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Cristofer Ogando

15 Players Elect Free Agency

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As the postseason rolls along, players hit minor league free agency daily. It’s customary each offseason for dozens of players to hit the open market, separate from the players who reach MLB free agency at the end of the World Series based on the expiration of their contracts while having six-plus years of MLB service time.

Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of MLB service, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minor leagues has the right to elect free agency. Everyone in today’s group falls under that umbrella. The majority will take minor league deals over the winter, although one or two could find a big league deal as a bench piece or middle-inning reliever.

MLBTR covered 34 players who qualified for minor league free agency last week. We’ll periodically provide updates as plenty more hit the open market, as reflected on the MiLB.com transactions log.

Pitchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Outrights: Shaw, Barnes, Ogando, Liberato

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A few players on postseason teams have cleared outright waivers after recently being designated for assignment.

  • The Guardians have outrighted reliever Bryan Shaw to Triple-A Columbus, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. While the veteran has more than enough service time to elect free agency while still collecting the remainder of his guaranteed salary, Tom Withers of the Associated Press tweets that he’ll accept the assignment. Shaw remains in the organization and could technically factor into the playoff mix as a result, but it’s unlikely he’ll do so after Cleveland took him off the 40-man roster. Re-signed to a one-year deal over the winter, the veteran righty soaked up 58 1/3 innings across 60 appearances. He’s long been a durable bullpen workhorse, but his 2022 results were disappointing. Shaw posted a 5.40 ERA with a below-average 19.9% strikeout rate against an elevated 10% walk percentage. Cleveland will owe the 34-year-old a $500K buyout on a 2023 club option, and he’ll head to free agency at the start of the offseason.
  • Yankees reliever Jacob Barnes has gone unclaimed and been outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team announced. It was a quick turnaround for the righty, who was promoted for his team debut on Saturday. He threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings but was immediately DFA as the club cycled through fresh arms at the back of the bullpen. Barnes had a tough run earlier in the season with the Tigers, allowing a 6.10 ERA across 20 2/3 frames. He’s previously been outrighted and has more than enough service time to refuse the minor league assignment, although he could choose to follow Shaw’s path and stick in the organization as a depth option. He’ll hit free agency at the end of the year regardless if not added back to the 40-man roster.
  • Rays righty Cristofer Ogando was outrighted to Triple-A Durham over the weekend, per his MLB.com transactions log. The 28-year-old reliever has garnered a pair of brief looks with Tampa Bay, his first taste of MLB action. Ogando has made three big league appearances, working 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball. He’s spent the vast majority of the season in Durham, serving as a multi-inning bullpen arm and compiling a 4.56 ERA with a 23.5% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk percentage over 53 1/3 frames. Tampa Bay has outrighted Ogando off its 40-man roster twice this season, giving him the right to refuse this assignment in favor of free agency.
  • Padres outfielder Luis Liberato also went unclaimed on waivers last week, according to the transactions tracker. He’s been assigned to Triple-A El Paso. Signed to a minor league deal last offseason after ten seasons in the Mariners system, the left-handed hitter spent most of his year in El Paso. He had an impressive .261/.354/.541 showing over 99 games there, briefly earning his first major league call last month. Liberato only tallied five hitless at-bats with the Friars before losing his 40-man roster spot, however. He’s never previously been outrighted and doesn’t have the requisite service time to refuse the assignment, so he’ll remain in the organization for the time being. That’s largely immaterial, as he’ll qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season unless added back to the 40-man roster in the intervening time. Liberato’s quality work with the Chihuahuas should land him a number of minor league offers this winter.

Rays Designate Cristofer Ogando For Assignment

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The Rays announced they’ve selected right-hander Easton McGee onto the big league roster. Reliever Calvin Faucher was optioned to Triple-A Durham to open an active roster spot, while Tampa Bay designated righty Cristofer Ogando for assignment to create a vacancy on the 40-man roster.

Ogando was just selected onto the big league club last week. That marked his second stint on the 40-man roster this year, but each has proven brief. Ogando made one appearance during Tampa Bay’s series in Toronto in early July, and he came out of the bullpen twice last week before being optioned back to Durham. Those marked the 28-year-old’s first MLB outings, and he’s tossed 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball. Ogando has struck out a pair, issued one walk and averaged 94.6 MPH on his fastball and 81.3 MPH on his breaking pitch.

A former Marlins and Diamondbacks farmhand, Ogando has spent the past few years in the Rays system. Aside from his limited big league action, he’s spent the entire year in Durham. Working as a multi-inning reliever, the Dominican Republic native has pitched to a 4.66 ERA with an average 23.5% strikeout rate and an alarming 11.5% walk percentage through 53 1/3 frames with the Bulls.

This is the second time the Rays have designated him for assignment, and he’ll find himself on waivers in the next few days. Ogando went unclaimed the last time his name was on the wire. If he goes unclaimed again, he’d have the right to refuse an outright assignment in favor of free agency. Even if he accepts an assignment back to Durham, he’ll qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season unless the Rays put him back on the 40-man roster in the interim.

Taking Ogando’s place on the 40-man is McGee, who’ll be making his major league debut if he’s called upon by manager Kevin Cash. A fourth-round pick out of a Kentucky high school in 2016, the 6’6″ righty has spent seven years in the minors. McGee has never appeared on an organizational prospects list at Baseball America or FanGraphs, but he’s shown excellent control throughout his time in pro ball. He’s never walked more than 5% of opponents at any full-season affiliate, with his strike-throwing ability standing out as his primary attribute.

McGee has never missed many bats in the minors, and that’s continued this season. He has a below-average 17.4% strikeout rate through 107 2/3 innings with Durham this year. The 24-year-old had posted decent ground-ball rates until this year, but he’s given up a fair bit more airborne contact during his first extended crack at Triple-A. McGee has induced grounders on just under 40% of batted balls and has surrendered more than two home runs per nine innings en route to a 5.43 ERA. He’s worked primarily as a starter in the minors but figures to assume a long relief role during his initial big league look, with Cash able to count on him to throw strikes when called upon.

Rays Outright Dusten Knight

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Sep. 25: Knight has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Durham, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Sep. 23: The Rays announced a series of roster moves Friday, with right-hander Dusten Knight being designated for assignment and lefty Ryan Yarbrough hitting the 15-day injured list due to a strained right oblique. In their place, the Rays have selected the contract of righty Cristofer Ogando from Triple-A Durham and recalled righty Calvin Faucher.

Knight, who turned 32 earlier this month, has tossed 11 innings out of the Tampa Bay bullpen in 2022, yielding seven earned runs on 11 hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. Four of those hits have left the yard, contributing to Knight’s 5.73 ERA on the season. He’s had better results in Durham where he’s notched a 3.48 ERA in 54 1/3 innings with a 27.3% strikeout rate — albeit with an unsightly 13.7% walk rate. Knight, who made his MLB debut with the 2021 Orioles, has a 3.23 ERA in parts of four Triple-A seasons.

Yarbrough’s injury will bring his regular season to an end. A fixture on the Rays’ staff from 2018-21, he’s been shuttled back and forth between the big leagues and Durham this season, tossing a total of 80 innings of 4.50 ERA ball in the Majors. Given the up-and-down nature of his 2022 season and the fact that he’ll be owed a raise on this year’s $3.85MM salary, it’s feasible that the Rays could look to either move Yarbrough in the winter or decline to tender him a contract. For now, he’ll hope to rehab and contribute to the Rays in the postseason.

Ogando, 28, made his big league debut as a replacement player with the Rays during their series in Toronto earlier this season. He was optioned to Durham following that series but stuck on the 40-man roster for a few weeks after that debut before being designated for assignment and outrighted in late July. The former Marlins and D-backs farmhand has pitched to a 4.56 ERA with a 23.5% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate in 54 1/3 innings with the Rays’ Durham affiliate this season.

Outrights: Tully, Swarmer, Ogando

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A couple updates on some recently DFAed players who’ll remain with their organizations…

  • The Rays announced that righty Cristofer Ogando was outrighted to Triple-A Durham (h/t to Neil Solondz). He was designated for assignment when the team signed Roman Quinn last week. The 28-year-old only made one appearance, tossing two innings of one-run ball during his major league debut on July 3. He’s otherwise spent the season with the Bulls, logging 36 2/3 frames with a 3.68 ERA and roughly average strikeout and walk rates (24.2% and 8.2%, respectively). Ogando has never previously been outrighted, so he’ll remain in the organization and try to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster before the end of the year.

Earlier

  • The Guardians assigned left-hander Tanner Tully to Triple-A Columbus after he went unclaimed on outright waivers, per the transactions log at MLB.com. The 24-year-old Tully has pitched six big league innings this season and yielded four runs on eight hits and a hefty six walks with just two punchouts. Tully, a former 26th-round pick, has pitched better in Columbus but still doesn’t have dominant numbers: a 4.93 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate, 3.4% walk rate and 50% grounder rate through 80 1/3 innings. That outstanding walk rate and strong ground-ball ability are undeniably impressive, but Tully has never been regarded among the organization’s best prospects and has a career 4.91 ERA in parts of four Triple-A seasons. He’ll continue to serve as rotation depth for the time being.
  • Cubs righty Matt Swarmer was assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa after clearing waivers, per the team. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweeted this morning that Swarmer rejoined the club today. The 28-year-old allowed just two earned runs through his first dozen innings during this year’s MLB debut, but the success proved fleeting. Swarmer was tagged for 14 runs over his next three starts (12 2/3 innings) before being moved to the bullpen and continuing to struggle there (2.89 ERA but 10 walks in 9 1/3  innings). On the whole, Swarmer has a 5.03 ERA with a 36-to-20 K/BB ratio in 34 innings. He does have a 2.08 ERA in 39 Triple-A frames this season, and he’ll look to build on that in hopes of earning another big league look in the season’s final few months.

Rays Sign Roman Quinn To Major League Contract

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The Rays announced that they have signed outfielder Roman Quinn to a major league contract. Outfielder Harold Ramirez, who broke his thumb prior to the All-Star break, has been placed on the 10-day injured list to open a spot on the active roster. To create room for Quinn on the 40-man roster, right-hander Cristofer Ogando was designated for assignment. Additionally, righty Cooper Criswell, who was designated for assignment two days ago, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Durham.

Quinn, 29, has spent the bulk of his career with the Phillies, having once been a very promising prospect for them. He cracked Baseball America’s list of top 100 prospects back in 2013. However, he’s been held back by injuries since then. He’s appeared in six different MLB campaigns but has appeared in only 201 total games, never topping 50 in any individual season. Whether it’s due to injuries or not, Quinn’s never really gotten into a groove at the plate, at least at the major league level. Across his time in the bigs, he’s hit .223/.300/.343, production that’s 26% below league average, according to wRC+. He has been valuable elsewhere, however, racking up 43 steals and providing quality defensive work.

This year, Quinn signed a minors deal with the Marlins but was let go and went back to the Phillies. He was put into 23 games but got just 40 plate appearances before being designated for assignment. He then signed a minors deal with the Royals and played well in Triple-A. It was a small sample of seven games with the Omaha Storm Chasers, but Quinn hit .250/.406/.500 for a wRC+ of 142. He was recently released and now has a new opportunity with the Rays, who will coincidentally be starting a series in Kansas City tomorrow night.

The Rays have seen their outfield depth tested this year, particularly in center. Manuel Margot has been out since mid-May with a “significant patellar tendon strain.” Though he could be an option later in the year, he’s still expected to be sidelined for some time. Kevin Kiermaier is also on the injured list, with a hip injury that has the potential to be season-ending. With those players both out of action, the Rays have been using Brett Phillips and rookie Josh Lowe in center. Phillips has always been a glove-first player but isn’t even living up to his own standards with the bat this year. His .147/.219/.259 slash line adds up to a 42 wRC+, barely half of his career rate of 74 wRC+. Lowe is expected to provide more offense at some point but hasn’t hit the ground running in his first taste of the majors. His slash line of .199/.258/.338 adds up to a 72 wRC+.

Quinn hasn’t been a lightning rod with the bat himself, but he is a switch-hitter. With Phillips and Lowe both hitting from the left side, he at least provides the Rays with the opportunity to try out a platoon in center. Even if he doesn’t suddenly break out at the plate, he should at least provide some competent defense and a burst of speed.

As for Ogando, 28, he was just selected to the club’s roster at the start of July, only making a single appearance of two innings before getting optioned back to the minors. In 36 2/3 innings for the Bulls this year, he has a 3.68 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 35.5% walk rate. The Rays will have one week to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him.

Criswell, 25, was just claimed off waivers from the Angels last week. The righty made a very brief MLB debut last year, logging 1 1/3 innings for the Angels. The rest of the year was spent in Triple-A, where he threw 47 innings with a 6.51 ERA, 20.4% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 41.8% ground ball rate. He landed on the 60-day IL at the start of this year and recently began a rehab assignment, throwing 18 innings in the minors before the Rays nabbed him on waivers. He’ll stick in the organization without occupying a roster spot.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links 1, 2 and 3) and team broadcaster Neil Solondz (Twitter links) relayed the details of these transactions prior to the official announcement from the team.

Rays Reinstate Brooks Raley, Ryan Thompson, Transfer J.P. Feyereisen To 60-Day IL

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The Rays made a flurry of moves this afternoon following a weekend series in Toronto, reinstating left-hander Brooks Raley and right-hander Ryan Thompson from the restricted list and returning righties Phoenix Sanders and Javy Guerra to Triple-A Durham. Raley and Thompson were not allowed to enter Canada due to their vaccination status but will rejoin the team for tonight’s opener of a three-game series in Boston.

The team also recalled left-hander Josh Fleming and optioned right-hander Cristofer Ogando to clear a spot on the active roster. To make room on the 40-man roster for the recently selected Ogando, the Rays transferred J.P. Feyereisen to the 60-day IL. The move pushes the return of the high-leverage righty — who’d logged 24 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run before hitting the IL in early June —  to early August at soonest.

The return of Raley and Thompson will come as something of a relief to a bullpen that covered 17 innings over the course of winning three of four in Toronto, including three innings by Sanders, one by Guerra, and two by Ogando (per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, manager Kevin Cash even joked that Raley and Thompson might go a combined 9 innings in their return). While Thompson has struggled to a 5.33 ERA (4.62 FIP) across 25 1/3 innings so far this season, the 34-year-old Raley has been something of a revelation in 2022, posting a sparkling 2.22 ERA (2.09 FIP) behind an elevated strikeout rate (31.7% against 27.2% for his career) and improved walk rate (7.9% against 8.6%).

Rays Select Cristofer Ogando

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The Rays announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Cristofer Ogando and optioned fellow right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. in a corresponding move. The club already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster, though Brooks Raley and Ryan Thompson are currently on the restricted list due to their unvaccinated status preventing them from traveling to Toronto for this weekend’s series. Javy Guerra was selected to take one of the vacated spots and Ogando will now take the other. Once the team is in Boston for tomorrow’s game, they will have to remove two players from the roster.

Ogando, 28, has taken a long road to the big leagues. He made his debut in affiliated ball back in 2013 as part of the Marlins organization. Just 19 years old at the time, he threw 6 1/3 innings in Rookie ball but then didn’t appear in the affiliated ranks over the next few seasons. He was signed by the Diamondbacks in 2018 and pitched well enough that the Rays selected him in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft in December of that year.

He’s been in the Rays organization ever since, climbing his way from A-ball to Triple-A. This year, he’s thrown 32 2/3 innings for the Durham Bulls with a 3.03 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 34.2% ground ball rate. He will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game.

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