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Archives for August 2020

Orioles Designate Dwight Smith Jr., Select Mason Williams

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The Orioles have designated outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. for assignment and have selected the contract of outfielder Mason Williams, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

With Smith Jr. removed from the 40-man roster, the team will have a week to either trade the 27-year-old or place him on outright waivers. Per Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com, O’s general manager Mike Elias is hopeful that Smith Jr. will remain in the organization following his DFA.

Although his 2020 season has not gone as hoped, Smith Jr. was a capable contributor for last year’s Orioles, batting .241/.297/.412 in his first shot at a regular role with an MLB team.

However, he’s fallen out of favor in Baltimore as he finds himself in an increasingly crowded outfield mix in need of a true center fielder after the injury to Austin Hays. Smith Jr. is limited to left field and has struggled defensively since coming to Baltimore.

Mason Williams will join the Orioles roster as an option to play center field occasionally, and is more suited for a role as a fourth outfielder than Smith Jr. due to his positional flexibility. He appeared with the Orioles briefly last year, though he spent the majority of the year with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate. There, he hit .308/.371/.477 with 18 home runs, his most in a season since debuting in 2010.

Stephen Strasburg Diagnosed With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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Aug. 22: To make room for Wil Crowe as the 29th man in today’s doubleheader, the Nationals moved Strasburg to the 60-day injured list, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. It’s a big blow for the defending champs who will be without their World Series MVP for the rest of the 2020 season. Strasburg will undergo surgery next week, per MASN.com’s Mark Zuckerman (via Twitter).

Aug. 21: After meeting with a nerve specialist, the initial diagnosis of carpal tunnel has been confirmed, Martinez tells reporters (Twitter link via Dybas). Strasburg and the team are weighing their options, one of which is surgery.

Aug. 15: The Nationals will place Stephen Strasburg on the injured list, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman. Strasburg’s still dealing with nerve irritation, according to manager Dave Martinez (via Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post). The diagnosis appears to be carpal tunnel neuritis of the right hand, per Todd Dybas of NBCSW.

Strasburg’s early season injury issues continued Friday in a start against the Orioles. Strasburg departed in the first inning, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. The Nationals replaced him with righty Erick Fedde.

Strasburg made his 2020 debut last Sunday and yielded five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Orioles. The O’s Anthony Santander smacked a home run off Strasburg on Friday before he had to leave his rematch against the club. Before losing his command in the 4th, however, Strasburg looked like his old self, pulling the chain on changeups and placing his fastball around the edges of the zone.

This has no doubt been an alarming way to open the season for Strasburg, whom the Nationals re-signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract in free agency last winter. Strasburg earned that mega-deal on the heels of a brilliant season that he finished as the World Series MVP for the Nationals, who won their first-ever championship. Like Strasburg, though, Washington has begun the season in less-than-ideal fashion, as it entered Friday with a 6-10 record.

With Strasburg out, Fedde is likely to move back into the rotation. The 27-year-old right-hander has been in and out of the rotation for the better part of the past two seasons. He was in contention for a rotation spot at the start of the season, but that spot went to Austin Voth. The Nationals rotation has been in flux for the entirety of the season, starting with a hamstring issue that bothered Max Scherzer. Anibal Sanchez, another mainstay from last year’s team, has struggled out the gate.

Ryne Harper will return to the Nats to fill Strasburg’s roster spot, per Dybas. Harper’s been used quite a bit this season, but he’s been shelled of late. In total, the 31-year-old former Twin owns a 8.10 ERA/6.13 FIP, though a 10.8 K/9 gives at least a little hope that Harper can become a reliable source of outs for the NAts.

Brewers Designate Brock Holt For Assignment

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The Milwaukee Brewers designated Brock Holt for assignment and selected Jace Peterson from their alternate site, the team announced.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Holt signed this past offseason and the Brewers have a club option for a second year. That said, the long-time Red Sox utility man had gotten off to a horrendous start. Through 36 plate appearances, Holt was hitting just .100/.222/.100 with 9 strikeouts and without an extra-base hit. The career .269/.338/.370 hitter obviously can do better, but in a shortened season, the Brewers clearly decide they did not have time to wait for a turnaround.

Holt signed for a $3.25MM guarantee after spending the past seven seasons with the Red Sox. The expectation was that Holt would fill in around the infield, but the Brewers aren’t short on other options – Peterson included – and Holt simply wasn’t hitting.

Peterson, 30, stands to replace Holt both on the roster and in his role. Capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond, Peterson has bounced around, but appeared in the majors every season since 2014. The Brewers will be his fifth team, after the Padres, Braves, Orioles, and Yankees.

White Sox Activate Reynaldo Lopez, Option Nicky Delmonico

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The White Sox activated Reynaldo Lopez to start tonight’s game against the rival Cubs, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, outfielder Nicky Delmonico has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site in Schaumberg, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Lopez made one start this season before spending the next 25 days on the injured list with right shoulder soreness. He recorded just two outs while surrendering three hits and a pair of walks. Lopez, 26, has been a steady if unspectacular presence in the Chicago rotation the past two seasons. After a strong 2018, he took a step back last season, totalling a 17-25 record and 4.64 ERA/4.83 FIP over those two seasons.

Lopez throws hard (95.4 mph on his four-seamer last year), and despite a low spit rate, his heater has above-average side-to-side movement. He’s heavily reliant on the heater, throwing it close to 60% of the time, and his secondary pitches (a changeup and slider) haven’t reached the level of consistency the White Sox would probably prefer for a rotation arm. Still, Lopez should be able to reclaim his rotation spot for the foreseeable future if he can return to form.

Delmonico has been a regular roster presence over the past three seasons, but the emergence of Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert have put a squeeze on outfield innings. The 27-year-old is off to a slow start this year with a triple slash of .150/.227/.150 across 22 plate appearances. Adam Engel and Luis Gonzalez remain on the active roster as spare outfielders.

Identifying Potential Deadline Sellers

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The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies completed a trade on Friday, a rarity in this shortened season. While most pundits expect a quiet deadline 9 days from now, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal sees a template in Friday’s deal that might pave the way for more deals: “Desperate buyer. Eager seller. Cold hard cash to seal the deal.” That very well may be an equation that works, but there are a number of complications this trade season – including the identification of those “eager sellers.”

The Red Sox qualify, but it’s fair to wonder how many viable arms they have to move from the league’s worst pitching staff after sending two to Philly. The Angels begrudgingly find themselves with the worst record in the American League. The Mariners should be open for business again this year. The Rangers could have some interesting names if they decide to sell – especially from the rotation – currently 5 1/2 out of the wild card. The Tigers largely have the wrong combination of young players unlikely to move and veterans without much appeal, while the Royals rarely qualify as “eager sellers” no matter their position in the standings. Still, the tastemakers at the top of the American League have begun to pull away just enough to start some conversations with the cellar-dwellers.

It’s a different story in the National League, where the Pirates are the only team more than 2 1/2 games out of a wild card spot. Pittsburgh can dangle Keone Kela – if he’s healthy – and southpaw Derek Holland as well as some of their more controllable players, per MLB.com’s Adam Berry. Josh Bell would be the big fish here, and with a new regime in place and Bell off to a slow start, there could be the makings of a deal, but it’ll likely take some doing to pull him from the steel city. Trevor Williams and Adam Frazier are controllable, but both are 28-years-old and could do more for the Pirates’ future as trade bait. Richard Rodriguez, 30, is off to a great start (14-to-1 K/BB through 10 2/3 innings). Given the league-wide dearth of reliable/healthy bullpen arms, it’d be surprising to see Rodriguez survive trade season.

To illustrate the difficulty of finding an NL seller, we can stay in the same division. The Reds are off to a relatively disappointing 11-13 start, but that still places them just 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. They continue to be all-in this season, and they are hoping to add some talent, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Nightengale suggests they could look for a lefty bat to join the infield mix or to fortify their bullpen. The Reds might benefit most, however, from Eugenio Suarez finding his footing and Pedro Strop and Robert Stephenson returning to shore up the bullpen.

The other side of the deadline coin is finding the right prospects to ship out. Without minor league games to scout players, teams are mostly reliant on old or incomplete information. The Astros, for instance, could dangle top prospect Forrest Whitley, but after a disappointing 2019 and an injury early this season, it’s difficult to pinpoint his value. Still, new GM James Click isn’t taking anyone off the trade table for now, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros would appear to be selling low on Whitley, however, and given the bizarre circumstances of this season, they might see more value waiting to see if he returns to form.

Theo Epstein On Cubs’ Trade Deadline Plans

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Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein spoke to media members including Russell Dorsey from the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, tackling a wide array of topics including the trade deadline, the Cubs’ intentions, and the trade landscape in the league as a whole.

“There are a lot of years when we know we have an impactful move or two in us. It’s just a matter of finding it and executing on it,” said Epstein in a quote provided by Dorsey. “This year, the moves might be more complimentary and there might be more internal solutions.”

Epstein has a history of getting out in front of the Cubs’ deadline plans with the media and setting expectations for a fanbase that annually eyes a blockbuster deal. Epstein is setting expectations below that level. Specifically, Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer are hunting for a lefty for the bullpen, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Of course, Levine clarifies, the real intent is acquiring any bullpen arm that can retire left-handed batters.

The Cubs have but one southpaw in the pen as of now: Kyle Ryan has appeared in 9 of the Cubs’ 25 games thus far, but a .364 BABIP and 50% FB/HR ratio have contributed to a substandard 7.04 ERA/7.61 FIP. His 4.06 expected FIP may give rise to the notion that Ryan’s seen some bad luck on batted balls in the early going. Brad Wieck, the other lefty on their Opening Day roster, was placed on the 45-day IL with a strained hamstring. The towering southpaw made just one appearance before heading to the injured list.

The lefty specialist may not be the marquee addition for which Northsiders hunger, but Epstein offered a sunny outlook on the potential impact of the non-blockbuster acquisition: “We’ve done some pretty big trades at the deadline most years, but the smaller moves where you get incrementally better in a couple of different areas, especially to address certain needs can make a big difference as well.” 

One of those big acquisitions from previous years will return to the roster shortly. Jose Quintana simulated a 2-inning outing yesterday in what could be a final tune-up before returning to the rotation, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Overall, Quintana has provided the Cubs with reliably back-end-quality innings, though it’s been delivered in an up-and-down fashion that teases greater potential.

Quintana’s return, along with the return of Tyler Chatwood, will give manager David Ross some decisions to make regarding his rotation. Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, and Jon Lester figure to have themselves a seat when the music stops, but Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay may be relegated to pen duty or sent back to the alternate site until the Cubs are in need of additional starters. Alzolay gave the Cubs a solid outing last week before being sent back to the alternate site, while Mills remains in the rotation at least until Chatwood returns.

Those seven starters may be partially responsible for the Cubs’ sobering deadline plans, but the pandemic also plays a role. Epstein pontificated, as he is wont to do, on not only his team’s deadline hopes, but what the market holds for the league as a whole: “In the game overall, you might still see those big moves, if there’s a perfect match and one team’s long-term needs complement another team’s short-term needs, you may see a big trade. But there’s certainly obstacles to that industry-wide and in our situation.”

Epstein and other decision-makers have to weigh considerations beyond their teams’ on-field needs this year. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney provides this quote from Epstein on the logistical and social scrutiny required of teams in the time of COVID:

“Every team is going to be cognizant of who they’re bringing in and how responsible they would be and how much you can count on them. Also, if acquiring the player puts them in an untenable situation, it might be hard to acquire somebody who’s got a great setup with their family in a certain spot geographically. Then you’re going to pull them out of there and put them into a situation where they’re not set up to have stability or set up to have success. You have to weigh it from that end, too. Impact on our group and on the execution of the protocols, but then also impact on the individual and making sure you’re asking something realistic of somebody.”

Chris Antonetti On Mike Clevinger, Zach Plesac

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The Indians banished right-handers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac to their alternate site a week ago after the two broke coronavirus protocols on the road. Clevinger and Plesac have each thrown five-inning sim games over the past couple days as they hope to work their way back, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

The Indians will be able to recall either or both of the beleaguered hurlers Monday, though it’s anyone’s guess if that will happen. If it does, there’s a possibility it will cause friction in Cleveland’s locker room. Back when Clevinger and Plesac were caught, some Indians reportedly considered opting out if they immediately rejoined the team, while right-hander Adam Plutko publicly expressed his displeasure with his rotation mates.

Speaking Friday regarding Clevinger and Plesac, president Chris Antonetti said (full statement here, via Meisel), “The team’s readiness to accept them back into the environment is something that we’ll consider.” At the same time, though, Antonetti noted the Indians’ focus is on “how to build the best team and how do we have the best group of guys at the major league level that give us the best chance to win and win a World Series?” He went on to express hope that Clevinger and Plesac have spent the past week “reflecting” on their mistakes and focusing on how to “earn the trust back of the team.”

Looking solely at on-field impact, it’s hard to argue the Indians aren’t a better team with Clevinger and Plesac in the mix. Clevinger has largely offered front-line production since he broke out in 2017, while Plesac – after a decent but unspectacular rookie year – dominated in three starts and 21 innings this season before the Indians demoted him. Among all pitchers who have thrown at least 20 frames, Plesac ranks first in K/BB ratio (12.00), third in BB/9 (0.86) and fourth in ERA (1.29).

Considering Shane Bieber’s status as the best pitcher in the American League and the emergence of Aaron Civale, the contending Indians may be tempted to recall Clevinger and Plesac in hopes of building a super-rotation and making a World Series run. They’re a couple days away from having that option. In the meantime, Triston McKenzie will fill out the Indians’ starting staff after Bieber, Civale, Carlos Carrasco and Plutko, who owns a 6.88 ERA for the season after the Tigers shelled him Friday.

Phillies Acquire Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree

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9:25pm: Philadelphia will also receive a player to be named later or more cash from Boston, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets.

8:14pm: The Phillies and Red Sox have announced a trade that will send two veteran relievers – Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree – as well as $815K to Philadelphia in exchange for right-handers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold. That sum should enable the Phillies to stay under the luxury tax, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia observes.

This deal has seemed inevitable since reports emerged Friday afternoon that the Phillies and Red Sox were in serious discussions regarding Workman and Hembree, who should improve a bullpen that has been horrific in 2020. Phillies relievers entered Friday with easily the league’s worst ERA (8.07) and the game’s 27th-ranked FIP (5.61). Worsening matters, they placed their most effective reliever, Jose Alvarez, on the 10-day injured list Friday after he took a 105 mph line drive off his groin on Thursday.

In Workman, the Phillies are getting a 32-year-old who, since last season, has struggled mightily with his control (5.63 BB/9) but has still found a way to handle opposing offenses. Dating back to 2019, Workman has logged a stingy 2.07 ERA/2.47 FIP with 12.87 K/9 and a 50 percent groundball rate over 78 1/3 innings. However, as a soon-to-be free agent, Workman may only amount to a few-week rental for a Philadelphia club that’s just 9-12 but still hoping to contend.

Hembree, 31, is on a prorated $1.61MM salary this season and still has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. At his best, Hembree combined for 113 innings of 3.19 ERA/3.68 FIP ball with 9.32 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9 from 2016-17. His numbers have dipped since then, though a four-run blowup in his final Boston appearance Tuesday against, of all teams, Philadelphia has played a big part in that. He was off to an effective start before then, but now owns a lackluster 5.59 ERA through 9 2/3 innings this year. Hembree has, however, notched 10 strikeouts against three walks.

With the Red Sox well out of contention this year, it made sense for the club to part with a pair of 30-something relievers for a couple pitchers who could have a greater long-term impact on their roster. For now, Pivetta and Seabold will report to their alternate training site.

The 27-year-old Pivetta was a swingman in Philadelphia from 2017-20, during which he stumbled to a 5.50 ERA across 396 1/3 frames. FIP (4.64), xFIP (4.03) and SIERA (4.10) suggest he has deserved better, but the Phillies clearly got tired of waiting on his run prevention to head in the right direction. And Pivetta sealed his fate with the club this year by opening with three relief appearances in which he yielded a whopping 10 earned runs on 10 hits (including three homers) in 5 2/3 innings. The good news for Boston is that Pivetta isn’t costly – he’s on a minimum salary this year and will go through the first of three potential arbitration trips during the offseason – so there’s not much risk on the club’s end in taking on Pivetta as a reclamation project.

Seabold, the lone player in this trade who hasn’t reached the majors, became a pro when the Phillies chose him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He reached Double-A for the first time in 2019, and though an oblique injury held him to 40 innings, Seabold turned in excellent numbers in that span. The 24-year-old posted a 2.25 ERA/2.77 FIP and recorded 8.1 K/9 and 2.25 BB/9 in his first try at the level. Before Philly shipped him out, Seabold ranked as the team’s 23rd-best prospect at MLB.com, which suggests he could turn into a back-end starter in the majors.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reported the teams were finalizing the trade. Robert Murray reported the deal was done. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the cash sum Philly received. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Padres Place Drew Pomeranz On Injured List

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The Padres announced that they have placed left-hander Drew Pomeranz on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 19, with a shoulder strain. The team recalled righty Luis Perdomo to take Pomeranz’s place on its roster.

This is an awful blow to a Padres bullpen that has gotten marvelous production from Pomeranz in the first season of a four-year, $34MM contract. The 31-year-old has yet to allow a run through his first nine innings this season, and opposing offenses have managed a meager one hit off him. Pomeranz has also logged 12 strikeouts against three walks, converted all four of his save chances and added five holds. All things considered, he has been one of the elite relievers in baseball in 2020.

Pomeranz aside, San Diego’s relief corps has been anything but elite thus far. Despite Pomeranz’s near-flawless output, the unit currently ranks 27th in ERA (6.08), 26th in FIP (5.46) and 22nd in K/BB ratio (2.17). Cal Quantrill and Matt Strahm are the only other relievers on the team with sub-5.00 ERAs, but their success has come in spite of far less encouraging peripherals.

It’s unclear how much time Pomeranz will miss, but the fact that he’s dealing with a shoulder issue is a troubling development. Even if San Diego believes he’ll be back in short order, the 15-12 club – which has its sights set on its first playoff berth since 2006 – figures to seek bullpen help prior to the Aug. 31 trade deadline. That likely would have been true even with a healthy Pomeranz.

AL Injury Notes: Simmons, Yankees, S. Perez, Astros

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The Angels reinstated Andrelton Simmons from the 10-day injured list and placed catcher Max Stassi (right quad strain, knee bruise) on the IL, the team announced. Simmons is back after a three-plus-week absence because of a sprained left ankle. It could be an interesting upcoming 10 days for Simmons, a soon-to-be free agent whom the non-contending Angels may choose to move before the Aug. 31 trade deadline. Regardless, the 30-year-old Simmons will spend the next month-plus trying to boost his stock before he reaches the open market for the first time in his career. He dealt with injury issues (including to his ankle) during a down season in 2019, and he has hit a mere .188/.188/.250 in 16 plate appearances this year.

  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone issued updates Friday on a few of their key players who are on the IL, telling WFAN (via Marly Rivera of ESPN.com) that right fielder Aaron Judge is “likely” to be in the Yankees’ lineup for their next game (that won’t be this weekend, as their series with the Mets was postponed). Judge has been down for a week with a mild calf strain. Meanwhile, second baseman DJ LeMahieu is doing “significantly better” as he recovers from the left thumb sprain that sent him to the IL last weekend. And reliever Zack Britton, whom the Yankees shelved Thursday with a strained left hamstring, should recover “on the shorter side.”
  • The Royals announced that they’ve placed catcher Salvador Perez on the IL, retroactive to Aug. 18, with left eye central serous chorioretinopathy and recalled left-hander Randy Rosario. Perez’s issue has bothered him since last weekend and hampered his vision, though it’s not believed to be a long-term problem. After missing all of last year because of Tommy John surgery, Perez was enjoying a strong return season with a .307/.326/.511 line, four home runs and a 25 percent caught-stealing percentage prior to going to the IL.
  • Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is eligible for activation Saturday, but manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters he’s “not real optimistic” that will happen. It seems Brantley will need a bit more time to recover from a right quad injury that has kept him out since Aug. 11. Baker also suggested (via Rome) that yet another Astro – right-hander Josh James – will probably go on the IL. James suffered a hip injury and had to be helped off the field in Colorado on Thursday. That continued a nightmare of a season for James, who has surrendered 13 earned runs on 12 hits and 14 walks (with 13 strikeouts) in 10 2/3 innings.

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