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Yankees Re-Sign Ryan Weber, Shane Greene To Minor League Deals

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The Yankees have re-signed right-handers Ryan Weber and Shane Greene to minor league deals, per an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Joining that pair in Scranton will be veteran reliever Richard Rodriguez, who inked a minor league deal earlier this month once he’d finished serving an 80-game PED suspension. Rodriguez has been building up with the Yankees’ Florida Complex League affiliate but is now headed for Triple-A.

This is old hat by now for Weber, who is signing his fourth minor league deal of the season with the Yankees. On three different occasions now, Weber has been selected to the 40-man roster, pitched in one game, been designated for assignment and elected free agency after clearing waivers. Each time, he’s returned on a new minor league deal. In all likelihood, this scenario will play out again the next time the Yankees need some length in the bullpen — or possibly a spot start. The journeyman Weber has pitched well both with the Yankees and the RailRiders this season, but his overall track record in the Majors is fairly pedestrian: 174 2/3 innings, 5.10 ERA, 14.7% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate.

Greene, meanwhile, made his MLB debut with the Yankees back in 2014 and was traded to the Tigers in the three-team deal that brought Didi Gregorius to the Bronx. He went on to have a long run as a quality setup man and occasional closer for the Tigers and Braves, but Greene’s production has slipped in recent years. He returned to the Yankees on a minor league deal earlier this season and, like Weber, was briefly selected to the Majors and then designated for assignment after one lone appearance, during which he allowed a pair of runs. It wouldn’t be a shock if Greene received another look and again followed the same cycle that Weber has for much of the year.

Twins, Brad Peacock Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Twins signed veteran righty Brad Peacock to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A St. Paul, Brandon Warne of Access Twins tweets. Peacock was recently granted his release from a minor league deal with the Royals.

Once a high quality starter and reliever for the Astros, the now-34-year-old Peacock’s career has been derailed by injuries in recent seasons — most notably 2020 shoulder surgery. Peacock also battled persistent neck and shoulder issues throughout the 2019 campaign.

From 2016-19, Peacock was one of the most valuable and underrated members of the Houston staff, logging a combined 320 1/3 innings of 3.48 ERA ball through 42 starts and another 86 relief appearances. He handled both roles well, pitching as a starter, a one-inning setup option and a multi-inning reliever throughout that time.

Unfortunately, thanks to the slate of neck and shoulder issues, Peacock has pitched a total of 7 2/3 Major League inning since that time. The results have been poor, to say the least: 11 runs on nine hits, four walks and a pair of hit batsmen. He’s fanned just six of 38 opponents in that time (15.8%) and worked with diminished fastball velocity.

None of that sounds particularly promising, but Peacock’s 2022 campaign gives far greater cause for optimism. The right-hander was nothing short of outstanding with the Royals’ top affiliate this year, pitching to a 1.64 ERA with a 27.6% strikeout rate, a 9.8% walk rate and a strong 50% ground-ball rate through 38 1/3 innings of relief (across 35 appearances).

The Twins are widely expected to acquire at least one, if not multiple relievers between now and Tuesday’s 5pm CT trade deadline, and the signing of Peacock won’t change that outlook or reduce their urgency to augment what has been an awful bullpen outside of righties Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. That said, there’s no harm in taking what’s effectively a free look at a once-excellent reliever who’s enjoying a resurgence at the Triple-A level this season. If Peacock continues to show well with the Saints, it’s conceivable that he could get a look in the Majors sooner than later, but his addition amounts to little more than a dice roll that will complement more impactful acquisition(s) in the coming few days.

Mets Acquire Tyler Naquin, Phillip Diehl From Reds

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The Reds and Mets have lined up on a trade sending outfielder Tyler Naquin and minor league reliever Phillip Diehl from Cincinnati to New York. In exchange, the Reds are acquiring a pair of low minors prospects, right-hander Jose Acuña and second baseman Hector Rodríguez. Both clubs have announced the agreement.

Naquin had been one of the more obvious trade candidates around the league. The 31-year-old is set to reach free agency at the end of the season, so there was little reason for the last-place Reds not to look to move him for future value. He’ll head to Queens as the second left-handed bat the Mets have added in as many weeks. New York picked up first baseman/designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach in a deal with the Pirates last Friday.

A former first-round pick of Cleveland, Naquin had an excellent rookie season back in 2016. His offensive productivity was up-and-down for the rest of his time there, but he’s settled in as a solid platoon bat over the past two years. Naquin signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati over the 2020-21 offseason, and he cracked the Opening Day roster last year. That paved for the way for a season and a half as a Red, in which he posted a .262/.324/.462 line through 655 plate appearances.

That overall offensive productivity is a hair above average, and Naquin has been quite good when holding the platoon advantage. He’s popped 23 homers in 542 plate appearances against right-handed pitching over the past couple seasons, compiling a .278/.338/.503 mark against righties. That power has translated outside of the Reds hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, and the Mets figure to leverage him as a platoon player down the stretch.

The Mets have one of the game’s best outfields, with a trio of Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte manning the grass. Canha and Marte will continue to pick up the lion’s share of playing time in the corners, but Naquin complements those veteran right-handed bats. He’ll also supplement a DH group that includes Vogelbach and Dominic Smith from the left side, as well as the righty-swinging J.D. Davis.

Naquin’s acquisition seemingly increases the likelihood that at least one of Smith or Davis gets dealt before next Tuesday’s deadline. The Mets have been on the hunt for offensive help for weeks, largely due to dissatisfaction with Smith’s and Davis’ performance. Adding a pair of DH/bench bats to an already full outfield and with superstar Pete Alonso at first base further clutters that group. Each of Smith and Davis has minor league options remaining, and the Mets have already optioned Smith this year. That’s a possibility if the club simply wants to stockpile as much depth as possible, but it also stands to reason they’d be open to trade opportunities.

The Mets will seemingly add a bit of money to the payroll, as there’s no indication cash considerations are changing hands. Naquin is playing this season on a $4.025MM salary, around $1.525MM of which is still to be paid. The Mets luxury tax figure is narrowly above the $290MM threshold, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, a team that exceeds $290MM (the fourth and highest tier of CBT penalization) is taxed at an 80% rate for every dollar thereafter.

In addition to Naquin, the Mets add some non-roster bullpen depth. Diehl, who was outrighted off the Reds 40-man roster in May, won’t immediately occupy a spot on New York’s 40-man. He’s spent the bulk of the season with the Reds top affiliate in Louisville, working to a 4.24 ERA through 23 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old has an excellent 30.6% strikeout rate against a decent 8.2% walk percentage, although his fly-ball oriented approach has made him fairly home run prone.

New York’s left-handed relief depth is thin, with Joely Rodríguez and recent waiver claim Sam Clay the only two bullpen southpaws on the 40-man roster. Clay has been hit hard in four appearances with Triple-A Syracuse and has yet to appear in an MLB game as a Met. Rodríguez, acquired from the Yankees shortly before the season, owns a 5.93 ERA across 27 1/3 innings on the year. He’s striking out batters and inducing grounders at a decent clip, but he’s also walked a massive 16.3% of batters faced. Left-handed relief help figures to continue to be a target over the next few days even with Diehl bolstering the organizational depth.

To create space for Naquin on the 40-man roster, the Mets announced they’ve designated reliever R.J. Alvarez for assignment. The righty was selected onto the roster earlier this month but didn’t wind up making an MLB appearance. He’s had a nice season in Syracuse, working to a 3.16 ERA through 31 1/3 frames. The Mets will presumably place the 31-year-old on waivers in the coming days.

The Reds, meanwhile, add some talent to the lower levels. Rodríguez, an 18-year-old infielder, was recently ranked by Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs as the #30 prospect in the Mets organization. Longenhagen writes that the left-handed hitter has excellent bat control, but he has limited power upside in a 5’8″ frame.  He was recently signed out of the Dominican Republic. Acuña, 19, was recently promoted to Low-A. He has never appeared on an organizational prospect list at FanGraphs or Baseball America.

It’s the first move of what’s likely to be a busy few days for Cincinnati general manager Nick Krall and his staff. Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle are the club’s top trade candidates, but they also have a host of rental bats who should generate interest. Beyond Naquin, Cincinnati could market impending free agent hitters Brandon Drury, Donovan Solano and Tommy Pham to contenders.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Mets were acquiring Diehl. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the Mets were acquiring Naquin. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was first to report the prospect return.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Brewers Sign Aaron Ashby To Five-Year Extension

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The Brewers have announced a five-year contract extension with left-hander Aaron Ashby, running through the 2027 and including club options for 2028 and 2029.  Ashby will earn $20.5MM over the five guaranteed years of his extension, as per Joel Sherman of The New York Post (Twitter link).  He can more than double that total if the contract is maxed out, as Sherman notes that another $25.5MM is available if both options are exercised and Ashby hits all his escalators.  Ashby is represented by Turner-Gary Sports.

Robert Murray of FanSided reports the specific breakdown of terms (on Twitter). The young southpaw receives a $1MM signing bonus, and the year-by-year salary breakdown is as follows:

2023: $1MM
2024: $1.25MM
2025: $3.25MM
2026: $5.5MM
2027:$7.5MM

There’s a $1MM buyout on the 2028 option, which is valued at $9MM. The ’29 option is valued at $13MM.

The extension only cements Ashby’s place as an important piece of the Brewers’ future, and it also gives the 24-year-old some guaranteed money and security early in his career.  Ashby (the nephew of former big leaguer Andy Ashby) was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, and he moved quickly through the minors, winning the Brewers’ minor league Pitcher Of The Year honors in 2019 and then making his MLB debut in 2021.

Pitching as both a starter and reliever over his two seasons in the Show, Ashby has a 4.56 ERA, 58% grounder rate, 27.5% strikeout rate, and 9.9% walk rate.  The unimpressive walk total is really the only blemish on Ashby’s resume, as other advanced metrics (including a career 3.40 SIERA and only a .291 xwOBA this season) indicate that his ERA is a bit misleading.  A .339 BABIP this year, for instance, weighs heavier on a groundball-heavy pitcher like Ashby.

Still, there is obviously a lot for the Brewers to like with his performance to date, and Ashby has moved from swingman to full-fledged starter in the wake of injuries in Milwaukee’s rotation.  Freddy Peralta and Adrian Houser are still on the injured list, though Peralta is set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend and Houser is expected back sometime in August.

With Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff both getting more expensive in their arbitration years and both scheduled for free agency after the 2024 season, it remains to be seen how the Brewers will address their rotation over the long term.  Eric Lauer will also be a free agent that same winter, and Lauer is raising his own price tag with a strong performance in 2022.  In locking up Ashby and Peralta to extensions, president of baseball operations David Stearns has already planted some cornerstones for a possible future without any of their other three starters, and the franchise’s proven ability to find and develop pitching continues to be a key factor in the Brewers’ ability to compete.

Peralta’s extension is an obvious comp for Ashby’s deal.  Signed back in February 2020, Peralta (with just over a year of MLB service time) inked a deal also consisting of five guaranteed years and two club option years, except worth $15.5MM in guaranteed money and $14.5MM more over the option seasons.  At the time, Peralta was also a swingman who had yet to fully establish himself as a rotation fixture, and Ashby’s larger guarantee could reflect his better big league results and perhaps simply two-plus years of salary inflation.

Angels Reinstate David Fletcher

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The Angels have activated infielder David Fletcher from the 60-day injured list. He’s in tonight’s lineup at second base. Michael Stefanic was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move. To create space on the 40-man roster, the Halos transferred veteran infielder Matt Duffy from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.

It has been a rough season for Fletcher, who’s spent the bulk of the year on the shelf. He missed the first three weeks of the year recovering from a strain in his left hip. Fletcher returned to action for about two weeks, then went back on the IL with recurring hip issues. He underwent adductor surgery in mid-May and has spent nearly three months recovering.

In Fletcher’s absence, the Angels have struggled to a 42-56 record that has them ahead of only the A’s, Royals and Tigers in the American League standings. Lack of production at second base has been among the factors for that, as the Halos have gotten a meager .236/.294/.319 showing out of the position. Six players — Fletcher, Stefanic, Duffy, Luis Rengifo, Tyler Wade and Jack Mayfield — have tallied at least 20+ plate appearances as part of the second base rotation.

Duffy has been out since June 27 with what the team originally termed lower back spasms. There hasn’t been much word on his status over the past month, but he’s evidently not close to a return. The 60-day window backdates to his original IL placement, so Duffy won’t be back on the diamond at Angel Stadium until at least the final week of August.

Mets To Place Drew Smith On 15-Day Injured List

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3:24PM: Smith has a strained lat muscle, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).

2:31PM: Mets right-hander Drew Smith is heading to the 15-day injured list due to “an unspecified arm issue,” according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton and Ken Rosenthal.  The move is expected to be announced prior to Friday’s game, and will likely be retroactive to July 25 (Smith last pitched on the 24th).

Since making his MLB debut in 2018, Smith has been a generally solid reliever out of New York’s bullpen, and this season the righty has a 3.51 ERA and a strong 28.1% strikeout rate over 41 innings.  Smith has been allowing a lot of hard contact, however, and his numbers have taken a downturn over the last month.  Smith has a tiny 1.99 ERA through his first 29 games and 31 2/3 appearances, but he has allowed at least one run in six of his last eight appearances, resulting in an 8.68 ERA in that stretch.  Home runs have continued to be a problem for Smith, as he has allowed eight long balls over his 41 IP.

It isn’t yet known if this is a relatively minor injury, or something that could threaten the remainder of Smith’s 2022 season.  But even if Smith were to just miss the 15-day minimum, that won’t stop the Mets from aggressively seeking bullpen help, as Britton and Rosenthal write that “the Mets are trying to add multiple relievers.”

Bolstered by Edwin Diaz’s spectacular year, New York’s bullpen has good overall numbers, with Smith, Adam Ottavino, and Seth Lugo all covering high-leverage innings to get to Diaz in the ninth.  The Mets are short on left-handed relievers in particular, so southpaws (or at least a righty who is effective against left-handed batters, a la trade target David Robertson) would seem to be at the top of the Amazins’ wish list.  Some help could also come from within, as Trevor May is expected back from the IL next week.

Injury Notes: Jones, Wells, Castillo

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Less than two weeks after being drafted second overall, Druw Jones’ pro debut will now likely be put off until 2023 due to a left shoulder injury suffered in Jones’ first batting-practice session with the Diamondbacks.  Jones received an MRI yesterday but it isn’t known yet if surgery could be required, Arizona farm director Josh Barfield told reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert).

Most pundits tabbed Jones as the top player available in the 2022 draft class, though after the Orioles opted for Jackson Holliday with the first overall pick, the D’Backs jumped to select Jones in the second spot.  The 18-year-old was tentatively slated to start playing Arizona Complex League games this week, and possibly further minor league action later in the season if all went well.  Now, Jones probably won’t officially get onto the field until next season, and even the start of the 2023 season might not be a sure thing if he indeed has to get surgery.

More injury notes from around baseball…

  • The Orioles placed right-hander Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his lower left side.  Baltimore also optioned left-hander Nick Vespi to Triple-A and called up righties Logan Gillaspie and Beau Sulser in corresponding moves.  After making his big league debut as a reliever in 2021, Wells became a solid member of the Orioles rotation this year, posting a 3.90 ERA over 20 starts and 94 2/3 innings.  However, his side injury forced him to make an early exit from his start yesterday against the Rays, and the full extent of Wells’ injury (i.e. a possible oblique problem) isn’t yet known.
  • The Mariners placed Diego Castillo on the 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation, with a placement retroactive to July 26.  Righty Matt Brash was recalled from Triple-A to take Castillo’s roster spot.  This is the third time in four seasons that shoulder inflammation has sent Castillo to the IL, though he was able to return within 2-3 weeks in each of those previous stints.  It was almost exactly one year ago that the Mariners acquired Castillo from the Rays in a pre-deadline trade, and the righty has continued his quality work in a Seattle uniform, posting a 3.53 ERA over 58 2/3 innings as a Mariner.  Walks have been an issue for Castillo this season, but has mitigated these control problems with above-average strikeout and hard-contact numbers, as well as a career-best 9.7% home run rate.

Tigers Place Andrew Chafin On Restricted List

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The Tigers announced Thursday that they’ve placed left-hander Andrew Chafin on the restricted list in advance of the team’s upcoming road series in Toronto. Right-hander Bryan Garcia has has his contract selected from Triple-A Toledo and been designated as a Covid-related replacement player for Chafin (meaning he can be removed from the 40-man roster and sent back to Toledo without needing to first pass through waivers).

Chafin, 32, has been one of the best relievers in a quietly solid Tigers bullpen this season, pitching to a 2.53 ERA with a 29.3% strikeout rate, a 7.5% walk rate and a 49.4% ground-ball rate. He’s playing the current season on a $5.5MM salary and has a $6.5MM player option for the 2023 season that, barring an injury or unexpected collapse, he seems likely to reject in favor of a return to free agency (and another, potentially more lucrative multi-year deal).

The majority of Major League teams have had to place at least one player on the restricted list in advance of series in Toronto this season, as unvaccinated professional athletes are prohibited from entering Canada to participate in their teams’ games. (The U.S., it should be pointed out, has a similar policy.) Other teams may well consider Chafin’s status when weighing potential trades over the next few days, though as we saw with the Yankees’ acquisition of Andrew Benintendi last night, it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker — even for teams in the American League East.

Taking Chafin’s place on the Tigers’ roster for the next few days, at least, will be the 27-year-old Garcia, who has pitched to a 2.90 ERA through 40 1/3 innings in Toledo so far. Garcia logged time with the Tigers in each of the past three seasons but has limped to a 6.12 ERA through 67 2/3 big league frames, due largely to a pedestrian strikeout rate (16%), lofty walk rate (12.6%) and penchant for serving up home runs (1.46 HR/9).

Depending on how Garcia fares, this could be viewed as yet another audition for him. Chafin, Michael Fulmer, Joe Jimenez and Alex Lange are among the Tigers relievers who’ve commanded trade interest with the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching. At the very least, it seems fair to expect Fulmer and Chafin to be on the move in the coming days, as both can be free agents at season’s end. Jimenez, controlled through the 2023 season via arbitration, has a decent chance as well. Lange (five seasons of remaining club control) and closer Gregory Soto (three seasons) would surely require larger returns.

Red Sox, Danny Santana Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox and veteran utilityman Danny Santana are in agreement on a minor league deal, as noted on the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweets that Santana will head to the team’s spring facility in Fort Myers before eventually joining their Triple-A affiliate in Worcester. Santana has not yet played in a professional game this season, as he’s been serving an 80-game suspension following a positive PED test.

Santana, 31, spent the 2021 season in the Red Sox organization as well, appearing in 38 big league games but hitting just .181/.252/.345 in 127 trips to the plate. The switch-hitter posted huge minor league numbers in Boston’s system last season but did so in just 76 plate appearances, several of which came in Class-A Advanced and Double-A as he worked back from an injury.

It’s been a boom-or-bust big league career for Santana, who burst onto the scene with the 2014 Twins and would surely have finished higher in Rookie of the Year voting had he not been up against Jose Abreu’s MVP-caliber rookie campaign. Santana hit .319/.353/.472 in 430 plate appearances as a rookie, popping seven homers, 27 doubles and seven triples while also swiping 20 bags. He looked to have seized an everyday spot in Minnesota’s lineup for years to come, but his production completely evaporated in 2015.

Santana was out of the Twins organization by 2017 and continued floundering with the Braves in parts of two seasons there. Overall, he followed that incredible MLB debut with four seasons and 735 plate appearances of .219/.256/.319 output at the plate.

Santana caught on with the 2019 Rangers and delivered an out-of-the-blue .283/.324/.534 batting line with 28 home runs, 23 doubles, six triples and 21 steals. That resurgence came amid what’s widely regarded as the “juiced ball” season, however, and has mustered only a .170/.247/.322 slash in 190 plate appearances since that time. Injuries — most notably elbow surgery and foot surgery — have slowed him during that time, but Santana’s massive 2019 showing certainly appears anomalous in nature, given the surrounding seven seasons of context.

It’s little more than a depth pickup for the Sox, who have placed a premium on acquiring versatile players of this ilk in recent seasons. Santana’s first run with the team didn’t prove productive, obviously, but he’ll nonetheless return and give the Sox some cover in the event of injuries down the stretch (or, perhaps, some trades of veterans currently on the roster).

Shane Greene Elects Free Agency

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The Yankees announced this evening that veteran reliever Shane Greene has passed through waivers unclaimed. He’s elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, as is the right of any player with three-plus years of major league service.

The right-hander made just one major league appearance with the Yankees during his latest stint. He was selected onto the roster last Saturday and tossed an inning out of the bullpen, allowing a two-run home run to Ramón Urías. The 33-year-old righty was designated for assignment the next day, and he’ll now head back to the open market.

Greene, who also made a lone appearance with the Dodgers earlier this season, has spent the past couple months in Scranton. He tossed 21 innings over 15 outings for the RailRiders, working to a 3.86 ERA with a slightly above-average 25.3% strikeout rate. Of course, it’s possible Greene circles back and returns to the Yankees on another minor league pact even after refusing an outright assignment. Electing free agency is a fairly common practice for outrighted veterans of his ilk, as he’ll have an opportunity to scour the market for a more immediate path back to the majors elsewhere.

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