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Twins Notes: Smith, Sanchez, Cotton

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The Twins have released reliever Joe Smith, per Betsy Halfand of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The 38-year-old side-slinger appeared in 34 games for the Twins this season, pitching to a palatable 4.61 ERA. His usage was fairly protected, however, compiling only 27 1/3 total innings in that time, and his peripheral numbers suggest a performance that doesn’t exactly fall in line with his prolific career. Smith’s 6.29 FIP was the worst such mark of his career, and his hard hit percentage rose to 42.1 percent, well-above the league average mark of 35.7 percent.

Still, it’s certainly possible that, by pedigree alone, Smith catches on somewhere to finish out the season. Smith has appeared in every season since 2007 (except for 2020, for which he opted out), taking turns with the Guardians, Mets, Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Cubs, and Mariners before suiting up for the Twins. His most stable function came as a setup man for the Guardians from 2009 to 2013, but particularly the final three seasons of that stretch in which he averaged 71 appearances and just under 66 frames with a 2.42 ERA/3.33 FIP and almost 21 holds per campaign.

In addition, right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Jharel Cotton have both cleared waivers and accepted assignments to Triple-A St. Paul, per The Athletic’s Dan Hayes (via Twitter). The pair could serve as depth for the rest of the season as the Twins make a push for the playoffs.

Cotton, 30, made 25 appearances covering 30 innings for the Twins this season, posting a disjointed 2.83 ERA/5.48 FIP, 21.5 percent strikeout rate, 11.1 percent walk rate, and 29.5 percent groundball rate. Sanchez, 30, made one start for the Twins and previously made seven starts for the Nationals. In total, the veteran has registered a 7.68 ERA/4.93 FIP over 36 1/3 innings for the two clubs combined.

Frankly, the Twins have enough pitching depth in Triple-A right now with players like Devin Smeltzer, Josh Winder, and Jovani Moran – all of whom remain on the 40-man roster – that the greater possibility is that Sanchez and Cotton simply help cover the innings load in St. Paul for the rest of the season. Not to mention, Minnesota has a number of arms on the injured list that could still return to bolster the Major League crew.

Braves Sign Taylor Motter To Minor League Deal

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In a move that slipped past MLBTR’s radar at the time, the Braves signed Taylor Motter to a minor league contract last week. The utilityman had been released from a minor league pact with the Reds in mid-July, according to his transactions log at MLB.com.

Motter, 32, has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett with Atlanta. He’s spent the bulk of the year with the Reds top affiliate in Louisville, hitting .250/.340/.462 with eight home runs in 39 games. He walked at a strong 12.4% clip there while striking out at a roughly league average rate. Motter briefly earned a call to the majors as a virus substitute when the Reds played a series in Toronto, appearing in two games and collecting a hit in six at-bats.

That marked the fifth year in which the righty-swinging Motter has picked up some MLB time. He’s tallied 446 career plate appearances, hitting .191/.262/.309 with ten longballs and 13 stolen bases. The Coastal Carolina product has a quality .264/.354/.479 line in parts of six Triple-A campaigns. Between his upper minors success and ability to play everywhere on the diamond other than catcher and center field, Motter has played his way to the majors with six different teams.

The Braves have one of the game’s top infields, with Matt Olson, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley all having strong seasons. Ozzie Albies has missed an extended stretch after fracturing his foot but is expected back either late this month or in early September. The Braves have relied on Orlando Arcia at the keystone in Albies’ absence, and they acquired Ehire Adrianza in a minor trade with the division-rival Nationals to fortify the bench depth. Motter adds some upper-level experience without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

Pirates Claim Jose Godoy, Designate Taylor Davis

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The Pirates have claimed catcher José Godoy off waivers from the Twins, according to announcements from both teams. Pittsburgh designated backstop Taylor Davis for assignment in a corresponding move.

Godoy, 27, appeared in two games with Minnesota this season. The lefty-hitting backstop has otherwise the year at Triple-A St. Paul, hitting .197/.272/.299 through 151 plate appearances. That’s obviously not great output, but he’s a well-regarded receiver. A former Cardinals and Mariners farmhand, he owns a .271/.351/.361 line through parts of ten minor league seasons.

He’ll replace Davis as the #2 catcher behind Jason Delay. The journeyman was selected onto the Bucs’ roster yesterday when Tyler Heineman went on the injured list. Davis, 32, has appeared in parts of four major league seasons but has only 22 games under his belt. He’s spent the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, hitting .282/.358/.320 in 35 games.

Guardians Designate Alex Call For Assignment

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The Guardians designated outfielder Alex Call for assignment this afternoon. The move cleared the necessary 40-man roster spot for Hunter Gaddis, who was promoted to make his major league debut against the Astros.

Call made it to the majors for the first time a few weeks ago. The 27-year-old outfielder was brought up in mid-July, ultimately appearing in his first 12 big league games. He collected two hits (both singles) with four walks and strikeouts apiece before being optioned back to Triple-A Columbus. The former White Sox’s third-round pick has spent the bulk of the season with the Clippers, posting excellent numbers. Through 301 trips to the plate, Call owns a .281/.420/.498 line with 11 home runs and matching 16.3% strikeout and walk rates.

He’s split his time fairly evenly between all three outfield spots and still has all three minor league option years remaining. That could draw him some attention from opposing clubs once he hits the waiver wire in the next few days.

Mariners Designate Travis Jankowski For Assignment

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The Mariners announced they’ve designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment. The move opens an active roster spot for corner infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, who has reported to the club. Seattle acquired Lamb from the Dodgers in the hours leading up to the trade deadline. The M’s 40-man roster count falls to 39.

Jankowski was just claimed off waivers from the Mets on Monday. He made a lone appearance as a Mariner, striking out in his one at-bat. The left-handed hitter worked primarily as a defensive specialist and pinch runner in Queens, seeing action in 43 games but only walking up to the plate on 63 occasions. He didn’t produce much offensively, hitting .167/.286/.167 without an extra-base hit.

The 31-year-old has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons, also spending time with the Padres, Reds and Phillies. He’s a career .236/.319/.310 hitter, showing solid plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills but very little power. Jankowski’s an elite runner who’s capable of playing all three outfield positions, leading clubs to give him opportunities as a fourth or fifth outfielder.

Lamb was already on the 40-man roster, but the Mariners had to designate Jankowski for assignment if they wished to take him off the big league club. As a player with more than five years of major league service time, he’d have the right to refuse any optional assignment to Triple-A Tacoma in favor of a trip to free agency. Seattle will now place him on waivers over the next few days, where another team could bring him aboard if they’re willing to assume the remainder of his $1.25MM salary (approximately $426K) and keep him in the majors.

Mariners Claim Derek Hill, Designate Kevin Padlo

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The Mariners have claimed outfielder Derek Hill off waivers from the Tigers, per announcements from both teams. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week. The Mariners announced they’ve designated infielder Kevin Padlo for assignment in a corresponding move.

Hill changes organizations for the first time in his pro career. The California native was a first-round pick by the Tigers back in 2014, and he’s spent the past eight years climbing the minor league ladder. He reached the majors for a cup of coffee in 2020, and he’s reappeared at the MLB level in each of the following two seasons. The righty-hitting outfielder hasn’t produced much at the plate thus far, compiling a .240/.291/.339 line with four home runs and an elevated 29.9% strikeout rate across 254 big league plate appearances.

The 26-year-old’s greater appeal lies in his speed and defensive profile. He’s a fleet-footed center fielder whom evaluators have long suggested could be a plus or better outfielder. He’s swiped nine bases in 12 attempts at the major league level, and he’s routinely pushed or exceeded 30 steals per year in the minors. That’s led to some hope he could stick as a fourth or fifth outfielder even as he’s struggled against upper level pitching, but the Tigers moved on amidst a rough offensive showing in Triple-A. He’s hitting .217/.269/.325 in 30 contests at that level this season, a disappointing follow-up to a .320/.377/.504 performance over a similar amount of action a season ago.

Hill is in his final minor league option year. The Mariners can keep him at Triple-A Tacoma for the remainder of 2022, but he’ll have to break camp with the team next season or be exposed to waivers if he sticks on the 40-man roster until then.

Padlo, also 26, has changed hands a few times over the past 12 months. Seattle originally nabbed him off waivers from the Rays last August, but they designated him for assignment in April. He was traded to the Giants, again DFA and reclaimed by the Mariners. The righty-hitting corner infielder has only appeared in 10 MLB games this season between the two clubs, instead spending most of the year in Triple-A.

Through 248 minor league plate appearances this season, the former fifth-round draftee owns a .246/.327/.455 line. That’s below-average production in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but Padlo has hit very well up through Double-A in his career. His combination of power and plate discipline has caught the attention of a few teams, and rival clubs will get another opportunity to add him over the coming days. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the M’s have no choice but to place Padlo on waivers now that he’s been taken off the 40-man roster.

A’s Claim David MacKinnon, Designate Wandisson Charles

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The Athletics announced Friday that they’ve claimed first baseman David MacKinnon off waivers from the Angels. Right-hander Wandisson Charles was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

MacKinnon, 27, is a former 32nd-round draft pick who made his big league debut this season after a huge showing in Triple-A Salt Lake. He went just 7-for-37 at the MLB level without an extra-base hit at the Major League level, but the righty-swinging MacKinnon mashed at a .324/.429/.631 clip in 273 plate appearances with Salt Lake (156 wRC+). In just 273 plate appearances in Triple-A, MacKinnon belted 14 homers and connected on 19 doubles and four triples — all while walking nearly as often as he struck out (15.4% to 18.7%).

Because MacKinnon was only selected to the Major League roster for the first time this season, he’s in the first of three minor league option years. And while he’s never quite produced at this level in the minors in the past, MacKinnon still slashed .285/.380/.474 (139 wRC+) with 13 dingers and 30 doubles through 426 plate appearances in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting a year ago.

Following the offseason trade of Matt Olson, the A’s have given most of the playing time at first base to lefty-swinging Seth Brown and the since-traded, right-handed-hitting Christian Bethancourt. Brown has batted .249/.310/.494 when facing right-handed pitching but just .170/.200/.283 in 55 plate appearances against lefties. MacKinnon, hitting .294/.390/.588 against lefties this season (big leagues and Triple-A combined), will give Brown a natural platoon partner at first.

Charles, 25, is a hard-throwing righty who has battled command issues throughout his time in the minors and struggled considerably this season in his second stint at the Double-A level. He’s yielded 36 earned runs in just 32 innings, thanks to a through-the-roof 19.4% walk rate and a career-worst 1.13 HR/9 mark. Charles can run his fastball into the upper 90s and has had multiple seasons where he’s fanned more than 30% of his opponents, but this year’s 19.4% walk rate is right in line with the career 19.3% mark he’s posted across parts of six minor league seasons. The A’s can put Charles on waivers at any point in the next week.

Yankees Claim Luke Bard

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1:30pm: The Yankees announced the move, adding that Bard has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

1:12pm: The Yankees have claimed right-hander Luke Bard off waivers from the Rays, reports Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tampa Bay designated Bard for assignment earlier in the week. The Yankees opened a spot on the 40-man roster this morning when they outrighted right-hander Carlos Espinal, so there’s a 40-man vacancy for the newly claimed Bard.

Bard, 31, possesses a tidy 1.93 ERA in 14 frames with Tampa Bay this season, though his small sample of work is a good example of how misleading earned run average can be. Bard has fanned only eight of the 56 batters he’s faced (14.3%) and walked seven of them (12.5%) in addition to plunking another pair. He’s been knocked around for a 4.88 ERA in 24 Triple-A innings so far in 2022 and came into the current season with a career 5.05 ERA and 5.32 FIP in 66 big league innings.

That said, Bard has long been able to spin his four-seamer at a higher rate than just about anyone in the game, and that’s again been the case in 2022, when his four-seamer’s spin rate sits in the 99th percentile among big league hurlers, per Statcast. He’s averaging 94.1 mph on the pitch and carries a solid enough 11.8% swinging-strike rate in his career (on all pitches combined). Bard is in his final minor league option year, so he can be sent back and forth between the Bronx and Triple-A Scranton without needing to pass through waivers for the remainder of this year at least.

Cardinals Claim Kramer Robertson

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The Cardinals announced Friday that they’ve claimed infielder Kramer Robertson off waivers from the Mets, who’d designated him for assignment earlier in the week. Right-hander Drew VerHagen, who had season-ending hip surgery this week, has been moved to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the roster. Robertson was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

Being claimed by the Cardinals completes a circuitous year for Robertson, whom St. Louis selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. Robertson made his big league debut with the Cards earlier this season but appeared in just two games and tallied just one plate appearance (an RBI groundout). Since that time, he’s gone from the Cardinals, to the Braves, to the Mets, and now, back to the Cardinals on waivers.

It’s easy enough to see why teams would be intrigued by Robertson, a versatile defender with impressive on-base skills, above-average speed and multiple minor league option years remaining. So far in 2022, he’s appeared with each of those three organizations’ Triple-A affiliates and posted a combined .241/.400/.362 batting line with 20 steals (in 26 tries) while logging time at second base, third base and shortstop. With Edmundo Sosa traded to the Phillies prior to the deadline, Robertson will give the Cards some additional organizational depth in the infield.

Yankees Outright Carlos Espinal

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The Yankees announced Friday that righty Carlos Espinal went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The team had not previously announced that the right-hander was designated for assignment or that he’d been placed on waivers.

Espinal, 25, had his contract selected to the big league roster Monday, 24 hours prior to the trade deadline, and optioned him back to Scranton the following day. He did not get into a game for his Major League debut before being passed through waivers, and is now once again off the 40-man roster. He hasn’t been outrighted previously in his career, so rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency was not an option.

Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2015, Espinal has steadily climbed through the Yankees’ minor league ranks and generally posted solid results along the way (an ugly 2021 campaign standing as a notable exception). He’s righted the ship in 2022, however, logging a combined 50 2/3 innings of bullpen work between Double-A and Triple-A while recording a sharp 2.66 ERA with a 24.3% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate he’d surely like to pare back a ways.

There’s no immediate corresponding move for Espinal’s subtraction from the 40-man roster, so for now, the Yankees sit at 39 players.

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