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Orioles Outright Ruben Tejada

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The Orioles announced that infielder Ruben Tejada has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk. Tejada’s removal from the roster clears way for Ryan Flaherty, who has been reinstated from the disabled list, according to the team.

Injuries to Flaherty and J.J. Hardy created an opening for Tejada on Baltimore’s big league roster, but the longtime Mets infielder struggled at the plate through 41 games in an Orioles uniform. In 124 trips to the plate, Tejada batted just .230/.293/.283 with six doubles prior to being outrighted back to Triple-A. Those struggles are similar to the ones Tejada experienced in limited action with the Cardinals and Giants in 2016. His last reasonably productive season came with the 2015 Mets, when he hit .261/.338/.350 in 116 games (407 plate appearances).

The 31-year-old Flaherty has been on the disabled list since late May due to a shoulder strain. He carries a mere .216/.285/.356 batting line in 1261 career plate appearances, though he gives manager Buck Showalter plenty of versatility off the bench. Flaherty has more than 390 innings at each of shortstop, second base and third base under his belt in his career, and he’s also capable of handling corner outfield duties on occasion.

Players Clearing Revocable Waivers: Thursday

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As August wears on, more and more players are being put through revocable trade waivers. Here’s today’s list of names that have not only been placed on revocable waivers but have also gone unclaimed and are now free to be traded to any team…

  • White Sox starters Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields have all cleared revocable waivers, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. It’s almost impossible to see Shields moving anywhere, as the White Sox are still on the hook for $14.5MM of Shields’ contract through the end of the 2018 season. Shields has posted a 5.90 ERA in 68 2/3 innings this season. It’s at least feasible that Holland and/or Gonzalez could move, though. While neither would fetch a significant return, Holland has held lefties to a putrid .216/.279/.333 slash and could be viewed as a bullpen option at the least, if not as a simple innings eater for a club with a comfortable division lead. That latter label could also be applied to Gonzalez, who has a 4.67 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate in 113 1/3 innings this year. Gonzalez has turned in a 3.60 ERA over his past six starts, though peripheral metrics don’t support the uptick in ERA. Holland is on a one-year, $6MM deal, while Gonzalez is on a very similar one-year, $5.9MM pact.
  • Heyman also reports that a quartet of expensive Tigers veterans — Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Anibal Sanchez and Jordan Zimmermann — has cleared waivers as well. It’s not a surprise at all to see any of those four clear, given the sizable contracts to which each is signed. Each has struggled in 2017 (Zimmermann and Martinez in particular), and no one from that group is going anywhere. Martinez is owed $18MM next year, while Zimmermann is owed $74MM from 2018-20. Cabrera, who is hitting .255/.343/.408 in 2017, is owed a staggering $192MM from 2018-23. Sanchez, meanwhile, is a free agent after this season and is owed the remainder of a $16MM salary plus a $5MM buyout on his 2018 option. He has a 6.95 ERA on the season and a 6.19 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A earlier this summer.

You can see a full list of players that are known to have cleared revocable waivers here, and those seeking a refresher on the intricacies of the waiver process can check out MLBTR’s August trade primer.

Red Sox Designate Noe Ramirez For Assignment

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The Red Sox announced on Thursday that they’ve designated right-handed reliever Noe Ramirez for assignment. Ramirez’s roster spot will go to lefty Roenis Elias, who has been activated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Ramirez, 27, totaled 4 2/3 innings in two appearances with Boston this season and has posted a combined 4.99 ERA in 30 2/3 frames across the past three seasons with the Red Sox. In that time, he’s averaged 9.4 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and 2.64 HR/9 with a 36.4 percent ground-ball rate. Ramirez has a history of missing bats and posting solid ERA marks in Triple-A (9.9 K/9, 2.60 ERA in 135 innings there), but he’s averaged just under 90 mph on his fastball as a big leaguer. He does have one option year remaining, so a club in need of ’pen help could take a shot on his minor league track record and keep him beyond the current season without needing to risk waiver placement.

Rubby De La Rosa To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Diamondbacks right-hander Rubby De La Rosa will require Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, manager Torey Lovullo announced today. This will mark the second Tommy John procedure of De La Rosa’s career, as he had the same surgery back in 2011.

It’s obviously discouraging news for the 28-year-old De La Rosa, who battled elbow issues in 2016 and underwent stem cell therapy last September in an effort to avoid a second Tommy John procedure. Those elbow concerns led the D-backs to non-tender De La Rosa last winter, but he re-upped with the Snakes on a minor league deal shortly thereafter.

De La Rosa missed some time earlier this season, but he ultimately worked his way back to the Majors after tossing 24 1/3 strong innings of work in the minors as he ramped up. He’d appear in just nine games this season, though, totaling 7 2/3 innings with a 4.70 ERA before again landing on the disabled list. He’ll now be sidelined for the remainder of the 2017 season and could conceivably miss all of the 2018 campaign given the timing of the operation and the fact that this is his second time going through the procedure.

Twins Activate Glen Perkins

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After spending more than 16 months on the shelf thanks to a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery to reattach the labrum to the bone, left-hander Glen Perkins has been activated from the 60-day disabled list, the Twins announced. To make room on the roster, Minnesota put fellow lefty Dietrich Enns on the 10-day DL due to a shoulder strain. The Twins also announced that righty Aaron Slegers will make his Major League debut tonight as the 26th man in today’s doubleheader.

Perkins’ strong run as a setup-man-turned-closer seems longer ago than it actually was; the 34-year-old was an All-Star in each of the 2013-15 seasons, and he posted a 2.84 ERA with 9.8 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 313 1/3 innings from 2011-15. The aforementioned shoulder injury, however, has limited Perkins to just two MLB innings since the conclusion of the 2015 season.

Perkins has spent the season rehabbing his shoulder and recently wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment in which he allowed five runs on six hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. At his best, Perkins averaged 94.9 mph with his fastball, though Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote yesterday that he sat 88-91 mph in his recent rehab outings and topped out at 93 mph.

It remains to be seen just how much Perkins can contribute down the stretch, though his return could be a boon for a Twins relief corps that has struggled for much of the season. It’s unlikely that he’ll step back into the ninth-inning spotlight early on, but he could still help a  Twins club that has been lacking a quality second left-hander behind sophomore setup man Taylor Rogers. Minnesota hoped veteran Craig Breslow could fill that role, but he was released earlier this summer. Fellow southpaw Buddy Boshers has had similar issues to Breslow; he’s dominated left-handed opponents but been clobbered by right-handed bats (.292/.375/.557).

As for Slegers, the 24-year-old make a spot start on the heels of a terrific season in Triple-A Rochester. The towering 6’10” right-hander has racked up 130 1/3 innings in Rochester, averaging 6.7 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and 0.48 HR/9 with a 47.1 percent ground-ball rate en route to a 3.18 ERA. A fifth-round pick in 2013, Slegers is not ranked among Minnesota’s top 30 prospects over at MLB.com, but he’s now turned in very solid results over the past two seasons (3.41 ERA in 145 1/3 Double-A innings in 2016). Along with Perkins, he’ll fill one of two vacancies on Minnesota’s 40-man roster.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/17/17

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Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Brewers announced last night that right-hander Michael Blazek has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Milwaukee designated the 28-year-old for assignment on Sunday, though he hasn’t been with the big league club since allowing six home runs in an eight-run shellacking at the hands of the Nationals back on July 27. Blazek was a quality member of the Brewers’ bullpen in 2015 but has struggled to a 6.12 ERA and averaged 2.34 HR/9 in 50 Major League innings since that time. On a more positive note, the righty has managed a 3.73 ERA with 7.0 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.62 HR/9 and a 48.7 percent ground-ball rate through 72 1/3 innings while pitching in an extremely hitter-friendly environment (Colorado Springs, Pacific Coast League) in Triple-A this year.

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Goodwin, Montero, Weaver

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IMPACT ROSTER MOVES

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

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MINOR TRANSACTIONS

NL Notes: Stanton, Spangenberg, Hernandez, Reds

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The Marlins are “willing to engage” other clubs in trade talks regarding Giancarlo Stanton, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. That much has already been clear — Yahoo’s Jeff Passan indicated yesterday that four clubs had already had some level of dialogue with the Marlins regarding Stanton, who has cleared revocable waivers — but Morosi adds that there have yet to be any serious negotiations regarding the current MLB home run leader. Stanton is the hottest hitter on the planet right now, but he’s also owed a staggering $298.64MM through the end of the 2027 campaign. And while he can technically opt out after the 2020 season, doing so would mean forfeiting the remaining seven years and $218MM on his deal as he heads into his age-31 campaign. Stanton also has a full no-trade clause, which only adds a further layer of complexity.

A few more notes from the National League…

  • After an injury-ruined 2016 season, Padres third baseman Cory Spangenberg has begun to force his way into the team’s plans, writes MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Spangenberg tore his right hamstring on two different occasions last year and was limited to 14 games, and he opened the 2017 campaign in Triple-A El Paso. The former first-round pick finally received regular playing time in the Majors this summer, and he’s run with the opportunity while thoroughly impressing manager Andy Green, Cassavell writes. “He was angry about being in the Minor Leagues, thought he belonged in the big leagues and handled it right,” Green added. “He’s gone out and proved it. He’s earned his spot.” Spangenberg entered play Wednesday hitting .280/.333/.442 on the season and .336/.413/.617 in the second half. The strong play of Spangenberg and second baseman Carlos Asuaje has pushed Yangervis Solarte to shortstop in recent weeks.
  • Right-hander David Hernandez tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the Diamondbacks organization feels like home, and just a couple of weeks into his second stint with the team, it “kind of feels like [he] never left.” Hernandez discussed his struggles in recent seasons with Piecoro and also credits the addition of a slider to his fastball/curveball repertoire as a key factor in his resurgence. Hernandez acknowledges that he was wary of using the new pitch in Spring Training with the Giants, as he was trying to earn a roster spot and was reluctant to use a pitch that he had only recently adopted. He began mixing it in with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, though, and the results have been terrific. All three of Hernandez’s offerings carry positive pitch values (per Fangraphs), and he’s posted a 2.01 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 through 40 1/3 innings this year.
  • The Reds may have more question marks in their pitching staff heading into the final six weeks of the season than they did entering the year, writes Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The cavalcade of injuries that has beset the team’s rotation has deprived the Reds of looks at a number of young arms and also created uncertainty around preseason rotation locks such as Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan. A six-man rotation could be on the horizon, Buchanan notes, and Robert Stephenson is already set to rejoin the rotation this weekend. Manager Bryan Price also indicated that right-hander Sal Romano will continue starting, per Buchanan. The skipper also indicated that righty reliever Austin Brice could be done for the year due to a lat injury.

Astros Acquire Tyler Clippard

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AUG. 16: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Astros sent $1MM to the White Sox in the trade, which covers the bulk of Clippard’s remaining contract. (Clippard was owed a total of roughly $1.14MM at the time of the trade.)

AUG. 13: The Astros have acquired reliever Tyler Clippard from the White Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to announcements from both teams.

Tyler Clippard[Updated Astros & White Sox Depth Charts]

This is the second trade of the season involving the 32-year-old Clippard, who went from the Yankees to the White Sox last month in a deal that saw major leaguers David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier head to New York. Clippard struggled to prevent runs this year as a Yankee, with whom he pitched to a 4.95 ERA over 36 1/3 innings, in part because of a bloated walk rate (4.77 per nine). Clippard did post a 10.44 K/9 with the Yankees, though, and allowed just two earned runs in 10 frames with the White Sox. The right-hander also added 12 strikeouts against five walks during that span.

The Astros have been quiet this summer in terms of trades, with longtime starter and now-reliever Francisco Liriano serving as their most prominent in-season acquisition. And while the Astros possess the best record in the American League, 72-45, and a bullpen that ranks fifth in the majors in fWAR (4.9), their relief corps has scuffled of late. Over the past 30 days, Houston’s bullpen has logged the league’s sixth-worst ERA (4.96).

Considering he has been successful with multiple teams as both a setup man and a closer since debuting in 2007, Clippard may help the Astros overcome their recent issues. However, as someone who generates a lot of fly balls (his 52.1 percent FB rate ranks fourth worst among relievers), Clippard might not be a great fit for home run-friendly Minute Maid Park. Nevertheless, he’ll slot into a bullpen that currently features a few other proven options – Ken Giles, Chris Devenski and Luke Gregerson – and has seen youngster Joe Musgrove dominate. The team could also be close to welcoming back Will Harris, who has been on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation since July 28.

For the White Sox, parting with Clippard likely wasn’t an especially difficult decision. The rebuilding club has been selling off veterans dating back to last winter, after all, and Clippard’s an impending free agent whom Chicago acquired in large part to help balance out money in its trade with the Yankees. Clippard is on a $4.25MM salary and is due roughly $1.14MM of that through season’s end.

Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network first reported that the Astros were trying to acquire Clippard (Twitter link). Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted that a trade was close. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted that Clippard was indeed on his way to the Astros. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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