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Archives for July 2020

Athletics Release Ryan Goins

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The Athletics announced they’ve released infielder Ryan Goins. The 32-year-old had been in the A’s Summer Camp player pool after joining the organization on a minor-league deal over the offseason.

Goins is most well-known for his time with the Blue Jays from 2013-17. Over that stretch, he logged pretty significant playing time in the middle infield. He’s long rated well defensively (especially at second base), but has never managed anything approaching a league average season at the plate. For his career, he carries just a .230/.279/.335 line (65 wRC+) in 1680 plate appearances.

Since leaving Toronto, Goins has suited up with the 2018 Royals and 2019 White Sox, marking seven consecutive seasons of big league action. He’ll presumably now look to latch on with another club looking to bolster its infield depth.

Health Notes: Mallex, Chirinos, Lourdes, Lowrie, Smith

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Some health updates from around the league with the regular season just four days away:

  • Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith made his Summer Camp debut Saturday, notes Greg Johns of MLB.com. The speedster had not been previously been available for undisclosed reasons. Nevertheless, manager Scott Servais says he’s “pretty confident” Smith will be ready to go for the season opener, per Johns. This could be something of a make-or-break year for Smith, who fell flat in his first season in Seattle. He figures to take the bulk of the center field playing time, presumably flanked most days by Kyle Lewis and Jake Fraley.
  • Rays right-hander Yonny Chirinos made his first Summer Camp appearance today, per various reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com). Chirinos confirmed he’d tested positive for COVID-19 last month, experiencing mild symptoms, adds Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Fortunately, he’s now feeling better, and apparently cleared all MLB protocols for a return. The 24-year-old expressed an expectation he’ll be ready for Opening Day (via Toribio). Given the lack of ramp-up time, Chirinos’ innings will certainly be closely monitored in the early going. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging the 26-year-old is healthy again and in the process of getting back up to speed.
  • Blue Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. was held out of activities yesterday with left side discomfort, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet was among those to relay. It doesn’t seem there’s huge cause for concern at the moment, but even a brief absence would threaten his availability for Opening Day. Gurriel repeating his strong 2019 effort (.277/.327/.541 with 20 home runs in 343 plate appearances) would go a long way if the Jays are to make a surprising push for the postseason in the shortened campaign.
  • Mets infielder Jed Lowrie continues to be plagued by left leg issues, notes Tim Healey of Newsday. He won’t participate in today’s Summer Camp matchup with the Yankees. As Mike Puma of the New York Post points out, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Lowrie’s chances of being ready for Opening Day. It’s the latest setback for the well-respected veteran in a Mets’ tenure unfortunately marred by them. Injuries held Lowrie to just eight plate appearances in the first season of a two-year, $20MM deal.
  • Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith, Jr. was cleared to participate in camp Friday. The 27-year-old acknowledged that a positive COVID-19 test was the reason he’d been delayed, per Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. Fortunately, he’s obviously now managed to clear the protocols for a return and hopes to be ready for Opening Day. Smith hit just .241/.297/.412 (83 wRC+) with 13 home runs in 392 plate appearances last season.

Victor Robles Joins Nationals’ Summer Camp

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Nationals center fielder Víctor Robles was in camp on Saturday, per various reporters (including Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). Robles worked out yesterday and will face live pitching for the first time this afternoon.

The 23-year-old had been isolating after coming into contact with a coronavirus-afflicted teammate a few weeks back. It isn’t clear if he ever contracted the virus himself, but he’s evidently now cleared all the necessary protocols for a return.

The former top prospect is a vital piece of the Nats’ attempted title defense. He made good on his first extended run of big league action in 2019. Robles was merely serviceable at the plate (.255/.326/.419 with 17 home runs in 617 plate appearances), but he was dynamic in all other aspects. He swiped 28 bases and rated as a clear plus overall on the basepaths. More importantly, Robles immediately stepped forward as one of the sport’s most dynamic defenders. His 23 defensive runs saved led all center fielders, while Statcast credited him with 14 outs above average. That more than lived up to scouts’ longtime lofty projections on his glove.

It remains to be seen if the delay will sideline Robles early in the regular season. As manager Dave Martinez acknowledged to Zuckerman, he’s certainly well behind on live reps. No doubt, the club will be cautious not to overexert the prized youngster physically. Nevertheless, Martinez left open the possibility Robles could be on the active roster right out of the gate. Michael A. Taylor would figure to see the biggest uptick in playing time if Robles’ work is limited early on.

Royals Add Jake Brentz To Player Pool

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The Royals added reliever Jake Brentz to their Summer Camp player pool this week, reports Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link). He has been assigned to their alternate training site in Kansas City, Kansas, per MiLB.com.

Originally an 11th-round selection of the Blue Jays, Brentz has yet to make the majors but has twice been traded as a prospect. He was sent from the Toronto organization to the Mariners as part of a package for reliever Mark Lowe. Seattle would move him for MLB middle relief help as well, including him in a package to pick up Arquimedes Caminero from the Pirates. Pittsburgh released Brentz last August; he hooked on with the Royals on a minor-league deal shortly thereafter.

The 25-year-old has spent the better part of the past three seasons in the high minors, where he’s been undercut by control issues. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Brentz has a combined 6.10 ERA with an unpalatable 7.5 BB/9. He’s also shown some swing-and-miss stuff, though, registering 10.3 K/9 over that same period. He’ll be on hand as left-handed relief depth for a Royals club that just traded its top southpaw, Tim Hill, to acquire Franchy Cordero and Ronald Bolanos from the Padres.

Nate Jones Makes Reds’ Opening Day Roster

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Right-hander Nate Jones has been told he will make the Reds’ 30-man roster on Opening Day, as reported by multiple sources (including The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans).  Once Jones’ minor league contract is officially selected by the team, he will lock in the prorated portion of a $1.5MM salary for the season.  Another $1MM in incentives was originally available in Jones’ deal, and he’ll now aim for the prorated version of those bonuses as well.

Simply staying on the field for the entire season (even an abbreviated season) might count as enough of a bonus for Jones, given all of the injury problems he had faced throughout his career.  Apart from a season of 70 2/3 innings in 2016, Jones hasn’t cracked even the 30-inning threshold since 2013, including a campaign of just 10 1/3 frames for the White Sox in 2019 before forearm surgery prematurely ended his year.

However, Jones has shown excellent form when healthy, with a career 3.12 ERA, 2.89 K/BB rate, and 9.8 K/9 over 291 1/3 innings.  All of that work has come in a White Sox uniform, though Jones was dealt to Texas last summer as part of a trade that also saw the Rangers acquire $1MM in international spending funds.  Now in his age-34 season, Jones is hoping to contribute to an intriguing Reds bullpen that also includes such names as Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett, and Robert Stephenson.

COVID News & Notes: Freeman, Paredes, Cardinals

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COVID-19 has taken its toll on the baseball world, with Freddie Freeman being one of the most prominent names to test positive for the virus.  Now recovered and back at the Braves’ camp, Freeman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Gabriel Burns and other reporters about his experience, which included a week of symptoms that even left Freeman fearful for his life on the evening of July 3 when he ran a fever of 104.5 degrees.  “I said a little prayer that night.  I’ve never been that hot before.  My body was really, really hot,” Freeman explained.  “So I said, ’Please don’t take me.’  I wasn’t ready.  It got a little worrisome that night for me.”

Fortunately, Freeman’s decreased to 101 degrees the following morning, and three days of fever gave way to four days where “it almost felt like I had a sinus problem.  I’d stand up, get dizzy and I’d have to sit back down.”  After that, however, Freeman went nine days without any other symptoms.  After getting word yesterday that he had tested negative on two consecutive coronavirus tests, Freeman received full clearance at a local hospital and was at training camp that same afternoon.  While “we’re going to take it day by day” in terms of getting into game shape, Freeman will try to pack as much work as possible over what remains of training camp: “That’s the whole goal, for me to be ready Opening Day.”

Some more on other pending and cleared COVID-19 cases from around baseball…

  • A positive coronavirus test delayed Isaac Paredes’ arrival at the Tigers’ camp until yesterday, but the prospect is now feeling healthy, he told MLB.com’s Jason Beck.  Paredes wasn’t asymptomatic, though he was feeling better even before traveling to the United States from his home in Mexico.  One of the top prospects in Detroit’s farm system, Paredes is only 21 years old and has yet to play any Triple-A ball, though he could have potentially been a candidate for the Tigers’ Opening Day roster had he been healthy.  Instead, Paredes will be assigned to the taxi squad and is “ready and willing to do whatever the staff and the manager want me to do.  I’m ready to play whatever position they want me to.“
  • The Cardinals provided updates on some of their COVID-positive players (MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold were among those to report the news.)  Left-handers Genesis Cabrera and Ricardo Sanchez were both cleared to participate in training, and Cabrera was at Busch Stadium today to play catch while Sanchez will join the Cards’ taxi squad at their minor league training site.  Alex Reyes, meanwhile, confirmed that his delayed arrival to training camp was indeed due to the coronavirus, though Reyes was asymptomatic.  Once one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Reyes has been limited to only seven MLB innings over the last three seasons due to various injuries, so the Cardinals weren’t likely to rush him to the Opening Day roster even had he been healthy.  It isn’t out of the question that Reyes will emerge at some point in the 2020 season as a hard-throwing relief option.

LaMarre, Herrmann Exercise Opt-Out Clauses In Rays Contracts

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8:44PM: Ryan LaMarre has also been released after exercising his own opt-out clause, Topkin reports (Twitter link).  The outfielder has hit .236/.286/.338 over 246 PA in five Major League seasons, with the bulk (180 PA) of that playing time coming with the Twins and White Sox in 2018.  LaMarre inked a minors deal with Tampa after being let go by Minnesota last fall.

5:54PM: Catcher Chris Herrmann has requested his release from the Rays after enacting the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the club, the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin reports (Twitter link).  Herrmann signed the club back in January.

Mike Zunino is slated to be the Rays’ starting catcher, with Michael Perez in line for backup duty and Kevan Smith and Ronaldo Hernandez also part of the 60-man player pool.  It is clear that Herrmann didn’t like his chances of moving up the depth chart, and will now seek out a better opportunity elsewhere.  Speculatively, the Pirates and Giants stand out as obvious potential landing spots — the Bucs just lost Luke Maile to a season-ending finger injury, while Buster Posey’s decision to sit out the 2020 season has left San Francisco without a starting catcher.

Though Herrmann has at times flashed some hitting potential over his eight MLB seasons, he has been a below-average offensive producer overall, with a career .205/.282/.344 slash line and 25 home runs over 992 career plate appearances.  The bulk of that playing time came with the Twins and Diamondbacks from 2012-17, though Herrmann hit well in 87 PA with the Mariners in 2018 before suffering through an injury-plagued 2019 campaign in Oakland.  Herrmann’s ability to play first base and both corner outfield spots gives him more of a versatile resume than your average backup catcher, which could help his chances of catching on with a new team.

Edinson Volquez Makes Rangers’ Opening Day Roster

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Right-hander Edinson Volquez will break camp with the Rangers and be part of the 30-man Opening Day roster, manager Chris Woodward told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan and other reporters.  It will be Volquez’s 15th Major League campaign, and his fifth in a Rangers uniform.

Volquez re-signed with Texas on a minor league deal last winter, following an abbreviated season that saw him post a 6.75 ERA over 16 innings.  It was Volquez’s first action since July 2017, as Tommy John surgery and then another elbow injury kept the righty on the shelf for over two full seasons’ worth of games.  The frustration had Volquez considering retirement last summer, though returning to the mound seemed to reinvigorate him for one more season beyond his final few appearances in September 2019.

Woodward pointed to Volquez’s recent success against left-handed batters (holding them to .670 OPS in 2019) as a reason for keeping him on the roster.  “First and foremost, the stuff is there,” Woodward said.  “I wasn’t going to keep him unless he showed he can get people out….The fact that he has been pitching a long time.  He has pitched in big games.  The leadership aspect in the clubhouse is second to none.”

Volquez turned 37 earlier this month, though the longtime starter could find a second act to his career by moving into a full-time relief role for the first time (while being durable enough to offer the Rangers a potential multi-inning or long relief option).  Volquez’s good numbers against lefty hitters could make him something of a reverse-splits candidate for a Texas bullpen that is somewhat thin on southpaws, as Brett Martin will miss the start of the season recovering from a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Jon Jay Makes Diamondbacks’ Opening Day Roster

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Outfielder Jon Jay will be part of the Diamondbacks’ 30-man roster on Opening Day, the team announced.  A future transaction will need to take place to officially select Jay’s minor league deal to the active roster, but the 35-year-old will be on pace to play in his 11th Major League season.

As per the terms of the contract Jay signed with Arizona in February, making the MLB roster will guarantee him the prorated portion of a $1.5MM salary.  Prior to the league shutdown, Jay was already making a strong case for himself by posting a .947 OPS over 28 Spring Training plate appearances, though Jay’s ability to play all three outfield positions is probably more of a factor than a bat that has been increasingly shaky in regular-season action.

Jay hit .267/.311/.315 over 182 PA with the White Sox last season, though he was slowed by hip problems that eventually required surgery last August.  Overall, Jay generated a negative (-0.9) fWAR, thanks in large part to his struggles against right-handed pitching — over his career, the left-handed hitting Jay has been a decent (.286/.348/.389) if unspectacular performer against righties.

Jay and Tim Locastro will be Arizona’s primary backup outfielders behind the starting trio of David Peralta, Starling Marte, and Kole Calhoun.  Second-year player Josh Rojas still has a shot at making the team as a utility player, while Ketel Marte may get the occasional start in center field when he isn’t in his primary second base spot.  Trayce Thompson is also still an option for the outfield, though he was sent to the Diamondbacks’ minor league camp today.

Latest On Domingo German

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TODAY: German clarified his position another Instagram post, saying that “Baseball is my life, and I am not walking away” from the sport.  German apologized for his original “unsettling post,” saying that “not being ready with my teammates while they get ready for the season, knowing that I have let them down, has taken a toll on me and last night I let my emotions get the best of me.”

JULY 17: Yankees pitcher Domingo German has stated his intention to leave the sport in a series of posts on his Instagram page. “Me fui del baseball,” he wrote in an apparent indication of retirement.

German, who’ll soon turn 28, is still serving the remainder of an 81-game suspension for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. He would not have been able to complete the suspension in time to pitch in the regular season in 2020, though he’d have technically been eligible for postseason play having already been sidelined for the 2019 playoffs.

It’s not clear what specifically prompted German’s evident decision. Neither is it known whether there’s any chance of a change of heart. Presumably, he’ll continue to serve out the remainder of the suspension while residing on the restricted list. Barring some roster decision by the team, the door will theoretically remain open for a return to the sport.

German has just over two years of MLB service at the moment. If he finished his suspension and pitched in the majors for all of the 2021 season, he would be able to reach a full third year of service and qualify for arbitration. Through 243 career innings, German carries a 4.52 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.

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