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Marlins Claim Anthony Veneziano, Designate Three Players For Assignment

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The Marlins announced a huge batch of transactions today, including the previously reported claim of right-hander Lake Bachar. They also claimed left-hander Anthony Veneziano off waivers from the Royals. They also reinstated left-hander Josh Simpson from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Jacksonville. To open 40-man roster spots for those three, they designated catcher Alí Sánchez, left-hander Kent Emanuel and right-hander Emmanuel Ramírez for assignment. Sánchez and Ramírez were on the active roster, so those two spots will be taken by infielder Xavier Edwards, who has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, and right-hander Anthony Maldonado, who has been recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Veneziano was just designated for assignment on September 1, which happened to be his 27th birthday. He has a minimal big league track record, having tossed 2 1/3 innings with the Royals last year and another two innings this year.

The Marlins are likely interested in his pre-2024 track record, as it hasn’t been the lefty’s best season. He has tossed 90 innings at the Triple-A level this year with a 4.80 earned run average, 19.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate. But in 2023, he had a 3.55 ERA in his 132 minor league innings, striking out 23% of batters faced while limiting walks to an 8.7% clip.

Baseball America ranked him the #5 prospect in the Royals’ system coming into 2024. The results haven’t been as impressive this year but it’s understandable that the Marlins would still have hope of getting him back on track. He will still have two option years remaining after the current campaign, so they can get a close-up look at him in the minors and see if there’s a path towards better results in the long term.

Sánchez, 27, was added to the club’s roster in June and got into 31 games for the Fish. Unfortunately, he hit just .167/.211/.190 in his 96 plate appearances. He has generally performed well at the Triple-A level but without bringing it up to the majors. He has hit .276/.348/.409 at Triple-A from 2021 to the present, leading to a 97 wRC+ in a sample of just under 1,000 plate appearances. But he has a career line of .175/.221/.216 in the majors and is out of options.

Emanuel, 32, has been on and off the Marlins’ roster all year. He signed a minor league deal with the club in the winter and this is now the fifth time he’s been designated for assignment. Each time has seen him clear waivers, get outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville and later have his contract selected again. Given that pattern, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it all play out once more. Around those transactions, he has a 6.62 ERA in 17 2/3 major league innings and a 6.15 ERA in 45 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Ramírez, 30, was first selected to the club’s roster back in April and has appeared in 15 big league games, the first of his career. He has a 6.97 ERA in those, though his peripherals are closer to average. He has a 22.8% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate on the year. His 54% strand rate is on the unlucky side, which is why his 4.63 FIP and 3.85 SIERA are far apart from his ERA. He also has a 3.76 ERA in 40 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.

All three of Sánchez, Emanuel and Ramírez will have to be placed on waivers in the coming days since the trade deadline has passed. Since it’s now September, they won’t be postseason eligible with any club that puts in a claim.

Pirates Claim Joey Wentz

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The Pirates have claimed left-hander Joey Wentz off waivers from the Tigers, according to announcements from both clubs. The Tigers had designated him for assignment in recent days. The Pirates had an open 40-man spot but will need to open an active roster spot once Wentz reports to the team since he is out of options.

Wentz, now 26, was once a notable prospect. He was selected 40th overall by Atlanta in the 2016 draft and posted some good numbers in the minors before being flipped to the Tigers in the July 2019 trade that sent Shane Greene the other way. Unfortunately, Wentz required Tommy John surgery in March of 2020, putting him on the shelf for that year and part of 2021. The Tigers nonetheless believed in his future, adding him to their 40-man roster in November of 2020 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

Since coming back from his surgery absence, he has generally posted solid numbers in the minors but not in the majors. Over the 2021-23 seasons, he tossed 154 innings on the farm, allowing 3.97 earned runs per nine innings. His 11.4% walk rate in that time was a bit high but he struck out 26.7% of batters faced. But he had a 5.99 ERA in 138 1/3 major league innings during that same time frame, striking out just 19.9% of batters faced in the big leagues.

He exhausted his option years in that stretch and has been out of options here in 2024. The Tigers kept him in their bullpen for the first few months of the season with some mixed results. He was able to provide them with a multi-inning relief arm, soaking up 55 1/3 frames over 38 outings, but with a 5.37 ERA. His 23.6% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate are close to average but his .333 batting average on balls in play and 69.8% strand rate have both been a bit on the unlucky side. His 4.52 FIP and 3.97 SIERA both suggest he deserved better results than he got this year.

Perhaps that is what the Pirates will be banking on, in addition to Wentz’s previous prospect pedigree. They will have to keep him on their active roster due to his out-of-options status but that should be doable with just a few weeks left in the season and the club now out of contention. If they manage to keep Wentz on their roster, he can be retained well into the future. He will finish this season with under two years of service time, meaning he can be retained for five seasons after this one.

Marlins Outright Jonathan Bermúdez

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The Marlins have sent left-hander Jonathan Bermúdez outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment on the weekend. He has the right to elect free agency but it’s not yet clear if he’s chosen to do so.

Bermúdez, 28, was with the Marlins on a minor league deal when his contract was selected just over a week ago. He was able to make his major league debut a week ago, entering Tuesday’s game in the second inning after Roddery Muñoz was lit up for six earned runs in just an inning and a third. Bermúdez was able to toss 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits and no walks, registering three strikeouts in the process. The Fish were down 6-0 to the Rockies after the second but managed to come back to win 9-8 via a five-run ninth.

The Marlins needed five pitchers to pull off that victory, so they optioned Bermúdez and Muñoz the next day to bring in some fresh arms. A few days later, infielder Vidal Bruján was headed for the injured list so the club selected José Devers to replace him, which sent Bermúdez into DFA limbo.

Though he just made his major league debut, Bermúdez had been on a 40-man roster before. He was drafted by the Astros and that club added him to their roster in November of 2021 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He was designated for assignment in August of 2022 and went to the Giants via waivers, though he was outrighted about a week later.

Due to that previous outright, he has the right to elect free agency today if he so wishes. He posted decent minor league numbers through 2021, which is why he got that roster spot from the Astros, but the results haven’t been too strong lately. He has a 5.49 ERA in 273 2/3 minor league innings from 2022 to the present. That includes a 3.48 ERA this year, though that consists of a 2.53 ERA at Double-A and a 6.46 ERA at Triple-A.

Marlins Claim Lake Bachar

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The Marlins have claimed right-hander Lake Bachar from the Padres, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune on X. The Friars had designated him for assignment on the weekend. The Fish will need to make a corresponding move to open a 40-man roster spot for this claim.

Bachar, 29, has not yet made his major league debut but got a roster spot from the Padres based on his intriguing minor league work in recent years. He had to endure a lengthy absence, as the pandemic wiped out the minors in 2020 and then Bachar missed 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He showed a bit of rust in 2022, posting a 6.15 earned run average at the Double-A level. Per an article from Sanders at Baseball America, a splitter camp run by Hideo Nomo in the spring of 2023 helped Bachar find a new gear. The righty went on to throw 60 1/3 innings at the Double-A level that year with a much-improved 2.69 ERA. He struck out 27.5% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 10% clip.

He qualified for minor league free agency after 2023 and re-signed with the Padres on a minor league deal. That deal contained an opt-out at the start of August, so the Padres added him to their 40-man at that time to prevent him from getting away, but they kept him on optional assignment. He was briefly recalled about a week ago but didn’t get into a game and was optioned right back down.

Bachar was squeezed off the 40-man roster when the Padres bolstered their roster for September with catcher Elias Díaz and outfielder Brandon Lockridge. That’s despite him having another strong season in the minors. He has thrown 71 2/3 innings over 46 appearances at the Triple-A level with a 3.89 ERA in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. He has a 27.4% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate.

Though he got nudged off the roster by the Padres, the Marlins are intrigued enough by his results to grab him. Bachar has almost zero service time and will still have two option years after this one, so he could be a long-term piece for them if he can hang onto his 40-man roster spot.

White Sox Designate Touki Toussaint For Assignment

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The White Sox announced they have designated right-hander Touki Toussaint for assignment. The move will give Chicago another 40-man vacancy, as they’re filling his spot by recalling righty Matt Foster, who’s already on the 40-man. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the moves prior to the official announcement.

Toussaint, 28, has pitched in 11 games and tallied 23 innings for the ChiSox this season, but the results haven’t been pretty. The former first-rounder and top prospect has been tagged for a 7.43 ERA, thanks in no small part to a bloated 15.4% walk rate. Toussaint has unequivocally had some poor fortune on balls in play, evidence by a mammoth .464 BABIP, and the White Sox’ porous defense surely hasn’t done him any favors in that regard.

All the same, Toussaint’s hefty walk rate and average strikeout rate (22.2%) aren’t conducive to success even with a more typical average on balls in play. He’s had a particularly rough go of it lately, with 11 runs yielded over his past 9 1/3 innings. Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Toussaint will head to waivers. He’ll likely clear, at which point he’ll have the right to elect free agency (both by virtue of his major league service time and prior outright assignments).

Foster, 29, has pitched well in Triple-A and in the majors this season in what’s been his first year back from Tommy John surgery performed in April 2023. The right-hander’s velocity (91.6 mph average fastball) is down two miles per hour from his pre-surgery days, though that could build back up as he gets more work in. To this point, he’s only pitched 18 minor league frames and another three in the majors. In 115 2/3 innings, Foster owns a 4.28 ERA with a 23.6% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. The Sox can control him via arbitration through the 2026 season.

Johnny Cueto Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Johnny Cueto elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Angels, per transaction log at MLB.com. That indicates he first went unclaimed on waivers and then rejected an outright assignment to the minors.

Cueto signed a minor league deal with the Angels in late July and was selected to the big league roster a month later. He tossed a quality start against the Royals in his first outing as an Angel before being tagged for six runs in five innings versus Detroit in his second start. Cueto pitched a total of 11 1/3 innings for the Halos, gave up nine runs (four homers) and posted a 6-to-3 K/BB ratio. That performance came on the heels of a nice run with Triple-A Salt Lake, where he posted a 3.09 ERA and 15-to-5 K/BB ratio in four starts — a total of 23 1/3 innings. This year’s 91 mph average fastball was down from last season but not a career-low mark and not all that different from the 91.3 mph he averaged from 2018-22.

Other clubs around the league can now mull a pickup of Cueto down the stretch if they’re looking for some veteran rotation depth. He won’t be eligible for any team’s playoff roster if he signs at this point, however. It’s possible Cueto simply waits until the offseason to sign another contract — assuming he’s intent on continuing his pitching career into his age-39 season.

The 2023-24 seasons have been tough for the former All-Star. Cueto has been tagged for 6.22 ERA in 63 2/3 innings across the past two seasons, spending time with both the Marlins and Angels (in addition to a minor league run with the Rangers earlier this year). His ’23 campaign was impacted by a biceps injury that limited him to 11 starts.

As recently as 2022, Cueto was a quality big league hurler, making 24 starts for the White Sox and recording a 3.35 earned run average in 158 1/3 innings with a 15.7% strikeout rate and 5.1%  walk rate. And, of course, Cueto was one of the game’s steadiest and most-productive pitchers in his peak. From 2010-16 the right-hander piled up 1294 2/3 innings of 2.86 ERA ball, striking out 20.6% of his opponents against a 6.2% walk rate. He had three top-six Cy Young finishes, two All-Star nods and won a World Series ring with the 2015 Royals along the way. In 2256 1/3 career innings, Cueto sports a 3.52 ERA and 144-113 record.

Pirates Release Jose Rojas

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The Pirates have released infielder/outfielder Jose Rojas, according to his transactions tracker on MLB.com. He’ll head back out to the open market and assess the options for his next opportunity.

Rojas, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in July. He got into 15 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, stepping to the plate 59 times. He hit just .192/.288/.423 in that small sample, seemingly weighed down by a .189 batting average on balls in play. His 20.3% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate in that time were solid and he hit three home runs. Regardless, the Bucs decided to move on.

Prior to signing with the Pirates, he was coming off a pretty good stretch of decent results. He started 2024 on a minor league deal with the Yankees and slashed .254/.359/.561 in 67 games for their Triple-A club, leading to a 131 wRC+. That deal with the Yankees came on the heels of a good year in Korea. He spent 2023 with the KBO’s Doosan Bears and slashed .253/.345/.474 for a 126 wRC+ in 122 games for them.

Rojas has 83 games of major league experience, which came with the Angels in 2021 and 2022. He didn’t hit well in that time, producing a line of  .188/.245/.339. He can perhaps intrigue clubs by the strong results he’s had in the two years since, but it’s an awkward part of the calendar. Now that it’s September, he won’t be eligible to play in the postseason for any new club he signs with, while clubs out of contention would likely prefer to give playing time to guys who are younger and still developing. Rojas can provide defensive versatility, as he has played all of the non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners in his career.

Reds Outright Evan Kravetz, Davis Wendzel

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Left-hander Evan Kravetz and infielder Davis Wendzel both passed through waivers unclaimed and have been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com on X. Both players had been designated for assignment by the Reds in the past week.

Kravetz, 27, was just added to the roster last week, his first call to the majors. He got into one game, tossing two thirds of an inning without allowing a run, before being designated for assignment. Since he has just a few days of service time and no previous career outrights, he doesn’t have the right to reject this assignment.

He will therefore return to Louisville and provide the club with some left-handed depth in a non-roster capacity. He already has 42 1/3 innings tossed for the Bats this year with a 3.40 earned run average. His 11.7% walk rate was on the high side but he struck out 25% of batters faced.

Wendzel, 27, was once a somewhat notable prospect in the Rangers’ system. That club selected him 41st overall in the 2019 draft but his bat never really lived up to expectations. From 2021 to the present, he has played in 338 minor league games with a combined slash line of .232/.338/.426, which translates to a 91 wRC+.

He got out to a strong start this year and got added to the Texas roster in April. Around multiple optional assignments, he hit just .128/.163/.234 in his first 47 major league plate appearances. His hot start in the minors also cooled, so that his line in Triple-A for the season is now .266/.361/.407. That includes stints with the Triple-A clubs of the Rangers and Reds, as he was designated for assignment by Texas at the end of July and flipped to Cincinnati for cash.

This time, no trade was possible with the deadline having passed and none of the 29 other clubs were willing to grab him off waivers. Like Kravetz, he will report to Louisville and provide the club with some non-roster depth. Wendzel has played all four infield positions in his career, so he can give the club cover all over the dirt.

Padres Designate José Azocar For Assignment

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The Padres announced that they have reinstated outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. from the 60-day injured list, as previously reported. In corresponding moves, they optioned outfielder Bryce Johnson and designated outfielder José Azocar for assignment.

Azocar, 28, has been largely serving as a speed-and-defense depth player for the Padres in recent years. He has appeared in 214 games over the 2022-24 seasons but only been sent to the plate 397 times. He has produced a batting line of .243/.287/.322 in those trips to the plate, which translates to a 74 wRC+. But he has stolen 18 bases while also producing eight Outs Above Average and two Defensive Runs Saved in the outfield.

The Friars have frequently optioned him to the minors in that time but he will be out of options after this year. That would have made it harder for the Padres to keep him on the 40-man, so he’s been bumped off today. He also hasn’t helped his case much with the bat in the minors, as he has slashed .276/.309/.402 in 438 plate appearances at Triple-A since the start of 2023, production that leads to a wRC+ of 70.

Since we are in the post-deadline part of the schedule, the Friars will have to put Azocar on waivers in the coming days. If any club has interest in Azocar’s particular skill set, they could put in a claim and then keep Azocar on optional assignment for the rest of the year, though he will have less roster flexibility in the long run.

Red Sox Re-Sign Brad Keller To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox and Brad Keller have evidently reunited on another minor league deal, as he started for Triple-A Worcester yesterday. He had elected free agency last week after being designated for assignment but seems to have signed a fresh pact. If the deal was formalized prior to September 1, he will be postseason eligible with the Sox.

Keller, 29, has been on and off the Boston roster for the past few months. He actually started the season with the White Sox on a minor league deal. He was added to that club’s roster in late April but lasted about three weeks before being designated for assignment, clearing waivers and electing free agency.

He then signed with the Sox and was on their 40-man roster for a few months but elected free agency in mid-August when they attempted to option him to the minors. As a veteran with more than five years of service time, he can’t be optioned without his consent. He went to the open market but quickly re-signed on a new minor league deal. He was added back to the roster last week but designated for assignment one day later, which led to another trip to free agency and this new minor league deal.

Around all of those transactions, Keller has managed to throw 41 1/3 innings over 16 appearances on the year, allowing 5.44 earned runs per nine. His 16.7% strikeout rate is below average but he has limited walks to a 7.8% clip while getting grounders on 50% of balls in play. He’s also logged 51 Triple-A innings on the year with a 4.06 ERA and similar peripherals.

Keller was once a strong rotation member with the Royals but his recent years have been fairly similar to his 2024 campaign. By the end of 2020, he had a 3.50 ERA in 360 1/3 innings but he has a 5.18 ERA in 360 frames from 2021 to the present.

The Red Sox recently lost James Paxton to the injured list for the rest of the year, putting him on the list of guys who won’t return to the club this season, next to Lucas Giolito, Garrett Whitlock and others. They currently have a rotation of Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Cooper Criswell. There are some workload concerns in there, as Houck, Crawford and Criswell have already set personal highs in terms of innings pitched in a season. Quinn Priester is another option on the 40-man roster but he has an 8.10 ERA in five Triple-A starts since being acquired from the Pirates.

If they need a spot start at some point this month or someone in that group needs to go on the injured list, Keller should be good to go since he pitched five innings yesterday. The Sox also have Josh Winckowski and Rich Hill on the roster but Hill hasn’t gone more than an inning and a third with the club so far. Winckowski has had plenty of multi-inning outings but hasn’t gotten into a game since August 23, so it might be hard for him to suddenly throw five or six innings on demand.

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