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Dee Strange-Gordon

NL Notes: Diamondbacks, Nationals, Reds

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The Diamondbacks have removed Mark Melancon from the closer’s role, writes Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic. Melancon was signed in the offseason to a two-year, $14MM deal, and there’s still value to be extracted from that deal, even if Melancon doesn’t return to the ninth inning. After all, Melancon may still receive some save opportunities, but the Diamondbacks will explore a situation-based approach for the rest of the season. Let’s check around the league for other roster updates…

  • The Nationals have released southpaw Josh Rogers, who elected free agency after clearing outright waivers. Infielder/outfielder Dee Strange-Gordon has also been granted his release. Strange-Gordon was in his second stint with the Nationals this season, but he requested a release after not being called up to the Major League club, per Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com. As for Rogers, the 28-year-old began the year in the Nats’ rotation, making three starts before a move to the bullpen. In all, Rogers posted a 5.13 ERA/6.42 FIP over 26 1/3 innings.
  • Kyle Farmer’s run of 192 consecutive starts at shortstop will end with a move to the hot corner, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Youngster Jose Barrero is getting the call-up from Triple-A, and he’ll be given the rest of this season to showcase his ability to be a regular at the position. Farmer, meanwhile, will move to third base and, in the long term, probably back into more of the utility role that he played for most of his career before taking over as the Reds regular shortstop in 2021. Farmer was a substantial defensive upgrade over Eugenio Suarez at the time, but his defensive metrics (-4 OAA, -1 DRS) at shortstop suggest there’s still room to improve for the Reds as a franchise.

Nationals To Re-Sign Dee Strange-Gordon To Minors Deal

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The Nationals are signing another minor league deal with utility player Dee Strange-Gordon, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. He and the Nats agreed to a minor league deal in the offseason, with Strange-Gordon cracking the Opening Day Roster but getting released last month.

Strange-Gordon, 34, made his MLB debut in 2011 with the Dodgers and spent another three seasons there. He then spent three seasons each with the Marlins and Mariners, rarely hitting for much power overall but providing plenty of speed and athleticism. In 1,025 career games, he’s hit just 18 home runs but has stolen 336 bases, producing an overall batting line of .286/.319/.360.

With the Nats this year, he was used sparingly, getting into just 23 games over a two-month stretch on the roster, though a two-week stint on the COVID IL also played a part in that. As a National, he produced a nice .305 batting average but not a single walk or home run, leading to a slash line of .305/.305/.356, wRC+ of 82.

After getting designated for assignment in mid-June, he rejected an outright assignment and returned to free agency. Now, almost a month later, he’s returned to the Nats’ organization. Although he was squeezed off of the roster at that time, it’s possible that more openings are created in the coming weeks. With the August 2 trade deadline just over two weeks away and the Nationals holding the worst record in baseball at 30-63, they are obvious sellers. MLBTR’s recent list of trade candidates highlighted Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz, Cesar Hernandez and Victor Robles as guys who could potentially be subtracted from the lineup. Then there was a bombshell report yesterday that the club will consider trading superstar Juan Soto.

Regardless of how it plays out, it seems likely that at least a couple of guys will be on the move soon, which could provide a path for Strange-Gordon to return to the big league club as a bench/utility option. Earlier this year, he played shortstop, left field and center field, but has also spent most of his career at second base prior to this season.

Nationals Release Dee Strange-Gordon

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The Nationals have requested unconditional release waivers for Dee Strange-Gordon, per the team. The infielder/outfielder was designated for the assignment last week. This means two things: no team put a claim in on him, and Strange-Gordon did not want to accept an assignment to the minor leagues.

Given those two facts, it’s not easy to see where Strange-Gordon will find his way back to the Majors. That said, his speed is a truly exceptional talent, and there’s always room in the game for it on a limited basis. We have seen speedsters like Strange-Gordon used as playoff specialists in the past, so that’s a potential role for him down the line. For now, however, it would seem unlikely that he finds a long-term home.

Strange-Gordon was signed by the Nationals this winter on a non-guaranteed minor league deal. He went on to hit .305/.305/.356 in 59 plate appearances with three stolen bases in five attempts. For Strange-Gordon it was more of the same, with low walk rates and minimal power limiting his offensive utility. His speed is dynamic, and if he can get on base enough to utilize it, he has a weapon worth unleasing. Right now, however, the 34-year-old will have to wait and look for a new opportunity.

Nationals Designate Dee Strange-Gordon For Assignment

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The Nationals announced a series of roster moves before tonight’s contest with the Braves. Right-handers Jackson Tetreault and Reed Garrett have been selected onto the big league roster, while southpaw Francisco Pérez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester. In corresponding moves, the club placed Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day injured list with a stress reaction in his ribs, designated infielder Dee Strange-Gordon for assignment, and optioned righty Jordan Weems. Strange-Gordon’s DFA clears one 40-man roster spot, while the other was created by transferring righty Hunter Harvey from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Tetrault, 25, will get the start tonight in his big league debut. A seventh-round pick in 2017 out of a Florida junior college, he’s posted capable numbers over his five-plus professional seasons. Tetrault owns a 3.85 career minor league ERA while starting the vast majority of his outings. He’s only punched out 20.8% of batters faced, but he owns a decent 8.6% walk percentage and appeared among the back half of the Nationals top 30 prospects at Baseball America each season from 2018-21. He’s spent the entirety of this season in Rochester, working to a 4.19 ERA with a 20.9% strikeout rate over a dozen starts.

Strasburg had initially been slated to start tonight’s ballgame, but manager Dave Martinez told reporters yesterday he’d go back on the IL after experiencing some discomfort following a recent bullpen session. The club has now provided a more specific diagnosis. Strasburg underwent surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome last June, a procedure that involves the removal of a rib to alleviate nerve pressure.

Martinez told reporters today that the stress reaction is related to the surgery (via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). He’ll soon visit orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache to determine the source of the setback, but it seems he’s likely in for another lengthy absence. Martinez didn’t provide a specific timetable but noted the current plan is simply for the right-hander to rest.

In addition to the injury-necessitated rotation shakeup, the Nats move on from Strange-Gordon to add an extra arm to the bullpen. Washington signed Strange-Gordon to a minor league contract over the offseason and he cracked the Opening Day roster. The two-time All-Star made a return to the big leagues after topping out at Triple-A last season, but he only wound up appearing in 23 games in a Nationals uniform. That’s partially due to a two-week stay on the COVID-19 injured list between April and May.

Strange-Gordon hit .305 over his 59 trips to the plate, but he didn’t draw a single walk and collected only two extra-base hits. He’s always been reliant on his contact skills and speed, but he hasn’t made much of an impact at the plate since being dealt from the Marlins to the Mariners over the 2017-18 offseason. Strange-Gordon also rated very poorly in 103 innings as a shortstop this season, an unsurprising development for a player seeing his first semi-regular action there in nearly a decade.

The Nationals will have a week to trade Strange-Gordon or place him on waivers. The likeliest course of action is that he’ll pass through the waiver wire unclaimed and hit free agency in the coming days, either via release or rejection of an outright assignment to the minor leagues. As a player with more than five years of MLB service time, Strange-Gordon has the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers while still collecting what remains of this season’s $800K salary.

In his place, Garrett is up for his first major league look in three years. The 29-year-old reliever appeared in 13 games with the Tigers in 2019, serving up an 8.22 ERA with more walks than strikeouts as a Rule 5 draftee. Detroit eventually returned him to the Rangers, the club that had originally selected him out of VMI in 2014, but he never appeared in an MLB game with Texas.

Garrett spent the 2020-21 campaigns with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, totaling 106 2/3 innings of 3.46 ERA ball. He returned stateside via minor league pact with Washington in February, and he’ll head back to the big leagues after 22 appearances in Rochester. Garrett posted an even 4.00 ERA across 27 innings for the Red Wings, striking out 21.9% of opponents against an 8.8% walk rate.

Harvey, meanwhile, made four appearances after being claimed off waivers from the Giants. Today’s transfer is a procedural move, as he’s already been on the IL since April 21 due to a pronator strain. (The transfer is backdated to the date of his original placement). The former first-round pick has yet to begin a rehab assignment, so he surely would not have been ready to pitch in an MLB game within the next week.

Nationals Place Anibal Sanchez On 60-Day Injured List

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The Nationals announced the transfer of starting pitcher Aníbal Sánchez from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for utilityman Dee Strange-Gordon, who has been reinstated from the COVID-19 IL. Infielder Lucius Fox was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to open active roster space.

Sánchez signed a minor league deal during Spring Training, making a comeback after he sat out the 2021 campaign. Washington selected him onto the major league roster shortly before Opening Day. The veteran righty locked in a $2MM base salary by making the team and seemed as if he’d be part of the season-opening rotation. Unfortunately, he experienced some neck soreness that caused his start to be delayed.

Eventually, the team placed Sánchez on the IL with a cervical neck impingement. There was no indication he’d need an extended absence, but that apparently proves the case. Sánchez’s original IL placement was backdated to April 8, meaning he’ll be eligible to return during the first week of June. Whether the 38-year-old will be ready for his first appearance in two years at that point isn’t clear.

Strange-Gordon has been out since mid-April. The veteran speedster also cracked the Opening Day roster after signing a minors deal; he has taken three plate appearances in four games.

Nationals Claim Josh Palacios From Blue Jays

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The Nationals announced Friday that they’ve claimed outfielder Josh Palacios off waivers from the Blue Jays and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. Washington freed a spot on the 40-man roster earlier this week when infielder Dee Strange-Gordon was placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Palacios, 26, made his big league debut with the Jays in 2021 and went 7-for-35 (all singles) with three walks, a couple of hit-by-pitches and 11 strikeouts. The resulting .200/.293/.200 batting line obviously isn’t appealing, but the 2016 fourth-rounder has a better track record in the minors, where he’s slashed .287/.367/.402 in parts of six seasons.

Capable of playing all three outfield spots, Palacios draws praise in scouting reports for solid defense, above-average speed and good bat-to-ball skills. He’s never had much in the way of power, however, evidenced by a career-high of eight home runs back in 2018 — though it’s perhaps of note that he has already connected on a pair of round-trippers in just 24 Triple-A plate appearances so far in 2022. He’s not a burner on the basepaths but does have a pair of 15-steal seasons under his belt, and Palacios has fanned in under 20% of his minor league plate appearances while walking at a 10% clip.

The Nationals’ current outfield mix includes Lane Thomas, Victor Robles, Yadiel Hernandez, newly recalled Donovan Casey and, of course, superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Palacios could eventually get a look as a versatile fourth-outfield option, but for the time being he’ll provide some depth in the upper minors.

Nationals Select Strange-Gordon, Franco, Arano; Place Harris, Strasburg On IL

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The Nationals have finalized their Opening Day roster, announcing this morning that non-roster invitees Dee Strange-Gordon, Maikel Franco and Víctor Arano all made the big league club. Yesterday’s designation of reliever Gabe Klobosits freed up one roster spot, while the other two 40-man vacancies were created by placing Seth Romero and Will Harris on the 60-day injured list.

Strange-Gordon returns to the majors after splitting the 2021 season between three Triple-A teams. It’ll be his 11th MLB season, and his first in Washington. Strange-Gordon is a three-time stolen base king and former batting champ, but his production has dipped in recent years. He hit just .266/.293/.343 with the Mariners between 2018-20, still putting the ball in play but rarely walking or hitting for power.

Despite turning 34 next month, Strange-Gordon still brings plenty of speed and athleticism. He’ll presumably back up starting second baseman César Hernández and could also see some time in the outfield. Strange-Gordon never took well to a center field experiment with the M’s, but he rated as a plus defender at second base during his peak with the Marlins.

Franco is readying for his eighth MLB season. A top prospect during his days in the Phillies farm system, he showcased some bat-to-ball skills and power but never drew many walks and struggled defensively. Franco never emerged as the middle-of-the-order bat the Phils envisioned, and he’s spent the past couple seasons on low-salary deals with the Royals and Orioles, respectively.

The 29-year-old had a decent showing with K.C. during the shortened 2020 season, but he managed just a .210/.253/.355 line in a bit more than 400 plate appearances with Baltimore last year. He’ll get the Opening Day nod at third base, though, as the Nats are down both Carter Kieboom and Ehire Adrianza. Kieboom was placed on the 60-day injured list with a UCL sprain last month, while Adrianza landed on the 10-day IL today due to a left quad strain.

Arano, like Strange-Gordon and Franco, has spent the bulk of his career in the NL East. He worked to a 2.65 ERA in 74 2/3 innings with the Phillies between 2017-19, striking out a solid 26.3% of opponents with an impressive 7.6% walk rate. The right-hander missed almost all of the 2019 campaign because of elbow inflammation, and he spent 2020 at the alternate training site.

The 27-year-old Arano spent last season in the Braves organization, where he landed via waivers. Despite posting a 2.50 ERA in 36 frames with Triple-A Gwinnett, he never got a big league call and was outrighted off the 40-man roster. Arano’s typically steady production made him a solid minor league signee for a Washington team with a thin bullpen, and he’ll earn his first MLB look in three years.

Harris was expected to be a noteworthy part of that bullpen, but he’s been hit hard by injuries of late. The veteran righty missed most of last season after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in May. He recently underwent a clean-up procedure to remove scar tissue and won’t throw for three to four weeks, tweets Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Harris won’t return to an MLB mound until at least early June.

Romero is dealing with a left calf strain, per the team. The former first-round pick has only three MLB appearances to his name — all in 2020 — but he’ll accrue big league service and pay while on the IL. Romero posted a 5.31 ERA in six Double-A appearances last season but struck out a fantastic 37% of opponents.

Washington also placed Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list. That had been an inevitability for some time, as Strasburg has been dealing with lingering effects of a 2021 TOS surgery of his own. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said on 106.7 The Fan this week that Strasburg could return by the start of May but didn’t want to specify a timeline at this point (h/t to Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington).

Nationals Sign Dee Strange-Gordon To Minors Contract

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The Nationals have signed infielder Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor league contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link).  Strange-Gordon is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.

Minor league deals can be signed during the lockout, as so Strange-Gordon will now turn to Washington as the hopeful landing spot for his return to the majors.  Strange-Gordon signed minors contracts with the Reds, Brewers, Cubs, and Pirates in 2021 but none of those deals materialized into any big league playing time, thus leaving Strange-Gordon on the sidelines of a MLB season for the first time since 2010.

The 33-year-old is very familiar with the NL East, achieving some of his greatest successes over three seasons with the Marlins from 2015-17.  Strange-Gordon won the 2015 NL batting title and led the league with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases that same season, then going on to capture another stolen-base crown in 2017.

Unfortunately for Strange-Gordon, 2017 also marked his last season as a productive regular.  After being traded to the Mariners in December 2017, Strange-Gordon posted only a combined 0.2 fWAR over three seasons in Seattle, batting .266/.293/.343 for a 74 wRC+.  While still an excellent baserunner, Strange-Gordon’s difficulties in getting on base largely neutralized that skill, and he was also hampered by a position switch from second base to center field.

The Nats inked Cesar Hernandez to a one-year, $4MM free agent deal prior to the lockout, making him their leading candidate for the everyday second base job.  As Hernandez is coming off a lackluster year himself, however, Strange-Gordon represents some veteran depth at the position, not to mention a utility piece that could also chip in as a left fielder or shortstop in a pinch.  With the experienced duo of Hernandez and Alcides Escobar tentatively penciled in as Washington’s starting middle infield combo, Strange-Gordon will look to join youngsters Luis Garcia and Lucius Fox in the competition for bench roles.

Dee Strange-Gordon Elects Free Agency

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Infielder Dee Strange-Gordon has decided to opt out of his minor league deal with the Pirates, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).  The veteran signed with Pittsburgh in early July.

Strange-Gordon is still looking for his first MLB game of the 2021 campaign, which would make it 11 seasons in the Show for the 33-year-old.  Since the Mariners declined their club option on Strange-Gordon last fall, he has inked minors contracts around the NL Central, signing with the Reds, Brewers, Cubs, and now the Pirates without getting an opportunity to return to the big leagues.

Though Strange-Gordon had a few strong hitting seasons with the Dodgers and Marlins, the veteran has been best known for his speed, with 333 stolen bases (from 433 attempts) over his career.  Strange-Gordon is the active leader in stolen bases, and he swiped 22 bags as recently as the 2019 season.  He also offers versatility as an outfielder and middle infielder for any future teams that are looking for veteran depth.

Pirates Sign Dee Strange-Gordon To Minors Deal

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The Pirates have signed infielder Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor league contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).  Strange-Gordon will report to Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate.

As Passan notes, Strange-Gordon has made it almost a full circuit around the NL Central within the last five months, after previously being released from minor league deals with the Reds and Brewers, and then he opted out of a minors contract with the Cubs just yesterday.  All of this movement hasn’t resulted in any MLB playing time for Strange-Gordon, though a more clear path back to the majors might exist in the Steel City.

The Pirates have seen their infield depth considerably thinned within the last week, with Colin Moran, Erik Gonzalez, and Phillip Evans all placed on the 10-day injured list.  Gregory Polanco’s own IL stint (due to a bilateral adductor strain) has further subtracted from the position player mix, and Strange-Gordon did accumulate some outfield experience in his three seasons with the Mariners.  While the rebuilding Pirates are more prone to take a look at younger players than a veteran like Strange-Gordon, he can at least provide some depth in the event of any more injuries, or perhaps if any Pittsburgh players are moved prior to the July 30 trade deadline.

While it has been some time since Strange-Gordon was even a league-average hitter, he does offer some multi-positional versatility as a shortstop, second baseman, and outfielder.  Even as his batting declined over three seasons with Seattle, Strange-Gordon was still a threat on the basepaths, going 22-for-27 in stolen base attempts as recently as 2019.

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