior to trade deadline in 2015.
Revere initially reported to extended Spring Training upon signing, and he appeared in just eight games before returning to the open market. He collected multiple hits in four of those eight contests and hit .286/.286/.371 with only three strikeouts in his 35 plate appearances back in the Jays organization.
Revere, who turned 31 a couple of weeks ago, hasn’t played in the Majors since hitting .275/.308/.344 in 308 plate appearances with the Angels in 2017. He spent last season with the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate and batted .277/.319/.406 in a limited sample of 40 games. He’s long been known for his blistering speed and knack for putting the ball in play, although he’s swiped just three bags in those 48 games at the Triple-A level across the past two seasons. Revere is capable of handling all three outfield positions and was playing in games as recently as this past weekend, when he recorded consecutive multi-hit efforts, so he could land with another organization in need of some upper-level depth and step directly into a lineup in Triple-A.
Twins Release Addison Reed
May 21: Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey tells reporters that Reed has been informed of his placement on release waivers (Twitter link via the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Phil Miller). He’ll be a free agent once he clears in 48 hours. At that point, he can sign with any club for the prorated league minimum.
May 16: The Twins announced that they’ve designated right-hander Addison Reed for assignment. The veteran setup man had been pitching on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Rochester after opening the season on the injured list due to a thumb sprain, though Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets that Reed’s velocity was topping out at 88-89 mph in recent appearances.
It’s a disappointing outcome for both the Twins and Reed, whose initial two-year, $16.75MM pact with Minnesota looked to be a relative bargain. Reed got out to a terrific start last season, pitching to a 2.36 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and 1.01 HR/9 through his first 26 2/3 innings. However, he began to struggle and landed on the shelf due to triceps discomfort and an elbow impingement in July. He struggled in his return while demonstrating the same type of velocity loss Hayes mentioned in reference to Reed’s rehab assignment. He finished up the season with a cumulative 4.50 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 1.77 HR/9 and a 31.6 percent ground-ball rate.
Minnesota will have a week to trade Reed, release him or pass him through waivers. He’s likely to clear, given this season’s $8.5MM salary, and even if the Twins try to outright him to Triple-A, Reed could reject the assignment in favor of free agency.
His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Austin D. Adams, whose promotion to the Major Leagues was reported last night. Adams’ contract has now been formally selected, per the Twins’ announcement.
Rays Outright Aaron Slegers
The Rays announced Tuesday that right-hander Aaron Slegers cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Durham. He’ll remain with the organization but won’t occupy a spot on the club’s 40-man roster.
Slegers, 26, went from the Twins to the Pirates to the Rays in the offseason via a series of DFAs and has started the year slowly in Triple-A. Through seven starts and a total of 33 2/3 innings, the towering 6’10” righty has a 6.15 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 1.87 HR/9 and a 31.6 percent ground-ball rate. Slegers appeared in eight games with the 2017-18 Twins but, despite a previously strong track record in Triple-A (prior to 2019), he limped to a 5.90 ERA in 29 frames with Minnesota. He entered the year with a career 3.54 ERA at that Triple-A level, so there’s still some hope for a rebound that puts him back on the Rays’ radar for a promotion later in the year.
Mariners Designate Ryan Garton For Assignment
The Mariners announced Tuesday that they’ve designated right-hander Ryan Garton for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Anthony Bass, whose previously reported Major League deal with the team has now been formally announced.
Garton, 29, joined the club just last week and has appeared in only two games since that promotion, during which time he’s allowed four runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in three innings of work. He’s been with the Mariners before, back in 2017, when he logged a 1.54 ERA in 11 2/3 frames. Garton has a 4.90 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 64 1/3 innings of work and owns a career 3.09 ERA and 10.6 K/9 in 145 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. The Mariners will have a week to trade Garton or pass him through outright waivers. He’s been outrighted in the past, so he’d have the option of declining an outright assignment in favor of free agency.