Archives for August 2022

Pirates Release Yoshi Tsutsugo

By Steve Adams | August 8, 2022 at 6:50am CDT

Aug. 8: The Pirates released Tsutsugo over the weekend, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com.

Aug. 3: The Pirates have designated first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo for assignment and recalled infielder Tucupita Marcano to take his spot on the roster, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Tsutsugo, 30, returned to the Bucs on a one-year deal after a big finish down the stretch with them in 2021. The former NPB slugger wasn’t able to replicate the production he gave Pittsburgh last August and September, however, limping to a .171/.249/.229 slash with just two homers and four doubles in 193 plate appearances this season. As the Pirates increasingly turn the roster over to younger talents who they hope will comprise their next competitive core, however, Tsutsugo increasingly looked as though his time with the team was dwindling.

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the only options for the Bucs now are to place Tsutsugo on outright waivers or release waivers. Given that he’s still owed about $1.4MM of this season’s $4MM salary, he’ll assuredly go unclaimed on waivers either way.

The 22-year-old Marcano, acquired from the Padres alongside Jack Suwinski in last year’s Adam Frazier trade, will get another opportunity to establish himself at the game’s top level. He’s hit just .229/.280/.357 with the Pirates this year, but that’s been in just 78 plate appearances. Marcano is sitting on a .319/.417/.475 slash that he’s put together between Double-A and Triple-A while appearing at four defensive positions (second base, shortstop, third base, left field).

Braves Option Ian Anderson

By Darragh McDonald | August 7, 2022 at 11:01pm CDT

The Braves announced a series of roster moves today, recalling right-hander Huascar Ynoa and selecting catcher Chadwick Tromp. To create room on the active roster, they’ve optioned righty Ian Anderson and outfielder Guillermo Heredia.

The most noteworthy of these moves is the demotion of Anderson, who has been entrenched in the rotation for quite some time. First called up to the big leagues in August of 2020, he made six starts in the shortened season and registered a 1.95 ERA. That was impressive enough for Anderson to earn a spot in the club’s postseason rotation, as he made four more starts in the playoffs with a 0.96 ERA, as Atlanta reached the NLCS.

Last year, Anderson seemingly proved he wasn’t a short-season fluke by pitching well over a full campaign. Though he did make one trip to the IL, Anderson made 24 starts in 2021 with a 3.58 ERA, then made four more postseason starts with a 1.59 ERA, helping Atlanta win the World Series.

The 24-year-old has taken a step back here in 2022, however, currently sporting a 5.11 ERA on the year. His 29.7% strikeout rate in 2020 fell to 23.2% last year and is down to 19.8% here this year. His 11.3% walk rate is also a career high and his 47.4% ground ball rate a career low. It’s possible there’s some bad luck involved, as his .318 BABIP on the year is much higher than in past seasons, but there’s also a lot of blue on his Statcast page, with batters clearly making some good contact against him. With the emergence of rookie Spencer Strider and the acquisition of Jake Odorizzi, it seems Anderson’s struggles have bumped him from the front five. He’ll join the Gwinnett Stripers and try to get things back on track.

The move isn’t likely to have a huge impact on Anderson from a service time perspective, at least in the short term. He came into this season with one year and 94 days of service time and has added around 120 more days here in 2022. Even if he were to spend the rest of the season in the minors, he’d finish the campaign somewhere around 2.025. That would still put him on track to reach arbitration for the first time after 2023 and free agency after 2026, though future optional assignments could also alter that timeline.

The recall of Tromp was required due to a leg injury sustained last night by Travis D’Arnaud. Although X-rays were negative, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, D’Arnaud will likely be unavailable for a few days. That leaves William Contreras as the primary catcher, with Tromp stepping in as the backup.

Yankees Notes: Skubal, Peraza, Dietrich

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 9:59pm CDT

The Yankees had interest in the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal prior to the deadline, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. Given how aggressively the Yankees were looking for pitching help, it isn’t surprising that they at least checked in on a talented and controllable arm like Skubal, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Skubal ended up not being dealt anywhere, as while the Tigers were open to offers for “just about everyone” in the wake of a massively disappointing season, it would’ve naturally taken a huge trade package to obtain a pitcher that still looks like a significant part of Detroit’s present and future.

As poorly as 2022 has gone for the Tigers, they aren’t likely to abandon their plans to contend and immediately re-enter another rebuild phase, especially not with a lot of money already committed to such players as Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. Since Skubal’s strong performance has been one of the few bright spots of Detroit’s season, moving Skubal might be just about the last thing the Tigers would do, so the Yankees’ pursuits might be limited to just monitoring the situation should plans change. Of course, New York landed a big arm at the deadline anyway in Frankie Montas.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 8:56pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat

Injury Notes: Brantley, Glasnow, Lucchesi, Pillar

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 6:08pm CDT

Astros GM James Click has “no update” on the status of Michael Brantley, who has now missed close to six weeks due to right shoulder discomfort. In an interview with team radio broadcaster Robert Ford (hat tip to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle), Click said that “with every passing day, you have to kind of take an honest look at” whether or not Brantley’s 2022 season could be over, though the Astros are still hopeful that Brantley can eventually return.

Brantley himself told Rome and other reporters earlier this week that he hadn’t started swinging, and was “day by day” with “no timetable” about when he could start resuming baseball activities. Considering the 35-year-old’s lengthy history of shoulder surgeries, there isn’t much Brantley or the Astros can do but wait and see if his discomfort lessens, since trying to force the issue could make things worse. Houston has missed Brantley’s bat in the lineup, and this injury uncertainty also casts a shadow over Brantley’s free agent market this winter. The veteran is in the final two months of his two-year, $32MM deal with the Astros.

More updates on other injury situations from around baseball…

Almost exactly one year ago, Tyler Glasnow underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2021 season and putting his participation in doubt for the 2022 campaign. However, Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that Glasnow is “fully healthy” and said “the chance is not zero” that Glasnow could help the Rays before the year is out. Considering that Glasnow is still at least a couple of weeks away from throwing to live hitters, mid-September might be the earlier he can return, and even then would likely be limited to bullpen work.
Joey Lucchesi is another TJ patient who could factor into the 2022 season, as Mets manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that “if [Lucchesi] can continue down the path he’s on, he’s going to be an option for us.” Lucchesi underwent his surgery in late June 2021, and he has been working out at the Mets’ spring facility in Florida. The left-hander posted some solid numbers as a starter for the Padres and Mets over his four Major League seasons, but would also probably return as a reliever, given that he’d need less time to build up his arm for relief innings than starter’s innings. Since New York in thin on left-handed relievers, Lucchesi or David Peterson could add some balance to the bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason.
Kevin Pillar’s season was thought to be over when he underwent shoulder surgery in June, but the Dodgers outfielder was recently cleared to start baseball activities. “I would definitely call it best case scenario,” Pillar told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, and his aim is to at least give the Dodgers something to think about when building their late-season roster and their playoff rosters. “It’s trying to get myself healthy, prove that I’m healthy, get some games under belt and put myself in position where…I’m available,” Pillar said. The veteran outfielder signed a minor league deal with L.A. in March and appeared in only four games with the Dodgers before suffering a fractured left shoulder.

Fernando Tatis Jr. To Begin Rehab Assignment

By Anthony Franco | August 7, 2022 at 4:59pm CDT

TODAY: Melvin gave a bit of clarity on when Tatis might return, telling MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters that the aim is for Tatis to play in the majors by “mid-August-ish.”

AUGUST 5, 7:16pm: Manager Bob Melvin said Tatis will begin the assignment either tomorrow or Sunday (via Dennis Lin of the Athletic). He’s expected to play both shortstop and center field in the minors.

6:35pm: Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. is getting closer to a return, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link) that he’s en route to Double-A San Antonio. He’ll soon begin a rehab assignment there, the final step before he makes it back to Petco Park.

It has been a long time coming for Tatis, who fractured a bone in his left wrist over the offseason. He underwent surgery in mid-March, with the club expressing hope at the time he’d be back by the middle of June. That obviously proved not to be the case. While there were no reports of meaningful setbacks, Tatis didn’t recover at the pace he or the team had hoped. He’s been gradually building through various baseball activities in recent weeks, and he’s now positioned to get into games for the first time this year.

Position players are allowed up to 20 days on rehab assignments. Once Tatis formally begins his assignment in the next few days, he can spend just under three weeks in the minors before the team has to bring him to the majors or shut him back down. They wouldn’t be sending him out if they anticipated the latter outcome, so the club is obviously of the belief he’ll be ready by the middle or end of this month.

Tatis’ forthcoming return will add another star to a lineup already loaded with firepower. Manny Machado is in the MVP conversation, and the Friars brought in Juan Soto and Josh Bell in one of the most monumental trades in MLB history. Add Tatis — owner of a .292/.369/.596 line through his first three seasons — to the mix, and the Padres will deploy an eye-popping top of the lineup for the stretch run.

With Tatis out of action, the bulk of the shortstop work has gone to Ha-Seong Kim. The former KBO star has overcome a rough rookie MLB season to hit at a roughly league average level (.248/.329/.370) while playing Gold Glove caliber defense through 98 games. With Bell, Jake Cronenworth, Machado and another deadline acquisition Brandon Drury all around the infield, San Diego will have an embarrassment of riches on the dirt. Tatis has expressed a willingness to move from shortstop to the outfield if necessary, with center field seemingly the likeliest spot in that case. Soto has right field accounted for, and Jurickson Profar is having the best year of his career in left. Trent Grisham, who has stumbled to a .197/.293/.365 line in just shy of 400 trips to the plate, seems as if he’ll be the odd man out most days once everyone is healthy.

Dodgers Place Yency Almonte On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 4:40pm CDT

The Dodgers announced that right-hander Yency Almonte has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow tightness. In the corresponding move, righty Andre Jackson was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Almonte will get an MRI to investigate the injury, manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya (Twitter links) and other reporters. On the plus side, Almonte said that he is familiar with this type of tightness, and isn’t overly concerned about his status.

After spending his first four Major League seasons with the Rockies, Almonte was outrighted off Colorado’s 40-man following last year, and he chose free agency. That led to a minor league deal with the Dodgers and an excellent bounce-back season for the 28-year-old. Almonte has a 1.15 ERA over 31 1/3 relief innings for Los Angeles, inducing a lot of soft contact and limiting the long ball (only two homers allowed) despite a below-average 24.6% strikeout rate.

Almonte showed flashes of such performance in Colorado, posting impressive results in both 2018 and 2020 when he has been able to keep the ball in the park. In 2021, however, he gave up nine homers over 47 2/3 innings, and between the home runs and an inflated walk rate, Almonte posted an ugly 7.55 ERA.

Jackson made his MLB debut in 2021, with 11 2/3 innings over three games for L.A. He was briefly on the Dodgers’ active roster back in April but didn’t get any game action, so his 2022 resume consists of a 5.20 ERA over 55 1/3 innings at Triple-A. Jackson battled control problems earlier in his minor league career, and those issues returned with a vengeance this year, as he has 48 free passes in his 55 1/3 innings (against 59 strikeouts).

Still, Roberts suggested that Jackson might receive a spot start for the Dodgers on Wednesday, filling in for the injured Clayton Kershaw. It will depend on whether or not Jackson is needed in relief over the next couple of days, and the Dodgers also have an off-day Monday to factor into their rotation set-up.

Anthony Banda Elects Free Agency

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2022 at 3:43pm CDT

Left-hander Anthony Banda has chosen to become a free agent, rather than accept an outright assignment to the Blue Jays’ Triple-A team. Toronto designated Banda for assignment after the trade deadline, and he cleared outright waivers yesterday. Since Banda has previously been outrighted in his career, he was eligible to reject the Jays’ assignment in favor of testing the open market.

The Blue Jays acquired Banda from the Pirates for cash considerations in early July, adding a bit of left-handed relief depth to the bullpen. Banda appeared in seven games with the Jays (including one appearance as an opener), and posted a 4.26 ERA over 7 1/3 innings. For the 2022 season as a whole, Banda has a 5.88 ERA in 26 combined frames with Toronto and Pittsburgh.

Just a couple of days away from his 29th birthday, Banda now hits the open market in search of another change of scenery. A veteran of seven different MLB organizations, Banda has had playing time at the big league level with five of those clubs since debuting in 2017. Given that Tim Mayza was just placed on the 15-day injured list, it might not be surprising to see the Blue Jays pursue a quick reunion with Banda, in order to add another left-hander to Toronto’s thin array of southpaws.

Derek Law Elects Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | August 7, 2022 at 2:20pm CDT

Aug. 7: The Tigers announced that Law has cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Aug. 4: The Tigers are designating reliever Derek Law for assignment, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press was among those to relay (Twitter link). The move clears an active roster spot for Bryan García, who’ll be selected onto the major league roster to start tomorrow’s game against the Rays. Detroit’s 40-man roster tally will remain at 39.

Law was just selected onto the Detroit roster over the weekend. He got into two games, surrendering five runs (one earned) while striking out two and issuing a walk in two frames. The right-hander is out of minor league option years, meaning he had to hold onto to an active roster spot or be taken off the 40-man. He quickly found himself squeezed off the roster once the Tigers needed a pitcher capable of working multiple innings, and he’ll now land on the waiver wire over the next few days.

The 31-year-old Law has now pitched in the big leagues in parts of six seasons. He’s suited up for four teams — the Giants, Blue Jays, Twins and Tigers — and pitched to a 4.22 ERA through 183 1/3 innings. Much of that success came back in 2016 as a rookie in San Francisco, as Law has a 5.12 ERA dating back to the start of the 2017 campaign. He’s pitched quite well at Triple-A Toledo this year, though, working to a 3.23 mark with an above-average 27.2% strikeout rate and a quality 6.2% walk percentage for the Mud Hens.

García was up briefly last week, getting a start against the Blue Jays as a designated COVID-19 substitute. It was his first MLB start in 73 appearances and his first big league outing in any capacity in 2022. The 27-year-old allowed a pair of runs on three hits and two walks while punching out three in 3 2/3 innings. He was returned to the minor leagues after the game — as a virus substitute, he didn’t have to pass through waivers — but he gets called back up quickly.

This time, García’s contract selection is typical. He’d have to be run through waivers if the Tigers want to take him off the 40-man, although his pair of remaining minor league option years mean they can send him back to Toledo without designating him for assignment (which wasn’t the case for Law). García has an impressive 2.90 ERA in 40 1/3 innings across 31 appearances with Toledo this season, although he’s only punched out 17.6% of batters faced while issuing walks at a lofty 12.5% clip.

Rockies Claim Dinelson Lamet, Designate Ashton Goudeau

By Steve Adams | August 7, 2022 at 2:15pm CDT

Aug. 7: The Rockies announced that Goudeau has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque. He will remain in the organization as depth but without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

Aug. 5, 1:00pm: The Rockies announced the claim of Lamet, adding that right-hander Ashton Goudeau has been designated for assignment in order to create roster space.

12:46pm: The Rockies have claimed right-hander Dinelson Lamet off waivers from the Brewers, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (Twitter link). Lamet, whom the Brewers acquired alongside Taylor Rogers and prospects Esteury Ruiz and Robert Gasser in Monday’s surprising Josh Hader trade, was designated for assignment just 48 hours after being acquired.

At the time of Lamet’s DFA, Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters that Lamet “has a good arm and was included in the trade to help balance out the deal” but that “subsequent transactions” made him a tougher fit on the roster. The Brewers added right-handers Matt Bush and Trevor Rosenthal in separate trades one day after acquiring Lamet.

Still, the quick DFA makes it fair to wonder how prominently Lamet ever truly factored into the plans. The 2020 Cy Young candidate has been beset by injuries since late in that truncated season and has yielded 14 runs in just 12 2/3 innings this season. His fastball, which averaged 97 mph in 2020, has averaged 95.3 mph this season. Of particular note for the Padres, who are barreling toward a second straight season paying the luxury tax, Lamet is earning $4.775MM in 2022. Including him in that trade meant not only jettisoning a player who had ostensibly been squeezed out of a roster spot but also who’d have a non-zero impact on the team’s luxury ledger. Stearns’ usage of the phrase “balance out the deal,” then, could be interpreted as referencing talent or in more fiscal terms.

Regardless, the Rockies now stand to potentially benefit from both their division-rival and the NL Central leaders feeling their rosters lacked space for Lamet. As recently as 2020, the 6’3″, 228-pound Lamet looked like a foundational piece in San Diego. He made a full slate of 12 starts during that pandemic-truncated campaign, pitching to a brilliant 2.09 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 36.9% ground-ball rate. That showing was good enough to land Lamet, then having just turned 28 years old, a fourth-place finish in National League Cy Young voting.

However, Lamet’s 2020 season also ended with him heading to the injured list with a biceps injury sustained in his final outing of the season. He’d go on to miss the 2020 postseason, and his 2021 season was limited to just 47 innings on account of a forearm issue that twice sent him to the injured list.

Those injuries, coupled with this year’s poor showing, have resulted in a grisly 5.46 ERA in the now-30-year-old Lamet’s past 59 1/3 Major League innings. In addition to the diminished fastball, he’s seen his strikeout rate plummet from that 34.8% mark to 26.9%, while his walk rate has spiked from 7.5% to a dismal 11.4%. Lamet may have had some bad luck in 2021, posting a .344 batting average on balls in play despite allowing hard contact at well below-league-average levels, but that’s not been the case at all in 2022. Yes, his .412 BABIP is through the roof, but so too is his opponents’ average exit velocity (a blistering 93.1 mph) and his 50% hard-hit rate.

For a pitching-needy team like the Rockies, however, there’s little harm in taking a relatively low-cost look at Lamet. They’ll be owed the prorated portion of his salary — about $1.6MM between now and season’s end — but can also control him via arbitration this winter if he impresses down the stretch. Viewed through that lens, there’d have been a case for any of the clubs higher on the waiver priority (e.g. Nationals, A’s, Tigers, Royals, Pirates) claiming Lamet, but despite the right-hander’s obvious talent, not every club is going to be bullish on his chances to rebound (or on taking on that extra chunk of cash at this point in the season).

Goudeau, also 30, has pitched 20 1/3 innings in this, his second stint with the Rockies, for whom he made his MLB debut back in 2020. He’s been tagged for a 7.08 ERA with a 17% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate, however, both well worse than the league average. His work in Triple-A Albuquerque has been even rougher, evidenced by 43 earned runs allowed in just 37 innings of work (10.46 ERA).

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