Rays Reinstate, Option Nick Anderson; Designate Phoenix Sanders
The Rays have reinstated right-hander Nick Anderson from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Durham, per broadcaster Neil Solondz. To create space on the active roster, fellow righty Phoenix Sanders was designated for assignment.
Anderson, 32, underwent elbow surgery in October 2021, a UCL brace procedure that was expected to keep him out of action until at least the middle of this year. As such, he’s been on the 60-day injured list since Spring Training.
The fact that he’s been optioned to the minors is somewhat surprising, given how excellent he was pitching before the injuries slowed him down. After being acquired from the Marlins in 2019, Anderson threw 21 1/3 innings for Tampa that year with a 2.11 ERA, striking out an incredible 52.6% of batters faced in that time while walking just 2.6%. He added another 5 2/3 innings in the postseason with a 1.59 ERA and 38.1% strikeout rate without issuing a single walk.
In 2020, Anderson landed on the IL for almost two weeks due to forearm inflammation. He was still incredibly effective when on the mound, however, throwing 16 1/3 innings with a 0.55 ERA, 44.8% strikeout rate and 5.2% walk rate. He added another 14 2/3 frames in the postseason, with the Rays going all the way to the World Series, though with diminished effectiveness.
In Spring Training 2021, he suffered a partial tear of his UCL but opted to rehab the issue instead of undergoing Tommy John surgery, on the advice of the Rays’ medical staff and renowned surgeon Dr. Keith Meister. He threw six innings that year before eventually going the surgical route at the end of the season.
He was able to return to the mound on a rehab assignment July 22, beginning in the Florida Complex League before joining the Triple-A Durham Bulls. He’s thrown 9 1/3 innings with a 6.75 ERA in that rehab assignment so far with a 23.1% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate. He had a much more palatable 3.86 ERA until his last outing, wherein he entered and faced just three batters, allowing two singles and a home run.
Rehab assignments for pitchers come with a maximum of 30 days, meaning the Rays had to activate him with that timeline expiring. His results during that rehab assignment are obviously a ways off from the form he showed in previous seasons, with that evidently being enough for the Rays to decide on giving him a bit more time to try to round into form. This will potentially have repercussions for Anderson from a service time perspective, as he came into this season with exactly three years in that department, putting him on track to reach the six years necessary for free agency after the 2024 season. Players on the 60-day IL continue to accrue MLB service time, meaning he’s added about 137 days to that total since Opening Day. But since 172 days are required to reach a full year, Anderson will come up short of the four-year mark unless he is quickly recalled and stays with the big league club down the stretch. If that doesn’t happen, it would push his free agency down the road another year. He qualified for arbitration for the first time this year and is earning a salary of $845MM, a bit above the $700K league minimum.
As for Sanders, 27, he’s spent his entire career with the Rays thus far, having been drafted by them in the 10th round in 2017. He was selected to the big league roster for the first time in April. He has split him time between Tampa and Durham this year, with better peripherals than results in the minors but the reverse in the majors. In 30 Triple-A innings, he has a 5.40 ERA with a 27.9% strikeout rate, 1.6% walk rate, .388 batting average on balls in play and 15.8% HR/FB rate. In the majors, he has thrown 14 2/3 innings with a 3.07 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate, .286 BABIP and no homers. With the trade deadline having passed, the Rays will have to place him on either outright or release waivers in the coming days. Since he has never previously been outrighted and has less than three years’ service time, he will be unable to reject an outright assignment in the event he clears waivers.
Giants Sign Ken Giles To Minor League Deal
The Giants have signed righty Ken Giles to a minor league deal, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He is expected to pitch for one of their teams in the Arizona Complex League tonight.
Giles, 31, has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball at times during his career. In 2019, he threw 53 innings with the Blue Jays with a 1.87 ERA, racking up 23 saves and striking out an incredible 39.9% of batters faced. He was limited by injuries to just 3 2/3 innings in 2020, eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery in October.
The Mariners signed Giles to a two-year deal covering the 2021 and 2022 seasons, knowing that he wouldn’t contribute in the first year of the deal. The righty made $1.5MM last year and is making $5MM here in 2022. He missed all of last season as expected, but seemed to be on track to help the club on Opening Day this year. Unfortunately, a finger injury suffered in Spring Training prevented him from making his Mariners debut until June 21. He threw 4 1/3 innings over five frames for the M’s before he had to return to the IL due to shoulder tightness.
He began a rehab assignment in early August to begin his return, getting designated for assignment by the Mariners during that rehab stint. Giles eventually rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency. As a player with more than fives years of MLB service time, it was his right to do so without forfeiting any salary. There’s around $1.18MM remaining to be paid out of that $5MM salary for this year, which the Mariners will be on the hook for, in addition to the $500K buyout on the club option for 2023. If he makes it back to the big leagues with San Fran, they will only have to pay him the prorated league minimum, with that amount being subtracted from what the Mariners pay.
The Giants are still hanging around the playoff race, currently six games behind the Phillies for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. If Giles can return to his previous form, he could give a nice boost to the Giants down the stretch.
Tigers Release Wily Peralta
The Tigers announced that right-hander Wily Peralta has cleared waivers and been granted his release. He had been designated for assignment last week.
Peralta, 33, had a very nice season for the Tigers in 2021, registering a 3.07 ERA over 93 2/3 innings. There were reasons to suspect that it wasn’t totally sustainable, however, especially given his 14.4% strikeout rate, which was well below average. A .259 batting average on balls in play probably played a factor as well. As such, despite that strong ERA, Peralta had to settle for re-signing with the Tigers on a minor league deal for 2022.
He eventually had his contract selected in mid-April, guaranteeing himself a $2.5MM base salary. Detroit dealt with numerous injuries to its pitching staff all year long, ensuring that there was always a need for Peralta’s services. Even Peralta himself was not immune, missing almost a month due to a hamstring strain. But when he was present, he was still effective, putting up a 2.58 ERA over 38 1/3 innings and an improved strikeout rate of 19%, though an elevated 14.3% walk rate.
However, with the club out of contention, they plan to use the remainder of the season to evaluate pitchers for long-term purposes, seeing how they fit into the roster for 2023 and beyond. As Eduardo Rodriguez returned from his lengthy absence, the club let Peralta go, with manager A.J. Hinch saying that “We’re giving Wily Peralta a chance to pitch somewhere else while we look at some guys who are more likely to be here.”
There’s around $588K remaining on Peralta’s $2.5MM salary, which the Tigers will now be on the hook for since he cleared waivers. If any team were to sign him now, they would only be responsible for the prorated league minimum, with that amount being subtracted from what the Tigers pay.
Orioles Outright Brett Phillips
9:52am: Phillips has accepted his outright assignment, MLBTR has confirmed. He’ll remain with the organization in Triple-A.
8:30am: Outfielder Brett Phillips went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles announced late last night. Phillips was designated for assignment last week when Baltimore called outfield prospect Kyle Stowers up to the big leagues.
Phillips has the three-plus years of service time needed to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, but he does not have the five-plus years needed to reject the assignment while retaining the remainder of his salary. There’s about $346K to be paid out on this year’s $1.4MM salary; he’d earn half that much were he to reject and sign elsewhere for the prorated league minimum.
That Phillips went unclaimed is at least somewhat of a surprise, even given his struggles at the plate in 2022. He’s hitting just .144/.217/.249 in 225 plate appearances this year, but Phillips is a dynamic defender — one of the game’s best, regardless of position — and possesses plus speed and power. Major strikeout issues (career 37.8%) and dismal splits against lefties limit his overall offensive output, but Phillips is still the type of fleet-footed, lights-out defender that many clubs like to carry down the stretch — both when September rosters expand to 28 players and, in some cases, into the postseason.
Prior to the 2022 campaign, Phillips carried a .203/.291/.381 slash in 675 MLB plate appearances — still well below par but far closer to passable than this year’s output, particularly when considering his 23 home runs, 29 steals (in 34 tries) and elite defensive marks. In 2136 career innings in the outfield, he has 39 Defensive Runs Saved, 31 Outs Above Average and a 25.5 Ultimate Zone Rating.
For now, assuming he accepts the outright assignment, he’ll remain with the Orioles but won’t count against their 40-man roster while playing in Norfolk. If Phillips isn’t added back to the 40-man roster before season’s end, he’ll become a free agent this offseason (as is the right of all outrighted players with at least three years of Major League service time).
Giants Claim Patrick Mazeika From Mets
The Giants have claimed catcher Patrick Mazeika off waivers from the Mets, tweets Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. The Mets had designated him for assignment a few days ago. To open a spot for Mazeika on the 40-man roster, infielder Donovan Walton has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and placed on the 60-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.
Mazeika, 28, was drafted by the Mets and has spent his entire career with the organization until now. He made his MLB debut last year and has gotten into 61 games between 2021 and 2022. He’s hit just .190/.236/.279 in that time but has much better numbers in the minors. In Triple-A this year, he’s hit .261/.383/.333 for a wRC+ of 105.
The Giants thinned out their catching depth by trading Curt Casali to the Mariners at the deadline. Joey Bart and Austin Wynns are with the big league club, while Yermin Mercedes and Ford Proctor are in the minors, though those latter two also play other positions and are only part-time catchers. Mazeika is also capable of playing some first base, meaning the Giants now have a collection of versatile depth catching options jockeying for playing time.
As for Walton, he was acquired from the Mariners in a May trade, with the Giants optioning him to the minors and recalling him multiple times this year. He was in the minors when injured but has been called up in order to be transferred to the 60-day injured list. This means he will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, but he will earn major league pay and service time for as long as he’s there.
Pirates Select Cam Vieaux, Designate Jose Godoy
The Pirates announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Cam Vieaux. Righty Yohan Ramirez was optioned to make room on the active roster. To open a spot on the 40-man, catcher Jose Godoy was designated for assignment.
This will be the second time that Vieaux, 28, has been selected to the Pirates’ roster. They first called him up in June, letting him make five appearances. The first four went pretty well, with the southpaw only allowing a single earned run in that time. In his fifth outing, however, the Bucs sent him in to pitch the top of the eighth in a game they were losing to the Brewers 9-1. Despite Vieaux getting hit around badly, there was no help forthcoming to get out of the inning. The lefty ended up tossing 56 pitches in that one frame, allowing six hits, three walks and eight runs, seven of them earned. As a result, he has a 14.40 ERA through five innings this year.
As a reward for eating that inning, Vieaux was optioned to the minors and designated for assignment in the following days. He cleared waivers and was outrighted, sticking in the Pirates’ system. In 42 Triple-A innings this year, he has an even 3.00 ERA, with a 23.3% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 43.1% ground ball rate.
As for Godoy, 27, he’s surely racked up his share of frequent flyer miles this year. He began 2022 in the Mariners organization but was claimed off waivers by the Giants in March, who promptly lost him to the Twins on another waiver claim. He stuck with Minnesota until August, at which point he went to Pittsburgh on yet another trip to the waiver wire. He’s spent most of his time in the minors this year, getting into 44 Triple-A games and hitting .201/.272/.299 in that time.
Since the trade deadline has passed, the Pirates will have no choice but to put Godoy on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. If Godoy doesn’t get claimed for a fourth time this year, he can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, by virtue of having been previously outrighted in his career. This leaves the Pirates with Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman as the only catchers on their 40-man roster.
Mets Select Nate Fisher, Designate Sam Clay
11:30am: Tim Britton of The Athletic relays the full slate of moves. Fisher has been selected while Jose Butto has been recalled. To make room on the active roster, Zastryzny was optioned, righty Stephen Nogosek was placed on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain and lefty Sam Clay was designated for assignment.
11:25am: The Mets are selecting the contract of left-hander Nate Fisher, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fisher is not currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required.
To say that Fisher is not a top prospect would be underselling his journey. As noted by Passan, he was out of baseball and working a finance job in Omaha last year. He joined the Mariners’ organization in 2019 but was released in May of 2020. He signed another minor league contract with Seattle in June of 2021, eventually throwing 37 1/3 innings with a 2.89 ERA cross multiple levels of the minors.
He reached free agency in the offseason and was signed to a minors deal by the Mets. He’s split his time between Double-A and Triple-A this season, throwing 72 innings with a 3.37 ERA, 23.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. Now 26 years old, Fisher has made the improbable jump to the big leagues after not even being in the sport just over a year ago.
Though Fisher has made some starts this year, it seems the Mets likely try to utilize him for left-handed relief. Joely Rodriguez has been the only southpaw in the club’s bullpen for most of the year, with Rob Zastryzny just getting added yesterday.
Phillies Place Corey Knebel On 60-Day IL Due To Tear In Shoulder Capsule
The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Tyler Cyr. To make room on the active roster, right-hander Seranthony Dominguez is heading to the 15-day injured list due to triceps soreness. A spot on the 40-man was opened up by Corey Knebel getting transferred to the 60-day IL with a tear in his shoulder capsule. He will not return to the club this season.
It’s yet another unfortunate setback for Knebel, 30, who has frequently oscillated between promising mound work and injury absences. After an excellent run with Milwaukee over the 2015-2018 seasons, he was able to throw only 39 total innings over the next three seasons due to various injuries. The Phillies took a shot on him by giving him a one-year, $10MM contract for 2022. Knebel threw 44 2/3 innings with a 3.43 ERA, which will now go down as his final results for the year, since he won’t return. He’ll head to free agency in a few months, but his recovery from this injury will determine the level of interest.
As for Dominguez, 27, it’s unclear exactly how long the Phillies expect him to be out of action. Regardless, it’s a frustrating setback in what has been a very encouraging season. After Tommy John surgery caused him to miss 2020 and limited him to just one inning in 2021, he has thrown 44 innings this season with an incredible 1.64 ERA. He’s striking out 32% of batters faced, walking just 8.3% of them and getting grounders on 49% of balls in play. That’s primarily come in high leverage situations as well, with Dominguez racking up nine saves and 13 holds on the season. His departure will definitely impair the Phillies’ bullpen for as long as he’s away.
Cyr, 29, was selected by the Giants in the 10th round of the 2015 draft. He showed enough promise in the lower levels of their system to crack Baseball America’s list of top San Francisco farmhands, coming in at #26 in 2018. However, he was met with some struggles when he got to the top of the minor league ladder.
He first reached Triple-A in 2019, getting a single appearance there as the season was winding down. Then the pandemic wiped out the minor leagues entirely in 2020. Cyr then returned to Triple-A in 2021 but registered a 4.91 ERA in 36 2/3 innings that year. He racked up strikeouts at an incredible 31.6% rate but also a 13.5% walk rate. His 52.5% ground ball rate was also quite strong, but he was knocked around by allowing four homers in that sample, a 17.4% HR/FB rate.
After reaching free agency, he signed with the Phillies for 2022 and has had a better showing. He has a 2.50 ERA through 36 innings. His strikeout rate has dropped to 24.8% and he’s still walking 12.1% of batters faced, but he’s still getting grounders on 51.1% of balls in play and hasn’t allowed a home run. Based on that strong showing, he’s been selected to a major league roster for the first time and will make his big league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweeted out the news prior to the official announcement.
White Sox Select Carlos Pérez
The White Sox announced they have selected the contract of catcher Carlos Pérez. Fellow backstop Yasmani Grandal has been placed on the 10-day injured list on the heels of last night’s injury, which created room for Pérez on the active roster. Grandal’s injury has been described as a left knee strain. To open a spot on the 40-man, right-hander Kyle Crick has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Pérez, not to be confused with the Carlos Pérez who is catching in the Rockies’ system, is a 25-year-old who has been in the White Sox organization for his entire career so far. He made his professional debut in rookie ball back in 2014 and has been working his way up the minor league ladder since. He has never been a highly-touted prospect, though he has frequently been an honorable mention on FanGraphs’ lists of top White Sox farmhands, with those reports noting his bat-to-ball skills and strong arm but lack of power.
This year, he’s played 91 games in Triple-A, trying his best to get rid of that lack-of-power reputation. He’s hit 17 home runs on the year after only hitting 20 total long balls in his seven previous minor league seasons. He’s also struck out in just 8.2% of his plate appearances, which is barely one third of the 22.3% MLB average. That’s led to a batting line of .257/.319/.446, wRC+ of 101, a hair above league average.
Pérez will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. It’s possible that he sticks around for a bit, joining Seby Zavala as the club’s catching tandem. Those two and Grandal are the only three catchers currently on the White Sox 40-man roster.
As for Crick, this won’t affect his timeline since he’s already been on the injured list for over 60 days. It was June 15 when he was first placed on the IL due to elbow inflammation, with no indications he’s close to returning.
Dodgers Release Pedro Baez
The Dodgers have released Pedro Baez, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Baez made his return to the organization when he signed a minor league contract in May.
Baez appeared in three games with the Astros before being released in late April, but didn’t return to the mound until July, when he pitched with the Dodgers’ Arizona Complex League affiliate. Moving to Triple-A Oklahoma City at the end of July, Baez struggled to a 14.29 ERA over 5 2/3 innings in OKC, with much of that damage coming in his final outing. Just yesterday, Baez allowed five runs without recording a single out against the Sugar Land Skeeters.
From 2014-20, Baez was a very dependable member of the Los Angeles bullpen, posting a 3.03 ERA over 356 innings with the Dodgers and helping the team capture the World Series in 2020. However, Baez’s strikeout rate and fastball velocity both started to decline during that 2020 season, but that didn’t stop Houston from inking the right-hander to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $12.5MM.
That deal ended up being a bust for the Astros, as Baez threw only 6 2/3 innings in a Houston uniform before being released in April. Shoulder problems kept Baez on the sidelines for the majority of the 2021 season, and given his near-total lack of results over the last two years, there is certainly a fear that Baez may no longer be effective as a big league pitcher (or perhaps even as a Triple-A pitcher) at age 34.
The Dodgers would’ve only owed Baez the prorated portion of the Major League minimum salary if he’d reached their active roster, so with this release, the Dodgers cost themselves nothing by seeing if a familiar face could regain his old form. The Astros are responsible for what remains of Baez’s $5.5MM salary for the 2022 season, and that figure will only lessen by a prorated minimum salary if another team should sign Baez and add him to the MLB roster.