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Archives for August 2019

Diamondbacks To Designate Zack Godley For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks have told right-hander Zack Godley that he has been designated for assignment, the Arizona Republic’s Richard Morin reports.  MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweeted that such a move seemed imminent earlier today, as Godley was seen saying his goodbyes to teammates in the Arizona clubhouse.

The news ends a nightmare of a season for Godley, who posted a 6.39 ERA, 1.66 K/BB rate, and 6.9 K/9 over 76 innings for the D’Backs.  He lost his rotation job at the end of April (minus a few spot starts the rest of the way) and couldn’t get on track coming out of the Snakes’ bullpen.

After posting solid results as a starter for the D’Backs in 2017-18, Godley looked like a promising mid-rotation arm before his numbers fell off virtually across the board from his performance in the previous two seasons.  Godley’s strikeout fell markedly after he averaged better than a strikeout per inning in 2017-18, while his grounder rate, home run rate, swinging strike rate, and hard-contract rate all went in the wrong direction.

Since Godley was out of options, Arizona couldn’t send him to the minors and had no choice but to designate him and expose him to outright waivers.  Despite his struggles, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team make a claim on Godley, given how difficult it is to obtain pitching now that the trade deadline has passed.  Godley isn’t even arbitration-eligible yet until this winter, so non-contenders are also likely to have interest in seeing if they can land a controllable arm that could be a potential bargain if he can get on track.  While his career home-road splits are pretty even, Godley has pitched a bit better outside of Chase Field this year, so perhaps a change of scenery is required.

Injury Notes: Cano, Chirinos, Sanchez, Suter

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Robinson Cano went 3-for-3 in the Mets’ 13-2 win over the Pirates today, though the veteran infielder’s big day was tarnished by a left hamstring strain.  Cano had to be removed from the game after suffering the injury while running the bases during a fourth-inning single.  An MRI is scheduled for Monday, and it seems likely that Cano will face the third injured-list stint of the season due to his left leg — a pair of quad injuries sidelined the veteran second baseman earlier in the year.  While Cano is still hitting only .252/.295/.415 over 346 PA this season, he was in the midst of a hot streak at the plate, as Sunday marked his fourth consecutive multi-hit game.

We’ve already had quite a bit of injury news from around the game today, and here are updates on some other situations…

  • Yonny Chirinos’ start was cut short after five innings and 63 pitches today due to right middle finger inflammation.  Chirinos will undergo tests on Monday, though the Rays right-hander told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and other reporters that he doesn’t think his finger is a major concern.  Today’s outing boosted Chirinos to a 3.62 ERA and 7.82 K/9 (against just a 1.99 BB/9) over 126 2/3 innings this season, as Chirinos has increasingly been used in a traditional starting pitching role rather than as the “bulk pitcher” behind an opener.  Chirinos’ emergence has helped a Rays rotation that has continued to rely heavily on openers and bullpen games, particularly with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both on the injured list.
  • Gary Sanchez is tentatively scheduled to return to the Yankees’ lineup during their series with the Blue Jays from August 8-11, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweets.  Sanchez is on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment, in the wake of a left groin strain that sent him to the IL on July 24.  At the time of the injury, Sanchez was suffering through a brutal slump that had seen him post only a .370 OPS over his previous 93 plate appearances, which dropped his season slash line to .229/.299/.508 over 328 PA.
  • After beginning a minor league rehab assignment for the Brewers’ rookie league affiliate, left-hander Brent Suter will continue the process at Double-A, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.  Suter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2017 and is still hopeful of returning to the hill for the Brewers before the season is over.  The soft-tossing Suter posted a 3.91 ERA, 3.54 K/BB rate, and 7.2 K/9 over 204 2/3 innings for Milwaukee from 2016-18, overcoming his lack of velocity by becoming a master at generating soft contact from opposing batters.

Blue Jays Release Alen Hanson

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The Blue Jays have released utilityman Alen Hanson, as per the Twitter page of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.  Hanson struggled to a .187/.232/.271 slash line over 180 PA for Buffalo this season.

It’s been an all-around rough year for Hanson, who had only a .392 OPS over 48 Major League plate appearances for the Jays before the club outrighted him off their 40-man roster in May.  Hanson was part of the three-player trade package Toronto acquired from the Giants for Kevin Pillar soon after the start of the season, though Hanson didn’t produce in what little playing time he received in a Jays uniform.

After receiving some top-100 prospect recognition while coming up in Pittsburgh’s farm system earlier in the decade, Hanson hasn’t delivered on that promise over 625 MLB plate appearances (.232/.266/.368) for the Pirates, White Sox, Giants, and Blue Jays from 2016-19.  Hanson is still only 26 and has multi-positional ability, so it’s possible he could get another look on a minors contract from another team interested to see if he could be a late bloomer.

Nationals Sign T.J. Rivera To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed infielder T.J. Rivera to a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Rivera has been assigned to Washington’s Double-A affiliate.

A late bloomer who didn’t reach the majors until he was 27, Rivera hit .304/.335/.445 over 344 plate appearances for the Mets in 2016-17.  He hasn’t been back to the Show, however, since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2017, and was limited to only six minor league appearances in the Mets’ farm system in 2018 before being released in Spring Training.

Rivera then took time off to get fully healthy before inking a deal with the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks in early July, and hit .273/.323/.440 over 93 PA for the Ducks.  He’ll now provide the Nationals with some versatility around the infield, as Rivera has a wealth of experience at second, third, and first base (plus some shortstop early in his career, and a handful of games as a corner outfielder).  Though his Double-A assignment doesn’t hint that a big league call-up is imminent, Rivera nonetheless provides some extra depth for a Nats club that just lost Howie Kendrick to the injured list earlier today.

Astros Suspend Reymin Guduan

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The Astros have suspended left-hander Reymin Guduan for what GM Jeff Luhnow described as a “disciplinary issue” at Triple-A, the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome writes.  Guduan will be suspended for the rest of the season.  Specifics aren’t known about what caused the punishment, as Luhnow only said that Guduan “broke our team rules and is being disciplined because of it.”

Guduan has appeared in 32 games for the Astros over the last three seasons, with just 24 2/3 innings amassed over that limited big league action.  The hard-throwing southpaw has an 8.03 ERA as a Major Leaguer, including an 11.81 mark in only 5 1/3 frames this season.  Even in the minors, Guduan hasn’t exhibited much consistency — a 4.64 ERA over 382 career innings in Houston’s farm system, with an 11.1 K/9 that has been undermined by a 6.2 BB/9.  Between this lack of a track record and now a lengthy suspension, it’s fair to wonder if this could mark the end of Guduan’s time with the Astros organization.

Though Guduan wasn’t likely to be much of a factor for the Astros down the stretch this season, though his absence does remove some depth in an area that was already something of a thin area for the team.  As Rome notes, Wade Miley, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez are the only left-handers on Houston’s entire 40-man roster.  Of that trio, Miley is a starter, Valdez and Perez are in the minors, and Perez is additionally on the injured list.  While the Astros haven’t much sweated their lack of left-handed relievers over the last couple of years, the lack of an August waiver trade period this season would make it all the more difficult for the team to acquire another pitcher if it felt another lefty arm was needed.

Reds Sign Tim Collins To Minors Contract

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The Reds have signed left-hander Tim Collins to a minor league deal, as first listed on MLB.com’s official transactions page.  Collins made his debut for Triple-A Dayton this afternoon.

Collins has only 8 2/3 MLB innings (with a 3.12 ERA) to his name this season, as he has been shuttling between the Cubs’ 25-man roster and their Triple-A affiliate.  The veteran southpaw was designated for assignment last week, and he chose to become a free agent in search of a new opportunity rather than accept an outright assignment to Chicago’s farm system.

Amir Garrett and Wandy Peralta are the only left-handed relievers on Cincinnati’s Major League roster, and Collins’ addition gives the Reds some depth once Garrett begins serving the suspension issued for his role in the recent brawl between the Reds and Pirates.  While Garrett is appealing that suspension and could possibly get it reduced from eight games, he will very likely still miss some time, and Collins’ presence at Triple-A gives the Reds a veteran option who will be ready to go once Garrett sits.

Collins has a 3.60 ERA, 9.1 K/9, and 1.80 K/BB rate over 242 1/3 innings in a big league career that began in 2011, though also didn’t see any MLB action from 2015-17 due to a long recovery from two Tommy John surgeries.

Post-Deadline Outrights: Flynn, De La Cruz, Guerra, Blazek

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In the immediate aftermath of the trade deadline, a handful of clubs cleared 40-man roster space with a series of designations. Many of those players have since cleared waivers, and we’ll round up those minor moves here…

Latest Moves

  • The Royals announced that southpaw Brian Flynn was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers.  Flynn has a 5.22 ERA over 29 1/3 innings for K.C. this season, a disappointing result for a reliever who posted solid numbers out of the Royals’ bullpen in both 2016 and 2018.

Earlier Today

  • Cubs minor-league right-hander Oscar de la Cruz has cleared waivers. The 24 year-old has seen his once-lofty prospect status deteriorate due to a combination of injuries, command woes, and a suspension for a masking agent. He’ll remain with the club’s AA affiliate in the Southern League.
  • Nationals right-handers Javy Guerra and Michael Blazek each cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Fresno. Because each veteran has previously been outrighted, they may elect free agency, but the shaky Washington bullpen could plausibly offer them the best opportunity to return to the big leagues in short order.
  • Giants right-handed reliever Dan Winkler was outrighted. San Francisco acquired him as a salary offset in the Mark Melancon trade but never had any interest in letting him see the field amidst a disappointing 2019 season. Winkler can elect free agency because he has over three years of MLB service.
  • Rockies left-handed relief arm Harrison Musgrave will remain on hand at Triple-A Albuquerque after clearing. The 27 year-old has had little success in 45 MLB games in Colorado over the past two seasons.
  • Diamondbacks right-hander Joey Krehbiel will remain on-hand at Triple-A Reno. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel named the 26 year-old reliever a prospect to watch thanks to a plus changeup preseason, but he’s had a nightmarish season in the Pacific Coast League.
  • Veteran catcher Tim Federowicz has cleared. The backstop had been playing for the Rangers, but he may elect to catch on elsewhere on a minor-league deal.
  • Phillies corner infielder Mitch Walding has also cleared waivers. He’ll remain in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he’s struggled to make contact in 2019.
  • Eric Stamets, the Indians’ Opening Day shortstop, has cleared as well. The 27 year-old has put up anemic offensive numbers with Triple-A Columbus, where he’ll continue to try to right the ship, over the past two seasons.

Marlins To Promote Isan Diaz

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After placing outfielder Cesar Puello on the injured list, the Marlins are prepared to call up minor-league second baseman Isan Diaz to make his Major League debut, per Craig Mish of FNTSY Sports Radio. Diaz is already on the 40-man roster. Mish would add in a later Tweet that Lewis Brinson has also been recalled from Triple-A.

Diaz, 23, joined the Marlins as one of the pieces in the package that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. Diaz is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Marlins’ fifth-best prospect and No. 86 in all of baseball. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com tout his raw power as his carrying skill, with his “bat speed and the strength in his compact frame translating into hard-hit balls to all fields.” However, it bears mentioning that there will be some pressure on the bat to produce, given his unremarkable defense and baserunning. If his Triple-A numbers are to be believed, there’s plenty of reason to believe in the power and overall offensive potential: Diaz has slugged 26 home runs this year, not to overlook a pretty .305/.395/.578 batting line. Though his strikeout numbers are high, he’s sporting a tidy 12.3% walk rate in his minor league career, which began in 2014 when the D-Backs made him a second-round draft choice.

On the diamond, second base looks like the best spot for Diaz, and the keystone might be the smoothest fit on the Major League roster. With Brian Anderson playing right field, the Marlins could give Starlin Castro a look at third base, leaving the door open for Diaz to get regular at-bats at second.

Diaz’s promotion to the big leagues may put him on the vanguard of a burgeoning Miami farm system that added touted 21-year-olds Jazz Chisholm and Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline. FanGraphs ranks the Marlins’ farm as the fifth-best in baseball, and it’s stocked with a number of high-ceiling, volatile athletes who will determine the precise timeline of Miami’s rebuild. Either way, the organizational depth is a massive improvement over its state after dealing Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton, and Marcell Ozuna, all of whom brought arguably light returns.

Given Lewis Brinson’s struggles, Diaz may be the piece to salvage the much-maligned Yelich trade, which has already returned some value to the Marlins in the form of promising rookie Jordan Yamamoto. If Brinson’s results to date are representative of his true talent, Diaz may end up being the headliner of Miami’s return, though the verdict is still out on Monte Harrison, who has yet to debut.

The book’s not closed on Brinson, either: since his demotion, the 25-year-old has played 81 games at Triple-A, where he’s swatted 16 home runs and posted an overall .871 OPS. He’s managed a solid 9.4% walk rate in that same span, a skill that has completely vanished in his stints in the Majors. Just 25 years old, there’s still time to show that he can carry that success to the Major League level, but early returns have made the acquisition look like a misstep.

Diamondbacks Outright Yasmany Tomas

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The Diamondbacks have sent Yasmany Tomas outright to Triple-A Reno, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, removing Tomas from the D-Backs’ 40-man roster. He had previously been optioned to Triple-A on Thursday.

The move comes after a brief stint that saw Tomas play in the Majors for the first time since 2017. In four games this season, the 28-year-old went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts.

No longer on the 40-man roster, it would appear that the Diamondbacks are running out of patience with Tomas, one of the organization’s highest-paid players. He’s managed a serviceable .765 OPS for his career, including a 2016 season in which he clubbed 31 home runs, but the masher has failed to offset his defensive shortcomings enough to justify a spot on the roster.

Tomas is still owed more than $20MM through the end of next season and he’s been productive in the minor leagues—to the tune of a .944 OPS this season—but evidently the organization has minimal confidence in his ability to defend capably.

Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On IL, Activate J.A. Happ

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According to an official team release, the Yankees have placed center fielder Aaron Hicks on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain and have returned left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ from the paternity list.

For the Yankees, the injury woes continue unrelenting, with Hicks making his second trip to the injured list this season. The outfielder, playing out the first year of a seven-year extension signed this spring, has been limited to just 59 games this year. With an apparent elbow issue, his departure from last night’s game certainly inspired some nervousness in New York. However, as James Wagner of the New York Times notes, the silver lining in the situation is that there’s no damage to the ligament, meaning that Hicks will avoid Tommy John surgery. He’ll be shut down from throwing, with the Yankees hoping that a 2019 return is still in the cards.

Happ will be activated in time to start Sunday’s series finale against the Red Sox, with the Yankees seeking a sweep. He’ll be opposed by David Price, who was likewise activated from the paternity list on Sunday.

In this equation, another name that bears mentioning is Clint Frazier’s. Evidently, he isn’t the immediate replacement for Hicks, but he could get another shot down the stretch, depending on the extent of Hicks’s injury. As it stands, it’s hard to find room for the promising 24-year-old on the Yankees active roster. With Hicks out of commission, it appears that Brett Gardner will assume the center field duties, with Mike Tauchman slotting into left field and leaving Cameron Maybin as the team’s fourth outfielder. Both Tauchman and Maybin have been revelations, making it hard to justify demoting either.

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