Stephen Strasburg Officially Retires
April 7: Strasburg officially announced his retirement in a statement (as relayed by Ghiroli) this morning.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love,” the statement reads. “I realized after repeated attempts to return to pitching, injuries no longer allow me to perform at a Major League level… Although I will always wish there were more games to be pitched, I find comfort knowing I left it all out there for the only team I’ve known. My family and I are truly fortunate and blessed to have experienced this baseball journey in the Nation’s Capitol.”
The Nationals also released statements thanking Strasburg from owner Mark Lerner and GM Mike Rizzo.
“No one can dispute the indelible impact he had on our organization,” Lerner said of Strasburg in the statement. “He put us on the map as World Champions and changed the face of our franchise.”
“From his Major League debut in 2010 through leading us to a title as the World Series MVP in 2019, the impact he’s had on our ball club is undeniable. He will go down as one of the best players in Washington Nationals history, and it was my honor to be part of that journey.”
April 6: Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has officially retired, as noted by Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. Neither the Nationals or Strasburg have announced the decision, which was posted on MLB.com’s transactions log this evening. Golden adds that Strasburg will be paid the $105MM left on his seven-year, $345MM deal with the Nationals, though Strasburg has reportedly agreed to defer some of his remaining salary. Golden adds that the specifics of the deferrals are not yet clear, though The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli makes clear that the arrangement does not lower the total value of Strasburg’s deal with the club.
The news concludes a lengthy saga that saw Strasburg’s initial retirement plans, which came to light in August of last year, scuttled by a dispute between the player and team over the remainder of his contract with the club that reportedly arose when the team sought to change the terms of their initial retirement agreement, which would have seen the right-hander be paid in full. Whether or not Strasburg would retire was largely immaterial from a baseball perspective, as the 35-year-old has been shut down from all baseball activity for nearly a year due to nerve damage and thoracic outlet syndrome, which has interfered with the veteran’s ability to perform basic tasks such as opening doors or lifting his young children in recent years.
Those injuries limited Strasburg to just eight starts over the course of his megadeal with Washington, which came on the heels of the righty winning World Series MVP honors in 2019 for his role in bringing home the only championship in franchise history. Strasburg’s heroics in 2019, which saw him pitch to an excellent 3.32 ERA while leading the NL with 209 innings pitched in the regular season before dominating with a 1.98 ERA in 36 1/3 postseason innings that fall, act as a capstone on an illustrious 13-year career that was cut short by injuries.
When he was selected first overall by the Nationals in the 2009 draft, Strasburg was among the most heralded amateur talents in the history of the sport thanks to his work at San Diego State University, where he pitched to a sterling 1.43 ERA and racked up 328 strikeouts over his final two seasons in college. He ascended through the minor leagues quickly to make his big league debut in June of the 2010 season, allowing two runs in seven innings against Pittsburgh while striking out 14 Pirates and flashing a triple-digit fastball.
Unfortunately, the right-hander’s debut season was cut short by Tommy John surgery, though he did manage to make 12 starts where he pitched to a phenomenal 2.91 ERA with an even better 2.08 FIP. From the moment he returned to the mound at the end of the 2011 season, however, Strasburg joined a core of young talent in Washington that also included the likes of Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez, and Anthony Rendon. That group led the club to eight consecutive winning seasons from 2012 to 2019 that included five trips to the playoffs, including the aforementioned World Series championship in 2019.
That eight-year stretch saw Strasburg dominate to the tune of a 3.21 ERA and 3.03 FIP in 222 starts at the front of the D.C. rotation while striking out 28.9% of batters faced. Among pitchers with at least 800 innings during that time, Strasburg posted the fourth-best strikeout rate and sixth-best FIP while ranking eleventh in ERA, and 30th in both walk rate and groundball rate. Strasburg’s time at the top of the Nationals rotation culminated in 2019, when he led the Nationals through the playoffs against the Brewers, Dodgers, and Cardinals alongside Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin before the club felled the Astros in seven games to secure the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Following the win, Strasburg opted out of the remainder of his seven-year $175MM deal with Washington in order to test the open market for the first time in his career. The club went over the top to keep their franchise face, signing the then-31-year-old Strasburg to a deal that would take him through his age-37 season. That contract will go down as one of the worst in MLB history, as Strasburg pitched just 31 1/3 innings of 6.98 ERA baseball after it took effect in 2020, while the Nationals found themselves plunged into a lengthy rebuild by the summer of 2021.
While injuries may have derailed Strasburg’s career in his final years, few players ever reach the peaks that the three-time All Star did during his time in the majors. The right-hander enters the record books with a career 3.24 ERA (127 ERA+) and 3.02 FIP in 1,470 innings of work. He struck out 1,723 batters in his career while going 113-62 in 247 career starts in the regular season. He pairs those fantastic career numbers with even better postseason figures, including a 1.46 ERA in 55 1/3 playoff innings and a whopping 32.6% strikeout rate during the postseason. MLB Trade Rumors congratulates Strasburg on a phenomenal career and wishes him the best as he officially enters retirement.
Red Sox Place Trevor Story On Injured List With Shoulder Subluxation
The Red Sox placed shortstop Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder subluxation this evening, per a team announcement. Infielder David Hamilton was recalled to take Story’s place on the active roster. The news comes on the heels of Story exiting yesterday’s game after diving to field a groundball. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow informed reporters, including Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, that it’s not yet clear if Story will need surgery or will play again this season. Story is set to undergo an exam on Monday to determine if he’s sustained any structural damage that would require him to go under the knife.
It’s the latest brutal development for Story during his Red Sox tenure, which has been fraught with injury-related struggles. Story, 31, enjoyed a run as one of the game’s best offensive shortstops from 2018 to 2020, slashing an impressive .292/.355/.554 while earning two All Star appearances, two Silver Slugger awards, and three top-12 finishes in NL MVP voting. Since coming to Boston on a six-year, $140MM deal prior to the 2022 season, however, Story has appeared in just 145 games with a .227/.288/.394 slash line amid wrist, heel, and UCL injuries. Now the latest injury to plague Story since joining the Red Sox has put the remainder of his 2024 season in doubt after he appeared in just 43 games last season.
With Story likely sidelined for at least a significant period, if not the entire season, the Red Sox are now set to turn to a patchwork infield mix featuring Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes, and Hamilton up the middle with Romy Gonzalez as another option on the club’s 40-man roster. Reyes has the most big league experience of that group, with a .255/.317/.363 slash line in 216 career big league games that’s good for a wRC+ or 83, while Valdez’s 87 wRC+ in 57 career major league appearances leads the group.
Taking Story’s place on the roster for the time being is Hamilton, a 26-year-old who made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last year. The youngster appeared in just 15 games with the club during his first big league season and struggled at the plate, slashing a paltry .121/.256/.182 in that brief stint. He posted stronger numbers at the Triple-A level, slashing .247/.363/.438 in 103 games while splitting time between shortstop, second base, and center field.
None of those options inspire confidence, though the club’s outlook up the middle could improve when infielder Vaughn Grissom makes his season debut after being sidelined with a hamstring strain to open the season. Per MLB.com, Cora has suggested that Grissom could begin a rehab assignment in the near future, potentially setting up a return in late April or early May. Grissom was set to open the season as the club’s starting second baseman prior to his injury, though it’s possible that a prolonged absence by Story could lead the Red Sox to experiment with Grissom at shortstop, where he spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues.
One other option at the club’s disposal would be to use top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela on the infield dirt. The youngster has acted as the club’s regular center fielder this season but has experience in the major and minor leagues at both shortstop and second base. Moving Rafaela to the infield would also free up additional at-bats in the club’s crowded outfield mix, which features Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Wilyer Abreu, and Mastaka Yoshida in addition to Rafaela himself. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe relays that Breslow downplayed the idea of Rafaela moving to the infield, however, noting the value of the youngster’s superb glovework in center field.
Astros Acquire Jacob Amaya From Marlins
The Astros have acquired infielder Jacob Amaya from the Marlins, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. In return, Rome adds that the Marlins will receive cash considerations and minor league right-hander Valente Bellozo. Amaya had been designated for assignment by the Marlins earlier this week. Per Rome, Houston has optioned Amaya to Triple-A and placed left-hander Bennett Sousa on the 60-day injured list to make room for the infielder on their 40-man roster.
Amaya, 25, was an eleventh-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2017 draft but made his big league debut with Miami last year after L.A. shipped him to the Marlins in exchange for veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas prior to the 2023 campaign. Amaya’s final season with the Dodgers saw him slash a respectable .261/.369/.427 in 133 games split between the Double- and Triple-A levels, but he took a bit of a step back upon joining the Marlins last year.
In 128 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville, Amaya hit just .252/.345/.407 (89 wRC+) during his age-24 season while primarily playing shortstop. Meanwhile, his four-game cup of coffee in the majors left something to be desired as he went 2-for-9 with no walks or extra base hits. On the other hand, his struggles in the majors came in an extremely small sample while his solid glove at shortstop helped to carry his subpar slash line in the minors.
Amaya entered the offseason looking like he could contribute in the big leagues for the Marlins at some point this year, though the additions of Tim Anderson and Vidal Brujan this winter left him largely blocked entering the season. After the youngster struggled at the plate both in camp this spring and in the first games of his return to Jacksonville, the club decided to move on by designating Amaya for assignment to make room for infielder Emmanuel Rivera on the 40-man roster.
Now, Amaya will get a chance to re-establish himself in an Astros organization with minimal infield depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Houston has Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena locked into regular roles up the middle with Mauricio Dubon as their top option off the bench, though Amaya could compete with the likes of Grae Kessinger and David Hensley for a role on the club’s bench as a reserve infielder at some point this season.
To land Amaya, the Astros are giving up Bellozo, who made his pro debut with the club out of Mexico back in 2018. The right-hander split the 2023 campaign between the High-A and Double-A levels, struggling to a 5.55 ERA in 110 1/3 innings despite a solid 22.4% strikeout rate against a strong 6.8% walk rate. Bellozo’s results took a turn for the better late in the season, as he pitched to a 1.72 ERA in his final four appearances last season. He’ll look to build on that late-season hot stretch this season in what figures to be a return to the Double-A level.
White Sox Place Luis Robert Jr. On 10-Day Injured List
4:58pm: As noted by James Fegan of SoxMachine, Robert told reporters that he has a Grade 2 hip flexor strain and doesn’t have a timeline for return, though he added that his current strain is not as severe as the flexor tendon tear that cost him much of the 2021 season. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin relays that manager Pedro Grifol told reporters that Robert’s injury will require more than the ten-day minimum absence. Like Robert, Grifol added that he didn’t know how long the absence would be.
3:19pm: The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve placed Robert on the IL with a right hip flexor strain. Sosa has been called up to take Robert’s spot on the active roster.
8:55am: Friday was a tough night all around for the White Sox, beyond the club’s 2-1 loss to the Royals. Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was removed from the game in the ninth inning due to an injury to his right hip flexor, and right-hander John Brebbia was removed in the sixth inning due to a right calf strain. Robert came up limping around first base after hitting a double, while Brebbia’s injury seemingly occurred while fielding a Salvador Perez grounder. Brebbia remained in the game to walk the next batter he faced before being pulled.
Both injuries come with some backstory. Brebbia dealt with a calf strain during Spring Training, and made only two Cactus League appearances prior to the start of the regular season. Robert’s situation is more ominous, as a right hip flexor strain cost him close to three months of the 2021 season.
More will be known about both players later today, though it would seem like a trip to the injured list is very likely. James Fegan of the Sox Machine blog reports (via X) that infielder Lenyn Sosa is heading from Triple-A Charlotte to join the White Sox in Kansas City, and outfielder Oscar Colas was also pulled late from Charlotte’s game yesterday. If Colas was also added to the active roster along with Sosa, that could mean the team is comfortable going at least one day with only 12 pitchers on the 26-man, at least until they can figure out a more direct pitching replacement for Brebbia.
Beyond the potential losses of Robert and Brebbia, Chicago already placed another prominent name on the 10-day IL just yesterday when Eloy Jimenez was sidelined with an adductor strain. Between these injuries and a dismal 1-6 record, it is looking like another long year on the South Side in the aftermath of the team’s disastrous 101 losses in 2023.
Robert was one of the few bright spots of last year’s campaign, as the outfielder bounced back from two injury-plagued seasons to hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers and 20 steals (from 24 attempts) over 595 plate appearances. Since he made his MLB debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, this marked Robert’s first regulation-length full season, and it showed the talent that made Robert such a highly-touted prospect both in Chicago’s farm system and coming out of Cuba in 2017. The White Sox gave Robert a $26MM bonus as an international prospect, and then inked him to a six-year, $50MM deal before he had even played in his first big league game.
While the severity of Robert’s injury hasn’t yet been established, another lengthy stint on the IL could impact Chicago’s plans at the trade deadline and beyond. Robert’s contract (which contains club options for 2026 and 2027) makes him one of the more cost-effective talents in the game, and since the White Sox seem to have at least one foot in the rebuilding waters, trading Robert would be the most logical way for GM Chris Getz to restock the farm system with talent. Getz downplayed the idea of a Robert trade during the offseason, and given the amount of team control remaining in Robert’s deal, there isn’t any immediate need for the Sox to trade him soon. An injury could well make this a moot point for 2024, at least, though if Robert misses a lot of time, it will lead to some inevitable second-guessing that Getz should have sold high on Robert this past winter.
Brebbia is a much more clear-cut trade candidate for this year’s deadline, as the righty signed only a one-year, $5.5MM deal (with a $6MM mutual option for 2025) with the White Sox back in January. If Brebbia’s calf is able to heal relatively quickly, it shouldn’t have much impact on his deadline availability assuming he pitches well after his return, though injuries have been a significant part of his history. The 33-year-old missed all of the 2020 season and most of the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and a lat strain cost Brebbia close to half of the 2023 campaign when he was a member of the Giants’ bullpen.
A’s Acquire Alex Speas From White Sox
The A’s announced this afternoon that they have acquired right-hander Alex Speas from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. Speas had been designated for assignment by the Sox yesterday. To clear space on their 40-man roster for Speas, they’ve designated right-hander Zach Jackson for assignment.
Speas, 26, was a second round pick by the Rangers in the 2016 draft and made his big league debut with the club last year. His first cup of coffee in the majors did not go well, as he surrendered three runs on five walks and two hits while striking out four in two innings of work. Those difficulties at the big league level were reflective of his work at Triple-A with the Rangers last year, as he posted a 5.08 ERA with a 19.2% walk rate in 28 1/3 innings at the level. With that being said, his work at Double-A last season was nothing short of phenomenal as he punched out 40.9% of batters faced en route to a 0.64 ERA across 23 appearances.
The right-hander was designated for assignment by Texas at the tail end of the 2023 campaign and claimed off waivers by the White Sox in early October. He lasted through the offseason on the club’s 40-man roster, but his tenure with the club ended after just two appearances at the Triple-A level with the club. His brief stint with the club’s affiliate in Charlotte went poorly, as he allowed four runs on two walks and two hits, including a home run, while striking out just two. His time with Chicago came to an end yesterday when he was designated for assignment to make room for veteran outfielder Robbie Grossman on the club’s 40-man roster. Now, Speas will return to the AL West as a member of the A’s organization. He’s been optioned to Triple-A to begin his time with the club but could factor into the Oakland bullpen miss later this year alongside the likes of Michael Kelly, Austin Adams, and Lucas Erceg.
He’ll take the 40-man roster spot of Jackson, the Blue Jays’ third-round pick from the 2016 draft who made his way to Oakland via the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Jackson pitched for the A’s since making his debut in 2022, with a 2.86 ERA in 66 innings, but was limited to just 20 frames by a flexor tendon strain last year and struggled badly both this spring and in three appearances at Triple-A so far this year. The A’s will now have one week to trade, waive, or release Jackson. Should he be passed through waivers successfully, the club will have the ability to assign him outright to the minor leagues, where he can act as non-roster depth going forward.
Dodgers Acquire Connor Brogdon
The Dodgers have acquired right-hander Connor Brogdon from the Phillies in exchange for minor league southpaw Benony Robles. Both teams have announced the trade.
Philadelphia designated Brogdon for assignment earlier this week, and he will now switch teams for the first time in his professional career. Brogdon was a 10th-round selection for the Phillies in the 2017 draft, and he had a 3.55 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate, and 7.9% walk rate over 142 innings with the team from 2020-23.
Despite those generally solid numbers, the Phils shuffled Brogdon back and forth from the minors several times in his first three MLB seasons. His production also dipped last season when his strikeout rate tipped to 20.5% and his walk rate jumped up to 10.2%, and Brogdon was tagged for five homers in 29 innings of work. Between these red flags and a two-mile velocity drop on Brogdon’s fastball, the Phillies optioned the righty to Triple-A last June.
He didn’t make another big league appearance until this season, and Brogdon was hit hard for six earned runs in just two innings spread over three games. With an ugly 27.00 ERA on his resume, Brogdon found himself on the Phillies’ DFA wire due to being out of minor league options. He’ll now get a chance with another National League contender, and possibly might benefit from this specific change of scenery to a Dodgers team known for rehabilitating pitchers.
Robles was an international signing who began his pro career at age 18 with the Dodgers’ Dominican Summer League squad. The southpaw’s control is a work in progress but he has shown some ability to miss bats, as evidenced by his whopping 38.7% strikeout rate in 32 2/3 innings at high-A Great Lakes last season. Robles also had a 13.9% walk rate en route to a 3.86 ERA, so there’s some potential there for the 23-year-old as a relief weapon if he can limit the free passes.
Pablo Sandoval Signs With Atlantic League’s Staten Island FerryHawks
The Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League have signed Pablo Sandoval to a contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (X link). It is the latest step in Sandoval’s comeback attempt after he didn’t play during the 2023 season.
Sandoval spent most of his 14 Major League seasons with the Giants, becoming a Bay Area legend for his contributions to the “Even Year” mini-dynasty that saw the team win the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The third baseman hit .344/.389/.546 over 167 plate appearances during those postseasons, coming up particularly big in the latter two of those championship runs. The highlight was World Series MVP honors in 2012, as Sandoval had a whopping 1.654 OPS in 17 plate appearances, including three homers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
After an ill-fated free deal with the Red Sox didn’t work out, Sandoval found himself back in San Francisco for parts of the 2017-20 seasons. He then appeared in 69 games with the 2021 Braves, and hasn’t since re-appeared on the Major League radar. The Kung Fu Panda played in the Mexican League in 2022, and played winter ball in his native Venezuela and in Puerto Rico.
San Francisco inked the 37-year-old Sandoval to a minor league deal in February, and he hit .250/.323/.250 over 31 plate appearances in Spring Training. Sandoval made it clear that he didn’t view the signing as a ceremonial gesture, and he was willing to play in the minors in order to continue his career before the Giants released him as part of their Opening Day roster cuts. Sandoval will now become the latest MLB veteran to ply his trade in the Atlantic League, joining former big leaguers like Justin Williams, Jairo Labourt, and Mike Shawaryn on the Staten Island roster.
Rangers Sign Codi Heuer To Minors Deal
The Rangers have signed right-hander Codi Heuer to a minor league contract, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via X). Heuer was a free agent after being non-tendered by the Cubs in November.
It has been over two years since Heuer last stepped on a big league mound, and he has only 12 2/3 minor league innings on his resume since the start of the 2022 season. A Tommy John procedure kept Heuer on the shelf for much of that time, but while pitching in a minor league rehab outing last June, he suffered an elbow fracture that required another surgery.
Heuer was a sixth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, and he made his Major League debut in the form of 23 2/3 innings in the 2020 season. Heuer had an impressive 1.52 ERA in that first taste of the Show, even if a .193 BABIP helped his outperform such peripherals as a 3.69 SIERA. The righty came closer to that mark with a 4.28 ERA in 67 1/3 combined innings with the White Sox and Cubs in 2021, as Heuer and Nick Madrigal went from the South Side to Wrigleyville in the all-Chicago deadline trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Sox.
Between the extended layoff and the variables that went into the 2020 season, it is hard to project if Heuer will ever be able to match his impressive numbers (including a 27.2% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate) from that shortened season, as his K% sharply dropped to 19.9% in 2021. Heuer’s fastball also dropped from 97.6mph in 2020 to 95.9mph in 2021, and it is fair to wonder how two surgeries have since impacted his velocity. Still, Heuer doesn’t turn 28 until July, and he would hardly be the first somewhat unheralded pitcher to enjoy a second wind in his career after getting healthy. There’s no risk and plenty of upside for Texas in this minor league deal, particularly since improving the bullpen has been a known focus for the Rangers for the better part of two seasons.
Cubs Sign Carl Edwards Jr., Ali Sanchez To Minor League Deals
The Cubs have signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. and catcher Ali Sanchez to minor league deals, as announced yesterday by the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (X link) was the first to report that Edwards was working out with the Iowa pitching staff on Thursday.
Edwards is back for what is technically a third stint with the Cubs, after he opted out of his previous minor league deal with the club two weeks ago. After testing the market, Edwards now returns to a familiar environment to see if another MLB opportunity might yet emerge in the Wrigleyville bullpen, and it be assumed that his new minors pact probably has at least one opt-out clause.
A veteran of nine Major League seasons, Edwards posted a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings for the Nationals in an abbreviated 2023 campaign. Edwards didn’t pitch after June 19 due to a diagnosis of shoulder inflammation and later a stress fracture that developed in late August. The injury brought a sour end to what had been a pretty successful run in D.C., as Edwards revived his career with a 2.76 ERA over 62 innings for the Nats in 2022. The righty had mostly struggled in the previous three seasons, which hastened the end of his original run with the Cubs when Chicago traded him to the Padres at the 2019 trade deadline.
With Edwards bringing some bullpen depth to the Triple-A, Sanchez will do the same to the Cubs’ catching ranks. Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya seem to be entrenched as the active roster’s catching duo, so Sanchez joins veteran Curt Casali in Iowa, and Joe Hudson (who signed a minors deal with Chicago in the offseason) has been moved to the Triple-A affiliate’s developmental list. This placement might be a way to keep Hudson sharp while the Cubs sort out their catching situation, or it could possibly hint that Hudson could eventually be the odd man out.
Sanchez signed a guaranteed big league contract with the Pirates in December, though Pittsburgh designated the catcher for assignment on Opening Day. Since Sanchez had previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to opt into free agency rather than accept Pittsburgh’s outright assignment to Triple-A, and the backstop indeed took the chance to re-enter the open market.
The Cubs are Sanchez’s sixth different organization in less than 38 months. His only MLB experience consists five games with the Mets in 2020 and two games with the 2021 Cardinals, as the catcher has otherwise bounced around as a depth option. While not really known for his bat, Sanchez has a respectable .275/.345/.402 slash line over 893 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, though those numbers were boosted by a nice 2023 season with the Diamondbacks’ top affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
Dodgers Re-Sign Matt Gage
TODAY: The Dodgers have re-signed Gage to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports (X link).
APRIL 2, 2:31pm: In an updated announcement, the Dodgers stated that Gage has actually been released — not designated for assignment as the team initially indicated.
2:20pm: The Dodgers announced Tuesday that they’ve designated left-handed reliever Matt Gage for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to outfielder Taylor Trammell, whom the Dodgers have claimed off waivers from the Mariners (as was previously reported).
It’s been an eventful few months for Gage, who was designated for assignment by the Astros in late January and claimed off waivers by the Yankees. New York wound up including Gage alongside minor league righty Christian Zazueta in the trade sending lefty Caleb Ferguson from Los Angeles to the Bronx. He had a decent spring with the Dodgers, tossing four innings and allowing a pair of runs on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts.
Gage, 31, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Blue Jays and 2023 Astros, though he combined for only 19 2/3 innings between those two clubs. He’s posted a sparkling 1.83 ERA in that time but benefited from a tiny .222 average on balls in play. Gage doesn’t throw especially hard (93.2 mph average fastball) but misses bats nonetheless (26% strikeout rate, 13.7% swinging-strike rate). Command has been a major issue for him recently. He’s issued a walk to nine of his 77 MLB opponents (11.7%) and plunked another. Gage also walked 12% of his opponents in Triple-A last year.
Gage posted lower walk rates but also lower strikeout rates earlier in his minor league career as a starting pitcher. He’s begun to miss more bats but also miss the strike zone more frequently in recent seasons. The Dodgers will have a week to trade him, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He hasn’t been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of MLB service, so if Gage clears waivers he can be outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City and stashed as depth.