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White Sox Select José Ureña

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TODAY: The Sox have officially announced Urena’s selection, and right-hander Declan Cronin was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 6) in the corresponding move.  Cronin is dealing with blisters on his throwing hand.

SEPTEMBER 8: The White Sox are planning to select José Ureña’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte, allowing the veteran to start on Saturday against the Tigers, as first reported by Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Chicago has an open spot on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding transaction will not be necessary. However, the White Sox will have to make a move to open up space on the active roster.

Ureña last pitched in the majors for the Rockies in April. He signed a major league deal with Colorado during the offseason but was designated for assignment and subsequently released after just five starts. The Rockies are still on the hook for his guaranteed salary, so the White Sox will only need to pay him the prorated portion of the $720K minimum salary for as long as he stays with the MLB club.

The right-hander signed a minor league deal with the Nationals in May but failed to earn a promotion back to the majors, pitching to a 6.31 ERA in 15 starts at Triple-A Rochester. He was released in early August and quickly signed a new deal with the White Sox, reporting to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. Ureña has looked much better in his four outings with the Knights than he did with the Rochester Red Wings, posting a 3.37 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. He has increased his strikeout rate while decreasing his walk rate, and he has not allowed a home run in his last three games.

His recent turnaround at Triple-A is promising, but Ureña still has a ways to go to prove he can be a capable big league starter once again. He gave up 22 runs across 18 1/3 innings with the Rockies this year, and he owns a 5.61 ERA and 5.16 SIERA over the last five seasons.

Be that as it may, the White Sox will take any help they can get in the rotation right now. Their starters rank last in baseball with a 6.26 ERA since the trade deadline. Michael Kopech, who is moving to the bullpen in favor of Ureña, has been the number one culprit, walking 26 batters and pitching to an 8.10 ERA in his last six starts. It wasn’t so long ago that manager Pedro Grifol said, “[Kopech] not being a starter is not anywhere close to what we’re thinking.” However, Kopech’s poor performance has forced the team’s hand. Grifol confirmed to reporters, including Merkin, that the White Sox still view Kopech as a starter long-term, but he will spend the rest of the 2023 season in the bullpen.

With just over three weeks remaining in the regular season, Ureña will have the chance to earn another three or four starts. If he continues to perform like he has at Triple-A Charlotte, he could pitch his way to another major league contract for 2024.

Rockies Extend Germán Márquez

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The Rockies took a step toward solidifying their rotation on Friday afternoon, announcing a two-year extension with starting pitcher Germán Márquez. The deal, which spans the 2024-25 seasons, guarantees him $20MM. Márquez, a client of L.A. Sports Management, will receive $10MM annually over the next two seasons.

The deal also contains up to $10MM in additional incentives. Márquez would reportedly receive $2MM bonuses for spending 30 and 60 days on the MLB roster during the 2025 season. He’d trigger additional $2MM bonuses at each of 140, 150, and 160 innings pitched. The contract also contains a $1MM assignment bonus in the event of a trade.

“Germán has been an integral part of the Rockies organization both on and off the field since his first Major League season in 2016.” Rockies senior vice president and general manager Bill Schmidt said in the team’s press release. “We are excited to secure Germán’s future in Denver with this extension and can’t wait to see him back out on the mound.”

The 2023 season was the last guaranteed year on Márquez’s contract. Colorado had a $16MM option for next season, though they were likely to opt for a $2.5MM buyout. Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery in May, meaning he won’t be back until mid-2024 at the earliest. Now, he will remain with the Rockies for at least two more years, allowing him to rehab with an eye towards late next season and beyond.

Márquez has been in the Rockies organization since 2016, when the team acquired him in a trade with the Rays. He made his MLB debut that September and pitched his first full season the following year, posting a 4.39 ERA in 162 innings pitched en route to a fifth-place finish for NL Rookie of the Year. Over the next four seasons, he was one of the most durable pitchers in the league. From 2017-22, only three pitchers made more starts than Márquez: Gerrit Cole, Patrick Corbin, and Aaron Nola. Prior to this season, he had spent only one stint on the injured list in his big league career.

If Márquez suffers no setbacks and quickly shakes off the rust in his return, the terms of the extension seem perfectly reasonable. Colorado is offering more up-front security than Márquez would’ve gotten had they bought him out, while the $10MM salary for the ’25 campaign could be strong value for the club if Márquez recaptures his pre-surgery form.

Colorado now has three veteran starters under contract through 2025. Kyle Freeland is signed through 2026, with a vesting option for 2027. Meanwhile, Antonio Senzatela is signed through 2026 with a team option for 2027. Senzatela recently underwent a Tommy John procedure of his own. The Rockies will hope to have Márquez and Senzatela back to anchor the rotation alongside Freeland at some point in 2024.

MLBTR’s Steve Adams first reported Márquez was signing a two-year, $20MM guarantee with $10MM in incentives. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported the specific incentive structure.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Dodgers Outright Tyson Miller

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The Dodgers have sent Tyson Miller outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. This is the second outright of his career, which means he has the right to reject the assignment and become a free agent. It is unclear if he plans to do so.

Miller began the season in the Brewers organization, appearing in seven games for the big league club. He was designated for assignment in July and subsequently traded to the Dodgers. He pitched just a single game for the L.A., ultimately getting DFA’d again and claimed off waivers by the Mets. However, his time in New York was similarly short-lived; he made only one appearance at the MLB level before he was DFA’d for the third time this season.

The Dodgers claimed Miller back, less than a month after they had let him go. He made a second appearance for the Dodgers, punctuated by his lone appearance with the Mets, tossing two scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks. However, he was DFA’d yet again the following day. Miller has already been optioned the maximum number of times this season, so it was the only choice L.A. had to remove him from the active roster. If he does accept the outright assignment, he will still have the chance to elect free agency at the end of the season.

Rays Using Taylor Walls As Primary Shortstop Down The Stretch

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After being activated from the 10-day IL, Taylor Walls will become the Rays’ primary shortstop, manager Kevin Cash revealed to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Osleivis Basabe will move into a utility role around the infield.

Walls has been with the Rays organization since he was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft. He made his big league debut in 2021 and took on a regular role the following season, flashing the leather at shortstop, second, and third. While he wasn’t particularly effective at the plate, he demonstrated an aptitude for drawing walks and contributed on the basepaths, swiping 14 bags in 19 attempts during his first two seasons.

Prior to suffering an oblique strain, Walls was enjoying a mini breakout in 2023. After posting a .569 OPS and a 70 wRC+ in 196 games throughout his first two seasons, he had a .675 OPS and a 94 wRC+ across his first 79 games. Those are still below-average numbers, but they represented a significant improvement for the young infielder. On top of that, he went 20-for-21 on the bases and drew his walks at one of the highest rates in the American League. In 79 games, he accumulated 1.1 FanGraphs WAR. By naming Walls the primary starter at shortstop for the rest of the season, the Rays are expressing optimism that he’ll pick up right where he left off.

The Rays added Basabe to their 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Entering the season, he was a consensus top-15 prospect in the organization. Baseball America praised his “baseball IQ” and his “bat-to-ball skills,” although they gave his glove an average grade. MLB Pipeline also mentioned that the Rays were impressed with his “competitiveness and work ethic” in 2022.

Basabe made his MLB debut on August 13, starting at shortstop in place of Wander Franco, who has since been put on administrative leave while investigators look into allegations he’d had inappropriate relationships with multiple minors. The rookie has started at shortstop in all but two of his team’s games since. He has performed admirably, slashing .255/.327/.383 with a 103 wRC+. The 22-year-old had played only half a season at Triple-A before he was recalled. Nevertheless, he will move into a utility role now that Walls has returned to the active roster. While Basabe put up slightly above-average offensive numbers in his brief cup of coffee, Walls is the better defender and has far more experience facing big league pitching.

Walls is also a switch-hitter, thereby providing his manager with more flexibility in crafting the everyday lineup. Meanwhile, the right-handed Basabe will be able to spell Brandon Lowe at second base with a tough southpaw is on the mound. Lowe has a .536 OPS against left-handed pitching this season.

The Rays will need every advantage they can get in September, as they fight a close battle with the Orioles for the AL East crown. They currently sit 1.5 games back in the division with four games remaining against Baltimore. As Jeff Passan and Juan Recio reported for ESPN, it appears unlikely Franco will return this season with the investigations expected to last into the winter. Thus, Walls will take on a new challenge, becoming the Rays’ starting shortstop in the heat of a division race. The Rays will hope he’s up for the task.

Cardinals Activate Ryan Helsley, Transfer Brendan Donovan To 60-Day IL

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The Cardinals have activated right-hander Ryan Helsley from the 60-day injured list, the team announced this afternoon. In a corresponding move, utility player Brendan Donovan was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.

Helsley had been out with a forearm strain since mid-June, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL in late July. The former All-Star will be eased back into the bullpen, and he is not expected to supplant JoJo Romero as the Cardinals’ closer – at least not yet. According to John Denton of MLB.com, Helsley could return on a “regimented plan,” meaning he would not be available on a daily basis. However, manager Oliver Marmol said that he will still get opportunities in “leverage” spots.

The 29-year-old reliever will be eligible for his second year of salary arbitration this winter, so he will look to make a good impression over the final month of the season. He’s making $2.15MM this year.

Donovan underwent season-ending arm surgery in August, so the Cardinals could have transferred him to the 60-day IL at any point over the past month. The transfer does not change his timeline for return. As Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported last month, Donovan is expected to be ready ahead of spring training.

Prior to his injury, the 26-year-old was in the midst of an excellent sophomore season. In 95 games, he hit .284 with 11 home runs and a 119 wRC+, while splitting his time between all four infield positions, the outfield corners, and designated hitter.

Dodgers Outright Yonny Hernández

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The Dodgers have sent infielder Yonny Hernández outright to Triple-A, the team announced. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for second baseman Kolten Wong, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City this afternoon.

Wong signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in mid-August, two weeks after he was released by the Mariners. He struggled tremendously during his time in Seattle, posting an uncharacteristically poor .468 OPS in 67 games. However, he has gone 7-for-16 with two doubles and a home run in five minor league games since joining the Dodgers organization. With active rosters expanding to 28 in September, the Dodgers have decided to give the veteran a try.

Hernández came to L.A. this past offseason in a trade with the Athletics. He has been recalled and subsequently optioned twice this year and has appeared in a total of 14 games for the big league club. The 25-year-old earned his second call-up in late June, when utility man Chris Taylor landed on the injured list. He stuck around for a month, slashing .143/.240/.190, until the Dodgers traded for Enrique Hernandez and Amed Rosario at the trade deadline. He has been playing at Triple-A ever since.

With such little MLB service time under his belt and no previous outrights in his career, Hernández was not able to reject the assignment. He will continue to play for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. However, he will have the opportunity to elect minor league free agency this offseason if he is not added back to the 40-man roster.

Mets Reportedly Place Carlos Carrasco On Waivers

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The Mets have placed Carlos Carrasco on waivers, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The right-hander is one of several players to go on waivers today, as teams out of the postseason picture attempt to shed payroll. If another team claims Carrasco, they will be responsible for the prorated portion of his $14MM salary. He is set to become a free agent after the season.

Following a resurgent 2022 campaign, Carrasco has struggled in 2023. In 20 starts, he is averaging less than five innings per game, while pitching to a 6.80 ERA and 5.17 SIERA. The 36-year-old has run into particular trouble since the All-Star break, with a 10.24 ERA in his last eight starts. Given his rough performance, it seems unlikely that any team will be willing to take on his remaining salary, but it’s possible a contending club in need of rotation depth will take a chance on the veteran. He is only one year removed from a season in which he made 29 starts with a 3.97 ERA.

Revocable waivers no longer exist, so these are either outright or release waivers. If Carrasco goes unclaimed, there’s a chance he could become a free agent either way. As a 14-year MLB veteran, he has more than enough service time under his belt to reject an outright assignment without sacrificing any salary. Thus, this could mark the end of his time with the Mets. He has been with the organization for three seasons, having come over from Cleveland in 2021 as part of the trade that brought Francisco Lindor to New York. In 61 starts, he has pitched to a disappointing 5.21 ERA but a much more respectable 4.25 SIERA.

With a payroll far north of the highest competitive balance tax threshold, the Mets aren’t making this move with the luxury tax in mind. Still, given the tens of millions of dollars the team is paying to players no longer on the roster (including Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Robinson Cano), it’s understandable that Steve Cohen and Billy Eppler are looking for a little payroll relief.

New York has several arms available to take over for Carrasco in the rotation if need be, including right-handers José Butto and Denyi Reyes and left-hander Joey Lucchesi. All three are on the 40-man roster and have made at least two starts this season for the big league club. Lucchesi seems to be the most likely candidate; in six starts for the Mets, he has a 2.54 ERA in 28 innings pitched.

Royals Select Steven Cruz

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The Royals have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Steven Cruz, the team announced. Left-handed pitcher Taylor Hearn has been optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster. Kansas City already had a free spot on the 40-man roster, which has now been filled.

Kansas City acquired Cruz in January as part of the trade that sent Michael A. Taylor to Minnesota. Earlier this summer, FanGraphs ranked him as the no. 39 prospect in the Royals organization, praising his elite fastball that touches triple digits. However, both FanGraphs and Baseball America have pointed out his shaky command, which has remained a problem in 2023; Cruz has walked 30 batters in 49 2/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. The tall right-hander has also had trouble keeping runs off the board since his midseason promotion to Triple-A, pitching to a 6.88 ERA in 14 games. Nevertheless, now is as good a time as any for the Royals to see what they have in the young fireballer. They sit in the basement of the AL Central, but they still have plenty of innings to fill before the year is up.

Hearn has struggled since joining the Royals at the trade deadline. In eight games, the southpaw has given up seven earned runs on twelve hits and two home runs. He made 31 appearances (13 starts) for the Rangers last season, posting a high 5.13 ERA but a more palatable 4.18 SIERA and 0.9 FanGraphs WAR. However, he failed to make the big league club out of spring training this year, and despite his 3.66 ERA at Triple-A, the Rangers designated him for assignment in mid-July. The Braves swooped in and acquired Hearn for cash considerations before flipping him to the Royals for Nicky Lopez a few days later. He made three appearances for Triple-A Omaha before he was recalled to replace an injured Zack Greinke. Kansas City can retain Hearn through arbitration next season, but he will be out of minor league options.

Astros Activate Michael Brantley From 60-Day IL, DFA Jake Cousins

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The Astros have activated Michael Brantley from the 60-day injured list, the team announced. Corey Julks has been optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster, while Jake Cousins has been designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man. On Sunday, Astros GM Dana Brown told Robert Ford of 790 AM radio that Brantley could “maybe, potentially” return to the lineup by Tuesday, following a checkup appointment with team doctors. Evidently, his appointment went well, and he will be back in the starting lineup this evening.

The veteran outfielder and designated hitter has not played an MLB game since June 2022. Initially, he went on the 10-day IL with discomfort in his right shoulder, but seven weeks later, he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. At the time, he remained hopeful he could return for Opening Day in 2023, but he was unable to get back in game shape during spring training. He began the season on the 10-day IL as he tried to ramp up but suffered a setback in May. In late June, the Astros moved him to the 60-day IL, and in early July, manager Dusty Baker explained that Brantley had “plateaued” in his attempt to return to the field.

Despite missing so much time, Brantley looked excellent during his latest rehab stint with Triple-A Sugar Land. In seven games, he hit .348/.444/.565, good for a 147 wRC+. That’s a promising sign that he’ll be able to pick up right where he left off; he hit .288 with a 127 wRC+ in 64 games for the Astros in 2022. However, Houston isn’t planning to lean too heavily on Brantley straight away. The plan is to gently build up his workload, giving the 36-year-old plenty of days off, at least in the beginning.

Cousins joined the Astros organization last month, when Houston claimed him off waivers from Milwaukee. The 29-year-old right-hander had a 4.82 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Brewers and a 7.30 ERA in 13 games at Triple-A. He didn’t fare much better with the Astros org, giving up eight earned runs in eight innings pitched for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Overall, it has been a disappointing season for Cousins, who showed real promise with the Brewers from 2021-22. He pitched 30 games with the big league club in 2021, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 35.2% strikeout rate. He was shut down with a UCL injury the following season but opted not to undergo Tommy John surgery. He pitched well in Triple-A upon his return, first during a rehab stint and then an optional assignment, and made three scoreless appearances for the big league club in September. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone his way in 2023. The Astros will now have to place Cousins on waivers. Given his recent success at the big league level, there’s a reasonable chance he could be claimed.

Julks, Houston’s eighth-round pick in the 2017 draft, made his big league debut earlier this year. He remained with the Astros from Opening Day through early August, when he was optioned to Triple-A. He returned shortly thereafter, replacing an injured Grae Kessinger on the active roster. The 27-year-old has hit .245 with an 80 wRC+ at the MLB level, splitting his time between left field and DH. He could potentially return to Houston when rosters expand in September, but he’ll have to spend the minimum of 10 days at the minor league level before he returns.

White Sox Recall Korey Lee

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The White Sox have recalled catcher Korey Lee from Triple-A Charlotte. He is expected to make his White Sox debut in this evening’s contest against the Athletics, as reported by Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. In a corresponding move, catcher Carlos Perez has been optioned to Triple-A.

The 25-year-old Lee came to Chicago at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Kendall Graveman to Houston. Lee had been one of the Astros’ top prospects since he was selected out of UC Berkeley in the first round of the 2019 draft. He made his MLB debut in July 2022 but was optioned a month later when the Astros acquired Christian Vazquez at the deadline. He has not played in a big league game since, and his rookie status remains intact.

Lee is a glove-first player with power potential in his bat. Baseball America ranked him as the no. 7 prospect in the Astros system this offseason, citing his “variety of average-to-plus skills” behind the dish and his “power-centric approach” at the plate. His best tool is his strong arm, which BA gave an 80 grade (the highest possible evaluation).

Perez was recalled in early August after Seby Zavala suffered an oblique strain. The 26-year-old Perez has been catching in the White Sox organization for nearly a decade, although he has never been a top prospect. He has appeared in 18 games for the White Sox this season, posting a .611 OPS in 30 trips to the plate. He will return to Triple-A, where he has fared slightly better, putting up a .705 OPS in 68 games.

Meanwhile, Zavala began a rehab assignment on Tuesday. There is no clear timetable for his return, but it is possible he won’t be back until September, at which point rosters will have expanded to 28 and the White Sox will have the flexibility to activate Zavala without optioning Lee.

Zavala is a stronger defensive catcher but has contributed very little at the plate this year, slashing .155/.207/.304. Yasmani Grandal, for his part, is hitting somewhat better (.235/.309/.345) but is no longer much of an asset with the glove. Lee has struggled with the bat since his arrival in Charlotte, posting a .255/.309/.275 slash line, but if Chicago views him as part of the future core, it is a good time to get him some more big-league experience. The White Sox’s postseason hopes have long disappeared, and these last 35 games provide an opportunity to get a better look at one of their potential catchers of the future. Grandal will be a free agent at the end of the season, while Lee’s fellow catching prospect Edgar Quero still looks to be a year or two away from making his MLB debut. The White Sox should have plenty of playing time available behind the dish in 2024.

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