Chase Anderson Elects Free Agency
September 15: The Rangers announced this morning that Anderson has cleared waivers and elected free agency.
September 12: The Rangers on Thursday designated right-hander Chase Anderson for assignment, the team announced. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to top pitching prospect Kumar Rocker, whose previously announced promotion to the big leagues is now official. The Rangers have formally selected Rocker’s contract, and he’ll start tonight’s game against Seattle.
Anderson, 36, spent the bulk of the year with the Red Sox but was cut loose and signed a minor league pact with Texas in August. The Rangers selected him to the big league roster on Aug. 31 and now stand as the ninth team for which the journeyman Anderson has pitched in the majors. He appeared in only two games as a Ranger, pitching 6 1/3 innings and surrendering seven earned runs. In 52 innings with Boston, Anderson logged a 4.85 ERA.
Earlier in his career with the D-backs and Brewers, Anderson was a solid mid-rotation starter. From 2014-19, he pitched 857 innings of 3.94 ERA ball, striking out 20.2% of his opponents against a sharp 7.9% walk rate. He’s never been a flamethrower, but Anderson was able to miss enough bats, limit walks and duck enough homers that he had a nice six-year stretch of quality big league innings.
In the five seasons since that time, however, Anderson has regularly been hit hard. He’s posted an ERA north of 5.00 each year since 2020, ultimately combining for 250 1/3 innings with a flat 6.00 ERA. His velocity has been up and down along the way, and he’s seen both his strikeout and walk rates trend in the wrong direction — all while yielding higher levels of hard contact and significantly more home runs. He’s served as a cost-effective innings eater in multiple stops along the way — Toronto, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Colorado — but hasn’t found sustained big league success since the first six years of his career.
Anderson will be released or head to waivers now that he’s been designated and the trade deadline is behind us. He’ll very likely clear outright waivers if the Rangers go that route, at which point he could reject in favor of free agency right now or accept and wait until season’s end to become a minor league free agent.
Phillies Activate Alec Bohm, Designate Aramis Garcia For Assignment
The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve activated third baseman Alec Bohm from the 10-day injured list. Catcher Aramis Garcia was designated for assignment to make room for Bohm on the club’s active roster. Bohm was previously expected to return to action later this week but will now join the team ahead of schedule, batting fifth in today’s starting lineup.
Bohm, 28, has been on the injured list for just over two weeks due to a hand strain. The third baseman has enjoyed something of a breakout season this year, slashing .290/.343/.462 with a 122 wRC+ that stands as the best of his career over a full season. He’s also made major strides defensively at third base, developing from a fringe defender at the position (+1 Outs Above Average, -9 Defensive Runs Saved) in 2023 to a well above average glove (+6 Outs Above Average, +1 Defensive Runs Saved) at the hot corner this year. In all, Bohm’s steps forward on both sides of the ball this year have made him the fourth most valuable third baseman in the sport by fWAR in 2024 behind only Jose Ramirez, Matt Chapman, and Rafael Devers.
As the Phillies wrap up the regular season with an eye toward their third consecutive playoff appearance, the club is surely hoping that Bohm will be at full strength going forward. The infielder began to slump a bit in the weeks leading up to his placement on the injured list, with a lackluster .232/.283/.304 slash line over his final 15 games before being placed on the shelf. With that said, even a somewhat diminished version of Bohm would be a substantial improvement for the Phillies going forward, as an injury to Edmundo Sosa shortly after Bohm’s own injury left the club to cobble together a solution at third base between Kody Clemens, Weston Wilson, and Buddy Kennedy. That experiment hasn’t gone over well, as that trio has slashed a collective .107/.167/.143 since Sosa was placed on the IL earlier this month.
As for Garcia, the 31-year-old has participated in parts of five big league seasons since making his MLB debut with the Giants back in 2018, primarily acting as a reserve catcher who fills in for clubs facing injuries. His longest stint in the majors was with the Reds back in 2022, when he hit a lackluster .213/.248/.259 in 115 trips to the plate across 47 games. Overall, Garcia is a career .211/.248/.325 hitter in the majors. He was added to the Phillies’ roster last week to provide some depth behind Garrett Stubbs while J.T. Realmuto was out of commission due to a day-to-day injury. Realmuto has returned to the lineup in recent days, however, rendering Garcia’s continued presence on the roster unnecessary.
Orioles Designate Cole Irvin, Nick Maton For Assignment
The Orioles announced this morning that they’ve designated left-hander Cole Irvin and infielder Nick Maton for assignment. The moves open up active roster spots for outfielder Heston Kjerstad and right-hander Jacob Webb, both of whom were activated from the injured list in corresponding moves. The club’s 40-man roster now stands at 38.
Irvin, 30, is in his second season with the Orioles. The lefty was acquired from the A’s prior to the 2023 season to help provide stability at the back of Baltimore’s rotation, and while he’s struggled to keep a consistent hold on a spot in the rotation (or even on the roster) during his time with the club he has offered the Orioles a versatile depth option capable of pitching out of the rotation or bullpen as needed. In his two seasons with the club, Irvin has posted a combined 4.68 ERA with a 4.56 FIP in 184 2/3 innings of work while appearing in 49 games, 28 of which were starts. He struggled in his latest stint with the Orioles, surrendering three runs on four hits (two homers) while striking out five in four innings of work spread across two outings.
Maton, 27, has spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A for Norfolk and while he’s hit quite well at that level with a .273/.429/.455 slash line in 86 games, his track record with the big league club has been far less impressive. Maton has made it into just five games with the Orioles as a pinch hitter this year, and has gone hitless with two strikeouts in those five at-bats. Prior to joining the Orioles, Maton excelled in a bench role for the Phillies with a .253/.330/.434 slash line in 216 plate appearances before being traded to Detroit and struggling in a larger role with the Tigers, for whom he hit just .173/.288/.305 in 93 games.
Meanwhile, Kjerstad returns to the active roster to re-enter the club’s outfield mix. The 25-year-old suffered a concussion when he was struck on the head by a pitch from right-hander Clay Holmes on July 12 and previous attempted to return just over a week later. Kjerstad hit just .111/.238/.111 in his 21 trips to the plate after returning, however, and ultimately went back on the IL on August 1 due to the issue. Overall, Kjerstad sports a strong .261/.370/.420 slash line in 81 trips to the plate at the big league level this year and should provide the club with another quality outfield option behind Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, and Colton Cowser over the season’s final weeks. It’s even possible that Kjerstad could make an appearance at first base, where he has 46 games of experience in the minor leagues, given deep slump since the start of August and Ryan Mountcastle‘s wrist sprain.
As for Webb, the right-hander has emerged as a key piece of Baltimore’s bullpen since being claimed off waivers from the Angels last August. In 71 2/3 innings of work with the club since then, Webb has posted an excellent 3.14 ERA with 3.35 FIP and struck out 25.4% of opponents. The righty was sidelined by a bout of elbow inflammation in early August but now figures to return to the club’s late inning mix alongside Seranthony Dominguez and Yennier Cano headed into the postseason.
Diamondbacks DFA Andrew Knizner, Place Ryne Nelson On 15-Day IL
The Diamondbacks announced this afternoon that they’ve placed right-hander Ryne Nelson on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation, retroactive to September 11. Left-hander Brandon Hughes was selected to the roster from Triple-A Reno to replace Nelson, and catcher Andrew Knizner was designated for assignment to make room for Hughes on the 40-man roster.
Nelson, 26, entered the season seemingly squeezed out of the club’s rotation mix by the club’s signings of lefties Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery over the offseason. That was hardly surprising after a pedestrian 2023 season where he pitched to a below-average 5.31 ERA and 5.07 FIP across 29 appearances (27 starts) for Arizona last year. That said, injuries throughout the club’s rotation have kept Nelson in the club’s rotation almost all year. He’s made the most of the unexpected opportunity and pitched quite well, with a 4.33 ERA that’s roughly league average (96 ERA+) and a strong 3.77 FIP in 147 2/3 innings of work. While that hasn’t necessarily been enough to give him a leg up over fellow youngster Brandon Pfaadt (4.42 ERA, 3.54 FIP) at the back-of-the-rotation, injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered both Rodriguez and especially Montgomery this year, leading the Diamondbacks to kick the latter to the bullpen late last month.
With Nelson now headed to the IL, Montgomery appears ticketed for a return to the rotation as noted by Alex Weiner of AZ Sports. It’s been a disastrous year for the 31-year-old lefty as he pitched to a 6.44 ERA and 4.57 FIP in 19 starts before getting kicked from the rotation, though he’s looked a bit better with a slightly more palatable 4.85 ERA and 4.40 FIP since moving to a multi-inning relief role. For the time being, the Diamondbacks will have to hope that the brief sojourn to the bullpen has helped Montgomery figure things out enough to pitch effectively as a starter for the time being. Fortunately, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic) that the club is optimistic regarding Nelson’s injury and hopes he’ll be able to return after a minimum stay on the shelf, which could allow him to make one more start before the regular season comes to an end.
Montgomery’s impending move back into the rotation leaves the club down a lefty in the bullpen, and that’s a call that Hughes now figures to answer. Drafted as an outfielder by the Cubs in the 16th round of the 2017 draft, Hughes converted to pitching back in 2019 and worked his way through Chicago’s minor league system to make it to Wrigley Field in 2022. The southpaw impressed with a 3.12 ERA and 4.64 FIP with a 28.5% strikeout rate in 57 2/3 innings of work for the rebuilding Cubs and even picked up eight saves after taking over the closer role in Chicago following the departures of David Robertson and Chris Martin at that year’s trade deadline.
Unfortunately, Hughes was hampered by knee surgery that cost him the majority of the 2023 season and found himself non-tendered by the Cubs last fall. That led him to sign with the Snakes on a minor league deal, but he’s struggled badly in limited opportunities in the majors with the club this year as he’s posted a 10.29 ERA and 9.96 FIP in 14 innings of work. That being said, his numbers with Triple-A Reno this year have been nothing short of excellent as he’s posted a 2.03 ERA and struck out 24.9% of opponents in 48 2/3 innings of work. Now he’ll get another opportunity in the Arizona bullpen alongside fellow lefties Joe Mantiply and A.J. Puk.
Hughes will take the 40-man roster spot of Knizner, who the Diamondbacks claimed off waivers from the Rangers just over a month ago. The 29-year-old backstop didn’t make it to the big leagues with Arizona, instead slashing a decent .274/.357/.397 in 20 games with the club’s affiliate in Reno, but appeared in 35 games in the majors with Texas earlier this year after spending half a decade as an up-and-down catcher for the Cardinals. His time with the Rangers did not go particularly well, as he hit just .167/.183/.211 in 93 trips to the plate. That paltry offensive production was particularly disappointing following the best offensive season of Knizner’s career last year, when he pitched to a .241/.288/.424 slash line with ten homers in just 241 trips to the plate. Should Knizner go unclaimed on waivers, the club would have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues but he’d be poised to head into minor league free agency this November.
Athletics Outright Jack O’Loughlin
The A’s announced yesterday that they’ve assigned left-hander Jack O’Loughlin outright to Triple-A. O’Loughlin was designated for assignment by the club earlier this week to make room for the addition of Kyle Muller to the 40-man roster.
O’Loughlin, 24, is a native of Adelaide, Australia who signed with the Tigers as an amateur back in 2018. O’Loughlin made it to Triple-A with Detroit and went on to pitch for his home country in the World Baseball Classic before eventually landing with the A’s on a minor league pact earlier this year. He was selected to the big league roster back in May but has made just four appearances in the majors with middling results. The lefty posted a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work with nearly as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six).
His work at Triple-A Las Vegas hasn’t been much more impressive, as he’s posted a 6.19 ERA while swinging between the rotation and bullpen. While the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League helps to explain some of O’Loughlin’s struggles, his ERA is still far worse than league average despite a decent 22.9% strikeout rate against a 10% walk rate. If not added back to the club’s 40-man roster before the season ends, O’Loughlin will be eligible for minor league free agency this winter.
That could lead the lefty to a change of scenery that could help him improve. Difficult as his time with the A’s has been, O’Loughlin posted fairly solid numbers during his time with Detroit as he pitched to a 3.99 ERA in 27 appearances (25 starts) in 124 innings of work with the Tigers split between the High-A and Triple-A levels last year. That success suggests the 24-year-old could have another gear to his performance, as is further indicated by a solid 4.22 ERA in parts of four seasons pitching for the Australian Baseball League.
It’s hardly difficult to imagine that a club could have interest in O’Loughlin’s services on a minor league deal this winter, particularly given the scarcity of young, optionable pitchers who throw from the left side. The competition for that sort of depth role is much more competitive in Oakland than many other organizations, as the A’s currently employ T.J. McFarland, Hogan Harris, Scott Alexander, and Muller in their big league bullpen with Francisco Perez still available as non-roster depth at Triple-A.
Royals Place Chris Stratton On 15-Day Injured List
The Royals placed right-hander Chris Stratton on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm flexor strain. Left-hander Angel Zerpa was called up from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move.
Only 16 days remain in the regular season, so between the calendar and the usually serious nature nature of forearm and flexor-related injuries, it seems likely that Stratton’s 2024 campaign is over. If the strain is mild, Stratton could conceivably return to action if the Royals make a deep playoff run, but the larger concern at this point could be whether or not the 34-year-old could be facing a surgical procedure that could threaten some (or all) of his 2025 season.
Stratton has allowed five runs over his last two appearances and two innings of work, but even if his injury factored into these rough outings, the righty has already been struggling in his first season in Kansas City. Stratton has a 5.55 ERA over 58 1/3 innings, along with a 17.1% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate that are both far below the league average. The K% and BB% rates are both career lows for Stratton over a full MLB season, while his ERA is only a touch better than the 5.57 ERA he posted with the Angels and Pirates in 2019.
The right-hander bounced back from that tough 2019 campaign with solid results and a full-time move to relief pitching over the next four years, posting a 3.91 ERA in 255 1/3 frames with the Pirates, Cardinals, and Rangers. That includes a 3.92 ERA and a career-best 7.4% walk rate in 82 2/3 innings with St. Louis and Texas last year, and four more innings in the playoffs as Stratton won a World Series ring on the Rangers’ championship squad.
That performance provided a platform for Stratton to land a two-year, $8MM free agent deal with the Royals this past winter. The deal is technically a one-year contract with a player option for 2025, as Stratton can choose to take either a $500K buyout or remain in the last year of the deal for a $4.5MM salary next season. Between his subpar performance and now this injury, Stratton seems like a lock to pass on his opt-out clause.
While Stratton wasn’t delivering much in the way of results, his absence will leave K.C. short of an innings-eating bullpen arm. Zerpa’s 4.40 ERA over 47 innings could provide a bit of a boost, but Stratton joins Will Smith (back spasms) and Hunter Harvey (mid-back tightness) on the list of injured Royals relievers. In Harvey’s case, MLB.com’s Anne Rogers writes that Harvey has started throwing but the team isn’t yet sure when or if the right-hander might able to return to action.
Mets Promote Luisangel Acuña
TODAY: The Mets officially announced Acuna’s call-up, and outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned to Triple-A to create space on the 28-man roster.
SEPT. 13: The Mets are planning to promote top prospect Luisangel Acuña, as confirmed by Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase (first reported by X user Jorge L. Seoud H.). Acuña is already on the 40-man, but the Mets will need to make a corresponding move to open a space for him on the active roster.
Acuña, 22, signed with the Rangers as an international free agent in 2018. He joined the Mets at last year’s trade deadline in the deal that sent Max Scherzer back to Texas. Entering the season, Keith Law of The Athletic ranked him as the No. 2 prospect in the Mets system. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN had him at No. 3, as did MLB Pipeline, while Baseball America ranked him at No. 4. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs wasn’t quite as high on Acuña but still ranked him as the No. 6 prospect in the system.
Unfortunately, Acuña has struggled at Triple-A in 2024, putting up a .654 OPS and 69 wRC+ in 131 games. On the bright side, he has 40 stolen bases and the skills to play plus defense at second base and center field. Still, there is no denying that he has been recalled due to the team’s desperation – not his own merit – given the lack of infield options on the Mets’ major league roster. With Jeff McNeil out for the rest of the regular season – and possibly the playoffs, too – Jose Iglesias has moved into the everyday lineup and Eddy Alvarez is the only infielder left on the bench. However, Alvarez joined the Mets organization after September 1, which means he won’t be eligible for the postseason roster. New York will need a new infielder for the bench once October rolls around.
On top of that, Francisco Lindor exited today’s game against the Phillies with back tightness. He’s day-to-day and isn’t particularly concerned about the injury (per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com), but it’s unclear when he’ll be back in the lineup. He told reporters after the game (including DiComo) that all he can do is wake up tomorrow, see how he feels, and go from there. Even if Lindor is only out for a game or two, it makes sense that the Mets would like to have another infielder on the active roster.
Twins Activate Carlos Correa From 10-Day Injured List
10:29AM: The Twins have officially announced the moves.
9:14AM: The Twins will activate shortstop Carlos Correa from the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Reds. Outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. will be optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
It has been over two months since Correa last appeared in Minnesota’s lineup, as the three-time All-Star has been sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Correa played through a similar injury in his left foot last season and (not coincidentally) struggled through the worst full season of his 10 years in the majors, so both the shortstop and the Twins seemed intent on letting Correa fully heal up before getting back to action.
Though Correa initially stated that this current injury wasn’t as painful as his 2023 plantar fasciitis, the discomfort has continued to linger until this past week, when Correa told MLB.com and other media that a new treatment method had allowed him to walk and run on his right heel. He took part in a live batting practice session on Friday and emerged feeling good enough that the Twins are now comfortable in making a roster move.
After his down year in 2023, Correa rebounded in a big way with one of his best seasons. The shortstop has 13 home runs and a .308/.377/.520 slash line over 317 plate appearances, and had been named to the All-Star team before his plantar fasciitis prevented him from taking part in the Midsummer Classic. Among all players with 300 or more PA, only 11 players have a higher wRC+ than Correa’s 152 mark.
Byron Buxton also has a 142 wRC+ in 339 PA this season, and the slugger was just activated off Minnesota’s IL on Thursday. Needless to say, the returns of Buxton and Correa are an enormous boost to a struggling Twins club that has lost 16 of its last 24 games. Minnesota still holds a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers for the last AL wild card slot, and the Twins could revive their chances at the AL Central title when they visit the first-place Guardians for a big four-game series that begins on Monday.
Max Kepler might be activated from the injured list for that series in Cleveland, as Kepler (out since September 5 due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee) joined Correa in the live BP session on Friday. Some reinforcements could also be coming later in early October on the pitching side, as Chris Paddack had a 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday as he recovers from a left forearm strain. It has also been two months on the shelf for Paddack, but he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale Jr. and other reporters that he is aiming to be ready for relief work during the postseason.
Red Sox Select Zach Penrod, Designate Tyler Heineman
The Red Sox announced five transactions this morning, including the news that left-hander Zach Penrod‘s contract has been selected to the big league roster. Catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster, and left-hander Cam Booser and right-hander Zack Kelly were both optioned to Triple-A Worcester to create space on the active roster. Boston also called up southpaw Bailey Horn from Triple-A. Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe (X link) was the first to report on the Penrod, Booser, and Horn transactions, while MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (via X) reported yesterday that Kelly was being optioned.
Kelly and Booser were two of six pitchers used by the Red Sox in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Yankees, so today’s moves brings some fresh arms into Boston’s relief corps. For Penrod, he is now on the verge of his Major League debut, making quite a culmination of a six-year pro career that began as an undrafted free agent.
Penrod pitched briefly with the Rangers’ rookie league club in 2018 but he then spent two years on the sidelines due to both a Tommy John surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season. The southpaw returned to pitch in the independent Pioneer League from 2021-23, and this performance caught the eye of Red Sox scouts and led to a minor league deal partway through the 2023 season. This year, Penrod has a 4.16 ERA over 62 2/3 combined innings at Double-A and Triple-A ball, as well as a huge 34.8% strikeout rate.
There is a pretty wide variance in those minor league numbers, as Penrod posted a 2.80 ERA in 35 1/3 Double-A innings and a much heftier 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 frames in Worcester. Control has been a bit of a question mark for Penrod throughout his career, and his walk rate also spiked up to 16.1% in Triple-A after a more palatable 9.1% number in Double-A action.
Still, the strikeouts are playing at both levels, and Penrod’s upper-90s fastball makes him an interesting bullpen weapon for the Red Sox to explore. Penrod has mostly started throughout his pro career but worked out of the pen for 10 of his 15 appearances in Worcester, so Boston figures to use him in a long relief role here at the tail end of the 2024 season. As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe explored back in May, Penrod’s development of a slider as a third pitch after his fastball and changeup could help him carve out a path as a starter, but the 27-year-old is surely pleased to work in the majors in any capacity.
The Red Sox acquired Heineman in a trade with the Mets back in February, and he has spent almost the entire season in the minors save for two games at the MLB level. Connor Wong and Reese McGuire handled most of the catching duties for the Sox this season, and after Danny Jansen was acquired at the trade deadline, McGuire was outrighed to Triple-A and Heinemen was pushed even further down the depth chart.
With his two appearances in a Red Sox uniform, Heineman has now now suited up for five different teams at the big league level over his five seasons in the Show, and he has also been organizational depth for six other franchises. Heineman has hit .216/.297/.280 over 286 career plate appearances, with 174 of those PA coming as a member of the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2022. Because Heineman has been outrighted before, he has the ability to elect free agency and reject an outright assignment from Boston if he clears DFA waivers.
Mets Outright Pablo Reyes
Pablo Reyes has cleared waivers and been seen outright to Triple-A Syracuse, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The Mets designated Reyes for assignment earlier this week after acquiring Eddy Alvarez from the Red Sox.
This marks the fourth time Reyes has been outrighted in his career, so he has the choice to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. However, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Reyes “remains in the organization” following his DFA, which seems to suggest the veteran infielder has accepted the assignment. That would make sense, considering the fact that Reyes will be eligible to play for the Mets in October if they make the postseason. Reyes was a member of the team before the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, and as Tim Healey of Newsday Sports points out, he never left the organization. As long as the Mets add him back to the 40-man, they can put him on any potential playoff rosters.
Alvarez, on the other hand, joined the team after the deadline, so he will not be eligible for postseason play. That could clear a path for Reyes to rejoin the club in October. Meanwhile, if Reyes were to elect free agency and latch on elsewhere, he would not be eligible to join his new team in the playoffs.
Reyes, 31, played just one game for New York this season before his DFA, coming in as a pinch-runner for J.D. Martinez on September 1. Prior to joining the Mets, he appeared in 233 games with the Pirates, Brewers, and Red Sox from 2018-24. He has a pitiful .248/.309/.349 career slash line with eight home runs and a 78 wRC+. With offensive numbers like that, his value comes from the fact that he can play capable defense all around the diamond. Given the Mets’ limited infield depth following Jeff McNeil‘s wrist injury, it’s not impossible to imagine Reyes making his way onto the team’s postseason roster should they hold onto an NL Wild Card berth. However, the news that the Mets are promoting top prospect Luisangel Acuña doesn’t exactly bode well for Reyes’s chances.