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MLBTR Podcast: Baseball Is Back, Will Smith’s Extension, Mike Clevinger And Jon Berti

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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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Let’s say it’s trade deadline time and the Diamondbacks are basically a longshot to make the playoffs and want to dump payroll. Do you think there could be a reunion for Jordan Montgomery to be traded to the Rangers? The contract is right with the option or does he have a no-trade clause? (31:40)
  • Are international free agents eligible for extensions right away or is there a certain waiting period? I ask this because of the impending Roki Sasaki situation. Could he sign with an MLB team next year and play that first year for peanuts knowing that he has a handshake mega deal agreement in place that kicks in the following year? (34:10)
  • Is there a particular reason that you can’t trade a draft pick in the MLB the same way you can in leagues like the NFL? I know you there is a system in place for trading competitive balance picks, but I mean for just normal picks. I ask because I am a Mets fan and a Gators fan and it hurts that Jac Caglianone probably isn’t going to fall to 18. (41:55)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Dodgers Acquire Nick Ramirez, Transfer Brusdar Graterol To 60-Day Injured List

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The Yankees have traded left-hander Nick Ramirez to the Dodgers for cash considerations, per announcements from both clubs. Ramirez had been designated for assignment on the weekend. The Dodgers opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring righty Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list.

Ramirez, 34, was a bit of a surprising cut from the Yankee roster. He tossed 40 2/3 innings last year with an earned run average of 2.66. His 16.3% strikeout rate was on the low side but his 47.4% ground ball rate was a bit better than average and his 5.2% walk rate was excellent. But the club used a number of pitchers in their first two games of the season and wanted to add Tanner Tully as a fresh arm and Ramirez got squeezed out.

Perhaps they were a bit skeptical of the sample size, as Ramirez had a career ERA of 4.55 coming into last year, with a 9.5% walk rate that was much closer to average than what he did in 2023. But he’s always had good results at Triple-A, having posted a 2.98 ERA in 200 appearances over seven different seasons at that level.

He’ll give the Dodgers another left-handed relief option, which is a bit of a weak spot on the roster at the moment. Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough are the two other southpaws in the bullpen, but the latter is used more for long relief as opposed to situations where a manager would specifically want a lefty. Ramirez also has an option remaining and can be kept in the minors until needed.

The Dodgers had a 40-man roster spot to use since they evidently don’t expect Graterol to return prior to the middle of May. He battled hip soreness and shoulder soreness throughout the spring and only made one official appearance. He has reportedly been making progress of late but will effectively need to redo Spring Training by spending a few weeks ramping up and getting into game shape.

Since the Dodgers started their season early with the Seoul Series, he was placed on the 15-day IL back on March 19, meaning he’s already two weeks into his 60-day count and can return about six weeks from now if he’s healthy and build up by then.

Dodgers Claim Taylor Trammell

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The Dodgers have claimed outfielder Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Mariners, who’d designated him for assignment last week, Robert Murray of FanSided reports. Trammell is out of minor league options, so he’ll go right onto the Dodgers’ active roster.

Now 26 years old, Trammell was the No. 35 overall pick by the Reds back in 2016. He ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects each season from 2018-21 and has participated in a pair of Futures Games but hasn’t yet found success in the majors. He had multiple auditions with the Mariners — who acquired him alongside Andres Munoz and Ty France in exchange for Austin Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla — but has produced only a .168/.270/.368 batting line with a huge 37% strikeout rate in 351 MLB plate appearances.

That said, Trammell has been vastly better in Triple-A. He’s spent parts of three seasons there as well, turning in a stout .274/.381/.506 batting line with a 24% strikeout rate that’s worlds better than his MLB clip. Trammell has shown off his eye at the plate both in the majors (11.1% walk rate) and in Triple-A (14%).

Trammell’s once better-than-average speed has declined, as Statcast ranked him in just the 43rd percentile of MLB players in average sprint speed last year.  His defensive grades from metrics like Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved haven’t lined up with scouting reports that pegged him as a potentially plus defender in the outfield, either. Trammell has probably hit for more power than was expected early in his prospect days. His .368 slugging isn’t much to look at, but when considering his low batting average, he’s sitting on a .200 ISO in his big league career. He’s also popped 38 homers in his 812 Triple-A plate appearances.

His role with the Dodgers is yet to be determined, though fellow lefty-swinging outfielder Jason Heyward has been dealing with a back issue. If Heyward needs to miss any time, Trammell could step into his role as a stopgap until the veteran is able to return.

NL West Notes: Heyward, Graterol, Treinen, Snell, Montgomery

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Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward has not played since Saturday. According to Bill Plunkett of The Orange Country Register, Heyward wasn’t even at the stadium on Monday night, as the Dodgers welcomed the Giants for the first matchup of a three-game set. Heyward, 34, has been dealing with a stiff back for about a week. On Monday, he went to get his back checked out, and manager Dave Roberts said he would “probably get some imaging” (as relayed by Plunkett). Presumably, the Dodgers will know more about the severity of his injury later tonight or tomorrow.

If Heyward needs a stint on the injured list, the Dodgers will likely recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A. Formerly a top infield prospect, Vargas began taking some reps in left field in 2022 and has continued to work in the outfield. A right-handed hitter and inexperienced outfielder, Vargas cannot play the same role as the lefty-batting, Gold Glove-winning Heyward. Still, he can provide the Dodgers with an extra body for the outfield, likely splitting time with Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández.

In more positive news for the Dodgers, Plunkett reports that right-handed relievers Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen are making progress as they recover from a shoulder injury and a bruised lung and ribs, respectively. Graterol is getting ready to throw off a mound tomorrow, while Treinen “might throw lightly off a mound” sometime before Thursday.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Reigning NL Cy Young and new Giants ace Blake Snell will make his first start of the season on Monday, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). He has already begun facing minor league hitters, and he will pitch in a simulated game against his own teammates on Wednesday before taking on the Nationals next week. The southpaw joins a Giants rotation that already features last year’s Cy Young runner-up Logan Webb, highly-touted rookie Kyle Harrison, and flame-throwing reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks.
  • Speaking of star free agents who signed too late to pitch in spring training, Jordan Montgomery was unable to throw a proper simulated game this afternoon due to poor weather, but he still got in 50 pitches over three up-downs, reports Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that Montgomery is scheduled to make his first start for Triple-A Reno on Sunday. The Diamondbacks have not said how many starts the lefty needs before he is MLB-ready, but during his introductory press conference, Montgomery himself said he was eyeing April 19 as the date for his return (per Weiner). Indeed, Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the 2023 World Series champion has a clause in his contract that requires him to be in the majors by April 19. However, Montgomery will presumably stay in the minors a little longer if it is what’s best for his long-term health and performance.

Dodgers Designate Nabil Crismatt For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced that right-hander Nabil Crismatt has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to fellow righty Dinelson Lamet, whose impending selection was reported on earlier today.

Crismatt, 29, was just selected to the roster yesterday. He earned the win in yesterday’s 5-4 victory over the Cardinals, pitching the seventh and eighth innings while the Dodgers were losing 4-2. He put up zeroes in his two frames, striking out three opponents while allowing just one hit and no walks, providing the club with the chance for a comeback win.

Despite that solid performance, it seems he is a victim of circumstance. Manager Dave Roberts informed the Dodgers’ beat, including Juan Toribio of MLB.com, that the club is planning to do a bullpen game tomorrow in order to give the starters some extra rest. That meant bringing in a fresh arm in Lamet while Crismatt got nudged out, likely because he is out of options and doesn’t provide the club with a lot of roster flexibility.

They will now have a week to trade Crismatt or pass him through waivers, though he has a previous career outright and would have the right to elect free agent rather than accept another such assignment. He’s coming off a rough season, having posted an earned run average of 8.31 over his eight major league appearances last year and a 6.86 ERA in the minors. He was in better form in the previous two seasons, when he posted a 3.39 ERA over 148 2/3 innings for the Padres. He struck out 21.6% of batters faced in that time while walking just 7.3%.

Dodgers To Select Dinelson Lamet

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The Dodgers are calling up right-hander Dinelson Lamet, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The righty is not currently on the 40-man roster and will require a corresponding move.

Lamet, 31, had to settle for a minor league deal this offseason after increasing struggles in recent seasons. Though he looked like one of the better pitchers in the league in the shortened 2020 season, his ERA jumped in each campaign after that. But he appeared to be in good form during Spring Training with the Dodgers, as he made four appearances with just one earned run allowed. He struck out five batters, walked just one and got grounders on 60% of balls in play.

If he were to get even partially back on track, it would be a nice find for the Dodgers. Lamet made 12 starts for the Padres in 2020 with a 2.09 earned run average, 34.8% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young voting. But he missed the postseason due to biceps tightness and the health issues continued beyond that season.

He dealt with some forearm issues in 2021, with the ailment being labeled as tightness, fatigue and inflammation at various times. He also underwent a procedure for a hip infection that year. He made 22 appearances but only nine of them were starts as the Friars gradually moved him more to a relief role as he battled those issues, his ERA ticking up to 4.40 in the process.

His struggles worsened in 2022 and he got flipped to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader deal. Milwaukee quickly put him on waivers, indicating his inclusion in the trade was mostly for financial reasons. He was claimed by the Rockies and finished the year with a 6.12 ERA. He split time between the Rockies and Red Sox in 2023 but his ERA jumped all the way to 11.41. His strikeout rate had fallen to 22.1% while his walk rate climbed to 15.9%.

The Dodgers will obviously be hoping to see that trend reversed and have Lamet in better form than that. He has more than five years of service time and can’t be optioned, meaning he’ll have to stick on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely at some future point.

NL West Notes: Flores, Jefferies, Thomas, Grichuk, Buehler

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Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores exited before the second inning of today’s game against the Padres after falling into the opposing dugout while attempting to catch a foul ball. He initially stayed in the game but was replaced by a pinch hitter before his first plate appearance. During the game, the team told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) that Flores had suffered a right shoulder contusion. Afterward, Pavlovic added that the first baseman also had a cut on his finger and the Giants will reevaluate his condition tomorrow. Flores confirmed to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he had not hit his head.

Flores, 32, is coming off a career year for the Giants, in which he hit 22 doubles and 23 home runs with an .863 OPS over 126 games. His overall defensive metrics were not particularly impressive, but as usual, he did his best work at first base, producing 6 DRS and 1 OAA. He made just two errors in 61 games.

In additional Giants news, starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies also left the game early on Sunday, after giving up nine runs (five earned) in just two innings of work. According to Slusser, the righty felt some discomfort in his left hip. Like Flores, he will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Jefferies, 28, had his contract officially selected today, ahead of his first MLB start in nearly two years. He underwent surgery for both thoracic outlet syndrome and a torn UCL in 2022, so he and the Giants will hope his latest injury is nothing more serious than mild discomfort.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas left Sunday’s game against the Rockies in the fourth inning with what the team later announced as “left hamstring tightness.” Speaking after the game, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that he decided to take Thomas out of the game, while the center fielder wanted to stay on the field (per Arizona Sports). Hopefully for the D-backs, that is a sign that this was merely a precautionary measure. Lovullo said the team will continue evaluating the 23-year-old over the rest of the night.
  • Earlier in the day, Lovullo provided an update on another one of his outfielders. Randal Grichuk, 32, is currently on a rehab stint with the Triple-A Reno Aces, and the skipper told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that he expects him to return soon after his minimum 10 days on the IL are up. Lovullo said Grichuk is already prepared to face major league pitching, but he needed a little more time to prep in the outfield after missing all of spring training recovering from ankle surgery.
  • Walker Buehler made his first rehab start today, pitching into the fourth inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City. His fastball velocity sat around 94 mph (h/t to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic), not quite as high as it was in 2021 and ’22, but promising for an early rehab appearance. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times) that Buehler would need to make around four rehab starts, with Juan Toribio of MLB.com noting that Buehler likely needs to build up to throwing 90 pitches; his goal today was 40-45.

Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals Among Teams Scouting Roki Sasaki

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Eight MLB teams sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki’s latest start, according to articles from Sports Hochi and Yahoo Japan, as relayed by Dylan Hernández of The Los Angeles Times and Andy Martino of SNY, respectively. Among those teams were the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

Sasaki is just 22 years old and already one of the best pitchers in Japan. Over three NPB seasons, he has thrown 283 2/3 innings with 376 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. The ace made headlines last winter when he reportedly asked to be posted for MLB teams well ahead of the typical timeline – MLB does not allow players under 25 years old and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything more than a minor league contract. Ultimately, Sasaski re-signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines, temporarily putting a stop to any talk of his being posted. Still, he could make the same request this coming offseason. While he might be forfeiting a massive free agent payday if he is posted before his 25th birthday, he has made no secret of his desire to pitch in MLB.

It’s no surprise, then, that several MLB teams are showing interest in Sasaski. However, the two-time NPB All-Star might have already decided where he wants to pitch in 2025 and beyond. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “several GMs” are under the impression that Sasaki “already has plans to sign with the Dodgers” during the 2024-25 offseason.

According to one general manager, “There’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.” While that particular comment was spoken in no uncertain terms, it also sounds more like conjecture than insider knowledge. Indeed, this entire report may be more speculation on the part of the executives than anything else. After all, at least seven teams besides the Dodgers are actively scouting Sasaski, and they wouldn’t be doing so if they didn’t think they had a chance to secure his services in the future. Moreover, even if Sasaki truly does have his sights set on the Dodgers, the rest of the league will still have an opportunity to change his mind.

Dodgers Select Nabil Crismatt, Transfer Emmet Sheehan To 60-Day IL

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The Dodgers have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Nabil Crismatt, the team announced. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was the first to report the move. Crismatt will join the team in time for today’s game against the Cardinals. In corresponding moves, right-handed pitcher Kyle Hurt has been optioned, while fellow righty Emmet Sheehan has been transferred to the 60-day injured list, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Crismatt, 29, is quite familiar with the NL West. After making his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2020, he made 102 appearances for the Padres from 2021-23, in addition to one appearance for the Diamondbacks last August. The Dodgers will be his third NL West team in the past 10 months. Although he struggled in 2023, ultimately getting designated for assignment by both San Diego and Arizona, he was a capable low-leverage relief arm in 2021 and ’22. Over those two seasons, he threw 148 2/3 innings in 95 games with a 3.39 ERA and 3.69 SIERA. He rarely blew the ball past opposing hitters, instead relying on a changeup-heavy approach to maintain a low walk rate and induce groundballs.

The righty got off to a poor start in 2023. His velocity was down and his command was spotty; he gave up five walks and 12 runs in 10 innings of work. Three weeks into the season, a hip strain put him out of commission for the next two months, after which he struggled to get back to the majors. Crismatt made just two more big league appearances, one for the Padres in June and one for D-backs two months later. Meanwhile, his Triple-A numbers were unsightly. He posted a 6.94 ERA and 8.06 FIP in 11 2/3 innings in the Padres organization and a 6.85 ERA and 6.04 FIP in 47 1/3 innings with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate.

Despite his rough season in 2023, Crismatt is only one year removed from a healthy and productive campaign. Not yet 30 years old, it isn’t so far-fetched to think he could re-discover that form in 2024. Although he struggled this spring (8.44 ERA in 5 /13 IP), the Dodgers seem to think he has something to offer their big league bullpen.

Crismatt is out of options, so once he is officially selected, the Dodgers must keep him on the 26-man roster, trade him, or expose him to waivers.

Hurt, 25, is widely considered one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects. He threw 2 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on Saturday, facing 10 batters, striking out three, walking none, and giving up an unearned run. Despite his successful outing, he was likely optioned to give manager Dave Roberts a fresh arm in the bullpen.

Sheehan, 24, missed spring training with what was originally described as shoulder soreness, as well as some general bodily discomfort. However, when the Dodgers placed Sheehan on the 10-day IL ahead of the Seoul Series, they described his injury as forearm inflammation. Today, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that Sheehan’s transfer to the 60-day IL is related to his sore shoulder. This is another setback for the young hurler. In mid-March, Dave Roberts suggested that Sheehan could be ready by stateside Opening Day. On March 24, Ardaya reported that Sheehan would still need “a full spring’s worth of buildup” before he could rejoin the Dodgers. Now, the earliest the righty can return is May 18.

Sheehan made 13 appearances (11 starts) last season, pitching to a 4.92 ERA, 4.41 SIERA, and an impressive 3.50 xERA. If the Dodgers have no room in the rotation when he is ready to return, he could be optioned to Triple-A, where he only made three appearances last season, or he could be a candidate to join the bullpen. His high velocity might play up out of the ’pen, and he could fill a similar role to Crismatt, albeit with a much higher ceiling.

NL West Notes: D’Backs, Montgomery, Buehler, Monfort

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The Diamondbacks officially introduced Jordan Montgomery at a press conference yesterday, with Montgomery, agent Scott Boras, and several team officials answering questions from the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports, and other media.  D’Backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said that the club initially checked in on Montgomery early in the offseason but weren’t eager to meet the asking price at the time.  As Montgomery’s stay in free agency ended up stretching almost to the very end of Spring Training, GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye started to explore the idea of re-engaging with the southpaw, and negotiations both started and ended within just a few days’ time.

The two sides agreed to a one-year, $25MM contract with a $20MM vesting player option and opt-out clause covering the 2025 season.  Boras said Montgomery had some longer-term offers but “Jordan’s edict to me was, ’I want to play for a competitive team.  I want to make sure that I’m there and if I have to take something short-term to play for a competitive team, I will.’….It resulted in I think a deal that served our purposes in the short term and certainly served Jordan’s competitiveness needs and put an evaluation on I think his performance for this year and potentially next year that was appropriate for what he’s done.”

From Arizona’s perspective, adding Montgomery boosts payroll to a team-record $168MM for 2024, yet Kendrick and team president/CEO Derrick Hall are comfortable with the extra spending in order to keep the team in championship contention.  While Hall hinted that the D’Backs might need another lengthy postseason trip to sustain a higher payroll into 2025, Arizona’s run to the World Series last year already provided enough of an extra revenue boost (both in ticket sales during the playoffs and more tickets already sold for this season) to justify more of all-in push in 2024.

Some other items from the NL West…

  • Walker Buehler will throw four or five innings in a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times).  Sunday’s outing will be the first of four rehab starts for Buehler, as per the team’s current plans, though things remain fluid as the Dodgers want to be as careful as possible in managing Buehler’s return after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022.  Buehler is already well beyond the normal 13-15 rehab window, though obviously not every recovery process is the same for every pitcher, plus this was also the second TJ procedure of Buehler’s career.  If all goes well at Triple-A, Buehler should be on track to be part of the L.A. rotation before April is over.
  • “I do feel like we are on the right track,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, with Monfort citing his team’s up-and-coming core of young talent and his ongoing trust in GM Bill Schmidt and manager Bud Black.  Colorado has had only five winning seasons since the Monfort family bought the team in late 2005, and things seemed to bottom out last year when the Rox lost a club-record 103 games.  Still, Monfort believes in the “organic” strategy of relying on homegrown prospects and only mid-range payrolls, as Monfort is critical of the revenue disparities among Major League franchises.  Denver fans have themselves long been critical of Monfort’s approach due to the lack of on-field success, and Monfort has frequently come under fire for his perpetually over-optimistic view of his team’s fortunes and the Rockies’ reliance on long-time employees.  While Monfort admitted that he worries about being too loyal at times, he noted that when looking to replace former GM Jeff Bridich, he wasn’t impressed by external candidates’ plans to fix the team.  “They would tell me how to win at altitude and everything they mentioned, it would not have worked, or it’s all things we have tried.  I think in any business you have to have people you can trust, and I trust [Schmidt and Black],” Monfort said.
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