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Joey Wendle Elects Free Agency

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Veteran utility infielder Joey Wendle has rejected an outright assignment from the Braves and instead elected free agency, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. Atlanta designated Wendle for assignment just three days after signing him to a major league deal and outrighted him last night. He did not appear in a game with the Braves.

The 34-year-old Wendle opened the season with the Mets after signing a one-year, $2MM deal in the offseason. He was seldom used by manager Carlos Mendoza, appearing in only 18 games and tallying 37 plate appearances with a tepid .222/.243/.250 batting line in 37 trips to the plate. It’s the third straight year that Wendle has turned in sub-par offensive numbers, and he did so over a much larger sample with the 2022-23 Marlins. Since being traded from Tampa Bay to Miami in the 2021-22 offseason, Wendle owns just a .237/.273/.331 batting line in 726 turns at the plate. By measure of wRC+, that’s about 34% worse than league-average production.

At his best, Wendle was a versatile utilityman in Tampa Bay — one known for solid contact skills and a diverse defensive skill set that allowed him to capably handle multiple infield slots and both outfield corners. From 2017-21, he slashed a combined .275/.330/.416 — good for a 106 wRC+ (i.e. production that’s roughly 6% better than league average after weighting for home park and league run-scoring environment). He’s seen major league time at every infield position other than first base and in both outfield corners, grading particularly well in the middle infield.

Now that he’s once again a free agent, Wendle can sign with any team seeking some infield depth. A new club will only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the active roster or major league injured list. That sum would be subtracted from what the Mets owe him through season’s end. New York will remain on the hook for the rest of that $2MM salary.

Brewers Designate Mitch White For Assignment

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The Brewers announced Thursday that right-hander Mitch White has been designated for assignment. His spot on the active roster goes to righty Kevin Herget, who has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

Milwaukee acquired White from the Giants in exchange for cash just under three weeks ago. San Francisco had also designated the right-hander for assignment prior to that swap. White made six appearances with the Brewers, pitching 8 1/3 innings and yielding six earned runs on eight hits and four walks (two of them intentional). He punched out six batters. On the season as a whole, White has tossed 23 2/3 innings and been roughed up for a 7.23 ERA between the Blue Jays, Giants and Brewers. He’s fanned just 11.8% of his opponents against a matching 11.8% walk rate.

White, 29, has pitched in parts of five big league seasons. Once a prospect of note within the Dodgers organization, the 2016 second-rounder had a nice early-career run in L.A. before stumbling following a trade to Toronto. In 105 2/3 frames as a Dodger, White recorded a 3.58 ERA with a 22% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. He’s since pitched to a 5.45 ERA with a diminished 17.7% strikeout rate.

White is out of minor league options, so the Brewers didn’t have the choice to send him to Triple-A. He’ll either be traded, placed on outright waivers or released within the next week. Because of that lack of options, any team to claim White or make a small trade for the righty will need to carry him on the big league roster.

Rays’ Prospect Junior Caminero To Miss Four To Six Weeks With Quad Strain

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Rays’ prospect Junior Caminero has been placed on the minor league injured list due to a quad strain. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash says it’s a Grade 2 strain and that the infielder is likely to miss four to six weeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relayed the information on X.

Coming into the season, it was easy to imagine Caminero playing a significant role for the Rays. He has been launching himself up prospect lists in recent years and even reached the majors last season. He didn’t hit much in his first 36 major league plate appearances last year but he was barely 20 years old when called up late in the season.

The fact that he was even up in the majors at such a young age speaks to his talent and his performance. He hit .324/.384/.591 in the minors last year between High-A and Double-A, leading to a combined 156 wRC+ and a leap over the Triple-A level.

As 2024 kicked off, he was considered a consensus top five prospect in the sport. Baseball America had him at #2, ESPN at #3 FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline at #4, with Keith Law of The Athletic putting him in the #5 spot.

Unfortunately, injuries have made 2024 a mostly lost season for Caminero so far. The Rays planned for him to start the year in the minors, optioning him fairly early in Spring Training, the second week of March. He landed on the minor league injured list in early April due to a quad strain and is now back in the same position yet again.

Around his injured list stints, he has appeared in 34 Triple-A games and stepped to the plate 153 times. His .261/.333/.478 batting line translates to a 106 wRC+, indicating he’s been above average but not outrageously so. Perhaps that’s due to the injury interruptions with better results to be expected with a longer stretch of health.

That will now have to wait, likely into July, considering the time frame provided by Cash. For the team, that will leave them with less infield depth for the next few weeks. Caminero has played all four infield spots in his minor league career but has mostly been at Triple-A this season, perhaps suggesting that’s where the Rays view his future home. Isaac Paredes is currently the regular at the hot corner and is playing well, though he is capable of moving elsewhere at some point down the line if Caminero forces his way into the big leagues.

Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz are getting most of the playing time at second and first base, respectively, but each is set to make an eight-figure salary in the next two seasons. Given the Rays’ penchant for trading players when they reach that position, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a scenario wherein Caminero comes up and takes over third base, moving Paredes to the other side of the diamond and thus bumping another player into the designated hitter slot and later onto the trading block.

All of that will remain theoretical for now, particularly with Caminero on the shelf. For the player, it’s undoubtedly a frustrating situation, as he’s missing plenty of time in a key development season. Since this is all happening in the minor leagues, it’s also preventing him from moving his service clock forward. Caminero was able to get ten service days during his brief debut last year. His early-season injury already prevented him from getting to the one-year mark here in 2024, meaning he can’t reach free agency until after 2030 at the earliest. A call-up in the first half could have put him on track for Super Two status after 2026, but that’s likely out the window now with this further injury.

Braves Place A.J. Minter On Injured List, Outright Joey Wendle

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The Braves announced Thursday morning that they’ve placed left-hander A.J. Minter on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his left hip. Right-hander Jimmy Herget has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Minter’s spot on the roster. Atlanta also passed veteran infielder Joey Wendle through waivers unclaimed and assigned him outright to Gwinnett, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Wendle is approaching seven years of MLB service, which is well north of the five needed to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, and he’ll have 48 hours from the time of the outright assignment to make that decision.

Minter, 30, has been one of the Braves’ steadiest relievers over the past seven-plus seasons. With the exception of an anomalous 7.06 ERA in 29 1/3 innings during 2019’s juiced-ball season, he’s kept his ERA to 3.78 or better each season and worked to an overall 3.32 mark through 335 2/3 MLB frames.

Minter has been strong again this season, working to a 2.95 ERA with a 27.7% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate and 40.4% ground-ball rate. His 95.2 mph average fastball is a career-low, though it’s only a half-mile less than his average fastball from a 2020 season that saw him post a 0.83 ERA in 21 2/3 frames. The left-hander is slated to become a free agent at season’s end and is earning a $6.215MM salary in 2024.

The team hasn’t yet provided an expected timetable for Minter’s return, but his absence is a notable one, given his track record. Minter’s seven holds trail only Joe Jimenez (10) for the team lead. With the left-hander now sidelined for at least a couple weeks, right-hander Pierce Johnson could see more leverage work. Fellow southpaws Dylan Lee and Tyler Matzek could also get some extra late-inning opportunities.

As for Wendle, his stay with the Braves organization could wind up proving excessively brief. The Mets released him earlier this month, and Wendle quickly latched on with Atlanta on a new big league deal. That deal was signed on May 24, but Wendle was designated just three days later — before Wendle even got into a game with the Braves.

A versatile utilityman known for his quality glovework and typically strong bat-to-ball skills, Wendle has seen his offensive production take a significant downturn over the past three seasons. He hit just .222/.243/.250 in 37 plate appearances as a Met earlier this year and carries an anemic .237/.273/.331 line (66 wRC+) in 726 plate appearances dating back to the 2022 campaign. If Wendle accepts the outright assignment, he’ll remain with the Braves as a depth option, but he can also choose to explore opportunities with other clubs if he prefers.

The Opener: Mets, Darvish, Nootbaar

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mets roster moves incoming:

The Mets will designate right-hander Jorge Lopez for assignment today on the heels of an outburst wherein the 31-year-old threw his glove into the stands after a rough outing and then cursed while being critical of the team and/or himself in postgame comments that have created a good bit of controversy. Whether Lopez intended to criticize the team, himself or both, he’ll now be replaced on the club’s active roster. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that left-hander Danny Young, who pitched three scoreless innings for the club earlier this year, will be recalled in his place.

Sammon goes on to suggest that more moves to renovate the club’s bullpen could be on the table, while MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo relays that the club will receive CT scan results regarding Pete Alonso today after he was struck in the hand by a pitch. While initial x-rays came back negative, DiComo noted that the Mets won’t know for sure if Alonso suffered a break or not until they receive today’s results. If Alonso were to miss time, that could open up regular reps at first base for corner infielder Mark Vientos, allowing fellow developing third baseman Brett Baty to take everyday at-bats at the hot corner.

2. Darvish awaiting test results:

Veteran right-hander Yu Darvish lasted just three innings during yesterday’s start against the Marlins. Padres skipper Mike Shildt said after the game that the 37-year-old righty was dealing with tightness in his left hamstring (X link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Darvish underwent was set for imaging on his ailing leg in the aftermath of yesterday’s loss, and it’s likely results will be publicly revealed today.

Darvish has pitched to an excellent 3.20 ERA with a 3.48 FIP and a 23.1% strikeout rate across 11 starts this season, acting as an anchor for the San Diego rotation alongside Dylan Cease. Right-hander Randy Vasquez figures to be the next man up in the event that Darvish requires a trip to the injured list, although the 25-year-old has struggled to a 5.82 ERA in five starts for the club this season.

3. Nootbaar to undergo MRI:

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including MLB.com’s John Denton) that outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited yesterday’s game against the Reds with “lingering pain” in his left side after he initially grabbed at his side following a checked swing earlier in the game. Nootbaar already missed the first two weeks of the season due to fractures in his ribcage.

When healthy enough to take the field, Nootbaar has hit fairly well for the Cardinals this year with a 117 wRC+ in 39 games. It’s possible the club could turn to Victor Scott II or Jordan Walker to fill out their outfield mix in the event that Nootbaar requires another trip to the shelf, although after the pair’s struggles earlier this year it’s also possible they offer regular outfield reps to Alec Burleson while calling up Luken Baker to serve as the club’s DH alongside veteran Matt Carpenter.

Mets To Designate Jorge Lopez For Assignment

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The Mets are designating reliever Jorge López for assignment, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (X link). The move comes after the right-hander tossed his glove into the stands following a rough outing this afternoon against the Dodgers. After the game, López said he didn’t regret the incident and called the Mets “the worst team in probably the whole f***ing MLB” (video provided on X by SNY).

López, a native of Puerto Rico, conducted his postgame media scrum in English. While it was initially unclear whether he intended to call the Mets “the worst team” in the league or if called himself “the worst teammate,” he answered “probably” to a follow-up question when asked whether he called the Mets “the worst team.” MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets that López subsequently indicated he intended to criticize both himself and the club — calling himself the worst teammate on the league’s worst team.

The Mets may very well have been prepared to move on from López even before his comments. Called on to pitch in the eighth inning with the team trailing 5-3, he surrendered a double to Miguel Vargas that scored a pair of inherited runners. López retired Mookie Betts before serving up a two-run homer to Shohei Ohtani. He was ejected during the next at-bat after arguing with third base umpire Ramon De Jesus on a check swing. López flipped his glove over the protective netting on his way off the field. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza called López’s behavior “not acceptable” and said the team would address it internally (video from SNY).

A veteran of nine MLB seasons, López inked a $2MM free agent deal with the Mets in December. This afternoon notwithstanding, he had serviceable run prevention numbers. In 26 1/3 innings, he turned in a 3.76 earned run average. López only punched out 17.2% of opponents while walking nearly 10% of batters faced. While he probably wouldn’t have been cut loose if not for today’s glove toss and postgame comments, it wasn’t a resoundingly impressive performance either.

López was an All-Star with the Orioles back in 2022, when he turned in a 1.68 ERA with 19 saves in 48 1/3 frames for Baltimore. The O’s controversially traded him to the Twins at the deadline. López’s production plummeted after the deal, as he turned in a 4.81 ERA in Minnesota. He continued to struggle after being swapped to the Marlins last summer and in a late-season return to Baltimore.

The Mets are riding a three-game losing streak and have dropped 19 of 26 this month. They’re a season-worst 11 games below .500 and ahead of only the Rockies and Marlins in the National League. The bullpen entered play today with a 4.42 ERA in May, ranking 21st in MLB. They lost the struggling Edwin Díaz to the injured list before the game. Adam Ottavino, Reed Garrett and Jake Diekman are taking high-leverage work.

Angels Transfer Jose Cisnero To 60-Day IL

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The Angels announced they’ve transferred reliever José Cisnero from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. They needed to open a roster spot for infielder Michael Stefanic, who is back from his own 60-day IL stint. The Halos reinstated him onto the 40-man and optioned him to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Cisnero has been on the IL since April 28 with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. His 60-day window backdates to the original placement. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement at the end of June. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, Cisnero experienced some lower back soreness when he tried to ramp up his throwing program in recent weeks. It isn’t known if he’ll be ready to return a month from now.

The Angels signed the 35-year-old righty to a $1.75MM free agent deal in February. He was one of six major league free agent signees as the Halos curiously prioritized a complete bullpen overhaul during the offseason. That hasn’t worked out, either in Cisnero’s case or in aggregate. Angel relievers entered play Wednesday ranked 26th with a 4.71 earned run average. Cisnero gave up 13 runs in his first 14 innings of the season, allowing four homers among 17 hits.

Stefanic has been out since suffering a quad strain in Spring Training. The 28-year-old hit .244/.331/.293 in 140 major league plate appearances over the previous two seasons. He’s in his final minor league option year and could soon push the struggling Kyren Paris for a spot on the bench.

Astros Release Miguel Díaz

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Right-hander Miguel Díaz has been released by the Astros, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’s now a free agent and will be free to pursue opportunities with any club on the open market.

Díaz, 29, was claimed off waivers from the Tigers in April. He tossed one scoreless inning for the Astros before getting designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and elected free agency but then stayed in the organization by inking a minor league deal with the Astros.

He reported to Triple-A Sugar Land but didn’t fare well there, at least in terms of results. He tossed 14 innings over 13 appearances but allowed 15 earned runs. That leads to an earned run average of 9.64 that’s probably misleading. His .392 batting average on balls in play and 40% strand rate were both on the unlucky side of average. He only struck out 15.2% of batters faced but also only walked 7.6% and didn’t allow a home run, which is why his 3.62 FIP was far below his ERA.

All of that is a small sample and in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League as well. His big league track record dates back to 2017 and includes 127 1/3 innings with a 4.81 ERA. That number is a bit skewed by his rookie season, when he was a 22-year-old Rule 5 pick of the Padres despite never having pitched above A-ball before. He tossed 41 2/3 innings for the Friars that year with a 7.34 ERA.

Since that campaign, he has thrown 85 2/3 innings in the majors with a 3.57 ERA, scattered over several campaigns with the Padres, Tigers and that one inning with the Astros. His 10.9% walk rate in that stretch is on the high side but he also punched out 27.7% of batters faced. From 2021 to 2023, he also tossed 137 2/3 innings in the minors. His 4.97 ERA in that time isn’t especially impressive and his 11.3% walk rate was on the high side, but his 26.2% strikeout rate was quite solid.

Despite debuting way back in 2017, Díaz is still about six months shy of his 30th birthday. He has exhausted his option seasons but has just around three years of big league service time. His results haven’t been perfect but he’s generally been able to rack up strikeouts wherever he’s gone, apart from his small sample of work for Sugar Land this year.

Dodgers Sign Chris Vallimont To Minor League Deal

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The Dodgers have signed right-hander Chris Vallimont to a minor league contract, as announced by Triple-A broadcaster Alex Freedman (X link). Vallimont is starting for the Dodgers’ top affiliate this evening.

A fifth-round pick of the Marlins in 2018, Vallimont has now been a part of five organizations in affiliated ball. He was traded to the Twins in 2019 and subsequently bounced to the Orioles and Guardians via waivers or minor trade. Vallimont’s only major league appearance came with Baltimore last July. The Guardians acquired from the O’s shortly thereafter but ran him through outright waivers without getting him into an MLB game.

The 27-year-old has struggled in the upper minors. Vallimont carries a 6.07 ERA in 123 Double-A frames and has allowed 5.46 earned runs per nine over 158 1/3 innings at the top minor league level. The Mercyhurst product has a decent 22% strikeout rate in his Triple-A career, though, and he’s coming off a strong showing in independent ball.

Vallimont, who elected minor league free agency last October, began this year with the Atlantic League’s York Revolution. He threw 27 1/3 innings over five starts, turning in a 3.29 ERA while striking out nearly 31% of batters faced. It seems he’ll work as rotation depth for the Dodgers and he has prior experience in long relief.

Kevin Smith Accepts Outright Assignment With Yankees

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May 29: The Yankees clarified on Wednesday that Smith has decided to accept the outright assignment. He’ll head back to Scranton and await another opportunity in the Bronx.

May 28: DJ LeMahieu is set to make his season debut, as the Yankees reinstated him from the 60-day injured list before tonight’s game in Anaheim. New York outrighted infielder Kevin Smith off the 40-man roster in a corresponding move; Smith has already elected minor league free agency in lieu of an assignment back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York also activated reliever Ian Hamilton from the COVID-19 list after optioning Yoendrys Gómez on Sunday.

LeMahieu is at third base and hitting ninth against Griffin Canning. He should take over more or less every day at the hot corner now that he’s back from the foot injuries that cost him the first two months of the season. LeMahieu broke a bone in his right foot on a foul ball at the tail end of camp. The team tried to get him back in late April, but he felt renewed soreness immediately after embarking on a rehab stint. That shut him down again for another couple weeks, but LeMahieu has gotten through six minor league games dating back to May 17.

Third base has been a rare question mark amidst one of the game’s most potent offenses. While Oswaldo Cabrera got out to a strong start to the season, he’s hitting .230/.273/.295 in 66 plate appearances over the past month. Spring Training trade acquisition Jon Berti has been limited to 17 games around a pair of injured list stints. The speedy utilityman went on the 10-day IL over the weekend with a left calf strain. He’ll be out well beyond the minimum, telling reporters this evening that he could miss between six and eight weeks (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post).

LeMahieu is coming off a league average offensive performance in 2023. He hit .243/.327/.390 across 562 plate appearances. His performance improved over the course of the year. LeMahieu carried a meager .220/.285/.357 line into the All-Star Break before posting a .273/.377/.432 slash in the second half. He’s unlikely to recapture his 2019-20 form as he approaches his 36th birthday, though he should still be an upgrade over Cabrera, who fits better in a multi-positional role off the bench.

Smith, a New York-area native, signed a minor league contract with the Yankees over the offseason. He played in 29 games with the RailRiders, hitting .204/.270/.286 while striking out 41 times in 111 trips to the plate (a 36.9% rate). The Yanks called him up twice as utility depth. He appeared in two games as a pinch runner and didn’t take an at-bat at the major league level.

The Yankees had already outrighted the 27-year-old once this season, sending him through waivers in April. That gave him the right to test free agency this time around, as is the case for all players with a previous career outright. It’s not uncommon to see players circle back to their previous organization on a minor league contract after electing free agency, but Smith and his camp could look for a non-roster deal elsewhere now that LeMahieu is healthy. One of four players whom the A’s acquired from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman deal, Smith is a .173/.215/.301 hitter in 333 MLB plate appearances.

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