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Angels Sign Johnny Cueto To Minor League Deal

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The Angels and veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The news comes on the heels of Cueto opting out of his minors deal with the Rangers earlier this month.

Cueto, 38, is a two-time All-Star and a veteran of 16 MLB seasons. From 2010 to 2016, he was among the very best starters in the entire league with a 2.86 ERA (141 ERA+) that was second to only Clayton Kershaw among qualified starters with at least 500 innings of work during that span. As the righty entered his 30’s, injuries began to cost him more and more time on the mound, and after a dominant 2016 season in the first year of his $130MM pact with San Francisco he managed just 394 1/3 innings of work over the next five seasons, with a middling 4.38 ERA (95 ERA+) during that time.

Cueto ended up signing on with the White Sox on a minor league deal entering the 2022 season, and things appeared to be turning around for the veteran upon his arrival in Chicago. The deal could hardly have gone better for the South Siders, as the right-hander enjoyed a return to form with a 3.35 ERA (118 ERA+) and 3.79 FIP in 158 1/3 innings of work across 25 appearances (24 starts.) Those ERA, ERA+, and FIP figures were all the best Cueto had posted in a full season since his dominant 2016 campaign in San Francisco, though his career-worst 15.7% strikeout rate offered reason for concern.

That didn’t stop the Marlins from pursuing Cueto during the 2022-23 offseason, however, and they signed him to a one-year deal that guaranteed him $8.5MM that winter. It’s a contract that did not go how either side was hoping, to say the least. Cueto struggled badly with Miami during his age-37 campaign, posting an ugly 6.02 ERA with a 7.02 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of work amid trips to the injured list for biceps tightness and a viral infection. While it’s at least feasible that Cueto’s injury and illness issues last season played a role in his deep struggles, the right-hander was unable to find a big league deal this winter and eventually settled for a minor league deal in Texas back in April.

The veteran ultimately made eight starts with the Rangers at the Triple-A level, struggling to a 5.92 ERA in 38 innings of work as he did so, before opting out to return to the open market. He’ll now get a chance to prove himself with the Angels, and it’s relatively easy to imagine the pitching-hungry Halos affording Cueto a big league opportunity as long as he proves able to hold his own at Triple-A. After all, lefty Tyler Anderson and righty Griffin Canning are the club’s most established starters at the moment, and both of those arms have been the subject of plenty of trade speculation ahead of the deadline. Even if a trade doesn’t open up a spot in the club’s rotation, however, there’s plenty of room for Cueto to push his way into a mix that currently features the likes of Carson Fulmer and Jack Kochanowicz.

Yankees Outright Cody Morris

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The Yankees announced this afternoon that they’ve assigned right-hander Cody Morris outright to Triple-A. Morris was designated for assignment by the club last week to make room for right-hander Scott Effross on the 40-man roster. Morris does not have the ability to reject the outright assignment and will report for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Morris, 27, was acquired by the Yankees in a trade that sent outfielder Estevan Florial to the Guardians this past offseason. He was recalled to the big league roster briefly with the Yankees earlier this year but did not make an appearance before being optioned and has yet to make his big league debut for the club. That’s not to say Morris is without any big league experience, however, as he pitched for the Guardians in Cleveland in each of the past two seasons. The 2022 campaign saw Morris act as a spot starter for the Guardians, and he did well in the role, posting a strong 2.28 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work despite an elevated 12% walk rate.

The righty’s issues with control came back to bite him in 2023, however, as he walked a whopping 15.8% of batters faced in the majors that year and surrendered a 6.75 ERA in six relief appearances totaling eight innings of work. Morris’s issues last year extended to the minor leagues as well. While Morris’s 3.73 ERA in 33 2/3 innings of work at Triple-A last year looks perfectly serviceable, he allowed five homers in that time while walking 17.4% of batters faced. That left him with a 5.53 FIP and 5.09 xFIP in the minors last year.

Since being acquired by the Yankees, Morris has generally performed similarly with the club at Triple-A. While his 25.8% strikeout rate in 36 innings of work this year is certainly impressive, it’s outweighed by a hefty 16% walk rate that has left him with a 4.25 ERA and 4.58 FIP even as he’s substantially tamped down his proclivity for allowing home runs. Now that he’s off the Yankees’ 40-man roster, he figures to remain in the organization for the remainder of the year as a non-roster depth option for the club’s bullpen. Even in that regard, however, Morris is likely buried on the club’s depth chart by non-roster veterans like Tim Mayza, Chasen Shreve, and Art Warren.

Bo Bichette To Miss “Multiple Weeks” Due To Calf Strain

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5:05pm: Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) this evening that an MRI revealed a “moderate” calf strain for Bichette and that he will be sidelined for “multiple weeks” due to the issue.

10:57am: Bo Bichette left yesterday’s game due to a right calf strain, and it comes as no surprise that the Blue Jays have now placed the shortstop on the 10-day injured list.  Infielder Addison Barger has been called up from Triple-A to take Bichette’s spot on the active roster.

Bichette broke out of the batter’s box after lining out to right field at the end of the sixth inning, but immediately came up limping after a few steps.  Last night’s injury was the latest occurrence in what has been a collection of calf injuries for Bichette over the last month, as he spent a minimal 10-day stint on the IL with another strain to his right calf in June.  He also left Toronto’s game on July 10 with what was described as a right calf fascia strain, though with the All-Star break looming, the Jays opted to not place Bichette on the IL again, hoping that the time off would allow him to heal up.

Unfortunately, Bichette now again finds himself sidelined, and likely for well beyond a 10-day minimum.  Blue Jays manager John Schneider should soon update media on the outcome of Bichette’s MRI, yet even if the MRI was clean, the recurring nature of this calf injury probably means the Jays will opt on the side of caution in giving Bichette plenty of time to fully overcome this issue.  This almost surely means that Bichette will still be on the injured list when the trade deadline hits on July 30, all but eliminating the possibility that Toronto could part ways with the former All-Star.

Though it isn’t unheard of for teams to still make offers for injured players if an injury appears to be fairly minor in nature, two calf injuries for Bichette in a month’s time would likely give pause to any potential suitor.  From the Jays’ perspective, they’re not going to accept a diminished trade package for a player who (if healthy) is one of their strongest trade chips.  Even as it looks more and more apparent that Toronto will be deadline sellers, the team reportedly is still planning to contend in 2025, so their July 30 moves might be limited to pending free agents rather than longer-term core pieces.

Even beyond Bichette’s injuries, his trade value has been lowered by an unexpectedly disastrous 2024 season.  Bichette is hitting .222/.275/.320 with four home runs over 331 plate appearances, and his 69 wRC+ is the third-lowest among all qualified hitters in baseball.  Even if a low .266 BABIP and a big gap between his wOBA (.264) and his xwOBA (.306) count as some misfortune, Bichette’s power numbers have absolutely cratered from his career norms.  His .098 Isolated Power number is almost half the .187 ISO he posted from 2019-23, and his traditionally strong barrels and barrel rates are both well under the league average in 2024.

It is also worth noting that this isn’t entirely a one-year trend for Bichette.  His strong 2023 season sputtered to an end thanks to a pair of IL stints in the second half, as Bichette missed time to patellar tendinitis in his right knee and then a right quad strain.  Bichette’s first IL stint began on August 1, 2023, and he hit only .254/.292/.402 over his final 130 PA of the 2023 season.

With almost a full year of sample size, it is clear that Bichette simply hasn’t been right since that initial bout of tendinitis last August, and it is an additional concern that all of these injuries have come to his right leg specifically.  If Bichette is facing a fairly lengthy (say, a month or so) stay on the injured list anyway with his latest calf problem, it isn’t out of the question that the Blue Jays might just shut him down to get him ready for 2025, since the team won’t be in contention for the remainder of this year.

If the Jays’ next two months indeed become an information-gathering session for 2025, one silver lining to Bichette’s absence could be more playing time for Leo Jimenez at shortstop.  Jimenez has hit and fielded well in his small nine-game sample size as a big leaguer, and could become a shortstop of the future if Bichette is traded at some point, or if he leaves in free agency following the 2025 season.

Twins Place Carlos Correa, Chris Paddack On Injured List

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The Twins announced this afternoon that they’ve placed shortstop Carlos Correa and right-hander Chris Paddack on the injured list. Correa heads to the 10-day IL due to right plantar fasciitis, retroactive to July 16. Paddack, meanwhile is heading to the 15-day IL (retroactive to July 17) with a right forearm strain. In corresponding moves, second baseman Edouard Julien has been recalled from Triple-A, while utility bat Austin Martin has been activated from the IL.

That Correa is dealing with a bout of plantar fasciitis in his right foot isn’t news, as it was announced prior to the All-Star Break that the shortstop would not participate in the All-Star game due to the issue. It seems he’ll need additional time to rest his ailing foot, however, as he’s now shelved until at least July 26. Plantar fasciitis is generally considered to be a matter of pain tolerance, so it’s unlikely that Correa will remain shelved until it’s fully healed. Even so, it’s not necessarily a surprise that he and the Twins are taking the issue seriously given his struggles while playing through the issue in his left foot last year. While Correa played in 135 games last year, he posted a below-average 96 wRC+ while defensive metrics suggested that his typically excellent defense at shortstop slipped.

That decline in performance while playing through the injury clearly suggested to the Twins and Correa that it would be best for everyone if he took additional time to rest his ailing foot before returning to the lineup, though it’s worth noting that manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman) that Correa’s absence isn’t expected to require “several weeks to a month,” with the club anticipating his return sooner than that. For now, however, Correa has received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his foot and will look to recover while Gleeman relays that Willi Castro will get the majority of reps at shortstop in his absence.

With Castro handling shortstop on a regular basis and Brooks Lee covering for the injured Royce Lewis at third base, the Twins are calling on Julien to take back over at the keystone. The 25-year-old posted a pedestrian 97 wRC+ in his sophomore season across 58 games before being optioned down to the minors, where he has subsequently impressed with a 114 wRC+ and an eye-popping 21.2% walk rate. Julien will be joined by Martin, who can provide a right-handed complement to him at second base while also backing up the club’s outfield mix.

As for Paddack, the right-hander’s first full season back from his second Tommy John surgery has been a difficult one. He’s battled injury issues to make 17 starts this season, although even when healthy enough to take the mound he’s struggled to a 4.99 ERA despite solid peripherals such as a 4.19 FIP and a 4.09 SIERA. In spite of those peripherals, however, Paddack’s performance has seen him strike out a career-low 20.6% of batters faced while generating less grounders than ever before, a clip of just 37.3%. While forearm issues are somewhat alarming for a pitcher who has already gone under the knife for Tommy John surgery twice, Baldelli suggested to reporters (including Gleeman) that the club isn’t particularly concerned, believing that the problem is a muscle strain that will heal up with rest.

Even if Paddack is back in action in relatively short order, however, the news only exacerbates Minnesota’s obvious need for help in the starting rotation. While Joe Ryan has impressed as a front-of-the-rotation option and Bailey Ober’s typical mid-rotation production is as steady as ever, Pablo Lopez has surprisingly struggled after entering the season as the club’s ace following the departure of Sonny Gray over the winter while Louie Varland struggled enough in the fifth starter role to be demoted to Triple-A. Simeon Woods-Richardson has done well in Varland’s place, but with the likes of Varland and rookie Dave Festa as the best options to step into Paddack’s rotation spot, it’s easy to see why the Twins are reportedly looking into rental starters ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

Phillies Activate J.T. Realmuto From 10-Day Injured List

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J.T. Realmuto is back in the Phillies’ lineup, as the catcher has been officially activated from the team’s 10-day injured list.  Right-hander Yunior Marte was also called up from Triple-A, and in corresponding moves, catcher Rafael Marchan and right-hander Michael Mercado were optioned to Triple-A.

After undergoing knee surgery on June 12, the expectation was that Realmuto would need roughly a month of recovery time, so he’ll return only slightly beyond that timeline (with the All-Star break also giving him a bit of extra time).  The first-place Phillies have just kept on rolling even with Realmuto out, Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh also having lengthy IL stints, and Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber having minimal 10-day IL absences.

With Realmuto now back, Philadelphia is again operating with all of its first-choice position players, making things even scarier for opposing pitchers.  Realmuto’s contributions to this powerhouse lineup have been fairly modest, as he has hit .261/.309/.411 over 223 plate appearances.

While still quite good for a catcher and above-average (102 wRC+) overall, Realmuto’s 26.9% strikeout rate is on pace to be the highest of his career, and his 5.4% walk rate would be his lowest since 2016 when he was still with the Marlins.  These rates are both well below the league average, though Realmuto is still in the 88th percentile of hard-hit ball rate and he is continuing to barrel the ball, with seven homers thus far this season.  The defense has been a mixed bag, with Realmuto throwing out 29% of baserunners but his blocking and framing work have been subpar.  Even if Realmuto is slowing down a bit in his age-33 season, he is still an overall plus for the Phillies, and he also doesn’t even have to be a top contributor in such a loaded batting order.

Marchan saw his first MLB action since 2021 in Realmuto’s absence, and looked impressive in hitting .294/.345/.549 over 56 plate appearances.  Despite these numbers, Marchan was likely optioned so he can continue to get regular playing time in Triple-A rather than get limited action as Realmuto’s backup, so Garrett Stubbs will continue on the active roster in the backup catcher role.

Rangers Designate Derek Hill For Assignment

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The Rangers announced that outfielder Derek Hill has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up roster space for Texas to call up infield prospect Justin Foscue from Triple-A.

Hill has been DFA’ed multiple times during his pro career, and this is the second time the Rangers have designated him in as many months.  The previous designation in June saw Hill clear waivers and then choose free agency rather than an outright assignment, but he quickly re-signed with the Rangers on a new minors contract.  Hill’s deal was selected again to the Texas roster last month, and overall he has hit .256/.289/.465 with three home runs over 45 plate appearances and 16 games this season.

While Hill provided a bit of extra pop during his brief stints on the 26-man roster, he’ll again be exposed to the DFA wire since he is out of minor league options, and thus can’t be just cleanly sent down to Triple-A.  Since Hill has been outrighted in the past, he has the right to again elect free agency if he clears waivers and Texas again tries to outright him off the 40-man, or we could see a repeat of the earlier scenario where Hill just rejoins the organization as Triple-A depth.

Appearing in each of the last five MLB seasons, Hill has a career .232/.280/.334 slash line in 349 plate appearances with the Rangers, Nationals, and Tigers.  The lack of hitting has limited Hill’s playing time, but the 28-year-old can provide solid glovework at all three outfield positions and outstanding speed, making him an interesting bench option.  Selected 23rd overall by Detroit in the 2014 draft, Hill has also crushed Triple-A pitching in his minor league career, including an 1.045 OPS in 176 PA with Triple-A Round Rock this year.

Foscue made his Major League debut this season and appeared in two games for the Rangers before suffering an oblique strain that has sidelined him for over three and a half months.  A highly-touted hitter during his college days at Mississippi State, Foscue was picked 14th overall in the 2020 draft, and delivered big numbers during his time in the Texas farm system.  His excellent contact skills and decent power hint that Foscue’s bat may be ready for the Show, even if it isn’t yet clear which position (if any) will be his eventual landing spot.  Since Marcus Semien is blocking Foscue’s natural second base position and Nathaniel Lowe has first base covered, Foscue could be used as a DH or as a third baseman with Josh Jung still injured.

Rays Place Yandy Diaz On Restricted List

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10:38AM: Rays manager Kevin Cash told Topkin and other reporters that Diaz is away due to a matter involving his family, and that his potential return is a day-by-day situation.

9:41AM: The Rays announced that first baseman Yandy Diaz has been placed on the restricted list, and infielder Curtis Mead was called up from Triple-A to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (X link) writes that Diaz didn’t play on Friday due to what the Rays described as “a personal matter.”

Given the private nature of this situation, we may not learn any specifics about Diaz’s absence until he is activated or at least closer to a return.  The absence comes at a financial cost to Diaz, as he’ll lose salary (as well as MLB service time) for any time spent on the restricted list.  Diaz has about $3.3MM remaining on his $8MM salary for the 2024 season.

A staple of Tampa Bay’s lineup for the last six seasons, Diaz has gotten regular time at both corner infield positions and quietly delivered consistent strong offense.  Diaz hit a new level in 2022-23, hitting .314/.406/.475 over 1158 plate appearances — among all qualified hitters over that two-season stretch, only six players had a higher wRC+ than Diaz’s 155 mark.

That production has dipped in 2024, as Diaz’s .273/.329/.396 slash line over 416 PA translates to an 111 wRC+.  While he has been hitting better after an ice-cold start over the first two months, Diaz’s power numbers have dropped off significantly, as his .123 Isolated Slugging figure is well below his .192 mark from 2023.  His .123 ISO is at least more consistent with previous seasons beyond 2023, yet Diaz’s 7.5% walk rate is far below his career 12.2BB%.

Even a lesser version of Diaz is still a big part of Tampa’s lineup, so the Rays now have to deal with an unexpected absence while trying to stay afloat in the playoff race.  Diaz has been utilized only as a first baseman and DH this season, so it seems likely that Isaac Paredes could be shifted from third base to first base, with Mead stepping into the mix at the hot corner along with Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario.

Diaz’s absence also creates another wrinkle for whatever plans the Rays might have heading into the July 30 trade deadline.  Tampa is 48-49 and sits 5.5 games out of the final AL wild card slot, so there is still plenty of time left for the club to make a run towards another postseason berth.  However, it has been speculated that the Rays could look to operate as both sellers and buyers at the deadline, perhaps bolstering for both this season and for the future while also trimming some salary from the payroll.  If Diaz is still on the restricted list by July 30, it stands to reason that the Rays might pursue some infield help, though it is worth noting that Paredes could be a potential trade candidate.  Star prospect Junior Caminero is just returning to Triple-A action in the aftermath of a quad injury, and it is assumed that a healthy Caminero will again be called up to Tampa Bay’s active roster to join the infield picture.

Mariners Designate Mike Baumann For Assignment

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The Mariners announced they’ve designated right-hander Mike Baumann for assignment. The move opens a spot in the bullpen for southpaw Gabe Speier, who is back from the 15-day injured list. Baumman is out of options, so Seattle couldn’t send him down without taking him off the 40-man roster.

Seattle acquired Baumann from the Orioles for Triple-A catcher Blake Hunt a couple months ago. The O’s had designated him for assignment despite a decent 3.44 earned run average at the time, projecting his middling strikeout and walk profile to lead to regression. That has been the case in Seattle, as Baumann allowed 11 runs across 16 1/3 innings. He punched out 16 against eight walks while surrendering four home runs. Between the two teams, the former third-round pick now carries a 4.41 ERA over 34 2/3 innings. His 20.8% strikeout percentage, 11% walk rate and 1.56 homers per nine are all on the wrong side of league average.

Baumann was a solid piece of Baltimore’s middle relief corps a year ago. The Jacksonville product worked to a 3.76 ERA with an average 22.3% strikeout percentage while logging 64 2/3 innings. This season hasn’t gone to plan, but he hasn’t lost any velocity off a fastball that sits north of 96 MPH.

Seattle has five days to try to trade Baumann. If they don’t find a taker, they’ll place him on waivers. Any claiming team would need to install him directly into the big league bullpen. Baumann has never cleared outright waivers and has less than three years of MLB service, so he wouldn’t have the ability to decline an outright assignment if he goes unclaimed.

Yankees Sign Thomas Pannone To Minor League Deal

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Left-hander Thomas Pannone has signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had previously been with the Cubs on a minor league deal but was released earlier this week.

Pannone, 30, was working out of the rotation for Triple-A Iowa prior to his release and was putting up decent numbers, so it’s possible that he triggered some kind of opt-opt. After signing a minor league deal with the Cubs in the winter, he logged 90 2/3 innings over 19 starts with a 4.37 earned run average, 22% strikeout rate, 8.1% walk rate and 42% ground ball rate. The run-scoring environment in the International League has been pretty strong this year, with pitchers in the IL having a combined 4.90 ERA. Pannone’s 4.37 mark is 12th out of 29 qualified pitchers in that league.

The Yanks have a strong rotation at the major league level right now but their depth has taken a few hits. Though Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil have the five big league spots, guys like Clarke Schmidt, JT Brubaker, Cody Poteet and Clayton Beeter are all injured. Schmidt went on the injured list in late May due to a lat strain and still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment. Poteet landed on the IL about a month ago due to a right triceps strain and he hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet either. Brubaker was rehabbing from last year’s Tommy John surgery but was recently shut down with an oblique strain. Beeter has some kind of shoulder issue and might be done for the season, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post on X.

Since Pannone has been in decent form this year, the Yanks will bring him aboard to replace some of that missing depth. He has 118 2/3 innings of major league experience with the Blue Jays and Brewers with a 5.46 ERA in that time. He also spent parts of 2022 and 2023 in Korea, tossing 165 innings for the KBO’s Kia Tigers with a 3.49 ERA. If Pannone is added to New York’s roster at any point, he is out of options.

Dodgers Reinstate Joe Kelly, Outright Jose Hernandez

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July 19: The Dodgers announced today that Joe Kelly has been reinstated from the injured list to take the 40-man spot of Hernandez. Michael Petersen was optioned to make an active roster spot for Kelly. Their 40-man is now full again so they will have to open another spot when Ryan is officially promoted.

July 18: The Dodgers passed lefty Jose Hernandez through outright waivers and assigned him to their Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona Complex League, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Hernandez had already been pitching in the ACL, building up after a layoff between the time L.A. acquired him from Pittsburgh and he began pitching with an affiliate. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which is presumably earmarked for top pitching prospect River Ryan, who’s slated to make his big league debut this weekend.

Hernandez, 26, was a Dodgers signee out of the Dominican Republic back in 2016. He spent seven years in the system before being selected by the Pirates in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. Pittsburgh carried Hernandez in their bullpen all season in 2023, letting him work 50 2/3 low-leverage innings while pitching to a 4.97 ERA with a 27.8% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate.

By rostering him all season, the Pirates gained the right to option Hernandez in subsequent seasons. However, the lefty pitched just 5 1/3 innings over seven MLB appearances this season and was hit hard with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, yielding a dozen runs in 15 1/3 innings while working with diminished velocity. The Bucs designated him for assignment in June and wound up trading him back to the Dodgers in exchange for cash.

The Dodgers can now keep Hernandez in their system as a depth option without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him. He’s had a tough 2024 season, but last year’s K-BB profile in the majors was interesting; those strikeout and walk rates were near-identical matches for his marks in his most recent full minor league season with the Dodgers back in 2022, when he posted respective 27.8% and 10% strikeout and walk rates in 59 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. Hernandez yielded just a 3.32 ERA that season and induced grounders at a solid 43.8% clip. This year’s velocity dip is concerning, but there’s still reason to think he could eventually emerge as a viable bullpen option somewhere down the road.

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