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Archives for June 2023

Cardinals Acquire Richie Palacios From Guardians

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The Cardinals announced that they have acquired infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations. Palacios, who was designated for assignment by the Guards on the weekend, has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, outfielder Tyler O’Neill has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Palacios, 26, was originally selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2018 draft. He’s generally been considered a bat-first utility player and hit his way up the minor league ladder. He was added to the club’s 40-man roster in November of 2021 to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

He spent last year as a frequently-optioned depth piece, getting into 54 major league contests. But in his 123 plate appearances, he hit just .232/.293/.286 for a wRC+ of 65. He continued his strong offensive work whenever in the minors, finishing the year with a line of .279/.371/.458 in Triple-A and a 121 wRC+. However, this year, he’s slumped badly while sticking in the minors. He currently sports a line of .217/.351/.318 through 269 Triple-A plate appearances on the year.

Palacios has been bounced around the field a bit in his career to get his bat into lineups. He’s played second base and left field in the majors and also the other outfield positions in the minors. But since his bat is considered his best trait, his struggles this year got him bounced from the Guards to the Cards. The Cardinals have a penchant for developing versatile position players and will now try to get the most out of Palacios. He still has options and less than a year of service time, allowing him to serve as an optionable and versatile depth piece for the foreseeable future.

As for O’Neill, he was placed on the injured list in early May due to a lower back strain. There’s been nothing to indicate he’s particularly close to a return since he’s yet to start a rehab assignment that would be required before rejoining the big league club. That makes this transaction a mere formality as the 60-day count goes from his initial IL placement, not today’s transfer. He’ll be eligible to be reinstated in early July if he makes significant progress in the next two weeks.

Mets Sign Rafael Ortega To Minor League Deal

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The Mets have signed outfielder Rafael Ortega to a minor league deal, reports Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. Ortega will report to Triple-A Syracuse.

Ortega, 32, was non-tendered by the Cubs at the end of last year and has since bounced around to various non-roster opportunities. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in January but requested and was granted a release when he was informed he wouldn’t make the club out of Spring Training. He quickly landed another minor league deal with the Rangers but was granted his released from that club just over a week ago. Before his release, he was hitting .226/.333/.381 through 199 plate appearances in Triple-A.

Prior to this nomadic year, Ortega had a solid two-year run with the Cubs in 2021 and 2022. He got into 221 games in those seasons and made 701 trips to the plate. He hit 18 home runs and walked at an above-average 10.6% clip. His combined .265/.344/.408 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 108, indicating he was 8% above league average. He spent most of his time in center field, where his work was graded as just a bit below average.

Given the difficulty in finding capable center fielders who can also hold their own at the plate, that was a valuable performance. Ortega earned a combined 2.2 wins above replacement from FanGraphs over those seasons and 2.3 from Baseball Reference. Nonetheless, the Cubs decided to cut him loose rather than pay a projected arbitration salary of $1.7MM for 2023.

The Mets have a regular outfield of Brandon Nimmo, Mark Canha and Starling Marte, with Tommy Pham also in the mix. The recent injury to Pete Alonso has seen Canha spent a bit of time at first base, however, thrusting Pham into a more regular role. The designated hitter slot is also fairly up for grabs thanks to the struggles of Daniel Vogelbach, who is hitting .203/.343/.297 for the year. He hasn’t appeared in a game in over a week and Mike Puma of the New York Post recently relayed that Vogelbach is getting a mental break as the club tries to figure out how to get him back on track.

Given those factors, perhaps there’s a path for Ortega to earn his way into a reserve outfield role with the club. If he is able to get onto the roster, he is out of options but could be retained for future seasons since he currently has under three years of major league service time.

Johan Camargo Opts Out Of Deal With Royals

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Infielder Johan Camargo has been released by the Royals, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. MLBTR has learned that he triggered an opt-out in his deal. The Octagon client is now on the open market and free to sign with any club.

Camargo, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Royals this winter. He began the year on the minor league injured list but joined Triple-A Omaha in mid-May. That’s limited him to just 68 plate appearances in 15 games so far this year, but he has made the most of those. He has walked and struck out 11 times each for a strong 16.2% rate in both categories while hitting four home runs in that brief spell. His .298/.412/.544 batting line amounts to a 140 wRC+, indicating he’s been 40% better than league average in that time.

That’s a small sample of Triple-A work, but it’s understandable that Camargo would want to use that platform to survey the open market if the Royals weren’t willing to call him up. He also has plenty of major league work on his résumé, though generally as a light-hitting utility player. He’s hit .255/.313/.410 over the past six major league seasons with Atlanta and Philadelphia, which translates to a wRC+ of 90. He’s done so while spending time at all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners. He’s also a switch-hitter, which adds to his versatility.

Given his track record and strong start this year, he could have earned himself a promotion into a big league bench job. The Royals have a regular infield mix consisting of Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Massey, Maikel Garcia, Nicky Lopez and Nick Pratto, with Matt Duffy currently serving as the veteran utility guy off the bench. Duffy has a strong .312/.365/.403 line on the year and the club will seemingly stick with him instead of turning to Camargo.

That will allow Camargo the chance to look for opportunities elsewhere. Plenty of clubs around the league are dealing with significant injuries and they could be intrigued by a versatile player who’s been hot of late. If he is able to get himself back onto a 40-man roster, he is out of options but he could be retained via arbitration for 2024 since he won’t be able to get to six years of service time this year.

White Sox Reportedly Only Willing To Trade Rental Players

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The White Sox are potentially lined up to be sellers at the deadline, though exactly how much they commit to that task remains to be seen. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that, as of right now, they might only be willing to move impending free agents. Those plans could always change as discussions take place, but it’s a noteworthy stance at the moment. The trade deadline is August 1.

At this point, it’s not even necessarily a lock that the White Sox will be sellers at all. Despite their poor 30-40 record, they are only 5.5 games back of the Twins in the weak American League Central division. But the Wild Card race is much stronger, putting them 9.5 games out of a spot there.

A hot streak could get them right back in the divisional race but those have been hard to come by this season and the front office needs to at least consider the possibility that they stay on the outside looking in. Like all clubs, the players on the roster have varied contractual situations that affect the trade calculus. It seems that the club is currently leaning towards trading players on expiring contracts but keeping players with more control in order to take another shot at contending next year.

Even by limiting themselves to a softer sell, they would still have plenty of players to discuss in trade talks. Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger, Yasmani Grandal, Elvis Andrus, Reynaldo López and Keynan Middleton are all set to reach free agency this winter and would be the club’s best trade chips. Clevinger’s deal has a mutual option for 2024 but those are rarely picked up by both parties.

Giolito would be one of the top names on the market this summer if he were available, having established himself as a reliable and effective starter in recent years. In each season from 2019 to 2021, he had an ERA between 3.41 and 3.53. That figure jumped to 4.90 last year, but that coincided with his batting average on balls in play jumping to .340, well above any of his previous seasons. This year, he’s dropped his ERA right back down to his norm as he’s at 3.54 through 14 starts.

Now 28 years old, Giolito has gone year-to-year in arbitration. He’s now in his third and final arb year, making $10.4MM. By the time the deadline rolls around, there will be roughly $3.5MM left to be paid out.

Just about every contender will be looking to bolster their rotation for the final months of the season and the playoffs, which should give Giolito widespread interest. Even teams on the lower end of the spending spectrum could fit that salary figure onto their books, meaning few clubs would be eliminated from the list of logical suitors. That makes Giolito the White Sox’ best chance at recouping some future value from what could end up being a disappointing season.

Some of those other names may have some appeal as well. Clevinger has a 3.88 ERA but with subpar peripherals, striking out 19.3% of opponents while walking 9.5%. A .275 batting average on balls in play and 81.2% strand rate are helping him out, with his 4.89 FIP and 5.07 SIERA less optimistic. He’s making a salary of $8MM this year but has a $4MM buyout on his mutual option. He has a bit of an uncertain health outlook at the moment, as he was removed from his most recent start due to biceps soreness. It seems there’s no structural damage, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, but he might still land on the injured list.

Grandal struggled last year but is having a decent bounce back, hitting .271/.330/.410 so far this year for a wRC+ of 106. Trading catchers at midseason can be tricky since they would then have to learn an entirely new pitching staff on the fly. However, Grandal is 34 years old and hits well enough that it could make sense for him to factor into a club’s designated hitter mix, especially since he’s a switch-hitter. The final year of his four-year deal pays him $18.25MM annually.

Andrus is also an impending free agent but his interest will surely be muted as he’s hitting .196/.277/.247 this year. López has a 5.10 ERA but his 28.3% strikeout rate will surely lead to some intrigue. Middleton’s 1.93 ERA is buoyed by an unsustainable 96.3% strand rate but he is striking out 31.9% of opponents and getting grounders at a 54.5% clip. All three of these players are making modest salaries of less than $4MM this year.

There are also a couple of borderline cases who could be considered rentals. The Sox have an $18MM option on Lance Lynn for next year with a $1MM buyout. His 6.75 ERA this year makes it less likely that gets picked up but it also diminishes his trade appeal. Joe Kelly is in a somewhat similar situation as he can be kept around for 2024 via a $9.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout. He has a 4.57 ERA but strong peripherals and a 53.7% strand rate, leading to a 2.86 FIP and 2.80 SIERA.

The club also has a $15MM option on Liam Hendriks, though with a $15MM buyout. The only difference is that triggering the buyout would allow them to spread the payment out over 10 years instead of just in 2024. He’s been floated as a trade candidate this summer but he’s currently on the injured list due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. Given the injury, the PR hit of trading him away after his feel-good return from cancer and that buyout, it seems likely that he’s with the Sox again next year.

If the Sox ultimately stick to their plan of only trading rentals, that would mean that other speculative trade candidates are off the table. Many observers have wondered if the club would consider moving shortstop Tim Anderson, who can be retained for 2024 via a $14MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Trading him now would be a difficult decision because it would hurt the club’s chances of returning to contention in 2024 and the return would surely be diminished since he’s hitting just .251/.290/.296 this year. Instead of trading him when his value is at a low ebb, there would be sense in the club hanging onto him and hoping for a return to form next year.

Dylan Cease has also been suggested as a trade candidate but that would require the club to really commit to a lengthier rebuild. He still has two more passes through arbitration to go and isn’t slated for free agency until after 2025. His ERA has almost doubled from last year’s 2.20 to this year’s 4.31 figure, but he’s still getting strikeouts at an above-average 26.2% rate. They would surely get a huge haul for him if they decided to move him, but it doesn’t seem as though that’s on the table right now.

KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Release Eric Jokisch, Sign Ian McKinney

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The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization have released right-hander Eric Jokisch and signed left-hander Ian McKinney, per Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (Twitter links). Kurtz adds that Jokisch was diagnosed with a partial tear in left abductor muscle and was set to miss six weeks. KBO teams are only allowed three roster spots for non-Korean players, so they have decided to quickly make this switch instead of waiting for Jokisch to recover.

Jokisch, 33, pitched 14 1/3 innings for the Cubs in 2014, which is the full extent of his major league experience. He has a far lengthier track record in the KBO, as this is the fifth season in which he’s pitched for the Heroes. He’s made 130 starts dating back to the 2019 season, with a 2.85 ERA in 773 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate has been in the 17-21% range for most of those seasons but he’s succeeded by reliably getting ground balls on over two thirds of balls in play.

That success has repeatedly led to him and the Heroes continuing their relationship, though it will now be severed by this injury, as the club will use the roster spot to add McKinney. The left-hander, now 28, was a fifth-round selection of the Cardinals in 2013. He was released in 2018 after topping out at Double-A. He later signed with the Mariners and made it as far as Triple-A in that organization but never made it to the majors.

In addition to that affiliated work, he’s also pitched for independent clubs, including this year. He’s made eight starts for the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League here in 2023, posting a 4.24 ERA in 46 2/3 innings, striking out 53 opponents while walking 11.

Jokisch will now be free to pursue other opportunities, though he may have to rehab from his injury first. His success in Korea led to some interest from MLB clubs prior to the 2021 season, though he ultimately stayed with the Heroes.

Dodgers To Select Emmet Sheehan

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The Dodgers are going to select right-hander Emmet Sheehan to their roster, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com. He will start tonight’s game, making his major league debut. The club has an opening on their 40-man roster from designating Adam Kolarek for assignment earlier this week but will need a corresponding move to get Sheehan onto the active roster.

Sheehan, 23, was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2021 draft and made a brief professional debut at the lower levels of their farm system in the subsequent months. Last year, he spent most of it at High-A and was able to reach Double-A by the end of the year. He tossed 68 innings on the year with a 2.91 ERA, striking out an excellent 38% of opponents though with an 11.1% walk rate that was on the high side. He then went to the Arizona Fall League and added another 20 1/3 frames with a 3.54 ERA in six starts.

Coming into this season, he was generally considered to be just outside the club’s top tier of prospects. Many outlets had roughly five to eight Dodgers on their top 100 lists, with Sheehan just a bit behind that group. Baseball America ranked him #13 in the system, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs at #17 and Keith Law of The Athletic at #14.

Here in 2023, Sheehan has returned to Double-A and has been getting great results. He has an ERA of 1.86 in 53 1/3 innings so far, with a massive strikeout rate of 41.7%. His 10.9% walk rate is still a bit on the high side and he won’t be able to maintain a .211 batting average on balls in play or 91.1% strand rate, but his numbers would surely be impressive even with a bit of regression.

The Dodgers are now going to have Sheehan leapfrog over Triple-A and into the majors. That’s partially a testament to his impressive work but it’s also related to some challenges they have faced with the big league staff. Walker Buehler had Tommy John surgery last year and won’t be an option until late in the season, even in a best-case scenario. Dustin May was able to make nine starts this year but departed the last of those and was diagnosed with a flexor pronator strain. He’s on the 60-day injured list and ineligible to return until mid-July. Julio Urías has been on the IL since mid-May due to a hamstring strain and was supposed to come back this week but suffered a setback and will likely require a rehab assignment now. Noah Syndergaard went on the shelf just over a week ago due to a blister.

Amid all of those injuries to their established starters, the club has been forced to turn to their prospect depth. Ryan Pepiot was going to open the season in the rotation but he himself got injured at the end of Spring Training as he strained his oblique and isn’t expected back until the All-Star break. Michael Grove and Bobby Miller have been pushed into the rotation next to incumbents Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin. Miller’s ERA is a miniscule 0.78 but Grove’s is way up at 8.10.

Despite all those challenges, the Dodgers are managing to stay afloat. Their 39-30 record places them second in the National League West and they are currently holding the top Wild Card spot in the league. Whether this is just a spot start for Sheehan or he sticks around for longer will likely be determined by a few different factors. His own performance will surely be one of them, as will the continued results of Grove and Miller, along with the health situations of the guys on the injured list.

The Opener: Dodgers, Angels, Steele

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As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Dodgers’ prospect to debut:

According to Juan Toribio of MLB.com, the Dodgers are set to call up right-hander Emmet Sheehan to make his major league debut today. Sheehan, who ranks 13th in the Dodgers’ system per MLB Pipeline, was picked in the sixth round of the 2021 draft and has impressed over the past calendar year, posting a 2.83 ERA in High-A last season before making six strong starts in the Arizona Fall League (3.54 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate). In 2023, Sheehan has improved on those performances, pitching to a sterling 1.86 ERA in 53 1/3 innings at the Double-A level while striking out a whopping 41.7% of batters faced. Now Sheehan figures to be tasked with taking the ball at Dodger Stadium against the club’s biggest rival. The youngster will need to be added to the 40-man roster, but with an open spot available, the Dodgers will only need to make an active roster move to accommodate Sheehan.

2. Angels’ infield woes:

After putting Zach Neto on the injured list earlier in the day with an oblique issue, the Angels saw their infield depth taken apart in last night’s game against the Rangers, as discussed by Sam Blum of The Athletic. Gio Urshela exited the game with a hip injury and spoke to reporters on crutches after the game, indicating he expected to miss time. Meanwhile, third baseman Anthony Rendon was struck in the wrist by a pitch and left him unable to swing the bat for the rest of the game, though he did stay in the game on defense due to the lack of options on the bench. Rendon is set to undergo testing today to determine the severity of his injury.

The injuries come at a brutal time for the Angels, who have surged in recent weeks to a 39-32 record, just one game back of a Wild Card spot in the AL. If Urshela and Rendon both join Neto on the shelf, however, the club’s infield will be in dire straits. Jared Walsh can take over for Urshela at first base while Luis Rengifo and Brandon Drury combine to cover second and third, leaving shortstop to Andrew Velazquez. Michael Stefanic and Livan Soto are both infield options on the 40-man roster who could provide depth behind that group.

3. Steele poised to return tomorrow:

Per MLB.com, Cubs left-hander Justin Steele did a light workout on the mound yesterday in preparation for what the club plans on being his return to the starting rotation tomorrow against the Orioles. Though the Cubs have not yet announced a starter for tomorrow’s game, manager David Ross confirmed to reporters that the hope is for Steele to take the ball. Steele went on the injured list at the beginning of the month with a mild forearm strain, meaning the Cubs will need to make an active roster move to accommodate him.

Steele’s return would be a major boon for a Cubs team that has struggled to a 31-37 record this season but is coming off a sweep of the division-leading Pirates that put them within 3.5 games of the crown in a weak NL Central. In 12 starts this season, Steele has impressed with a 2.65 ERA and 2.84 FIP across 68 innings while slotting into the front of Chicago’s rotation alongside right-hander Marcus Stroman.

Write For MLB Trade Rumors

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We’re looking to add to the MLBTR writing team, in a part-time position that pays hourly.  The criteria:

  • Strong availability throughout the week, with extra hours expected in September and October 2023.
  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 baseball teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts like arbitration, the competitive balance tax, and new aspects of the latest collective bargaining agreement.
  • A high school degree is required, and further education is preferred. Please include your highest completed level of education in your application.
  • Writing experience is necessary, and online writing experience is preferred.
  • Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.
  • Ability to craft intelligent, well-written posts analyzing and contextualizing MLB hot stove news quickly and concisely.
  • Ability to use Twitter, Tweetdeck, and WordPress.  Experience with these is strongly preferred.
  • Ability to incorporate feedback to improve performance.
  • If you’re interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out and qualify in a couple of short paragraphs.  Please attach your resume to the email.  We often receive several hundred applications, so unfortunately we will not be able to reply to each one.

At the end of your application, please fill in the blank:  After the ____ season ends, assuming he does not sign a contract extension or go to the minors, Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan will become a free agent.  Rather than give an explanation, simply write, “McClanahan question: [Year]” at the end.

Nevada Governor Signs A’s Stadium Bill

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This afternoon, Nevada governor Joe Lombardo signed the bill proposing $380MM in public funding for the construction of a Las Vegas ballpark. Sean Golonka, Tabitha Mueller and Jacob Solis of the Nevada Independent and Steve Sebelius of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were among those to cover the news.

Lombardo’s signature was the final governmental hurdle for the A’s to clear before they can formally apply to MLB for relocation. Lombardo has been a strong proponent of the plan, so there was never any doubt he’d sign after the bill was passed by the Nevada legislature earlier in the week.

“I’m excited to officially sign SB1 this afternoon,” Lombardo said in a statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to bring the A’s to Nevada, and this legislation reflects months of negotiations between the team, the state, the county, and the league. Las Vegas’ position as a global sports destination is only growing, and Major League Baseball is another tremendous asset for the city.”

The plan calls for the construction of a 30,000 seat retractable roof facility on the Vegas Strip. The A’s will receive $180MM in state tax credits which they’re allowed to sell to other businesses for cash, around $120MM in county-issued bonds, and a $25MM county credit. According to the Nevada Independent, the A’s will still need to hammer out various contracts with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority to codify the organization’s community benefits and non-relocation commitments. They’ll also still need approval from the FAA since the stadium site is within close proximity to Harry Reid International Airport.

None of that is expected to present real obstacles to relocation, which now seems all but inevitable. The next step for the A’s is to put their proposal in front of MLB officials. Commissioner Rob Manfred has already stated he’d waive the organization’s relocation fee.

Manfred addressed the process at the end of this week’s owners meetings in New York (relayed by Evan Drellich of the Athletic). The league is expected to put together a relocation committee to review the A’s proposal once it’s filed. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link) the committee will be chaired by Brewers’ owner Mark Attansasio, who’ll be joined by two yet to be determined owners.

The commissioner declined to put a timetable on a potential relocation vote. Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggested this week a vote was likely to occur before the All-Star Break. If/when the league approves, the A’s can set in motion their construction efforts.

The A’s lease at Oakland Coliseum runs through the end of the 2024 season. Reports have suggested the A’s are targeting 2028 for the opening of the Vegas facility. A’s president Dave Kaval said in April the franchise hadn’t yet decided on its plans for the 2025-27 campaigns.

Kaval suggested the organization could look into a temporary lease extension at the Coliseum to bridge that gap, though the animosity between the franchise and Oakland leadership makes that appear unlikely. The A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators, play in Las Vegas and could temporarily host the major league club. Manfred said today there’s been no final decision as to whether the A’s could attempt to get out of their lease early and play at the Triple-A ballpark as soon as next season.

Blue Jays Release Anthony Bass

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Reliever Anthony Bass has cleared waivers and been granted his unconditional release from the Blue Jays, tweets Mitch Bannon of Sports Illustrated. Toronto designated Bass for assignment last Friday.

Bass was initially acquired from the Marlins at last summer’s deadline, heading alongside Zach Pop for infield prospect Jordan Groshans. He pitched well down the stretch, leading the Jays to exercise a $3MM option to bring him back for 2023.

The veteran right-hander struggled in mostly low-leverage situations this year. He allowed a 4.95 ERA through 20 innings. Bass’ average fastball speed sat in the same 95 MPH range as last season, but his swinging strike percentage and strikeout rate each dropped a few points. The free passes also went in the wrong direction, as his walk rate jumped from 7.3% to 10.2%.

Bass’ on-field performance is only part of the story. Last month, he shared an Instagram video (which he later deleted) that called for a boycott of corporations that had supported the LGBTQ community. That video had called those businesses’ support of LGBTQ individuals “evil” and “demonic” (as chronicled by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). Bass subsequently conceded that posting the video was a “distraction” but reaffirmed he “(stands) by (his) personal beliefs.” The reliever apologized to general manager Ross Atkins, manager John Schneider and the Blue Jays’ clubhouse for, as Atkins put it, “creating any harm and for hurting others.”

One day after Atkins and Bass met with the media, Toronto took him off the 40-man roster. The GM said the move was primarily “a baseball decision” but conceded the “distraction was a small part of it and something that we had to factor in” (link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet).

After clearing waivers, Bass is now free to explore opportunities elsewhere. The Jays will be on the hook for the remainder of the $3MM salary. Any team that signs him would only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum for whatever time he spends on their big league roster.

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