Cueto signed a minor league deal with the Angels in late July and was selected to the big league roster a month later. He tossed a quality start against the Royals in his first outing as an Angel before being tagged for six runs in five innings versus Detroit in his second start. Cueto pitched a total of 11 1/3 innings for the Halos, gave up nine runs (four homers) and posted a 6-to-3 K/BB ratio. That performance came on the heels of a nice run with Triple-A Salt Lake, where he posted a 3.09 ERA and 15-to-5 K/BB ratio in four starts — a total of 23 1/3 innings. This year’s 91 mph average fastball was down from last season but not a career-low mark and not all that different from the 91.3 mph he averaged from 2018-22.

Other clubs around the league can now mull a pickup of Cueto down the stretch if they’re looking for some veteran rotation depth. He won’t be eligible for any team’s playoff roster if he signs at this point, however. It’s possible Cueto simply waits until the offseason to sign another contract — assuming he’s intent on continuing his pitching career into his age-39 season.

The 2023-24 seasons have been tough for the former All-Star. Cueto has been tagged for 6.22 ERA in 63 2/3 innings across the past two seasons, spending time with both the Marlins and Angels (in addition to a minor league run with the Rangers earlier this year). His ’23 campaign was impacted by a biceps injury that limited him to 11 starts.

As recently as 2022, Cueto was a quality big league hurler, making 24 starts for the White Sox and recording a 3.35 earned run average in 158 1/3 innings with a 15.7% strikeout rate and 5.1%  walk rate. And, of course, Cueto was one of the game’s steadiest and most-productive pitchers in his peak. From 2010-16 the right-hander piled up 1294 2/3 innings of 2.86 ERA ball, striking out 20.6% of his opponents against a 6.2% walk rate. He had three top-six Cy Young finishes, two All-Star nods and won a World Series ring with the 2015 Royals along the way. In 2256 1/3 career innings, Cueto sports a 3.52 ERA and 144-113 record.

Los Angeles called Cueto up last week. They gave him two starts, in which he surrendered nine runs over 11 1/3 innings. Cueto struck out six, walked three and gave up four home runs. He managed a quality start against the Royals in his team debut (three ER in 6 1/3 frames) before the Tigers tagged him for six runs on Tuesday.

The Angels then decided to take their first look at Dana and Aldegheri, two of the top pitching prospects in the organization. That’s a better use of the final month of a lost season than continuing to turn to a 38-year-old impending free agent. Cueto’s tenure with the Halos certainly wasn’t the most memorable, but it did mark his 17th straight year logging some amount of MLB action. Los Angeles will place Cueto on waivers in the next few days. He’ll almost certainly clear and become a free agent.

As for the injured players, Fulmer told the Halos beat that he’s headed for an MRI (X link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). The 30-year-old righty expressed confidence there’s nothing structurally awry. Marte has been on the injured list for a few weeks with a viral infection. Manager Ron Washington told reporters earlier in the week that the righty experienced shoulder soreness once he resumed a throwing program (link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). The severity of the injury isn’t clear, but his season is over.

August 20: The Angels are set to select the contract of right-hander Johnny Cueto from Triple-A Salt Lake, reports Hector Gomez of Z101 Deportes in the Dominican Republic. The Halos don’t have a starter announced for tomorrow’s game, so it seems the plan will be for the veteran Cueto to come up and take the ball. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but the Angels have a vacancy there after releasing veteran infielder Luis Guillorme over the weekend.

Cueto, 38, has pitched in Triple-A with the Rangers and Angels this season, finding a good bit more success with the latter than with the former. He’s made four starts in Salt Lake and held opponents to eight earned runs on 27 hits and five walks with 15 strikeouts through 23 1/3 frames. That comes out to a 3.09 ERA and sharp 5% walk rate — albeit against a sub-par 14.9% strikeout rate. When including his minor league work with Texas this season, Cueto has a 4.76 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. He’ll be on six days rest for tomorrow’s game, with his most recent outing having come on Aug. 14.

Assuming Cueto indeed gets the nod for the Angels, this will be the 17th consecutive season in which the two-time All-Star and 2015 World Series champion has pitched in the majors. He spent the 2023 campaign with the Marlins but struggled to a 6.02 ERA through 10 starts in a season that was wrecked by a biceps injury. As recently as 2022, the right-hander pitched 158 1/3 innings of 3.35 ERA ball with the White Sox, showing similar K-BB rates (15.7% and 5.1%) to the ones he’s logged in Triple-A this year.

Overall, Cueto has piled up 2245 big league innings and recorded a tidy 3.50 ERA along the way. He’s won 144 games against 111 losses, punched out 1851 big league opponents and appeared in a total of 368 major league games. Cueto is currently tied with Floyd Bannister and Doc White for 196th in games started at the MLB level, and he’ll jump into a tie with Ron Darling, Scott Erickson and Vern Law for 193rd if and when he takes the ball tomorrow.

The Angels recently placed Jose Soriano on the injured list due to arm fatigue and lost Patrick Sandoval to UCL surgery earlier this season. They’ve been using journeyman Carson Fulmer and rookie Jack Kochanowicz in the rotation alongside Tyler Anderson and Griffin Canning recently. Cueto will give them a veteran option to join that group, though it’s possible the Angels will want to take a look at homegrown arms like Reid Detmers or Sam Bachman down the stretch. Both have had their struggles since being optioned to Triple-A, but both pitchers also pitched excellently in their most recent outings.

Cueto, 38, is a two-time All-Star and a veteran of 16 MLB seasons. From 2010 to 2016, he was among the very best starters in the entire league with a 2.86 ERA (141 ERA+) that was second to only Clayton Kershaw among qualified starters with at least 500 innings of work during that span. As the righty entered his 30’s, injuries began to cost him more and more time on the mound, and after a dominant 2016 season in the first year of his $130MM pact with San Francisco he managed just 394 1/3 innings of work over the next five seasons, with a middling 4.38 ERA (95 ERA+) during that time.

Cueto ended up signing on with the White Sox on a minor league deal entering the 2022 season, and things appeared to be turning around for the veteran upon his arrival in Chicago. The deal could hardly have gone better for the South Siders, as the right-hander enjoyed a return to form with a 3.35 ERA (118 ERA+) and 3.79 FIP in 158 1/3 innings of work across 25 appearances (24 starts.) Those ERA, ERA+, and FIP figures were all the best Cueto had posted in a full season since his dominant 2016 campaign in San Francisco, though his career-worst 15.7% strikeout rate offered reason for concern.

That didn’t stop the Marlins from pursuing Cueto during the 2022-23 offseason, however, and they signed him to a one-year deal that guaranteed him $8.5MM that winter. It’s a contract that did not go how either side was hoping, to say the least. Cueto struggled badly with Miami during his age-37 campaign, posting an ugly 6.02 ERA with a 7.02 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of work amid trips to the injured list for biceps tightness and a viral infection. While it’s at least feasible that Cueto’s injury and illness issues last season played a role in his deep struggles, the right-hander was unable to find a big league deal this winter and eventually settled for a minor league deal in Texas back in April.

The veteran ultimately made eight starts with the Rangers at the Triple-A level, struggling to a 5.92 ERA in 38 innings of work as he did so, before opting out to return to the open market. He’ll now get a chance to prove himself with the Angels, and it’s relatively easy to imagine the pitching-hungry Halos affording Cueto a big league opportunity as long as he proves able to hold his own at Triple-A. After all, lefty Tyler Anderson and righty Griffin Canning are the club’s most established starters at the moment, and both of those arms have been the subject of plenty of trade speculation ahead of the deadline. Even if a trade doesn’t open up a spot in the club’s rotation, however, there’s plenty of room for Cueto to push his way into a mix that currently features the likes of Carson Fulmer and Jack Kochanowicz.

Cueto, 38, signed a minor league deal with the Rangers back in April. By the end of May, he had made four minor league starts, allowing five earned runs in 18 innings for a tidy ERA of 2.50. It seemed the Rangers had some interest in adding him to the roster down the line but couldn’t find space right away, so the two sides agreed to kick his opt-outs down the road to June 14 and July 1.

Since then, his results have dropped off. He’s made five starts since the start of June, with two of them being seven-run clunkers. Overall, he’s allowed 21 earned runs in 23 innings over those five most recent outings, giving him a 5.71 ERA in the minors this year.

While Cueto has struggled, the rotation in Texas has gotten more crowded. Nathan Eovaldi was reinstated from the injured list at the end of May, with Jon Gray and Max Scherzer following in the month of June, taking spots alongside Andrew Heaney and Michael Lorenzen. Those reinstatements bumped Dane Dunning and José Ureña into long relief roles despite having some decent numbers on the year.

With the combination of Cueto’s numbers and the rotation picture in Arlington, it’s understandable that the club didn’t want to add him to the roster, making this opt-out a logical next step for the righty. He’ll head to the open market and look for a better path back to the big leagues elsewhere.

Though the numbers in Triple-A haven’t been great, Cueto has a lengthy track record in the majors. He has a 3.50 ERA in over 2,000 innings dating back to his 2008 debut. The results have been shakier lately, as he’s finished three of the past five MLB seasons with an ERA above 5.00. That includes last year, when injuries limited him to 52 1/3 innings with the Marlins with a 6.02 ERA. But as recently as 2022, he tossed 158 1/3 with the White Sox while keeping his ERA down to 3.35.

The 38-year-old Cueto is looking for a rebound from last year’s rough showing in Miami, when he pitched in 13 games (10 starts) for the Marlins and posted an unsightly 6.02 ERA. The right-hander’s 17.9% strikeout rate was actually up from the prior season’s 15.7% mark but still well below average. His walk rate jumped from 5.1% with the 2022 White Sox to 6.9% last year, and despite working in a pitcher-friendly loanDepot Park setting, Cueto’s staggering 2.92 homers per nine innings were a career-worst mark (and the highest of any pitcher in MLB who tossed at least 50 innings).

Cueto has made four minor league starts with the Rangers: one at their Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona Complex League and three with Triple-A Round Rock. Combined, he’s totaled 18 innings with a 2.50 ERA, a 20.5% strikeout rate and a microscopic 2.7% walk rate (two walks, 73 batters faced). He’s also kept the ball on the ground at a hefty 55.3% clip.

It’s a tiny sample of work against lesser competition, but the results are nevertheless broadly encouraging. Texas clearly wasn’t ready to add Cueto to the big league roster just yet but presumably has interest in doing so — hence the mutual agreement to extend the opt-out window. It’s only natural for the Rangers to want to preserve the depth and perhaps take a look at Cueto sooner than later, given the mounting number of injuries among the team’s big league staff.

The Rangers entered the season knowing that Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle all faced prolonged absences. Mahle (an offseason signee) and deGrom are recovering from 2023 Tommy John surgery. Scherzer underwent back surgery in December. Texas has since lost left-hander Cody Bradford to a stress fracture in his ribcage and more recently placed Jon Gray on the 15-day injured list due to a groin strain. Right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Dane Dunning also had IL stints owing to a groin strain and shoulder strain, respectively, but both returned to the rotation in late May.

At present, the Rangers are going with a starting five that includes Eovaldi, Dunning, Michael Lorenzen, Andrew Heaney and minor league signee Jose Ureña. That quintet has delivered solid results on the whole, despite a spotty track record from Ureña and the late nature of Lorenzen’s signing with the team. However, the depth beyond those five names is suspect.

Former No. 2 overall pick Jack Leiter has pitched well in seven Triple-A appearances this season but has also been rocked for 17 earned runs through just 9 1/3 innings in his first three big league starts. He only just turned 24, so there’s plenty of time for him to figure things out, but he hasn’t looked ready for MLB opposition yet. Fellow righties Owen White and Cole Winn both ranked as top pitching prospects at one point, but neither has given ample reason to believe he can be a solution at the moment. Winn, a former No. 15 overall pick, has been moved to the bullpen and struggled in 11 MLB appearances this year. White has a 4.69 ERA in eight Triple-A starts with a lackluster 15.8% strikeout rate against a weighty 11.3% walk rate.

The Rangers’ hope is that Gray will only require a minimal stay on the injured list, thus allowing him to return in short order, but a setback for him or an injury elsewhere in the big league rotation would prove highly problematic. Keeping Cueto around gives Texas an additional option and affords the veteran righty the opportunity to continue ramping up. Cueto tossed six scoreless innings in his most recent appearance and for a second straight outing topped 80 pitches. He should be working without any pitch restrictions at this point, and it’s plenty feasible that a big league opportunity in Arlington will present itself before long.

Cueto finds a landing spot after lingering in free agency for the entire winter. It was a marked change from the previous offseason, when he found a solid $8.5MM deal from the Marlins. At that point, the right-hander was coming off a 3.35 ERA showing over 25 appearances for the White Sox. His time in Miami wasn’t nearly as productive, as he missed a good portion of the season to injury and was largely ineffective when he was able to take the mound.

The 38-year-old injured his biceps during his first start of the season. He went on the injured list and essentially missed the first half. Cueto returned around the All-Star Break but would subsequently miss another few weeks due to a viral infection. Around the IL stints, he started 10 of 13 appearances. In 52 1/3 frames, Cueto was charged with a career-worst 6.02 ERA. He surrendered 17 home runs, an average of nearly three per nine innings.

Miami paid a $2.5MM buyout in lieu of a $10.5MM option for the 2024 season. Cueto wasn’t substantively linked to any teams over the offseason, yet MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported in February that he continued to work out in hopes of prolonging his career. It took a few weeks into the regular season, but he’ll get that chance as a depth option for a Texas rotation dealing with a number of injuries.

The Rangers opened the year with each of Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle on the injured list. Left-hander Cody Bradford, who started the season as the #5 starter, recently went on the shelf with a lower back strain. Bradford’s injury isn’t thought to be especially serious. Scherzer could be back within a couple weeks, as he’s set to start a minor league rehab stint tomorrow.

Still, there’s sense for the Rangers in adding another upper minors rotation depth. Texas is currently operating with a starting five of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, Michael Lorenzen and Andrew Heaney. The latter has gotten out to a very rough start, pitching to a 6.35 ERA in 17 innings. Texas called on Jack Leiter for a spot start last week, but the former #2 pick was hit hard by the Tigers and subsequently optioned back to Triple-A.

Cueto has 16 years of big league experience. Four of those came when current Texas skipper Bruce Bochy managed him with the Giants between 2016-19. The righty was also teammates with Rangers GM Chris Young as part of the 2015 World Series team in Kansas City. Those connections surely didn’t hurt his chances of getting another opportunity with Texas. While Cueto doesn’t miss many bats at this stage of his career, he still has above-average control and the ability to work multiple innings as a starter or long reliever.

Cueto is nearing his 38th birthday, which will be on Thursday next week, and last year wasn’t a great showing for him. He signed a one-year, $8.5MM deal with the Marlins, in the form of a $6MM salary and $2.5MM buyout on a 2024 club option. The Marlins were hoping he could provide some veteran innings to their youthful staff and replace some of the workload lost by trading Pablo López to the Twins as part of the Luis Arráez deal.

Unfortunately, Cueto departed his first outing of the year after just 30 pitches due to right biceps tightness, going on the injured list in the first week of April and not returning until July. He was eventually able to get some work in and finished the year with 52 1/3 innings over 10 starts and three relief appearances, but the results weren’t pretty. He allowed 6.02 earned runs per nine frames, striking out just 17.9% of opponents and allowing 17 home runs in that brief showing.

The Fish had a $10.5MM club option over Cueto for 2024 but made the easy decision to turn that down and take the $2.5MM buyout, sending him back to the open market. Given his age and rough campaign, it would have been fair to wonder if he was hanging up his spikes but he seems to be planning on another go. The interest will obviously be low after a season like that and Cueto hasn’t been connected to any specific clubs this winter. But it’s perhaps worth pointing out that he has come back from struggles in the past.

He posted an ERA of 4.38 for the Giants from 2017 to 2021, going on the injured list in each full season of that stretch. He stayed healthy in the shortened 2020 season but had a 5.40 ERA in that campaign. Going into 2022, he was a free agent and had to settle for a minor league deal with the White Sox, though one that came with a $4.2MM salary if he cracked the big leagues. He ended up making good on that deal, tossing 158 1/3 innings for the Sox with a 3.35 ERA, parlaying that into his deal with the Marlins.

The free agent market still features plenty of arms, with big names like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery still out there, as well as guys like Mike Clevinger, Michael Lorenzen and Jakob Junis. Cueto will be part of a veteran contingent featuring guys like Hyun Jin Ryu, Rich Hill and Zack Greinke.

Cueto has appeared in parts of 16 MLB seasons to this point, having racked up 144 victories and 1,851 strikeouts while posting a 3.50 ERA in 368 games.

Cueto signed a one-year contract worth $8.5MM in guaranteed money last winter, as the Marlins saw the veteran righty as a way to add some experience and depth to an overall young rotation.  Unfortunately, the gambit didn’t pay off, as Cueto posted a 6.02 ERA while tossing only 52 1/3 innings over 13 appearances.  Right biceps tightness sent Cueto to the injured list for over the half the season, and he had a 15-day IL stint due to a viral infection at the end of August.

2024 will be Cueto’s 17th Major League season and his age-38 season, though there hasn’t been any indication that the right-hander is considering retirement.  He’ll probably have to settle for a minor league deal in the wake of his underwhelming year in Miami, but teams are forever in need of pitching, and Cueto will likely get another look to see if he has anything left in the tank.  As recently as 2022, Cueto had a 3.35 ERA in 158 1/3 innings with the White Sox, so a return to that form might be possible if he can just stay healthy.

Injuries also ruined Barnes’ season, as his 2023 campaign was prematurely ended by a hip surgery in July.  Barnes struggled to a 5.48 ERA in 21 1/3 innings prior to that IL trip.  Though a .348 BABIP and 4.35 SIERA indicated that Barnes was somewhat unlucky, he posted a below-average strikeout rate for the second consecutive season.

Between Barnes’ hip surgery, a shoulder injury in 2022, and generally a lot of up-and-down performance over the last three seasons, it was a pretty easy call for the Marlins to decline the option.  Miami acquired Barnes in a trade with the Red Sox last offseason, and Barnes’ two-year, $18.75MM deal was initially signed with the Sox back in July 2021.  Since Boston covered a good chunk of Barnes’ 2023 salary, it was a relatively risk-free move for the Marlins, especially since Richard Bleier (who went to the Sox in the trade) also didn’t pitch well last year.

Lopez’s tenure in Miami ends after a little more than two months, as the Fish acquired the righty from the Twins in late July in a one-for-one swap for Dylan Floro.  In hindsight, it was a deal that hasn’t really worked out for either club, as neither reliever recaptured their old form after donning a new uniform.  Floro has posted a 6.30 ERA over 10 innings in Minnesota, while Lopez had even greater struggles, delivering only a 9.26 ERA in 11 2/3 innings for Miami.

It was a little over a year ago that Lopez was an All-Star, by dint of his outstanding 1.68 ERA over his first 48 1/3 innings pitched of the 2022 season as a member of the Orioles.  Given Lopez’s unimpressive career track record prior to 2022, however, Baltimore saw him less as a breakout star and more as a sell-high trade chip, so the O’s moved Lopez to the Twins at last year’s trade deadline.  Speaking of trade hindsight, that swap has already become an infamous move for Twins fans, as Yennier Cano was one of the four prospects sent back to the Orioles in return for Lopez.

While the Orioles front office took some heat at the time for dealing an All-Star closer (or being deadline sellers in general) when the club was contending for a playoff spot, those criticisms have certainly diminished given Cano’s breakout and Lopez’s lack of success basically since the moment he left Camden Yards.  The O’s now hope that Lopez can rediscover some of his 2022 magic to help a bullpen trying to get by without injured closer Felix Bautista.  Lopez isn’t going to step back into a ninth-inning role, of course, but he could provide some depth behind Cano and Danny Couloumbe as the temporary late-game closing duo.  The Orioles will be using Lopez for the stretch drive alone, as he isn’t eligible for postseason play since he was acquired after September 1.

Is there hope for a Lopez bounce-back?  Unsurprisingly, his metrics have dropped off sharply in most categories from 2022 to 2023, as his big advances in strikeouts and limiting hard contact have both fallen back to earth.  Lopez threw his sinker 50.5% of the time in 2022 and got plus results, though the pitch has now become much less effective, with Lopez throwing it only 34% of the time this season.  The righty has instead increased the use of his four-seamer to pretty disastrous results, as opposing batters have been teeing off on the pitch to the tune of a .400 batting average.

Rediscovering the All-Star version of Lopez may not be as simple as a change in pitch arsenal, but the Orioles are taking a relatively inexpensive plunge in hoping that he can provide at least adequate relief.  In making the waiver claim, the O’s pick up the roughly $578K remaining on Lopez’s $3.525MM salary for 2023.  The 30-year-old is also eligible for arbitration one final time this winter, though it seems likely that he’ll be non-tendered.  The fact that the Orioles (who have one of baseball’s best records) were even able to claim Lopez is a further sign of how his star has fallen in a year’s time, as it means that just about every other team in the league passed on Lopez before he was available for Baltimore to claim.

Since Lopez surely wouldn’t have been tendered a deal from the Marlins, the move provides a bit of salary relief for the Fish as they get an early jump on some offseason business.  It also allows Cueto to return without any further roster maneuvering, as Cueto is set to start today against Washington in his first outing since August 15.  The veteran righty has been sidelined due to a viral infection that scratched him from his previous start, and eventually required a 15-day IL stint to give Cueto time to fully recover.

Gillaspie made his MLB debut in May 2022, and has since been shuttled back and forth several times between the Orioles’ big league roster and Triple-A Norfolk.  The right-hander had a 3.12 ERA over 17 1/3 innings in 2022 but only a 6.00 ERA in nine frames of action this year, and his career Triple-A line sits at a 4.90 ERA over 71 2/3 innings, with a 23.08% strikeout rate and an 8.01% walk rate.  An undrafted player who broke in with the Brewers’ farm system in 2018, Gillaspie has been a member of Baltimore’s farm system since 2021.

Before the Robertson deal, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported that adding both a starter and a reliever were Miami’s top priorities. They moved quickly on the latter front but figure to explore the rotation market over the coming days.

It’s surprising to see the Fish looking for rotation help at first glance. For a few seasons, Miami has skewed rotation-heavy and been light on offense. As a result, the Marlins dealt Pablo López to Minnesota for Luis Arraez in an effort to balance the roster.

That said, the Marlins’ rotation has been more good than exceptional in 2023. They rank 11th in starting pitching ERA, allowing 4.11 earned runs per nine innings. They’re third in strikeout rate (25.4%), 11th in walks (7.5%) and third in grounder percentage (45.9%). Starting pitching certainly hasn’t been a weakness, but it hasn’t been quite as effective as last year’s group — which ranked eighth in ERA behind a Cy Young performance from Sandy Alcantara.

Some amount of regression was probably inevitable. The López trade subtracted arguably Miami’s second-best starter. The Marlins rearranged their infield, installing Arraez at second base to push Jazz Chisholm to the outfield. They signed Jean Segura to move to third and dealt away Miguel Rojas while moving Joey Wendle to shortstop. All those transactions were designed to add offense — and the Arraez trade in particular has achieved that — but come with the expected effect of reducing the defensive efficiency behind a ground-ball heavy pitching staff.

That’s among the reasons for Alcantara’s step back, although there are myriad factors whenever a pitcher’s ERA jumps more than two runs (from 2.28 to 4.46). They’re obviously not going to displace Alcantara from the rotation, but his relative down season magnifies some of the other challenges Miami has faced.

Trevor Rogers has been on the injured list since the middle of April; a partial tear in his non-throwing shoulder leaves him with an uncertain return timetable. Free agent pickup Johnny Cueto lost a couple months to injury and was knocked around on his minor league rehab stint. Miami broke him in as a reliever before moving him back into the rotation last weekend.

Top prospect Eury Pérez has had a brilliant start to his MLB career, but he’s back in the minors temporarily as the club keeps an eye on his workload. The 20-year-old has already set a personal high with 86 2/3 innings between Double-A and the majors this season. Bryan Hoeing has gotten six starts but allowed a 6.66 ERA in 24 1/3 frames over that stretch. He’s been much better in a multi-inning relief role.

There have also been signs of promise, of course. Jesús Luzardo has taken another step forward and looks like a #2 caliber starter. Braxton Garrett, who opened the season in the minors, has stepped up with a 4.32 ERA and above-average peripherals through 100 innings. Edward Cabrera is missing plenty of bats and racking up grounders, though he’s walking over 14% of opponents and has an ERA approaching 5.00.

Miami has plenty of high-upside arms who are capable of starting a playoff game if they play into October. They don’t need to shop at the top of the rotation market. There’s some sense in adding a stable back-end starter to ease the workload on some of Miami’s younger arms — in effect playing the role the Marlins envisioned from Cueto when they signed him in January.

While rotation help now seems to be the front office’s priority, Ng and her group will also certainly remain on the lookout for ways to add to the lineup. They’ve been loosely linked to Jeimer Candelario and Tim Anderson within the past week. Rosenthal writes that Miami made a run at first baseman Carlos Santana before the Pirates dealt him to Milwaukee. The Marlins should have a few irons in the fire over the next few days as a somewhat surprising entrant into the rotation market.

The Marlins signed Cueto, 37, in the offseason to a one-year, $8.5MM deal, which came in the form of a $6MM salary this year and a $2.5MM buyout on a $10.5MM club option for 2024. That deal came on the heels of a strong 2022 campaign wherein Cueto tossed 158 1/3 innings for the White Sox with a 3.35 ERA. The move initially seeded somewhat curious since the Fish already had a stacked rotation, but it was just over a week later that they flipped Pablo López and a couple of prospect to the Twins in exchange for Luis Arraez.

Cueto opened the season in the club’s rotation alongside Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera and Trevor Rogers. However, he left his first start after recording just three outs due to right biceps tightness. He started a rehab assignment in early May, though that was shut down after just one appearance. Rehab assignments come with a 30-day maximum for pitchers, though they are sometimes halted due to renewed soreness or a new injury. He started a second assignment June 11 and the 30 days of that are now up, which prompted today’s moves.

However, it seems Cueto won’t be returned to the rotation, as mentioned above. In the 26 2/3 innings he’s thrown on his most recent rehab assignment, he allowed 27 earned runs, leading to a 9.11 ERA. He struck out just 11.1% of batters faced in that time. Reading the stat line on rehab assignments can be misleading, as pitchers might be more focused on mechanics and velocity as opposed to results. But it’s telling that the Marlins evidently aren’t willing to slot him back into the rotation.

Since Cueto’s been gone, there have been a few changes in the club’s starting mix. Cabrera and Rogers are each on the injured list as well, though Cabrera was recently sent out on a rehab assignment and could be an option shortly after the All-Star break. With those injuries, the club has given opportunities to pitchers like Braxton Garrett and Bryan Hoeing. Garrett has a 3.70 ERA while Hoeing is at 4.54.

Another wild card in this deck is Eury Pérez. The 20-year-old rookie came into the year as one of the top prospects in the league and has delivered on that hype as the Marlins were dealing with those injuries. He posted a 2.36 ERA through his first 11 starts but the club recently optioned him to the minors on account of workload concerns. Since he’s already set a personal high for innings pitched in a season, they want to tap the brakes a bit and save some gas for later in the year and perhaps the postseason.

With Rogers on the shelf and Pérez on ice, it seems the club will proceed with a rotation core of Alcantara, Luzardo, Garrett and Hoeing for now, with Cabrera perhaps joining them just over the horizon, leaving Cueto in the bullpen for the time being. He could perhaps rejoin the rotation down the line if another injury pops up, though it will perhaps depend on the timing with the return of Pérez presumably coming at some point.

As for Davis, it’s not a shock to see him wind up on the 60-day IL. He recently required meniscus surgery and is expected to miss the next three to six months. This move means he will be ineligible to return until early September, which wasn’t in the cards anyway.

With the youngster on such an impressive run of late, one might assume that the Marlins plan to continue riding the wave of Perez’s success as the club attempts to parlay a solid start to the season into a playoff appearance. After all, Miami’s 43-34 record leaves them in second place in their division and firmly in the NL wild card picture alongside the Giants and Dodgers. According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, however, the plan might not be that simple. While Mish notes that Perez is expected to make at least two more starts, one tomorrow against the Pirates and the other next weekend against the Braves, he also notes that pumping the brakes on Perez from then until after the All Star break is “something [that’s] under consideration.”

Mish’s report comes on the heels of him noting earlier this month that the Marlins were planning to “slow down” Perez in order to manage his innings and hopefully leave him healthy and available for the end of the 2023 campaign and a potential postseason run. Perez has already thrown 72 innings between Double-A and the majors this season despite the fact that he’s never thrown more than 77 innings in a season during his professional career. With Perez’s arm quickly heading toward uncharted territory, it’s somewhat understandable for Miami to exercise caution with their young phenom, even as the club is in the middle of a surprisingly competitive season.

Should Perez indeed take a seat for a few turns through the rotation, the Marlins will have to find another starter to line up alongside Sandy Alcantara, Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, and Bryan Hoeing. Miami’s rotation depth has been tested significantly throughout the season, with each of Edward Cabrera, Johnny Cueto, and Trevor Rogers currently on the injured list. The club has indicated that Cabrera’s stay on the IL is expected to be a brief one, though, and Cueto is also progressing towards a return (as noted by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald) after his third rehab start at the Triple-A level on Thursday.

Rogers, on the other hand, is not expected back any time soon. Per McPherson, the left-hander is dealing with a partial tear in his right lat, an ailment Rogers himself tells reporters is rather rare for left-handed pitchers. On a more optimistic note, Rogers notes that he believes he’ll be able to avoid surgery, and that he’s currently hoping to have more clarity on when he can resume throwing following the All Star break. Rogers, of course, impressed in 2021 with a 2.64 ERA in 133 innings of work en route to the first All Star appearance of his career. The lefty hasn’t measured up to that career year since then, however, with a 5.26 ERA and 4.32 FIP in 27 starts since the start of the 2022 campaign.

McPherson also discussed the timetable for center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s return to action, which manager Skip Schumaker told reporters could come as soon as the club’s upcoming road trip through Boston and Atlanta, which is set to start on Tuesday. It’s been a mixed year for Chisholm so far, as the 25 year old has slashed just .229/.291/.403 coming off an All Star appearance in 2022. That performance is good for a wRC+ of just 90, 10% below league average. On the other hand, the youngster has taken to his new and difficult defensive position admirably despite his lack of experience; his +3 OAA in center field ranks in the 86th percentile of all fielders this season despite Chisholm having played just 39 games.

Over the past few days, we’ve looked at the NL West and NL Central. Closing out the Senior Circuit:

Atlanta Braves

• Charlie Morton: $20MM team option (no buyout)

The Braves and Morton have had a productive relationship for the past few years. He’s signed a series of successive one-year contracts and served as an effective mid-rotation presence. A home run spike resulted in a 4.34 ERA last season but the Braves remained confident in Morton’s still-strong velocity and strikeout and walk numbers. They’ve gotten exactly what they’ve expected from the 39-year-old. He has a 3.59 ERA with a solid 24.5% strikeout rate and is still averaging north of 95 MPH on his fastball. If Morton maintains this form for a full season and wants to continue playing, it stands to reason Atlanta would have interest in bringing him back.

• Eddie Rosario: $9MM team option (no buyout)

Rosario re-signed on a two-year contract after his 2021 postseason heroics helped Atlanta to a title. He’s always been a streaky performer, however, and the past two seasons haven’t been effective. Rosario hit just .212/.259/.328 in 80 games last year. There was some hope a corrective eye surgery could enable a bounceback but he’s only been slightly better in 2023. Rosario carries a .239/.269/.405 line in 171 trips to the plate. The Braves could pursue left field upgrades via trade this summer and are likely to cut Rosario loose at the end of the season.

• Travis d’Arnaud: $8MM team option (no buyout)

d’Arnaud has been a quality catcher for Atlanta for the past few seasons. Last year’s .268/.319/.472 showing didn’t stop the Braves from a blockbuster acquisition of Sean Murphy, who is playing at a down-ballot MVP pace through two months. That pushed d’Arnaud into a backup/designated hitter role for which he’s arguably overqualified.

A concussion has limited d’Arnaud to 17 games thus far. He’s hitting .297/.318/.406 over 66 trips to the plate. An $8MM price point is solid value if the veteran continues to perform at his recent levels. Even with Murphy entrenched as Atlanta’s franchise backstop, the Braves were comfortable keeping d’Arnaud around as a highly-priced #2 option. They could do so again in 2024 or exercise the option and look to trade him this winter, as the Brewers did with second baseman Kolten Wong last offseason.

• Collin McHugh: $6MM team option ($1MM buyout)

McHugh inked a two-year free agent deal over the 2021-22 offseason. He was brilliant in year one, throwing 69 1/3 innings of 2.60 ERA ball with a 27.6% strikeout rate. He hasn’t come close to that form through this season’s first couple months. McHugh’s 3.54 ERA through 20 1/3 frames is respectable, but he’s punched out a meager 11.6% of opponents against a personal-worst 10.5% walk rate. The option price isn’t exorbitant and McHugh could yet pitch his way into it being exercised. He’ll need to miss more bats, though.

• Kirby Yates: $5.75MM team option ($1.25MM buyout)

It’s a somewhat similar story with Yates. He signed a buy-low free agent deal in the middle of a Tommy John rehab during the 2021-22 offseason. Yates made a brief return late last season but hasn’t gotten an extended stretch of action until 2023. He’s missing bats on a solid 12.7% of his offerings and has an above-average 29.1% strikeout rate.

The righty’s control hasn’t come back yet, however. He’s walked 17.4% of opposing hitters and is relying on a .214 batting average on balls in play to keep his ERA at 3.26. Whether he can dial in the strike-throwing as he gets more reps probably determines if the Braves keep him around on a net $4.5MM decision.

Miami Marlins

• Johnny Cueto: $10.5MM team option ($2.5MM buyout)

Cueto signed an $8.5MM guarantee with Miami on the heels of a bounceback showing with the White Sox. It was an odd fit on a Marlins club with ample rotation depth and it hasn’t yet panned out. The 37-year-old got through just one inning in his season debut before suffering a biceps injury. He subsequently sprained his left ankle while on a minor league rehab stint and is on the 60-day injured list. Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald relayed on Tuesday that he’s up to 40 pitches in a bullpen session. A return probably isn’t too far off, but Cueto hasn’t made an impact thus far.

• Matt Barnes: $8MM team option ($2.25MM buyout)

Miami acquired Barnes from the Red Sox in a change-of-scenery swap for Richard Bleier at the end of January. He’s off to a fine but not overwhelming start in his new environs. Over 21 innings, the righty reliever has a 3.43 ERA with near-average strikeout and walk numbers. His average fastball velocity is at a career-low 93.3 MPH, though, and he’s only getting swinging strikes at an 8% clip. Barnes looks more like a competent middle reliever than an All-Star closer at this stage of his career. The $5.75MM gap between the option value and the buyout price will probably prove a little too much for the Marlins.

New York Mets

• Mark Canha: $11.5MM team option ($2MM buyout)

Canha had a productive first season in Queens after signing a two-year free agent deal. He hit .266/.367/.403 over 542 plate appearances last year. He’s been off to a slower start in 2023, posting a .242/.324/.386 line with four homers — a league average performance by measure of wRC+. Canha picked things up in May after a tough April and still holds an everyday corner outfield role, although he’s increasingly hitting at the bottom of the lineup.

The $9.5MM gap between the option value and the buyout isn’t a huge price to pay for a solid everyday outfielder. That’s especially true for the Mets. This one remains to be determined based on Canha’s summer performance.

• Eduardo Escobar: $9MM team option ($500K buyout)

Escobar was another two-year signee just prior to the lockout. He was coming off a 28-homer showing in 2021 and has some defensive flexibility. Escobar has hit at a roughly league average level as a Met, showing his typical blend of above-average power with low walk totals. That includes a .244/.289/.433 showing over 98 plate appearances this year.

Brett Baty has taken over the primary third base job, pushing Escobar into a depth role off the bench. He’s a solid utility option and by all accounts a beloved clubhouse presence but the net $8.5MM call is likely pricey for a player in that kind of role.

• Brooks Raley: $6.5MM team option ($1.25MM buyout)

Acquired from the Rays over the offseason, Raley has been a solid situational bullpen arm in Queens. He owns a 2.95 ERA over 18 1/3 innings with better than average strikeout and walk numbers (25.6% and 7.7%, respectively). Raley doesn’t throw especially hard but he misses bats at a league average clip. He’s been hit around by left-handed hitters in a small sample this year but kept them to a .155/.200/.282 line in 76 plate appearances in 2022. The $4.25MM call is a reasonable price point for an effective middle innings arm. If Raley keeps up this pace, there’s a decent chance the Mets bring him back.

Note: Víctor Robles and Jon Berti each signed arbitration contracts that contained 2024 club options. They’d remain eligible for arbitration next season even if the options are declined and have accordingly been excluded from this list.

Davis, 31, was acquired from the Tigers in a trade just yesterday and will immediately jump onto Miami’s roster. After signing a minor league deal with the Tigers this winter, he had hit .258/.336/.516 in 141 Triple-A appearances before the deal, launching five home runs and stealing five bases.

He has appeared in the five previous major league seasons as a part-time player, getting into 171 contests over those five campaigns. He’s hit just .185/.291/.245 in that time but swiped 18 bags and his defense has been worth eight Outs Above Average.

The Marlins have been dealing with some challenges in their outfield of late, with each of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Avisaíl García and Jesús Sánchez are on the injured list. They’ve also gotten some tepid offensive production from players like Garrett Hampson as well as Burdick, who is slashing just .182/.270/.333 through 37 plate appearances so far this year. He has a far better .293/.381/.636 in Triple-A this year but hasn’t been able to translate it to the big leagues. He’ll now head back to the farm for some more work down there.

As for Cueto, 37, he was placed on the injured list with right biceps tightness after lasting just one inning in his first start of the year. He has recently been playing catch, per McPherson, but has yet to begin a rehab assignment. He’ll now be officially ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which was April 4. That means he can’t return prior to June 3 but that didn’t seem to be a likely outcome anyhow. Once he’s healthy, he’ll need a few weeks to ramp back up to a full starter’s workload, essentially redoing his Spring Training.

It’s certainly not the ideal outcome that the Marlins had hoped for when signing Cueto to a one-year, $8.5MM deal this winter, though their rotation is in decent shape without him. They recently called up top prospect Eury Pérez to join Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera and Braxton Garrett. That keeps them in good form for the time being, but Cueto’s absence will mean they have one less depth option on hand. The Marlins have a $10.5MM club option for 2024 with a $2.5MM buyout, making it a net $8 decision.