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Brewers, Julian Merryweather Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Brewers and right-handed reliever Julian Merryweather are in agreement on a minor league deal, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Merryweather had been with the Mets but opted out of his minor league deal earlier in the week. The Warner Sports Management client will report to Triple-A Nashville for the time being.

Merryweather, 33, was a key piece of the division-rival Cubs’ bullpen back in 2023, when he posted career-bests in terms of innings pitched (72), ERA (3.38), strikeout rate (32.3%) and holds (17). He’s pitched just 33 2/3 big league frames since, due in large part to health troubles. Shoulder and knee injuries limited Merryweather to 15 MLB innings and just 6 2/3 innings of rehab work in 2024. He pitched 18 2/3 innings with the Cubs this year but turned in career-worst strikeout and walk rates while working with a fastball that was down more than two miles per hour from 2023.

The Cubs designated Merryweather for assignment and released him in May. He signed with the Mets a bit more than a week later and has since pitched 12 Triple-A innings with a 4.50 ERA, a strong 28.8% strikeout rate and an alarming 17.3% walk rate.

A former fifth-round pick by Cleveland, Merryweather stands 6’4″ and is listed at 215 pounds. He’s long possessed plus velocity and bat-missing abilities, but command and especially durability have frequently worked against him. He crossed five years of MLB service while in DFA limbo earlier this year despite having logged only 158 1/3 innings in the majors — a testament to how much time he’s spent on the injured list due to a host of ailments (including knee, shoulder, elbow, oblique, abdominal injuries). He’s still sitting 96 mph on his four-seamer this year, but that’s down considerably from 2023’s average of 98.1 mph.

Milwaukee has a track record of rehabbing relievers or even coaxing new levels of performance from previously nondescript bullpen arms. If they can get Merryweather back on track, the Brewers could control him via arbitration into next season, but for now he’ll simply be a depth option for a bullpen that sits 12th in the majors with a 3.65 ERA over the past month (and 16th overall in 2025, with a 3.97 mark).

Braves Claim Vidal Bruján

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The Braves have claimed infielder Vidal Bruján off waivers from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. Bruján had not been designated for assignment by the Orioles but it appears they tried to quietly sneak him through waivers. Atlanta had an open 40-man spot and used it to scoop him up. He is out of options, so they will need to make a corresponding active roster move once he reports to the team. Baltimore’s 40-man count drops to 37.

Bruján, 27, has changed jerseys a number of times in the past few years. He was traded from the Rays to the Marlins ahead of the 2024 season, then to the Cubs ahead of 2025. This month, he’s gone to Baltimore and now Atlanta via waiver claims.

The moves are a reflection of the fact that he was once a notable prospect who hasn’t yet delivered on his potential. He exhausted his final option year in 2023, which pushed him into fringe roster territory. He has only hit .193/.260/.273 in 598 big league plate appearances across five separate seasons. However, teams keep grabbing him, each hoping to be the one to benefit from a breakout.

Before exhausting his options, he always hit in the minors. From 2021 to 2023, he slashed .273/.357/.450 for a 110 wRC+ at the Triple-A level with a 10.6% walk rate and 16.4% strikeout rate. But since he’s been out of options, he’s been stuck in part-time bench roles. He only got 278 plate appearances with the Marlins last year. The Cubs only sent him to the plate 47 times in over three months on the roster. The O’s seemingly only claimed him to try to pass him through waivers later, as they put him back on the wire a few days after claiming him, despite already having open roster spots.

Perhaps Atlanta will also try to pass him through waivers but they could also give him a few weeks of regular playing time to see if it helps him get in a groove. They are playing out the string on a lost season, currently 14.5 games back of a playoff spot.

Bruján has primarily played the middle infield spots but also the infield corners and in the outfield. Third baseman Austin Riley is currently on the injured list with an abdominal strain. Right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has been shelved by a calf strain. Nacho Alvarez Jr. has been getting some playing time at third lately to cover for Riley but Alvarez is now hurt as well, dealing with some side soreness.

The club has also gotten very little from the middle infield this year. Shortstop Nick Allen is a great defender but he has a career .214/.267/.275 batting line. Second baseman Ozzie Albies has great career numbers but a dismal .225/.304/.325 line this year.

Atlanta can perhaps find some playing time for Bruján in there as the season is winding down. Bruján is slated to cross three years of service time by the end of the campaign, meaning he would qualify for arbitration. He looks like a non-tender candidate right now but could perhaps convince the club to keep him around if he shows signs of life in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images

Red Sox Claim Ali Sánchez

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The Red Sox have claimed catcher Ali Sánchez off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to announcements from both clubs. Toronto had designated him for assignment a few days ago. Boston had a 40-man roster vacancy, though that is now full. Sánchez is out of options, so the Sox will need to make a corresponding active roster move when he reports to the club.

Sánchez, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Jays in the offseason. He has twice been called up to serve as an injury replacement. The first stint lasted about a week in late May/early June when Tyler Heineman was on the concussion-related injured list. Once Heineman returned, the out-of-options Sánchez was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, elected free agency and re-signed with the Jays. He got back to the majors a few weeks ago when Alejandro Kirk needed a stint on the concussion IL. Kirk’s return caused another DFA for Sánchez, but this one will lead to another big league opportunity.

The Sox have had Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong as their primary catching duo this year. Narváez is having a good season but missed Wednesday’s game due to knee soreness. Wong is having an awful season offensively, with a .160/.235/.179 line.

At this point, it’s unclear how the Sox plan to proceed. Perhaps Narváez will go on the IL. The Sox could also option Wong to the minors. It’s also possible they want to carry three catchers while they give Narváez a few days to rest his knee. That would involve optioning someone else, perhaps David Hamilton, in order to open a spot for Sánchez.

Sánchez debuted back in 2020 but his major league track record is still quite small. He has just 131 big league plate appearances with a .186/.224/.237 line. He has received solid grades for his glovework and generally put up good offensive numbers in the minors. From 2022 to the present, he has 931 Triple-A plate appearances with a .273/.350/.420 line and 97 wRC+. He is out of options but has barely over a year of service time, meaning he’s cheap and can be retained beyond this year if he’s still holding a roster spot at the end of the season.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images

Royals Sign Bobby Dalbec To Minor League Deal

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The Royals announced, via their official player development account, that they have signed infielder/outfielder Bobby Dalbec to a minor league contract. He opted out of a minor league deal with the Brewers last week. He will presumably join Triple-A Omaha in the coming days.

The book on Dalbec is well known around baseball at this point. He has big home run power but also strikes out a ton. He has 1,065 major league plate appearances in his career with 47 homers but a 36.6% strikeout rate. That’s led to a .222/.290/.422 batting line and 90 wRC+.

This is his third minor league deal of the year. The previous two came with the White Sox and Brewers. The Sox called him up for about two weeks in late April/early May. He struck out in 6 of his 21 plate appearances before getting designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and elected free agency before signing with the Brewers.

His numbers in the minors have been great, with a .276/.356/.531 line and 131 wRC+ this year. He has 16 home runs in 312 plate appearances but also a 33.7% strikeout rate. Triple-A success is nothing new for him, however. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has a .264/.357/.525 line and 123 wRC+ in 1,268 Triple-A plate appearances, despite a 34.4% strikeout rate.

Defensively, Dalbec has mostly been playing the corner spots this year, though he also has some middle infield experience. The Royals are presumably most interested in him as a depth outfielder, as they already have Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino at the infield corners. The offense from their outfield has been notoriously weak for a long time, though they bolstered the group ahead of the deadline by adding Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski.

Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images

Twins Outright Darren McCaughan

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Twins righty Darren McCaughan passed through waivers unclaimed and has been assigned outright to Triple-A St. Paul, per the team’s transaction log. McCaughan was designated for assignment earlier in the week when the Twins claimed righty Brooks Kriske off waivers from the Cubs.

Minnesota signed the 29-year-old McCaughan to a minor league deal over the winter. He pitched 5 1/3 solid innings in late March/early April before being passed through waivers following his first DFA of the season. He was summoned back to the big leagues not long after last week’s fire sale to add some length to the bullpen but never got into a game. He’ll still collect three additional days of big league service for his brief trip across the Mississippi River.

McCaughan has spent the bulk of his career in the Mariners organization, where he’s been a durable source of innings in their Triple-A rotation. He’s gotten some brief big league looks in Seattle, Miami and Cleveland in addition to this year’s Twins cameo. In 61 1/3 major league innings, he has a 6.02 earned run average. He’s logged an ERA just over 5.00 in parts of seven Triple-A seasons, including a 5.35 mark in 72 1/3 frames with the Twins’ top affiliate in 2025.

McCaughan has been previously outrighted in his career, which gives him the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency. He opted for free agency last time around but quickly inked a new minor league deal to remain with the Twins.

Pirates Outright Genesis Cabrera

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Pirates reliever Génesis Cabrera was outrighted to Triple-A, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Pittsburgh designated the southpaw for assignment on Monday when they welcomed Johan Oviedo back from the injured list. Cabrera has the right to refuse the assignment in favor of free agency.

The Pirates were Cabrera’s third team of the season. He had brief stints with the Mets and Cubs earlier in the year. He pitched nine times for the Bucs after signing a major league contract at the end of June. He gave up six runs in 11 innings, striking out seven while issuing one walk. Cabrera is now up to 28 frames with a 5.79 earned run average. He has recorded a below-average 18.8% strikeout rate.

Cabrera throws hard, averaging nearly 96 MPH from the left side. Teams continue to give him opportunities in the middle innings as a result. The 28-year-old hasn’t translated that into enough strikeouts over the past two seasons. He has also been increasingly prone to the home run ball, leading to an ERA above 4.00 in three of the past four years.

Padres To Activate Michael King On Saturday

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Michael King will make his return from the injured list on Saturday, the Padres informed reporters (including Dennis Lin of The Athletic). San Diego will activate him from the 60-day IL to go opposite Lucas Giolito in the second game of their weekend series against Boston. The Friars already have an opening on the 40-man roster, so unless they make another move tomorrow, they’ll only need to make an active roster move involving a pitcher.

King’s return was expected when the Padres optioned JP Sears on Tuesday. That allowed San Diego to play with a nine-man bullpen for a few days. They’ll drop back to eight when King rejoins Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and Nestor Cortes in the rotation. The righty reached 61 pitches across 3 1/3 innings in his only Triple-A rehab start. It’s likely manager Mike Shildt will keep him around 75 pitches in his first MLB appearance in almost three months.

The injury began innocuously enough. King was scratched from a scheduled start on May 24 after telling the coaching staff that he felt he slept uncomfortably on his shoulder. He went on the 15-day IL a day later with what the team called inflammation. They later announced that he was battling an issue with his thoracic nerve that was sapping the strength in his shoulder. It ended up costing him two and a half months, though the team stressed that there weren’t any structural concerns.

King’s fastball averaged 92.7 MPH during his Triple-A start. That’s a tick below his MLB season average. That’s probably to be expected after an extended layoff. If King gets back to his pre-injury form, he’ll arguably be San Diego’s best starter. The 30-year-old had turned in a 2.59 earned run average through his first 10 starts. He struck out 28.4% of opposing hitters against a 7.6% walk rate. It was an even better performance than last year’s excellent first season in San Diego: 173 2/3 innings of 2.93 ERA ball with a 27.7% strikeout percentage.

The Padres welcome King back at a time when they occupy the second Wild Card spot in the National League. They’re one game above the Mets and 4.5 clear of the Reds, the top team that is not in playoff position. San Diego trails the Dodgers by just two games in the NL West.

King’s performance down the stretch will also have a significant impact on the upcoming free agent market. He’ll decline his end of a $15MM mutual option, reject a qualifying offer, and hit free agency for the first time. There’s an argument that he’s the second-best starter in the class behind Framber Valdez. That’s dependent on him showing no ill effects from the injury down the stretch and into the postseason.

Dodgers Likely To Select Justin Dean

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The Dodgers are likely to promote outfielder Justin Dean before tomorrow’s series opener with the Blue Jays, reports Dodger Daily. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, L.A. optioned Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Oklahoma City this evening. That’ll open the necessary active roster spot, but they’ll also need to make a 40-man move to select Dean’s contract.

It’d be the first major league call for the 28-year-old Dean. A product of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, Dean was a 17th-round pick by the Braves in 2018. He doesn’t have huge power in a 5’8″ frame, but he’s a plus runner who can play a good center field. Dean spent seven seasons in the Atlanta system without getting an MLB look. He qualified for minor league free agency last winter and signed a non-roster contract with the Dodgers.

Dean has spent the entire season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He’s hitting .274/.370/.426 with six homers while stealing 25 bases in 32 attempts. The righty batter has taken walks at a strong 12% rate while striking out 23% of the time. He’s chasing fewer pitches outside the strike zone and making a lot more contact than he did last season in the Atlanta system. Dean has logged over 500 innings in center field and added 136 frames in right.

Ruiz had been the last position player on the roster as a speedster off the bench. Dean should provide a superior defensive option in a fifth outfielder role.

Yankees Release JT Brubaker

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The Yankees announced today that right-hander JT Brubaker has been released. The Yanks had designated him for assignment earlier this week. He has over five years of big league service time, meaning he could have rejected an outright assignment while keeping his $1.82MM salary intact. The Yanks have skipped that formality and sent him to the open market.

The Yanks will remain on the hook for the remainder of that salary. Another club could sign Brubaker and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the $760K league minimum salary. Anything paid by another club would be subtracted from the Yankees’ commitments.

Brubaker, 31, is a few years removed from his best big league work. From 2020 to 2022, he tossed 315 1/3 innings for the Pirates, primarily as a starter. In that time, he had a 4.99 earned run average, though he probably deserved better. His 23.3% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 44% ground ball rate were all around league average. His .313 batting average on balls in play and 16.3% home run to fly ball rate were both on the unfortunate side. His 4.43 FIP and 4.04 SIERA suggested he could have been better than his ERA indicated.

In April of 2023, he required Tommy John surgery, wiping out that entire season. The Yanks took a chance on him, acquiring him from the Pirates around Opening Day of 2024. They sent Keiner Delgado as the player to be named later, getting Brubaker and international bonus pool space. The Yanks were likely hoping for some contributions in the second half of that year but Brubaker suffered an oblique strain while rehabbing in July and didn’t pitch for them that year.

The Yanks tendered him a contract for 2025 but the injury bug was again a problem. During a spring training contest, Brubaker was hit by a comebacker and fractured three ribs. He came off the IL in mid-June and was used in a long relief role. He tossed 16 innings over 12 appearances for the Yankees with a 3.38 ERA. His 44.2% ground ball rate was still decent but his 15.9% strikeout rate and 14.3% walk rate were not great.

The past few years have obviously been a struggle but Brubaker has been a good major league pitcher in the past and is essentially free now that he’s been released. He should be receiving a few calls in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Astros Sign Enyel De Los Santos, Designate Luis Contreras For Assignment

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The Astros have signed right-hander Enyel De Los Santos to a major league deal. Fellow righty Nick Hernandez has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding active roster move. Righty Luis Contreras has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the moves.

De Los Santos, 29, was designated for assignment by Atlanta just over a week ago. He had signed a minor league deal with that club in the winter and cracked the Opening Day roster. He tossed 43 2/3 innings this year with a 4.53 earned run average, 20.1% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate.

Thanks to those lackluster results and his out-of-options status, he was bumped off the roster when Atlanta acquired Tyler Kinley from the Rockies. According to De Los Santos’ transactions tracker at MLB.com, he cleared waivers and elected free agency.

The Astros presumably feel there’s a way to get the righty back on track to his pre-2024 form. With Cleveland in 2022 and 2023, he tossed 119 innings with a 3.18 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate. He earned one save and 19 holds in that span.

Last year, he bounced around the league and posted a combined 5.20 ERA for three different clubs, mostly due to a massive home run spike. He had allowed 21 home runs in his career from 2018 to 2023 but then allowed 17 in 2024 alone. Those struggles led him to be non-tendered by the White Sox, which allowed Atlanta to scoop him up on a minor league deal.

Houston will try to help him correct course. He is out of options, as mentioned, so his grip on a roster spot may be tenuous. However, if things go well and he sticks around through the end of the year, he could be retained for 2026 via arbitration.

Contreras, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Astros ahead of the 2024 season and was added to their 40-man roster in June of last year. He has served as an optionable depth arm for the Astros since then, tossing 18 big league innings with a 7.50 ERA.

His minor league work has declined this year, relative to 2024. Last year, he logged 46 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 1.74 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate. This year’s 3.34 ERA doesn’t look awful, especially in the context of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but his 21.4% strikeout rate and 15.1% walk rate are both far worse than last year. He’s benefited from a .253 batting average on balls in play and 3.4% home run to fly ball rate.

With the trade deadline having passed, the Astros will have to put Contreras on waivers in the coming days. He is still optionable and has less than a year of service time, so perhaps he could appeal to a club looking for some cheap pitching depth.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

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