Charlie Culberson Elects Free Agency
The Braves assigned veteran infielder Charlie Culberson to the minors earlier today but Culberson rejected the assignment and elected free agency, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Culberson had been designated for assignment last week to make room for catcher Chadwick Tromp on the club’s roster.
Culberson’s stint with the Braves this season was an odd one. The 34-year-old veteran signed a minor league deal with the Braves this past offseason and saw his contract selected back in May, but did not make a single appearance for the Braves in nearly a month on the active roster. Considering Culberson found himself unable to make it into a game in the majors with Atlanta even as a member of the 26-man roster, it’s far from a surprise that Culberson has departed his hometown organization in hopes of securing a minor league deal in elsewhere.
Since being selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 2007 draft, Culberson has suited up for the Dodgers, Rangers, and Rockies during his career in addition to the aforementioned Giants and Braves. Overall, the veteran of ten major league seasons sports a career .248/.293/.386 slash line in 1,311 trips to the plate.
Primarily a third baseman, Culberson also offers experience at shortstop, second base, first base, and left field that could make him an interesting veteran utility option for an infield-needy club looking to add depth to their upper minors. That being said, Culberson struggled in 107 trips to the plate with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett this season. In 24 games with the club, the veteran infielder slashed just .204/.237/.255, a weak performance that could cause interested clubs to prefer internal depth options to Culberson’s services.
As for the Braves, the club currently sports no reserve infielders on the active roster as they carry a bench of Tromp, Travis d’Arnaud, Sam Hilliard, and Kevin Pillar. That leaves them likely to require an active roster move should any of Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, or Matt Olson require a day off. Should that come to pass, the club has Braden Shewmake, Vaughn Grissom, and Luke Williams in Triple-A as infield options who are already on the 40-man roster.
Orioles To Promote Jordan Westburg
The Orioles are poised to promote top infield prospect Jordan Westburg prior to tomorrow’s game against the Reds, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Baltimore will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate Westburg in addition to clearing space for him on the active roster, though those moves have not yet been announced. Passan adds that Westburg will be in the starting lineup tomorrow for his major league debut.
Westburg was selected 30th overall by Baltimore in the first round of the 2020 draft. He immediately impressed with the bat in his first professional season, slashing .285/.389/.479 in 506 trips to the plate while climbing from Single-A all the way to Double-A over the course of the 2021 campaign. While those numbers were certainly impressive, his roughly league average 104 wRC+ in 30 Double-A games did leave questions as to whether he would be able to dominant in the upper levels of the minors the way he had in A-ball.
The youngster answered those questions in a big way with his performance in 2023. After showing improvement across 47 games at the Double-A level with a .247/.344/.473 slash line, Westburg went on to take another step forward with a strong showing in Triple-A during his age-23 season. In 91 games at the level last season, Westburg slashed an impressive .274/.361/.508 with the lowest strikeout rate of his career and 46 extra base hits, including 18 home runs.
After an excellent 2022 campaign, Westburg entered the 2023 campaign rated as roughly a top-75 prospect in the sport by each of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus. He’s since delivered on that promise by posting the best numbers of his career across 67 games in a return to Triple-A. In 301 plate appearances this season, Westburg has slashed .295/.372/.567 with a wRC+ of 131, a strikeout rate of just 21.3%, and .404 wOBA.
Given those impressive numbers, it’s no wonder why the Orioles have made the decision to pull the trigger on Westburg’s promotion despite the club’s crowded infield picture. Gunnar Henderson, of course, is entrenched on the left side of the infield with appearances in 67 of the club’s 76 games this season. That leaves Westburg likely to mix in alongside the likes of Jorge Mateo, Ramon Urias, and Adam Frazier up the middle, though Frazier has also seen time in the outfield this season while Urias has occasionally stepped in at first base with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list.
Of the aforementioned trio, only Urias has hit above league average this season with a wRC+ of 101. That being said, Mateo’s glove at shortstop ranks in the 89th percentile of qualified fielders per Statcast, meaning he’ll likely draw starts even as his bat has cooled off significantly after a hot start to the season. That leaves the likes of Frazier and Joey Ortiz most likely to lose out on playing time in favor of Westburg. Ortiz, in particular, stands out as a potential candidate to be optioned in favor of Westburg, as the 24-year-old youngster has gotten into just 15 games with the club this season, slashing .212/.206/.242 in 35 plate appearances.
Westburg’s promotion is the latest in a line of recent top prospect promotions that began with the debut of catcher Adley Rutschman last year. Since then, Henderson, Ortiz, and Grayson Rodriguez are among the youngster to make their debut for the Orioles, though Ortiz and Rodriguez have yet to establish themselves fully at the major league level. The youth movement in Baltimore has paid dividends, as the club has followed up a surprisingly competitive 2022 campaign with a 47-29 record that leaves them both in second place in an extremely competitive AL East division and in the driver’s seat of the AL Wild Card race.
Chicago Notes: Stroman, Hendriks, Clevinger
Cubs ace Marcus Stroman exited his start against the Cardinals in London this morning after just 3 1/3 innings of work due to a blister on his right index finger. Fortunately, as noted by Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, the injury is not currently considered to be particularly serious. In conversation with reporters following the game, Stroman pointed out that this wasn’t the first time he’s dealt with blisters in his career, likely referencing his 2018 trip to the IL with a blister on his right middle finger. That stint on the shelf ultimately lasted two weeks, but Stroman says that he’s optimistic he’ll be able to make his next start, which would likely be slated for next weekend’s series against the Guardians.
It’s hard to overstate Stroman’s importance in keeping the Cubs afloat this season. After today’s loss to the Cardinals in London, the north siders sport a 37-39 record that leaves them just three games back of the Reds for the division title in a weak NL Central. That the club remains within striking distance in the division can be attributed heavily to the performance of Stroman, whose 2.28 ERA entering play today led the NL, while his 196 ERA+ led the majors.
Stroman’s dominant performance so far this season has made it seem like a no-brainer for him to decline a $21MM player option following the 2023 campaign and test the open market. Despite that, he’s been vocal about his desire to stay in Chicago even as the lack of extension discussions have led to trade speculation. Whether the Cubs ultimately fall out of contention as the calendar flips to July and the trade rumors intensify or the club cements itself as contenders who will continue to lean on their best pitcher down the stretch\, the club is surely hoping for a quick return to the mound for the veteran right-hander. In the event Stroman does miss time, the Cubs seem likely to rely on the services of youngster Hayden Wesneski in his stead.
More from Chicago…
- Speaking of veteran right-handers who could draw interest from clubs ahead of the trade deadline on August 1, the White Sox might welcome Mike Clevinger back to the active roster prior to the All Star break. Manager Pedro Grifol indicated to reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, that a return prior to the midsummer classic was possible, but that he won’t return in a relief role and will be held out until he can be built back up to rotation-length outings. Clevinger has offered solid if uninspiring consistency at the back of the south side’s rotation this season, pitching to a 3.88 ERA and 4.88 FIP in 62 2/3 innings of work. A return before the All Star break could give potential suitors additional confidence in Clevinger’s health ahead of the trade deadline, when the 34-45 White Sox seem likely to sell off rental assets.
- Sticking with the White Sox, one hurler who Grifol asserts will definitely not return prior to the All Star break is closer Liam Hendriks, who is on the shelf with right elbow inflammation. While Hendriks initially expressed optimism he could return in a couple of weeks, citing a similar injury last season that cost him three weeks, Grifol’s updated timeline would put the right-hander out of action for over a month. Hendriks has pitched just five innings this season between his current stint on the IL and his recovery from a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. With Hendriks on the shelf, Kendall Graveman has stepped in as the closer for the White Sox this season.
Giants Reinstate Ross Stripling, Place Luke Jackson On 15-Day IL
The Giants announced that right-hander Ross Stripling has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Stripling will take the roster spot left open by Luke Jackson, who is headed to the 15-day IL himself due to a lower back strain.
Stripling has missed over five weeks due to his own back strain, and the injury layoff might effectively serve as a reset to his first season with the Giants. Over his first 32 1/3 innings of the season, Stripling posted a 7.24 ERA while allowing 10 home runs. While naturally a small sample size, these struggles are a big step back from the impressive numbers Stripling posted with the Blue Jays in 2022, when the righty delivered a 3.01 ERA over 134 1/3 frames (and with only 12 total homers allowed).
It isn’t what San Francisco was expecting when it signed Stripling to a two-year, $25MM free agent deal in the offseason. His early struggles led the Giants to pretty quickly move him to the bullpen, though Stripling found himself back in the rotation due to some other injuries within the starting staff. Between Stripling’s return and Alex Cobb‘s expected activation from the IL later this week, the Giants are getting closer to having their full complement of starting pitchers available.
It remains to be seen if Stripling will indeed continue to work as a starter, or if he might return to a straight relief role or a hybrid of the two in his old swingman role. The Giants’ choice is probably between Stripling and Sean Manaea as the fifth starter, or the team could use both in a piggyback capacity, or perhaps move both pitchers in and out of the rotation as a floating sixth starter to give the other starters some extra rest when necessary. This is the type of flexibility San Francisco was looking for in signing Stripling in the first place, though naturally the righty will have to get back on track performance-wise.
Jackson left yesterday’s game due to his back injury, and he’ll now unfortunately head back to the IL after already missing the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Giants only activated him on May 30, and Jackson pitched well in his first nine appearances of 2023, posting a 2.16 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate over 8 1/3 innings.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/23
Catching up on some minor moves from around baseball…
- The Tigers outrighted Braden Bristo to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers. Bristo was designated for assignment last weekend and can’t yet reject an outright assignment, even though this is the second time Bristo has been DFA’ed this season. The Tigers claimed Bristo off waivers from the Rays at the start of May, and the righty has a 2.57 ERA over seven total innings of work with Detroit and Tampa Bay. This marks the 28-year-old’s first bit of Major League action, after seven minor league seasons spent mostly in the Yankees farm system.
Pirates Acquire Andre Jackson
The Pirates and Dodgers have worked out a trade that will send right-hander Andre Jackson to Pittsburgh, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter). The Pirates have announced the trade, adding that Jackson has been optioned to Triple-A and that the Dodgers are getting cash considerations in return. Mark Mathias has been designated for assignment to open up space on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster.
The Dodgers designated Jackson for assignment earlier this week to open up a 40-man roster spot for Ryan Brasier. He’ll now change organizations for the first time in a pro career that began when the Dodgers selected Jackson in the 12th round of the 2017 draft. The righty has appeared in each of the last three Major League seasons, with a total of 39 innings on his resume.
While Jackson had a 2.11 ERA over 21 1/3 innings in 2021-22, things haven’t gone as smoothly this year, as Jackson had a 6.62 ERA in 17 2/3 frames of work. The long ball has been Jackson’s biggest nemesis, as after giving up just one home run in 2021-22, he has already allowed five homers this season. It isn’t exactly a new problem for the right-hander, as he has trouble keeping the ball in the park over his three seasons at Triple-A (in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League).
Between the homers and an inflated 14.77% walk rate, Jackson has a 5.21 ERA in 129 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, with a 22.07% strikeout rate. It isn’t the most promising set of numbers, yet as a pitcher capable of working as a traditional starter or long reliever, Jackson has some interesting value as at least a depth arm, particularly to a pitching-needy team like Pittsburgh.
With multiple relievers on the injured list, the Pirates will likely explore Jackson as a reliever first and foremost, or possibly as a bulk pitcher behind an opener if the Bucs get creative with their rotation. Tomorrow’s off-day is the Pirates’ last free day until the All-Star break, and coming off a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, the Pirates might be looking for spot-start possibilities.
Pittsburgh acquired Mathias in a trade with the Rangers in March, and the utilityman has been shuttled back and forth several times between the majors and Triple-A. Mathias has hit .231/.355/.269 over 62 plate appearances, playing mostly as a second baseman with a pair of other appearances in right field. 2023 is Mathias’ third Major League season, after he previously appeared in 16 games with the Brewers in 2020 and a combined 30 games with Milwaukee and Texas in 2022. In between, Mathias spent the 2021 campaign recovering from shoulder surgery.
If Mathias clears waivers, he has the right to reject a possible outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. Because Mathias has been outrighted before in his career, he has the option of turning down another outright from the Bucs and instead can become a free agent.
Mets Claim Reed Garrett From Orioles
The Orioles announced that the Mets have claimed right-hander Reed Garrett off waivers. Garrett was designated for assignment by the O’s last weekend.
Garrett signed a minor league deal with Baltimore in the offseason, and his contract was selected to the MLB roster 11 days ago. The righty lasted only four days in the Show before being DFA’ed, with Garrett posting a 10.13 ERA over two appearances and 2 2/3 innings pitched. In the longer sample size of 22 2/3 innings thrown by Garrett at Triple-A Norfolk, he has a 1.59 ERA and a 28.4% strikeout rate, albeit with a 10.4% walk rate.
Originally a 16th-round draft pick for the Rangers in 2014, Garrett’s big league career began in 2019 when the Tigers selected him in the Rule 5 Draft but later returned him to the Texas organization. Garrett pitched in Japan with the Seibu Lions in 2020-21 with good results, before returning to North America on a minor league contract with the Nationals and getting into seven games (9 1/3 IP) with Washington in 2022.
In claiming Garrett, the Mets add a bit more bullpen depth to a pitching staff that has had more than its share of injuries. Garrett would be a bit of a late bloomer at 30 years old, but his numbers in Triple-A and in Nippon Professional Baseball are intriguing enough that the Mets might think the righty has some untapped potential.
Reds Designate Silvino Bracho, Select Randy Wynne
The Reds announced a trio of roster moves, including the selection of Randy Wynne‘s contract from Triple-A Louisville. Cincinnati also called up righty Levi Stoudt from Triple-A, and Stoudt will get the start today against the Braves. To create roster space, the Reds designated right-hander Silvino Bracho for assignment.
Wynne will be making his Major League debut with his first appearance, and that personal milestone could come as early as today in relief of Stoudt. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith notes that Stoudt is just recently back from a ribcage injury and isn’t fully built up for a proper starter’s workload, so Stoudt might not last long no matter how he fares against the Atlanta lineup. Wynne has been a swingman for much of his pro career, and the Reds could employ something of a piggyback system between Stoudt and Wynne today.
Wynne is an undrafted right-hander who pitched in independent baseball for parts of the 2016-19 seasons before finally catching on with the Reds in 2019. He continued with the organization after the canceled 2020 minor league season, pitching at Double-A in 2021 and then at Triple-A in each of the last two years. Wynne doesn’t record many strikeouts or grounders, as he relies on soft contact and an impressive walk rate to keep batters in check. Over 164 1/3 innings at Triple-A, the 30-year-old Wynne has a 4.82 ERA over 164 1/3 innings, starting 29 of 38 games.
Stoudt and Wynne could each get some looks in the rotation as the Reds try to navigate multiple pitching injuries. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Ben Lively are all sidelined, and while Graham Ashcraft was activated from the 15-day IL yesterday, the good news of his return was tempered by Lively heading to the injured list with pectoral soreness. Lively had been slated to start today’s game, which is why Cincinnati is turning to their latest backup plan of Stoudt.
This is the second time the Reds have DFA’ed Bracho this season, as he was previously designated and then outrighted off the roster back in May. Bracho’s contract was selected again just a few days ago, and over his two stints in Cincinnati has posted a 3.68 ERA in 7 1/3 relief innings, with an equal number (six) of strikeouts and walks. Bracho already passed on the opportunity to elect minor league free agency the last time he was outrighted off the Reds’ 40-man roster, but assuming he clears DFA waivers again, he still has the right to reject another outright assignment and test the open market.
Bracho has appeared in parts of seven MLB seasons, debuting with the Diamondbacks in 2015. After four up-and-down seasons, he underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for basically all of the 2019-20 seasons, save for one inning in one game with Arizona in 2020. Bracho then caught on with the Giants, Red Sox, and Braves before landing in Cincinnati on a minor league contract this past winter, though the right-hander’s only other Major League experience in 2021-22 was 4 1/3 innings with Atlanta last season.
AL Central Notes: Anderson, Buxton, E-Rod, Manning
Over the first 824 games of his Major League career, Tim Anderson had almost exclusively as a shortstop, with a couple of DH days thrown into the mix. However, Anderson has now made two consecutive starts at second base, as a way of getting the veteran into the White Sox lineup despite some lingering soreness in his right throwing shoulder. Sox manager Pedro Grifol told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and other reporters that “all intentions are for [Anderson] to go back to shortstop” eventually, and that the club was monitoring Anderson’s shoulder on a day-to-day basis.
Considering Chicago’s 33-45 record, it can’t be ignored that Anderson’s temporary move to the keystone could also serve as a showcase for any interested trade partners. As per most public defensive metrics, Anderson has had subpar glovework as a shortstop over the last two seasons, and a move to second base might eventually be required as Anderson (who turned 30 years old two days ago) gets deeper into his career. A team doubtful of Anderson’s shortstop defense could be more keen on using him as a second baseman, or an ability to shuttle between both positions might also boost the former All-Star’ trade value given how clubs prize versatile players. That said, offense is a bigger concern than defense for Anderson at this point, since he has struggled to a .241/.279/.282 slash line over 229 plate appearances while missing about three weeks on the injured list with a left knee sprain. 2023 is the final guaranteed year of Anderson’s contract, as the White Sox hold a $14MM club option on his services for 2024.
More from around the AL Central….
- Byron Buxton left yesterday’s game due to back spasms, which arose while he was trying to beat out a grounder to first base. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other reporters that Buxton has been bothered by the back problem for much of the season, and that he is day-to-day pending further evaluation though Buxton seemed “to already be feeling a little bit better” following the game. Buxton has been used exclusively as a DH this season, with the nagging back issues adding to the surgically-repaired right knee that is still causing Buxton issues, and keeping him out of his usual center field position.
- Eduardo Rodriguez threw 50 pitches during a live bullpen session on Saturday, and afterwards told reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) that “everything was perfect — feeling-wise, body-wise, shoulder-wise, finger-wise.” Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day IL just over a month ago with a pulley rupture in his left index finger, and the unusual nature of the injury made it somewhat difficult to establish a true timeline for his return. However, McCosky notes that it certainly looks like Rodriguez might be on pace to return to the Tigers rotation prior to the All-Star break, though manager A.J. Hinch said the left-hander will have to make at least one rehab start before being activated from the IL. Rodriguez has an outstanding 2.13 ERA over 67 2/3 innings for Detroit this season, making him both an important piece for a Tigers team still in the AL Central race, or potentially as a deadline trade chip if the Tigers pivot into seller mode.
- In other Tigers news, Matt Manning is expected to be activated from the 60-day IL during Detroit’s upcoming series against the Rangers. Hinch told reporters (including The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen) that the club hasn’t yet decided if Manning will be activated to start on Tuesday or Thursday, as the Tigers are also factoring in whether or not to give Reese Olson an extra day of rest. Manning has been sidelined since his second start of the season, when he suffered a right foot fracture after being hit by an Alejandro Kirk comebacker to the mound.
Twins Place Jose De Leon On 15-Day Injured List
The Twins placed right-hander Jose De Leon on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his right flexor muscle. Righty Josh Winder was called up from Triple-A to take De Leon’s spot on the active roster.
De Leon suffered the injury as he was preparing to enter yesterday’s game, a 3-2 Twins loss to the Tigers. The righty was on the mound and throwing warmup pitches when he suddenly grabbed his arm in obvious pain after tossing his final pitch. Speaking with MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other reporters afterwards, De Leon said his elbow had swollen and the sharp pain in his right arm felt like an “electric shock.”
There wasn’t any doubt that De Leon would be headed to the 15-day IL, though the full extent of the injury won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI. Flexor strains can vary greatly based on the severity — some pitchers are able to return to action within a few weeks’ time, while others face the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery. De Leon is unfortunately no stranger to such a procedure, as a TJ surgery cost him the entire 2018 season.
That 2018 surgery and some other injuries quite possibly changed the course of De Leon’s entire career, as he had been a top-100 prospect over the previous two seasons while pitching in the Dodgers and Rays farm systems. De Leon has since become a journeyman, pitching for six different organizations over the course of his career. He has tossed 65 1/3 innings over parts of six MLB seasons, and his 17 1/3 frames for the Twins in 2023 marks the second-highest inning total of his big league career.
Minnesota signed De Leon to a minor league deal over the offseason and selected his contract to the active roster in May. He has a 4.67 ERA with respectable strikeout (24.3%) and walk (7.1%) rates, and his 3.67 SIERA is a full run lower than his ERA, indicating that De Leon has been a bit unlucky with his bottom-line results. For now, however, the hope is that De Leon can get some good fortune and avoid another long-term injury setback.