Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Phillies Rumors

Phillies Place Aaron Nola On IL With Ankle Sprain

By | at

The Phillies announced that they have placed right-hander Aaron Nola on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 15th, due to a sprained right ankle. Right-hander Daniel Robert has been recalled to take his roster spot. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com was among those to report that prospect Mick Abel will be promoted to make his major league debut but only to make a spot start on Sunday. After that, he will be optioned to Triple-A and Taijuan Walker will take Nola’s rotation spot. In other Philly news, manager Rob Thomson relayed that prospect Moisés Chace will undergo Tommy John surgery. Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer was among those to pass that along.

Per March, Nola injured his ankle prior to his recent start in Cleveland. He went on to allow four earned runs in five innings in that game. His next start was even worse, as Nola allowed nine earned runs over 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Perhaps the ankle injury provides an explanation for those outings but Nola was also struggling before that, with a 4.61 earned run average over his first seven starts this year. Though for what it’s worth, he was building a bit of momentum. On April 27th, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball against the Cubs, then six scoreless against the Diamondbacks on May 3rd.

Whether it’s due to the ankle or not, Nola now has a 6.16 ERA on the year. His 23.6% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate and 44.6% ground ball rate are all decent numbers, but 11 home runs have pushed more runs across the plate. SIERA, which expects home run rate to normalize, has Nola at 3.66 this year. However, home runs have always been a part of Nola’s game, so that might not be the best metric in this specific instance. The Phillies haven’t provided an estimate for how long they expect Nola to be out but it seems he will miss at least a few turns.

Nola’s injury will allow Walker to return to the rotation. He started his season with six great starts, posting a 2.54 ERA in those. But when Ranger Suárez was ready to come off the IL, someone had to go. Walker got bumped to the bullpen as the Phils ran with a rotation of Suárez, Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and Cristopher Sánchez. Walker made two relief appearances, each three innings long. The first was scoreless but he allowed three earned runs in the second one, which came in relief of Nola on Wednesday.

He’ll retake a rotation spot next week, but Abel will get to make his major league debut in the interim. A former first-round pick, Abel’s prospect stock has dropped a bit due to some inconsistent control. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 375 minor league innings and struck out 26.9% of batters faced but he also gave out walks at a 13.3% clip, leading to a 4.75 ERA.

Despite the rough edges, the Phils added him to their 40-man roster in November, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. The early results are encouraging this year. He has a 2.53 ERA through eight Triple-A starts, with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 49.2% ground ball rate. His 9.9% walk rate is still a bit higher than par but an improvement for him. He’ll get a chance to make a brief debut this weekend.

As for Chace, it’s obviously an unfortunate blow for him. Acquired from the Orioles in last summer’s Gregory Soto trade, Chace is one of the club’s top pitching prospects and a fringe top 100 guy. He wasn’t on every list but FanGraphs had him at #74 coming into the year, ESPN at #90 and Baseball Prospectus put him in their #101 slot.

Like Abel, Chace was given a 40-man spot in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He started this year at Double-A and could have worked his way to Triple-A or even the majors during the 2025 season. That will now be on pause for a long time, as he should be rehabbing until the summer of 2026. The Phils could recall him and place him on the major league 60-day injured list at some point if they so choose. Doing so would open a 40-man spot but would also require Chace to start earning big league pay and service time.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Phillies Sign Seth Beer To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Phillies signed first baseman Seth Beer and assigned him to Double-A Reading earlier this week. The deal was announced by the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, with which the former first-round pick had spent the past month.

Beer, 28, signed with the Ducks during the second week of April. He appeared in 14 games, hitting .239/.426/.565 with four homers and three doubles. He worked 12 walks but struck out 16 times in 61 plate appearances. Beer’s combination of plate discipline and power impressed the Phillies enough to get him another opportunity in affiliated ball.

A Clemson product, Beer was the 28th overall pick by the Astros in the 2018 draft. Houston traded him to the D-Backs as part of the Zack Greinke blockbuster. Beer appeared in 43 games for the Snakes between 2021-22, hitting .208/.294/.292 over 43 games. He spent last season in the Pittsburgh farm system. The lefty hitter divided his time between the top two minor league levels, putting up a .277/.354/.431 slash over a combined 99 games. While he has yet to get much of a look in the majors, Beer brings a career .278/.376/.475 minor league batting line to the Philadelphia organization.

Phillies Moving Taijuan Walker To Bullpen

By | at

After activating southpaw Ranger Suarez from the 15-day injured list earlier today, the Phillies are making a change to their rotation mix to get back down to five starters. As manager Rob Thomson told reporters, including Lochlan March of the Philly Inquirer, that means a move to the bullpen for right-hander Taijuan Walker. Thomson did not rule out the possibility of a six-man rotation in the future, but with an day off on Monday the Phillies are planning to use five starters for at least the next couple of weeks.

Walker’s been in the rotation since Opening Day and has pitched quite well in his six starts this year. The 32-year-old has an impressive 2.54 ERA (125 ERA+) in 28 1/3 innings of work, although his peripherals are not quite as impressive. A 17.6% strikeout rate is well below par, and Walker’s 10.4% walk rate is much too high for a pitcher who’s missing bats at a below-average clip. He’s done well to mostly keep the barrel of the ball and induce soft contact so far, but peripherals like his 4.01 FIP and 4.71 SIERA suggest that he’s more of a number five type starter than the mid-rotation results he’s posting so far.

Of course, even being a serviceable back-of-the-rotation piece is a massive improvement over Walker’s performance last year. 2024 was the right-hander’s second season in Philadelphia, and it could have hardly gone worse as he pitched to a brutal 7.10 ERA with a 6.94 FIP in 83 2/3 innings of work spread between 15 starts and four relief outings. Following a season where Walker had more appearances where he allowed at least four runs (seven) than where he allowed two runs or less (six), the right-hander’s position within the Phillies organization was unstable enough that the club opted to trade for Jesus Luzardo and sign Joe Ross in a bid to make Walker less necessary. That left some to suggest he was in danger of being cut ahead of Opening Day entering camp, but the injury to Suarez paved the way for Walker to not only remain on the roster but in the club’s rotation.

Though he’s headed back to the bullpen at this point, Walker’s solid work over the season’s first month was more than enough to solidify his roster spot, and at this point the question regarding Walker is no longer whether he can avoid a disastrous repeat of 2024, but rather if he can continue pitching well enough to force Philadelphia brass into considering a six-man staff at some point this year. Of course, the Phillies wouldn’t necessarily need to consider a six-man rotation in order for Walker to make his way back into the mix, as he’s presumably the next man up to make starts until the Phillies decide to promote Andrew Painter.

The Phillies have generally enjoyed good health in their rotation mix in recent years, but injuries are always a risk when it comes to starting pitchers. There’s no better proof of this concept than veteran right-hander Aaron Nola, who has been one of the most durable and reliable innings-eating arms in the sport for nearly a decade at this point. As noted by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, however, Nola was experiencing a neck issue prior to today’s game. That led the Phillies to activate Suarez from the injured list today rather than the day of his planned start tomorrow in case they needed a starter to help cover for Nola. Fortunately, Nola wasn’t stopped from pitching by the neck problem and went on to pitch six shutout innings while striking out eight in the club’s 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks this evening. Even so, the last-minute injury scare serves as a reminder that an opening could open in the Philadelphia rotation at any given moment, and it would be a surprise to see Walker passed over for any spot start opportunities as long as he remains effective in his move back to the bullpen.

Poll: Should The Phillies Try A Six-Man Rotation?

By | at

As has been the case for each of the past several seasons, the Phillies’ rotation remains the team’s greatest strength. Their starters rank fifth in MLB in ERA and first in strikeouts, K-BB%, and SIERA. They trail only the Mets in FanGraphs WAR. Philadelphia’s continued success in this area has plenty to do with the talent the team has acquired and developed, but health has been another critical factor. In an age when arm injuries are a greater concern than ever, the Phillies have done an excellent job of keeping their pitchers on the field, and they have reaped the rewards. As Matt Gelb of The Athletic pointed out this morning, the Phillies were the only team in Major League Baseball not to make any major league pitching transactions during the first month of the season; the 13 pitchers on their active roster right now are the same 13 they started with on Opening Day.

Philadelphia’s pitching staff will grow healthier still on Sunday when left-hander Ranger Suárez is reinstated from the injured list. He has been out since the spring with back tightness. There is no doubt the Phillies will be pleased to have Suárez back on the bump. An All-Star for the time last summer, he has pitched to a 3.27 ERA and a 3.92 SIERA in 537 innings since the start of the 2021 season. He has been particularly dominant in October, with a 1.43 ERA in 10 postseason appearances (eight starts). No active pitcher has thrown more postseason innings (37 2/3) with a lower ERA. Nevertheless, Suárez’s return raises a difficult question for the Phillies that few other teams are lucky enough to have to answer: What are they going to do with all of their starting pitchers?

The Phillies are one of just five teams to have used only five starting pitchers so far this season. Zack Wheeler has continued to shine in his age-35 campaign, posting a 3.48 ERA and a 2.52 SIERA with 57 strikeouts across an MLB-leading 44 innings of work. Meanwhile, offseason trade acquisition Jesús Luzardo has looked unexpectedly ace-like himself, with a 1.73 ERA and a 3.12 SIERA through his first six starts with his new club. Cristopher Sánchez put an injury scare last week behind him, and his 3.54 ERA and 3.00 SIERA suggest he’s picking up right where he left off in his All-Star 2024 season. Aaron Nola has struggled at times, pitching to a 5.40 ERA, but his underlying numbers (3.63 SIERA, 3.58 xFIP) are stronger, and he has given the Phillies at least five innings in all six of his starts. Finally, Taijuan Walker has been a pleasant surprise as the no. 5. After an ugly 2024 (7.10 ERA, 5.25 SIERA), Walker has been much more effective so far this year. His 2.78 ERA might not be sustainable, but his 4.41 SIERA paints the picture of a capable back-end starter. That’s the kind of pitcher the Phillies hoped they were signing when they gave him a four-year, $72MM contract in December 2022.

It’s not up for debate who Suárez would replace if the Phillies decide to stick with a traditional five-man rotation. Walker might have a sub-three ERA right now, but he’s not the same caliber of pitcher as any of Wheeler, Luzardo, Sánchez, or Nola. If his dismal performance last season wasn’t enough to prove that, his 20% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate in 2025, both the worst rates among Phillies starters, should do it. The question, however, is whether the Phillies would consider keeping all six arms in circulation once Suárez returns.

Asked exactly that on Tuesday, manager Rob Thomson offered a cagey response. “Possibly,” he told reporters, including Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We’re kind of walking through that a little bit right now.” In contrast, Gelb wrote this morning that the Phillies are “highly unlikely” to use a six-man rotation. That said, even Gelb didn’t shut down the idea entirely, and he acknowledged that sticking with a five-man rotation would “prompt a tough decision” for the Phillies to make.

The crux of the issue is that the Phillies need Walker – they just don’t need him right now. As long as Wheeler, Nola, Luzardo, Sánchez, and Suárez are healthy, Walker is all but irrelevant on this team. Yet, rotation depth is essential to get through a 162-game season, even for a team with a strong track record of keeping pitchers healthy. Walker proved how valuable he can be when he stepped in for Suárez during the first month of the season. The Phillies surely want to have him as an option again should any of their top five starters suffer an injury.

However, if the Phillies don’t keep Walker in the rotation, they’ll have to move him to the bullpen. They don’t have the option to send him down to Triple-A, where he could stay stretched out and ready for his next big league opportunity. It’s not that the Phillies don’t have room for Walker in their bullpen; he would almost surely be an upgrade over Carlos Hernández. The eighth man in Philadelphia’s arm barn has given up eight runs in 11 innings, striking out eight and walking seven. His 10.01 Statcast xERA is among the worst in the sport. The concern is that Walker wouldn’t be as effective yo-yoing between the bullpen and rotation as he is right now after having had a full spring training to prepare as a starter. A six-man rotation would allow the Phillies to keep Walker stretched out and pitching on a consistent schedule.

A six-man rotation would also give the rest of Philadelphia’s starters some additional rest, which could prove critical in helping them all stay at full strength down the stretch and (potentially) into October. This isn’t an option for most teams because it’s hard enough to find five MLB-caliber starters, let alone six. It would make sense for the Phillies to take advantage of this unusual opportunity for as long as they have a surplus of healthy arms.

Of course, a six-man rotation has its downsides, too. For one, it would lead to fewer starts for the Phillies’ best pitchers. In other words, it would diminish what has been the team’s greatest strength so far this season. What’s more, the Phillies have two off days coming up in the next two weeks (May 5 and 15). With a six-man rotation, there would be times when their starters were waiting a full week between outings. It’s fair to wonder if that’s too much time off. Rest is good. Rust is not. It is also important to think of the ramifications a six-man rotation would have on the bullpen. Philadelphia’s bullpen has struggled enough this season as it is, producing a 5.03 ERA and eight blown saves. Those numbers might be even worse if they’d had to split the 98 1/3 innings they’ve pitched so far between seven arms instead of eight. The team could ameliorate this problem somewhat by cycling through the optionable arms at the bottom of the 40-man roster or taking full advantage of the waiver wire, but that’s hardly the smartest bullpen strategy long-term.

Lastly, the Phillies need to consider the Andrew Painter of it all. The top prospect in the organization and one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, the 22-year-old righty is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. His goal is to make his MLB debut at some point this summer. If everyone else is healthy when Painter gets the call, that could be the ideal time for the Phillies to switch to a six-man rotation. They could push their starters a little harder now with the understanding that some respite would be coming later in the season.

Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber, “We’re okay with not chasing a win today to win a bunch of games down the road.” While he wasn’t directly addressing the idea of a six-man rotation when he spoke those words, he nonetheless did a good job laying out the argument for such a strategy. One or two fewer starts from arms like Wheeler, Sánchez, Luzardo, Nola, and Suárez early in the season could mean more starts (and better starts) from all of them when it matters more. Moreover, keeping Walker in the rotation now could help prevent depth issues down the line. With that said, the argument against a six-man rotation is robust, and the most recent reporting suggests it’s still unlikely.

So, what do MLBTR readers think? Would the Phillies be smart to try out a six-man rotation, even just temporarily? Or would they be better off sticking with a traditional five-man set-up and moving Walker to the bullpen? Have your say in today’s poll:

 

Photos courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.

Rangers Trade Daniel Robert To Phillies

By | at

The Rangers have traded right-hander Daniel Robert, whom they’d recently designated for assignment, to the Phillies in exchange for minor league right-hander Enrique Segura, per announcements from both clubs. The Phillies optioned Robert to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Robert, 30, made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2024 and pitched quite well in a small sample. He tossed 5 2/3 innings, holding opponents to two runs (3.18 ERA) on six hits and a pair of walks. He averaged just under 95 mph on his four-seamer, dodged hard contact of nearly any sort, and fanned six of his 26 opponents (23.1%).

It’s a tiny sample, of course, but Robert has also pitched well in the upper minors. It took several passes through Triple-A — he struggled there in 2022 and logged pedestrian numbers in 2023 before thriving in 2024 — but the recent results are impressive. Last year, Robert tossed 43 1/3 innings and notched a tidy 2.70 ERA. He punched out a weighty 31% of his opponents against a lower-than-average 7.7% walk rate. He’s picked up right where he left off so far in 2025, firing 11 2/3 frames with a 1.54 ERA, 34% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate.

Overall, Robert has a 2.45 ERA, 31.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 43.3% ground-ball rate in his past 55 Triple-A innings. That comes on top of his solid MLB debut in ’24. He’s averaged better than 95 mph during during that pair of Triple-A seasons and recorded a swinging-strike rate of nearly 14%. It’s been a nice run for the former 21st-round pick — who’s in the second of three minor league option years — making his DFA something of a surprise in the first place.

Given that recent run, it’s not a surprise that the Rangers were able to acquire a prospect in exchange for Robert — as opposed to the more common cash swaps we see involving players who’ve been designated for assignment. Segura entered the 2025 season ranked 21st among Phillies prospects, per FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen. He’s coming off a season in which he pitched well for six games with the Rangers’ Rookie-level club before moving up to Class-A at just 19 years old (about three years younger than the average player in that league).

Segura was hit hard in A-ball, as one might expect, but he’s been more effective there so far in 2025, his age-20 campaign. He posted a combined 5.76 earned run average in 75 minor league frames last year, all coming as a starter. This year, he’s tossed 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA, 25% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Those early rate stats represent modest gains over his 2024 levels (22 K%, 11.4 BB%).

Longenhagen highlights Segura’s projectable frame as reason to believe his stuff might play up as he continues to mature. That, paired with a smooth and repeatable delivery that is quite deceptive for right-handed opponents in particular, pushed him into the middle tiers of the Phillies’ prospect rankings at FanGraphs. Baseball America tabbed Segura 28th in Philadelphia’s system a couple years back, praising that same projectable build, his mechanics, and the potential for a plus slider.

Segura is a project, to be sure, but he’s a better prospect than most who are flipped in DFA trades, which seems reflective of the intriguing numbers Robert has posted over the past calendar year.

Phillies To Activate Ranger Suarez On Sunday

By | at

Ranger Suárez has made four rehab starts since beginning a minor league assignment three weeks ago. That includes 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Lehigh Valley over the weekend. After building to 78 pitches, he’ll make his return to the majors this weekend. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer) that Suárez will be activated to start against Arizona on Sunday.

That may push Philadelphia to a six-man rotation. Thomson acknowledged yesterday that the Phils were considering moving to a six-man staff rather than bumping anyone to the bullpen (link via Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia). Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez and Taijuan Walker have combined for every Phils start this season.

Walker was the one who would have been ticketed for the bullpen had Suárez been healthy. He’d be the candidate to move back to relief, but he has pitched fairly well through his first five starts. Walker owns a 2.78 ERA across 22 2/3 innings. His 20% strikeout rate and 10% walk percentage are each a little worse than average, but he has allowed two or fewer runs in all but one of his outings. Walker has found a little extra velocity relative to last season. He’s averaging 92 MPH on both his four-seam and sinker after sitting around 91 a year ago.

Luzardo, Wheeler and Sánchez have all been excellent. Nola has struggled while operating with diminished velocity, but his rotation spot clearly isn’t any jeopardy. The Phils have already confirmed that Suárez will return to the rotation, while Sánchez’s recent forearm soreness seemingly amounted to nothing. The question is essentially whether the Phils feel Walker will be more valuable in a long relief role or taking the ball every sixth day.

Walker will make at least one more start. He’s tabbed as the probable pitcher tomorrow against Brad Lord in their series finale against Washington. Wheeler and Sánchez have gone over the past two days. The Phils will run with Luzardo, Nola and Suárez against the D-Backs. They’re off on Monday before a stretch of nine game days.

While the rotation has been a strength, Philadelphia’s relief group has struggled. Their bullpen entered play Wednesday with a 5.25 ERA that was better only the Nationals’ 7.47 mark. No bullpen has blown more leads than Philadelphia’s eight. José Alvarado, Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks (to a lesser extent) are the only Phils relievers who have pitched well. Righties Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano, both of whom have worked in high-leverage spots, have each had particularly poor starts. Walker is unlikely to be an impact relief weapon, but he’d give Thomson another option in the middle to late innings if they move him back to the bullpen after tomorrow.

Looking Ahead To Club Options: NL East

By | at

MLBTR continues our division by division look at next year’s team/mutual option class with the NL East. Only three teams in the division have such options, though Atlanta’s group of decisions involve some of the more notable players in the class.

Previous installments: player options/opt-outs, NL West, AL West, NL Central, AL Central

Atlanta Braves

This is the final guaranteed season of the $35MM extension which Albies signed early in 2019. The deal was widely considered a massively team-friendly contract the day it happened, and that has proven to be the case. Albies has made a pair of All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger Awards, and twice found his name on MVP ballots over the course of the deal.

There’s no intrigue to this one. The Braves will exercise the option, which ends up being a $3MM investment after factoring in the $4MM buyout. There will be another $7MM club option (with no buyout) for 2027 that will probably be a similarly easy call. Albies’ offense has declined over the past two seasons, as he’s hitting just .246/.300/.398 in 553 plate appearances since the start of 2024. The $3MM difference between the option price and the buyout is low-end utility player money, though. Even if the Braves start to question whether Albies remains the answer at second base, there’d be surplus trade value.

Atlanta signed Arcia to a three-year, $7.3MM extension on the eve of the 2023 season. It looked like an odd move at the time, an unnecessary multi-year commitment for a likely utility infielder. Then Arcia broke out with an All-Star season while replacing Dansby Swanson as Atlanta’s everyday shortstop. The contract looked like a major coup for the front office.

Things have swung back in the opposite direction over the past year-plus. Arcia’s bat cratered last year, as he turned in a .218/.271/.354 line over 602 plate appearances. While the Braves stuck with him as their starting shortstop, he’s lost that role with a dismal start to the ’25 season. Arcia has hit .200 with eight strikeouts, one walk, and one extra-base hit (a double) through 31 trips. Nick Allen jumped him on the depth chart and has started the past five games. Arcia wouldn’t need to do much to convince the Braves to exercise an option that amounts to a $1MM decision, but he’s no longer a lock to even stick on the roster all season.

Johnson dominated over 24 appearances after being acquired from the Rockies at the 2023 deadline. The righty would have been one of the better setup men in the following free agent class, but the Braves signed him to a two-year extension with a $14.25MM guarantee to keep him off the market. He has made consecutive $7MM salaries and has a matching club option with a $250K buyout for next season.

It has worked out nicely. Johnson fired 56 1/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball with a strong 28.4% strikeout rate last year. He has punched out 10 while allowing four runs through 9 1/3 frames to begin this season. His whiffs are slightly down, while opponents are making more hard contact than they did a season ago. Those are worth monitoring, but Johnson’s overall body of work in Atlanta consists of a 2.89 earned run average with 109 strikeouts over 89 1/3 innings. As of now, a $6.75MM price point seems like solid value.

Sale’s first season in Atlanta was brilliant. He posted an MLB-best 2.38 ERA while leading the National League with 225 strikeouts. He won his first career Cy Young award after finishing in the top six on seven occasions earlier in his career. He reestablished himself as an ace following some injury-plagued years. The trade in which he was acquired from the Red Sox for struggling second baseman Vaughn Grissom has been a steal.

The left-hander’s uneven start to 2025 has contributed to the Braves’ mediocre April. Sale has allowed 5.40 earned runs per nine through his first six outings. They’ve gone 3-3 in those contests. It’s largely the product of an inflated .400 batting average on balls in play against him. Sale’s 27.3% strikeout rate is down nearly five percentage points relative to last season, but it remains a well above-average mark for a starting pitcher. He’s getting whiffs on 12.9% of his offerings. His slider has been as lethal as ever. Opponents have feasted on his fastball so far, but there’s no dramatic change in velocity or spin. While the poor start has probably tanked his chance of repeating as the Cy Young winner, the $18MM option still seems like an easy “yes” for the front office.

Miami Marlins

  • None

New York Mets

Over the weekend, Raley reportedly agreed to terms with the Mets on a one-year deal with a club option. The signing has not been finalized, nor has the money been reported. Raley is working back from last May’s Tommy John surgery.

The Mets also re-signed Smith on a one-year deal with an option after TJS — a July operation, in his case. He’s making $1MM for what will probably be a completely lost season. The Mets get an affordable $2MM option for next season that they’re likely to exercise so long as Smith doesn’t suffer a setback. If they do pick it up, he could earn another $750K based on his appearance total next season. Smith would make $50K apiece at 30, 35, and 40 appearances; $75K for 45 and 50 games; $100K at 55 and 60 appearances; and $125K each for 65 and 70 games. He owns a 3.48 ERA over parts of six seasons as a quality middle reliever for New York.

Philadelphia Phillies

Alvarado signed for two years and $18.55MM in new money on a deal covering the 2024-25 seasons. He has made $9MM salaries in each of the past two years and has a matching option with a $500K buyout. That’s a little below the market rate for high-leverage relievers, which Alvarado has proven himself to be.

Over parts of five seasons with the Phils, the lefty carries a 3.34 earned run average. Bouts of wildness have led to some inconsistency, but he’s shown the ability to miss bats at plus rates while throwing as hard as any left-hander in the sport. Alvarado’s 24.4% strikeout rate last season was oddly pedestrian, but he’s fanned nearly 30% of batters faced in his career.

He has been back at peak form to begin this season. He has punched out 18 of 56 hitters (32.1%) while allowing only three runs through 13 2/3 innings. Alvarado has collected five saves and a pair of holds without blowing a lead, and he’s operating with career-best control (3.6% walk rate). It’s tough to envision him continuing to throw this many strikes — he walked more than 10% of opponents in seven consecutive years leading up to this one — but he’s the Phils’ most trusted reliever right now. This is tending towards an easy pickup.

Shortly before Opening Day last year, Strahm preemptively signed a one-year extension covering the 2025 season. The lefty is making $7.5MM this year and has a club/vesting option for next season. It begins as a $4.5MM team option. The price would jump by $1MM apiece if he reaches 40, 50 and 60 innings pitched this year. If he hits 60 innings and passes a postseason physical, it vests at $7.5MM. It’s a straight vesting option, not one with an opt-out, so Strahm would return on a guaranteed deal if it triggers.

That’s a result with which the Phillies would probably be happy. Strahm turned in an excellent ’24 campaign, working to a 1.87 ERA while striking out a third of opposing hitters over 66 appearances. He has fanned 15 through his first 11 2/3 frames this year. Strahm has surrendered five runs, four earned, on 11 hits and four walks. His 91.8 MPH average four-seam fastball is down from last season’s 93.4 mark, which is a little alarming, but the results have been solid and he remains one of the more reliable setup options for skipper Rob Thomson.

Washington Nationals

  • None

Phillies, Diamondbacks Interested In Ryan Helsley

By | at

The calendar has not yet even flipped to May, leaving more than three months to go until MLB’s trade deadline on July 31. That hasn’t stopped some teams from assessing their needs and even beginning to look into potential targets for the summer, however, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Phillies and Diamondbacks both already have an eye on Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. There’s no indications that St. Louis is currently listening to offers on their closer, nor that either Philadelphia or Arizona has reached out to Cardinals brass at this point, though Nightengale goes on to suggest that Helsley is “likely” to be dealt prior to the deadline.

It’s easy to see why Helsley would be an attractive candidate for teams looking for a closer. The righty emerged as the Cardinals’ closer in 2022 and has been nothing short of dominant ever since, with a combined 1.83 ERA (225 ERA+), a 34.6% strikeout rate, and and 2.35 FIP to go with 83 saves over the past three years. Those numbers are nothing short of elite: Among all qualified relievers during that stretch, Helsley’s ERA is third (behind Emmanuel Clase and Devin Williams), his FIP is fourth (behind Williams, Matt Brash, and Edwin Diaz), his saves total ranks sixth, and his strikeout rate ranks eighth.

Those sensational numbers made Helsely a prime trade target for clubs in need of relief help over the winter, including Arizona and Toronto. The Cardinals seemingly rebuffed offers on their closer throughout the offseason, however, even as they opted not to discuss an extension with their closer as they shied away from making long-term commitments this winter. St. Louis’s 12-15 record puts them 4.5 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central and three games underwater. It’s still plenty early enough for virtually any team in the majors to go on a run and get themselves into the playoff conversation, but failing a surprise reversal in fortune a Cardinals front office that attempted to soft-launch a retooling over the offseason appears likely to sell rental pieces like Helsley this summer.

Should Helsley be dangled by the Cardinals later this year, they’ll surely find plenty of suitors. Toronto pivoted to sign Jeff Hoffman after they failed to land Helsley, and that decision is going swimmingly so far. The Diamondbacks did not find a closer over the offseason, however, so Nightengale’s report that they have continued interest in Helsley makes plenty of sense. That’s particularly true after A.J. Puk was shelved last week due to elbow inflammation that seems likely to keep him out of action for the foreseeable future, further denting a bullpen that relied primarily on Puk and Justin Martinez to close out games.

The Phillies, meanwhile, attempted to address the losses of Hoffman and Estevez in free agency by signing non-tendered Jays closer Jordan Romano. The 32-year-old had been one of the league’s top closing pitchers not long ago, with a 2.29 ERA and two All-Star appearances between 2020 and 2023. Things changed last year, however, as Romano battled elbow inflammation and pitched to an ugly 6.59 ERA in the 15 appearances he did make. That led the Jays to non-tender Romano, and the Phillies eventually snapped him up on an $8.5MM guarantee. That deal was signed with the idea that Romano would join lefties Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm in the late innings for the Phillies this year, but things haven’t gone to plan as he’s allowed a whopping 15 runs (14 earned) in just 9 1/3 innings of work over 11 appearances.

It’s hardly a shock that such an ugly performance has inspired the Phillies to begin surveying closing possibilities on the trade market. The club’s core is continuing to age and with players like Ranger Suarez, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto set to hit free agency this winter the team could look extremely different this time next year. If 2025 proves to be the Phillies’ last opportunity to win with their current core, it would make sense to be aggressive in supplementing it this summer even as they enter play today with a relatively pedestrian 14-13 record. Adding a solid back-end reliever like Helsley, as they did when they dealt for Estevez last year, could go a long way to helping Philadelphia gear up for a playoff run in what looks to be an extremely competitive National League this year.

As sensible as the addition of a player like Helsley may be, Nightengale is quick to note that the Phillies aren’t interested in trading their very best and most impactful prospects. Specifically Nightengale writes that both Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller won’t be included in any trade, and that’s hardly a surprise given that both are well-regarded pieces with high ceilings who are already in the upper levels of the minors. It would be a shock if either of them were traded this summer and it’s almost unfathomable that either could ever be considered in a deal for a rental relief arm, even one as electric as Helsley.

Dave Dombrowski Discusses Phillies’ Offseason Talks With Jeff Hoffman

By | at

Reports emerged back in December that the Phillies had interest in re-signing free agent reliever Jeff Hoffman, before Hoffman eventually landed with the Blue Jays on a three-year, $33MM contract in early January.  Phils president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other reporters this week that the club indeed had interest in a reunion with the All-Star, and “very aggressively” made an offer seemingly in range of Toronto’s offer early in the season.

“I can’t tell you that the number he ended up signing for was substantially different than the one that we ended up offering him,” Dombrowski said.  “But he wasn’t prepared to take that at that time. [Hoffman’s agents] just thought they were going to get much more.”

Hoffman technically did land more in two other offers — a three-year, $40MM agreement with the Orioles, and then a five-year deal with the Braves in the $45MM-48MM range that would’ve brought the righty more in overall value, if not average annual value.  However, Baltimore and Atlanta both walked away from those deals due to misgivings over Hoffman’s medicals.  The Braves’ issue wasn’t made public, but the Orioles had a concern over Hoffman’s right shoulder.  Notably, the O’s weren’t troubled enough to abandon their pursuit of Hoffman entirely, and made a new offer after taking their $40MM offer off the table.

The Athletic’s Matt Gelb paints a different picture of Philadelphia’s talks with Hoffman, as sources tell Gelb that the Phillies told agents that they were looking for relievers who would sign for one-year contracts.  This would naturally run entirely counter to Dombrowski’s claim of an offer in the three-year, $33MM range, and Gelb isn’t sure if the Phillies presented Hoffman with a formal offer whatsoever.  While the team did keep checking in Hoffman in the first month of the offseason, Gelb and Lauber writes that the Phillies stopped pursuing Hoffman once Jordan Romano signed in early December.

Romano, indeed, signed a one-year deal, worth $8.5MM.  It was essentially an unofficial swap of relievers between the Phillies and Jays, though while Hoffman had a strong 2024 season, Romano threw only 9 1/3 innings due to elbow problems that required an arthroscopic surgery.  The Blue Jays chose to non-tender Romano in the wake of this lost year, moving on from their former closer rather than pay him a projected $7.75MM in arbitration.

Dombrowski indicated at the end of last season and again this week that Philadelphia would only be re-signing one at most of Hoffman and Carlos Estevez, and the team ended up going with Romano over either of the free agent duo.  Unsurprisingly, Dombrowski framed the decision as a baseball move, rather than anything related to salaries or contractual demands.

“We just moved off [Hoffman] and did Romano because we thought [Orion] Kerkering was ready to step up and, I don’t want to say take on more because his role has been important, but pitch more at the back and high leverage,” Dombrowski said.

While we’re only a month into the 2025 season, the early returns on the Phillies’ decision haven’t been promising.  Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league in bullpen ERA, even despite superb numbers posted by closer Jose Alvarado and set-up man Matt Strahm.  Alvarado has quickly assumed closer duties since Romano has struggled to a 13.50 ERA in his first 9 1/3 innings as a Phillie, and Kerkering also has a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 frames of work this year.  Since we’re still dealing with small sample sizes here, it is worth noting that most of Kerkering’s damage took place in two rough outings this past week, though Romano has already allowed multiple runs over four of his outings.

Hoffman, meanwhile, has excelled in the first full-time closing assignment of his 10 MLB seasons.  The right-hander is a perfect 6-for-6 in save changes and has a 1.35 ERA over 13 1/3 innings for Toronto, with an eye-opening 39.6% strikeout rate and 2.1% walk rate.  Even with the caveats of a 92.1% strand rate and a .259 BABIP, Hoffman’s 1.16 SIERA is even lower than his already incredible ERA, further enhancing just how dominant Hoffman has been this year.

Should he keep pitching at anywhere near this level, Hoffman’s performance could lead to some second-guessing in Baltimore, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.  Turning to the Phillies in particular, Lauber feels the team will again find itself having to acquire some significant bullpen help before the trade deadline, perhaps with a particular aim of improving the relief corps’ strikeout numbers.

Twins Acquire Kody Clemens From Phillies

By | at

TODAY: The trade has been officially announced, with the Phillies receiving cash considerations in exchange for Clemens.

APRIL 25: The Phillies are trading infielder Kody Clemens to the Twins, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Philadelphia had designated him for assignment earlier in the week. Minnesota adds infield depth within an hour of losing rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall to a broken arm.

It’s the second DFA infield pickup for the Twins in as many weeks. They made a similar move to bring in corner bat Jonah Bride from Miami. Clemens, a left-handed hitter, has 402 MLB plate appearances under his belt. He owns a .197/.244/.367 slash over parts of four seasons. The Texas product has been far more productive in Triple-A. Clemens has hit .259/.331/.507 in nearly 1300 plate appearances at the top minor league level.

Clemens spent two-plus seasons in Philadelphia. He was included as part of the Gregory Soto/Matt Vierling trade during the 2022-23 offseason. They’d shuttled him on and off the active roster for the first two seasons, but he has now exhausted his minor league options. Philadelphia couldn’t get him back to Triple-A without running him through waivers. While he broke camp as a result, Clemens wasn’t playing enough to make that a worthwhile use of a roster spot. He didn’t start a single game and had come off the bench for just six plate appearances.

There should be a better path to at-bats in Minnesota. The Twins recently lost Willi Castro to the injured list as well. Clemens and Bride are multi-positional infielders off the bench. Neither can really play shortstop, but Clemens could factor at any of the other infield spots and in the corner outfield. He could play some second base when the Twins want to use Edouard Julien as the DH.

They’ll open an active roster spot by placing Keaschall on the injured list. They created a 40-man roster spot by running minor league catcher Diego Cartaya through outright waivers this afternoon.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top