The Mariners selected Hultzen second overall out of the University of Virginia in the 2011 draft, choosing him instead of such current stars as Trevor Bauer, Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez and George Springer, but the pick proved to be a mistake in hindsight. While Hultzen did rank among the game’s top prospects in the ensuing couple years after his draft, shoulder injuries and the surgeries that accompanied them dogged him as a professional player. He missed most of 2013 and all of 2014, barely pitched from 2015-16 and then took 2017 off to complete his degree.

Hultzen returned to the pros in ’18 on a minor league contract with the Cubs, finally making his MLB debut in September 2019 with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Although the Cubs then re-signed him to a non-guaranteed pact, Hultzen didn’t get back to the mound during a 2020 season devoid of minor league baseball. Now, though, the 31-year-old will have a chance to impact the organization in a different role.

Hultzen had been dropped from the Chicago 40-man roster in December after making his long-awaited big-league debut late in 2019. The former second overall draft pick saw his career with the Mariners derailed by a series of debilitating arm injuries, but he reemerged with the Cubs organization.

Though Hultzen didn’t throw many innings in 2019, he did turn in some interesting numbers. In 18 total frames (3 1/3 in the majors and the balance at Triple-A), he racked up 28 strikeouts against 11 walks and permitted just a pair of earned runs on eight hits. During his MLB action, Hultzen worked in the 93 to 94 mph range with his fastball and got swings and misses on 12.3% of the pitches he delivered.

As for the flamethrowing Brothers, he spent the ’19 campaign turning in typically high-K, high-walk outings for the Yankees’ top affiliate. In 45 2/3 innings at Triple-A, the former Rockies and Braves hurler struck out 81 opposing hitters but also doled out 36 free passes. He ended the year with a 4.93 ERA. Once a fixture in the Colorado bullpen, Brothers has seen his big-league opportunities dwindle in more recent seasons.

Cuevas has a more recent track record with the Rockies organization. He struggled in the majors during his 2018 debut and was injured in his first game up in 2019. He ended up spending most of the just-completed campaign at Triple-A, where he turned in uninspiring numbers. But Cuevas has at times produced at an above-average rate at the plate in the upper minors. The 28-year-old is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

This ends a scandalous Cubs tenure for Russell, who came to the team as a possible shortstop of the future in a blockbuster trade with the Athletics in 2014. Russell was an elite prospect at the time, but his production as a Cub never reached that level (even during their World Series-winning campaign in 2016), and a 40-game suspension for domestic violence in 2018-19 marred the tail end of his time in Chicago.

The Cubs stuck with Russell in 2019, when he hit .237/.308/.391 with nine home runs in 241 plate appearances, but with Javier Baez and Nico Hoerner among their top middle infield choices, they’ve decided to go in another direction instead of paying the 25-year-old a projected $5.1MM in his second-last season of arbitration. However, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein offered a positive assessment of Russell upon letting him go, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (via Twitter).

“Since we decided to tender Addison a contract last November, he has lived up to his promise to put in the important self-improvement work necessary off the field and has shown growth as a person, as a partner, as a parent and as a citizen,” said Epstein.

Like Russell, Hultzen’s a former stud prospect whose time in the majors hasn’t gone according to plan. Injuries have been ruinous to the 30-year-old Hultzen, a former first-round pick of the Mariners who didn’t debut in the bigs until this past season. Hultzen totaled just 3 1/3 innings as a member of the Cubs, with whom he didn’t allow a run and put up five strikeouts against two walks. But that wasn’t enough to convince the Cubs, who have moved on from Hultzen.

As Heyman notes, San Francisco’s list of known candidates consists of “mostly younger guys” who have never managed at the Major League level before, like the 44-year-old Espada.  Gabe Kapler and Mike Matheny (who has to be interviewed for the job) are the only candidates who have been big league skippers, though Kapler is only 44 years old and Matheny is 49.  Longtime Giants coach Ron Wotus, at 58, is the oldest of the candidates.  It certainly seems as though Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi is looking to follow the league’s recent trend towards younger, more analytically-inclined dugout bosses, though Zaidi said earlier this month that he was going to embark on a rather extensive search, so more candidates could still emerge.

More from around the AL West…

• Anthony Rendon in a Mariners uniform?  It isn’t like to happen via free agency this offseason, though it was almost a reality back in 2011 when the M’s heavily scouted Rendon as the second overall pick in the draft, The Athletic’s Corey Brock writes (subscription required).  “Going into the draft, [Rendon] was probably the player a lot of people thought we were going to take…and we did, too,” then-general manager Jack Zduriencik said.  The Mariners had other players on their radar, however, and as draft day approached, Danny Hultzen eventually emerged as the pick.  While selecting the highly-touted Hultzen was a perfectly respectable choice at the time, it ended up being a critical miss for Seattle —- Hultzen battled injuries throughout his career and only made his MLB debut this season, as a reliever for the Cubs.  Rendon, of course, has gone onto stardom, as have several other players from what now looks like a stacked draft class.  Rendon was the sixth overall pick, and Trevor Bauer (3rd), Francisco Lindor (8th), Javier Baez (9th), and George Springer (11th) also went in the top half of the first round.
• The Athletics have promoted Ed Sprague to director of player development, as per a team press release (Twitter link).  Sprague will take over from Keith Lieppman, who has served in the role for the last 28 seasons as part of a 49-year run in the organization.  Lieppman will become a special advisor to the player development department.  Sprague, perhaps best known as a starting third baseman for the Blue Jays during his 11-year playing career, has worked in Oakland’s front office for the past four years.

Sept. 6: It has been a long and winding road for former first-round draft pick Danny Hultzen, but the path will finally pass through the majors. The Cubs southpaw has received his first MLB promotion, according to Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation (via Twitter).

Hultzen, 29, was the second overall pick of the 2011 draft after excelling at the University of Virginia. He was seemingly breezing through the Mariners farm system when a spiraling series of injuries completely derailed his career.

It seemed like a longshot that Hultzen would be able to get back to functioning on the mound, let alone thriving. But he has opened eyes in 14 1/3 innings this year at Triple-A, allowing just two earned runs on a paltry four hits while racking up 23 strikeouts against nine walks.

Calling up Hultzen will require the Cubs to clear a place on the 40-man roster. The corresponding move isn’t yet known.

Hultzen had already been in uniform at Triple-A Iowa, but was technically operating in a rehab capacity. His initial showing has been rather promising, as he’s now through 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball having recorded six strikeouts while allowing only a pair of baserunners (one hit, one walk).

Cubs president of baseball ops Theo Epstein has acknowledged that hurdles remain for Hultzen to get a shot at the majors, but indicates he’s seen internally as having a real chance. With the Chicago pen in need of depth down the stretch, particularly from the left side, Hultzen suddenly seems to be an interesting option.

Now 29 years of age, Hultzen’s dash towards the majors was halted back in 2013, when he impressed at Triple-A but ended up blowing out his arm by trying to pitch through injuries. Hultzen discussed his collapse and quiet reengagement with the game in a great interview with Dillon Mullan of the Washington Post. While he did appear on the bump last year in the Cubs system, the outcome remained entirely uncertain. This year’s increasingly eye-opening showing has still made for quite a pleasant surprise.

• The Yankees re-signed infielder Gio Urshela to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old was traded from the Jays to the Yankees in early August and never appeared with New York in the Majors. Urshela is regarded as a quality defender at third base but has yet to deliver much in the way of offense at the big league level. In parts of three seasons with Toronto and Cleveland, he’s a .225/.274/.315 hitter (499 plate appearances). He’s a lifetime .274/.315/.411 hitter in Triple-A, however, and will give the Yanks some defensive-minded depth at the hot corner.
• Former No. 2 overall pick Danny Hultzen has re-signed with the Cubs on a minor league pact. The left-hander spent the 2018 season in the Cubs organization but threw fewer than 10 innings in the minors as he worked back from major shoulder injuries that have utterly derailed what once looked to be a promising career. Hultzen will turn 29 later this month and has never thrown a pitch in a Major League game but will continue his latest comeback attempt and aim to break that barrier in the 2019 campaign. Those interested in learning more about the former Virginia standout are recommended to check out Hultzen’s interview with the Washington Post’s Dillon Mullan from Aug. 2017.
• Right-handed reliever Evan Marshall has latched on with the White Sox on a minors deal. The 28-year-old has worked his way back from a near-fatal blow to the head from a comebacker line drive while pitching for the D-backs’ Triple-A club several years ago and has had brief MLB stints with the Mariners and Indians in each of the past two seasons. Marshall is still trying to rediscover the form he showed as a 24-year-old rookie in 2014, when he pitched to a 2.74 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 through 49 1/3 innings in Arizona. He did post a ridiculous 1.08 ERA with a 23-to-3 K/BB ratio in 24 minor league frames with the Indians last year, but he was tagged for six runs in seven MLB innings.
• The Mariners re-signed righty Ryan Garton to a minor league contract. The 28-year-old racked up 61 1/3 big league innings between the Rays and Mariners in 2016-17 but didn’t crack the big leagues with Seattle in 2018. He turned in a 3.16 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings for Triple-A Tacoma but also issued a hefty 24 walks (5.1 BB/9) in that time as well.

Of course, any thought of cracking a major-league roster is secondary to regaining health for Hultzen, who originally inked a $8.5MM guaranteed deal with the Mariners in August of 2011. Seattle removed him from its MLB roster after the 2015 season and he has not appeared in a professional contest since 2016.

Drafted as a polished left-handed starter out of the University of Virginia, Hultzen — who’s now 28 years of age — mostly dominated the opposition inthe upper minors. Over 169 2/3 innings of professional ball, he carries a 2.86 ERA.

Unfortunately, major shoulder injuries — including procedures in 2013 and 2016 — have totally derailed Hultzen’s career. He decided to finish off his college degree and prepare for one more attempt at a return, as he discussed his ordeal last fall in an interesting chat with Dillon Mullan of the Washington Post.

Needless to say, the Cubs won’t be counting on anything from the hard-luck southpaw. Indeed, a Mariners doctor is said to have advised Hultzen not to attempt pitching anymore as he went in for his 2016 surgery. But the talent is obviously there and it’s easy to root for a player who once seemed a sure thing to reach and a good bet to thrive in the majors.

• Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Monday, the club told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).  Hamilton underwent two surgical procedures on that same knee last year and has been bothered by soreness in the same joint this spring.  According to assistant GM Mike Daly, the Rangers still “feel good that Josh is going to play,” and haven’t had any talks with the veteran about his future with the organization.  Texas re-signed Hamilton to a minor league deal over the winter as the former AL MVP is attempting to revive his career after several injury-plagued down years, plus a lost 2016 that saw him play in just one minor league game.
• Andrew Bailey “never seriously considered leaving” the Angels in free agency this winter, the veteran reliever tells Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times.  “I feel like, with where I’m at in my career and what I’ve been through, signing early and getting something done and focusing on getting ready for this year was more important to me than chasing something else,” Bailey said.  Amusing, he didn’t actually realize he was headed for free agency until last September, as Bailey believed he was still arbitration-eligible; he just barely passed the required six years of service time to hit the open market.  The righty pitched well after signing a minor league deal with the Angels last August, and showed signs of recovery from several injury-plagued years by tossing 43 2/3 innings in 2016.
• The Mariners were counting on their “big three” of James Paxton, Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen to anchor their rotation for years to come, though as Larry Stone of the Seattle Times observes, only Paxton is still on the M’s roster.  Walker was dealt to the Diamondbacks in November as part of the multi-player deal that brought Jean Segura to the M’s while Hultzen is simply trying to resume his career in the wake of multiple arm injuries.
• Chris Devenski’s surprising rise from unheralded prospect to a major weapon out of the Astros bullpen gives Houston some pitching flexibility, ESPN’s Mark Simon writes.  The ’Stros could utilize Devenski as one of their many setup options, a multi-inning fireman like Andrew Miller or potentially even as starting depth in the back end of the rotation.  Over 108 1/3 innings as a rookie last season, Devenski posted a very impressive 2.16 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 5.2 K/BB rate.

Here’s more from out west:

• Angels righty Garrett Richards could be cleared to throw next week if his check-up on Monday goes as hoped, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. The 28-year-old is attempting to avoid Tommy John surgery despite a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He has been ramping up his workout regimen as his PRP/stem cell treatment has continued to show promise, and the next step may be to build up toward throwing and then full-blown mound work. The outlook remains uncertain, but Richards expressed loads of optimism. “I literally feel like my arm is just refreshed,” he said yesterday. “Everything feels great. My shoulder feels nice and loose. I feel zero discomfort in my arm. Nothing even close to what I was feeling when I was put on the DL.”
• Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds left today’s action with an injury to the hamate bone in his left hand, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports. It has actually been a problem for some time, per the report, but Reynolds felt heightened discomfort after a swing. The expectation is that he’ll require a DL stint, though the severity isn’t yet known with an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. Colorado is already in a bit of a bind with Trevor Story likely out for the year. The team had avoided a sell-off at the trade deadline in hopes of making a post-season run, but the odds against it continue to build.
• The Mariners’ trade deadline tightrope walk has paid off thus far, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. GM Jerry Dipoto ultimately settled on a few relatively modest moves to tweak the club’s roster and set of contractual obligations, but the M’s have responded by pushing to seven games over .500 — putting them right in the thick of the Wild Card hunt. The veteran executive suggested that the team looked at more significant transactions. “I’m a big fan of trying to pounce on opportunity,” he said. “We talked with a variety of clubs about acquisitions that maybe would have been more notable — I don’t want to say star quality, but more household-type names. We also talked about the possibility of moving players out who were more household names. … In the end, the best moves we could make were holding steady.”
• Meanwhile, tough-luck Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen isn’t yet ready to give up pitching, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. He has undergone another shoulder procedure in hopes of making it back to the hill. The former second overall pick, now 26, threw 124 innings back in 2012 but hasn’t even cracked fifty total in the four seasons since.

More from Boston and two other AL cities:

• Regardless of what happens with their bullpen, the Red Sox continue to hunt for starting pitchers, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. They’ve already checked in on White Sox ace Chris Sale and the Rays’ Chris Archer, though it was merely due diligence in the case of the latter, a source told Drellich. With David Price, Steven Wright, Rick Porcello and the recently acquired Drew Pomeranz in the fold, at least 80 percent of Boston’s rotation appears set, and the Wild Card-leading club has gotten back-to-back strong performances from 23-year-old southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez.
• Injuries have beset Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Danny Hultzen in recent years and will likely force him to retire at 26, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Hultzen, who peaked entering 2012 as a top 25 prospect by the standards of both MLB.com (16th) and Baseball America (21st), hasn’t pitched regularly since 2013 because of shoulder issues that continue to persist. Hultzen could next find an off-the-field role with the Mariners, according to Dutton.
• The Tigers haven’t discussed a contract extension with manager Brad Ausmus, GM Al Avila revealed Saturday. Despite that, Avila said, “I think he’s done a good job this year” (Twitter links). Ausmus’ Tigers are 51-46, 2 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot, and 215-205 since he took the reins in 2014. Detroit has a 2017 option for Ausmus, so the team’s not at risk of losing the 47-year-old this offseason if it wants to retain him.

Elsewhere in the AL West…

• Jarrod Parker’s uphill battle to return from a pair of Tommy John surgeries and a fractured epicondyle in his right elbow appears to have hit a snag, per Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee. The Athletics right-hander, facing live hitters for the first time today, left the mound “yelling in pain” after throwing a pitch, Kawahara tweets. Pitching coach Curt Young, somewhat surprisingly, told Kawahara (Twitter link) that he “thinks” Parker will be OK, though he declined to go into any detail. A bullpen role for Parker had been the club’s preference for Parker, club sources told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, but Young did term the incident a “setback,” and the A’s have announced the injury as a “lateral elbow impingement,” via John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Parker is headed for an MRI, per Hickey. MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets that this injury is less severe than his previous maladies, as he currently has range of motion in his elbow.
• Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks at the improbable (and that adjective is underselling the story) comeback of left-hander Rich Hill, who signed a one-year, $6MM contract with the Athletics this offseason on the heels of four brilliant September starts in Boston. Hill was granted his release from a minor league deal with the Nationals this past June and began working on throwing over the top for the first time after years of working more from a side-arm angle. Hill told his agent that he wanted an opportunity to start, and, finding no opportunities even with a Triple-A club, took to the independent Atlantic League to find a spot in the rotation. Hill parlayed that into a spot in the Red Sox’ Triple-A rotation and only received a call-up in September when Steven Wright suffered an injury. Four starts and a 1.55 ERA (with a 36-to-5 K/BB ratio in 29 innings) later, Hill says he received interest from 20 teams as a free agent and actually turned down an offer for more money than the $6MM he landed from the A’s.
• Mariners relievers Evan Scribner and Ryan Cook are likely ticketed for the disabled list to begin the 2016 season, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Each right-hander is dealing with a strained lat muscle in his back, per GM Jerry Dipoto, who said the news was actually better than he’d been expecting.
• The outlook on Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen, however, is considerably less favorable, Dutton notes. The former No. 2 overall pick is again on the shelf due to shoulder pain, and manager Scott Servais said he “[doesn’t] see” when Hultzen could get into a game. Hultzen has been working exclusively as a reliever, but he experienced a setback recently, per Servais. One anonymous club official simply told Dutton that Hultzen’s status is “not good.” Dutton writes that the slew of injuries makes it easier for Joel Peralta to make the roster out of Spring Training, also reporting that Peralta is able to elect free agency late in camp if he is informed that he will not make the roster.

Here’s more from the American League:

• Twins righty Ricky Nolasco believes he should remain in the club’s rotation, agent Matt Sosnick tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Referencing last year’s disappointing, injury-filled campaign, Sosnick suggests that his client “deserves to show the Twins what he looks like without trying to pitch through pain.” If Nolasco is pushed to the pen, says Sosnick, he’d approach the front office to “directly address his feelings of disappointment” and “ask the team about his other options.”
• The initial returns on Ian Desmond in left field appear to be positive for the Rangers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. He also notes that the Giants had some interest in Desmond earlier in the winter as a super-utility option that would primarily play in the corner outfield, while the Orioles were involved later.
• Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen has suffered a setback in his bid to get back on the bump in a relief role, Shannon Drayer of Seattle’s 710AM ESPN was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll seemingly rest a while as he deals with shoulder stiffness, which hopefully will clear up on its own. It has been a long and difficult road for the 26-year-old, who has dealt with a series of arm issues since he was chosen second overall in the 2011 draft.
• Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon touched 100 mph yesterday and continues to show good form in camp, as Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports. After a disappointing end to the 2015 season, in which he was asked to leave the organization due to his lack of effort, Rondon has drawn positive reviews so far this spring. “He’s been good,” said skipper Brad Ausmus. “He’s done his work, he’s taken his non-pitching fundamentals seriously. He’s put in the effort and he’s looked strong so far on the mound.”

• Adrian Beltre, who is eligible for free agency next winter, sees no reason why he wouldn’t consider an extension with the Rangers, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. Sullivan further notes that Beltre and the Rangers have had preliminary conversations. “[GM Jon Daniels] did what he promised in keeping the team around to win,” Beltre says. “Right now I’m confident with the way everything is going, there is no reason why I don’t want to stay here.” The Rangers have had a quiet offseason, with Tom Wilhelmsen, Tony Barnette and Justin Ruggiano among their key acquisitions. (They also re-signed Colby Lewis to bolster their rotation.) Obviously, though, their in-season addition of Cole Hamels, and subsequent division win, might have some impact on Beltre’s thinking. Beltre will be 37 near the start of the 2016 season, and he took a step back offensively last year, although his still-excellent defense continues to make him an impact player.
• The Rangers could effectively add another player this season in Jurickson Profar. Profar is throwing 135 feet expects to be 100% by mid-March, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The former top infield prospect missed the entire 2015 season due to shoulder trouble, although he hit well in the Arizona Fall League after the season.
• The Astros might have another move or two up their sleeves this offseason, Jon Heyman tweets. They were in on Justin Upton and have checked in on starting pitching, and owner Jim Crane tells Heyman the team has been “nosing around” for more talent. Lately, they’ve been connected to Yovani Gallardo, the top starting pitcher left on the free agent market.

• The Rays released catcher J.P. Arencibia after recently designating him for assignment, per the team’s transactions page. Arencibia, 29, had an impressive 24-game run with Tampa Bay late in the season, but it wasn’t enough for the club to tender him a contract. He ought to get plenty of interest as a free agent from teams looking for major-league-capable receiving options.
• Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen cleared outright waivers, the club announced. Though his talent has always been evident, Hultzen’s shoulder has not been willing. Despite going second overall in the 2011 draft, Hultzen has yet to tally 200 professional innings pitched.
• Backstop Adrian Nieto tweets that he’s signed on with the Marlins. Nieto was a Rule 5 pick of the White Sox who stuck on the big league roster for all of 2014, but the switch-hitter didn’t hit much at the Double-A level last year and lost his roster spot in Chicago.
• The Orioles announced a host of minor league signings today. Among the notable names are righties Pedro Beato and Todd Redmond, lefty Cesar Cabral, and catcher Audry Perez. The 29-year-old Beato has 93 1/3 innings of MLB experience under his belt, while Redmond was a regular part of the Blue Jays’ pen from 2013-14 before losing his job last year. Cabral and Perez both have much more limited MLB experience. They each return to the Baltimore organization after spending most of 2015 at Triple-A Norfolk.
• The Blue Jays have signed lefty Scott Diamond to a minor league deal, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.  The 29-year-old will receive a big league camp invite after tossing 150 1/3 solid Triple-A frames last year in the Rays organization.