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Orioles Designate Emmanuel Rivera For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera for assignment and reinstated Jordan Westburg from the 10-day injured list, per a team announcement. Baltimore also optioned lefty Grant Wolfram to Triple-A Norfolk, clearing a spot for the activation of lefty Jose Castillo, whom the O’s claimed off waivers yesterday.

Rivera, 29, came to the Orioles following a DFA in Miami last summer. He erupted for a .313/.370/.578 slash and four homers in 73 plate appearances down the stretch, prompting the O’s to tender him a $1MM contract in the offseason. He hasn’t replicated that output in 2025, however. Through 127 turns at the plate, Rivera has logged a tepid .250/.291/.283 slash that more closely resembles his career .245/.305/.360 output in 1169 plate appearances.

He’s still a quality defender at third base and has added some experience at first base, but Rivera is out of minor league options and thus couldn’t simply be sent to the minors without first being removed from the 40-man roster by way of a DFA. He’ll now be made available to the game’s 29 other teams via outright waivers. If and when he clears, Rivera would have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency (both by virtue of having more than three years of MLB service and a prior outright in his career).

It’s been a stop-and-start year for the 26-year-old Westburg. He’s been highly productive when healthy enough to take the field but has endured lengthy IL stints owing to both a hamstring strain and a right ankle sprain. He’s just now returning from the latter of those two maladies after spending nearly a month on the shelf.

When he’s been able to take the field, Westburg has popped 25 extra-base hits (15 homers, nine doubles, one triple) and recorded a stout .276/.326/.473 batting line while splitting his time between third base and second base. Dating back to last season, Westburg has belted 33 home runs in just 751 plate appearances — despite being a right-handed hitter in a ballpark that overwhelmingly sapped right-handed power in 2024 (before altering their left field dimensions this past offseason).

More to come.

Pirates Select Rafael Flores

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The Pirates announced that they have selected the contract of catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores. In a corresponding active roster move, infielder Liover Peguero has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full.

Flores, 24, was just acquired from the Yankees as part of the deadline deal sending David Bednar to the Bronx. He was going to be available in the upcoming Rule 5 draft if not added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster. They were surely planning to give him a roster spot in order to him from that draft. Doing so a few months early allows them to get a look at him in the big leagues before the offseason arrives.

The youngster took an unusual path to being a notable prospect. He attended Rio Honda, a community college outside Los Angeles, and was playing summer ball for the Alaska Goldpanners when the Yanks found him and signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He was roughly league average at the plate in 2023 while playing at the High-A level.

Flores seemed to take a big step forward last year, both offensively and defensively. He stepped to the plate 506 times between High-A and Double-A, producing a combined .279/.379/.495 line and 152 wRC+. FanGraphs ranked him 34th in the system after that campaign, noting that his work behind the plate was improving. Baseball America ranked him tenth among New York farmhands heading into the current season.

The 2025 season has seen Flores boost his stock even further. The righty-swinging 24-year-old clobbered Double-A pitching at a .287/.346/.496 pace (145 wRC+) in 370 plate appearances and has hit .281/.363/.459 (119 wRC+) in 157 Triple-A plate appearances with the Pirates following the trade. He’s not great when it comes to controlling the running game, but Baseball Prospectus gives him above-average framing and blocking grades in the minors this year. At the very least, he has the makings of a bat-first option behind the plate — an area of dire need for the Pirates for the past several years.

Catcher has been a revolving door in Pittsburgh ever since the Bucs traded Jacob Stallings to the Marlins after the 2021 season. They’ve since used a combination of Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez, Joey Bart, Jason Delay, Yasmani Grandal, Tyler Heineman, Austin Hedges, Michael Perez, Andrew Knapp and Roberto Perez — among others — and received disastrous results with the bat. Only the Guardians have received less offensive output from their catchers than Pittsburgh’s combined .208/.285/.314 since Opening Day 2022.

The hope moving forward will be that Flores can turn that tide — or at least play a meaningful role in a catching committee that begins to right the ship. The Pirates’ offense, in general, is among the most anemic in baseball on an annual basis. If Flores can provide even average offense (or slightly above), he ought to receive plenty of looks moving forward, given the difficulty the Bucs have had when it comes to scoring runs year over year.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! Sorry for the lack of advance notice. Schedule has been a bit wonky this week. We’ll go from noon CT until around 1:00 CT or so, however. I’ll give the queue a few minutes to start loading up here while I run and grab a snack, then we’ll get underway.
  • And we’re off

Harry the K

  • What kind of contract is Bader looking at? 2/30?  He’s been amazing for the Phillies, offensively and defensively.

Steve Adams

  • I’d probably come in a touch lighter on the AAV but yeah, that general range doesn’t seem outlandish

Reds GM

  • You guys should publish an article about who could qualify for arbitration for the first time this fall! Also when will the offseason outlook posts begin?

Steve Adams

  • Our arbitration projections are in the works as we speak and will check that box for you. Offseason Outlooks probably will get underway late this month and run through the end of October (maybe into early November). We’ll be writing them while also prepping for our Top 50 Free Agent list/predictions and our top offseason trade candidate list, so a lot of balls in the air at once

David

  • I don’t think the Ricketts will pay for Tucker after this year.

Steve Adams

  • This has pretty steadily been my stance all season. The Cubs would need to exceed their franchise record contract by $200MM+ to re-sign Tucker. I just don’t see it.

Chaim Bloom

  • Is my payroll going to be below $100 million for 2026?

Steve Adams

  • The Cardinals only have $75MM on the books for 2026, and that’s including Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, both of whom will be trade candidates (although STL would have to eat a fair bit of money in either case — especially Arenado). Then you have arb raises for guys like JoJo Romero, Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, etc.Some of those guys could be traded, but the Cards will probably bring in some short-term free agent vets. I’d say over $100MM but not by a large margin.

Nick Kurtz

  • Do you believe service time manipulation has gotten better or worse under this CBA?

Read more

Royals To Activate Cole Ragans On Wednesday

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The Royals will reinstate left-hander Cole Ragans from the 60-day injured list tomorrow, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Kansas City already has an open 40-man roster spot, so unless there are other 40-man moves coming in conjunction with Ragans’ return, they’ll only need to clear a spot on the active roster.

Ragans, 28 this offseason, has been out more than three months due to a strained rotator cuff in his left shoulder. His absence has been a major reason for Kansas City’s slide in the standings and the team’s all but certain elimination from playoff contention, although Ragans certainly hasn’t been the only rotation member to run into health woes this year.

Kris Bubic’s own rotator cuff strain ended his season in late July. Seth Lugo has had IL stints due to both finger and lower back injuries. Michael Lorenzen missed more than a month with an oblique strain. Michael Wacha has been on the concussion list for the past week but is expected to return for tonight’s game. Alec Marsh hasn’t pitched all season due to a shoulder impingement. It’s a far cry from the 2024 season, when the Royals improbably had four pitchers make at least 29 starts (and five make at least 25 starts).

Still, the loss of Ragans has arguably been the most damaging. The southpaw was sitting on an ugly 5.18 ERA in ten starts when healthy, although much of the damage against him came in his final three starts before landing on the IL with this shoulder issue. Ragans carried a 3.79 ERA into mid-May and reached double-digit strikeout figures in four of his first seven starts of the season. And, of course, the lefty’s 2024 breakout was one of the driving forces behind the Royals’ return to the postseason. Ragans pitched 186 1/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate across 32 starts last year, garnering an All-Star nod and fourth-place finish in Cy Young voting for his efforts.

At 75-75, the Royals haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the postseason just yet, but they’re 6.5 games out in the AL Wild Card chase with 12 games left to play. It’d take a borderline miracle for them to sneak into the field. Even with little to play for in terms of 2025 results, however, Ragans’ return gives him the chance to head into the offseason feeling that his shoulder troubles are behind him. If he looks sharp in two starts between now and season’s end, Kansas City would surely feel a bit better about its staff heading into next year. Ragans posted a 4.35 ERA and punched out 20 of the 43 hitters he faced (46.5%) across three minor league starts while rehabbing in recent weeks.

Braves Select Jose Suarez

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The Braves announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of lefty José Suarez from Triple-A Gwinnett. Catcher Sean Murphy, who underwent season-ending hip surgery recently, was moved to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Atlanta also recalled righty Nathan Wiles from Gwinnett and optioned righties Connor Seabold and Alexis Díaz to Triple-A in a series of corresponding moves.

Suarez will make a spot start in Game 1 of today’s doubleheader in Washington. He’ll be opposed by Nationals righty Jake Irvin, who has struggled to a 5.70 ERA over 30 starts. There’s a much more exciting pitching matchup with Chris Sale and MacKenzie Gore squaring off in the nightcap.

Atlanta acquired Suarez from the Angels in a swap for Ian Anderson at the end of Spring Training. The 27-year-old southpaw began the season in Brian Snitker’s bullpen. He tossed 7 1/3 innings over three appearances, allowing three runs (two earned) with seven walks and five strikeouts. Atlanta designated him for assignment and ran him through outright waivers at the end of April.

Suarez has spent most of the season on the minor league injured list. He has been limited to nine appearances (eight starts) with Gwinnett, where he has pitched to a 3.53 ERA over 43 1/3 frames. Suarez has punched out 28% of opponents with a sub-5% walk rate. That earns him at least his first MLB start of the season, and it’s possible he’ll stick on the big league roster in long relief for the last two weeks. Suarez will be controllable through arbitration if he finishes the season on the 40-man roster, though he’d likely be non-tendered.

The Opener: Alvarez, Doubleheader, Pitchers’ Duel

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Alvarez to undergo MRI:

The Astros were dealt a brutal blow yesterday when slugger Yordan Alvarez went down with an apparent ankle injury in the first inning. Alvarez is scheduled to get an MRI to determine the severity of the issue, though the star DH was already seen on crutches and in a walking boot in the clubhouse following last night’s game. Even a minimum ten-day stint on the IL would push Alvarez’s return right up against the end of the regular season, and the start of the Wild Card series is just two weeks from today.

If Alvarez does find himself sidelined into the postseason, perhaps the open DH slot in the lineup would make a return for injured infielder Isaac Paredes more likely. Paredes is rehabbing a significant hamstring injury in hopes of joining the team before their season comes to a close, and perhaps he could return sooner if at-bats at DH are available that wouldn’t require him to be healthy enough to get work in on defense.

2. Doubleheader today in D.C.: 

The Braves and Nats are set to play a doubleheader to make up for a game that was rained out back in May. As noted by Paige Leckie of MLB.com, ticket holders for the originally scheduled game will be able to use those tickets to attend game 1 of today’s doubleheader, which is scheduled for 1pm local time. An as of yet unannounced Braves starter will take on Nats righty Jake Irvin (5.70 ERA), while Game 2 will feature lefties Chris Sale (2.52 ERA in 18 starts) and MacKenzie Gore (4.14 ERA) with first pitch scheduled for 6:45pm local time this evening.

3. Young arms duel in the NL Central:

The Cubs are in Pittsburgh, and the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award is scheduled to take on a hurler who has emerged as a potential favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Paul Skenes is on the shortlist for the very best pitchers in baseball less than two years into his MLB career, and this year he’s dazzled with a 1.92 ERA across 30 starts. He’ll take on Cubs rookie Cade Horton, who debuted back in May and carries a 2.70 ERA in 21 appearances. Those season-long numbers are impressive enough as is, but Horton has found another gear since the All-Star break with a dazzling 0.84 ERA in his last ten starts. Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 6:40pm local time.

Matt Strahm Triggers Vesting Option

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Phillies reliever Matt Strahm completed a perfect eighth inning for a hold tonight against the Dodgers. In the process, he crossed the 60-inning threshold and vested a $7.5MM option for the 2026 season. The southpaw will still need to pass a postseason physical for the option to go into effect.

Strahm initially joined the Phils on a two-year, $15MM free agent contract during the 2022-23 offseason. That has turned into an excellent value for Dave Dombrowski’s front office. Strahm turned in a 3.29 ERA across 87 2/3 innings during his first season with the club. Philadelphia signed him to a one-year extension for the 2025 season before the ’24 campaign even got underway.

The 33-year-old Strahm has responded with arguably the best two years of his career. He worked to a 1.87 ERA over 66 appearances a year ago and holds a 2.83 mark in 60 1/3 frames this season. His velocity has ticked down, but he’s still punching out 28% of batters faced against an 8% walk rate. He carried a solid 11.7% swinging strike percentage into tonight’s performance.

Philly has increasingly leaned on Strahm as one of their top bullpen weapons. He has a career-best 21 holds. In the second half, only closer Jhoan Duran has entered in higher-leverage situations on average. Strahm is alongside David Robertson and Orion Kerkering as the Phils’ top setup arms going into the playoffs. José Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason because of his failed performance-enhancing drug test. Strahm and Tanner Banks will go into October as manager Rob Thomson’s top two southpaws, while waiver pickup Tim Mayza looks like a borderline candidate to make the playoff roster.

The Phillies would very likely have exercised Strahm’s option even if he had fallen shy of the 60-inning mark. Philadelphia will be happy to retain him on an affordable salary for a leverage reliever. Duran will be back in the ninth inning, while Kerkering and Banks remain under control for multiple seasons. The Phils hold a $9MM option on Alvarado, whose season ended last week when he was diagnosed with a forearm strain.

Nationals’ Prospect Jarlin Susana Undergoes Lat Surgery

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Nationals pitching prospect Jarlin Susana underwent lat surgery last week, the team informed reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). It concludes an injury-plagued season for the 21-year-old righty, who was limited to 14 starts and 56 1/3 innings in the minors.

Susana missed two and a half months between May and July nursing a UCL sprain in his elbow. He returned to make eight starts between High-A and Double-A before suffering the lat (shoulder) injury that ended his season. Susana pitched to a 3.51 ERA with a massive 39% strikeout rate. The 6’6″ righty was acquired from San Diego as the furthest off piece of the Juan Soto return at the 2022 deadline. Susana has developed into one of the game’s top pitching prospects, routinely pushing his fastball into triple digits with a wipeout slider.

There’s no question about the quality of the stuff. Susana’s arm health and the development of his command will be the biggest factors in whether he sticks as a starting pitcher long term. He walked 14% of his opponents this season, issuing multiple free passes in 12 of his 14 appearances. Susana never went beyond five innings but recorded double digit strikeouts on three occasions, including consecutive starts against Detroit’s Double-A affiliate on August 19 and 24.

The Nationals don’t need to add Susana to the 40-man roster until the 2026-27 offseason. The injury will certainly impact his offseason and could affect his availability for Spring Training. It’s likely that he’ll begin next year back with Double-A Harrisburg once he’s healthy.

Yordan Alvarez Headed For MRI With Ankle Sprain

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The Astros are sending Yordan Alvarez for an MRI on his left ankle, manager Joe Espada said postgame (via Space City’s Julia Morales). Houston’s star slugger gingerly exited tonight’s win over Texas in the first inning after hurting his ankle scoring a run. The club announced a few innings later that he was diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Chandler Rome of The Athletic observed that Alvarez was on crutches and in a walking boot in the clubhouse after the game.

Alvarez missed the bulk of the season with a small fracture in his right hand. He was out between the start of May and the final week of August. The three-time All-Star had started the year slowly but has raked since his return from the injured list. He’s hitting .369 with a trio of home runs in 18 games over the past three weeks. Alvarez has been in vintage form and is back as one of the team’s lineup anchors as they vie for a playoff spot.

The Astros have used Alvarez more frequently than they wanted in left field. That gave Jose Altuve more at-bats at designated hitter, though he’s been back at second base for the past few games. Victor Caratini stepped in at DH tonight. Alvarez’s exit pushed Jesús Sánchez from right to left field. Rookie Zach Cole came off the bench to play right field. Cole picked up a pair of hits and his second MLB home run in his first four games.

Cole would probably see an uptick in playing time in the corner outfield if Alvarez requires another injured list stint. Altuve could also see mostly everyday DH work with Mauricio Dubón stepping in as a defensive upgrade at second base.

Nationals Have Interviewed Guardians’ AGM Matt Forman

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Guardians executive vice president and assistant general manager Matt Forman has interviewed for the Nationals’ GM vacancy, reports Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. It’s not clear when the interview occurred or whether Forman has advanced beyond the initial stage.

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins reportedly interviewed for the position two weeks back. The Nats also reached out to Dodgers executive vice president Josh Byrnes and Diamondbacks AGM Amiel Sawdaye. Over the weekend, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported that Red Sox’s assistant GM Paul Toboni was also on Washington’s radar. Whether any of those executives formally interviewed is not known. Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post suggested last week that the Nats hoped to have a new front office leader in place by the end of the season.

Forman, a Northwestern product, entered professional baseball with Cleveland in 2013. Forman started as an amateur scouting intern and had worked his way to assistant general manager within four years. A former staffer at Baseball America, Forman received another promotion in January 2022 when the Guardians added the executive VP role to his title. That essentially places him third on Cleveland’s front office hierarchy behind baseball operations president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff. Sky Andrecheck, Eric Binder and James Harris also hold an AGM title with the Guards.

The Nationals fired former GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez in July. Mike DeBartolo has led the front office on an interim basis for the past two months and could also get consideration for the full-time position.

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