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Kevan Smith

Rays Reinstate Kevan Smith From Injured List, Option Daniel Robertson

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TODAY: After just one day, Smith has been reinstated from the IL and Robertson has been optioned back to the Rays’ minor league training site.  Manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin and other media members that Smith’s second COVID-19 test came back negative, and thus the catcher was cleared to take the field.

AUGUST 1: The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled infielder Daniel Robertson just a couple days after sending him to their alternate training site. Catcher Kevan Smith was placed on the injured list, per the team.

Smith, 32, has been suffering from cold symptoms, prompting some coronavirus concern, though he’s tested negative, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Given his symptoms, he will need a second negative test before being cleared to return to the team. Smith has served as a defensive replacement early this season, catching 5 innings over the course of three appearances with just a lone plate appearance.

Mike Zunino and Michael Perez are the other catchers currently on the Rays active roster. Ronaldo Hernandez, Rene Pinto, and Brett Sullivan are the other backstops in Tampa’s 60 player pool. Assuming the veteran receiver gets his second negative test and returns to normal health, Smith shouldn’t be away from the team for long.

Robertson has not yet made an appearance this season, though he’s been a steady utility presence for the Rays the past three seasons. The 26-year-old right-hander splits his time evenly between second, third, and short with occasional emergency spells in the outfield. His usefulness to the Rays is in his utility. Inconsistent results at the plate have kept him from a regular role. An 11.6 BB% suggests a sound approach at the plate, though his career strikeouts rate (25.2%) is a little higher than would be ideal. The bigger issue with Robertston would appear to be a shortage of pop (career .122 ISO).

In other Tampa news, highly-touted two-way player Brendan McKay has returned to the club’s alternate training site after previously testing positive for COVID-19, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He will need multiple weeks to get ready.

Rays’ Colin Poche Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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JULY 30: Poche has indeed undergone Tommy John surgery, the Rays announced.

JULY 21: Rays lefty Colin Poche has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and will miss the 2020 season, the team announced. Tommy John surgery has been recommended for the 26-year-old Poche, who has been placed on the 45-day injured list. Tampa Bay selected veteran catcher Kevan Smith to the big league roster in a corresponding move.

The loss of Poche is a tough blow for the Tampa Bay bullpen. While last season’s 4.70 ERA doesn’t exactly stand out as an impressive mark. Poche’s secondary numbers were all considerably better. The southpaw averaged 12.5 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings pitched with a 4.08 FIP in 51 2/3 frames.

In spite of that unsightly ERA, Poche overwhelmed both left- and right-handed hitters, yielding just a .167/.276/.348 slash to lefties and a .190/.277/.388 line to righties. A 67.6 percent strand rate that was vastly worse than his career mark in the minors, and Statcast pegged Poche in the 91st percentile or better in terms of swinging-strike rate and his opponents’ expected batting average, slugging percentage and weight on-base average. A breakout season for the talented lefty seemed eminently possible, but he could now be sidelined into late 2021 — if not all the way into the 2022 season.

Poche will get a year of service time in 2020 as he rehabs on the 45-day IL, and he’ll need to be placed on the 60-day IL to open the 2021 season as well. If he is indeed out until 2022, he may be arbitration-eligible as a Super Two player by the time he’s able to return to the mound, although with 114 days under his belt at the moment, he’d be a very borderline case for Super Two status.

As for the 32-year-old Smith, he’ll likely make the club’s roster as a backup catcher. Smith has seen time in each of the past four seasons — 2016-18 with the White Sox and 2019 with the Angels — hitting a combined .272/.318/.381 along the way. That’s pretty solid production from behind the plate, but Smith also owns a woeful 14 percent caught stealing rate and has posted sub-par framing numbers as well.

Quick Hits: Howard, International Prospects, Smith, Pirates

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A shortened 2020 season would make Spencer Howard a larger factor in the Phillies’ plans, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Since Howard threw only 71 minor league innings in 2019 due to shoulder problems and was shut down at midseason, the Phils were going to ease him back into action this year under an innings limit at both the minor league and (if all things progressed well) Major League levels.  If the 2020 season ends up being something of an abbreviated sprint, however, the right-handed prospect could end up pitching for Philadelphia as early as the new Opening Day, working in a starting or relief role and still potentially not approaching an innings cap that Lauber estimates could be around 130 frames of work.

A few more items as we kick off Sunday…

  • Baseball America’s Ben Badler (subscription required) looks at five prospects who are lined up to join Major League teams when the international signing window opens on July 2.  The Padres, Brewers, Braves, Indians, and Rangers have already been respectively connected to each of the five youngsters, with Atlanta and Cleveland each prepared to give out bonuses in the $1MM range.
  • Fraidel Liriano, another shortstop from the Dominican Republic, is expected to land the largest bonus of the quintet, as Badler writes that the Rangers will give Liriano around $1.5MM.  Liriano could eventually wind up at third base or second base rather than shortstop, though some scouts were intrigued by his hitting potential, with Liriano’s “strong hands and quick wrists, producing whippy bat speed.”
  • Twelve teams contacted Kevan Smith during the catcher’s free agent stint this winter, Smith tells John Perrotto of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, though he was surprised to be on the open market at all.  The Angels non-tendered Smith rather than go through the arbitration process with him (MLBTR projected Smith to earn a $1.3MM salary in 2020), a decision that left Smith feeling “pretty stunned…I thought I was on solid footing there.”  Smith ended up signing a minor league deal with the Rays after surveying his options, saying, “You start looking around and see what’s going to be your best opportunity and what team you’re most comfortable with.  You pick and choose, and it comes down to who’s the most interested.  I definitely felt the Rays wanted me to be here.”  Playing in Tampa Bay also brings Smith to the East Coast and at least a bit closer to his home in Pennsylvania, though the Pittsburgh native said he didn’t hear from the Pirates this winter, despite the Bucs’ need for catching.

Rays, Kevan Smith Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have signed free-agent catcher Kevan Smith to a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, per MLBTR owner Tim Dierkes. Smith is represented by Fusion Sports Agency.

Smith, 31, spent the 2019 season with the Angels, appearing in 67 games with the club. He posted a solid .251/.318/.393 batting line, which is especially respectable compared to the collective lack of offense from the catcher position. He slugged five homers in 251 plate appearances, and he owns a career 89 OPS+, not bad for his position group. The Angels non-tendered Smith in December after coming over from the White Sox as a waiver claim in 2018. However, he’s regarded as a below-average defender behind the plate and has consistently graded as a poor framing catcher.

Smith will join a Tampa catching mix that has an established starter in Mike Zunino. The former is in line for the bulk of the playing time, and he’s joined on the 40-man roster by Michael Perez and rising prospect Ronaldo Hernandez. Smith will have to compete with that pair, but even if he’s unable to break camp with the club, Smith can no doubt serve as a solid depth option in the upper minors.

Angels Non-Tender Kevan Smith

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The Angels will not tender a contract to backstop Kevan Smith, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz projected him to earn $1.3MM through the arbitration process.

Smith is said to be the only remaining arb-eligible Halos player who won’t receive a contract tender tonight. That suggests the club will retain backstop Max Stassi, who’ll presumably serve as the backup to an as-yet-unknown primary catcher once he has recovered from hip surgery.

Last year, after coming over from the White Sox in a waiver claim, Smith turned in a .251/.318/.393 batting line in 211 plate appearances. He has a history of decent offensive production, but hasn’t graded well as a framer and evidently didn’t impress enough overall with the glove to keep his spot in Anaheim.

Kevan Smith Changes Agencies

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Angels’ catcher Kevan Smith has changed agencies and will now be represented by Bryan Hamper of Fusion Sports Agency, MLBTR has learned. Smith, 31, entered the affiliated ranks as a seventh-round pick of the White Sox, with whom he spent the first eight seasons of his pro career. He made his way to the Angels via waivers after the 2018 season and totaled 211 plate appearances last year. Smith’s .251/.318/.393 line was strong for a catcher, although he hasn’t rated well as a pitch framer in his career.

Smith currently sits atop an uncertain catching mix in Anaheim. He’s eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects Smith to take home a $1.3MM salary. He’ll be eligible for arbitration twice more and is on track to reach free agency after 2022.

Smith’s change in representation will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agent info on thousands of Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions within, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Zack Cozart To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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6:05pm: GM Billy Eppler says that Cozart will not return to action this year, as J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group was among those to tweet. The club is reinstating backstop Kevan Smith from the IL to take the place of injured catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

4:55pm: The Angels announced today that infielder Zack Cozart will undergo an “arthroscopic debridement of his left shoulder.” He has been shifted to the 60-day injured list, making roster space for today’s earlier transactions.

It’s not clear at the moment just what the expectations are moving forward for Cozart, whose tenure in Los Angeles has been an unmitigated disaster. There is no indication at present whether he will attempt to return later this season, though there does not appear to be much cause for optimism at this point.

Cozart had already been out for about a month when he revealed that his attempt to return without surgery had stalled out. After a few more weeks of waiting, he’ll now go under the knife. His three-year, $38MM contract expires at the end of the 2020 campaign.

When they signed him, the Halos hoped that Cozart would team with Andrelton Simmons on the left side of the infield to form an outstanding defensive and solid offensive pairing. Instead, Cozart has struggled to stay on the field and performed miserably when he has been able to suit up. The 33-year-old owns a meager .190/.261/.296 batting line in his 360 plate appearances in Anaheim.

Angels Select Dustin Garneau, Place Kevan Smith On 10-Day IL

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The Angels have selected the contract of catcher Dustin Garneau from Triple-A, the team announced today.  Garneau will take over the backup catching role from Kevan Smith, who will hit the 10-day injured list due to a metacarpal strain in his left hand.  Garneau will take the 40-man spot left open after Cody Allen was released on Tuesday; the Halos officially confirmed that release today.

This is the second time in a month that Garneau replaced an injured Smith, as the Angels made the same move in late May after Smith was placed on the seven-day concussion IL.  Garneau was subsequently DFA’ed and then outrighted off Los Angeles’ 40-man roster after Smith returned.  Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Garneau has appeared in seven games for the Halos this season, hitting .250/.455/.313 over 22 PA.

Smith has swung an even mightier bat, with a .296/.387/.469 slash line over 93 plate appearances.  While Smith posted roughly league-average production over 187 PA with the White Sox in 2018, his rather unexpected offensive outburst this year has been a boon for the Angels, who gave Smith more playing time as Jonathan Lucroy continued to scuffle at the plate.

Angels Reinstate Kevan Smith, Designate Dustin Garneau

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The Angels have announced that backstop Kevan Smith is back from the concussion injured list. To create space on the active roster, the team designated catcher Dustin Garneau for assignment.

That move also freed up a 40-man spot to make way for the team to bring up infielder Wilfredo Tovar. The final active roster space was created by optioning righty Jaime Barria.

Garneau, 31, will either end up landing elsewhere or back at Sale Lake City. He got on base at a healthy clip over his seven-game showing and was slashing .247/.368/.589 in 87 Triple-A plate appearances before his promotion. He has at times posted strong offensive numbers in the upper minors, but carries only a .198/.282/.321 slash in 302 trips to the dish over five seasons of action at the game’s highest level.

Injury Updates: Sabathia, Gregorius, Peralta, Smith

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The latest on some injured list situations from around baseball…

  • C.C. Sabathia is lined up to start for the Yankees on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link) and other reporters.  Sabathia was placed on the IL on May 23 due to right knee inflammation, and it ended up being both a short absence, and a fairly standard one for a veteran player with a long history of knee surgeries.  Boone noted that Sabathia threw a bullpen session today, so all systems seem to be a go for the left-hander’s 547th career start.  Sabathia has a 3.48 ERA, 7.4 K/9, and 2.00 K/BB rate over 41 1/3 innings for New York this season.
  • Boone also gave Hoch and other media members an update on Didi Gregorius, saying that the shortstop could return during the Yankees’ upcoming road trip to Toronto and Cleveland from June 4th-9th.  Gregorius has yet to play a full nine innings at shortstop in consecutive games, which Boone noted is an important step in his Tommy John rehab process.
  • Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta hit the IL on May 24 with shoulder inflammation, and manager Torey Lovullo implied to reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Peralta is likely to miss more than the minimum 10 days.  While an early return isn’t totally out of the question, Lovullo said Peralta has yet to begin baseball activities.  The struggling D’Backs are certainly hoping Peralta is able to get back to action as soon as possible, given his .309/.357/.524 slash line through 207 PA this season.
  • Kevan Smith is also looking at a lengthier stay on the injured list, as the Angels catcher had some concussion symptoms return this week, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweets.  Smith was placed on the seven-day concussion IL on May 22 and had begun to take part in baseball activities, though he had been shut down for the last few days.  DiGiovanna notes that Smith will be sidelined at least until June 4, when the Angels begin an eight-game homestand, though that timeline is far from certain given the unpredictable nature of concussions.
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