Outright Assignments: Wallach, Ellis
2:10 pm: The Angels announced that Wallach has elected free agency.
1:05 pm: The latest outright assignments from around baseball…
- The Angels outrighted catcher Chad Wallach to Triple-A, as per the club’s MLB.com transactions page. It isn’t known if he’ll accept the assignment or not, but since this isn’t the first time Wallach has been outrighted, he can opt to reject the Angels’ assignment in favor of free agency. Wallach was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers in August 2021, and he played in 12 games with Anaheim this season when Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki were on the injured list. Best known for his time with the Marlins, Wallach has appeared in parts of the last six MLB seasons, and has a reputation as a solid defensive catcher and game-caller. At the plate, Wallach has hit .198/.265/.296 over 271 PA and 90 games in the majors.
- The Mariners announced that Drew Ellis was outrighted off their 40-man roster, and the infielder was assigned to Triple-A after clearing waivers. This is first time Ellis has been outrighted, and since he also lacks the prerequisite MLB service time or seven seasons in the minors, he cannot elect free agency. The 26-year-old came to Seattle via waiver claim off the Diamondbacks roster in June, though he only appeared in a single MLB game in a Mariners uniform. Making his Major League debut with the D’Backs in 2021, Ellis has played in 35 games in the Show, with a .482 OPS over an even 100 plate appearances. Arizona selected Ellis in the second round of the 2017 draft, and his minor league numbers improved after a promotion to Triple-A in 2021, but his production declined again this past season. Ellis brings some infield depth with his experience at first, second, and third base during his minor league career.
Jonathan Schoop To Exercise Player Option With Tigers
Tigers second baseman Jonathan Schoop intends to exercise a $7.5MM player option for the 2023 season, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press. It’ll be the second season of the two-year extension he signed towards the end of the 2021 campaign.
There was never much doubt about the decision, as Schoop wouldn’t have topped $7.5MM in free agency after a dismal offensive season. The 31-year-old hit only .202/.239/.322 with 11 home runs through 510 plate appearances. A meager .234 batting average on balls in play was a part of that disappointing year, but it also demonstrated the downside of Schoop’s extreme low-walk approach. Of the 132 hitters with 500+ trips to the dish, Schoop was easily the worst at reaching base. Cody Bellinger, owner of a .265 OBP, had the second-lowest mark among that group and still topped Schoop by .026 points.
To his credit, Schoop did perform excellently on the other side of the ball. He played a bit more than 1100 innings at the keystone and drew unanimously excellent marks from public metrics. Defensive Runs Saved pegged Schoop as eight runs better than the average second baseman, while Statcast credited him with a whopping 20 runs above average. No other second baseman was credited with more than +9 runs, per Statcast. Schoop was a finalist for the American League’s Gold Glove Award at second base, but the honor went to Cleveland’s Andrés Giménez.
It’s hard to envision Schoop performing at that level defensively again, but he has a career track record of strong marks for his work at second base. He’s shown more offensively in the past, including a combined .278/.321/.443 showing between 2020-21. Schoop will need to bounce back at the dish if he’s to remain a regular for manager A.J. Hinch, but he’ll be in an uncertain infield mix. Javier Báez will play shortstop, and the Tigers figure to give Spencer Torkelson another shot to seize first base. Detroit could non-tender third baseman Jeimer Candelario rather than retain him on a projected $7MM arbitration salary, while Willi Castro and Harold Castro look like utility options. Prospect Ryan Kreidler debuted late in 2022 and could be in the mix at either second or third base, and Detroit figures to make at least one addition from outside the organization.
With Schoop triggering his option and reliever Andrew Chafin bypassing a $6.5MM player option in favor of free agency, the Tigers are up to roughly $78MM in 2023 commitments. Arbitration projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz would add roughly $28.8MM to that total, but Detroit could knock off more than half that tab by making some reasonable non-tender decisions. The Tigers opened the 2022 campaign with a payroll around $135MM, in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts, so there should be ample flexibility for the front office. It’s the first offseason at the helm for president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who came over from the Giants to replace former GM Al Avila.
Tigers Claim Sean Guenther From Marlins
The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Sean Guenther off waivers from the Marlins. He was on the 60-day injured list and remains there for now. Additionally, the Marlins have outrighted right-hander Paul Campbell and lefty Jake Fishman, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.
At this time of year, many teams are facing roster crunches with no injured list between the World Series and Spring Training. Players on the 60-day IL, like Guenther, don’t count against a team’s 40-man count but will soon need to retake spots. Furthermore, the deadline for adding players to the roster in order to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft is November 15. Given those pressures, some teams are trying to proactively clear some space in anticipation of those upcoming choke points. It seems that the Marlins placed these three hurlers on waivers in recent days, losing one of them to Detroit.
Guenther, 27 in December, missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. Given the general 12-18 month recovery time for TJS, he’ll miss at least part of the 2023 season as well but could return for a portion of it. He made his MLB debut in 2021 and put up an unfortunate 9.30 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. He was much better in the minors, however, as he tossed 40 1/3 innings with a 3.12 ERA, 34% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate.
Those are certainly intriguing numbers, even if he has yet to translate them to the big leagues. It makes sense for the Tigers to be interested, especially since he’s not currently costing them a roster spot. However, as mentioned, the IL will be going away in a few days. Given the large number of injuries suffered by Tigers this year, Roster Resource currently counts 48 guys on the 40-man roster, with that number factoring in free agency departures. It’s possible that Guenther ends up back on waivers again in a few days, alongside several other Tigers. If he were to pass through unclaimed at that point, the Tigers would be able to keep him around as depth without him taking up a roster spot.
Campbell, 27, was drafted by the Rays but went to the Marlins in the 2020 Rule 5 draft. In 2021, he missed time after being given an 80-game PED suspension, with Campbell issuing a statement refuting the results of the test. He eventually returned and finished the season with a 6.41 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. In 2022, he was placed on the IL in April due to an elbow strain and never returned. He can stick around the Marlins’ organization as a depth arm without occupying a roster spot.
Fishman, 28 in February, was on and off the Marlins roster this year. He was selected to the roster on three separate occasions, with the first two both resulting in a DFA after a few days, followed by clearing waivers and being outrighted. He managed to throw 11 MLB innings with a 4.09 ERA, while also tossing 56 frames in Triple-A with a 2.25 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate and 54.2% ground ball rate. Due to the fact that he’s been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency, though it’s unclear whether he’s chosen to do so or not.
Tyler Danish Elects Free Agency
The Red Sox announced that reliever Tyler Danish has elected minor league free agency. Boston had evidently placed the right-hander on waivers in recent days, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster.
Danish spent a year in Boston. A former second round pick of the White Sox, he signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox in Spring Training and cracked the 40-man roster before Opening Day. Boston didn’t immediately carry him on the big league club but he pitched his way to the majors by the middle of April. It marked his first big league action in four years, as he’d kicked around the upper minors without landing an MLB opportunity from 2019-21.
The 2022 campaign was by far Danish’s longest look against big league competition. Manager Alex Cora called upon him 32 times, giving him 40 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He pitched to a 5.13 ERA, striking out only 18.5% of opponents on a modest 7.4% swinging strike rate. He did show the best control of his career, walking only 6.9% of opposing hitters, but his lack of missed bats and a higher than average seven home runs against (1.56 HR/9) push him off the roster.
Danish isn’t a particularly hard thrower, averaging just under 91 MPH on his sinker. He leaned primarily on a curveball this year, with that low-80s offering generating a fair amount of soft contact but not missing many bats. Danish was reasonably effective against right-handed batters, against whom he managed a .245/.310/.415 line. He couldn’t find much of an answer for southpaws, though, punching out just seven of the 57 lefties he faced and surrendering a .275/.351/.490 mark.
Because he’s already been outrighted in his career, Danish had the right to elect free agency as soon as he cleared waivers. He’ll head back to the open market and may be looking at minor league offers with Spring Training invitations once again.
With the offseason approaching, the Red Sox are conducting typical roster maintenance. Removing Danish from the 40-man drops their tally to 39. The Sox have five players on the 60-day injured list who’ll need to be reinstated at the start of the offseason, although they’re on track to see seven players hit free agency (including Xander Bogaerts, who’s a lock to opt out of his contract if the sides don’t agree on an extension in the next week and a half).
Brewers To Re-Sign Jon Singleton To Minor League Deal
The Brewers are re-signing first baseman Jon Singleton to a minor league contract, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter link). The 31-year-old will be in big league Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, McCalvy adds.
It’s a second straight season in the Milwaukee organization for Singleton, who hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2015. A member of Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects lists every year between 2011-14, the power-hitting first baseman signed a $10MM extension with the Astros in June 2014. That came in conjunction with his first big league promotion, a precursor to pre-MLB guarantees for players like Scott Kingery, Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert. Houston’s hope was they’d found a middle-of-the-order presence for years to come, but the left-handed hitter didn’t meet the lofty expectations.
Over the next season and a half, Singleton sputtered to a .171/.290/.331 line in 114 MLB games. After playing the 2016-17 seasons in the high minors, he was released in May 2018. That came on the heels of a third career suspension following a failed test for a drug of abuse. As McCalvy chronicled in greater detail this past spring, Singleton has been open about his battle with marijuana addiction.
Singleton spent a few years out of the game but returned to professional baseball in Mexico last year. He spent the entire 2022 campaign with the Brew Crew’s top affiliate in Nashville, putting together a solid season. Through 581 plate appearances, he hit .219/.375/.434. His batting average isn’t eye-catching, but he connected on 24 home runs and drew walks in an incredible 20.1% of his trips to the dish. Even with an elevated 27.7% strikeout rate, he ranked 15th among 148 International League hitters (minimum 300 plate appearances) in on-base percentage and tied for seventh in long balls.
That wasn’t enough for Singleton to get a big league look, but it was sufficient for the Brewers to bring him back on another minor league deal. He’ll get a chance to compete for an MLB job next spring. Milwaukee can retain both of their 2022 first basemen, Rowdy Tellez and Keston Hiura. Like Singleton, Tellez is a left-handed hitter whose profile is carried by his power and plate discipline. He’s clearly above Singleton on the depth chart, although he’s projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $5.3MM salary in his second year of arbitration eligibility. That’s not an insignificant sum for a Brewers team with a huge arbitration class, and as MLBTR’s Maury Ahram explored earlier this month, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Milwaukee fields trade offers on Tellez this offseason.
Orioles Outright Aramis Garcia and Chris Ellis
The Orioles have announced that they have outrighted catcher Aramis Garcia and pitcher Chris Ellis to Triple-A Norfolk. They now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Garcia was claimed from the Reds on October 15th, and quickly passed through the Orioles’ waivers. He was projected to earn only $800K during his first trip through arbitration, but Cincinnati opted to cut him loose with Tyler Stephenson entrenched as the team’s primary catcher. Garcia dealt with a left middle finger sprain during the 2022 season that forced him to the 60-day injured list, limiting the former second-round pick to 47 games where he slashed a weak .213/.248/.259 with a single homer. The 29-year-old has a better track record in Triple-A, where he has hit .264/.329/.447 across parts of four seasons.
The Orioles primarily relied on a combination of Robinson Chirinos and Anthony Bemboom to supplement Adley Rutschman in 2022. With Chirinos’ impending free agency, it is likely that Garcia will join Bemboom in competing for a backup catcher position in the spring, with the defeated remaining a depth piece in Triple-A.
Ellis, a former third-round pick, underwent season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery in early May after dealing with shoulder inflammation. He struggled in his two starts this year, pitching only 4 1/3 innings and allowing 5 runs while walking 6 batters before being placed on the injured list. Ellis is arbitration-eligible after the 2024 season.
Nevertheless, Ellis had a strong start to his Orioles career in 2021 after being waived by the Rays. With the Birds, he made six starts (25 1/3 innings) and pitched to a 2.49 ERA. However, advanced metrics weren’t so bullish, giving Ellis a high 5.22 FIP due in part to his low 15.2% strikeout rate and a high 12.4% walk rate. Additionally, Ellis has a career 6.02 ERA in 318 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level across parts of six seasons.
Mariners Outright Derek Hill
Outfielder Derek Hill has gone unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Mariners earlier in the week, the team announced. He has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, but he’ll qualify for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason as a player who has spent more than seven years in the minors.
Hill, 27 in December, was a first-round pick of the Tigers in 2014. An excellent runner and gifted center fielder, he played his way up the minor league ladder but never found the offensive consistency Detroit had hoped. He’s reached double digits in home runs just once in his minor league career, and he’s increasingly struggled to make contact against higher-level pitching. Through parts of eight minor league seasons, he owns a .246/.315/.362 line with an elevated 25.7% strikeout rate.
Despite the offensive inconsistency, Hill played his way to the majors by 2020 on the strength of his glove and baserunning. He spent parts of three seasons in Detroit, compiling a .240/.291/.339 line over 254 plate appearances in intermittent playing time. He swiped nine bases and played over 600 innings in center field over that stretch. The Tigers designated him for assignment in early August, and Seattle nabbed him off waivers.
Hill has spent the past few months in the Mariners organization, but he didn’t make an appearance in Seattle. He instead spent the stretch run on optional assignment to Triple-A Tacoma, putting up a .236/.320/.462 showing with five homers in 34 games. Once he officially hits free agency, he figures to entertain some minor league offers with invitations to big league Spring Training.
A’s, Tyler Wade Agree To Minor League Deal
The Athletics have signed utilityman Tyler Wade to a minor league contract, reports Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He’d elected minor league free agency earlier this month after playing the second half of the season on a non-roster deal with the Yankees.
Wade has appeared in the big leagues in each of the last six years. A Yankees fourth-round pick in 2013, he blossomed into one of the system’s more interesting prospects on the strength of plus speed and solid contact skills. Wade never cemented himself as a regular, however, consistently working as a depth player who bounced between multiple positions off the bench. He never tallied more than 145 plate appearances in an individual season in New York as the Yankees frequently bounced him on and off the active roster.
Last offseason, New York designated Wade for assignment as part of a 40-man overhaul to set their roster before the Rule 5 draft. The Angels acquired him a few days later. Because he’s out of minor league option years, the Halos had to carry him on their active roster to keep him in the organization. He spent the first three months of the 2022 campaign in Anaheim, picking up a personal-high 163 plate appearances over 67 contests. Wade didn’t hit well, though, connecting on just one home run while posting a .218/.272/.272 overall line. Anaheim designated him for assignment in July, and he returned to the Yankees on a minor league deal after going unclaimed on waivers.
The 27-year-old (28 next month) spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Wade put up a .227/.353/.369 line with four homers through 170 plate appearances with the RailRiders. He walked in an excellent 15.9% of his trips against a manageable 20.6% strikeout rate, but his results on batted balls weren’t great. He didn’t get a new big league look in the Bronx.
Wade will presumably get an opportunity to compete for a big league job in Spring Training. The rebuilding A’s have very little in the way of position player certainty. Tony Kemp is the in-house favorite for playing time at second base, although he could be traded or non-tendered this offseason. Nick Allen is the top shortstop option but began his MLB career with a .207/.256/.291 line through 326 plate appearances. Wade’s also capable of factoring into the outfield mix if he can carve out another bench job.
Brewers Outright Pablo Reyes To Triple-A, Re-Sign Andruw Monasterio
The Brewers have outrighted utilityman Pablo Reyes to Triple-A, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Milwaukee also re-signed infielder Andruw Monasterio to a minor league contract that contains an invitation to the Major League Spring Training camp.
Since Reyes was previously outrighted (as a member of the Pirates organization in 2020), he has the right to reject the Brewers’ assignment and become a free agent. If he opts to remain, Reyes would be heading into his season in Milwaukee, after first signing a minors contract with the Brew Crew in the 2020-21 offseason. He appeared in 53 big league games with Milwaukee in 2021, but made only five MLB appearances in 2022.
Reyes has mostly been used as a bench player and late game defensive fill-in, owing to his versatility — he has played every position except first base and catcher over his 147 career Major League games with the Pirates and Brewers. Reyes has a .238/.307/.361 slash line over 323 plate appearances, as a nice initial burst at the plate during his 63-PA rookie season has failed to continue beyond the 2018 campaign.
The 25-year-old Monasterio has hit .264/.344/.355 over 2582 career PA in the minors, breaking in as a 17-year-old with the Cubs in 2014. 2022 was his first season in Milwaukee’s farm system, and he hit .271/.364/.406 over 437 combined PA at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. The infielder has been involved in two prominent trades during his career, going from the Cubs to the Nationals as part of the Daniel Murphy swap in August 2018, and then going from Washington to Cleveland a few months later as part of the Yan Gomes trade package.
Tigers Re-Sign Miguel Del Pozo To Minor League Deal
The Tigers have re-signed left-hander Miguel Del Pozo to a minor league deal, according to his transaction tracker at MLB.com.
Del Pozo, 30, appeared in the majors with the Angels in 2019 and the Pirates in 2020. He was able to reach free agency prior to 2021 and signed a minor league deal with the Tigers. He was eventually selected to the big league club and made five appearances for Detroit last year. For his career, he’s thrown 18 1/3 MLB innings in 27 games, with an inflated 9.82 ERA in that small sample.
He stuck on the Tigers’ 40-man over the 2021-22 offseason but didn’t make the Opening Day roster, getting outrighted in April and eventually spending all of 2022 with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He tossed 53 1/3 innings with Toledo this year, registering a 3.88 ERA along with a 30.7% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate.
Del Pozo elected free agency at the end of the season but was evidently content to stick with the Tigers’ organization, quickly returning to the club. He will serve as left-handed relief depth and look to build off a strong season in the minors.