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Athletics Release Jesús Aguilar

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The Athletics announced today that first baseman/designated hitter Jesús Aguilar has been released. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.

The fact that no club was willing to grab Aguilar is hardly surprising given his contract and recent performance. The A’s signed him to a one-year, $3MM deal this winter for a bit of veteran presence on a team largely consisting of younger players. However, the 32-year-old hit just .221/.281/.385 through 115 plate appearances for a wRC+ of 83. He has some third base experience but is mostly just an option at first base these days, making that production all the more untenable.

Any club who claimed Aguilar off waivers would have been responsible for the remainder of that contract. But now that none of them have done so and he’s been released, the A’s will remain on the hook for it. That will allow any of the 29 other clubs to sign him and pay him just the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the active roster, with that amount subtracted from what Oakland pays.

Despite the rough season, it’s possible that some club decides to take a chance on him with the low financial commitment. He still hit well with the platoon advantage this year, slashing .280/.362/.520 against lefties but just .167/.196/.259 against righties. He’s also not too far removed from being a solid everyday option, as he hit 22 home runs with the Marlins in 2021 and batted .261/.329/.459 for a wRC+ of 111. Perhaps a club looking for a cheap bench bat that can hit lefties will find a spot on their roster for Aguilar.

Dodgers To Place Trayce Thompson On 10-Day Injured List

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June 4: These moves are now official, as the Dodgers have announced that Thompson has been placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain, with DeLuca recalled as the corresponding move.

June 3, 11:50PM: Outfield prospect Jonny DeLuca will be called up from Triple-A to take Thompson’s spot on the roster, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports (Twitter link).  Los Angeles selected DeLuca to its 40-man roster during the offseason, to prevent him from being taken in the Rule 5 Draft.  DeLuca was a 25th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2019 draft, and he has posted strong numbers at every minor league stop, including a .329/.373/.571 slash line over his first 75 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.  His first appearance on the field with the Dodgers will mark his Major League debut.

Baseball America (17th) and MLB Pipeline (20th) each rank the 24-year-old DeLuca within the top 20 prospects of the Dodgers’ deep farm system, with BA seeing him as “a platoon or reserve outfielder who bashes lefties and plays all three outfield spots.”  DeLuca is a solid-to-decent defender, with his plus speed helping both his glovework and his base-stealing (58 swipes in 63 tries over his minor league career).  Beginning his career as a switch-hitter, DeLuca seemed to unlock something after becoming only a right-handed hitter.  Pipeline’s scouting report cites his strength and “raw power” at the plate, “and he’s able to drive the ball without sacrificing contact.”

10:39PM: Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson suffered an injury to his oblique during a checked swing in tonight’s game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).  The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Roberts said that Thompson will be placed on the 10-day injured list.

It’s another setback in what has been a tough season for Thompson, who is batting only .155/.310/.366 over 87 plate appearances.  The outfielder homered three times in his first game of the season and he had three hits against the Rays on May 28, but Thompson otherwise has only five hits over his other 79 PA, including an ugly 0-for-36 slump that was only just snapped with that big game against Tampa.  Naturally, Thompson’s playing time has been reduced in the wake of his struggles, even as the Dodgers’ have been looking for extra outfield help since Mookie Betts spending more time as a middle infielder.

Perhaps a dropoff was inevitable given how Thompson’s 2022 numbers greatly outpaced his otherwise modest careers, but it is still count as a letdown that he wasn’t able to continue his seeming breakout.  After Los Angeles acquired Thompson in a cash transaction with the Tigers in June 2022, Thompson became an unexpected contributor, hitting .268/.364/.537 over 239 PA for the Dodgers last season.

Luke Williams, Yonny Hernandez, and top prospect Michael Busch could all be candidates for another look in the majors to replace Thompson.  The Dodgers have enough multi-position players that they don’t necessarily need to replace Thompson with another outfielder, but Williams does have some outfield experience.  This trio are all on the 40-man roster, so L.A. would have to make another corresponding move if it wished to replace Thompson with someone who isn’t currently on the 40-man.

Reds To Select Andrew Abbott

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The youth movement in Cincinnati continues as the Reds are on the cusp of selecting the contract of left-hander Andrew Abbott, who will make his big league debut tomorrow in a start against the Brewers. The club announced this morning that Abbott had been added to the taxi squad, and details surrounding Abbott’s coming promotion have continued to emerge throughout the morning.

In a session with the media this morning, manager David Bell confirmed the club will go with a six-man rotation for the time being, with Hunter Greene’s next start, originally scheduled for Tuesday, getting pushed back to next Sunday against the Cardinals due to hip stiffness, as relayed by C. Trent Rosencrans of The Athletic. Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds that Bell made clear that Abbott’s call-up is not a spot start, though the club won’t stick with a six-man rotation long term. After Abbott’s start tomorrow, Luke Weaver will start on Tuesday in Greene’s place, followed by Brandon Williamson, Graham Ashcraft, and Ben Lively. Abbott will then get a second start on Saturday before Greene takes the ball on Sunday.

Abbott, who just celebrated his 24th birthday this past Thursday, is ranked 95th in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospect list. A second round pick by the Reds in the 2021 draft, Abbott has dominated the upper minors this season, with a 2.50 ERA in 10 starts (54 innings) split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. In 15 2/3 innings at Double-A this season prior to his promotion to Triple-A, Abbott struck out a ridiculous 64.3% of batters faced. His phenomenal strikeout numbers have continued in Triple-A as well, as he’s punched out 34.8% of Triple-A batters in 38 1/3 innings of work.

Abbott is now tasked with joining the big league club and providing a boost to the Reds, who are in third place in the NL Central despite a weak 26-32 record. While the club’s overall record certainly leaves something to be desired, the club has seen improvement in recent weeks as they’ve made way for young prospects to make an impact on the club, highlighted by the performance of shortstop Matt McLain.

Pirates Select Chase De Jong

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The Pirates have selected the contract of right-hander Chase De Jong, per a team announcement. To make room for De Jong on the active roster, Yerry De Los Santos has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. No corresponding 40-man roster move was necessary to accomodate De Jong, as the Pirates had open space on the 40-man roster, which now stands at 38.

A second-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2012 draft, De Jong has fashioned a career for himself as a journeyman reliever since his big league debut with the Mariners in 2017, when he posted a 6.35 ERA in 28 1/3 innings of work. Following his time in Seattle, De Jong joined the Twins and Astros organizations before arriving in Pittsburgh on a minor league deal in January of 2021. Since then, he’s pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 43 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level while posting a 4.33 ERA 124 2/3 innings of work at the big league level.

That includes a brutal start to his 2023 campaign, where De Jong posted a 10.61 ERA in 9 1/3 innings of work with identical 10.6% strikeout and walk rates. That led the Pirates to designate De Jong for assignment last month, though he eventually accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, paving the way for today’s return to the roster. De Jong figures to join Angel Perdomo and Yohan Ramirez in covering the middle innings for the Pirates going forward.

As for De Los Santos, the 25-year-old returns to Triple-A just one day after being recalled to the roster for his 2023 debut. De Los Santos recorded two outs for the Pirates in yesterday’s game while recording a strikeout and a walk. He’ll return to Indianapolis and act as bullpen depth going forward.

Cardinals Select Luken Baker

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The Cardinals have selected the contract of first baseman Luken Baker, per a team announcement. The club also formally announced that catcher Tres Barrera has been designated for assignment. The moves are hardly surprising after Barrera himself told reporters that he had been placed on waivers last night, leading to speculation that Baker, who wasn’t in the Triple-A lineup last night, could be his replacement.

A second round pick by the Cardinals in the 2018 draft, the 26-year-old slugger tore up the lower minors at every level from 2018-2021 before spending the full 2022 season at the Triple-A level. Baker faced his first pronounced struggles as a professional at the level, slashing just .228/.288/.394 with a 78 wRC+ in 124 games.

Baker appears to have put those struggles behind him, however, as the slugger has torn up Triple-A in his return to the level this season. In 244 plate appearances at the level this season, Baker has slashed a phenomenal .313/.434/.641 with a wRC+ of 165. In addition to the vastly improved slash line, Baker has cut his strikeout rate to just 21.7%, his lowest figure since his professional debut in 2018, while his walk rate has skyrocketed to a whopping 17.6%.

That performance has paved the way for Baker to make his MLB debut later today, batting seventh against the Pirates. Going forward, Baker figures to compete with the likes of Juan Yepez and Alec Burleson for DH at-bats with the big league club, while potentially also spelling Paul Goldschmidt at first base on occasion.

As for Barrera, the 28-year-old catcher managed to get into just six games for St. Louis, drawing only two plate appearances. Should he go unclaimed on waivers, he’ll have he option to elect free agency, as he’s received an outright assignment previously in his career. Barrera figures to be an attractive catching depth option on a minor league deal should he hit the open market.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/3/23

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Catching up on some minor moves from around baseball…

  • Jimmy Yacabonis cleared waivers and has been outrighted off the Mets’ 40-man roster.  There isn’t yet word as to whether or not Yacabonis will accept the assignment to Triple-A, as since he has previously been outrighted during his career, Yacabonis has the right to reject the assignment and test free agency.  New York designated Yacabonis for assignment earlier this week, after the right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA over an even nine relief innings this season.

Cardinals Place Tres Barrera On Waivers

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8:15PM: As noted by Denton, Goold, and several others on Twitter, prospect Luken Baker isn’t playing for Triple-A Louisville tonight, and could be on his way to the majors as Berrera’s replacement on both the 40-man and active roster.  A second-round pick for the Cards in the 2018 draft, the 26-year-old Baker has broken out with a huge season at Triple-A, hitting .313/.434/.641 with 18 homers over 244 PA.  Since Baker is a first base-only player, Paul Goldschmidt is blocking him from his natural position in St. Louis, so Baker would serve as a DH (probably against left-handed pitching, since Baker swings from the right side).

7:40PM: The Cardinals have placed catcher Tres Barrera on waivers, as the catcher himself told reporters (including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold and MLB.com’s John Denton).  According to Goold, the Cards will be replacing Barrera on the active roster with another position player.

Barrera signed a minor league deal with St. Louis during the offseason, and his contact was selected in early May when the Cardinals made the decision to temporarily limit Willson Contreras to DH duty.  When Contreras was returned to the catcher role just over a week later, it basically ended any chance Barrera had of significant playing time, since Andrew Knizner had already won the backup job out of Spring Training.  All in all, Barrera appeared in six games with the Cardinals as a late-game sub, only receiving two plate appearances.

The 28-year-old Barrera has now appeared in parts of four MLB seasons since 2019, though with only 57 games and 164 PA on his big league resume.  A longtime member of the Nationals’ farm system, Barrera’s previous Major League experience came in limited action in Washington, and the Nats outrighted him off their 40-man roster after last season.  Given the lack of catching depth around baseball, it seems likely that some team will take a look at Barrera on another minor league contract.

Cubs Place Justin Steele On 15-Day Injured List

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The Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 1.  Taking Steele’s spot on the active roster is catcher Miguel Amaya, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa.

As detailed in reports earlier today, the MRI on Steele’s forearm revealed no structural damage, leaving even some possibility that Steele might miss a start but avoid doing on the injured list altogether.  However, it appears as though the Cubs have decided to err on the side of caution, which is understandable given the larger-scale injuries that can be associated with forearm problems.  For now, it would seem possible that Steele might be able to return after the minimum 15 days, making this IL stint perhaps just a blip in what has been an otherwise excellent season for the 27-year-old southpaw.

Steele has a 2.65 ERA over 12 starts and 68 innings, along with a strong 5.9% walk rate and an elite 28% hard-hit ball rate.  Steele’s 21.4% strikeout rate is well below average, but his ability to both keep the ball on the ground (48.4% grounder rate) and induce soft contact has been a winning recipe for success, and even a step up from his quality numbers in 2021-22.

The forearm problem arose during Steele’s start on Wednesday, as he was perfect over three innings against the Pirates before being removed from the game.  Hayden Wesneski is slated to take Steele’s spot in the rotation, and Wesneski is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Angels.

Amaya made his MLB debut by playing in six games for Chicago earlier this season, and the former top-100 prospect will now get another look at the big league level.  With Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart taking up the catching duties, it remains to be seen how much playing time Amaya might get during this latest stint in the Show, and it might end up being a relatively brief stay until the Cubs feel the need to call up a fresh arm.

Brewers Place Tyrone Taylor, Darin Ruf On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to today’s 10-8 win over the Reds, the Brewers placed outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Darin Ruf on the 10-day injured list.  Taylor (whose placement is retroactive to June 2) is dealing with a right elbow sprain, while Ruf has a laceration on his right knee.  In corresponding moves, Milwaukee called up Blake Perkins from Triple-A, and as reported yesterday, Jon Singleton’s contract was selected from Triple-A.

The new faces delivered today, as Perkins hit a grand slam to help the Brewers score the victory in Cincinnati.  However, losing Taylor and Ruf further thins the Brewers’ depth, as the club now has 14 players (six of them position players) on the injured list.  It isn’t yet known when either player could be back, as Bally Sports’ Sophia Minnaert notes, since Ruf’s laceration is quite severe and Taylor will undergo tests to determine the nature of his elbow problem.

Taylor first sprained his right elbow in late February, which kept him out of action for Spring Training and delayed his 2023 debut until May 2.  Whether due to the lost spring prep time, lingering elbow soreness, or both, Taylor has badly struggled at the plate, hitting only .160/.179/.240 over 78 plate appearances.  It’s a big dropoff for a player who had a solid .241/.303/.453 slash line over 729 PA of part-time duty in 2019-22, and it seemed like Taylor might have been in line for a larger role given the rather unsettled nature of Milwaukee’s outfield.

Ruf just signed the Brew Crew in the middle of May, coming to Milwaukee after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  Stepping into a first base platoon as the right-handed hitting complement to Rowdy Tellez, Ruf also wasn’t hitting much (.531 OPS) over his first 30 PA for Milwaukee before he badly cut his knee during Friday’s game.  Ruf was chasing a foul ball when he collided with the tarp rolled up on the sidelines at the Great American Ballpark.

Dodgers Activate Michael Grove, Place Phil Bickford On 15-Day IL

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The Dodgers shuffled up their pitching ranks with a few transactions today, including Michael Grove’s activation from the 15-day injured list.  Los Angeles also called right-hander Tayler Scott up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.  In the corresponding moves, southpaw Justin Bruihl was optioned to Triple-A, and righty Phil Bickford was placed on the 15-day IL due to lower back tightness.

Grove will start today’s game against the Yankees, which will mark his fifth start of the season.  One of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects over the last few years, Grove made his MLB debut with 29 1/3 innings in 2022, and has 16 frames under his belt thus far in 2023.  The results haven’t been there, as Grove has a 5.96 ERA over his 45 1/3 innings in the bigs, including an 8.44 number this season.  Grove’s struggles were then compounded by a groin strain that has kept him on the IL since April 21.

The righty will get another look in the rotation for at least one more start, though the Dodgers’ ongoing battle with pitching injuries could very well mean that plans change yet again.  Some notable reinforcements could be coming in the form of Julio Urias, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that Urias had a bullpen session today that involved around 30 pitches.  Urias has been out until May 19 due to a hamstring strain, but might be in line to return next weekend if all goes well with a live batting practice session slated for Tuesday.

Noah Syndergaard will start Wednesday’s game, with Roberts telling the L.A. Times’ Mike DiGiovanna and other media that despite Syndergaard’s struggles, “we want to continue to bet on him.”  With a 6.54 ERA over 11 starts and 52 1/3 innings, Syndergaard hasn’t been at all what the Dodgers expected after signing him to a one-year, $13MM free agent contract.  Roberts’ statement might well indicate the club’s continued faith that Syndergaard might turn things around, yet the other issue is that L.A. doesn’t really have any ready-made replacements on hand, due to all of the injuries.  If Urias returns as planned and Grove can impress in his next start or two, the Dodgers could potentially give Grove a longer look at Syndergaard’s expense.

Bickford has a 7.33 ERA over 27 innings out of the Dodgers’ bullpen, though his much more palatable 3.70 SIERA indicates that Bickford has been somewhat unlucky.  His .362 BABIP and a 56.8% strand rate haven’t been in his favor, but Bickford’s 52.7% hard-hit ball rate and 13.5% barrel rate are both amongst the highest in the league, so it isn’t as though the righty has simply been the victim of some batted-ball luck.

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