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Giants Designate Kevin Padlo For Assignment

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The Giants announced tonight that infielder Kevin Padlo has been designated for assignment. The move clears a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for catcher Austin Wynns, who was acquired earlier today from the Phillies.

The 25-year-old Padlo was scooped from the Mariners organization in April for cash and has spent the majority of the season between Seattle and San Francisco’s Triple-A affiliates. To his credit, the former fifth-rounder has continued to excel at the highest levels of the minor leagues. Through 22 games in Triple-A Sacramento, Padlo is hitting an excellent .275/.333/.600 with seven home runs and is a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.

San Francisco’s depth-hoarding ways have made it difficult to find room for Padlo on the team’s big league roster, however. In sporadic action with the club last month he received just 12 at-bats, collecting two base hits before being shuttled back to the minors.

Padlo is now eligible to be claimed by any team in the league seeking right-handed infield depth in the upper minors or on their bench. That outcome isn’t inevitable, but seems likely given his recent hot streak at Triple-A.  The versatile infielder is in his last option year, so any team that is awarded a claim will have to keep Padlo on their 40-man roster or risk exposing him to waivers.

Red Sox Notes: Trade Deadline, Bloom, Song, Hyers

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In an early look ahead to this year’s trade deadline, Joel Sherman of the New York Post identifies the 12-20 Red Sox as potential sellers. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom rebukes any notion that the team is preparing to punt on the season however, telling Sherman “We are not thinking that way [selling] at all […] The hole we are in is real, but it doesn’t reflect the talent on this club. We know it will take a lot to climb out, but we believe this group can do it.”

Accordingly, Sherman acknowledges how much baseball is left to be played this season and opposes a total teardown for a club that just last year made the playoffs. He does also cite Boston’s frequent record fluctuation this past decade (the team has finished first and last in the AL East four times apiece), however, as reason to brace for a disappointing final win tally. With a number of teams already ahead of them in the Wild Card hunt, to say nothing of their incredibly tough division, the Red Sox figure to have a harder time than most presumptive contenders in reaching the playoffs this year. Thanks to a handful of impending All-Star free agents and a wide open payroll next offseason though, there’s perhaps no team more qualified to reload at the trade deadline before trying for better results in 2023.

Some more news out of Boston…

  • Pitching prospect Noah Song was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 draft but has since seen his baseball career be put on hold due to Navy commitments. As Alex Speier of The Boston Globe details, however, Song has now completed flight school and applied for a service waiver that may allow him to resume his professional baseball career. At the time of his draft selection scouts viewed the right-hander as a first-round talent with mid-rotation upside, albeit one with obvious signing roadblocks, so his return could be quite the boon for a farm system on the rise. It remains to be seen how a multi-year layoff from baseball might impact Song’s athletic abilities or if additional naval obligations will keep his service waiver from being approved, but the Sox for their part seem prepared and supportive of either outcome.
  • In an interview with Christopher Smith of MassLive, former Boston hitting coach Tim Hyers discussed his rationale for leaving the franchise this offseason to take an identical role with the Rangers. Familial considerations, challenge-seeking, and a desire to let current Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse rise to the occasion all informed his ultimate departure. Hyers of course has been one of the sport’s more productive hitting coaches in terms of results, as high-octane offense was the calling card of Red Sox teams dating back to his first year under manager Alex Cora in 2018. Hyers’ coaching presence, and lack thereof, seems to be felt by his old and new club so far this season, as the Rangers have improved relatively as a run-scoring unit while the Red Sox currently find themselves as a bottom-three team in MLB in that regard. If there’s one silver lining here in the early-going for Sox fans, it’s that Hyers was approached by the Yankees after leaving his post with Boston but politely rebuffed the club.

Andrew Benintendi Defeats Royals In Arbitration

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Outfielder Andrew Benintendi has won his arbitration hearing against the Royals, according to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star. Benintendi will rake in a 2022 salary of $8.5MM, a good bit greater than the team’s submitted arbitration figure of $7.3MM.

While either arbitration figure represents a life-changing amount of money, Benintendi and his camp had a strong platform campaign that certainly helped tip the scales in their favor. Through 134 contests last season the left-handed hitter posted a trade-validating .276/.324/.442 (105 OPS+) slash line with 17 home runs and Gold Glove-winning defense. Last year’s performance didn’t quite reach the heights many expected of Benintendi based on his early days in Boston, but it reversed a number of worrying trends that were displayed during a dismal 14-game stint in 2020.

With this 2022 salary locked in, Benintendi’s camp can now turn their attention to securing his next big payday at the end of the season, when he’s slated to reach free agency for the first time. Following the initial trade that brought Benintendi to Kansas City, it seemed as if the team might try and secure the rights to their newest acquisition on a team-friendly extension. Instead, the 27-year-old now looks primed to be a trade candidate more than anything owing to the team’s lagging record and his high-contact .314/.368/.381 (123 OPS+) start to the season.

Turning to the Royals’ side of the hearing, Worthy interestingly notes that this is the first time since president of baseball operations Dayton Moore was hired in 2006 that the club has lost in arbitration. Infielder Nicky Lopez, who is in his first arbitration year, is the only remaining Royal awaiting an arbitration hearing.

George Springer Leaves Game With Ankle Injury

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Blue Jays outfielder George Springer left tonight’s game in the third inning with a left ankle sprain, according to the team. The injury occurred on a wall-crashing attempt at a fly ball in the bottom of the second inning. After some delay Springer, encouragingly, was able to remain in the field and take his at-bat in the third inning before being replaced with Raimel Tapia.

That Springer was able to play after the initial injury likely rules out a serious injury for the star center fielder, but further examination by the team will ultimately decide how quickly he can proceed from here. Regardless of how much time Springer is set to miss, it’s no doubt a troubling development for Toronto. The 32-year-old has been electric since signing a six-year $150MM deal in before the 2021 season, putting up a .264/.352/.555 (141 OPS+) line last year and following it up with a similarly robust .283/.344/.531 (159 OPS+) slash line this season.

Unfortunately, Springer’s 2021 season was limited to just 78 games thanks to a myriad of injuries to his quad, knee, and oblique. Toronto wound up missing the playoffs by a single game last year amid trying conditions, and now they’ll look to avoid that same fate this year while encountering some early injury adversity. Since a hot stretch to open the year, the Blue Jays have seen some of the shine come off and currently sit at 17-15, six and a half games out of first in the AL East.

Drew Hutchison Elects Free Agency

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The Tigers announced that right-handed pitcher Drew Hutchison has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. The 31-year-old veteran signed with the team in March but was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a space on the 40-man roster for young starter Joey Wentz.

Through 10 Detroit appearances this year Hutchison has soaked up 15 plus innings and posted a 4.60 ERA, albeit with a bloated 16.7% walk rate. After a two-year run in the Tigers system it seems the organization, owner of a dismal 9-23 record to start the Major League season, prefers to shake up the roster by infusing some younger players over rostering a frequently shuttled veteran type. The former fifteenth-rounder is just a season removed from 21 plus innings of 2.11 ERA ball though, and has put up solid results in the upper minors for most of his career.

Hutchison will now head to a largely picked-clean market of free agents in hopes of latching on with another team. That the righty cleared waivers hints that his next deal will likely be of the minor league variety; given the conservative handling of many pitchers this year, however, the odds are good that Hutchison will draw interest as a depth piece in the near future. In the event of a promotion and late career breakout, a signing team can keep Hutchison under team control via arbitration through the 2023 season.

Cubs Place Nick Madrigal On 10-Day IL, Select Ildemaro Vargas, Designate Adrian Sampson For Assignment

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The Cubs announced a flurry of roster moves this evening, most prominently sending second baseman Nick Madrigal to the 10-day IL with low back tightness. The team also selected Triple-A infielder Ildemaro Vargas’s contract, designating right-handed pitcher Adrian Sampson for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Vargas.

Madrigal, acquired in last season’s cross-town trade for Craig Kimbrel, was hitting a pedestrian .203/.250/.241 (43 OPS+) at the time of his IL placement. There’s still plenty of time for the 25-year-old to turn it around when he returns to the field, though a few things stick out in his early season offensive performance. Chief among them, Madrigal’s elite contact abilities have eluded him to a notable extent thus far.

His 16.7% strikeout rate, while considerably better than the league average, is more than double his career rate entering the season. The former first-rounder is hitting the ball with more authority than ever, however, which may eventually lead to a more impressive batting line than the one that is currently present. Madrigal’s defense has also remained top-notch, largely offsetting the contact hitter’s lack of offense in the eyes of most defensive metrics.

Vargas meanwhile returned to the organization this winter on a minor league deal and was hitting .279/.321/.413 in 25 Triple-A contests. Offense isn’t Vargas’s calling card though, as his promotion stems from his ability to play all around the infield, a must-have for a three-man Cubs bench.

Sampson, another offseason minor league signee, pitched to an excellent 2.80 ERA in 35 plus innings (10 games) for the Cubs last season as a swingman. Advanced metrics weren’t terribly bullish about his performance however, which helps explain the minor league pact and the right-hander’s lack of opportunity with the big league team this season. The 30-year-old has continued to have a decent run in Triple-A this year, so it will be interesting to see if the Cubs can keep him in their organization as depth or if a team hurting with injuries will seek to claim him in the coming days.

Mets’ Sean Reid-Foley To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Mets GM Billy Eppler announced that right-hander Sean Reid-Foley will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The 26-year-old was transferred to the 60-day IL just a few days ago, so no further transactions are imminent for the Mets at this time. Given the timing of the surgery, it seems likely that Reid-Foley won’t be able to resume  full baseball activities until late spring or summer of next year.

Acquired in a swap with Toronto in January of last year, Reid-Foley has shifted almost exclusively to relief work for the Mets. The results have been mixed, as the right-hander saw his strikeout and walk rates reach career-best levels last season. That progress has reversed through 10 innings so far this season, however, thanks in part to the return of control issues that plagued him even as a touted prospect in the Blue Jays’ farm system. All told, Reid-Foley owns a 5.28 ERA in two seasons (30 plus innings) out of the Mets bullpen.

With less than two years of service time entering the season, Reid-Foley is a ways away from qualifying for the arbitration process. Given his general ineffectiveness and injury woes with the Mets so far, however, it’s possible that the pitcher will find himself with a different team this offseason when a 40-man roster spot is required again. Additionally, the current front office leader, Billy Eppler, was not aboard when the team acquired the right-hander in the first place, which could work against the pitcher’s chance at holding down a roster spot despite his pedigree.

Quick Hits: Stearns, Rosenthal, Mets, Vazquez, Cruz

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In his latest piece, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns is interested in filling a similar position for the Mets in the future. That Stearns might be interested in one day taking over the Mets front office isn’t new, but the timing of such a transition had long been obscured due to Stearns’ questionable contract status. Heyman now clarifies that it is “believed” the Brewers’ top executive can opt out of his contract if the Brewers reach the NLCS this season, after which the Mets would likely pursue him.

New York’s personnel decisions were a hot topic this past winter, as the team hired veteran manager Buck Showalter to lead a new on-field staff and were snubbed by a series of high-profile front office candidates. The Brewers were among the rejectors as well, with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio denying the Mets an opportunity to interview David Stearns on multiple occasions. Ultimately the Mets pivoted and signed Billy Eppler to a four-year contract to serve as their GM, with the industry expectation being that the Mets could install a president of baseball operations down the line. Both the Mets and Brewers are certainly pleased with their front office configurations at the moment, however, as the Eppler and Stearns-led clubs sport records of 19-9 and 18-8, respectively, atop their divisions.

Some other news of note on this Thursday evening…

  • Sticking with the Mets, Heyman suggests that the team is likely to seek relief help at the trade deadline. Right-handed reliever and free agent Trevor Rosenthal could be an early target according to Heyman, as the former closer is expected to hold a pitching showcase in the coming weeks. Reported interest in Rosenthal has been widespread since April, but has yet to manifest into a deal. The 31-year-old Rosenthal is coming off an ill-fated, one-year deal with the A’s in which he failed to throw a regular season pitch for the team due to injury. Before he underwent multiple season-ending surgeries in 2021, Rosenthal was fresh off a triumphant comeback season in which he posted a 1.90 ERA with a 41.8% strikeout percentage as the Royals’ and Padres’ closer.
  • Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez is keeping his options open as he nears free agency at the end of the season, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. The longtime Boston catcher figures to have his fair share of suitors should he reach free agency like expected, as he routinely draws plaudits for his defensive work and leadership even as his bat has waxed and waned throughout his career. To that end, the Red Sox picked up a $7MM club option on the veteran receiver this offseason even though his 2021 slash line of .258/.308/.352 paled in comparison to the stout .278/.327/.472 line he posted in the preceding two years. Vazquez is off to a tepid start this season with an OPS of just .524, though slow starts are nothing new for the catcher as he looks to lead his club up and away from a last-place tie with the Orioles.
  • Top Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz lit up the minor leagues last season and regularly draws comparisons to Aaron Judge, but Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette outlines a few reasons to temper expectations for the young slugger. The towering shortstop received a two-game game cameo in the majors last season but was ticketed for more work at Triple-A to begin the 2022 season. Thanks to a .159/.266/.256 start to the season and service time repercussions for Pittsburgh, Mackey figures a return to the big leagues is unlikely to happen in the near future. Another wrinkle to keep an eye out for is Cruz’s adoption of a new position this season: left field. Though the 6 foot 7 inch Cruz has primarily played shortstop since his pro debut, including this season, much has been made of his (in)ability to stick there long-term due to his size. The 23-year-old has plainly stated that he “[doesn’t] want to move to the outfield” however, which may complicate his permanent rise to the big league level. Incumbent Pirate shortstops Cole Tucker and Diego Castillo shouldn’t prove to be large roadblocks for the eventual promotion of a player the industry still holds in incredibly high regard. For now though, Pirates fans will have to wait a while longer for their best prospect to join Ke’Bryan Hayes in the lineup and, potentially, the left side of the infield for years to come.

Jose Ramirez On Contract Extension

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One month after agreeing to an extension that will keep him in Cleveland through 2028, Jose Ramirez and his agent spoke with ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez about how the new contract came together. The third baseman’s deal, which tacked on $115MM in new money to a pair of team-friendly club options, was widely considered to be a shrewd move by the Guardians’ frugal front office. While that may continue to be the case, Ramirez makes it abundantly clear to Gonzalez that his camp was not outmaneuvered.

Per Ramirez’s agent, Rafa Nieves, the star third baseman was flatly told that the club couldn’t afford to pay Ramirez “what [he was] worth”. Instead of welcoming a trade like former teammate Francisco Lindor, Ramirez doubled down on his desire to win a World Series with Cleveland and retire as a rare one-team Hall of Famer. “[W]hen I was a kid looking for an opportunity, this is the organization that gave it to me,” Ramirez recounted. “It was also the team I reached the big leagues with, that gave me my first contract. My dream was to stay here, in this organization. And also my daughter was born in Cleveland, too. I feel a part of that community.”

Accordingly, Ramirez dismissed the difference of earning power in Cleveland versus elsewhere and insisted that a deal get done. Nieves, for his part, mentioned that he and others tried to talk Ramirez out of the deal, and that Cleveland’s final offer was only incrementally better than previous offers thanks to a no-trade clause and lack of salary deferrals.

The exact difference in earning power will forever be speculative, though industry insiders believe that any team who traded for Ramirez would have immediately offered an extension approaching $200MM in new money. In a world where Ramirez reached free agency without an extension, a $35MM annual contract value, equal to the value established by Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, seemed entirely attainable as well.

Two of Ramirez’s most ardent pursuers on the trade market, the Blue Jays and Padres, would have had various levels of money to allot for a nine-figure contract to their shiniest acquisition. Toronto seems like a prime candidate to issue a hypothesized $200MM contract, whereas the Padres seemingly remain on a quest to shed payroll instead of add to it.

Complicating either trade scenario as well is the fact that both teams have third base spoken for, with Matt Chapman and Manny Machado entrenched at the hot corner for both clubs, meaning a shift to second base would’ve been likely for Ramirez. It’s all moot now of course, but it may please Toronto and San Diego fans who came away empty in their team’s pursuit of Ramirez to know that their keystone players currently rank sixth and fourth in league-wide offensive production.

It’s incredibly soon to declare a final of assessment of Jose Ramirez’s new contract, but the early returns for his club (as well as those who pursued him) are promising. Through 24 games, the switch-hitting All-Star has hit a robust .318/.419/.659 (217 OPS+) with more walks than strikeouts, establishing a pace that may finally net the slugger MVP honors.

Injury Notes: Lewis, May, Gray, Longoria, Giants

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The Mariners announced that center fielder Kyle Lewis has begun a rehab assignment in Triple-A tonight, his first competitive assignment since he tore his meniscus last May. Foreshadowing what may come when the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year makes it back to the majors, the 26-year-old Lewis swatted a home run on his first swing back in minor league game action. Equally encouraging for M’s fans is manager Scott Servais’s assessment, who according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer notes the team can be “a little bit more aggressive than we’d normally be” in promoting Lewis.

Cutting a 20-day rehab assignment short would be a bold move for a player who played in just 36 games last season, but clearly speaks to the team’s confidence in Lewis’s recovery. For what it’s worth, the Mariners aren’t exactly hurting for offense at the moment, as they rank third in the AL in runs scored. The high-upside outfield trio of Jesse Winker, Julio Rodriguez, and Jarred Kelenic, as well as a mishmash of DH options, have yet to really get it going however, and seem likely to cede time to the right-handed Lewis in the coming weeks.

Some additional injury updates from around the league…

  • Mets reliever Trevor May is headed to the 10-day IL with triceps inflammation in his throwing arm, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports. The typically reliable right-hander is off to a rough start in the 2022 season, allowing sixteen batters to reach base and half of them to score across eight appearances. The Mets currently sit atop the NL win column with an 18-8 record but if there’s one nit to pick with the team’s outstanding play so far it’s the bullpen, who have been a bottom-half unit in terms of run prevention this season. A return to health and vintage form from May will go a long way to shoring up the bullpen and taking pressure off the team’s lineup and rotation, both of which rank as top-5 groups in the sport. Right-hander Adonis Medina, who was acquired from the Pirates in early April, has been recalled to fill the bullpen vacancy.
  • The Rangers meanwhile welcomed back right-handed starter Jon Gray from the IL today after he sprained in his knee in his previous start. Gray, one of several splashy signings made by Texas this offseason, has yet to get into a groove with his new club. The 30-year-old has already been placed on the IL twice during the young season, and was pulled after 60 pitches in tonight’s match against the Phillies. A rough first inning ballooned his ERA up to 7.50 on the season, but a quiet pair of ensuing innings is what the Rangers and their beleaguered pitching staff will be looking for more of moving forward. Right-handed reliever Albert Abreu, acquired from the Yankees in April’s Jose Trevino trade, heads to the IL in Gray’s stead with a sprained ankle. Abreu has managed a solid 3.57 ERA on the year, albeit with a worrying 11 walks in just over seven innings of action.
  • The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly rolled out a cavalcade of positive health updates on ailing Giants players today. Notably, injured infielders Evan Longoria and Tommy La Stella will join recovering outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. on a rehab assignment in Triple-A. Outfielders Joc Pederson and Mike Yastrzemski are nearing full-time returns as well after a right adductor strain and positive COVID test interrupted their respective seasons. Right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani has also made progress in his recovery from the right ankle inflammation that recently landed him on the IL. Healthy returns from the listed players would be a boon for the club, who currently have several regulars out for COVID-related reasons. Despite sporting an IL that is more recognizable than the starting lineup, the Giants haven’t missed a beat from last season. The team is currently a half game out of first in the NL West, behind the Dodgers and Padres, with a top-3 bullpen and offense that only figures to get deeper in the next few days.

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