- Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy threw a bullpen session today and told reporters, including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, that he was sitting 88-89 with his fastball, down from his typical velocity of 93-94. That’s not much of a cause for concern at the moment, however, considering how early it is in Urquidy’s rehab from shoulder woes that have kept him on the injured list since the beginning of May. Urquidy, who has long been expected to return sometime in July, told reporters that the current plan is for him to throw two more bullpen sessions before advancing to facing live hitters. It seems reasonable to expect a rehab assignment to be in the near future for Urquidy once he begins facing live batters, assuming everything goes well up to that point.
Astros Rumors
Astros Sign Jon Singleton To Minors Contract
The Astros have signed first baseman Jon Singleton to a minor league deal, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports (Twitter link). Singleton elected to become a free agent earlier this week rather than accept an outright assignment to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.
There’s plenty of familiarity between Singleton and his new/old team, since the first baseman has spent much of his career in the Houston organization. Singleton was a highly-regarded prospect in his days in the Astros’ farm system, to the point that the Astros locked him up to a five-year extension worth $10MM in guaranteed money before Singleton had even made his Major League debut. At the time, it was a record-setting contract for a non-international player who didn’t have any MLB service time.
However, Houston’s early investment didn’t pay off, as Singleton hit only .171/.290/.331 over 420 plate appearances during the 2014-15 seasons. His longstanding battle with marijuana addiction led to three different drug-related suspensions, leading to the Astros’ decision to finally release him in May 2018. After a few years away from baseball entirely, Singleton returned in the Mexican League in 2021, then landed a minor league contract with the Brewers during the 2021-22 offseason.
After a couple of other releases and re-signings with Milwaukee on new minor league deals, Singleton finally made it back to the majors earlier this month when the Brewers selected his contract. It wasn’t a long or particularly productive (11 games and a .325 OPS over 32 PA) stint for Singleton before the Brewers designated him for assignment, leading to Singleton’s decision to reject the outright assignment and test the open market again.
There has obviously been a lot of overhaul within Houston’s front office since Singleton’s past tenure with the club, yet beyond just any longstanding connections, Singleton is an interesting depth addition purely for baseball reasons. The Astros’ lineup is heavy with right-handed batters, so Singleton’s lefty bat can possibly provide some balance. In addition, Jose Abreu is unexpectedly struggling through a very tough season, leaving the Astros thin at first base. While Singleton hasn’t been productive at the MLB level, his presence at least gives Houston a potential alternative if it wants to reduce Abreu’s playing time down to a platoon scenario.
If Singleton gets a look and doesn’t pan out, the Astros could then explore adding a more proven first-base capable player at the trade deadline. GM Dana Brown has spoken about how the team would like to add a left-handed hitting multi-positional player, though Singleton doesn’t fit the mold as a first base-only type.
Astros Acquire Spenser Watkins From Orioles
The Astros announced this afternoon they’ve acquired righty Spenser Watkins from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Baltimore receives cash in return. Houston also selected outfielder Bligh Madris onto the big league roster, as previously reported. In order to create 40-man roster space, they transferred Michael Brantley and José Urquidy to the 60-day injured list.
Watkins has had a tough year in Triple-A. He’s started six of eight games and worked to a 7.27 ERA through 26 innings. The former 30th-round pick has a modest 15.7% strikeout percentage and has walked a lofty 13.4% of opponents. Watkins has kept the ball on the ground at a massive 55.3% clip, but the strikeout and walk numbers and overall ERA pushed him off Baltimore’s 40-man roster on Tuesday.
The Astros will take a change of scenery flier to add some experienced rotation depth to the upper minors. Injuries to Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Urquidy have pushed depth arms J.P. France and Ronel Blanco into the rotation. Brandon Bielak and Bryan Garcia are the most experienced Triple-A starters, so Watkins is a sensible acquisition.
Now 30, Watkins has appeared in two big league seasons with the O’s. He’s made 30 starts in 39 outings, posting a 5.85 ERA across 160 frames. Watkins hasn’t missed many bats, but he’d walked just under 7% of opponents at the MLB level. He had a quality 6.1% walk percentage in Triple-A last season.
His control has been erratic this season, but his broader track record is that of a strike-throwing depth arm. This is Watkins’ final minor league option year; the Astros can keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the season but would have to carry him on next year’s Opening Day roster if he holds his 40-man spot until then.
Brantley’s and Urquidy’s IL moves are procedural transactions. Brantley has already been on the IL for well past 60 days as he works back from last summer’s shoulder surgery. Urquidy landed on the shelf on May 1 with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He’s not expected to return until next month.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Astros’ acquisition of Watkins.
Astros To Select Bligh Madris
The Astros are going to select the contract of outfielder Bligh Madris, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic (Twitter links). Madris will take the active roster spot of catcher César Salazar, who has been optioned to Triple-A. Madris isn’t currently on the 40-man roster so a corresponding move will be required, but the club is off today so that may not come until tomorrow.
Madris, 27, came to the Astros from the Tigers via a cash deal this offseason. He didn’t make the club out of Spring Training and was designated for assignment, clearing waivers shortly thereafter. He’s been in Triple-A for all of this year so far, getting 281 plate appearances in 60 games. He’s struck out in 25.3% of those but walked at a 15.3% clip and hit 10 home runs. His .249/.363/.446 batting line looks strong at first glance but actually amounts to a wRC+ of 93 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. But he’s also stolen 10 bases while playing first base and the outfield corners.
The fact that Madris can play first base could be why he’s getting the call today. The Astros have gotten dismal production from the position this year thanks to the immense struggles of José Abreu. Signed to a three-year, $58.5MM deal in the offseason, the veteran is hitting just .225/.279/.308 so far this year. That production is 37% worse than the league average hitter, as evidenced by his wRC+ of 63. That’s the lowest figure among all qualified hitters in the league this year.
Needless to say, the Astros were hoping for much more when they gave Abreu that hefty contract, but now they are scrambling for backup plans. Yesterday, Abreu got a day off while utility player Mauricio Dubón was put at the cold corner for the first time in his professional career. Perhaps the recall of Madris will lead to him getting a chance to get some playing time at the position instead. The fact that he’s a left-handed hitter could also give a bit more balance to a roster where Kyle Tucker is currently the only player who hits lefty.
Prior to joining the Astros, Madris made his major league debut with the Pirates last year but hit just .177/.244/.265. He got squeezed off Pittsburgh’s roster in September but continued to get interest from other clubs around the league. He was claimed off waivers by the Rays and Tigers before coming to Houston in the aforementioned cash deal.
As for the 40-man move, that should be too challenging for the Astros. Michael Brantley has already been on the injured list all year, so he can be transferred to the 60-day IL and still be eligible to be reinstated whenever he’s ready.
Astros Promote Shawn Dubin, Option Brandon Bielak
The Astros announced a pair of roster moves earlier today, recalling right-hander Shawn Dubin from Triple-A while optioning fellow righty Brandon Bielak to Triple-A. As noted by the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara, Dubin told reporters that he was joining the club as a reliever.
That comes as little surprise, considering comments from manager Dusty Baker in recent weeks indicating the club didn’t consider a six-man rotation sustainable given the hits the club has taken to its starting depth. This move appears to leave Bielak as the odd man out as Houston reverts to a five-man rotation. While Bielak had pitched to a roughly league average 4.37 ERA in 47 1/3 innings since his call-up to the big leagues at the beginning of May, the move comes as little surprise considering Bielak’s significant struggles since the calendar flipped to June.
Since the beginning of the month Bielak has been shelled for 13 runs (12 earned) in just 16 1/3 innings, leaving him with a 6.61 ERA and a whopping 1.107 OPS against over his past three starts. Struggles with command seem to be the root of Bielak’s troubles, as he’s allowed six walks, four home runs, and hit a batter over that timeframe while recording just nine strikeouts.
Bielak’s woes coincide with what has proved to be a difficult stretch for the Astros. Houston has posted a 4-9 record over the last thirteen games, leaving the club with a 39-33 record that places them third in the AL West, 5.5 games behind the Rangers for the division lead. As the club attempts to right the ship, they’ll trot out a starting five of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France, and Ronel Blanco.
Valdez, Javier, and Brown, of course, starting the season in the club’s rotation and have formed the backbone of a starting staff that ranks 2nd in the majors with a 3.30 ERA in spite of injuries to Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. and Jose Urquidy. France has played a major role in the rotation maintaining that solid performance, with a 3.42 ERA in 47 1/3 innings for the big league club since making his MLB debut earlier this season.
Blanco is perhaps even more surprising, as the 29-year-old entered the rotation at the beginning of June after struggling badly in his major league debut last season (7.11 ERA in seven appearances) and posting middling numbers as a member of the Houston bullpen earlier this year, with a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings. Since returning to the big leagues as a starter, though, Blanco has recorded two solid outings against solid offenses in Toronto and Anaheim, posting a 3.18 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work. While Blanco’s 13% walk rate leaves reason for concern going forward, the Astros clearly feel secure enough with his performance to hand him the keys to a rotation spot over Bielak.
Replacing Bielak on the active roster is Dubin, whose first appearance with the big league club will constitute his big league debut. It’s been a long path to the majors for Dubin, who arrived in the Astros organization after they selected him in the 13th round of the 2018 draft. While he managed to post solid numbers in the minors from 2019 to 2021, Dubin has struggled in more recent seasons, with his 4.78 ERA in 58 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level in 2022 ballooning to a figure of 7.96 in 26 innings while repeating the level this season.
Despite those worrisome results, Dubin figures to be an asset to the club’s bullpen while he’s on the roster thanks to his ability to pitch multiple innings. Of his nine appearances at Triple-A this season, Dubin has recorded at least six outs in seven of them. He’ll likely provide long relief for a bullpen that has recently relief on Seth Martinez for multi-inning outings.
Astros Acquire Joel Kuhnel
The Reds have traded right-hander Joel Kuhnel to the Astros in exchange for cash considerations, per an announcement by both teams. The move comes days after Kuhnel was designated for assignment by Cincinnati. To make room for Kuhnel on the 40-man roster, the Astros have transferred right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-day injured list. The club also announced that they have optioned Kuhnel to Triple-A.
The move marks the end of the Kuhnel’s tenure with the Reds, for whom he has played his entire professional career after the club selected him in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. Kuhnel pitched for Cincinnati in parts of four seasons, with the majority of his appearances coming during the 2022 campaign.
In 58 innings of work last season, Kuhnel posted an abysmal 6.36 ERA. That being said, those terrible run prevention numbers are belie what advanced metrics say was a perfectly solid performance in 2022. Hitters posted an unsustainable .343 BABIP against Kuhnel in 2022 while the right-hander posted an unusually low strand rate of just 60.2% over the course of the season. Kuhnel’s performance is further bolstered by his 22% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. Taken together, it’s easy to see why advanced metrics thought relatively highly of Kuhnel in 2022, as evidenced by a 3.78 xERA and a 3.52 xFIP.
In all, Kuhnel heads to Houston with a career 6.20 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 74 innings of work across 69 appearances. Going forward, Kuhnel figures to act as depth for an Astros bullpen that ranks top three in the majors with a 3.21 ERA, behind only the Guardians and Yankees. He joins the likes of Matt Gage and Blake Taylor as bullpen depth at the Triple-A level that’s already on the 40-man roster. Kuhnel takes the 40-man roster spot of McCullers, whose placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise following his season-ending surgery earlier this week.
Lance McCullers Jr. Avoids Tommy John Surgery
- Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. underwent flexor tendon surgery earlier this week that will keep him out of action for the rest of the season. While that’s surely a bitterly disappointing development for both McCullers and fans in Houston, the situation could have gone far worse, as The Athletic’s Chandler Rome notes in a recent article that McCullers and Dr. Neal ElAttrache entered operating room prepared for the possibility that the right-hander would require a second Tommy John surgery rather than the flexor tendon surgery he ultimately needed. Such a procedure would have left McCullers unavailable for at least twelve months, but the 29-year-old righty could begin throwing again toward the end of the 2023 campaign or shortly after the season’s conclusion. Unfortunately, that does little to assist an Astros rotation that has also lost Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy to injury so far this season.
Best Deadline Rental Returns In Recent History, #3: Jays Get An All-Star Slugger
With the trade deadline now less than two months away, we at MLBTR are setting our sights backwards for a bit to highlight past trades of rental players to provide a loose guideline of what sort of returns fans can expect with their teams’ current rental players. With an arbitrary cutoff point of 2017-21, we’re counting down the top 10 returns that a team got when selling a rental player. We’ve already published some honorable mentions as well as entries No. 10, No. 9, No. 8, No. 7, No. 6, No. 5 and No. 4. If you disagree with our rankings, let us know! It’s all part of the subjective fun! Onto No. 3…
The Blue Jays had made it as far as the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016 and were looking to compete again in 2017. The saw both José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación become free agents after 2016 but were able to re-sign Bautista. Encarnación got away, but they tried to replace him by signing Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce, while also fortifying the bullpen with signings of Joe Smith and J.P. Howell.
Unfortunately, the Jays couldn’t keep it going for a third straight year. By July 31, they were 49-57 and in last place in the American League East, nine games out in the division and seven games back in the Wild Card race. They decided to do some selling, trading Smith to Cleveland and also trading Francisco Liriano to Houston.
Liriano, 33 at that time, had just been acquired by the Jays from the Pirates in a deadline deal one year earlier. It was essentially a salary dump for the Bucs, as the Jays took on all of what remained of Liriano’s contract. The Pirates were grateful enough for that kindness that they included prospects Harold Ramírez and Reese McGuire in the deal, taking back only Drew Hutchison in return. Neither Ramírez or McGuire would establish themselves in the majors with the Jays, though they have each now done so for AL East rivals. Liriano had a 5.46 ERA going into that trade but finished the season strong, posting a 2.92 ERA with the Jays and helping them get into the playoffs.
However, he was struggling again in 2017, as he had a 5.88 ERA through 18 starts with Toronto. He was still enjoying good results against lefties, as they had hit just .230/.254/.361 against him on the year. The Astros decided to take a shot on grabbing Liriano and converting him into a left-on-left relief specialist, despite the fact that he had worked almost exclusively as a starter in his career.
Liriano was making $13MM that year, with about $4.48MM still remaining to be paid out at the time of the deal. That would have been a fine salary for a solid rotation member but was on the high side for the specialized role the Astros envisioned. The Jays offset some of that by taking on outfielder Nori Aoki, who was making $5.5MM that year. But the real get for the Jays was young outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
For the Astros, Liriano made 20 relief appearances down the stretch with a 4.40 ERA despite a 15.2% walk rate. He then made another five appearances in the postseason with a 3.86 ERA. The club emerged victorious and won their first ever World Series title, though that achievement is now marred by the revelations of their elaborate sign-stealing scheme.
For the Jays, they released Aoki less than a month after the deal, emphasizing that their real focus was Hernández. Just 24 years old at that time, he was considered one of Houston’s top 10 prospects and had already made his major league debut. He hadn’t yet established himself in the bigs, hitting just .230/.304/.420 in his first 113 plate appearances. However, he had always hit the minors and was slashing .279/.369/.485 in Triple-A at the time of the deal. The Astros had an outfield mix that consisted of George Springer, Josh Reddick and Derek Fisher, with prospect Kyle Tucker on the cusp of his debut, leaving Hernández somewhat blocked from regular playing time.
The Jays put Hernández into 26 games down the stretch that year, and he quickly showed his tremendous power potential, hitting eight home runs in that brief time. There were also some concerning elements, as he walked in only 6.3% of his plate appearances while striking out at a glaring 37.9% clip. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging showing for a young outfielder who had yet to show he could handle himself in the majors.
Hernandez took on a regular role in the Toronto outfield from there, and the first couple of seasons had mixed results, generally mirroring that late-2017 debut in Toronto. He hit 22 home runs in 2018 and 26 more the year after, but he also struck out in 32% of his plate appearances. His 8.7% walk rate was close to league average, but his overall batting line was .235/.304/.470. Despite the obvious power, the punchouts dragged his wRC+ down to 104 over that two-year span, indicating he was just a bit above average overall. He stole 11 bases in that time but his defensive metrics were poor.
The next three seasons would prove to be much better, however. From 2020 to 2022, he struck out in 27.2% of his trips to the plate, still above league average but a significant improvement on his previous work. He did that without sacrificing any power, launching 73 home runs in those two-plus seasons. His .283/.333/.519 line in that time translated to a 132 wRC+, putting him in the top 25 among all hitters in the league in that category. He earned Silver Slugger awards in both 2020 and 2021 and was an All-Star in the latter season. That coincided with the club’s return to contention, as Hernández slotted into the middle of the lineup alongside up-and-coming star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, helping the club reach the postseason in both 2020 and 2022.
Despite the great work at the plate, the defense continued to be subpar. Hernandez has career tallies of -23 Defensive Runs Saved, -23 Outs Above Average and a grade of -21 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Going into 2023, the Jays set out to be a better defensive club, trading away bat-first players like Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. while bringing in Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho. Hernández was flipped to the Mariners for pitchers Erik Swanson and Adam Macko.
Looked at on its own, the Liriano swap looks great for the Blue Jays. They traded an impending free agent pitcher who was struggling to a 5.88 ERA on the year, netting themselves a lineup regular who essentially played at a 30-homer-per-year pace for five seasons. When he had one year of club control remaining, they flipped him for a couple of pitchers that extended the benefits into the future. Swanson has become the setup man to closer Jordan Romano, posting a 2.56 ERA this year while earning 16 holds. He can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration. Macko is struggling in High-A at the moment but is still just 22 years old. Looking back to the initial deal with the Pirates, the whole transaction tree looks even better as the club turned Hutchison into Liriano, then Hernandez and now Swanson/Macko.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Stroman Lobbies for Extension, Mets’ Woes and Astros Seeking Bats
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- Marcus Stroman lobbying for an extension with the Cubs (1:40)
- The struggling Mets lose Pete Alonso to the injured list (6:00)
- The Astros seem more focused on getting bats than arms at the deadline (10:05)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Other than a pure prospect, I don’t see a difference making middle of the order bat being available at the trade deadline. Be it a 2 month rental or even someone with 1 or 2 years of control. Do you? If so please tell me about him. (14:45)
- Could this be the year in which the O’s get a starter? They’re notoriously cheap when it comes to big contracts or giving up the farm, but I can’t see any team going deep into the playoffs with Kyle Gibson or Tyler Wells as their Game One ace. If so, who are the top candidates, knowing that the O’s will have to compete on the market with any team with a winning percentage over .500? (19:45)
- The Cardinals are full of young players that may not be stars in the making, but probably get a fairer shot at regular playing time on many other rosters to prove their worth. If the Cards ultimately become sellers at the deadline, do they really get much value in moving guys like Iván Herrera, Juan Yepez, Luken Baker, Moises Gomez, and/or one of their outfielders? Or are they content to have that depth if the returns are minimal? (22:35)
Check out our past episodes!
- Elly De La Cruz, Alek Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for Jacob deGrom – listen here
- The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans – listen here
- The Mets are turning things around, and how serious are the Mariners, Marlins and Diamondbacks? – listen here
Lance McCullers Jr. Undergoes Season-Ending Flexor Tendon Surgery
4:16PM: Brown spoke with reporters (including Danielle Lerner) today about McCullers’ injury, and didn’t give any more specifics on when in 2024 McCullers could return. The right-hander will begin throwing in November.
2:53PM: The Astros announced that Lance McCullers Jr. underwent forearm surgery on Tuesday, which will end the right-hander’s 2023 season. The procedure removed a bone spur and, more significantly, repaired McCullers’ damaged right flexor tendon.
McCullers has been rehabbing a muscle strain suffered early in Spring Training. Houston GM Dana Brown said last month that the team was looking at the All-Star break as a very rough estimate for when McCullers would be fully ready to return, but in the interim, McCullers suffered a pair of setbacks — he went from mound work to throwing off of flat ground, and was then shut down altogether due to continued soreness in his right arm. A subsequent MRI presumably revealed the flexor tendon damage, and thus McCullers will now close the books on his 2023 campaign without a single pitch thrown.
As Brown explained in a team press release, “each time [McCullers] built himself up to an increased pitch total off the mound, the pain would come back. It’s unfortunate, but we look forward to him being back on the mound next season.” Perhaps noteworthy is the fact that Brown and the release’s initial paragraph didn’t specify when McCullers could be back in 2024, which would seemingly hint that the righty won’t be ready for the start of Spring Training.
This will mark the second lost season for McCullers in the last five years, as he also missed all of the 2019 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. A flexor tendon strain suffered during the 2021 playoffs also limited McCullers to 47 2/3 innings last season, though he did return in time to make some starts down the stretch and throughout the postseason during the Astros’ World Series championship run. The press release noted that the Spring Training injury represented a re-aggravation of that same 2021 injury, so hopefully the surgery will finally correct the issue that has plagued McCullers for the better part of two years.
Between McCullers’ procedure and Luis Garcia’s Tommy John surgery, the Astros have lost two members of their projected starting five to season-ending injuries. Jose Urquidy has also been on the 15-day IL since the start of May due to shoulder inflammation, and while an MRI came back clean, Urquidy isn’t expected back until perhaps the All-Star break. (On the plus side, Urquidy did tell Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle that he is hoping to throw a bullpen session in about a week’s time.) If these injuries weren’t enough, former top prospect Forrest Whitley might also miss the rest of the season due to a lat strain.
Somewhat remarkably, Houston’s makeshift group of starters has still been one of the better rotations in baseball, in the latest testament to the organization’s minor league depth. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier have led the way as more experienced arms, but rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France and swingman Brandon Bielak have all pitched well. The latest edition of the MLBTR Podcast addressed what the Astros might do at the deadline in regards to adding starting pitching, including whether or not they might prioritize hitting over pitching in the wake of Yordan Alvarez’s oblique strain.
Between McCullers’ abbreviated 2022 season and now his lost 2023 season, it has been an unwelcome start to the five-year, $85MM extension the right-hander inked in March 2021. McCullers is still owed $51MM between 2024-26, and if he is able to put his flexor problems behind him, there is plenty of time to better make good on the Astros’ investment. Of course, it is also yet to be seen exactly how much of the 2024 season McCullers could miss, or whether or not he’ll be able to fully stay healthy given all the accumulated wear and tear on his arm in recent years.
