Archives for July 2022

Connor Sadzeck Elects Free Agency

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 8:10pm CDT

TODAY: Sadzeck has elected to become a free agent, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter link). The right-hander had cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.

JULY 25: The Brewers announced Monday that they’ve designated righty Connor Sadzeck for assignment and recalled pitching prospect Ethan Small from Triple-A Nashville in his place. Small will likely get the nod to start Tuesday’s game, which had been listed as a “TBD” by the Brewers.

Sadzeck, 30, appeared in two games with the Brewers and yielded three runs in three innings of relief work prior to today’s DFA. He posted big numbers in Nashville, logging a 0.86 ERA and 30.7% strikeout rate against a 10.5% walk rate in 28 innings, but his once 97.1 mph heater averaged a diminished 94.9 mph in his limited work with Milwaukee. Sadzeck has long been an intriguing arm thanks to his velocity and ability to miss bats, but control issues and injuries have continually plagued him throughout his professional career. The Brewers will have a week to trade him, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Small, the No. 28 overall pick back in 2019, will make just his second career start if and when he takes the ball tomorrow. He was tagged for three runs through 2 2/3 innings in his MLB debut earlier this season but has recorded a strong 3.34 ERA and 26.4% strikeout rate in 72 2/3 Triple-A innings this year. Command has been the big knock on Small for much of his professional career, and this year’s 13% walk rate in Triple-A hasn’t allayed those concerns. However, Small still profiles as a potential fourth starter, with scouting reports at Baseball America, FanGraphs and MLB.com praising his solid fastball and plus changeup.

Red Sox Notes: Eovaldi, Vazquez, Martinez, Mets, Vientos

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 7:07pm CDT

As the Red Sox continue to struggle, it seems increasingly likely that the team will be selling in some capacity at the trade deadline, even if the likes of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers aren’t going anywhere. Reports from earlier this week suggested that the Sox were already open to offers for J.D. Martinez, and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (Twitter links) hears from a National League evaluator that catcher Christian Vazquez could also be available. The Sox seem to be “listening on veterans” in general, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweets.

Both Martinez and Vazquez are free agents after the year, so it would seem natural that the Red Sox would first look to move these shorter-term players with the deadline looming. Other pending free agents include Jackie Bradley Jr. (whose mutual option for 2023 is likely to be declined), several injured players like Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Enrique Hernandez, and Matt Strahm, plus the potential biggest trade chip of starter Nathan Eovaldi.

However, Speier writes that Boston “doesn’t seem motivated to deal Eovaldi, seeing him as part of any push to contend” into August, if the Red Sox can shake out of their slump. That said, if the Luis Castillo trade now becomes “an accelerant to the rest of the pitching market,” it is worth wondering if the Sox might see an opportunity to move Eovaldi for a big return.

Of note, the Mets had a scout at last night’s Red Sox game, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. The Mets are known to be looking at catching and lineup upgrades, so Vazquez and Martinez would each make sense — Martinez in particular could help the Mets solve their season-long lack of production at the DH spot. As to what New York could offer in return, Rosenthal notes that the Sox had a past interest in Dominic Smith, who would fit the team’s desire to land big leaguers back in trades (adding to the idea that Boston is still hoping to make a late playoff run).

A player on the cusp of the majors could also fit Boston’s model, with SNY’s Andy Martino suggesting that Mets infield prospect Mark Vientos could be of interest in trade talks. In fact, Martino reports that the Mets and Red Sox once “seriously discussed” a deal that would’ve sent Vazquez to Queens in exchange for a prospect package that included Vientos. The exact timing of these specific talks involving Vientos isn’t known, but the Mets reportedly looked into Vazquez prior to the 2020 trade deadline.

Vientos was a second-round pick for the Mets in the 2017 draft, and the 22-year-old has an impressive 21 home runs and a .263/.351/.516 slash line over 348 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse. Baseball America ranks Vientos as the fourth-best prospect in New York’s farm system, praising his 60-grade power and throwing arm and noting that he has a chance to stick at third base, even if some evaluators think a move to first base will eventually be necessary.

For all of Vientos’ potential, he is generally seen as a step below the true upper tier of Mets prospects, so New York could perhaps be more apt to move him for immediate help (even for a rental like Martinez or Vazquez) given how aggressively the Mets are chasing a World Series title this year. It can’t be ruled out that some kind of multi-player agreement could be struck, with both Martinez and Vazquez heading to Queens in exchange for a better prospect return.

AL Central Trade Rumors: Taylor, Braves, Plesac, Phillies, Fulmer, Sox, Robertson, Givens

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 6:11pm CDT

The Braves and Royals have already swung one trade together this month, and we’re a year removed from the huge-in-hindsight swap that sent Jorge Soler to Atlanta. Now, the Braves have interest in another K.C. outfielder, as MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter) reports that Michael A. Taylor is under consideration. Taylor is delivering his usual excellent center field defense while also enjoying the best offensive season of his career, with a 111 wRC+ from hitting .275/.345/.395 in 262 plate appearances.

Since Taylor is under contract through 2023, he represents a longer-term option for an Atlanta club that could lose Adam Duvall in free agency this winter. Duvall is already out for the rest of the season due to wrist surgery, so Taylor could step right in as the right-handed hitting side of a left field platoon with Eddie Rosario. Taylor also provides cover in center field if star rookie Michael Harris starts to slump, but playing Taylor and Harris in the same outfield would also make for an excellent defensive pairing.

Twins Place Max Kepler, Miguel Sano On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 4:26pm CDT

The Twins announced that outfielder Max Kepler and first baseman Miguel Sano have been placed on the 10-day injured list. Kepler has a toe fracture, while Sano is dealing with left knee inflammation. In corresponding moves, outfielder Mark Contreras was called up from Triple-A and the Twins selected the contract of infielder Tim Beckham from Triple-A, while Bailey Ober was moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Beckham.

Kepler hasn’t played since he was hit by a pitch on July 24, and his IL placement is retroactive to the 27th. While he hasn’t been on the field, Kepler has been taking part in limited baseball activities and even running drills, so it is possible he might only miss the minimum 10 days if he continues to show good progress (or if the fracture doesn’t continue to limit his ability to run).

It has been a curious year for Kepler, who has hit .244/.344/.390 over 337 plate appearances, good for an above-average 113 wRC+. However, between a wealth of excellent Statcast metrics and a .361 xwOBA, Kepler is actually underachieving compared to what he “should” be hitting based on his advanced numbers. For the third straight season, opponents are deploying shifts against Kepler almost every time he steps to the plate, which has largely neutralized much of Kepler’s hard contact.

Still, Kepler has been a very productive player overall, between his still-solid batting numbers and his excellent right field glove. His absence will further hamper a Minnesota outfield that has already been shorthanded by Byron Buxton’s lingering knee issues, as Buxton has been getting a lot of DH time rather than his customary spot in center field. The left-handed hitting Contreras will fill Kepler’s role to some extent, as the Twins will now be juggling Buxton, Nick Gordon, Alex Kirilloff and reserves Contreras, Gilberto Celestino, and Kyle Garlick around the three outfield spots.

Sano was only just activated from the 60-day IL earlier this week, making it troubling that he has already been sidelined again by issues with his surgically-repaired knee. His latest injury actually occurred when Sano was on his minor league rehab assignment, as Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) that Sano hurt his knee while sliding in his last rehab game. An MRI is scheduled for Sano on Monday.

Sano underwent his surgery in early May, and has only played in 20 games this season, posting a measly .345 OPS over 71 PA. There was some thought that the Twins might move on from Sano entirely given that he now seems like the odd man out on the roster, yet this latest IL placement will hold off any decisions on that front. If Monday’s MRI reveals bad news, it could mark the end of Sano’s 2022 season, and quite likely his Minnesota tenure — the Twins will very likely buy out (for $2.75MM) their $14MM club option Sano for the 2023 season.

Beckham signed a minor league deal with the Twins in February, and he might now be in line for his first taste of MLB action since 2019. The former first overall pick didn’t play anywhere during the canceled 2020 minor league season, and spent all of 2021 in the White Sox organization with their Triple-A affiliate. Beckham has played all over the infield and also seen some time as a left fielder in his career, so he’ll provide the Twins with some utility depth off the bench.

Rays Designate Angel Perdomo For Assignment

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 3:30pm CDT

The Rays announced that lefty Angel Perdomo has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to outfielder David Peralta, whose acquisition from the D-backs has now been formally announced by the teams.

Perdomo, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Brewers just 11 days ago and has not appeared in the big leagues with Tampa Bay. The huge 6’8″ lefty has allowed 18 earned runs in 19 2/3 Major League innings as a Brewer, struggling mightily with his command — as evidenced by the fact that he’s walked 23 of the 98 hitters he’s faced. That said, Perdomo has also struck out 33 of those 98 hitters and has routinely posted eye-popping strikeout numbers in the minors.

Injury has limited him to just 7 1/3 minor league frames between the Rays and the Brewers this season, but Perdomo has yielded just one hit and hasn’t allowed a run to score in that time. True to form, he’s punched out 16 of his 31 minor league opponents but also walked seven of them, hit another and thrown two wild pitches.

The Rays will have until Tuesday’s 6pm ET deadline to trade Perdomo, and they can otherwise attempt to pass him through waivers at any point in the next seven days.

Mets Agree To Sign First-Rounder Kevin Parada

By Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 3:27pm CDT

The Mets have reached a deal with 11th overall pick Kevin Parada, MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports (Twitter link). Parada will receive $5,019,735, an overslot bonus that exceeds the recommended $4,780,700 price for the 11th selection.

It was perhaps a slight surprise that Parada was still available when the Mets were on the board, as pundits had the catcher solidly within the top 10 on pre-draft rankings. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel had the catcher as the fourth-best prospect in the entire draft class, while Fangraphs, Baseball America, and Pipeline all rated Parada sixth, and The Athletic’s Keith Law was right behind in slotting Parada seventh.

Defense could be the reason for Parada’s drop, as there is some question whether or not he’ll be able to stick behind the plate, or if he could become a first baseman or even DH-only player. The onus would then be on Parada to hit well enough for such a role, though there is broad consensus that Parada is one of the best hitters of the 2022 class, with Pipeline and BA each going into the 60-grades on his power and hit tools. Parada is an all-fields hitter who consistently makes hard contact and also developed more power over his time at Georgia Tech, all while using a unique batting stance.

When the Mets and tenth overall pick Kumar Rocker didn’t reach an agreement last year, New York earned the 11th pick in this year’s draft as compensation. As a result, the Mets had both the 11th and 14th overall selections on this year’s board, and both players have already been signed. Since 14th overall pick Jett Williams signed a below-slot deal, the Mets ended up signing Parada and Williams for a total of $8,919,735 — less than the $9,024,500 combined slot prices for the two picks.

Mariners Designate Marcus Wilson For Assignment

By Steve Adams and Mark Polishuk | July 30, 2022 at 2:37pm CDT

The Mariners announced Saturday that they’ve designated outfielder Marcus Wilson for assignment and selected the contract of left-hander Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Tacoma. Left-hander Tommy Milone, meanwhile, has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a cervical muscle strain.

Wilson made his MLB debut earlier this season, when Seattle selected his contract from Triple-A in late June. A member of the active roster for a little over a week, Wilson got into three games and made six plate appearances during this cup of coffee in the majors. The 25-year-old is a veteran of eight minor league seasons with the Diamondbacks, Red Sox, and Mariners, breaking in as a second-round pick for Arizona in the 2014 draft. Wilson came to Seattle via another trip to the DFA wire, as the Mariners claimed him away from Boston last year.

Wilson has a respectable .250/.352/.406 slash line and 66 home runs in an even 2800 PA in his minor league career. Between this decent bat and the ability to play all three outfield positions, Wilson has some value to any team looking for outfield depth.

The veteran Milone has a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings this season, after Seattle selected his minors contract to the big league roster last month. The M’s have been relatively short on left-handed relief options all season, as Ryan Borucki is the now the only veteran southpaw in the bullpen. It stands to reason that the Mariners will explore adding more relievers before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but Milone’s injury also gives Bernardino the opportunity to make his Major League debut.

A 26th-round pick for the Reds back in the 2014 draft, Bernardino pitched in the Cincinnati and Cleveland farm systems for the first six seasons of his pro career. He then turned to the Mexican League, and was pitching for Toros de Tijuana when Seattle inked him to a minor league deal earlier this season. Bernardino’s return to affiliated ball has been quite successful, with a 3.07 ERA, 7.1% walk rate, and a whopping 40.5% strikeout rate in 44 innings as a starter with Triple-A Tacoma.

Berardino will likely be deployed in a long relief role for as long as he’s on the big league roster, and he could even be a spot starter candidate. While the Mariners have six starters on paper, the club will be looking to limit the innings of George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, so Berardino could jump in as a piggyback starter or perhaps as a full-fledged starter.

Marlins Designate Jimmy Yacabonis For Assignment

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 2:33pm CDT

The Marlins have selected the contract of righty Nick Neidert and designated fellow right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster, per the team. A 26-man roster spot was opened by placing lefty Daniel Castano on the seven-day concussion-related injured list. Miami also announced that Garrett Cooper (who is on the 10-day injured list due to a minor wrist injury) is beginning a minor league rehab assignment today.

Yacabonis inked a minor league deal with the Marlins just after the lockout ended, and after his contract was selected in June, the righty posted a 6.75 ERA over 9 1/3 innings in a Marlins uniform. It marked Yacabonis’ first MLB action since the 2020 season, as he spent last year in the Mariners organization but didn’t take the hill for the big league club.

Since Yacabonis is out of minor league options, Miami had to turn to the DFA route to remove him from the active roster. With only a 5.80 ERA to show for 113 1/3 career frames in the majors, Yacabonis doesn’t jump out as an obvious candidate to be claimed, as the right-hander has been plagued by walks and home runs throughout his time in the Show. That said, Yacabonis’ strikeout rate in both the majors and minors this season is far and away his career best, so another club could be intrigued by this seeming newfound ability to miss bats. Free agency is also a possibility rather than a DFA claim, as since Yacabonis has been outrighted previously in his career, he has the ability to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent.

Neidert was himself outrighted off the 40-man roster after the Marlins designated him for assignment back in April, and he’ll now be in line for his first Major League appearance of the 2022 season, starting today’s game against the Mets. With Castano, Trevor Rogers, and Max Meyer all being lost to the injured list within the last week, Neidert will step into the rotation and get an opportunity to carve a niche for himself in a pitching-deep organization.

Neidert has seen action in each of the previous two MLB seasons, with a 4.70 ERA over 44 innings (starting seven of 12 career games). Originally acquired by Miami as part of the trade that sent Dee Strange-Gordon to the Mariners back in 2017, Neidert has posted some solid numbers at the Triple-A level, relying on strong control and soft contact moreso than a lot of strikeouts. That said, Neidert’s 27.2% strikeout rate over 40 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville this season is the highest of his career.

Cubs, Dodgers Swap Chris Martin For Zach McKinstry

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 1:45pm CDT

The Dodgers have made one of the first bullpen pickups of note prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, announcing Saturday that they’ve acquired right-hander Chris Martin from the Cubs in exchange for infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry.

Martin, 36, is playing the 2022 season on a one-year, $2.5MM contract he signed as a free agent this winter. His deal comes with $750K worth of incentives, paid out in the form of a $100K bonus for reaching each of 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 appearances, plus $125K for spending 40 and 90 days on the active roster.

Martin has already appeared in 34 games and logged 31 1/3 innings of 4.31 ERA ball this season, although fielding-independent metrics are far more bullish (3.02 FIP, 2.09 SIERA). Martin has been uncharacteristically homer-prone this year but has maintained his elite command of the strike zone. He’s punched out 30.1% of his opponents thus far and walked just four of the 133 batters he’s faced (3.1%). One of those free passes was of the intentional variety, it should be noted, and Martin has also yet to hit a batter this season.

The towering 6’8″ Martin is one of the more notable overseas success stories in recent years. After a nondescript run with the Rockies and Yankees in 2014-15, he signed with Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters and tore through NPB lineups over a brilliant two-year stint there. He signed with the Rangers for the 2018 campaign and, after a pedestrian first season back in MLB has solidified himself as a quality late-inning reliever. Over the past four seasons, Martin touts a 3.46 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout rate and an impeccable 3% walk rate. Among the 431 pitchers who’ve thrown at least 100 big league innings in that time, Martin’s walk rate is the second-lowest in the game (narrowly trailing former teammate Josh Tomlin’s 2.9% mark).

Martin will give manager Dave Roberts some reinforcement in what’s been a generally strong but also very injury-plagued relief corps. Dodgers relievers rank sixth in the Majors with s 3.37 ERA, but they’ve lost Daniel Hudson for the season (torn ACL), aren’t clear when Blake Treinen (shoulder) will return, and also have each of Brusdar Graterol, Victor Gonzalez and Tommy Kahnle on the injured list at present.

In return for their one-year investment in Martin, the Cubs will acquire as many as five additional seasons of control over the 27-year-old McKinstry, who made his debut with the 2020 Dodgers and has been an up-and-down utility option in L.A. since that time. A lefty hitter with experience at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots (albeit just 18 innings in center), McKinstry has posted just a .210/.266/.403 batting line in the big leagues. That’s come in a tiny sample of 193 plate appearances, however, and he’s been outstanding during his time at the Triple-A level.

McKinstry, a former 33rd-round pick, has logged 489 plate appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City in parts of three seasons and put together a huge .323/.401/.550. The Pacific Coast League is a known hitters’ haven, but McKinstry has nonetheless been well above league-average on a rate basis and racked up an impressive 18 home runs, 25 doubles and nine triples there. He’s fanned in just 15.7% of his plate appearances and walked at a 10.8% clip as well.

While McKinstry likely profiles more as a utility player than a starter at the big league level, there’s at least a chance he could hit enough to be a regular at second base — his best defensive position. If not, he’ll give the Cubs someone to bounce around the diamond as a valuable role player for the foreseeable future. McKinstry will be out of minor league options next season, so he should receive ample opportunity sooner than later.

ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that Martin had been traded to the Dodgers (Twitter link). Patrick Mooney of The Athletic first reported that McKinstry was headed to the Cubs in return (Twitter link).

Trevor Story Has Hairline Fracture In Wrist

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2022 at 1:18pm CDT

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right wrist, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters Saturday (Twitter link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). He’ll be shut down from swinging a bat for the next 10 to 14 days.

Story has been out since being plunked by a Corey Kluber sinker back on July 12. Initial x-rays of his hand and wrist came back negative, but the 29-year-old was recently sent for a second opinion with a hand specialist after his recovery failed to progress. That visit revealed the fracture and prompted the forthcoming shutdown. The Sox have not yet provided a timetable for when he might return, but by the time that shutdown period is up, he’ll have already been out nearly a month. He’ll surely require a minor league rehab assignment of some length, putting his earliest plausible return at some point in mid-August.

Signed to a six-year, $140MM contract over the winter, Story got out to a brutal start in his first season with Boston and looked to have turned things around with a torrid showing in May. He’s again fallen into a slump at the plate, however, and while he’s hit for solid power thus far, his overall .221/.289/.423 slash is well shy of what the Sox had envisioned when signing him.

The Red Sox have, perhaps not coincidentally, picked up some depth at second base in recent days, bringing old friends Danny Santana and Jose Peraza back to the organization on minor league contracts. Between Story’s newly found fracture and Enrique Hernandez’s status on the 60-day injured list, it’s not a surprise to see some veteran depth added to the minor league fold. It’s also plausible that the Sox will need to tap into some of their depth following Tuesday’s trade deadline. Boston has made clear that Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers aren’t going anywhere, but the Sox could still move some veteran rentals (e.g. Christian Vazquez, J.D. Martinez) as they come to grips with a disappointing first four months of the season.

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