Twins Sign Isaac Mattson To Minors Contract
The Twins signed right-hander Isaac Mattson to a minor league deal, as initially reported by Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News (Twitter link). Mattson has been assigned to the Twins’ Double-A affiliate in Wichita.
Making his return to affiliated baseball for the first time since last July, Mattson spent part of last season pitching in the independent Frontier League, and has spent the 2023 season pitching in the independent Atlantic League. Over 19 relief innings with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs this year, Mattson looked pretty sharp, posting a 3.32 ERA and 32.43% strikeout rate. His 10.81% walk rate is on the high side, but it’s still a big improvement from the extreme control problems Mattson had with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in 2022.
Mattson was originally a 19th-round pick for the Angels in the 2017 draft, and he was dealt to the Orioles in December 2019 as part of the four-player trade package that brought Dylan Bundy to Anaheim. Mattson’s time with the O’s included his first stint in the majors, which consisted of 4 1/3 innings over four appearances during the 2021 season. However, Baltimore outrighted him off its 40-man roster in April 2022, and then released him in July after his struggles with Triple-A Norfolk.
The 27-year-old Mattson has pretty consistently posted high strikeout totals throughout his minor league career, even prior to his full-time move to relief pitching in 2019. Despite lacking the velocity traditionally associated with a high-strikeout bullpen arm, Mattson is an interesting depth arm for the Twins to explore, particularly at the no-risk cost of a minor league contract.
Angels Acquire Eduardo Escobar
The Mets and Angels pulled off an unexpected swap Friday night. New York dealt veteran infielder Eduardo Escobar and cash considerations to the Halos for pitching prospects Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux. New York is reportedly paying Escobar’s salary down to the $720K league minimum.
Escobar, 34, spent a year and a half in Queens. The amiable infielder signed a two-year, $20MM free agent contract over the 2021-22 offseason. He worked as New York’s primary third baseman last year, starting 125 games and tallying 542 plate appearances. He put together a decent .240/.295/.430 showing, compensating for the mediocre on-base mark by connecting on 20 home runs.
That kind of production is par for the course. Escobar doesn’t draw many walks, which generally keeps his on-base percentage around or below the league average. He’s a solid power bat, though, reaching the 20-homer mark in every full season between 2017-22. A 35-homer season with the Diamondbacks in 2019 looks to have been inflated by that year’s very lively ball, but Escobar has a decent amount of pop in his bat.
He hasn’t shown that in 2023, largely thanks to an early-season slump. Escobar opened the year as New York’s third baseman but hit only .125/.173/.229 through April 16. At that point, New York recalled top prospect Brett Baty and installed him at the hot corner. That pushed Escobar into a depth role for which he’s arguably overqualified.
To his credit, Escobar has played well in sporadic playing time since being pushed to the bench. He has a .323/.373/.548 batting line in 67 plate appearances since Baty was promoted. His overall season line still checks in below-average (.236/.286/.409) thanks to the brutal first few weeks, but Escobar has contributed when given opportunities of late.
Nevertheless, there wasn’t a clear path for him to get back into the starting lineup. The 23-year-old Baty is viewed as a potential cornerstone offensive player. He has struggled after a torrid first few weeks but continued to get regular playing time. Baty has taken four of the last six starts at the hot corner, all of which have come against right-handed pitching. Jeff McNeil is entrenched at second base, closing off Escobar’s other main path to playing time.
There are no such roadblocks in Anaheim. The Angels have been hit with a trio of infield injuries in rapid succession over the past week. Shortstop Zach Neto strained his oblique. Corner infielder Gio Urshela suffered a fractured pelvis that is likely to end his season. Anthony Rendon sustained a left wrist contusion on a hit-by-pitch.
All of a sudden, the Halos were pressing Andrew Velazquez, Luis Rengifo and some combination of Jared Walsh and Michael Stefanic into regular playing time around Brandon Drury. That’s a suboptimal group for a club battling for a playoff spot.
Escobar isn’t likely to take playing time from Velazquez at shortstop. While he had experience there early in his career, he hasn’t played the position with any regularity since 2018. He’ll be an option at the other infield spots, particularly third and second base. Public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average have pegged him as a below-average defender in recent years, but he can bounce around the dirt as a bat-first utility option.
He’s most directly a replacement for the right-handed hitting Urshela. Escobar switch hits but has been quite a bit more effective from the right side of the dish. Over the past five seasons, he carries a .278/.317/.514 line against left-handed pitching while hitting .237/.300/.431 versus righty arms. Since displacing him at third base, the Mets have deployed him primarily against southpaws — a huge factor in his much improved production.
With Escobar having a diminished role in Queens and the Halos suddenly hunting for infield help, there’s a decent amount of appeal for everyone involved. It’s rare to see a trade of this kind of consequence occur in June, but it’s understandable the Angels wanted to jump the market. Their infield need is most pressing while Rendon is out of action. The Halos don’t have much margin for error in a jumbled American League playoff picture. Los Angeles entered play tonight half a game behind the Yankees for the last AL Wild Card spot and six games back of the Rangers in the AL West.
The Mets entered the season with divisional aspirations after winning 101 games last year. New York has played disappointing ball thus far, carrying a 34-40 record into play Friday night. Now 14 games back of the Braves in the NL East, they’re all but out of the division mix. They’re still within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot, seven games behind the Dodgers.
New York isn’t yet conceding the 2023 campaign. General manager Billy Eppler told Tim Healey of Newsday that trading Escobar had “no correlation” with the rest of the club’s deadline plans. Rather, the team jumped on an opportunity to cash in a player who had been pushed out of the lineup for a pair of minor league pitchers.
Crow ranked 17th on Baseball America’s midseason update of the Angels’ farm system and checked in eighth on Eric Longenhagen’s recent list at FanGraphs. An overslot signee out of high school in the 28th round of the 2019 draft, Crow draws praise for his athleticism and a quality slider.
The Georgia native is regarded as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter or multi-inning reliever. He’ll be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not added to the 40-man roster by November, so he’d profile as near-term pitching depth if healthy. He has been on the injured list since the end of April but started his season with a 1.88 ERA and excellent 31:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 innings at Double-A.
Marceaux, a 2021 third-round pick out of LSU, ranked 20th in the Halos’ system at BA. While he typically works in the low 90s with his fastball, he’s credited with plus control of a four-pitch mix. He has spent his age-23 season in Double-A, working to a 4.88 ERA through 59 innings. The right-hander has a below-average 17.1% strikeout rate but has kept his walks to a tidy 7.2% clip. He won’t be Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 campaign and seems to profile as a depth starter.
To entice the Halos to part with those arms, the Mets paid down virtually all of Escobar’s $9.5MM salary. They’re paying an accompanying 110% tax on that money. Andy Martino of SNY reported this afternoon that New York was open to spending to improve their farm system, either by taking on another team’s undesirable contract while getting back minor league talent or paying down some of their own deals. They’ve put that into action with today’s swap.
Escobar’s contract contains a $9MM club option for next season with a $500K buyout. It seems likely the Halos will opt for the buyout, although there’s at least some flexibility to keep him around if he goes on a second-half tear. The far bigger concern is plugging in an immediate stopgap veteran to help them weather their injury issues.
Doing so at no financial cost keeps their luxury tax number around $238MM, as estimated by Roster Resource — a few million north of the $233MM base threshold. They’ll surely be willing to get more aggressive as the deadline approaches if they’re still in the thick of the playoff race. Supporting the back of the rotation and/or adding middle infield help could be future goals for GM Perry Minasian and his staff.
Andy Martino of SNY first reported the Mets were paying Escobar’s salary down to league minimum.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Phillies Re-Sign Michael Plassmeyer To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have brought back left-hander Michael Plassmeyer on a minor league contract, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. He’s going on the minor league injured list and won’t occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
Philadelphia released the southpaw earlier this week due to a roster technicality. He has been on the IL for the past few weeks. The Phils took him off the 40-man roster to clear a spot for Rafael Marchán to return from the 60-day IL. Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, so the Phils released Plassmeyer.
After a few days on the open market, the Missouri product returns to the Phils. He made two major league appearances last year, working 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball. The 26-year-old has spent all of this year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He worked to a 6.95 ERA despite a decent 23.2% strikeout rate over 44 innings before going on the shelf.
Guardians Sign Jerad Eickhoff, Riley Smith To Minor League Deals
The Guardians have signed right-handers Jerad Eickhoff and Riley Smith to non-roster contracts, according to an announcement from GuardsInsider (Twitter links). Both pitchers have been assigned to Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland also indicated that left-hander Daniel Norris went unclaimed on outright waivers after being designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Eickhoff, 33 next month, returns to affiliated ball in search of an eighth big league season. A former Ranger draftee who was sent to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels trade, Eickhoff broke in as a decent back-of-the-rotation arm in Philadelphia. He struggled between 2017-19 and has only gotten brief looks in the last two seasons.
After making five appearances with the Mets in 2021, Eickhoff took a lone start for the Pirates last year. He was hit hard in those stints, surrendering 34 runs in his last 24 MLB innings. Eickhoff had spent most of last season in Triple-A with the Bucs, posting a 4.96 ERA with solid strikeout and walk numbers (22.5% and 6.3%, respectively) through 114 1/3 frames. He’d been pitching in the independent Atlantic League this year, allowing a 6.16 ERA over 49 2/3 innings.
Smith made 30 appearances for the Diamondbacks between 2020-21. He owns a 5.04 ERA over 85 2/3 MLB frames. The LSU product spent last season in the Rockies’ system. An assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque, a brutal environment for pitchers, didn’t go well. Smith allowed an 8.06 ERA through 92 2/3 innings.
Whether Norris will join Eickhoff and Smith in Columbus remains to be seen. The veteran has more than enough service time to decline the assignment in favor of free agency. Norris signed a minor league contract in Spring Training. He posted a 6.93 ERA with middling strikeout and walk rates in 14 outings (nine starts). The Guardians called him up for a two-inning big league appearance earlier this week but quickly took him back off the roster thereafter.
Marlins Outright Daniel Castano
The Marlins have sent left-hander Daniel Castano outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, as reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Since Miami hadn’t previously designated him for assignment, the move drops the club’s 40-man roster count to 39.
It’s the second time this year in which the Fish have run Castano through waivers. Miami DFA him in mid-January after finalizing their free agent deal with Johnny Cueto. He started the season as a non-roster player in Jacksonville but was selected onto the big league club when Cueto landed on the injured list a few days into the year. He made one relief appearance, was optioned back out, and then landed on the minor league IL himself.
Castano spent a couple months on the shelf with an undisclosed injury. He’s throwing again, beginning a rehab stint in rookie ball. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, but Castano’s return to health allowed Miami to do so this week. He again went unclaimed, though it’s possible he’ll now head to the open market. Players who have been outrighted multiple times in their careers can decline the assignment in favor of minor league free agency.
It’s unclear whether Castano will stick with Miami. The Baylor product has been in the organization since he was acquired from the Cardinals alongside Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen and Magneuris Sierra for Marcell Ozuna. This year’s lone appearance marked the fourth straight season in which he’s suited up for the Fish at the big league level. He’s logged 86 2/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball, striking out a well below-average 12.4% of opposing hitters. Castano has a 3.95 ERA while punching of 20.1% of batters faced in parts of three Triple-A seasons.
Astros Acquire Spenser Watkins From Orioles
The Astros announced this afternoon they’ve acquired righty Spenser Watkins from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Baltimore receives cash in return. Houston also selected outfielder Bligh Madris onto the big league roster, as previously reported. In order to create 40-man roster space, they transferred Michael Brantley and José Urquidy to the 60-day injured list.
Watkins has had a tough year in Triple-A. He’s started six of eight games and worked to a 7.27 ERA through 26 innings. The former 30th-round pick has a modest 15.7% strikeout percentage and has walked a lofty 13.4% of opponents. Watkins has kept the ball on the ground at a massive 55.3% clip, but the strikeout and walk numbers and overall ERA pushed him off Baltimore’s 40-man roster on Tuesday.
The Astros will take a change of scenery flier to add some experienced rotation depth to the upper minors. Injuries to Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Urquidy have pushed depth arms J.P. France and Ronel Blanco into the rotation. Brandon Bielak and Bryan Garcia are the most experienced Triple-A starters, so Watkins is a sensible acquisition.
Now 30, Watkins has appeared in two big league seasons with the O’s. He’s made 30 starts in 39 outings, posting a 5.85 ERA across 160 frames. Watkins hasn’t missed many bats, but he’d walked just under 7% of opponents at the MLB level. He had a quality 6.1% walk percentage in Triple-A last season.
His control has been erratic this season, but his broader track record is that of a strike-throwing depth arm. This is Watkins’ final minor league option year; the Astros can keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the season but would have to carry him on next year’s Opening Day roster if he holds his 40-man spot until then.
Brantley’s and Urquidy’s IL moves are procedural transactions. Brantley has already been on the IL for well past 60 days as he works back from last summer’s shoulder surgery. Urquidy landed on the shelf on May 1 with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He’s not expected to return until next month.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Astros’ acquisition of Watkins.
Pirates Promote Nick Gonzales
4:23pm: Pittsburgh officially selected Gonzales’ contract. Outfielder Cal Mitchell was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear a spot on the active roster. To open a 40-man vacancy, the Bucs transferred righty Vince Velasquez from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. He’s out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery.
11:00am: The Pirates are set to promote infield prospect Nick Gonzales, reports Jim Rosati of North Shore Nine. Gonzales isn’t on the 40-man roster so a corresponding move or moves will be required to get him aboard.
Gonzales, 24, was selected by the Pirates with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft. The minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic that year, but he was nonetheless vaulted onto prospect lists based on his work at New Mexico State University. His exceptional bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline were lauded as his standout tools as Baseball America ranked him the #51 prospect in the league going into 2021. MLB Pipeline had him at #43, Baseball Prospectus at #39, FanGraphs at #86 and ESPN at #66.
He was finally able to make his professional debut in 2021, spending it in High-A. A broken finger cost him more than a month of that season but he still got into 80 games. He walked in 10.8% of his plate appearances but his 27.4% strikeout rate was on the high side, especially for a player whose carrying tool is his bat. Nonetheless, he hit .302/.385/.565 at that level and generally crept higher on prospect lists going into 2022.
Injuries popped up again last year as he tore the plantar fascia in the heel of his foot, costing him about two months and limiting him to just 74 games on the year. He posted a strong batting line of .264/.382/.435, mostly in Double-A, but struck out at a 28.4% clip. He finished the year with a sold .279/.351/.500 showing in the Arizona fall league.
Despite those strong batting lines, the concerns about the punchouts delivered a blow to his prospect stock. He’s not considered an especially strong defender or baserunner, making any drop in the assessment of hit bat noteworthy. He was bumped off each of the aforementioned prospect lists coming into 2023 and dropped on team-specific lists as well. BA had him #8 in the Pirates’ system at the start of the this year after having him at #3 in previous seasons. Keith Law of The Athletic put him at #9 while FanGraphs had him all the way down at #23, with each outlet concerned about the swing and miss, particularly against breaking pitches.
Here in 2023, Gonzales has been in Triple-A. Through 262 plate appearances, he’s hitting .257/.370/.450 for a wRC+ of 106. That indicates he’s been a bit above league average at that level but he’s still striking out at a 28.6% rate.
Defensively, Gonzales has spent most of his time at second base. He’s not especially well regarded there, but has also seen some time at shortstop and third. The Bucs are set at third base with Ke’Bryan Hayes but the middle infield is a little less clear with shortstop Oneil Cruz still on the injured list and not close to a return. Mark Mathias got some time at second base but was optioned earlier this week after hitting at a subpar rate. Each of Ji Hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano have played some middle infield but also with below-average offensive output. Rodolfo Castro has been a hair above average at the plate but his shortstop defense isn’t very well regarded.
Given all of those imperfect pieces, the Pirates will turn to Gonzales to see if he can provide a jolt. Despite the strikeout concerns, he does seem to do consistent damage when he does make contact. The Pirates got out to a scorching hot start this year and were leading the National League Central for a time but they are in a bad skid now. They have lost 10 straight and put Bryan Reynolds on the injured list yesterday. It seems they don’t want the season to slip away from them and are willing to turn to their farm for reinforcements, promoting Henry Davis earlier this week and now Gonzales.
Tigers Sign Johan Camargo To Minor League Deal
The Tigers have signed infielder Johan Camargo to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Conversely, infielder Brendon Davis has been released by the Mud Hens, per his own tracker.
Camargo, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Royals in the winter. He began the season on the injured list in the minors but was able to return to action in mid-May. He went on to hit a torrid .298/.412/.544 through 68 Triple-A plate appearances for a wRC+ of 140. Based on that hot streak, he triggered an opt-out and returned to the open market to see what deals he could find.
He’ll now join a Tigers club that has plenty of uncertainty around the infield. Veterans like Javier Báez, Jonathan Schoop and Andy Ibañez are all having subpar years at the plate and the same goes for younger players like Spencer Torkelson and Nick Maton. The only Tigers with at least 100 plate appearances and a wRC+ above 100 are outfielders Matt Vierling, Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, and Greene is currently on the injured list.
Given those struggles, there’s logic to bringing Camargo into the organization and getting a closer look at him. He’s played all four infield positions in his major league career and a bit of the outfield corners as well, generally getting solid grades anywhere he’s placed. His career batting line of .255/.313/.410 only amounts to a wRC+ of 90 but he’s at least coming off a hot stretch lately. If he were to get a roster spot at some point, he’s out of options but could be retained for 2024 via arbitration since he won’t be able to reach six years of service time this year.
As for Davis, 25, he signed a minor league deal with the Tigers this winter but has hit just .178/.288/.363 in Triple-A this year.
Athletics Place Ramón Laureano On IL With Hand Fracture
2:55pm: Martin Gallegos of MLB.com relays word from the A’s training staff that this injury is the result of Laureano getting hit by a pitch in Milwaukee earlier this month. The slide in Tampa injured his left hand, not his right. The A’s were in Milwaukee June 9 to 11, so Laureano has apparently been battling this injury for two weeks already.
2:40pm: The Athletics announced today that outfielder Ramón Laureano has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 22, with a fractured right hand. Outfielder Conner Capel has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
Laureano has been dealing with a hand issue for over a week now. It was on June 14 that he appeared to injure his fingers on a slide into third base in a game against the Rays. He’s been in and out of the lineup since then but will now get a lengthier absence of over a week. It’s unclear whether the initial injury simply hasn’t healed or if he reaggravated it.
The outfielder had spent many years as a solid two-way player for Oakland until receiving an 80-game suspension in August of 2021 after testing positive for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. Prior to that suspension, he hit .263/.335/.465 for a wRC+ of 119 in 313 career games while also stealing 34 bases and earning plaudits for his glovework.
He returned last year but hasn’t been able to get back to that level of performance. He’s hit .212/.282/.370 since being reinstated for a wRC+ of 90, though the other portions of his game are still solid. He’s swiped 19 bags since then and, though he’s been largely bumped from center to right field, is still considered a strong defender.
The loss of Laureano won’t mean too much to the A’s in the short term as their 19-58 record is the worst in all of baseball. However, it’s potentially significant for the upcoming trade deadline. The Athletics are one of very few clubs that make for obvious sellers this year, with the expanded playoffs and weak Central divisions giving most clubs some kind of plausible shot at a postseason run. The A’s have already traded away most of their veterans and the roster is now filled with younger players they are hoping to build around.
Laureano will turn 29 next month and has already reached arbitration on a struggling team, making him one of the few straightforward trade candidates this summer. His offensive slide wouldn’t have given him much value but his speed and defense at least give him a solid floor as a bench piece that could garner interest around the league. He’ll now have to recuperate from this hand injury with just over five weeks until the August 1 deadline.
With Laureano sidelined, the club will turn to Capel as well as outfielders like Seth Brown, JJ Bleday, Tony Kemp and Brent Rooker to fill the corners, with Esteury Ruiz in center field most days.
Reds Release Wil Myers
The Reds announced that outfielder Wil Myers, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has now been released.
It’s hardly a shock to see Myers released, given the combination of his contract and results this year. The club signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason with a $7.5MM guarantee. That came in the form of a $6MM salary this year and a $1.5MM buyout on a mutual option. The rebuilding Reds were surely hoping for Myers to serve as a reliable veteran presence who became a trade candidate by midseason.
Unfortunately, Myers hit just .189/.257/.283 through 141 plate appearances before landing on the injured list in May due to kidney stones. By the time he was ready to come off the IL, various Cincinnati prospects had hit the ground running in the big leagues and vaulted the team into first place. With the rebuild suddenly appearing to be over, there was little room left for Myers to get the necessary playing time to get into a groove, so he was designated for assignment instead.
Myers will now head to the open market in search of his next opportunity. Despite his poor results this year, clubs may be intrigued by his career output. He’s hit .252/.326/.437 for a wRC+ of 107 in 1100 career games dating back to 2013. He can be slotted into an outfield corner or first base, and can even play third in a pinch. He also hit .261/.315/.398 for a wRC+ of 106 as recently as last year.
Any club willing to take a chance on Myers would do so with no financial risk. The Reds will remain on the hook for what’s left of that contract, leaving any other club free to sign him and pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Reds pay.