Rays Release José López
The Rays released left-hander José López, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The southpaw had been designated for assignment last week.
López, 24, came up through the Rays’ system and seemed to have a breakout season in 2022. He went from High-A to Double-A and then Triple-A last year, tossing a combined 59 1/3 innings across those three levels. He registered a 2.43 ERA in that time, striking out a tremendous 37.7% of batters faced, though also issuing walks to 15.1% of them.
Despite that strong season, the Rays couldn’t fit him onto their crowded roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft and he was nabbed by the Padres. His control issues continued to manifest in Spring Training, as he walked five batters in six innings. He wasn’t able to crack the Opening Day roster in San Diego and the Friars offered him back to the Rays, who accepted and sent him to Triple-A Durham.
Through June 10, he had tossed 26 innings at that level with a 5.19 ERA. He had lowered his walk rate to 11.1% but was also getting strikeouts at a reduced 23.1% clip. The Rays selected him to their 40-man roster at that point and he was able to make his major league debut by tossing two innings against the Rangers, allowing one earned run.
The Rays frequently cycle through pitchers at the fringes of their roster and quickly optioned Lopez back to Durham the next day. He was placed on the minor league injured list in early July, designated for assignment five days later and has now been released.
Padres Release Nelson Cruz
The Padres have released designated hitter Nelson Cruz, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment a week ago and the club was apparently unable to line up a trade in the meantime. He would have been able to elect free agency if he cleared waivers, so the Friars had little choice but to send him back to the open market.
Cruz, 43, had a lengthy run as one of the best sluggers in the game but has been far less effective over the past two years. From 2009 through 2020, he hit 395 home runs and batted .280/.350/.538 overall for a wRC+ of 137, indicating he was 37% better than the league average hitter.
He initially carried that production into 2021 as well, as he carried a batting line of .294/.370/.537 and a wRC+ of 142 through 85 games with the Twins. At that point, he was flipped to the Rays but couldn’t maintain that performance, hitting just .226/.283/.442 for a wRC+ of 95 with Tampa. He signed with the Nationals last year but couldn’t get back on track, slashing .234/.313/.337 for a wRC+ of 85. Cruz hoped that eye surgery at the end of last year would help him get back in form in 2023 but he’s just just .245/.283/.399 with the Padres, translating to a wRC+ of 85 that matches last year’s figure.
Cruz is effectively just a designated hitter at this point in his career. The last time he played the outfield was back in 2018, and even that was just four games. He played one game at first base with the Rays in 2021, playing the field for seven innings, and logged just a single inning at first for the Friars this year. With those defensive limitations, he needs to hit to justify his roster spot and hasn’t been able to do so for a couple of years now.
The Padres and Cruz agreed to a $1MM salary in the offseason, with just under half of that still to be paid out. It seems no club was willing to take that on, so the Padres will remain on the hook for it by releasing him. That will allow any of the 29 other clubs to bring him aboard while paying him just the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Friars pay. As mentioned, he has been struggling since the middle of 2021, but perhaps some club is willing to take a shot on his previous track record, especially since the financial risk would be essentially nonexistent.
Rico Garcia Elects Free Agency
July 11: Garcia has rejected his outright assignment and elected free agency, reports A’s broadcaster Jessica Kleinschmidt (Twitter link).
July 10: The A’s have sent reliever Rico Garcia outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. That indicates he went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment on Friday.
Garcia, 29, appeared in seven big league contests with Oakland after they selected his contract in early May. The right-hander has gotten to the highest level in four of the past five seasons. He’s up to 32 2/3 career frames of 6.89 ERA ball. That includes eight runs allowed in 8 2/3 innings with Oakland this year.
While Garcia hasn’t found a ton of MLB success, he’s been effective at the top minor league level. He posted a 2.34 ERA over 34 2/3 Triple-A frames in the Orioles’ system last season. He’s allowing 3.20 earned runs per nine there this year despite pitching in the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League setting. Garcia has fanned an impressive 29.2% of batters faced for the Aviators, though he’s also handed out free passes at an alarming 18.6% clip.
The Orioles successfully passed Garcia through outright waivers last September. Players with multiple career outrights have the ability to decline the assignment in favor of minor league free agency. The A’s haven’t announced whether Garcia has done so or will stick with Las Vegas as a non-roster player.
Niko Goodrum Signs With KBO’s Lotte Giants
Veteran infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum, who opted out of a deal with the Red Sox last week, has signed with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). He’ll be paid $400K for the remainder of the season. Goodrum, a client of Roc Nation Sports, will take the roster spot of former Dodgers and Rangers outfielder Zach Reks, who was cut loose after a knee injury tanked his 2023 season.
The 31-year-old Goodrum is a veteran of six Major League seasons who debuted with the Twins back in 2017. The switch-hitter has since spent time in Detroit and Houston, logging a combined .226/.299/.389 batting line in 1531 plate appearances between the three teams. The versatile Goodrum was particularly productive in 2018-19, when he played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions for the Tigers while posting a combined .247/.318/.427 slash with 28 homers and 24 steals in 964 plate appearances.
Goodrum’s 2023 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester was excellent. In 286 trips to the plate, he batted .280/.448/.440 with eight home runs, seven steals and a staggering 23.1% walk rate. Statcast credits Goodrum as a plus defender at both middle infield positions and a passable option in the outfield as well.
With a strong showing in the KBO, it’s possible Goodrum could sign on for another season in South Korea or perhaps head to Japan’s NPB. He’d have seven-figure earning power in either league, though it’s also possible he’ll look to parlay this year’s strong Triple-A showing and a (hopefully) similar level of production in the KBO into a guaranteed big league deal as a free agent next winter.
As for the 29-year-old Reks, he joined the Giants last year as a midseason replacement much as Goodrum is doing now. The 2017 tenth-rounder (Dodgers) hit .330/.410/.495 in 56 games and 251 plate appearances down the stretch, earning himself a $1.2MM guarantee to return ($1MM salary plus $200K signing bonus), but this year’s knee injury left him with a tepid .246/.338/.345 output in a similar sample size to his 2022 showing. Reks is a career .290/.388/.537 hitter in parts of three Triple-A seasons but has only received 44 plate appearances at the MLB level.
Pirates Outright Rob Zastryzny
The Pirates have sent reliever Rob Zastryzny through outright waivers, per the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Friday and apparently went unclaimed.
Zastryzny signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh over the offseason and broke camp with the MLB team. The 31-year-old southpaw made 18 appearances around a pair of injured list stints. He allowed 13 runs (10 earned) across 17 innings, striking out and walking 13 batters apiece. Those aren’t great bottom line results, although Zastryzny did average a personal-best 92.9 MPH on his fastball.
This is the second straight year and fifth overall in which the former second-round draftee got to the MLB level. He’s logged 55 2/3 career innings of 4.85 ERA ball, striking out a below-average 18.6% of batters faced. The Missouri product has allowed just under five earned runs per nine over 366 2/3 career Triple-A frames.
Zastryzny was previously outrighted by the Cubs five seasons ago. Players with multiple career outrights can decline the assignment in favor of minor league free agency. The Bucs haven’t announced whether Zastryzny plans to do so.
Reds Outright Henry Ramos, Ricky Karcher
The Reds announced that both outfielder Henry Ramos and right-hander Ricky Karcher cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Louisville. Both players had been designated for assignment in the past week.
Ramos, 31, has had tremendous results at the plate in Triple-A but hasn’t yet put it together in the big leagues. He’s hit .299/.356/.481 in 400 games at the top minor league level but .223/.313/.304 in 36 major league contests. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason and got called up in late April. He hit .242/.356/.306 in 18 games before landing on the injured list due to a hip strain in late May. When he was ready to return, he was optioned to the minors before his recent DFA.
The outfielder had the right to reject this assignment by virtue of the fact that he has a previous career outright. It’s not explicit whether he’s chosen to waive that right or not, though he’s listed as active on the Louisville Bats roster, perhaps indicating he has decided to stick in the organization instead of heading back to the open market.
Karcher, 25, was just added to the 40-man roster in November, to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He got that roster spot on the heels of a strong 2022 season wherein he tossed 56 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with a 3.65 ERA, 35.1% strikeout rate and 15.9% walk rate. That control was not ideal but the strikeout stuff was intriguing enough for the Reds to not want him to get away.
2023 has been a different story, however, despite Karcher making his MLB debut with a scoreless inning. He’s spent most of the season in Triple-A with a 7.18 ERA in 31 1/3 innings at that level. His 21.7% strikeout rate is far lower than last year’s and his command issues have gotten much worse, with his walk rate spiking all the way to 26.5%. Based on those results, he lost his roster spot with the Reds and couldn’t get one with any of the other clubs either.
This is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, which means he does not have the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. He’ll stick in the organization and provide some non-roster depth while trying to better harness his stuff.
Marlins Reinstate Johnny Cueto, Transfer Jonathan Davis To 60-Day IL
The Marlins made a few roster moves today, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Right-hander Johnny Cueto was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, with righty Sean Reynolds optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. To open a spot for Cueto on the 40-man roster, outfielder Jonathan Davis was transferred to the 60-day IL. Cueto will not rejoin the rotation initially, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.
The Marlins signed Cueto, 37, in the offseason to a one-year, $8.5MM deal, which came in the form of a $6MM salary this year and a $2.5MM buyout on a $10.5MM club option for 2024. That deal came on the heels of a strong 2022 campaign wherein Cueto tossed 158 1/3 innings for the White Sox with a 3.35 ERA. The move initially seeded somewhat curious since the Fish already had a stacked rotation, but it was just over a week later that they flipped Pablo López and a couple of prospect to the Twins in exchange for Luis Arraez.
Cueto opened the season in the club’s rotation alongside Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera and Trevor Rogers. However, he left his first start after recording just three outs due to right biceps tightness. He started a rehab assignment in early May, though that was shut down after just one appearance. Rehab assignments come with a 30-day maximum for pitchers, though they are sometimes halted due to renewed soreness or a new injury. He started a second assignment June 11 and the 30 days of that are now up, which prompted today’s moves.
However, it seems Cueto won’t be returned to the rotation, as mentioned above. In the 26 2/3 innings he’s thrown on his most recent rehab assignment, he allowed 27 earned runs, leading to a 9.11 ERA. He struck out just 11.1% of batters faced in that time. Reading the stat line on rehab assignments can be misleading, as pitchers might be more focused on mechanics and velocity as opposed to results. But it’s telling that the Marlins evidently aren’t willing to slot him back into the rotation.
Since Cueto’s been gone, there have been a few changes in the club’s starting mix. Cabrera and Rogers are each on the injured list as well, though Cabrera was recently sent out on a rehab assignment and could be an option shortly after the All-Star break. With those injuries, the club has given opportunities to pitchers like Braxton Garrett and Bryan Hoeing. Garrett has a 3.70 ERA while Hoeing is at 4.54.
Another wild card in this deck is Eury Pérez. The 20-year-old rookie came into the year as one of the top prospects in the league and has delivered on that hype as the Marlins were dealing with those injuries. He posted a 2.36 ERA through his first 11 starts but the club recently optioned him to the minors on account of workload concerns. Since he’s already set a personal high for innings pitched in a season, they want to tap the brakes a bit and save some gas for later in the year and perhaps the postseason.
With Rogers on the shelf and Pérez on ice, it seems the club will proceed with a rotation core of Alcantara, Luzardo, Garrett and Hoeing for now, with Cabrera perhaps joining them just over the horizon, leaving Cueto in the bullpen for the time being. He could perhaps rejoin the rotation down the line if another injury pops up, though it will perhaps depend on the timing with the return of Pérez presumably coming at some point.
As for Davis, it’s not a shock to see him wind up on the 60-day IL. He recently required meniscus surgery and is expected to miss the next three to six months. This move means he will be ineligible to return until early September, which wasn’t in the cards anyway.
Ryan Sherriff Elects Free Agency
Left-hander Ryan Sherriff went unclaimed on outright waivers following his DFA by the Red Sox and has elected free agency rather than accept an assignment to the minors, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports (Twitter link).
Sherriff, 33, held opponents to two runs on six hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings earlier this season. He’d since been optioned to Triple-A and, after pitching well in 22 1/3 innings, diagnosed with a flexor strain that sent him to the injured list. The Sox reinstated him last week but immediately designated the southpaw for assignment, needing a 40-man roster spot to reinstate infielder Yu Chang from the 60-day injured list.
While Sherriff has seen action in parts of five big league seasons, injuries have frequently limited his ability to take the field. In addition to this year’s flexor strain, Sherriff has also dealt with a broken toe, a shoulder strain and undergone Tommy John surgery over the past five years. In 51 major league innings, Sherriff has a 3.53 ERA, an 18.5% strikeout rate, an 8.6% walk rate and a hefty 52.6% ground-ball rate. He’s also turned in a 3.08 ERA in 193 innings at the Triple-A level.
If Sherriff is healthy enough to get back on the mound, he ought to draw interest from clubs in need of some left-handed depth in the bullpen. That could include a return to the Red Sox, as it’s not uncommon for veterans of this nature to reject an outright assignment and quickly return on a new minor league contract.
Marlins Outright Jeff Lindgren
Marlins righty Jeff Lindgren went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment over the weekend.
Lindgren, 26, made his big league debut for Miami this season and has appeared in a total of three games, allowing a total of four runs on four hits and four walks with one strikeout. He’s started a dozen games for the Marlins’ Jacksonville affiliate in 2023, logging 61 1/3 innings and posting a 4.55 ERA with a sub-par 17.5% strikeout rate against an elevated 11.4% walk rate.
A 24th-round pick by Miami back in 2019, Lindgren posted steady numbers up throughout much of his minor league tenure, including a 3.56 ERA in 174 2/3 innings at the Double-A level. He’s been hit harder in 27 Triple-A starts since last year, however, logging a 4.94 ERA with shaky strikeout-to-walk numbers and a few too many home runs allowed (1.32 HR/9). He’s averaged just 90.4 mph on his heater in limited big league action.
Lindgren has already been outrighted two times earlier this season, so he’ll have the right to decline the assignment in favor of electing minor league free agency. However, he also had that right following the second outright and opted to remain with the Marlins. Assuming he once again chooses to stay — he’s listed as active on the Jumbo Shrimp roster right now — he’ll continue to serve as depth in the upper minors, be it in the rotation or the bullpen.
Red Sox Outright Caleb Hamilton
The Red Sox passed catcher Caleb Hamilton through outright waivers unclaimed and assigned him back to Triple-A Worcester, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Hamilton has been outrighted in the past, giving him the right to reject the assignment if he chooses, but he’s listed as active on the WooSox’ roster for now.
The 28-year-old Hamilton appeared in only four games with Boston prior to being designated for assignment last week. He went hitless in six trips to the plate during that limited time and is now just 1-for-23 in his big league career, although that lone hit was a big fly during last year’s MLB debut with the Twins. Hamilton was batting .180/.285/.310 through 116 plate appearances with Triple-A Worcester prior to being selected to the MLB roster in June. In parts of four Triple-A seasons, Hamilton is a .206/.316/.377 hitter.
Boston is currently utilizing Connor Wong and recently re-signed Jorge Alfaro — whose contract with the Sox prompted Hamilton’s DFA in the first place — as the primary catching tandem on the big league roster. That’ll likely be the arrangement for the near future, at least until Reese McGuire is able to return from an oblique strain suffered on June 21. The Sox also have former top prospect Ronaldo Hernandez and 2019 tenth-rounder Stephen Scott on the roster in Triple-A Worcester.