Angels, Shohei Ohtani Avoid Arbitration With One-Year, $30MM Contract For 2023
The Angels and Shohei Ohtani have avoided perhaps the most unique arbitration case in baseball history by agreeing to a one-year, $30MM pact for the 2023 season. Ohtani is still scheduled to reach free agency following the 2023 campaign. Ohtani is represented by CAA Sports.
The two-way star becomes the 20th player in baseball to receive a $30MM average annual value on a contract, and that $30MM figure also establishes two other notable thresholds. Ohtani will now receive the largest salary ever for an arbitration-eligible player, and he also gets the biggest year-to-year raise for an arb-eligible player, after he earned $5.5MM this season. That $5.5MM salary was established in an earlier extension that avoided arbitration, as Ohtani and the Angels agreed to a two-year, $8.5MM contract in February 2021 that covered the first two of his three arb-eligible years.
At the time of that deal, Ohtani has pitched only 1 2/3 total innings over the 2019-20 seasons, due to a Tommy John surgery and then a flexor strain. He was also coming off a mediocre year at the plate, hitting only .190/.291/.366 over 175 plate appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Though Ohtani was hardly the only player to struggle under the unusual circumstances of the 2020 campaign, there was speculation that his 2018 rookie season might have been his peak, and that Ohtani would be better served by choosing either hitting or pitching.
Instead, Ohtani bounced back with two of the most extraordinary seasons in baseball history. Since Opening Day 2021, Ohtani has hit .267/.366/.560 with 80 home runs over 1282 plate appearances, while also posting a 2.72 ERA and an array of dazzling secondary metrics over 291 1/3 innings. After winning AL MVP honors in 2021, it looks as if Ohtani will be at worst a second-place finisher in this year’s MVP race (due to Aaron Judge‘s all-timer of a season), and he’ll also earn a good chunk of votes in the AL Cy Young Award race.
With this in mind, it can certainly be argued that $30MM is still a bargain from the Angels’ perspective, considering that Ohtani would earn hefty salaries if he was “only” an All-Star hitter or “only” an All-Star pitcher. It would’ve been fascinating to see what arbitration figures the Angels and Ohtani’s camp would’ve submitted in this unprecedented scenario, but this agreement sidesteps that possibility.
Los Angeles now has three players earning at least $30MM in 2023, as Ohtani joins Mike Trout ($35.45MM) and Anthony Rendon ($38MM). In practical terms, it doesn’t change much for the Angels’ payroll situation, as the team naturally figured it would be paying Ohtani some type of gigantic salary in his final arb-eligible year. In pure dollars and cents, it doesn’t actually represent much different from the Angels’ 2022 payroll, as the since-released Justin Upton was earning $28MM in the final year of his contract with the club.
Ohtani’s future beyond 2023 remains a mystery, as he’ll be heading into free agency presumably still in his prime both on the mound and at the plate. Though Ohtani turns 29 in July, his two-way ability might still land him the biggest contract in baseball history, topping the $365MM in new money given to Mookie Betts in his extension with the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season.
In reaching an agreement with Ohtani now, the Angels front office gets one big question mark settled heading into what might be one of the most uncertain offseasons in franchise history. Owner Arte Moreno is looking into a possible sale, and with this situation lingering over the organization, it isn’t clear how aggressive GM Perry Minasian will be allowed to be in upgrading the roster. The Halos are struggling through their seventh consecutive losing season, so while a teardown isn’t out of the question, it is also possible Moreno might order a final push to try and return to the postseason one final time under his ownership.
Until there’s more clarity with the potential sale, it is hard to gauge what will happen with Ohtani in Anaheim. Given that Ohtani has already expressed his displeasure with losing, it seems hard to believe that he would agree to an extension unless he was satisfied that the team was heading in the right direction — even if a new owner does take over within 7-8 months, their influence might not be apparent in the short window of time before Ohtani can test the open market. A new owner might bring a new willingness to exceed the luxury tax threshold, and thus it wouldn’t necessarily be an obstacle in adding a massive Ohtani deal worth more than $40MM (at least) in AAV on top of the long-term Trout and Rendon contracts.
A trade also can’t be ruled out, though it seems like the least likely scenario considering that Moreno vetoed any possibility that Ohtani would be swapped prior to the last trade deadline. As noted by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, establishing Ohtani’s 2023 price tag early gives any interested trade partners more time to plan offers, yet not having Ohtani on the roster could also impact purchasing interest for any potential new owners. From a practical baseball sense, it is also hard to gauge what exactly an Ohtani trade would look like, considering his elite two-way talent but also just one remaining year of control.
Yankees Select Jacob Barnes, Place Zack Britton On 60-Day IL
2:56PM: Though Britton’s season is over, his time in New York could continue, as ESPN’s Marly Rivera reports that “Britton and the Yankees are already engaged in preliminary conversations” about a new contract.
10:59AM: The Yankees announced they’ve selected reliever Jacob Barnes onto the major league roster. In a corresponding move, veteran southpaw Zack Britton has been placed on the 60-day injured list. His season is over after he left last night’s appearance with shoulder fatigue.
Barnes cracks a major league roster with a third different team of the 2022 campaign. The 32-year-old broke camp with the Tigers and pitched in 22 games, working to a 6.10 ERA through 20 2/3 innings. Barnes only struck out 11.2% of batters faced on a personal-worst 7.7% swinging strike percentage. Barnes did induce ground-balls at a career-best 51.5% clip, but the lack of swing-and-miss led the Tigers to designate him for assignment in June.
The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with the Mariners and briefly made the major league roster in July. He spent a few days on the active roster but didn’t make an appearance before being let go. Barnes returned to Detroit on a minor league deal, spent a month in Triple-A and then was granted his release. He signed a minor league deal with New York at the end of August and pitched in ten games for their top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
While Barnes hasn’t had much major league success this season, he’s pitched 18 innings of 2.00 ERA ball at the Triple-A level. Barnes has punched out 32.9% of opponents there against a 9.2% walk rate, and he’s missed plenty of bats at the big league level in years past. He punched out upwards of 30% of opponents with the Angels in 2020 and had an above-average 25.8% strikeout rate as recently as last season.
Because Barnes was in the organization by August 31, he’d be eligible for the Yankees postseason roster. He wasn’t on the 40-man roster at the end of August, but New York can still petition the commissioner’s office for him to be playoff-eligible as an injury replacement for Britton. Injury exemptions are a common occurrence each season, so the Yankees shouldn’t have an issue carrying Barnes for the playoffs if they desire. Now that he’s back on a 40-man roster, Barnes is technically arbitration-eligible for next season, but it’s probable the Yankees will take him off the roster at the end of the year and allow him to hit minor league free agency.
It seems unlikely they’d carry Barnes given his struggles at the big league level this year, but the Yankees pitching staff is navigating a number of injuries. Closer Clay Holmes has a shoulder strain, manager Aaron Boone revealed last night. New York won’t place him on the injured list and rule him out as an option for the AL Division Series, but he’s not expected to pitch again in the regular season. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays that the Yankees are hopeful Holmes will be ready for the start of the ALDS, but it’s hard to know for sure whether that’ll be the case.
Meanwhile, trade deadline acquisition Frankie Montas doesn’t look as if he’ll be an option for the ALDS. New York placed Montas on the IL with shoulder inflammation two weeks ago, and Boone said this morning that it appears he won’t be ready for the Division Series (Hoch link). Montas is playing catch today and the Yankees haven’t officially ruled him out for the ALDS, but Boone suggested it’s more likely he’d return as a relief option for the ALCS if the Yankees qualify.
Britton is certainly no longer a playoff option, with the 60-day IL placement ending his year. It could bring an unceremonious end to his four-plus year tenure as a Yankee. Acquired from the Orioles midway through the 2018 campaign, Britton was an elite late-game weapon for his first few seasons in the Bronx. He pitched to a 2.14 ERA over 105 1/3 innings through the end of the 2020 season, including grounders at an incredible 76.3% clip. The Yankees preemptively exercised a $14MM option on his services for 2022 at the end of that year to prevent Britton from triggering an opt-out that’d have allowed him to test free agency.
While an understandable move at the time, that decision proved very regrettable in hindsight. Britton was tagged for a 5.89 ERA in 18 1/3 frames last season, battling injury issues throughout the year. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery last September, an issue that kept him on the injured list until last week. Britton made it back on September 22 and made three appearances, but he walked six of the nine batters he faced before yesterday’s injury.
Britton will hit the open market this winter coming off two virtually lost seasons. His fastball velocity was down in his very brief look this month, and he obviously battled extreme rust from a strike-throwing perspective. The 34-year-old hasn’t seemed fully healthy for two years, which’ll obviously deal a hit to his market value.
Guardians Select Bo Naylor, Activate Zach Plesac, Designate Bryan Shaw
The Guardians announced a quartet of roster moves, including the activation of Zach Plesac from the 15-day injured list and the selection of Bo Naylor‘s contract from Triple-A. To create roster space, infielder Tyler Freeman was optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Bryan Shaw was designated for assignment.
This will be Naylor’s first taste of Major League action, as the 22-year-old will get a chance at making his debut in the Show before the 2022 season is over, and the unique thrill of suiting up alongside older brother Josh. The 29th overall pick of the 2018 draft, the younger Naylor is rated as the 58th-best prospect in the sport by Baseball America, while MLB Pipeline has Naylor rated 75th.
It hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for Naylor in the minors, as after posting respectable numbers in his first two pro seasons, he and countless other prospects had to sit out the canceled 2020 minor league season. While Naylor still got some reps at Cleveland’s alternate training site, the lack of proper game action seemed to severely impact him in 2021, when he hit only .189/.280/.332 over 335 plate appearances for Double-A Akron.
Remaining at Double-A to begin 2022, Naylor has now regained his status as a potential catcher of the future for the Guardians. Naylor has hit a cumulative .263/.392/.496 with 21 home runs over 510 PA this season (220 PA at Double-A, 290 at Triple-A). As per Pipline’s scouting report, Naylor got on track “by using a much more disciplined approach and utilizing the opposite field more often,” which also bodes well for his longer-term development as a big league-caliber hitter.
Cleveland has long prioritized defense at the catcher position, and Naylor has also drawn solid reviews for his blocking and framing ability. He could continue the Guardians’ focus on glovework while also bringing some much-needed pop behind the plate, if he delivers on his potential at the MLB level. Naylor is also the rare catcher who has five-tool ability, as he stole 20 bases in 24 chances in the minors this season.
As much as the Guards have relied on young players to fuel their run to the AL Central crown, it probably seems likely that the team will stick with the veteran duo of Austin Hedges and Luke Maile heading into the postseason. Naylor’s presence does at least give the Guardians another potential option to consider for the playoffs, but this late-season call-up could be more about rewarding Naylor for his big season and taking a look to the future. Hedges is a free agent this winter, so Cleveland could potentially head into 2023 with a tandem of Naylor and Maile (who is still arbitration-eligible), though there has been speculation that the Guardians could make a bigger move at catcher, such as past trade target Sean Murphy.
Plesac will start today’s game against the Royals, as the righty returns after missing just over a month of action. Plesac suffered a fracture in his pinkie finger in rather unusual fashion, as he punched the mound in frustration after allowing a Jake Lamb home run in his last start on August 27.
The injury continued what has been a rough season overall for Plesac, who has a respectable 4.39 ERA over 127 innings but also a slate of unimpressive Statcast numbers. It remains to be seen whether Plesac will get any consideration for a postseason start should the Guardians advance beyond the wild card series, and in the bigger picture, there have been some whispers about whether or not Cleveland could look to trade Plesac this winter. Though Plesac still has all three years of arbitration eligibility remaining, questions about Plesac’s maturity and focus have been asked for the last few seasons, and the Guardians could prefer to sell relatively high on Plesac as a controllable young starter.
The DFA likely brings an end to Shaw’s latest stint in Cleveland, as the veteran righty returned on a one-year, $3MM free agent deal in March. That contract contained a $4MM team option for 2023, yet it already looked like the Guards would instead use their $500K buyout rather than exercise Shaw’s option. The 34-year-old has eaten a lot of innings (58 1/3) out of the bullpen this year, but has a 5.40 ERA and a below-average 19.9% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate.
This isn’t the first time Shaw has run into some struggles, as his 2021 season helped right the ship after a shaky three-year stretch with the Rockies and Mariners. Returning to Cleveland on a minor league deal in the 2020-21 offseason, Shaw posted a 3.49 ERA over 77 1/3 innings and a league-leading 81 appearances. However, his inability to recapture that form in 2022 now puts Shaw on the outside of the Guardians’ playoff roster plans.
Braves Sign Charlie Morton To One-Year Extension
The Braves announced this evening they’ve signed starter Charlie Morton to a one-year contract extension. He’ll make $20MM next season, and the sides tacked on a matching $20MM club option for the 2024 campaign with no buyout. The Braves are one of the few major league teams that announce contract terms.
Morton will stick around for a third season in Atlanta. Originally signed to a one-year, $15MM free agent deal over the 2020-21 offseason, he’s now signed late-season extensions in each of the past two years. In both cases, they’ve been a one-year, $20MM guarantee with a matching team option. Atlanta could’ve simply exercised the $20MM option for 2023 in Morton’s previous contract, but their preemptive agreement with the Wasserman client tacks on an additional option for the ’24 campaign.
There’s clearly a mutual comfort between the team and the 15-year MLB veteran. He’s been a durable and effective member of the starting rotation, avoiding the injured list during his first two campaigns in Atlanta and starting 63 regular season contests. He made another four starts during the 2021 postseason. That didn’t end the way he’d have hoped personally, as Morton broke his right leg during his World Series start and had to be scratched from the roster. The club went on to defeat the Astros to secure the title, though, and Morton was back in action by the start of this season.
During his debut campaign in Atlanta, Morton worked to an excellent 3.34 ERA across 185 2/3 innings. He’s not been quite that effective this year, tossing 167 2/3 frames of 4.29 ERA ball heading into his final start of the season. The two-time All-Star’s strikeout rate has been almost identical in each season (28.6% in 2021, 28.4% this year), and he’s not shown any signs of physical decline. Morton has averaged 94.9 MPH on his four-seam and 81.2 MPH on his go-to curveball this season, not far off last year’s respective 95.5 MPH and 80.6 MPH marks.
It’s a similar story on a pitch-for-pitch basis. Morton has generated swinging strikes on 12.3% of his total offerings in both seasons. That’s above this year’s 10.7% league average for starters, and Morton has held a swinging strike rate in the 12% range for five straight years. Even with his 39th birthday less than two months away, Morton hasn’t lost anything from his raw arsenal or his ability to miss bats.
The biggest contributor to his overall dip in production was an atypical struggle to throw strikes early in the season. Morton walked 11 batters in four starts in April, surrendering 14 runs in 18 innings. He’d mostly found his footing from a command perspective by the time the calendar flipped to May. In 26 starts since May 1, he owns a 3.97 ERA with a 29.9% strikeout rate and a manageable 8.2% walk percentage. He’s held opposing hitters to a .218/.301/.384 line over that span. Morton was excellent between June and August before hitting another rough patch this month, posting a 5.27 ERA in five September starts.
The Braves aren’t much concerned about either his early-season control woes or a couple recent tough outings at the hands of the Mariners and Phillies. Morton’s velocity and strong strikeout and walk profile give plenty of reason for optimism he can remain an above-average starter next season, even as his ground-ball rate has dipped to a personal-low 39.7% clip.
Morton, meanwhile, seems content taking a year-by-year approach to his playing career. A longtime back-of-the-rotation grounder specialist with the Pirates, Morton reinvented himself as a strikeout artist with the Astros in 2017. After spending two seasons in Houston, he signed a two-year free agent deal with the Rays before what’ll be at least three consecutive seasons as a Brave. He’s reportedly set geographic limitations during his recent potential free agent trips, preferring to stay in the Southeastern part of the country to be closer to his family.
Of course, the Braves have far more than just locale to make them an appealing place to pitch. Morton remains part of a stellar roster that has the team on the verge of 100 wins and firmly in contention for another NL East title. He’s among a strong rotation led by star rookie Spencer Strider, All-Star Max Fried and breakout hurler Kyle Wright. Veteran Jake Odorizzi has occupied the fifth rotation spot since being acquired from the Astros at the trade deadline, but Atlanta also has rookie Bryce Elder and prospect Freddy Tarnok as promising depth options.
That entire group could return for 2023. Strider, Fried and Wright are all under club control. Odorizzi has to decide whether to trigger a $12.5MM player option or take a $6.25MM buyout and test free agency. Elder and Tarnok are controllable, as are former top prospect and mid-rotation arm Ian Anderson, Mike Soroka, Kyle Muller and Huascar Ynoa (although Ynoa is unlikely to pitch next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery recently).
That’s a number of options, reducing the urgency for the club to look outside the organization for rotation help. Signing Morton to an extension also continues the front office’s habit of trying to preserve as much of the current core as possible. Atlanta has also signed Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II to long-term deals this year, in addition to previous extensions for Ronald Acuña Jr., Travis d’Arnaud and Ozzie Albies.
Locking in another $20MM to next year’s books brings the team’s guaranteed commitments north of $165MM (assuming Odorizzi exercises his option), in the estimation of Roster Resource. That’s before considering the possibility of extending impending free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson or accounting for arbitration salaries for Fried, Soroka and high-leverage reliever A.J. Minter. It’s virtually certain they’ll top this year’s franchise-record $178MM Opening Day payroll, but it’s evidently comfortable territory for the Liberty Media ownership group on the heels of last season’s title and another forthcoming postseason trip that’s certain to include at least two home playoff games.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Charlie Blackmon To Exercise Player Option
Rockies designated hitter/corner outfielder Charlie Blackmon plans to exercise his player option for the 2023 campaign, he tells Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette (Twitter link). MLBTR has confirmed that the option value will be $15MM.
It’ll be the sixth and final year of the long-term extension he inked back in April 2018. Blackmon made $14MM in 2018, followed by successive $21MM salaries from 2019-21. He exercised a $21MM player option for this season, while his 2023 option had a base value of $10MM. That contained up to $5MM in escalators that were based on his playing time up to 575 plate appearances. Blackmon hit that highest threshold on Tuesday, triggering all the available playing time incentives. The deal also contained an additional $3MM that would’ve been attainable had Blackmon accrued any MVP support between 2018-22, but he won’t collect any of the awards bonuses.
Blackmon will be back for a 13th season in Colorado. A 2008 draftee, he debuted three years later. After a few seasons as a part-time player, he seized the primary center field job in 2014. Blackmon picked up an All-Star nod that season and kicked off an excellent run of both durability and productivity. He was an above-average hitter, by measure of wRC+, each year from 2015-19. That park-adjusted metric accounts for the favorable hitting environment in which he played half his games. He played 140+ games in each of those seasons, as well of 59 of the 60 contests in the shortened 2020 campaign.
While Blackmon has continued to be a fixture in the lineup over the past three years, his productivity has dipped. He’s not reached 20 homers or topped a .450 slugging mark since 2019. He’s also moved out of center field as his defensive metrics have declined, and he spent more time at designated hitter than in the outfield this season. Blackmon hit .264/.314/.419 across 577 plate appearances this season, which came to an early end when the Rox placed him on the injured list two days ago. He’s headed for surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee next week.
There was never any suspense as to Blackmon’s option decision coming off that down year. Yet even with his production falling in his age-35 campaign, he remains a key part of the Colorado organization. That the Rockies didn’t curtail his playing time late in the season — even as his continuing to rack up at-bats added an extra $5MM to next season’s books — is a testament to the franchise’s affinity for Blackmon and all he’s accomplished in their uniform.
As MLBTR explored in previewing the Rockies’ offseason yesterday, Colorado’s 2023 books are rather cluttered. They’re on the hook for around $112MM in guaranteed payroll commitments (not including projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players), and they’d owe the Cardinals an additional $5MM if Nolan Arenado declines to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of breathing room for outside additions before the team approaches its franchise-record $145MM payroll.
General manager Bill Schmidt and his staff have various areas of the roster they could look to augment this winter. The starting rotation seems the primary concern, but it’s possible they look for corner outfield help to continue to decrease the amount of time Blackmon needs to spend on the grass. He’ll presumably continue to play most days, if healthy, with skipper Bud Black splitting his time between DH and right field. Blackmon will be a free agent after the 2023 campaign, and he tells Allentuck he’s not yet considered what his future holds beyond next season.
Cubs Outright Michael Hermosillo
Cubs outfielder Michael Hermosillo has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Mark Gonzales relays. Chicago had designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
It’s been a tough season for Hermosillo, who re-signed with the Cubs on a major league deal this past offseason. After breaking camp with the big league team, Hermosillo suffered a left quadriceps strain in May which kept him out of action until earlier this month. In addition to his injury woes, Hermosillo struggled mightily at the plate this season, batting just .115/.250/.148 (27 wRC+) in 73 trips to the plate this season.
For his career, Hermosillo has both struggled to find opportunities at the big league level and to make the most of the opportunities he does receive. Despite making his major league debut in 2018, Hermosillo has managed to accumulate just 229 plate appearances across parts of five seasons with the Angels and the Cubs, and has hit just .167/.268/.283 in those trips to the plate, only approaching league average for a season during a 16-game stint with the Cubs last year that saw him hit .194/.237/.500 (91 wRC+).
While Hermosillo has certainly struggled at the big league level throughout his career, he has had no such trouble in the minors. Across five seasons at the Triple-A level, Hermosillo has slashed .273/.368/.506, all while playing a capable center field and flashing plus speed. Hermosillo will be able to file for minor league free agency this offseason unless he’s added back to the 40-man roster.
The Cubs announced that they will be releasing right fielder Jason Heyward after the 2022 season ends, but they have Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki to man the outfield corners heading into 2023. For center field, Chicago has options at the big league level such as Christopher Morel and Nelson Velazquez, to say nothing of top prospect Brennen Davis, who may be ready to join the big league club sometime next year.
Yankees Activate DJ LeMahieu From Injured List
The Yankees announced they’ve activated infielder DJ LeMahieu from the 10-day injured list earlier today. In a corresponding move, outfielder Tim Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LeMahieu spent most of September on the injured list with right second toe inflammation.
LeMahieu has posted a .262/.358/.381 slash line in 120 games this season, good for a wRC+ of 117. While a far cry from his peak during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, which saw him post a combined 8.2 fWAR in 195 games while placing in the top 4 of MVP voting in both years, LeMahieu’s production in his age 33 campaign can be seen as something of a bounce-back after a 2021 season that saw his defensive metrics slip while his bat hovered around league average (100 wRC+). With other infield options such as Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struggling at the plate this season, LeMahieu’s bat returning to the lineup should provide the Yankees with a boost to their infield headed into the postseason.
As for Locastro, while his hitting has left much to be desired (he’s slashed just .186/.239/.349 in 46 plate appearances with New York this season), he has served as a capable bench piece this season, effectively fielding all three outfield spots while swiping eight bags in just ten attempts. While Locastro will finish the regular season in Triple-A, he may be called upon by the Yankees for his baserunning skills during the postseason.
In other Yankees news, the team provided an update on injured utilityman Matt Carpenter. He took batting practice this afternoon and may take some live at-bats with Double-A Somerset in lieu of traveling with the big league club to Texas next week, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Carpenter has hit exceptionally for the Yankees this year, slashing .305/.412/.727 in 154 plate appearances, but has been on the injured list with a fractured foot since early August.
Mariners Designate Phillips Valdez For Assignment
The Mariners announced they’ve designated right-hander Phillips Valdez for assignment. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for backstop Brian O’Keefe, whose selection to the majors was reported this morning.
Valdez was claimed off waivers by Seattle in late July after the Red Sox designated him for assignment. The righty had been with the Red Sox since the 2020 season, when they claimed him off waivers themselves from the Rangers. For his major league career, Valdez has posted a 4.56 ERA and matching 4.59 FIP in 102 2/3 innings.
Valdez never made it into a game for Seattle this season, though he posted a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings with Boston this season. Otherwise, he has pitched at the Triple-A level this season, posting a 3.60 ERA across 39 innings split between the Worcester Red Sox and the Tacoma Rainiers. While his Triple-A numbers have been respectable this season, Valdez has seemingly struggled with his command during his time in the majors this season, walking seven while hitting another six batters.
Seattle will have 7 days to either release Valdez or send him through outright waivers. Should he be outrighted, Valdez will qualify for minor league free agency this offseason unless the Mariners add him back onto the 40-man roster. With Valdez off the 40-man, the Mariners still have Brennan Bernardino, Juan Then, and Justus Sheffield on the roster as depth options in the minors.
Mets Select Francisco Alvarez, Designate Alex Claudio For Assignment
The Mets have made it official: they’ve selected the contract of top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez from Triple-A Syracuse, confirming his previously reported promotion to the big leagues. In a pair of corresponding roster moves, Darin Ruf was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a neck strain, and lefty Alex Claudio was designated for assignment. Alvarez will serve as the Mets’ designated hitter today, batting seventh in his Major League debut.
Considered by most outlets to be among baseball’s ten best prospects — and considered the top prospect in the sport at MLB.com — Alvarez will cap off a monstrous season with his first call to the Majors. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A this year, the 20-year-old slugger posted a combined .260/.374/.511 batting line with 27 home runs, 22 doubles, a 14.1% walk rate and a 24.8% strikeout rate in 495 plate appearances. He’s been on an absolute tear since returning from a stint on the minor league injured list earlier this month, mashing at a .362/.483/.596 clip over his past 58 plate appearances.
That’s a stark contrast to the veteran Ruf, acquired from the Giants prior to the trade deadline. The 36-year-old has been one of the game’s most potent bats against lefties in recent years but has stumbled to a dismal .152/.216/.197 batting line in 74 plate appearances as a Met — handily being outproduced by the same right-handed slugger for which he was traded; J.D. Davis is batting .280/.375/.525 in 136 trips to the plate as a Giant. (The Mets also sent lefty Thomas Szapucki and a pair of prospects to San Francisco in that swap.)
Alvarez’s first start will come against Braves southpaw Max Fried — a tough opponent but a favorable platoon matchup at least. In 132 plate appearances against southpaws in the minors this season, he’s raked at a .315/.424/.595 clip and slugged 15 extra-base hits (eight homers, seven doubles). Fried is (obviously) more than a cut above the quality of pitchers Alvarez has been facing in Double-A and Triple-A, but he’ll still add some right-handed thump in a pivotal series that could very well decide the winner of the National League East.
Claudio, 30, tossed 3 1/3 shutout innings with the Mets earlier this month, marking his ninth consecutive season with time spent on a Major League roster. A fixture in the bullpens of the Rangers and then the Brewers from 2014-20, Claudio struggled through a poor 2021 season with the Angels and subsequently spent the bulk of the current campaign in Triple-A. He posted a combined 3.44 ERA in 311 2/3 frames in that ’14-’20 stretch between Texas and Milwaukee before serving up a grisly 5.51 ERA in 32 2/3 innings as an Angel. He’s posted a 3.91 ERA in Syracuse this year, in addition to his 3 1/3 shutout innings for the Mets’ big league roster.
The Mets will place Claudio on outright waivers or release waivers within the next couple days. He has more than six years of Major League service time, so he’d be a free agent at season’s end regardless. It’s possible he’ll accept an outright in hopes of potentially being selected back to the roster in the event of an injury, but he’ll be a free agent this offseason regardless.
Mariners To Select Brian O’Keefe
The Seattle Mariners have selected the contract of catcher Brian O’Keefe from Triple-A Tacoma, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, M’s catcher Curt Casali has been placed on the paternity list.
This will be the first major league action for O’Keefe, age 29, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Cardinals in 2014. After spending five seasons in St. Louis’s system, O’Keefe was picked by Seattle in the 2019 Rule 5 minor league draft. He spent two years in the Mariners farm system before electing free agency at the conclusion of the 2021 season, where he eventually agreed to stay with the M’s on a minor league deal. With Casali out of action for at least 24, but no more than 72 hours, O’Keefe will join the big league club for the first time in his nine seasons as a pro.
O’Keefe has spent all of his 2022 campaign at Triple-A Tacoma, where he has had one of his finest minor league seasons. Thus far, he has hit 13 home runs and posted a productive .253/.330/.449 slash in 352 plate appearances. More than seventy-five percent of O’Keefe’s 2022 appearances for Tacoma have been at catcher, where Baseball Prospectus rates him as an excellent framer, with the rest coming as a designated hitter.
Casali is all but assured to rejoin the Mariners as soon as his time on the paternity list ends. If Seattle is going to keep O’Keefe on the active roster beyond Casali’s return, they will have to make room for him. The M’s 40-man roster is currently full, and the only obvious 60-day IL candidate is lefty reliever Ryan Borucki, who has already been out since August 8th.