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Cubs Release Andrelton Simmons

By James Hicks | August 7, 2022 at 12:35pm CDT

Aug. 7: Simmons has been granted his unconditional release, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.

Aug. 6: The Cubs designated shortstop Andrelton Simmons for assignment today, the club announced. The move came shortly after he was activated from the 10-day IL. He had been out since mid-July with a right shoulder strain.

Simmons never really got off the ground in Chicago after signing a one-year, $4MM deal with the Cubs in the offseason. He struggled with shoulder soreness from the jump and had logged only 85 plate appearances on the season. In that small sample, he logged a meager .173/.244/.187 batting line and notched only a single extra-base hit. In his absence, Nico Hoerner has handled most of the innings at shortstop, logging a 107 wRC+ while playing solid defense, rendering the veteran surplus to requirements for a non-contending team.

While Simmons has been spoken of as one of the best defensive shortstops in the game since his 2012 debut, his offensive production — he sports a career 86 wRC+ — has fallen off a cliff since leaving the Angels after the 2020 season. In roughly a full season of action (536 PAs), he’s produced at a .216/.277/.261 clip, good for a wRC+ of only 51.

Still, provided his shoulder doesn’t prove an ongoing issue, Simmons could still catch on with a contender as a high-end defensive option, though likely not until after he’s cleared waivers. He’s won four gold gloves and finished second (to Carlos Correa) in the Fielding Bible’s 2021 defensive rankings. In fact, since 2013, he’s finished lower than third only once and won the award for six consecutive seasons (2013-2018). Advanced metrics back up Simmons’ continued defensive value; per Fangraphs, Simmons has accumulated 19 DRS (defensive runs saved) between 2021 and 2022 and a prodigious 201 for his career.

In parts of 11 seasons with the Braves, Angels, Twins, and Cubs, Simmons owns a career .263/.312/.366 triple-slash. Though he’ll enter 2023 at 33 years old, Simba will likely draw at least some interest in the offseason should he wish to continue playing, if perhaps as a non-roster invitee. Regardless of where his career goes from here, though, his glovework will remain the stuff of legend in Atlanta and Orange County.

Brewers Designate Jake McGee For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | August 7, 2022 at 10:55am CDT

The Brewers announced that right-hander Jason Alexander has been recalled from Triple-A, with lefty Jake McGee being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

McGee, 36, is a veteran in his 13th MLB season. The Giants signed him to a two-year deal prior to the 2021 campaign, which looked like a masterstroke at the halfway point of the contract. The Giants won 107 games last year, thanks in no small part to McGee. The southpaw threw 59 2/3 innings last year with a 2.72 ERA, 24.3% strikeout rate, 4.2% walk rate and 35.9% ground ball rate, racking up 31 saves and eight holds in the process.

However, things have swung completely the other way around here in 2022, with McGee struggling immensely. In 21 1/3 innings with San Fran, he registered a 7.17 ERA, along with greatly diminished 11.5% strikeout rate and 29.1% ground ball rate. Based on that unfortunate downturn, the Giants released him, with McGee then landing with the Brewers about a week later.

For Milwaukee, things haven’t gotten much better. McGee has a 6.35 ERA since getting his new jersey and is still only getting strikeouts at a 16% clip. That’s a small sample size, but it largely matches what McGee was doing prior to joining the Brew Crew.

The Brewers’ bullpen has been in the spotlight lately, after the club traded away Josh Hader despite leading the NL Central. Since then, the club has gone 1-4, with the bullpen giving away late leads in some of those games, and now sit one game back in both the Central and the Wild Card race. It seems they felt the need to shake things up, with McGee getting cut loose despite a brief audition.

Despite his poor season, he could still get a shot elsewhere, given his track record and the fact that many teams are deficient in terms of left-handed relief. He’s making $2.5MM this year but the Giants are on the hook for most of that, with any team that signs him only having to pay the prorated league minimum. Since the trade deadline is now passed, the Brewers will have to put him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days.

Guardians Designate Franmil Reyes For Assignment

By James Hicks | August 6, 2022 at 11:36pm CDT

The Guardians have designated DH/outfielder Franmil Reyes for assignment, reports Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Though his 2022 numbers have fallen well below his career marks, the move still comes as something of a surprise given Reyes’ age (2022 is his age-26 season) and his prodigious raw power. He had been optioned to Triple-A Columbus earlier this week. Jake Jewell has been selected onto the roster in his place.

Since debuting with the Padres in 2018, Reyes has been one of the more consistent home run threats in the game despite playing his home games at San Diego’s Petco Park (the most pitcher-friendly stadium in the majors) and Progressive Field (comparatively neutral but still pitcher-friendly), going deep in 5.6% of his career plate appearances (the league-wide average over the same span is 3.3%). That number has fallen to 3.2% in 2022, however, while his strikeout rate has ballooned to 37.1% (against a career 30.7% mark) and his walk rate has fallen to 5% (8.4% career).

These unfortunate trends translated into a meager .213/.254/.350 triple-slash, a far cry from his career .253/.314/.478 batting line — particularly in the power department. The Guardians, who entered play on Saturday two games behind the Twins in the AL Central and a game behind the Rays for the final wild card spot, will likely continue to rotate Josh Naylor and Owen Miller between first base and Reyes’ erstwhile DH spot.

Given his very real power potential — and the passing of the trade deadline — there could be some very real interest in Reyes from contending teams, perhaps even before he’s cleared waivers. Any team claiming the slugger would owe him a pro-rated portion of his $4.55MM 2022 salary, while he’d be owed only a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary thereafter. Reyes actually has two years of team control remaining, though he’ll be in line for at least a modest raise should a team choose to tender him a contract.

Matt Dermody To Sign With KBO League’s NC Dinos

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 7:53pm CDT

Cubs left-hander Matt Dermody has agreed to sign with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, according to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors (Twitter link). While Dermody was signed with the Cubs, it isn’t uncommon for teams to release players for opportunities overseas if that player isn’t in the team’s long-term plans.

Dermody is no stranger to pitching outside of affiliated baseball, as he pitched the independent Sugar Land Skeeters in 2020 and then in Japan with the Seibu Lions in 2021. (In between, he also made a few appearances in Dominican Winter League ball.) Returning to the MLB ladder on a minor league deal with the Cubs in January, Dermody made one appearance on the big league roster. Just this past Thursday, Dermody was the 27th man for the Cubs’ doubleheader against the Cardinals, and he tossed an inning in the second game.

That cup of coffee marked Dermody’s fourth appearance in a Major League season, with 27 1/3 total big league frames pitched — to a 5.60 ERA — since the start of the 2016 campaign. The southpaw had some decent numbers at Triple-A Iowa this year, with a 3.74 ERA, 51.2% grounder rate, and 5.2% walk rate over 79 1/3 innings (starting 13 of 20 games).

Mariners Reinstate Mitch Haniger From 60-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 7:23pm CDT

In between games of today’s doubleheader with the Angels, the Mariners reinstated outfielder Mitch Haniger from the 60-day injured list. Abraham Toro was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Haniger has played in just nine games this year, due to both a two-week stint on the COVID-related IL to begin the season, and then this extended trip on the 60-day IL because of a Grade 2 high ankle sprain. Tonight’s game will mark just the second time Haniger has been able to take the field since April 15. 2022 has been another injury-plagued year for Haniger, who missed over half of the 2019 season and the entire 2020 season due to a ruptured testicle.

Haniger had emerged as a productive bat for the Mariners in 2017-18, and was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018. Returning from his long layoff last year, Haniger basically picked up right where he left off, hitting .253/.318/.485 with 39 home runs over 691 plate appearances and 157 games in 2021.

A healthy and in-form Haniger is an enormous boost to the Mariners’ chances of finally returning to the postseason for the first time 2001. It’s probably safe to assume that he’ll get a few extra DH days to ease back into the lineup, but Haniger’s return as the regular right fielder will move Adam Frazier back into full-time second base work. Julio Rodriguez is still recovering from a wrist injury, but a Seattle outfield featuring Rodriguez and Haniger is a much more daunting challenge for opposing pitchers.

With a little less than two months remaining in the regular season, Haniger will get at least some kind of a platform to post some numbers and add to his market as a free agent this winter. Between his injury history and his age (Haniger will be 32 on Opening Day), the outfielder will need a big finish to give himself a shot at a lucrative multi-year contract. With the qualifying offer now back in play for all free agents, Haniger could be an intriguing candidate to receive and perhaps accept a QO, presuming the Mariners are willing to make what would be a $18MM-$19MM investment in Haniger on a one-year deal.

AL Central Notes: Guardians, Hosmer, Kepler, Brieske

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 5:30pm CDT

It was a quiet trade deadline for the Guardians, as Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the club “at times…felt they were close” to landing Sean Murphy from the Athletics, yet no deal was completed. Murphy was known to be a trade target for the Guards, though another somewhat surprising name was at least briefly on their radar, as Hoynes reports that Cleveland and San Diego had some talks about first baseman Eric Hosmer. However, those discussions didn’t get far, as the Guardians are one of the 10 teams on Hosmer’s no-trade list. Hosmer also used his no-trade protection to scuttle his involvement in the Padres’ blockbuster deal with the Nationals for Juan Soto, so the Padres instead moved Hosmer to the Red Sox.

San Diego dealt Hosmer and two prospects to Boston for lefty pitching prospect Jay Groome, and the Padres also covering basically all of the $44MM remaining on Hosmer’s deal (which runs through the 2025 season). It’s fair to guess that the Guardians might have had interest in something similar, with Hosmer joining Josh Naylor and Owen Miller as part of the first base/DH mix. Hosmer might have been viewed by the Guards as just a one-season fill-in now that the team is seemingly willing to part ways with Franmil Reyes, but with the Padres footing the bill, Cleveland could have kept Hosmer around as a veteran complement to their younger players.

Blue Jays Place George Springer On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 4:47pm CDT

The Blue Jays have placed outfielder George Springer on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation, with the placement retroactive to August 5. Utilityman Otto Lopez has been activated from the taxi squad to take Springer’s place on the active roster.

Springer has been dealing with a sore elbow for much of the season, with the injury apparently worsening over the last six weeks. The Jays have frequently rested Springer or used him as a DH, but since he has played in only two of Toronto’s last seven games, it seems as though a full IL stint was necessary to allow Springer to fully heal. Over his last 29 games and 130 plate appearances, Springer had a modest .226/.310/.409, so his bad elbow clearly seemed to be impacting his production.

A healthy Springer is critical to the Blue Jays’ chances of reaching the postseason and making a deep run into October, so the outfielder and the team can only hope that this IL trip will finally correct the elbow issue. Springer’s injury surely influenced the Jays’ decision to acquire Whit Merrifield at the trade deadline, and Merrifield now looks to get the bulk of center field time while Springer is out, with Raimel Tapia and backup Bradley Zimmer providing further depth.

Lopez could also be in the mix, as center field is one of four positions (along with left field, second base, and shortstop) he has played this season at Triple-A Buffalo. Lopez has also hit .267/.357/.424 over 246 PA with the Bisons. MLB Pipeline ranks Lopez as the fourth-best prospect in the Jays farm system, impressed by his plus speed and contact-hitting, even if Lopez seems to be lacking in power. The 23-year-old has appeared in exactly one MLB game in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Phillies Release Odubel Herrera, Jeurys Familia

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 4:01pm CDT

The Phillies have released outfielder Odubel Herrera and right-hander Jeurys Familia. Righty Ryan Sherriff has also been outrighted to Triple-A. All three players were designated for assignment earlier this week.

This is the second time within the last year that the Phils have officially parted ways with Herrera, as they declined their $11.5MM club option last fall and then re-signed him for only $1.75MM in March. It would seem like today’s release will bring an end to Herrera’s run in the organization after seven-plus years, as Philadelphia is certainly hoping that trade deadline acquisition Brandon Marsh can be a long-term answer in center field.

Herrera hit .238/.279/.378 over 197 PA this season, seeing time in center field and left field. Familia was also struggling, with a 6.09 ERA in 34 innings after signing a one-year, $6MM free agent deal with the Phillies during the offseason.

Familia is still owed around $2MM of that salary, though a new team will have to cover just the prorated MLB minimum salary, while the Phillies absorb the rest. The same is true of the roughly $580K owed to Herrera on the remainder of his deal. Claiming either player off DFA waivers would have put the new team on the hook for the rest of the remaining salary, so while neither Herrera or Familia represents a huge financial outlay, it is still understandable why other teams would prefer to stick the Phillies with much of the bill.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see either player catch on elsewhere, though Familia is seemingly the likelier of the two to land with a new club. Herrera hasn’t been a terribly effective player since 2017, while Familia still had solid bottom-line numbers with the Mets as recently as 2021. With pretty much all of Familia’s secondary metrics trending downward, however, clubs must have concerns over what the 32-year-old still has in the tank.

Braves Claim Daniel Young, Outright Jesus Cruz

By James Hicks and Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 3:08pm CDT

The Braves claimed left-hander Daniel Young off waivers from the Mariners and outrighted right-hander Jesus Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett, the team announced today. The Mariners had designated Young for assignment earlier this week.

Young had a 7.36 ERA over 2 2/3 innings with Seattle this season, marking his first appearance in the big leagues. Originally an eight-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2015 draft, Young is now reunited with Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, who was Toronto’s general manager when Young’s pro career got underway.

The left-hander has a 3.79 ERA over 299 1/3 career innings in the minors, working as a reliever in all but one of his 230 games. A grounder specialist for much of his career, Young’s strikeout rate shot up to 33.9% over his 28 innings with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate this year, while still inducing grounders at a 55.7% rate. This improvement in his age-28 season earned Young his first cup of coffee in the majors, and now another fresh start in a new organization.

Cruz’s big league resume consists of a single inning with the Cardinals in 2020 and 8 2/3 frames with Atlanta this season, with a 7.45 ERA to show for that brief sample size. The righty has missed plenty of bats over five pro seasons, but he has had some problems with his control and (this season especially at Triple-A) keeping the ball in the park.

Giants Reinstate Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson; Designate Dixon Machado

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2022 at 3:02pm CDT

The Giants announced that shortstop Brandon Crawford has been activated from the 10-day injured list, while outfielder Joc Pederson is also back after being activated from the seven-day concussion IL. To create roster space, San Francisco optioned infielder David Villar to Triple-A and designated infielder Dixon Machado for assignment.

Crawford has been battling soreness in his left knee for most of the season, and the injury has resulted in two trips to the IL for the veteran shortstop within the last six weeks. This latest IL stint sidelined Crawford for a little over three weeks, and it is possible that the lingering nature of this problem could lead to Crawford getting a few more days off than usual over the final two months of the regular season.

Coming off a career year in 2021, Crawford’s knee issues could be partially to blame for his dropoff this season, as the shortstop is hitting only .215/.297/.332 over 279 plate appearances. There’s still time for Crawford to get on track and finish the year in more respectable fashion, even if it might be too late for the Giants to get back into the wild card race.

With the Giants moving some veteran players at the trade deadline, it is quite possible he might’ve been moved had it not been for his concussion symptoms. The good news, however, is that Pederson is able to make a quick return after hitting the concussion-IL on July 29, so he doesn’t appear to be dealing with any lingering after-effects. The slugger is hitting .242/.319/.492 with 17 home runs over 285 PA, and his first-half performance earned a slot on the NL All-Star roster.

It could be a very short stay in the Giants organization for Machado, who was just acquired in a trade with the Cubs on July 31. San Francisco was in a crunch for shortstop depth with Crawford and Thairo Estrada both on the IL, and thus Machado provided some short-term help. Machado’s five games with the Giants represented his first MLB playing time since 2018, as he has since been playing in the KBO League and with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.

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