Brewers, Diamondbacks Swap Andrew Chafin For Peter Strzelecki
The Brewers have picked up left-hander Andrew Chafin in a trade with the Diamondbacks, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix reports that right-hander Peter Strzelecki is headed back to the D’Backs in return. Rosenthal linked Milwaukee to Chafin’s market earlier today.
Give how Arizona also just landed Paul Sewald from the Mariners yesterday, it makes for an interesting buy/sell dynamic with the Diamondbacks’ front office. Obviously the D’Backs have designs on reaching the postseason, yet still opted to pull the trigger on dealing a reliever who is technically a rental player, since Chafin only signed a one-year, $6.25MM deal last winter. However, he is controllable through next season via a $7.25MM club option ($750K buyout), so the Brew Crew could potentially be viewing Chafin as a member of their 2024 bullpen. Incidentally, Chafin also receives a $250K bonus now that he has been traded.
That said, the D’Backs are also getting back a controllable reliever in Strzelecki, who has posted some good results over his two MLB seasons. Since Strzelecki isn’t a free agent until after the 2028 season and naturally comes at a much lower price tag than Chafin, the Diamondbacks saved some money while perhaps not taking much of a hit to the overall quality of their relief corps.
Chafin has a 4.19 ERA over 34 1/3 innings this season, with that number only just inflated by a disastrous outing (five runs in two-thirds of an inning) against the Braves on July 24. The southpaw’s SIERA is a more solid 3.38, and his 32.7% strikeout rate put him the 94th percentile of all pitchers. Chafin’s control has fluctuated throughout his career, and the pendulum has swung down this season, as he has an ungainly 12.0% walk rate.
Now in his 10th MLB season, Chafin has been a generally reliable relief arm over his career, and he’ll now change uniforms once again to join a Brewers team in severe need of left-handed depth. While Hoby Milner is having a strong season, he has been the only left-hander in Milwaukee’s bullpen for most of the season. The Brewers were hoping to have Justin Wilson back from Tommy John surgery, yet Wilson unfortunately suffered a lat strain while warming up in his return outing, and was placed back onto the 15-day injured list.
With no timeline yet on Wilson’s return, it is easy to see why the Brewers were so aggressive in seeking out another left-hander, and in dealing a controllable pitcher from their right-handed relief depth. Strzelecki was an undrafted free agent for the Brewers in 2018, but he made his way to the majors to toss 70 2/3 innings for Milwaukee over the last two seasons. Despite near-identical SIERAs (3.47 and 3.66) and pretty similar secondary metrics over his two years of work, Strzelecki had a 2.83 ERA over 35 frames in 2022, but a 4.54 ERA in 35 2/3 innings this season.
One of a few hidden pitching gems uncovered by the Brewers front office and pitching development staff, Strzelecki has a 25.3% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate over his career, both above the league average. A slightly loss of control (though not in the walk category) could be one reason for Strzelecki’s relative dropoff in performance this year, as he has hit eight batters. The Brewers only just called Strzelecki back up from the minors after a month-long stint at Triple-A, and he didn’t make another appearance prior to the trade.
Phillies Designate Josh Harrison For Assignment
The Phillies announced that veteran utilityman Josh Harrison has been designated for assignment. The move opens up roster space for Michael Lorenzen, whose acquisition from the Tigers is now official.
Harrison signed a one-year, $2MM free agent deal with Philadelphia last winter, as the club looked to shore up its bench depth and provide a bit more veteran experience behind Bryson Stott at second base. However, playing time was relatively scarce for Harrison, as Stott has established himself at the keystone, and Edmundo Sosa has gotten the bigger chunk of playing time at third base when Alec Bohm was moved over to first.
Harrison also didn’t do a lot to carve out a greater role for himself, hitting only .204/.263/.291 over 114 plate appearances. His career splits have already been relatively even, but the right-handed batter had only a .433 OPS over 60 PA against left-handed pitching this season. Harrison has played only a handful of games in the outfield in recent years, but his lack of production against lefties is one reason the Phillies have been looking to add right-handed hitting pop to their outfield as the deadline approaches.
Given how rosters shake out in the deadline aftermath, Harrison might be a candidate for a DFA claim, perhaps on a non-contender just looking for a player to fill a roster hole. Perhaps the likelier scenario is that Harrison clears waivers, putting the Phillies on the hook for the remainder of his owed salary — a team could sign Harrison and owe him only the prorated MLB minimum salary.
Bryce Harper‘s ability to play first base has given the Phillies some flexibility with their infield picture, as while Harper will need some DH days, Philadelphia can settle into a regular alignment of Harper at first, Stott at second, Trea Turner at shortstop, Bohm at third, and Sosa as a utilityman. The Phils also have Kody Clemens and Drew Ellis in the minors for further depth, and perhaps another new face could join the roster between now and 5pm CT.
Phillies To Acquire Michael Lorenzen
The Phillies are reportedly acquiring Michael Lorenzen from the Tigers. Infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee is headed back to Detroit.
Lorenzen has seemed a near-lock to be traded for a few months. The right-hander has found plenty of success in his second season since moving back to the rotation. After posting a 4.24 ERA through 18 appearances for the Angels last year, he’s allowing 3.58 earned runs per nine in as many outings this time around.
Signed to a one-year, $8.5MM free agent deal last winter, Lorenzen began his Detroit tenure on the injured list. A groin strain cost him the first two weeks of the season, but he was on the Comerica Park mound by mid-April. He was hit hard in two of his first three outings but settled in nicely thereafter.
Lorenzen has worked 105 2/3 innings, just under six frames per start. He’s not blowing hitters away; his 19.9% strikeout rate and 9.8% swinging strike percentage are each a little lower than the respective MLB averages. Lorenzen has shown much improved control, though, keeping his walk rate at a modest 6.5% clip after handing out free passes north of 10% of the time in each of the previous three seasons.
All told, Lorenzen has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 18 outings. He secured his first All-Star nod as a result. He’s been effective against hitters of either handedness, holding lefties to a .201/.279/.355 line and right-handers to a .274/.293/.381 slash. He’s mixing four pitchers (four-seam, slider, changeup and sinker) with regularity.
The middling whiff rates lead ERA estimators to suggest that Lorenzen’s 3.58 ERA isn’t quite warranted. Opponents have a modest .264 average on balls in play against him, the 10th lowest mark among starters with 100+ innings. Yet even if a few more batted balls drop in and his ERA ticks up around 4.00 (where estimators generally peg him), he’d be a valuable pickup for a club seeking pitching depth.
Philadelphia has a starting five of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez. They’ll run with a six-man rotation over the next two weeks, tweets Jayson Stark of the Athletic. The club doesn’t have an off day until August 14, so they’ll take the opportunity to give the entire group some extra rest.
At that point, the Phils will likely decide whether to kick one of Lorenzen or Sánchez to relief. The latter has stepped up to solidify an uncertain fifth starter spot over the past month. He’s worked to a 2.66 ERA with average or better strikeout, walk and ground-ball marks over nine starts. The depth behind him wasn’t particularly strong, though. Bailey Falter struggled mightily early in the year. Andrew Painter underwent elbow surgery. The Phils have been reluctant to push minor league righties Mick Abel and Griff McGarry into a pennant race too quickly.
As a result, they’ll beat the market for one of the top rental starters still available. Lorenzen is due around $2.79MM in salary through season’s end. The Phils have already exceeded the second tier of luxury tax penalization. They’re going to surpass the CBT for the second straight season. As a result, they’re taxed at a 42% rate on additional spending up to the $273MM third threshold. Roster Resource calculates their current CBT number just above $262MM.
They’ll pay around $1.17MM in taxes to accommodate Lorenzen, bringing their expenditure to around $3.97MM. Lorenzen would also tack on $250K in performance bonus (also taxed at a 42% rate) for reaching 125, 150 and 175 innings (with further incentives available but likely unattainable). Lorenzen will head back to free agency at year’s end, when the Phils will hopefully feel more comfortable breaking Abel and McGarry into MLB action.
As for the Tigers, their signing of Lorenzen worked out as intended. Rebuilding teams take one-year fliers on veterans of this ilk every offseason with an eye towards a midseason trade. Rarely does it work out as effectively as it did for Detroit. Lorenzen was always an unlikely qualifying offer candidate, so they’ll indeed flip him for a prospect of interest.
Lee, 20, is a right-handed hitting second baseman from Taiwan. He has been at High-A Jersey Shore, hitting .283/.372/.401 through 285 plate appearances. Lee is walking at a quality 10.2% clip against a modest 18.6% strikeout rate. He’s only hit five home runs but has stolen 14 bases in 17 tries.
He recently ranked eighth on Baseball America’s ranking of the Phillies’ farm system. As his slash line suggests, BA’s report indicates he’s a hit-over-power player with a shot to stick in the middle infield. Below-average arm strength and range make him a best fit for second base. While the hit-focused second baseman is a tough profile to pull off, Lee’s minor league production is solid. He won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until after the 2025 season.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com first reported the Tigers and Phillies were nearing a deal that’d send Lorenzen to Philadelphia while getting Lee back as part of the return. Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reported the deal was agreed upon and would be a one-for-one swap.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Mariners Acquire Eduard Bazardo
The Mariners have acquired right-hander Eduard Bazardo from the Orioles in exchange for minor league righty Logan Rinehart, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (Twitter link). Baltimore designated Bazardo for assignment two days ago.
Bazardo has seen limited action in each of the last three Major League seasons, debuting with three innings for the Red Sox in 2021, 16 1/3 more frames (over 12 appearances) in 2022, and then 2 1/3 innings over three games with the Orioles this year. The Sox also DFA’ed Bazardo after last season and he opted for minor league free agency, landing with the O’s on a minors deal during the offseason. That minor league contract was selected in early July, with Bazardo only getting a few weeks of big league time before being designated once more.
Turning 27 next month, Bazardo has posted some solid numbers throughout his minor league career, including a 3.05 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate, and 7% walk rate over 38 1/3 frames with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate this season. He makes for some interesting bullpen depth for a Mariners team who just dealt Paul Sewald, and could potentially have more openings in the bullpen depending on how other moves may shake out on deadline day.
Rinehart was a 16th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2019 draft, though between the canceled 2020 minor league and a Tommy John surgery, he missed two full seasons of work. Returning to the mound in 2022, Rinehart has mostly pitched with Seattle’s high-A affiliate and looked good, particularly with a 2.84 ERA, 51.2% grounder rate, and 33.6% strikeout rate over 38 innings. This is Rinehart’s first season as a full-time reliever, so the 25-year-old’s ultimate future may be in the bullpen.
Nationals Claim Robert Garcia
The Nationals claimed left-hander Robert Garcia off waivers from the Marlins this afternoon, per a team announcement. There had been no previous public indication that Garcia, who the Marlins selected to the roster in early July, had been placed on waivers, but the move opens up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster. There’s no need for a corresponding move on the part of the Nationals, as a spot 0n their 40-man was opened by yesterday’s Jeimer Candelario trade.
Garcia, 27, made his major league debut with the Marlins earlier this year, though he recorded just one out in his only appearance while surrendering a hit and a walk. While Garcia has virtually no major league experience, he’s pitched well during his time in the minors with a 2.85 ERA in 41 1/3 innings of work with a 35.4% strikeout rate at the Triple-A level. That kind of strikeout ability could certainly prove valuable to a Nationals club that currently relies on Jose Ferrer and Joe La Sora, both of whom sport ERAs north of five, as their left-handed bullpen options.
As for the Marlins, the club will now have additional 40-man roster flexibility as they head into the final hours before the trade deadline. While Garcia certainly appears to be a useful, optionable relief arm, Miami has a well-stocked bullpen that has A.J. Puk, Tanner Scott, and Steven Okert as options from the left side and recently added late-inning arms in David Robertson and Jorge Lopez to the mix.
Jared Walsh Clears Waivers, Accepts Outright Assignment With Angels
The Angels announced Tuesday that first baseman Jared Walsh went unclaimed on outright waivers and has accepted an assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake. He’ll remain in the organization but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
Walsh broke out with a hefty .280/.331/.531 slash and 38 home runs in 176 games from 2020-21, cementing his place on the Angels’ roster in the process. However, the now-29-year-old late bloomer has seen his production plummet in the two seasons since, due largely to alarming health issues. Walsh underwent thoracic outlet surgery last summer, ending his season after 118 games of .215/.269/.374 output at the plate.
The 2023 season has been even more concerning. Walsh was placed on the injured list early in the season due to persistent headaches and insomnia. Walsh detailed his struggles in an interview with Blum earlier in the season: “It’s been hell. Not knowing what’s going on, not understanding what’s happening with my body….And not being able to get answers, not being able to figure out why I can’t do basic tasks. It’s been pretty concerning for me.”
Walsh was thankfully at least able to return to the field, but the results have been nowhere near his peak levels. In 78 big league plate appearances, he’s batted just .119/.244/.224 while striking out in a third of his plate appearances. He’s batted .231/.394/.410 in 99 plate appearances since being optioned to Triple-A, but he’s still fanned in 30.3% of those trips to the plate.
Between those struggles, the uncertainty surrounding his health, and the approximately $883K that’s still remaining on this year’s $2.65MM salary, Walsh didn’t drum up any interest from other clubs. He could’ve rejected this assignment in favor of free agency, but doing so would’ve required forfeiting that remaining $883K. As a player with more than three years of service time who’s been outrighted off the 40-man roster, he’ll be able to become a free agent at season’s end — unless the Halos add him back to the 40-man roster and keep him there into the offseason.
A’s Designate Manny Pina For Assignment
The A’s announced they’ve designated catcher Manny Piña for assignment in lieu of reinstating him from the 10-day injured list. Oakland selected the contract of infielder Tyler Wade with the vacated 40-man roster spot, optioning Kirby Snead in a corresponding move.
Piña came over from the Braves as a salary offset in the offseason Sean Murphy deal. Oakland agreed to take on Piña’s $4.5MM salary while hopefully breaking him as a veteran backup to Shea Langeliers. Unfortunately, the left wrist issues that cost Piña all but five games last season resurfaced. He lost the first couple months of this year, returned to appear in four games, then went back on the shelf.
The 36-year-old is apparently again healthy. Oakland since promoted top catching prospect Tyler Soderstrom to split time with Langeliers. With the A’s fully turned towards a youth movement, they no longer have space on the active roster for Piña.
He’ll quite likely be released in the next couple days. He’ll go unclaimed, leaving the A’s on the hook for the roughly $1.5MM still to be paid out. At that point, he could look for other opportunities in free agency.
Wade has shuffled on and off the Oakland roster a few times this season. The left-handed hitter carries a .255/.309/.314 line in 55 big league plate appearances. He’s hitting .251/.356/.318 at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Rockies Acquire Justin Bruihl
The Rockies have acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Bruihl was designated for assignment late last week alongside infielder Eddys Leonard to make room for right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly. The 26-year-old lefty made his debut for the Dodgers in 2021 with a solid 2.89 ERA and 3.97 FIP in 18 2/3 innings of work. While he’s taken a step back in subsequent years, a career 3.65 ERA in 66 2/3 innings of work indicates he can be a solid middle relief option from the left-hand side. That being said, his 4.48 FIP and well below-average 15.6% career strikeout rate indicate he’s unlikely to be much more than that,
In Colorado, Bruihl figures to slot into a bullpen that already lost Brad Hand earlier today and could still see Brent Suter traded before the deadline as well. Should Suter follow hand out the door, Bruihl will be the sole lefty in the Rockies bullpen and could play his way into higher leverage work alongside the likes of Justin Lawrence and Daniel Bard. As for the Dodgers, the move officially ends Bruihl’s time with the club, though LA still has plenty of left-handed options for their bullpen, including Alex Vesia, Caleb Ferguson, and Victor Gonzalez.
Braves Acquire Brad Hand
The Braves have acquired reliever Brad Hand from the Rockies, the clubs announced. Minor league reliever Alec Barger goes to Colorado in a one-for-one swap. Atlanta already had an opening on their 40-man roster.
Hand was one of the more obvious trade candidates this summer. The veteran reliever signed a buy-low deal with the Rockies late last offseason. He received a $1MM bonus for making the roster and is playing the year on a $1.5MM salary. Less than $500K remains to be paid out, though he’s also guaranteed a $500K buyout on a $7MM option at season’s end. That provision was a club option for Colorado but converts to a mutual pact now that Hand has been traded.
It’s largely immaterial, as Colorado never seemed likely to exercise the option. Hand has been a solid but unexceptional middle innings arm for the Rox. He’s tallied 35 2/3 innings through 40 appearances, working to a 4.54 ERA. That’s his worst ERA since moving to the bullpen seven years ago, though pitching half his games in Coors Field hasn’t done him any favors.
Despite the diminished run prevention, Hand has gotten an uptick in swing-and-miss. His 26.1% strikeout rate is his best mark in three seasons. His 9.7% swinging strike percentage is still a fair bit below-average but a little better than those of his prior two years. While he’s gotten tattooed by right-handed hitters, Hand has stifled lefties to a .143/.276/.204 batting line with 20 strikeouts in 59 plate appearances.
He’ll add a veteran specialist to a relief corps which Atlanta has sought to deepen over the past week. The Braves also acquired Pierce Johnson from Colorado and recently claimed Yonny Chirinos from Tampa Bay. They’re not impact additions, but Atlanta’s bullpen is already strong. The Braves enter play Tuesday with a 3.67 relief ERA that ranks fifth in the majors. It had been righty-heavy with Dylan Lee on the injured list; Hand adds a second option behind A.J. Minter, likely for more situational work.
In return, Colorado picks up some upper minors relief depth. Barger, 25, is a former 17th round selection out of North Carolina State. He’s spent the season at Double-A Mississippi, working to a 3.29 ERA with a quality 29.3% strikeout rate. Barger’s 12.8% walk percentage is elevated, but the Rockies are clearly intrigued by the bat-missing potential and the bottom line results. He’d be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter if not added to the 40-man roster, though the trades of Johnson and Hand (and likely a forthcoming deal of Brent Suter) could open an opportunity for him to get a late-season debut.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Rockies were trading Hand for Barger.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Rays Acquire Adrian Sampson, Manuel Rodriguez From Cubs
The Rays announced they have acquired pitchers Adrian Sampson and Manuel Rodriguez and international free agent bonus pool space from the Cubs for minor league pitcher Josh Roberson. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic first reported the deal.
Sampson, 31, joined the Cubs’ rotation in late June last year as the team dealt with injuries to Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly, and Wade Miley. The journeyman righty was surprisingly able to stick, putting together 19 starts with a 3.28 ERA. Sampson’s low strikeout rate suggested that level of success was unsustainable, but it was enough for the Cubs to retain him on a $1.9MM arbitration deal.
After losing the Cubs’ fifth starter battle out of camp this year to Hayden Wesneski, Sampson was optioned to Triple-A. In May he hit the IL after a meniscal debridement procedure on his right knee and was bounced from the team’s 40-man roster once he recovered. To retain his career-best salary, Sampson could not reject the Cubs’ outright. Sampson has struggled mightily in his 23 innings at Triple-A this year, but the Cubs were able to clear his remaining $633K salary by including Rodriguez and the international free agent bonus pool space.
The Rays are the next stop for Sampson, who pitched in KBO in 2020 and was with the Rangers, Mariners, and Pirates before that. Until the Rays decide to add Sampson to their 40-man roster, he’ll head to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to serve as extra depth. Yesterday, the Rays picked up Aaron Civale in a trade with the Guardians, sending Taj Bradley back to Triple-A as a result.
Though Sampson has nearly 300 big league innings to his name, Rodriguez could be the bigger get for Tampa Bay. Rodriguez, a 26-year-old righty reliever, logged a total of 31 1/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen in 2021-22 to limited success. The Cubs bumped him from the 40-man roster in January to make room for Julian Merryweather, and Rodriguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Iowa.
The Cubs have been unable to find room for Rodriguez back on their 40-man or in their big league bullpen this year, despite a relief corps that has struggled at times. Rodriguez worked around 96-97 miles per hour in the Majors, and this year at Triple-A he’s posted interesting numbers despite a BABIP-inflated 4.42 ERA. In 38 2/3 innings, Rodriguez has managed to punch out nearly a third of batters faced, though he’s walked more than 10%. He also sports a groundball rate of 58.4%, which has resulted in only two home runs allowed all year. Like so many Rays relief pickups, this could be an underrated move.
The Cubs add Roberson, a 27-year-old righty reliever who has toiled in the minors since being drafted in the 12th round out of University of North Carolina Wilmington back in 2017. The Rays picked Roberson up as the player to be named later to complete the deal that sent Louis Head to Miami in November 2021. Roberson reached Triple-A for the first time this year, and has posted a 4.50 ERA, 25.7 K%, 13.2% BB%, and 41.1% groundball rate in 36 innings.
Statistically at least, Rodriguez is having a better year at Triple-A than Roberson. Perhaps the Cubs have a good scouting report on Roberson; before the season Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs wrote of “slam dunk big league stuff undercut by 20-grade command.” The salary relief the Cubs are getting on Sampson is likely a factor here in this low-profile deadline day trade.