Rays Place Shane McClanahan On 15-Day IL
The Rays have placed left-handed ace Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list with mid-back tightness, per a club announcement. In a corresponding move, the club has recalled left-hander Jalen Beeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the move comes after McClanahan reported tightness following a second consecutive shortened start.
McClanahan, 26, sports a sterling 2.53 ERA through 17 starts this season even after the aforementioned two shortened outings during which he allowed a combined six runs over 6 2/3 innings of work. He’s been key to the Rays’ success so far this season, helping lift the club to an MLB-best 57-28 record even as a 3.85 FIP and sky-high 88% strand rate indicate regression could be on the horizon for the young lefty.
While any missed time is certainly a blow to Tampa given McClanahan’s dominant performance in the first half this season, Topkin notes that the lefty ace could miss just one start thanks to the coming All Star break so long as his current injury requires only a minimal stay on the shelf. McClanahan himself seemed confident the issue was relative minor in conversation with reporters Friday, framing the impending trip to the IL as a decision geared toward preparing him for the second half.
“We’ve got a lot of ballgames left to play and an IL stint in early July, missing one start, is not the end of the world,” McClanahan told reporters, including Topkin. “With a lot of meaningful games, hopefully in October, I want to make sure we correct it now.”
Replacing McClanahan on the active roster is Beeks, who struggled for the club earlier this season. In 25 games (including seven starts as an opener), Beeks posted a rough 5.87 ERA, 30% below league average by measure of ERA+. While a 3.57 xERA and a 4.37 FIP indicate Beeks may have pitched a bit better than those results indicate, the 29-year-old hurler is hardly a replacement for McClanahan nonetheless. The Rays figure to lean on a four-man rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, and Yonny Chirinos in the run-up to the midsummer classic later this month.
With the trade deadline just a month away, McClanahan joining Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen on the shelf in Tampa highlights the club’s need for pitching. It’s an issue that GM Peter Bendix recently addressed during a conversation with the media that saw him indicate the club’s front office would be doing “everything [they] can” to bolster the roster in the coming weeks as they attempt to capture the first World Series title in franchise history.
Luis Torrens Opts Out Of Minors Deal With Nationals
Catcher Luis Torrens is back on the open market, as Talk Nats indicates the 27 year old has exercised a clause in the minor league deal he signed with the Nationals back in May that allows him to return to free agency if not added to the roster by July 1.
The decision leaves Torrens poised to search for what would be his fourth organization of the 2023 campaign. After signing a minors deal with the Cubs back in January, Torrens made the Opening Day roster in Chicago but appeared in just 13 games before being designated for assignment and swapped to the Orioles at the beginning of May. The Orioles then designated Torrens for assignment the following week, leading the catcher to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.
From there, Torrens signed on with Washington on a minor league deal, and posted a decent .258/.311/.470 slash line in 74 plate appearances with the club’s Triple-A affiliate. Still, with Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams entrenched as the club’s catching tandem at the big league level and Drew Millas acting as serviceable depth in the upper minors, there wasn’t a clear path to the big leagues for Torrens with the Nationals, prompting him to return to the open market.
Considering Torrens’s relative youth and unique developmental track as a former Rule 5 draft pick, he figures to receive interest from clubs on a minor league deal, particularly considering the importance of having ample catching depth available. That importance has been showcased at various points through this season by the woes of teams such as the Padres, Mets, Giants, and Angels behind the plate. Torrens isn’t the only intriguing depth option who could be available behind the plate, however, as Jorge Alfaro, who the Rockies designated for assignment yesterday evening, could also return to free agency in the coming days should he clear waivers and reject an outright assignment.
Padres Make Four Roster Moves
The Padres made four pitching moves today, including the activation of left-hander Tom Cosgrove from the 15-day injured list. San Diego also called up right-hander Pedro Avila from Triple-A, while optioning southpaw Ray Kerr to Triple-A and placing righty Drew Carlton the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation.
Carlton signed a minor league contract during the offseason, and was promoted to San Diego’s active roster in the middle of May. Pitching mostly in multi-inning relief situations, Carlton has a 4.35 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 20 2/3 frames. That ERA took a hit in yesterday’s game, as Carlton allowed three runs (two earned) in two-thirds of an inning, including a walkoff homer from the Reds’ Spencer Steer. It isn’t known whether Carlton’s elbow issue developed during the game, or if he was trying to pitch through some soreness.
Cosgrove returns from the IL after missing only the minimum 15 days with a strained left hamstring. A 12th-round pick for the Padres in the 2017 draft, the 27-year-old made his MLB debut this season and has made a very solid impression in his first 17 innings in the Show. Cosgrove has a tiny 0.53 ERA and 3.4% walk rate, as well as a solid 25.9% strikeout rate. His SIERA is naturally higher (3.00), as Cosgrove has a perfect 100% strand rate and he has benefited from a .158 BABIP. Still, it’s not a bad showing at all for a pitcher who wasn’t really on the radar for a call-up heading into 2023, but Cosgrove has pitched well enough to retain his spot in the Padres’ bullpen.
Marlins Designate Archie Bradley For Assignment
The Marlins designated right-hander Archie Bradley for assignment, and recalled righty George Soriano from Triple-A Jacksonville. Bradley pitched in Miami’s 16-4 loss to the Braves yesterday, allowing seven runs over 2 1/3 innings of work.
All told, Bradley has a 12.27 ERA over 7 1/3 total innings since the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A in mid-June. Bradley’s stint in free agency extended into the regular season, as he didn’t sign his minor league deal with Miami until almost two weeks into April. Missing Spring Training has surely contributed to Bradley’s lack of form, though he did pitch pretty well in Jacksonville, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Bradley was a solid-to-very good reliever with the Diamondbacks, Reds, and Phillies from 2017-21, highlighted by a stint as Arizona’s closer and even a 20th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2017 as a nod to a dominant relief campaign. However, things started to go south for Bradley during an injury-plagued 2022 season with the Angels, as he was limited to 18 2/3 innings due to multiple injuries, most prominently an elbow fracture. He also had a forearm strain right at the end of September, which set back his offseason prep work.
The Marlins have seen enough to move on from the 30-year-old, but it seems likely that Bradley’s past track record and pedigree will earn him a look with another team. While Bradley may not be quite ready to face Major League batters yet, another extended stint in Triple-A might help him get on track and get fully ramped up after his unusual offseason. Miami could also keep him in the organization if Bradley clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A, though Bradley has enough big league service time to elect free agency rather than agree to an outright.
Reds Select Alec Mills, Outright Jake Wong
TODAY: Wong was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville after clearing waivers.
JUNE 27: The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Alec Mills, with fellow righty Jake Wong designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Mills, 31, spent 2018 to 2022 with the Cubs. He once seemed like he had a shot at establishing himself as a solid back-end starter. In 2020, he made 11 starts with a 4.48 ERA and even tossed a no-hitter that year. Unfortunately, he dealt with back issues in the next two years, leading to a 5.66 combined ERA in 2021 and 2022 before undergoing back surgery as last year’s campaign was winding down.
He was outrighted by the Cubs in November and became a free agent. He signed with the Reds in the middle of May and has since tossed 11 innings over four appearances with a 4.09 ERA on the year thus far. He’s struck out just 11.1% of opponents but walked only 6.7%.
The Reds have been stretched in the pitching department in recent days, leading to a daily scramble for fresh arms. They had Thursday off last week but then allowed at least seven runs in each of their four games from Friday to Monday. Their starting pitcher wasn’t able to go longer than four innings in any of them, leading to heavy usage of the bullpen. They have another off-day this Thursday but still have two more games to get through, prompting them to bring up Mills as a potential multi-inning option.
As for Wong, he was the club’s fresh arm just yesterday. He was able to make his major league debut in last night’s contest, tossing three innings while allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks. Prior to getting called up, he tossed 34 1/3 innings in the minors with a 7.60 ERA. The Reds will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
Brewers Designate Matt Bush, Thomas Pannone
The Brewers designated right-hander Matt Bush and left-hander Thomas Pannone for assignment. In corresponding moves, the team selected the contract of left-hander Clayton Andrews from Triple-A Nashville, and also called up right-hander J.B. Bukauskas from Triple-A. Milwaukee now has 39 of 40 spots filled on its 40-man roster.
Acquired from the Rangers at last year’s trade deadline, Bush’s numbers dropped off after the deal, in large part to an increase in home runs. Bush posted a 2.95 ERA over 36 2/3 innings with Texas while allowing five big flies, yet he gave up six homers in 23 innings with the Brew Crew, boosting his ERA to 4.30.
Bush and the Brewers agreed to a $1.85MM arbitration-avoiding salary for 2023, but the righty has struggled to both stay healthy and deliver consistent results out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. He missed just shy of two months due to tendinitis in his right rotator cuff, and posted a 9.58 ERA in 10 1/3 innings. Yesterday’s 8-7 loss to the Pirates saw Bush allow three runs in the ninth inning, including Carlos Santana‘s two-run walkoff homer.
If another team claimed Bush on DFA waivers, it will become responsible for the roughly $925K still owed to the right-hander over the course of the season. It seems likely that Bush will clear waivers, therefore putting the Brewers on the hook for the remaining salary while a new club would owe Bush just the prorated portion of a Major League salary. If Bush clears waivers and is then outrighted to Triple-A Nashville, Bush can decline that outright assignment in favor of free agency, because he has been outrighted in the past.
Pannone also has this option, as he was outrighted off the Blue Jays’ roster back in 2020. The southpaw left Toronto’s organization after that season, and he bounced around to the Red Sox, Angels, and the KBO League’s Kia Tigers before landing in Milwaukee on a minors deal this past winter. The Brewers selected Pannone’s contract just three days ago, and his one appearance (also in yesterday’s 8-7 loss to Pittsburgh) marked Pannone’s first Major League game since the 2019 season.
Andrews was a 17th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2018 draft, and the 26-year-old is now close to making his MLB debut. His career was essentially put on hold for the better part of three years due to first the canceled 2020 minor league season, and then a Tommy John surgery that limited Andrews to 19 2/3 total innings in 2021-22. However, he has been healthy and effective at Nashville this year, with a 1.65 ERA and 31.8% strikeout rate over 32 2/3 innings of work. A 12.4% walk rate is cause for concern, as Andrews’ control has been something of an issue even prior to 2020.
If Andrews can limit the walks, he might get a longer-term opportunity in a Milwaukee bullpen that is short on left-handed pitching. Hoby Milner is the only other southpaw in the relief corps, though Justin Wilson (who underwent Tommy John surgery last year) just started a rehab assignment and might be available by late July or early August.
Orioles Select Chris Vallimont, Mychal Givens Moved To 60-Day IL
The Orioles have selected the contract of right-hander Chris Vallimont from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, left-hander Bruce Zimmermann was optioned to Triple-A, while Mychal Givens was moved to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster.
Givens signed a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with Baltimore during the offseason, returning to the O’s after pitching with the team from 2015-20. However, the comeback has still barely begun, as Givens has been limited to four innings over six appearances (and an 11.25 ERA) due to injuries. Some inflammation in Givens’ left knee arose during Spring Training, which led to an IL placement on Opening Day and delayed his season debut until May 21. Givens then went back on the 15-day IL on June 1 due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and the shift to the 60-day IL means that he won’t be eligible to return until August at the earliest.
While Givens had started a rehab assignment, he was scratched from what would’ve been his fifth outing last week, and underwent further examination. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the team wasn’t overly concerned with the situation, but obviously Givens has been set back enough that he might need to entirely restart his rehab work, thus extending his time on the IL.
Vallimont is now on the verge of making his MLB debut after five pro seasons. The righty was a fifth-round pick for the Marlins in the 2018 draft, and was traded to the Twins in 2019 before Baltimore claimed him off waivers from Minnesota in May 2022.
The results have been mixed at best for Vaillmont in the upper minors, as he has a 6.07 ERA over 123 career innings at Double-A and a 5.22 ERA in 129 1/3 frames of Triple-A ball. A starter for much of his career, the Orioles have used him as a starter in eight games in Norfolk and as a long reliever on six other occasions. Since the Orioles’ bullpen has seen a lot of work over the team’s last two games, Vaillmont’s selection is likely a way to get a fresh arm into the relief corps. After Thursday’s off-day, the O’s play every day until the All-Star break, so Vaillmont might get some chances to chew up any stray innings and turn some heads in his first stint in the big leagues.
Guardians Sign Sandy Leon To Minors Contract
The Guardians announced that catcher Sandy Leon has signed a minor league deal. The veteran backstop will report to Triple-A Columbus.
This is Leon’s fourth separate stint with the organization, as Cleveland first acquired him from the Red Sox in a trade in December 2019. He returned to the Guardians on a minors deal in the 2021-22 offseason but opted out at the end of Spring Training, and soon afterwards joined the Reds on another minor league contract. Cincinnati then traded Leon back across Ohio to the Guards last June, before the Guardians dealt Leon again to the Twins at the trade deadline.
The transactional carousel continued for Leon this past offseason when he joined the Rangers on a minor league contract. Leon appeared in 21 games for Texas (who selected his contract when Mitch Garver went on the injured list) before being designated for assignment. Leon did accept his subsequent outright assignment to Triple-A, but then asked to be released 10 days ago, with the Rangers accommodating the request.
The 34-year-old defensive specialist will now seemingly take up a depth role for the Guardians, as Bo Naylor has now taken over the team’s regular starting catcher. Cleveland has Cam Gallagher in a traditional backup role and utilityman David Fry also capable of playing catcher in a pinch, but Leon might provide additional depth since Mike Zunino was released. If nothing else, Leon gives the Guardians a familiar face at Triple-A, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Leon found himself on the move again if a clearer chance at playing time didn’t materialize with Cleveland.
Rangers Acquire Aroldis Chapman
The Rangers made a significant bullpen addition Friday evening, announcing the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman from the Royals. Left-hander Cole Ragans and rookie ball outfielder Roni Cabrera are going to Kansas City.
Chapman had a strong few months in Royal blue. Kansas City signed the seven-time All-Star to a $3.75MM free agent guarantee, buying low after a rough final season in the Bronx. Chapman had posted a 4.46 ERA in his final year with the Yankees and was left off their playoff roster after missing a team workout. He returned to quality high-leverage work after the change of scenery.
The hard-throwing southpaw owns a 2.45 ERA over 29 1/3 innings in 31 appearances. He’s striking out an eye-popping 43.4% of opponents, his highest rate since 2020. Among relievers with 20+ frames, only Orioles closer Félix Bautista is fanning hitters at a better clip. Chapman ranks eighth among that group in whiffs, picking up swinging strikes on 17.8% of his offerings.
Chapman doesn’t throw quite as hard as he had during his days with the Reds, but he’s still the hardest-throwing southpaw in the sport. He’s averaging 99.4 MPH on his four-seam fastball and throwing his slider at an 88.2 MPH clip. Both are up a couple ticks relative to last season’s level, explaining his bounceback in whiffs. Chapman has overpowered hitters from both sides of the plate, holding lefties to a .211 batting average without an extra-base hit and right-handers to a .146 average and .183 slugging mark.
The sole concern with Chapman’s production this season is inconsistent strike-throwing. He has walked 16.4% of opponents, a rate topped by only five relievers with at least 20 innings. It has been a boom-or-bust profile, with nearly three-fifths of hitters going down on strikes or taking a free pass.
Texas rolls the dice on the scattershot control to inject some needed swing-and-miss to the relief corps. Rangers relievers enter play Friday ranked 19th in MLB with a 23.1% strikeout percentage. They’re 24th with a 4.37 ERA. Texas ranks second in rotation ERA and leads the majors in run-scoring. The bullpen stood out as the obvious priority for GM Chris Young and his staff entering trade season, and they’ve started by landing one of the best relievers available.
Chapman joins Will Smith, Josh Sborz and Brock Burke in the high-leverage mix. Sborz and Smith have been excellent, while rookie Grant Anderson is off to a nice start to his MLB career. There’s still room for another addition at the back end, particularly a right-hander.
Texas will certainly further add to the roster over the coming weeks. As an impending free agent reliever, Chapman was never going to require them to dip deep into the farm system. He’s also an affordable pickup; the Rangers assume just under $2MM in remaining salary.
They’ll add a little more in incentives, as Chapman will receive $312,500 for every fifth appearance between 35 and 55 outings. Triggering all those bonuses, as he’s on pace to do, would tack on another $1.563MM. He’d land a matching $312,500 for every fourth game finished between 12 and 40; he has finished nine games thus far.
Those are relatively small margins for an aggressive Texas club. The Rangers are spending just under $201MM on player payroll, as calculated by Roster Resource. They’re up to around $224MM in luxury tax obligations, placing them roughly $9MM south of the $233MM base threshold. The Rangers have never paid the competitive balance tax, but owner Ray Davis has signed off on aggressive spending sprees in each of the past two winters to quickly push the club to the top of the AL West.
The Royals are at the opposite end of the spectrum, one of a handful of teams that are certain to miss the postseason. Kansas City has shown a willingness to sell off pieces early if they’re out of contention. They dealt Carlos Santana to the Mariners around this time last season. Chapman was rumored to be available by early June.
In Ragans, Kansas City got a pitcher they like enough to jump on a Chapman deal a few weeks early. The 25-year-old is an upper level arm who could factor into the rotation this year. The 30th overall pick in the 2016 draft, he has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons.
Ragans made nine starts last year, working to a 4.95 ERA in 40 innings. He has pitched in relief this season, tallying 24 1/3 frames of 5.92 ERA ball out of the bullpen. Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets that K.C. will send Ragans to Triple-A to build back up as a starter with an eye towards a second-half return to the big leagues.
The 6’4″ southpaw has yet to find MLB success. Alongside the mediocre ERA, he has a below-average 18.2% strikeout rate and slightly elevated 10.7% walk percentage. He owns a solid 3.64 ERA in five minor league seasons, though, striking out 29.6% of opponents along the way. His fastball has averaged a little north of 96 MPH in short stints — well above last year’s 92.1 MPH average speed out of the rotation — and prospect evaluators have long credited him with a potential plus changeup.
Whether Ragans will stick as a starter remains to be seen. Kansas City can give him some runway. The Royals’ rotation ranks 27th with a 5.43 ERA. Ragans is in his first of three minor league option seasons and won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2025-26 offseason at the earliest. If he develops as hoped, he could work as an affordable back-end starter at Kauffman Stadium in the near future.
Cabrera is much further off. A native of the Dominican Republic, he’s a right-handed hitting outfielder who has spent the past two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He turns 18 next month and won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until after the 2026 season. Keith Law of the Athletic writes that Cabrera has some power potential and projects as a corner outfielder.
This evening’s swap is the start of what’ll likely be multiple moves of this ilk from both teams. Texas could add more bullpen help and perhaps augment the corner outfield or rotation depth. Kansas City figures to listen to offers on closer Scott Barlow and could take calls on rentals like Zack Greinke and Matt Duffy.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Diamondbacks, Nabil Crismatt Agree To Minor League Contract
Free agent reliever Nabil Crismatt has signed with the Diamondbacks, he announced on Instagram. According to the transactions log at MLB.com, it’s a minor league pact. He’ll join their Triple-A club in Reno.
Crismatt spent less than a week on the open market. The right-hander was outrighted by the Padres last weekend. He’d only made seven MLB appearances this season, allowing 12 runs over 11 innings. Crismatt missed a few weeks with a strained left hip and averaged a career-low 88.8 MPH on his fastball.
Frustrating as this season has been, the Colombian-born hurler is only a year removed from being a productive middle innings arm for San Diego. Crismatt soaked up 67 1/3 frames of 2.94 ERA ball last season. He’d posted a 3.76 ERA through 81 1/3 innings the year prior. He doesn’t miss many bats, but he’s a quality strike-thrower and has induced grounders on roughly half the batted balls he’s allowed as a big leaguer.
The Diamondbacks’ bullpen is improved relative to the past few years, roughly an average unit. Arizona relievers entered play Friday 19th in MLB with a 4.04 ERA and 16th with a 24.2% strikeout percentage. Crismatt will try to pitch his way into that group, though he’ll first report to a very hitter-friendly environment in Reno. He has exhausted his minor league option years, so if the D-Backs promote him at any point, they’d have to keep him on the MLB roster or designate him for assignment themselves.