White Sox Claim Ryan LaMarre
The White Sox announced that they’ve claimed outfielder Ryan LaMarre off waivers from the Twins. LaMarre was designated for assignment by Minnesota last week when Jorge Polanco was reinstated from his suspension. The ChiSox already had two open spots on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t required. The White Sox didn’t announce that LaMarre is going to Triple-A (though he does have minor league options remaining), so it seems he’ll join their active roster.
LaMarre, 30, batted .263/.321/.313 through 109 plate appearances as a Twin before his DFA, logging plenty of time in center field with Byron Buxton struggling to stay healthy in 2018. Though his average and OBP were respectable, LaMarre also struck out in 30.3 percent clip of his big league plate appearances. He’s capable of playing any of the three outfield positions for the Sox and can be optioned back and forth between Charlotte and Chicago as a depth piece for the remainder of the season if the Sox hang onto him.
Mets Place Todd Frazier On DL Amid Series Of Roster Moves
The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, most notably placing third baseman Todd Frazier on the disabled list due to a left rib cage strain. Additionally, the Mets recalled left-hander P.J. Conlon and right-hander Ty Kelly from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned righty Chris Flexen to Vegas. Right-hander Jacob Rhame is also up with the team as the 26th man for today’s twin bill, and Tim Britton of The Athletic further reports that right-hander Drew Gagnon will have his contract selected tomorrow and start Tuesday night’s game.
It’s the second DL stint of the season for Frazier, 32, who previously missed nearly a month due to a hamstring strain. It’s not clear just how long he’ll miss at present, but the injury certainly won’t do any favors for Frazier’s already limited trade stock. Through 260 plate appearances on the season, Frazier is hitting .217/.300/.385 with 10 homers. As James Wagner of the New York Times points out (via Twitter), Frazier’s second trip to the DL in 2018 comes after a previous seven-year run in which he avoided the DL entirely.
Frazier has played solid defense at third base, per both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating, but Frazier’s walk rate has dropped from 14.4 percent in 2017 to 10.4 percent in 2018, leading to sub-par OBP contributions despite his still-strong power output (.239 ISO). He’s in the first season of a two-year, $17MM contract with the Mets.
The 28-year-old Gagnon will be making his MLB debut when he takes the mound for the Mets on Tuesday. The longtime Brewers farmhand is in his first season with the Mets organization and has pitched to a 4.40 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 with a ground-ball rate just shy of 50 percent. Gagnon’s K/BB numbers and ground-ball tendencies are encouraging, but he’s been plagued by the long ball — perhaps not entirely surprising given the hitter-friendly nature of both the Pacific Coast League in general and his home environment.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/8/18
Keeping track of Sunday’s minor moves…
- Tigers infielder Dixon Machado has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, per an announcement from Detroit. Machado had the right to elect free agency instead, but he’ll remain with the Tigers, who designated him on July 4. Although the 26-year-old opened the season as the Tigers’ starting second baseman, he lost his grip on both that job and his roster spot after hitting just .206/.263/.290 in 233 plate appearances.
- Padres outfielder Matt Szczur will also remain with his organization after clearing waivers, the team announced. The Padres designated Szczur last weekend, after the 28-year-old began 2018 with a .187/.265/.267 line in 84 trips to the plate.
- The Cubs announced that they’ve selected right-hander James Norwood from Triple-A and placed reliever Anthony Bass on the disabled list (illness, retroactive to July 5). Norwood is in position to make his major league debut four years after the Cubs chose him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. The 24-year-old has spent most of this season at Double-A, where he has pitched to a sterling 2.48 ERA with 9.92 K/9 and 3.31 BB/9 over 32 2/3 innings.
- The Royals have signed right-hander Dallas Beeler to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Double-A affiliate, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The 29-year-old Beeler comes with a bit of major league experience, having pitched 19 1/3 innings for the Cubs from 2014-15. Beeler has mostly worked at the Triple-A level as a professional, combining for a 3.73 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 243 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch for anyone last season, though, and then opened 2018 with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League.
Rangers Acquire Austin Jackson, Cory Gearrin; Could Trade Jackson
12:47pm: Jackson may never even play for the Rangers, per Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. General manager Jon Daniels told the outfielder “to hold off on reporting,” Fraley writes. It seems they’ll try to trade him.
12:05pm: The Rangers have acquired outfielder Austin Jackson, reliever Cory Gearrin and right-hander Jason Bahr from the Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to Texas’ executive vice president of communications, John Blake. To clear room on their 40-man roster, the Rangers moved relievers Matt Bush and Tony Barnette to the 60-day disabled list. Meanwhile, the Giants will select both outfielder Steven Duggar and righty Ray Black from Triple-A, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
This trade amounts to a cost-cutting move for the Giants, who were narrowly under the $197MM competitive-balance tax threshold entering Sunday. Now, with the Rangers taking on the salaries of both Jackson and Gearrin (per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic), the Giants are seemingly in better position to make some moves around the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline as they try to hang in the NL West race.
San Francisco added Jackson on a two-year, $6MM free-agent contract last winter on the heels of a season in which the veteran was a key role player for the Indians. The 31-year-old Jackson has gone backward this season, though, as he took 165 plate appearances with the Giants and hit just .242/.309/.295 with no home runs, 14 unintentional walks and 59 strikeouts. He’ll now attempt to revive his season in his native Texas.
The Giants tried to get rid of Gearrin via outright waivers last month, but no one claimed him. The 32-year-old’s on an affordable $1.675MM salary in his penultimate season of team control, though he has seen his ERA increase from 1.99 in 2017 to 4.20 in 2018. Overall this year, Gearrin has tossed 30 innings and managed 9.3 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9.
Along with helping the Giants get out from under the salaries of Jackson and Gearrin, the out-of-contention Rangers also added Bahr – who ranked as San Francisco’s 27th-best prospect at MLB.com. Bahr, 23, joined the Giants just last year as a fifth-round pick. He has since pitched solely at the Single-A level, including 84 2/3 innings of 2.55 ERA ball this season.
With the Jackson experiment having failed for the Giants, they’ll introduce the well-regarded Duggar to their outfield mix. The 24-year-old Duggar, a 2015 third-round pick and MLB.com’s third-ranked Giants prospect, owns a .272/.354/.421 line in 356 Triple-A plate appearances this season. He’ll join a San Francisco outfield that hasn’t gotten average or better offensive production from anyone but Andrew McCutchen, Gorkys Hernandez and Austin Slater this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Brewers Promote Corbin Burnes, Activate Lorenzo Cain, Place Ryan Braun On DL
The Brewers are set to promote one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, right-hander Corbin Burnes, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The team has also activated outfielder Lorenzo Cain from the 10-day disabled list; sent fellow outfielder Ryan Braun and catcher Manny Pina to the DL; recalled infielder/outfielder Nate Orf and catcher Jacob Nottingham from Triple-A; and optioned righty Aaron Wilkerson, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
In yet another move, Milwaukee announced that it has designated lefty Mike Zagurski for assignment. Between Zagurski’s exit and Burnes’ promotion, the Brewers still have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
Now 23, Burnes will get to the majors quickly after joining the Brewers as a fourth-round pick in 2016. After Milwaukee selected him, Burnes proceeded to race through the lower levels of the minors over the previous two seasons, and has spent all of this year at Triple-A. Burnes hasn’t been great at preventing runs in 2018, having recorded a 5.15 ERA in 78 2/3 innings (19 appearances, 13 starts), though the Brewers’ Triple-A home in Colorado Springs is a tough environment for pitchers. And to his credit, Burnes has managed 9.27 K/9 against 3.55 BB/9.
Both MLB.com (No. 56) and Baseball America (No. 58) regard Burnes as a top-60 prospect in baseball and one of the best farmhands in a quality Brewers system. In its free scouting report, MLB.com lauds Burnes’ “lightning-quick arm,” adding that he offers a 92 to 95 mph fastball with “natural cutting action,” two impressive breaking pitches and a solid changeup.
It’s unclear whether Burnes will factor into the Brewers’ rotation in the short term, as Wade Miley is nearing a return from the DL and could join Junior Guerra, Chase Anderson, Jhoulys Chacin and Freddy Peralta to comprise their starting staff. Wilkerson started for the club Saturday, going five innings and allowing two earned runs in a loss to Atlanta. The defeat dropped the Brewers to a still-excellent 53-36, good for a 1 1/2-game lead in the NL Central. With Milwaukee looking like a strong playoff contender, it could further bolster its roster – including its rotation – in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, though the club does have potential pitching reinforcements on the way in Miley, Jimmy Nelson, Brent Suter and Zach Davies (all of whom are on the DL). Although, Nelson may not pitch until September, if at all, general manager David Stearns told Haudricourt and other reporters Sunday.
Cain, meanwhile, will act as a reinforcement for the Brewers’ position player group after missing nearly two weeks with a groin strain. He had gotten off to a tremendous start in the first season of a five-year, $80MM contract. The also-expensive Braun has been uncharacteristically ineffective, on the other hand, with a .235/.283/.427 line in 255 plate appearances. Injuries have been an all-too-common issue of late for Braun, who’s now dealing with a back strain.
Pina, the Brewers’ starting catcher, is heading to the shelf with a left biceps strain. He’s part of a Brewers backstop contingent that hasn’t offered much at the plate this year, as Pina has hit .227/.294/.376 in 214 PAs. Pina has thrown out 36 percent of would-be base stealers, however, and been a middle-of-the-pack pitch framer, per Baseball Prospectus. His absence will leave the Brewers with Erik Kratz and Nottingham as their two catchers.
As for Zagurski, he lasted under two weeks on Milwaukee’s 40-man before it designated him. The well-traveled 35-year-old has seen his first major league action since 2013 this season, though it hasn’t been pretty. In two appearances with the Brewers, Zagurski has combined for one inning and allowed seven earned runs on five hits and two walks.
Red Sox Make Series Of Roster Moves
The Red Sox have announced a series of roster moves, including officially placing catcher Christian Vazquez on the 10-day disabled list with a broken right pinky. In addition, they sent left-hander Brian Johnson to the 10-day DL (left hip inflammation, retroactive to July 5) and transferred righty Austin Maddox to the 60-day DL.
With their newfound roster space, the Red Sox selected righty Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Pawtucket and recalled fellow righty William Cuevas. They continue to possess a full 40-man roster.
The 30-year-old Brasier could now see his first major league action since 2013, when he threw his only nine MLB innings while with the Angels. Brasier inked a minors deal with the Red Sox over the winter after spending the previous several years at the Triple-A level with the Halos and Athletics. He has opened this season with tremendous numbers at Pawtucket, where he has logged a 1.34 ERA with 8.93 K/9 and 1.79 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings out of the team’s bullpen. Overall, Brasier – the Angels’ sixth-round pick in 2007 – owns a 3.65 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 246 1/3 Triple-A frames.
Royals Place Jakob Junis On DL, Select Glenn Sparkman
The Royals have placed right-hander Jakob Junis on the 10-day disabled list with low back inflammation, per Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star. Additonally, the club selected the contract of righty Glenn Sparkman from Triple-A Omaha, giving Kansas City a full 40-man roster.
Junis had been scheduled to start the Royals’ game against the Red Sox on Sunday, but righty Heath Fillmyer will take the ball instead. Across 17 starts and 101 2/3 innings this season, the 25-year-old Junis has struggled to a 5.13 ERA/5.47 FIP, though he has managed 8.14 K/9 against 2.48 BB/9.
Fillmyer, 24, is now set to make his first big league start. He joined the Royals in an offseason trade with the Athletics and has made his first three major league appearances this year, throwing nine innings of two-run ball out of KC’s bullpen. He hasn’t fared nearly that well in 13 Triple-A starts, though, with a 5.75 ERA/4.62 FIP in 67 1/3 frames.
Sparkman is in position to see the second MLB action of his career. He tossed one inning in 2017 with the Blue Jays, who took him from the Royals in the 2016 Rule 5 draft but then returned him to Kansas City last July. The 26-year-old has divided this season between the minors’ two highest levels and combined for a 3.96 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9 in 16 starts and 88 2/3 innings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/7/18
The latest minor moves from around the sport…
- The Blue Jays announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Preston Guilmet to Triple-A. Toronto designated Guilmet on Wednesday after he allowed eight earned runs in as many innings with the team, which claimed him off waivers from the Cardinals on June 9. Given that the 30-year-old has been outrighted before, he could elect free agency, though it seems he’ll stay with the Jays.
Earlier updates:
- The Cubs outrighted Chris Gimenez to Triple-A after the catcher cleared waivers (ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers was among those to report the news). Gimenez was designated for assignment on Wednesday to create room for the newly-promoted Victor Caratini. After signing a minors deal with Chicago last winter, Gimenez has appeared in 12 games this season, producing only a .143/.219/.143 slash line over 32 plate appearances.
Injury Notes: Bryant, Correa, Dyson, Joyce, Feliz
Here’s the latest on some injury situations from around the league…
- Kris Bryant worked out with the Cubs today and appears to be close to a rehab assignment, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat writes. The third baseman felt some soreness in his left shoulder a few days ago, which delayed his hopes of returning to the lineup this weekend. Bryant shouldn’t need too much time to get back to game readiness, so Chicago seems likely to activate him sometime this week.
- Carlos Correa tells MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link) that he is hopeful of getting back to action before the All-Star break, though Correa has yet to begin any baseball activities. The Astros star’s 10-day DL placement due to lower back soreness was backdated to June 26, so is eligible to return at any point. Manager A.J. Hinch said that the team was going to be cautious with the young star, so it could be that Correa is held out through the break to make sure he is completely recovered.
- The Diamondbacks are worried that the injury that placed Jarrod Dyson on the DL earlier this week is similar to the core injury that prematurely ended his 2017 season, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan tweets. Dyson previously underwent surgery for that core injury in mid-September 2017. It isn’t clear how long another procedure would keep Dyson sidelined, though the seriousness of Dyson’s current issue has also yet to be determined. The outfielder has delivered outstanding defense and baserunning this year, making him a useful asset for Arizona despite a severe lack (.189/.282/.257 in 237 PA) of production at the plate.
- The Athletics announced that outfielder Matt Joyce has hit the 10-day DL due to a lumbar strain, with a placement retroactive to July 5. Outfielder Nick Martini is up from Triple-A to take Joyce’s roster spot. This is the second time in almost exactly a month that Martini has replaced Joyce due to the veteran’s ongoing lumbar issues. It’s safe to say that the back problems have contributed to Joyce’s down numbers, as he is hitting just .203/.311/.359 with seven homers through 226 PA this season.
- The Pirates reinstated right-hander Michael Feliz from the 10-day DL and also selected the contract of righty Alex McRae from Triple-A Indianapolis, as per a team press release. Righty Dovydas Neverauskas and southpaw Josh Smoker were demoted to Triple-A in corresponding moves. Feliz missed about two weeks due to right shoulder inflammation and will try to turn around a season that has seen him post a 5.51 ERA over his first 32 2/3 innings for the Bucs. McRae, a 10th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2014 draft, will get his first taste of Major League action after posting a 4.61 ERA, 8.6 K/9, and 2.05 K/BB rate over 84 innings for Indianapolis this season.
Giants Activate Jeff Samardzija
The Giants announced a collection of roster moves today, including the news that right-hander Jeff Samardzija has been activated from the 10-day DL to start today’s game against the Cardinals. Infielder Chase d’Arnaud will also join the 25-man roster after his contract was purchased from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, second baseman Joe Panik was officially placed on the 10-day DL with a left groin strain, righty Chris Stratton was sent down to Triple-A, and Hunter Strickland was moved from the 10-day to the 60-day DL.
[Updated Giants depth chart at Roster Resource]
Samardzija suffered some right shoulder tightness during a start on May 29 and ended up missing over a month of action while recovering. The time off could serve as a virtual reset on Samardzija’s season, as he had a 6.56 ERA and almost as many walks (23) as strikeouts (26) in eight starts and 35 2/3 IP prior to his injury. Injuries have plagued San Francisco’s rotation for much of the year, though the Giants finally have their projected top three of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Samardzija all active at the same time. The rotation could go from a problem area to a strength for the Giants in the pennant race, particularly since Andrew Suarez and Dereck Rodriguez have both pitched well in fill-in duty. Indeed, it was Stratton rather than Rodriguez who was sent down to Triple-A to make room for Samardzija’s return.
d’Arnaud signed a minor league deal back in January and now get his first taste of big league action in 2018. He’ll take Alen Hanson‘s spot as the utilityman while Hanson gets more regular duty filling in for Panik at second base. Versatility has been the watchword for d’Arnaud over his six MLB seasons, as the 31-year-old has played at least one game at every position except pitcher and catcher.