Royals Outright Daniel Mengden
Sep. 4: The Royals announced that Mengden has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Omaha. Although he has the ability to reject that outright and elect free agency, it seems he will accept, per Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star.
Sep. 2: The Royals announced Friday that they’ve recalled right-hander Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Omaha and designated fellow righty Daniel Mengden for assignment in order to create roster space. Mengden was selected to the big league roster just yesterday and started last night’s game for Kansas City, but it appears that’ll go down as a spot start.
Mengden, 29, tossed just 2 2/3 innings in last night’s start against the White Sox, yielding three runs on five hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts. It was his second stint with the Royals this year, as he’d previously made four bullpen appearances back in June. Overall, Mengden has pitched seven innings with the Royals and allowed four earned runs on ten hits and a walk with eight punchouts.
A fourth-round pick of the A’s back in 2014, Mengden was a regular on the Oakland pitching staff from 2016-20, working primarily as a starter but never quite securing a long-term spot in the rotation. The mustachioed righty appeared in 60 games with Oakland — 48 of them starts — and totaled 302 2/3 innings with a 4.64 ERA, a 17.3% strikeout rate, a solid 7.8% walk rate and 39% ground-ball rate.
Mengden then spent the 2021 season with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Kia Tigers, for whom he notched a 3.60 ERA over the life of 21 starts. He’s spent the bulk of the current season with the Royals’ Triple-A club in Omaha, pitching to a 4.55 ERA in 91 innings. He’s ineligible to be traded because he’s been on a big league roster this year and the trade deadline has passed, so Mengden will hit outright waivers or release waivers within the next seven days. All 29 other clubs will have the opportunity to claim him.
Mills, 27, came to the Royals by way of the June trade that sent Carlos Santana to Seattle. He’s appeared in 18 games out of the Kansas City bullpen already this year but struggled to a 5.30 ERA with a 17-to-10 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings. He’s been sharp in Triple-A for the second straight season, however, and now carries a career 2.53 ERA, a 36.7% strikeout rate and an 8.1% walk rate at that level.
Pirates Claim Peter Solomon From Astros
The Pirates announced that they have claimed right-hander Peter Solomon off waivers from the Astros and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. He was designated for assignment by Houston on Thursday. To make room for Solomon on their 40-man roster, the Pirates have transferred right Colin Holderman to the 60-day injured list.
Solomon, 26, was a fourth-round draft selection of the Astros in 2017, meaning this will be his first time jumping to a new organization in his career. He pitched well as he climbed the minor league ladder but was limited to just 7 2/3 innings in 2019 before Tommy John surgery shut him down. He was likely to miss most of the 2020 season while recovering, though that became somewhat moot when the pandemic wiped out the minors that year.
In 2021, he returned to the hill and made his major league debut. He tossed 14 innings in the big leagues over six games, registering a 1.29 ERA in that small sample. He spent much more time in Triple-A, however, putting up a 4.70 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League along with a 26.3% strikeout rate. Here in 2022, it’s been a bit of a step back for Solomon, as he has a 5.20 ERA across 97 innings for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys with his strikeout rate dipping to 20.5%.
Despite some of those unsavory numbers, there are reasons for the Pirates to take a flier on Solomon. Baseball America ranked him the #19 prospect in Houston’s system at their midseason update, noting that his five-pitch mix, command and durability give him the tools to potentially become a back-end starter in the big leagues. For a team that’s well out of contention and clearly focused on the future, it’s fairly logical to give Solomon a roster spot and see if he can flourish, especially now that he’ll be away from the PCL. This is Solomon’s second option year, meaning the Pirates can keep him stashed in the minors for the rest of this year and another campaign as long as he continues to hang onto a spot on the 40-man. The rotation is also fairly wide open, currently composed of Roansy Contreras, JT Brubaker, Mitch Keller, Bryse Wilson and Johan Oviedo. All of those guys are still works in progress to varying degrees, with none of them having reached their 29th birthday or 300 MLB innings pitched.
As for Holderman, 26, he was placed on the IL August 26 due to shoulder soreness. The Bucs evidently don’t expect him back this season since this transfer will rule him out beyond the end of the schedule. He made his MLB debut this year with the Mets before going to the Pirates in a trade for Daniel Vogelbach. He will finish his first season with a 3.81 ERA over 28 1/3 innings.
Justice delos Santos of MLB.com tweeted the moves before the official announcement.
Phillies Place Nick Castellanos On 10-Day Injured List
2:44PM: The Phillies officially announced Castellanos’ placement, due to a right oblique strain. To make room for Guthrie, the Phillies designated infielder Luis Garcia for assignment. Garcia has hit .227/.323/.338 over 1407 career PA in Philadelphia’s farm system, and was still ranked 14th on MLB Pipeline’s list of the team’s top 30 prospects due to his defense and a seeming offensive breakout in A-ball in 2021. However, Garcia has struggled badly this year at both the high-A and Double-A levels.
12:21PM: The Phillies have placed outfielder Nick Castellanos on the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Dalton Guthrie had his contract selected from Triple-A, and another 40-man roster move will be necessary to accommodate Guthrie’s addition to the active roster.
Castellanos left Friday’s game due to an oblique injury, with manager Rob Thomson saying that the outfielder would undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem. There hasn’t been any word on the results of the MRI, but even a lower-level oblique problem usually results in at least a minimal IL visit. Castellanos and the Phillies can only hope that the injury is minor, as otherwise Castellanos could be in danger of missing the rest of the regular season and possibly the playoffs.
It has been an underwhelming season overall for Castellanos, who signed a five-year, $100MM free agent deal with Philadelphia in March. The slugger is hitting only .265/.305/.397 over 531 plate appearances, resulting in a subpar 96 wRC+. However, Castellanos has looked a lot more like his old self in recent weeks, with five home runs and a .318/.348/.505 slash line in his last 112 PA.
With Castellanos now sidelined, Matt Vierling figures to see much of the action in right field, as Vierling has already been filling in for the last couple of days and while Castellanos also recently missed time with a turf-toe injury. Bryce Harper is still limited to DH duty and isn’t an option in the outfield, leaving Vierling, utilityman Nick Maton, and now Guthrie as the choices for right field playing time.
Guthrie was a sixth-round pick for the Phillies in the 2017 draft, and the 26-year-old is now on the verge of his Major League debut. He posted some middling numbers over his first three pro seasons, but hit well enough in 2021 to earn a promotion from Double-A to Triple-A, and Guthrie has continued to perform at the highest minor league level. Over 513 total PA at Triple-A in 2021-22, Guthrie has hit .299/.354/.466 with 12 home runs and 23 steals (out of 30 chances).
Beyond just outfield depth, Guthrie also offers the Phillies some versatility around the diamond, which could hint at Maton perhaps getting more work as an outfield-specific player. Guthrie has played mostly center and right field this season at Triple-A, with only a handful of games as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. However, Guthrie was initially drafted as an infielder, and hadn’t played a pro game in the outfield until 2021.
Giants Claim Jose Rojas From Angels; Steven Duggar Elects Free Agency
The Angels announced that the Giants have claimed infielder/outfielder Jose Rojas off waivers. San Francisco has also announced the move, with Brandon Belt (who is undergoing season-ending knee surgery) moved to the 60-day injured list to create space for Rojas on the 40-man roster. Rojas and outfielder Steven Duggar were both designated for assignment by the Angels on September 1. Duggar cleared waivers and opted to become a free agent, rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.
Rojas will change teams for the first time in his pro career, as he has been an Angel since being selected in the 36th round of the 2016 draft. (And, Rojas is even an Anaheim native.) After posting some nice numbers in the minors, Rojas has seen some big league playing time in each of the last two seasons, resulting in a .188/.245/.339 slash line over 241 total plate appearances. Much of that modest production came in 2021, as Rojas had a .676 OPS last season but only a .301 OPS in 57 PA this year.
As noted, the minor leagues was a different story for Rojas, who slashed .287/.347/.503 with 90 home runs over 2298 career PA in the Angels farm system. The hitter-friendly environment of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League is certainly a factor in gauging Rojas’ numbers, but overall, it is easy to see why the Giants might have interest in the 29-year-old. San Francisco has also favored versatile players, and Rojas fits that model with his experience at third base, second base, first base, and both corner outfield spots.
Duggar is a former Giant himself, spending his first five MLB seasons in the Bay Area before being traded to the Rangers for Willie Calhoun in June. Duggar didn’t last long in Texas, as the Rangers DFA’ed him in early August and the Angels claimed him away a few days later.
While Duggar has been a strong defensive player during his career, he has had trouble staying healthy and generating any kind of consistent production at the plate. Duggar has had a few flashes of offensive protential, but over 846 career PA, he has hit only .236/.293/.367. All of the changes of scenery haven’t helped his bat this year, as Duggar has just a .447 OPS over 80 combined PA with Anaheim, Texas, and San Francisco. Now that he’s back on the open market, it’s possible to see another team in need of outfield depth or a defensive boost inking Duggar to a minor league contract.
Dodgers Place David Price On 15-Day Injured List
12:34PM: Price has been officially placed on the 15-day IL and Pepiot was officially recalled.
7:51AM: The Dodgers will place left-hander David Price on the 15-day injured list today, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) following last night’s game. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot will be called up from Triple-A to take Price’s spot on the active roster, and Pepiot is scheduled to work as the bulk pitcher today behind opener Caleb Ferguson.
Price is dealing with inflammation in his left wrist, and received an MRI to fully explore an injury that Roberts said has been nagging Price for the entire season. The injury isn’t considered overly serious, and Price is expected back before the regular season is over. Since Price hasn’t pitched since August 29, his IL placement will be backdated a few days and he could be back by mid-September if he is able to return from the IL when first eligible.
Price has hinted that this could be his final season, and while the lefty is no longer an ace or even a starting pitcher, Price is still effective at age 37. Over 38 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen, Price has a 2.58 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate, and 5.0% walk rate. He has been particularly effective in the second half of the season, with a 1.13 ERA over 16 frames since the All-Star break.
While Price doesn’t usually pitch in high-leverage situations, ending his career as a relief pitcher would provide a nice bookend to his first MLB season, when the Rays used Price as a key late-game weapon in 2008 and Price helped Tampa Bay reach the World Series. The Dodgers are deep in pitching options, but presumably Price (if healthy) has done enough to merit inclusion on the team’s postseason roster, and to potentially cap off his career with another championship.
Once the Price move is official, the Dodgers will have 10 pitchers on the injured list, with some already known to be out for the season and others battling more minor injuries. Since L.A. enjoys an 18-game lead in the NL West, the team has some flexibility in giving players time off to address nagging injuries and get fully healed for the postseason.
In other Dodgers injury news, Brusdar Graterol is hoping to play catch today or tomorrow as he recovers from right elbow inflammation. Graterol told Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group and other reporters that his injury is indeed just inflammation, as revealed by a recent MRI. Graterol was retroactively placed on the 15-day injured list on August 31, just over a week after he returned from missing nearly six weeks on another IL stint due to shoulder inflammation.
Plunkett also reported that Tony Gonsolin was doing some throwing in the outfield yesterday, which is a good sign given the concerning nature of the forearm strain that sent Gonsolin to the 15-day IL earlier this week. The Dodgers were hopeful at the time that Gonsolin’s strain was relatively minor, and that his IL trip was mostly preventative. Roberts said a few days ago that Gonsolin received good results on an MRI, and Gonsolin already throwing is a step towards the All-Star right-hander possibly being able to return in relatively short order.
Moving onto position players, Roberts told Plunkett and company that Gavin Lux will miss a few games after receiving a cortisone shot. Lux has missed time over the last two weeks dealing with neck and upper-back soreness, and the hope is that the cortisone shot will help enough that Lux can avoid the injured list.
Lux has been the Dodgers’ primary second baseman this season, also getting a good chunk of time in left field and some fill-in work at shortstop. The former top prospect has somewhat quietly had a breakout at the plate, hitting .293/.368/.428 with six homers and a league-best seven triples over 418 plate appearances, translating to a 127 wRC+ that is well above the league average. Max Muncy‘s resurgence over the last few weeks gives the Dodgers some cover at second base with Lux at less than 100 percent, but Los Angeles could definitely use Lux healthy for the postseason.
Mets Notes: Carrasco, Medina, Scherzer
The Mets will welcome Carlos Carrasco back from the 15-day injured list today, with the veteran righty being activated to start against the Nationals. Right-hander Adonis Medina was optioned to Triple-A to open up a spot for Carrasco on the active roster.
Carrasco hasn’t pitched since August 15 due to a left oblique strain, though fortunately for both the right-hander and the Mets, it was a lower-grade oblique issue. Rather than a season-threatening injury, Carrasco is now back after just shy of three weeks on the sidelines, and ready to help the Mets in their bid for the NL East title. Though the injury wasn’t overly serious, it did have some notable ramifications on Carrasco’s contract, as he now won’t be able to reach the 170 innings necessary to turn the Mets’ $14MM club option for 2023 into a guaranteed year.
However, it is also quite possible the Mets will end up exercising that option anyway, given how solid Carrasco has been this year. After his first season in New York was marred by injuries, Carrasco has rebounded to post a 3.92 ERA/3.60 SIERA over 126 1/3 innings in 2022. While his hard-contact numbers are middling and Carrasco has been hampered by a .330 BABIP, he has posted above-average strikeout and walk rates. As has often been the case throughout his career, Carrasco also still has one of the best chase rates of any pitcher in baseball.
The Mets have an 85-49 record despite playing virtually the entire season without their first-choice rotation, and that trend might be in danger of continuing just as Carrasco makes his return. Max Scherzer had to leave yesterday’s start after 67 pitches due to what the team described as left side fatigue.
Considering that Scherzer missed close to two months with a oblique strain of his own earlier this season, his removal “was a precautionary move,” the right-hander told MLB.com’s Joe Trezza and other reporters.
“There was nothing that happened. Nothing tightened up. Just had general fatigue overall on my left side,” Scherzer said. “That is where you can run into an injury, when you’re pitching through fatigue….I just couldn’t take any risks, especially where the calendar is at. There is no time left to re-ramp back up. I think that played just as important a factor in coming out after five [innings].”
Scherzer said he would be able to make his next start, while Mets manager Buck Showalter was a little less steadfast, instead saying “we’re hopeful [Scherzer] can make his next start.” New York doesn’t have a game on Thursday, so Scherzer will already get an extra day to rest and recover before he is slated to face the Marlins on September 9. Given the right-hander’s importance to the Mets’ playoff chances, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that start pushed back or perhaps even scratched if Scherzer has any at all lingering effects from his side issue.
Tigers Place Miguel Cabrera On 10-Day IL, Select Josh Lester
TODAY: Cabrera was officially placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to September 3. Lester’s contract was selected from Triple-A, and Meadows was moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot.
SEPTEMBER 3: After tonight’s game, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that the club is going to place Miguel Cabrera on the 10-day injured list with a left biceps strain. Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic was among those to relay the news on Twitter. Infielder/outfielder Josh Lester will be called up to take his place on the active roster. Lester isn’t currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required to make room for him. That might be as simple as transferring Austin Meadows to the 60-day IL, after he announced that he will miss the remainder of the season.
Hinch says that Cabrera will miss 10-14 days but that they want to get him back to the club this year. That doesn’t leave them with a huge window, as there’s just over four weeks remaining in the season at this point. However, the club is well out of contention at this point, meaning they could probably bring Cabrera without a rehab assignment for a few at-bats if he’s able to get his strain under control by early October. The 39-year-old is in the penultimate season of the extension he signed with the club in 2014.
Lester, 28, was a 13th-round draft pick of the Tigers back in 2015. That means he is currently in his seventh minor league season, which would have been his eighth if not for the pandemic wiping out the minors in 2020. He’s never been listed as one of the club’s top prospects at Baseball America or FanGraphs but has earned his way up to the big leagues with a solid showing here in 2022. In 124 Triple-A games on the season, he’s hit 24 home runs and is slashing .242/.304/.469. He’ll be making his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Red Sox Promote Triston Casas
TODAY: Casas’ promotion was officially announced, with the Red Sox also calling up Josh Winckowski from Triple-A. Houck was indeed moved to the 60-day IL, Dalbec was optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Kutter Crawford was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Crawford was supposed to start today’s game against the Rangers but Sox manager Alex Cora said yesterday that the righty would be scratched. Winckowski will instead make today’s start.
SEPTEMBER 3: The Red Sox are going to add first base prospect Triston Casas to the team tomorrow, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. That report has been confirmed by Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe, who adds that Bobby Dalbec will be optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Casas is not currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning they will have to open a spot for him. However, it would likely come down to transferring someone to the 60-day IL, such as Tanner Houck, who was previously reported to be done for the season.
Casas, 22, was selected by Boston in the first round of the 208 draft, 26th overall. He got a brief showing in rookie ball that year and jumped to A-ball to start 2019. He hit 19 home runs for the Greenville Drive while slashing .254/.349/.472, producing a wRC+ of 136 and earning a brief promotion to High-A to finish the year.
After that strong showing in his first full season as a professional, he was ranked the #70 prospect in the sport by Baseball America. Of course, the minor league seasons were canceled that year by the pandemic, preventing Casas from playing organized ball that season. In 2021, he split his time between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 14 homers and slashing .279/.394/.484. He walked in 15.4% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 19.1% of them, producing a wRC+ of 141.
After that excellent season, he jumped up to #19 on BA’s 2022 top prospects list and seemed a candidate to make his major league debut this season. The Red Sox stuck with Dalbec as their first baseman to start the year and Casas was taken off the table when he suffered an ankle injury in May, returning to Worcester at the end of July. In Triple-A this year, he’s hit .273/.382/.481 for a wRC+ of 127, walking in 14.5% of his trips to the plate while going down on strikes just 21.5% of the time. He’s currently ranked as the #28 prospect in the league by Baseball America, #14 by FanGraphs and #31 by Keith Law of The Athletic.
Fans of the Red Sox have been calling for this move for some time, not just because of the strong showing of Casas, but also the struggles of Dalbec. After hitting 25 home runs last year and slashing .240/.298/.494 for a wRC+ of 107, he’s slumped this year to a showing of .211/.282/.363. That production is 22% below league average, as evidenced by his 78 wRC+. Based on those disappointing results, he and Casas will switch places, with Dalbec going down to the minors to try to get back on track.
The Red Sox are seven games behind the Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League with three teams in between, making it very difficult for them to make a serious playoff run over the final month of the season. Regardless, they will give Casas a look over the remainder of the campaign to see how he fares against big league pitching in the next few weeks and hopefully go into the winter with some momentum towards next season. Eric Hosmer was acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline but is currently on the IL. Assuming Casas shows well enough to earn himself regular playing time, the club will have to figure out how to balance having both on the team.
With only a few weeks to go until the offseason, it’s unlikely that Casas will reach 130 at-bats here in 2022, meaning he will hang onto his rookie/prospect status through the winter. That’s a potentially important note under the new collective bargaining agreement. Players with less than 60 days of service who appear among two preseason Top 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline can net their team a bonus amateur draft choice based on their early-career finishes in awards voting, so long as their club carries them on the MLB roster for a full service year. If Casas cracks next year’s Opening Day roster and sticks around all season, and he wins a Rookie of the Year or places highly in MVP balloting during his first couple seasons, the club could pick up an extra draft choice down the line.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Braves Sign Jake Marisnick To Minor League Deal
The Braves signed outfielder Jake Marisnick to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The deal is listed as taking place on August 30, which is significant as 11:59pm ET on August 31 was the postseason eligibility cutoff. Those within an organization but not on the 40-man at the start of September can still be added to the postseason roster to replace a player on the injured list via petition to the commissioner’s office.
Marisnick, 31, is in his 10th MLB season, having seen action with the Marlins, Astros, Mets, Cubs, Padres and Pirates. He’s never been a huge threat at the plate, as evidenced by his career slash line of .234/.272/.390. That amounts to a wRC+ of 81, or 19% below league average. However, he has always provided speed and defense, stealing 79 bases and 76 Defensive Runs Saved over his time in the big leagues.
This year, he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in March but jumped ship to the Pirates as the season was beginning. About five weeks into the season, he required thumb surgery which kept him out of action for about two months. He was released in early August after appearing in just 31 total games for the Bucs on the year. He hit about at his career rate in that time but accrued six Outs Above Average.
The Braves have young superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. on the roster, though he’s been spending a lot of time at designated hitter due to lingering soreness in his return from tearing his ACL last year. That leaves the club with an outfield mix of Michael Harris II, Eddie Rosario, Robbie Grossman, Marcell Ozuna and Guillermo Heredia. Outside of Harris, none of that group is having a very good season. Should the club decide they want to bring up a glove-first option into the mix, they’ll have Marisnick on hand in the minors.
Astros Release Niko Goodrum
Utilityman Niko Goodrum has cleared waivers and been released by the Astros, reports Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. He was designated for assignment by the club on Thursday.
Goodrum, 30, had a couple of solid seasons with the Tigers in 2018 and 2019, hitting 28 home runs and stealing 24 bags over that two-year stretch. His overall batting line of .247/.318/.427 was just barely below league average, as evidenced by his 98 wRC+. He played all over the diamond in that time, lining up at every position outside of the battery. He generally got quality marks for his glovework, helping him produce 4.5 wins above replacement total over those two campaigns, in the estimation of FanGraphs.
However, he’s been in a downward spiral since then, which started with a rough campaign in the shortened 2020 season. He hit .184/.263/.335 that year while striking out 38.5% of the time. In 2021, he bounced back a bit but still disappointed. His .214/.292/.359 batting line led to a wRC+ of 81, much better than the 63 from the year before but a drop off from prior seasons. His strikeout rate improved to 32.9% but was still well above the 23.2% league average.
After two straight down years, the Tigers cut bait and non-tendered him. The Astros decided to take a flier on Goodrum by signing him to a $2.1MM contract for 2022. He got into just 15 games with Houston, hitting a dismal .116/.156/.163 and striking out in 51.1% of his plate appearances. He was optioned to the minors and has been dealing with injuries ever since, only getting into 20 minor league games on the year. With active rosters expanding for September, the Astros decided to call up prospects Hunter Brown and Yainer Diaz, bumping Goodrum from the roster in the process.
Goodrum has more than three years of MLB service time, meaning that he would have been able to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, only players with more than five years’ service time can do so while retaining the salary they are owed. That could have led to him accepting an assignment to stick with the Space Cowboys, though it now seems to be a moot point. With the club releasing him, they will be on the hook for the approximately $400K left on the deal, while Goodrum will return to the open market and look for his next opportunity.