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Dodgers Outright Brent Honeywell

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August 21: Honeywell has accepted his outright, per OKC broadcaster Alex Freeman on X.

August 20: Dodgers righty Brent Honeywell went unclaimed on waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Honeywell has a previous career outright, so he can decline the assignment in favor of minor league free agency.

A top prospect when he was a member of the Rays’ system, Honeywell battled various injuries before getting a real look at the MLB level. He finally got that opportunity last season, combining for 52 1/3 relief innings between the Padres and White Sox. Honeywell posted serviceable middle relief numbers in San Diego before being hit hard with the Sox. That cost him his roster spot in Chicago and left him to sign a minor league deal with the Pirates over the winter.

The 29-year-old spent the first half of the year with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A team. He turned in a 4.85 ERA with a modest 19.6% strikeout percentage across 39 innings. While it wasn’t the most dominant showing, the Bucs called him up in July. He made two appearances before Pittsburgh designated him for assignment and lost him on waivers to Los Angeles. The Dodgers gave Honeywell 10 outings in low-leverage spots. He posted a 2.21 ERA through 20 1/3 frames. That’s despite a well below-average 15.2% strikeout rate and 6.5% swinging strike percentage. The Dodgers squeezed him off the roster over the weekend when they promoted Ben Casparius.

Honeywell carries 4.26 ERA across 80 1/3 innings over parts of three big league campaigns. If he reports to OKC, he’d be eligible for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason unless the Dodgers call him back up.

Padres Select Mason McCoy

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The Padres announced they have selected the contract of infielder Mason McCoy. Infielder Matthew Batten has been optioned to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding active roster. To open a 40-man spot for McCoy, outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Tatis has already been on the IL for 60 days, so he can return as soon as he’s healthy. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune relayed the McCoy and Batten moves on X prior to the official announcement.

McCoy, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Padres in the offseason. He has played 108 games for Triple-A El Paso this year with a .260/.329/.382 batting line, which translates to a wRC+ of 79, indicating he’s been 21% below league average.

He has never been much of a hitter, having slashed .239/.318/.400 for a wRC+ of 80 in 458 Triple-A games since the start of 2021. His major league work consists of just one plate appearance with the Blue Jays last year, though he did get into six games overall, mostly as a defensive replacement. He has a reputation as an excellent defender and frequently racks up double-digit steal totals, including 25 this year.

The Padres recently lost shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to the injured list, which has moved utility player Tyler Wade into regular shortstop action. McCoy can provide the Padres with depth all over, as he has played all the infield positions to the left of first base, in addition to some outfield work. Based on his skills, he might be ticketed for a lot of late-game work, either on defense or on the basepaths. He still has a full slate of options and just a few days of service time, so the Padres could keep him around for a while if they so choose.

As for Tatis, as mentioned, this is just a formality. He landed on the IL June 24, retroactive to June 22, due to a right femoral stress reaction. Today’s transfer is retroactive to that June 22 date, meaning he can be reinstated at any point. It was reported earlier this week that he could be back in the middle of next month.

Rockies Select Jeff Criswell

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The Rockies announced they have selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Criswell. He will take the roster spot of fellow righty Victor Vodnik, who lands on the 15-day injured list with right bicep inflammation. The club opened a 40-man roster spot by outrighting righty Riley Pint a few days ago. Thomas Harding of MLB.com relayed the moves on X prior to the official announcement.

Criswell, now 25, was selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2020 draft. In 2021, he made his professional debut with five High-A starts but then got more run in 2022. That year, he tossed 118 1/3 innings across multiple levels, with a combined 4.03 earned run average. He struck out 23.8% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 9% clip.

He went to the Rockies in the December 2022 trade that sent righty Chad Smith the other way. He has been pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque since that trade but without much success. He tossed 121 innings last year over 29 appearances, including 26 starts, but finished with a 7.51 ERA. He did strike out 23.7% of batters faced but walked 12.5% of them and also allowed 32 home runs.

This year, he’s been pitching exclusively in relief with some encouraging signs, having thrown 57 2/3 innings over 35 appearances. The 10.1% walk rate is still high and the 6.24 ERA isn’t impressive, but he’s been striking out opponents at a 30% clip. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

As for Vodnik, the club hasn’t provided any details about his injury but they have every reason to be cautious at this point. They are one of the worst clubs in baseball this year and well out of contention, so there’s no sense pushing a player through an injury, even if it’s mild. Vodnik has emerged as a key piece of the club’s bullpen this year, with a 4.04 ERA, nine saves and six holds.

Orioles Claim Emmanuel Rivera, Designate Terrin Vavra

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The Orioles have claimed infielder Emmanuel Rivera off waivers from the Marlins, per announcements from both clubs. Rivera was designated for assignment by the Marlins a few days ago. The Orioles opened a 40-man spot by designating infielder Terrin Vavra for assignment.

Rivera, 28, is in his fourth major league season and he will now be joining his fourth major league club. He’s been in 314 big league games between the Royals, Marlins and Diamondbacks, largely serving as a light-hitting infielder with strong glovework.

In 969 plate appearances, he has hit .239/.302/.354 for a wRC+ of 81. That includes a line of .214/.294/.269 and a 61 wRC+ this year. He has logged just under 2,000 innings at third base in his career, racking up 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 5 Outs Above Average.

The Orioles had a surplus of position players not too long ago but it has been thinned out in recent weeks. Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Heston Kjerstad all landed on the injured list at the end of July. Austin Hays was traded to the Phillies and the club also traded Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Marlins. Coincidentally, Norby’s promotion earlier this week nudged Rivera off that club’s roster.

The club recently gave Coby Mayo a shot at the hot corner with Westburg out, but sent Mayo back down after he got just one hit in his first 20 plate appearances, striking out 10 times. Ramón Urías is covering third now but his defensive metrics are oddly down this year. He has a strong reputation for his glovework but has -3 DRS and -7 OAA at third base in 2024.

Perhaps the O’s will try Rivera at third with Urías going back to being a multi-positional guy. Liván Soto is on the roster but he has options and could be sent down when Rivera reports to the club. Rivera is on pace to qualify for arbitration this winter and could be retained if he lasts on Baltimore’s roster through the season and they decide to tender him a contract.

Vavra, 27, was once a notable prospect but has struggled in recent seasons. A third-round pick of the Rockies in 2018, he went to the O’s in the August 2020 trade that sent Mychal Givens to Colorado. Vavra then slashed .275/.406/.449 across multiple levels in 2021 for a wRC+ of 138. Baltimore added him to their 40-man roster in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

In 2022, he served as an up-and-down depth player for the O’s and performed well. He slashed .258/.340/.337 in his 40 major league games, exactly league average performance. He also had a strong slash of .324/.435/.451 in 45 Triple-A games. But in 2023, he missed time due to shoulder issues, eventually getting diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery. He only played 43 games that year, majors and minors combined.

Outrighted off the roster in November, he got his spot back in July when Mateo hit the injured list but was optioned the next day. He has a line of .243/.350/.368 in Triple-A this year, which translates to a 92 wRC+.

Vavra is in his final option year and will be out of options next season, though he has less than a year of service time. The O’s will have to place him on waivers in the coming days since the trade deadline has passed. It’s been a rough couple of years but if any club is interested in his pre-surgery form, they could control him for many years to come. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, his previous outright gives him the right to elect free agency.

Padres Re-Sign Carl Edwards Jr. To Minor League Deal

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Less than a week after electing free agency on the heels of a DFA, right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. is back with the Padres. The two sides agreed to a minor league deal this week, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. San Diego had previously designated Edwards for assignment on Aug. 12. He opted for free agency three days later after clearing waivers.

It’s the second minor league deal Edwards has signed with San Diego this summer and now his third stint in the organization. The 32-year-old only pitched in one game with the Friars during his prior stint and didn’t record an out, allowing three men to reach base. Teammate Yuki Matsui picked him up by getting out of the jam and stranding the bases loaded.

Outside that rough big league appearance, Edwards has generated good results in Triple-A this season, logging a 3.30 ERA between the Triple-A affiliates for the Padres and Cubs. He’s punched out a roughly average 22.2% of his opponents but also struggled to limit free passes, issuing walks at a 14.3% clip in 46 1/3 innings.

From 2022-23, Edwards was a regular in the Nationals’ bullpen, picking up 93 2/3 innings and recording a 3.07 ERA with fairly shaky strikeout and walk rates (20% and 10.6%, respectively). His 2023 season ended with a stress fracture in his shoulder. The right-hander has now pitched in parts of 10 big league seasons and tossed 280 innings between the Cubs, Nationals, Padres, Blue Jays, Mariners and Braves. He has a career 3.54 earned run average that’s accompanied by lofty strikeout and walk rates of 28.1% and 12.7%.

Following a trade deadline that saw them add Tanner Scott, Jason Adam and Bryan Hoeing to an already impressive relief corps, the Padres possess one of MLB’s deepest and most talented bullpens. That’ll make it hard for Edwards to crack the mix, but he was working out of the Triple-A rotation during his prior stint with the club. If the Padres run into some late injuries, Edwards could be an option for spot starts or long relief down the stretch, particularly once rosters expand to 28 players in September.

Orioles Designate Nick Avila For Assignment

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The Orioles announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Nick Avila for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to lefty Cole Irvin, whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A Norfolk has now been formally announced. In addition to selecting Irvin’s contract and designating Avila, the O’s optioned righty Dillon Tate to Norfolk.

Avila, 27, was claimed off release waivers from the Giants organization back in June. He was on the minor league injured list with a shoulder impingement at the time (hat tip to Christopher Correa of the Turlock Journal), and since injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, San Francisco instead requested release waivers.

Avila hasn’t looked right all season. In 2023, the 6’4″ righty posted a strong 3.00 ERA in 72 innings out of the bullpen in Triple-A Sacramento (anecdotally recording a flawless 14-0 record along the way), but he’s been rocked for 19 earned runs in 18 innings in the minors this season. That includes a staggering 10 runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in just 1 1/3 innings with the Orioles’ Triple-A club in Norfolk since returning from that shoulder impingement that kept him out of action for nearly two months.

With the trade deadline behind us, the Orioles will have no choice but to place Avila on waivers. Since he’s no longer on the injured list, they can place him on outright waivers. Given his struggles and injuries this season, there’s a good chance Avila will clear, allowing the O’s to keep him in the organization without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him.

Cardinals Release Brandon Crawford, Option Jordan Walker

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The Cardinals announced today that infielder Matt Carpenter has been reinstated from the injured list while fellow infielder Luken Baker has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis. In corresponding moves, the club optioned outfielder Jordan Walker and granted infielder Brandon Crawford his unconditional release.

Crawford, 37, signed with the Cardinals in the offseason, a one-year deal with a modest $2MM salary. It seemed as though he was a bit of veteran insurance for rookie Masyn Winn, who the club was planning to have as their everyday shortstop. That was a sensible move at the time, as Winn had just 37 games of major league experience coming into the year and hit just .172/.230/.238 in those.

But here in 2024, Winn has delivered on his prospect hype. He has 11 home runs and a slash of .274/.324/.419, which translates to a wRC+ of 108. His glovework has led to 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 3 Outs Above Average at shortstop, and he has also stolen 10 bases. His all-around contributions have led to FanGraphs crediting him with 2.8 wins above replacement, which is third among National League rookies, just behind Jackson Merrill and Tyler Fitzgerald.

As Winn has been doing all of that, Crawford has hardly been used. Though he has been on the active roster all season, he has only appeared in 29 games and has only been sent to the plate 80 times. In that sporadic playing time, he has struck out at an uncharacteristic 32.5% rate and slashed .169/.263/.282 for a wRC+ 58. Perhaps it was difficult for Crawford to get into a groove with so little time in the lineup, but that rough performance is actually not too far off from last year, when he hit .194/.273/.314 for the Giants and produced a 62 wRC+.

Regardless of the cause, that performance from Crawford and the emergence of Winn have gotten him bumped off the roster. That will likely leave utility player Brendan Donovan as the Cardinals’ backup for Winn at the shortstop position. Perhaps Baker can give a jolt to the lineup, as he has hit 32 home runs in Triple-A this year and walked at a 14.8% clip.

For Crawford, rather than put him on waivers and be forced to go wherever he’s claimed, the Cards have given him a bit of agency over his next steps by releasing him instead. His brief time in St. Louis will seemingly be destined to a future bit of esoteric trivia for the Giants’ legend.

Any team could now sign Crawford for the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Cardinals pay. The level of interest is likely tempered by his recent string of poor results, but he also has a lengthy track record. Since debuting with the Giants back in 2011, he has just under 1700 games of major league experience with roughly league average offense and very strong defensive grades. In the offseason, he seemed to at least give some thought to retiring before getting the deal with the Cards, which could perhaps be on the table again if he doesn’t get a tempting opportunity in the coming weeks.

As for Walker, this is the latest in his up-and-down treatment from the Cards. He was recalled just over a week ago with Carpenter landing on the IL and is now back to Memphis after getting one hit in 12 plate appearances while Carpenter was out.

Last year, he rode a wave of excitement to the club’s 2023 Opening Day roster but his performance was inconsistent throughout the year. Though he was optioned for a spell last summer, he was recalled and hit .277/.346/.455 from the start of June to the end of the year, leading to a 119 wRC+.

But here in 2024, he struggled out of the gate and was optioned before the end of April. His .257/.321/.426 batting line in Triple-A this year leads to a subpar 92 wRC+ but he still got recalled to cover for Carpenter briefly.

It’s a strange spot for him to be in as he is still looking to properly break through and cement himself at the major league level but there’s a bit of a ticking clock now. Because he burst onto the roster last year but has been optioned in two straight seasons, he’ll have just one option remaining after this one even though he’s only 22 years old. If he exhausts his final option next year, he could perhaps be out of options by 2026, which will be just his age-24 season.

Orioles To Select Cole Irvin

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The Orioles will call up Cole Irvin to start tomorrow afternoon’s matchup with the Mets, tweets Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner. Baltimore outrighted Irvin from their 40-man roster shortly after the trade deadline. They’ll need to select his contract again.

Baltimore needs a fifth starter after placing Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list this evening. The O’s recalled rookie lefty Cade Povich, who started nine games earlier this season, as the corresponding move for Eflin’s placement. Povich tossed 6 1/3 innings on Saturday, so he’d be on three days rest tomorrow. Rather than push him up, Baltimore tabs Irvin for what could be a spot start in what would have been Eflin’s turn through the rotation.

Irvin last pitched for Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, so he’ll have six days rest. He has only pitched twice for the Tides since clearing waivers, allowing four runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings with six walks and five strikeouts. Irvin made 21 MLB appearances (14 starts) earlier in the season. He started the year well, but opponents teed off on him in June and July. That pushed him off the roster with a 4.85 ERA in 94 2/3 innings.

The 30-year-old Irvin has had an inconsistent O’s tenure. Baltimore dealt infield prospect Darell Hernaiz to Oakland for Irvin heading into the 2023 season. He has continued to pound the strike zone with a pitch-to-contact approach but hasn’t gotten the same caliber of results as he had for the A’s. Irvin owns a 4.66 earned run average through 172 frames in an O’s uniform.

Baltimore’s 40-man roster is at capacity. They’ll need to make corresponding active roster and 40-man moves tomorrow. Irvin is out of options, so the Orioles would again need to place him on waivers if this represents a spot start and they want to send him back to Norfolk at any point.

Athletics Select J.T. Ginn

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The Athletics announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander J.T. Ginn. He will take the active roster spot of left-hander Scott Alexander, who has been placed on the 15-day injured list with left rotator cuff tendonitis, retroactive to August 18. The A’s already had a vacant 40-man roster spot and don’t need to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Ginn, 25, gets added to a major league roster for the first time, though he’s been a known name in baseball circles for a while. The Dodgers selected him with their first-round pick back in 2018, 30th overall, but Ginn didn’t sign and instead went to Mississippi State. For not signing Ginn, the Dodgers received a compensation pick, the 31st overall selection in the 2019 draft. They used that pick to draft Michael Busch.

While with Mississippi State, Ginn underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. Though he was slated for a lengthy rehab, the Mets nonetheless took him in the second round of that year’s draft, the 52nd overall pick.

He was able to make his professional debut in 2021, making his first official appearance in June of that year. He eventually made 18 starts in 2021 between Single-A and High-A. He tossed 92 innings with a 3.03 earned run average, 21.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate.

The Mets then sent him to the A’s, alongside Adam Oller, in the March 2022 trade that sent Chris Bassitt to Queens. But Ginn has had plenty of challenges since switching organizations. In 2022, he missed time with a forearm injury and posted a 6.11 ERA in his 35 1/3 Double-A innings on the year. Those forearm issues lingered into 2023, when he tossed 22 1/3 innings at Double-A with an ERA of 8.06.

Here in 2024, the good news is that he’s been healthy enough to pitch. He’s thrown 102 2/3 innings over his 21 outings between Double-A and Triple-A. However, the results haven’t been outstanding. He has a combined 5.26 ERA on the year, with his 21.2% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate both fairly pedestrian. He’s getting grounders on more than half the balls put in play against him but has also allowed 13 home runs on the year.

Perhaps some rust is to be expected after he’s hit so many speed bumps in his professional career and the prospecting community seems to still have some faith in his future. Baseball America currently lists him as the #25 prospect in the organization, saying that he could carve out a role as a “back-of-the-rotation sinkerballer” if his health permits. He has the #17 spot in the system at FanGraphs, with that outlet also suggesting Ginn could be a viable back-end starter.

Perhaps Ginn will get his first taste of the major leagues as a reliever, or perhaps a few starts will be on the table. Veteran Ross Stripling was recently moved to a long relief role so that the club could give starts to younger pitchers like JP Sears, Joey Estes, Mitch Spence, Osvaldo Bido and Joe Boyle. Perhaps Ginn can push his way into that group or simply give the club an extra bullpen arm for the stretch run.

Ginn was going to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter and was likely going to get a roster spot soon anyway, so Alexander’s IL placement will get him on there a bit ahead of schedule. He won’t be able to get a full year of service this year, so the A’s will be able to control him for at least six seasons beyond this one. He also has a full slate of options and the amount of time he spends in the minors in the next few years could impact his timeline to arbitration and free agency.

Astros Claim Ben Gamel

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The Astros have claimed outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the Mets, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X. Gamel had recently been designated for assignment by the Mets. To open a 40-man roster spot for Gamel, the Astros have recalled right-hander J.P. France and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list. They will need to open an active roster spot for Gamel once he reports to the team.

Gamel, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason. He had a strong run for Triple-A Syracuse, getting into 45 games and slashing .314/.423/.538 for a wRC+ of 150. At least some of that production was related to a .400 batting average on balls in play that he wasn’t going to maintain, but he did hit seven home runs and was drawing walks at a strong clip of 16.3%.

The Mets called him up near the end of June with fellow outfielder Starling Marte going on the injured list. Gamel didn’t get much playing time but carried himself well whenever the Mets put him in there. In almost two months on the roster, he got into just 18 games and received just 30 plate appearances. But he walked in seven of those, a huge 23.3% rate, and slashed .217/.400/.261 for a wRC+ of 110. When Marte returned from the IL on the weekend, Gamel was nudged off the roster and onto the waiver wire.

Gamel now has nine major league seasons on his track record, a lengthy run of serviceable major league performance. Since his 2016 debut, he has played for the Yankees, Mariners, Brewers, Guardians, Pirates, Padres and now the Mets. In 703 big league games, he has a line of .252/.333/.382 and a 96 wRC+ while playing all three outfield positions and a bit of first base.

The Houston lineup has taken a few hits in the recent weeks and months. Kyle Tucker hasn’t played since the first week of June due to a shin contusion. Alex Bregman hasn’t played in almost a week due to an elbow injury. José Abreu was released earlier this year after a dismal performance. They also traded away some depth in the Yusei Kikuchi trade by sending Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner to the Blue Jays.

That has led to playing time going to guys with fairly uninspiring results. Jake Meyers has strong defensive grades in center but is hitting .228/.293/.387 for a wRC+ of 93. Mauricio Dubón has been bouncing around the diamond but is slashing .252/.284/.362 for a wRC+ of 82. Jon Singleton has taken over Abreu’s job at first base and has been passable but his .234/.316/.362 line leads to a subpar 96 wRC+. In the group of Trey Cabbage, Chas McCormick, Zach Dezenzo, Aledmys Díaz and Pedro León, no one has a wRC+ higher than 65. León was recently optioned and Díaz released. Shay Whitcomb has done well covering third for Bregman but in a small sample of just three games.

Dubón and McCormick have been getting regular playing time in the corners lately but Gamel could perhaps factor in there, as well as in the first base mix with Singleton and Dezenzo. Both Cabbage and Dezenzo have options and were just recalled in the past week, so perhaps one of those two will be optioned whenever Gamel can link up with the club.

As for France, he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in June, so it’s unsurprising to see him now landing on the 60-day IL. He had been optioned at the end of April and was on the minor league IL. By getting recalled now, he’ll get major league service time and pay for the remainder of the season. He had already crossed the one-year service mark earlier in the season, but will add a few weeks to his tally here at the end of 2024.

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