Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Steven Brault, Starlin Castro Sign With Atlantic League Team

By | at

Left-hander Steven Brault, right-hander Brett de Geus and infielder Starlin Castro have signed with the new and yet to-be-named Atlantic League team based in Frederick, Md., the team announced this week (Twitter links).

Brault, 30, spent the 2022 season in the Cubs organization but was on the injured list for the majority of the season. The former Pirates hurler originally inked a one-year, Major League deal with the Cubs in the offseason, but that was reworked as a minor league pact following some injury concerns. Those proved to have merit, as Brault pitched in just 16 innings between the minors and the big leagues, due in large part to a shoulder strain.

The few innings Brault managed to pitch with the Cubs were solid. He tossed nine frames and allowed three runs on eight hits with an 8-to-5 K/BB ratio. Brault is best known for his six-year run with Pittsburgh, where he frequently bounced between the Pirates’ rotation and bullpen, ultimately tossing 343 1/3 innings of 4.77 ERA ball in 107 appearances (52 starts, 55 in relief).

Castro, 33, hasn’t appeared in the Majors since the Nationals released him in the summer of 2021 on the heels of a 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He had a brief 28-game stint in the Mexican League last year, where he batted .240/.312/.323 in 109 plate appearances for los Leones de Yucatan. A stint in the the Dominican Winter League didn’t go any better this past offseason; Castro managed only a .219/.250/.250 output in 168 plate appearances.

From 2010-21, Castro played in 1573 Major League games and logged nearly 6600 plate appearances with the Cubs, Yankees, Marlins and Nationals. He holds a career .280/.319/.412 batting line.

The 25-year-old de Geus was one of the top picks in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft but struggled to a 7.56 ERA in 50 innings between the Rangers and Diamondbacks that season. The former Dodgers farmhand spent the 2022 season in the D-backs organization, tossing 22 2/3 of 5.96 ERA ball with their Double-A affiliate.

Rockies Option Elehuris Montero

By | at

The Rockies announced today that they have recalled outfielder Brenton Doyle, a promotion that was reported yesterday to be imminent. The corresponding move is that infielder Elehuris Montero has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Doyle was called up as a couple of Colorado outfielders are dealing with some day-to-day injuries. Kris Bryant is experiencing pain in the sacroiliac joint and glute on his left side, while Yonathan Daza was hit by a pitch on his hand yesterday. It had been speculated that perhaps one of them would be headed to the injured list, but the club has instead demoted a player who was their regular third baseman until recently.

Montero, 24, was one of five players that came over to the Rockies in the Nolan Arenado trade, which continues to look like a major misstep for the organization. Montero and left-hander Austin Gomber were the two most notable players coming the other way and neither has provided much value to the Rockies thus far. Gomber has an even 5.00 ERA through 360 1/3 innings and recently got candid about how the pressure of trying to live up to that trade was affecting him.

As for Montero, his prospect hype was at its peak going into 2019, when Baseball America ranked him the #81 prospect in the entire league. His stock faded a bit over the next two years, but the Rockies still liked him enough to make him a key piece of their return for Arenado. He has continued to play well since the trade, but only in the minors. He spent 2021 between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .278/.360/.529 for a wRC+ of 132. He continued hitting well in the minors last year, getting called up to make his major league debut. But in 69 major league games thus far, he’s hit just .238/.276/.419 for a wRC+ of 77. He’s struck out in 33.9% of his plate appearances while walking in just 4.2% of them.

Montero is primarily a third baseman but has been blocked there by Ryan McMahon. This spring, second baseman Brendan Rodgers dislocated his shoulder and required surgery that could be season-ending. The club decided to deal with that issue by moving McMahon to second and giving Montero a crack at the third base job. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t work out, as Montero has continued struggling at the plate and also in the field. All three of Defensive Runs Saved, Outs Above Average and Ultimate Zone Rating have given him negative reviews for his glovework in the early going this year.

Montero is just 24 and certainly could still take steps forward at the plate and in the field, but there may be an inflection point not too far over the horizon as he has just one option year remaining. Once he spends 20 days in the minors, 2023 will officially burn that final option. Unless he’s quickly recalled in the next couple of weeks and stays in the majors the rest of the way, he will be out of options next year. McMahon is under contract through 2027, which perhaps means Montero should spent more time at first base, where he’s also seen some action. C.J. Cron is an impending free agent, perhaps opening up that spot next year, though Montero would have competition from Michael Toglia. For now, Montero will continue his development in Albuquerque and try to work his way back up to the big leagues.

Reds Designate Jason Vosler For Assignment

By | at

The Reds announced Monday that they’ve designated infielder Jason Vosler for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos from Triple-A Louisville.

Vosler signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati late in the offseason and rode a solid .263/.341/.526 spring performance to a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster. He roared out of the gates with a trio of home runs in his first 15 plate appearances, coming over a span of five games, but has since gone cold at the plate. Dating back to April 7, Vosler has taken 50 turns at the plate and turned in a .106/.160/.128 batting line with 20 strikeouts.

The 29-year-old Vosler has now seen Major League time in each of the past three seasons, including a pair of stints with the Giants. He’s logged 97 Major League games and 258 plate appearances but has a rather unsightly .210/.279/.408 slash to show for it. He’s been vastly better in Triple-A, where he’s a .272/.344/.485 hitter in 345 games.

Vosler has plenty of power, substantial experience at both infield corners, and also seen brief spells at second base, in left field and even at shortstop. He still has a minor league option remaining, so a team looking for a left-handed bat and some corner depth might be inclined to take a look via a small trade or waivers. The Reds will have a week to find a trade partner or attempt to pass him through waivers.

As for the 31-year-old Ramos, he’ll get what’s just the second look of his big league career. The older brother to Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, Henry received a cup of coffee with the 2021 D-backs but only received 55 plate appearances, hitting .200/.255/.300 with a homer and two doubles. He also had a short stint with the Korea Baseball Organization’s KT Wiz last year, but the majority of his recent professional experience is in Triple-A. In parts of six seasons there, he’s .297/.352/.472 hitter — including a .314/.400/.486 start to his season in Louisville this year (41 plate appearances).

Athletics Acquire Sam Long From Giants

By | at

The A’s announced that left-hander Sam Long has been acquired in a trade with the Giants, with cash considerations heading San Francisco’s way.  Long was designated for assignment by the Giants earlier this week after the club acquired Cal Stevenson (another DFA’ed player) from the Athletics for money, essentially making the pair of transactions into a Stevenson-for-Long swap.

Long made his MLB debut in 2021, and the Giants shuttled him back and forth from Triple-A several times over the course of the last two seasons, with Long amassing 83 big league innings in total.  The lack of stability probably didn’t help Long get too comfortable in the Show, but after posting a 5.53 ERA over 40 2/3 frames in 2021, he improved to a 3.61 ERA in 42 1/3 innings last year.

Fielding-independent metrics indicated Long was pretty similar in both seasons, and his career 4.55 ERA came close to the midpoint between his 4.80 xFIP and 4.35 SIERA.  Long has done a good job of limiting walks but he hasn’t missed many bats, and he has been tagged for 13 home runs in his 83 MLB innings.  The results haven’t been there in the minors this season, however, as Long has a 9.90 ERA over 10 innings with Triple-A Sacramento.

This was enough for the Giants to part ways, and the A’s will now see if Long can provide any relief depth either in the minors or in their Major League bullpen.  The Athletics have been struggling in all facets of the game and the relief corps is no exception, so Long might find some opportunity on a club desperate for any help.  Sam Moll and Richard Lovelady are the current left-handed options in Oakland’s pen.

Two transactions within a week counts as a huge flurry of activity in the limited trade history between the A’s and Giants.  The two Bay Area rivals last connected on an actual player-for-player trade in December 1990, with five player-for-cash swaps happening in the interim.

Giants Activate Joc Pederson From 10-Day Injured List

By | at

The Giants activated outfielder/DH Joc Pederson from the 10-day injured list, with Heliot Ramos optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Pederson was expected to return today, as he’ll end up missing only one day beyond his minimum 10-day absence.

A bout of right wrist inflammation sidelined Pederson, but fortunately it looks like the injury was pretty minor in nature.  Pederson will now return to the lineup and hope to build on a quality start to the season, as the slugger hit .242/.350/.545 with two homers over his first 40 plate appearances of 2023.

The Giants have been using Pederson exclusively as a designated hitter, and he’ll continue to get the bulk of DH at-bats for the remainder of the season (with a few looks as a corner outfielder and perhaps at first base as circumstances dictate).  Darin Ruf and Michael Conforto have been getting most of the DH time in Pederson’s absence, but they will likely return to the first base and outfield duty respectively.  Of course, the Giants are prone to mixing and matching even their regular starters based on matchups, so a right-handed batter like Ruf is probably likely to spell a lefty bat like Pederson or Conforto if a southpaw is on the mound.

This is Pederson’s second year in San Francisco, after hitting .274/.353/.521 with 23 homers over 433 PA in 2022.  Pederson was a free agent last winter but instead opted for the one-year windfall of the qualifying offer, as he accepted the Giants’ QO and locked in a $19.65MM salary for the current season.

Cardinals Activate Paul DeJong, DFA Taylor Motter

By | at

The Cardinals have activated infielder Paul DeJong from the 10-day IL, per a team announcement. He’ll be in the starting lineup at shortstop for today’s game against the Mariners. To make room on the active roster, infielder Taylor Motter has been designated for assignment.

DeJong, 29, will look to bounce back from a brutal 2022 season that saw him slash just .157/.245/.286 in 77 games that culminated in him getting optioned to Triple-A, where he spent 51 games in 2022. That demotion to Triple-A seemed to help DeJong rediscover his bat, as he slashed .249/.313/.552 in 230 plate appearances. His activation hardly comes as a surprise, as the club announced yesterday that they were expecting to activate him today.

The real surprise here, then, is the decision to DFA Motter. DeJong was already on the 40-man roster, and Motter had options remaining, meaning the club could have simply optioned him to Triple-A. Instead, the club will have seven days to trade, waive, or release Motter. It’s a situation not unfamiliar for Motter, who has played for seven clubs across six season in the big leagues. Drafted by the Rays in the 17th round of the draft, Motter made his MLB debut in Tampa back in 2016, and has since suited up for the Mariners, Twins, Rockies, Red Sox, and Reds prior to joining the Cardinals on a minor league deal ahead of the 2023 season.

Motter hasn’t hit much to this point in his career, with just a .192/.264/.310 slash line in 466 plate appearances. Still, Motter provides valuable versatility, given his experience at every position on the diamond besides catcher and center field. He’ll likely clear waivers and look to latch on with another club on a minor league deal. After the move, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster stands at 39.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/23

By | at

A few minor transactions around the baseball world have occurred recently:

  • Per his profile on MLB.com, right-hander Trevor Hildenberger has been released by the Giants. Hildenberger, who signed a minor league deal with the Giants back in December, last appeared in the majors in 2021 with the Mets. In that two appearance stint he allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings while notching four strikeouts. Prior to his stint with the Mets, Hildenberger had been part of the Twins bullpen from 2017-2019 after the club selected him in the 22nd round of the 2014 draft. As a member of the Twins, Hildenberger pitched to a 5.35 ERA with a 4.08 FIP in 131 1/3 innings of work. In the minors, Hildenberger sports a career 4.43 ERA in 85 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.
  • The Dodgers recently released right-hander Rubby De La Rosa according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. De La Rosa, 34, has amassed 421 1/3 innings in the big leagues across seven seasons, but hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2017. With a 4.49 ERA (91 ERA+) and 4.55 FIP in the big leagues, De La Rosa headed to Japan to pitch for the Yoimuri Giants from 2019-2022 before signing a minors deal with the Dodgers back in February. With a 2.53 ERA in 124 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen in Japan, it’s certainly possible another club could be interested in giving De La Rosa a shot on a minors deal.
  • The Mariners recently signed left-hander Rob Kaminsky and right-hander Braden Shipley to minor league deals, per Hilburn-Trenkle. Kaminsky has five career games in the big leagues under his belt, all of which came during the 2020 season with the Cardinals. The lefty pitched to a solid 1.93 ERA over 4 2/3 innings of work, though he has amassed just 41 2/3 innings of work in the minor leagues since. Shipley, meanwhile, has 100 career innings in the big leagues across the 2016-2018 seasons with the Diamondbacks, though he struggled to a 5.49 ERA over those 26 games (14 starts). A former first-round draft pick, Shipley returns to the Mariners after pitching for their Double-A affiliate last season, with a 3.79 ERA in 54 2/3 innings of work.

Pirates Select Drew Maggi

By | at

The Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of infielder Drew Maggi following the placement of outfielder Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list. To clear space on the 40-man roster, first baseman Ji Man Choi was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Reynolds has been off to a hot start this season, slashing .294/.319/.553 (125 wRC+) in 22 games this season amid rumors of extension negotiations that have spilled into the season. All that will be put on hold, of course, while Reynolds is away from the team. Players on the bereavement list can miss a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven games, meaning Reynolds can return at the earliest against the Dodgers on April 27 and at the latest against the Rays on May 2.

Choi’s transfer to the 60-day IL comes as little surprise after the Pirates announced that the first baseman would miss about two months with a strained Achilles tendon. Choi, 32 in May, struggled to open his Pirates career prior to the injury, slashing just .125/.125/.344 (16 wRC+) in nine games with 15 strikeouts in just 32 plate appearances. Prior to this season, Choi has long been a solid, consistent bat at the big league level, with a career 114 wRC+ and a 120 wRC+ as a member of the Rays from 2018-2022. Choi was acquired from the Rays by the Pirates ahead of the non-tender deadline this past November in exchange for right-hander Jack Hartman.

Maggi, 34 next month, is a journeyman who has yet to make his major league debut. Drafted by the Pirates in the fifteenth round of the 2010 draft, Maggi has since played in thirteen seasons in the minors for six different organizations, with a .254/.355/.378 slash line in 494 games at the Triple-A level. Maggi has experience at all four infield spots, both outfield corners, and has even pitched two innings during his minor league career. That Maggi is now set to get a big league opportunity after over a decade in the minors is certainly a heartwarming moment, and the Pirates shared a video of him receiving the news this morning.

Guardians Select Logan Allen

By | at

According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the Guardians have selected the contract of left-hander Logan Allen, who will start this afternoon’s game against the Marlins. To make room on the active roster, infielder Tyler Freeman was optioned to Triple-A, while catching prospect Bryan Lavastida was designated for assignment to make room for Allen on the 40-man roster.

Allen, 24, is the Guardians’ eighth best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. His promotion is no surprise, as the Guardians had already announced their plans to start the lefty today earlier this week. A second round pick by the Guardians in the 2020 draft, Allen sports plus control to go with velocity in the low to mid 90s on his fastball, a slider, and a changeup that’s considered to be his best pitch. After posting a 3.33 ERA in 73 innings of work at the Double-A level last season, Allen earned a promotion to Triple-A, though the young lefty struggled badly in 59 2/3 innings at the level, posting a 6.49 ERA while walking 10.7% of batters faced and striking out just 27%.

Those numbers have all improved drastically in the early going this season, however, as Allen has allowed two earned runs in three starts (14 1/3 innings) in his return to Triple-A this season. That showing has earned Allen his first big league opportunity, though with an off-day on Thursday allowing the Guardians to go back to a four starters for the next turn through the rotation, it’s possible this is merely a spot start for the youngster.

Freeman, 24 next month, heads to Triple-A in Allen’s place. He had been called up earlier in the week and appeared in just two games during his short stint with the big league club, though he did well in his eight plate appearances, recording a single, a double, and a walk without striking out. Freeman got a slightly longer cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, though that was less successful, as he slashed just .247/.314/.286 (76 wRC+) in 86 plate appearances. He’ll now head to Triple-A to serve as infield depth alongside Brayan Rocchio.

Lavastida, 24, ranked as one of the Guardians’ top 30 prospects as recently as last season, per MLB Pipeline. Unfortunately, he has endured multiple seasons of offensive woes in the upper levels of the minors at this point. Since his promotion to Double-A in 2021, Lavastida has slashed just .225/.300/.357 in 86 games at the level, while his Triple-A slash line of .217/.307/.368 in 46 games is hardly better. The Guardians now have seven days to trade, waive, or release Lavastida. As an upper-level catcher with options remaining, he figures to be an attractive option to clubs on the waiver wire, who may hope a change of scenery could help him rediscover the offensive success that he had in the lower levels of the minors.

Rays Activate Zach Eflin, DFA Hector Perez

By | at

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays have activated right-hander Zach Eflin from the 15-day IL to start this afternoon’s game against the White Sox. In a corresponding move, the club has designated right-hander Hector Perez for assignment.

Eflin’s return will help fortify a Rays rotation currently wracked with injuries. In addition to Tyler Glasnow having yet to make his debut this season thanks to an oblique strain, breakout left-hander Jeffrey Springs saw his season end last week when it was announced he is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. Eflin, who signed a three-year, $40MM deal to join the Rays over the offseason, had a 3.27 ERA and 2.63 FIP in two starts before being placed on the 15-day injured list due to back tightness. The ailment clearly proved to be minor, as Eflin is returning after a backdated minimum stay on the IL.

That’s good news for the Rays, who now have another reliable arm in the rotation alongside Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and prospect Taj Bradley. With Bradley and Rasmussen set to pitch the next two days, the Rays will need another starter on Wednesday, though it’s possible they could turn to a bullpen game led by lefty Josh Fleming, who opened the season in the rotation but has since been bumped to the bullpen after struggling in his first start of the season.

As for Perez, the 26-year-old right-hander was selected just yesterday and did not end up making an appearance during his stint on the roster. Perez has made just one appearance in his big league career, a 1 2/3 inning outing with the Blue Jays in 2020 during which he surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks. Perez has long struggled with his control, as evidenced by his career 14.4% walk rate. Those control problems have likely contributed to his struggles to return to a major league mound over the past three seasons. The Rays will now have seven days to trade, waive, or release Perez.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top