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National League Non-Tenders

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With revenue losses expected to result in reduced payrolls around baseball, a larger number of players than usual are expected to be let go by their current teams by tonight’s 7pm CT non-tender deadline.  Some of these players could end up re-signing with their teams for salaries below what they were projected (by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) to earn through the arbitration process, or teams could end up simply opting to explore other options…with many of those options arriving on the market through this same non-tender process.

You can track all of the arbitration and non-tender activity here, and we’ll also run through the list of National League players who have been let go in this post.

Earlier Non-Tenders

  • The Cardinals non-tendered righty John Brebbia and outfielder Rangel Ravelo, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets. Brebbia had played a significant role in the St. Louis pen for his first three MLB campaigns but is still recovering from mid-2020 Tommy John surgery.
  • Right-handed reliever Clay Holmes has been non-tendered by the Pirates, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to cover on Twitter. The 27-year-old hurler made it into just one MLB contest in 2020 owing to a forearm injury.
  • The Marlins have decided not to tender a contract to righty Ryne Stanek, Craig Mish of Sports Grid first tweeted. He joins fellow right-hander Jose Urena in departing via non-tender. (Urena had already been designated for assignment.) Stanek, 29, struggled with the free pass in limited action this year but has been a quality, high-strikeout arm in the past and could be an interesting name to watch on the open market.
  • In addition to Shreve, the Mets announced the non-tenders of righties Ariel Jurado, Paul Sewald, and Nick Tropeano.
  • The Mets will not tender a contract to left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve, Robert Murray of FanSided tweets. Shreve performed reasonably well in 2020, logging a 3.96 ERA/3.99 FIP with 12.24 K/9 and 4.32 BB/9 in 25 innings, but the Mets will nonetheless move on instead of paying him around $1MM in arbitration.
  • The Padres won’t tender a contract to infielder Greg Garcia, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Garcia, 31, posted a woeful .200/.279/.250 batting line in 2020, albeit in a tiny sample of 71 plate appearances. In parts of two seasons with the Friars, he slashed .240/.351/.337, but the team opted not to give him a raise on last year’s $1.5MM salary.
  • The Reds have non-tendered outfielder Brian Goodwin, he announced on Twitter (hat tip to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). Goodwin, whom the Reds acquired from the Angels over the summer, slashed .215/.299/.417 with six home runs and five stolen bases over 164 plate appearances between the teams in 2020. He was due to earn a projected $2.7MM to $3.6MM in arbitration.
  • The Cubs have told Jose Martinez he isn’t being tendered a contract, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reports (Twitter link).  Acquired from the Rays in a deadline deal, Martinez went hitless over 22 plate appearances with Chicago, only reaching base once on a walk.  The 32-year-old mashed for the Cardinals from 2016-18, but delivered closer to league-average production in 2019 with St. Louis and with the Rays last season prior to the trade.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/30/20

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Rounding up some minor moves around the game:

  • Royals left-hander Mike Montgomery and right-hander Kevin McCarthy cleared outright waivers and have elected free agency, reports Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link). Montgomery, 31, was limited to 5.1 innings in 2020 due to a lat injury, derailing his chance of cementing himself in the Kansas City rotation. McCarthy was an oft-used bullpen piece in 2019 but only got into five games last season. Additionally, Kansas City claimed righty Carlos Sanabria off waivers from the Astros, per Flanagan (Twitter link). The 23-year-old reliever performed well in the high minors in 2019 and made his MLB debut in this year.
  • The Twins claimed right-hander Ian Gibaut off waivers from the Rangers, per an announcement from Texas. The 26-year-old pitched to just a 6.57 ERA in 12.1 innings this year but was once a well-regarded relief prospect. He comes with one option year remaining. Fellow Texas righty Luke Farrell cleared outright waivers.
  • The Twins also claimed left-hander Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Pirates, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter link). Additionally, Pirates’ catchers John Ryan Murphy and Luke Maile, utilityman Kevin Kramer, right-hander Yacksel Rios and outfielder Jason Martin all cleared outright waivers, per an announcement from Pittsburgh.
  • The Mets claimed right-hander Nick Tropeano off waivers from the Pirates, per an announcement from Pittsburgh. The 30-year-old pitched in seven games with a 1.15 ERA for the Pirates in 2020. He’s projected for a salary just under $1MM in arbitration.
  • The Nationals announced they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Steven Fuentes. The 23-year-old pitched to a 2.69 ERA/2.24 FIP in 63.2 Double-A innings in 2019 and would’ve been eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter. Baseball America ranks Fuentes the #27 prospect in the Washington system.
  • The Cubs announced that they have claimed infielder Max Schrock via waivers from the rival Cardinals. Chicago also outrighted lefty Rex Brothers to Triple-A Iowa. Schrock picked up just 17 plate appearances for St. Louis in 2020 and collected three hits (two singles and a homer). Brothers, 32, threw only 3.1 innings with the Cubs and allowed three earned runs.
  • Speaking of the Cardinals, they announced outright assignments for righty Nabil Crismatt and lefty Ricardo Sanchez. Crismatt was successful for the Cardinals in 2020, notching 8.1 frames of three-run ball with eight strikeouts and one walk. Sanchez had some difficulty across 5.1 innings, though, as he gave up four earned runs and issued five walks.

Pirates Claim Nick Tropeano

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The Pirates announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Nick Tropeano off waivers from the Yankees, who had designated him for assignment over the weekend. Tropeano has been optioned to the Pirates’ alternate training site.

Tropeano, 30 this month, has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, compiling a 4.51 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.57 HR/9. He was at one point a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Astros and Angels organizations, but injuries have slowed his career. Tropeanos had Tommy John surgery that cost him all of the 2017 season, and he has since battled shoulder and elbow troubles that have limited him to 182 innings between the minors and big leagues.

Last season, Tropeano was hit hard in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League , posting a 5.87 ERA in 79 2/3 frames. Offense was elevated in that already hitter-friendly league, however, just as it was in the Majors thanks to alterations to the ball’s composition. Prior to last year’s ugly results, Tropeano had a career 3.67 ERA in 223 Triple-A frames. He’ll give the Bucs some depth for their rotation and a possible long relief option.

Yankees Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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The Yankees have announced five roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader with the Rays.  Catcher Erik Kratz joins the active roster after signing a Major League contract with the team, and Kratz will take the place of catcher Kyle Higashioka, who is headed to the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 6) due to a right oblique strain.  The Yankees also brought up infielder Thairo Estrada from their alternate training camp and named righty Albert Abreu as their extra 29th man for the double-header.  Right-hander Nick Tropeano has also been designated for assignment to create roster space for Estrada.

Given that even minor oblique injuries usually take a couple of weeks of recovery time, Higashioka could potentially be in danger of missing the rest of the 2020 season if he has suffered anything beyond a low-level strain.  Any sort of IL stint is a tough blow to Higashioka, who was slated for a larger role as New York’s backup catcher behind Gary Sanchez when Austin Romine departed for the Tigers in the offseason.

Higashioka’s absence opens the door for Kratz to play in his 11th MLB season.  The veteran signed another minors deal with the Yankees over the offseason, his third such deal in less than three years’ time, though Kratz’s total official tenure in the pinstripes consists of only four games in 2017.  Mostly working as a part-timer throughout his career, Kratz will back up Sanchez as New York is now suddenly rather short at catcher if Higashioka is indeed facing a lengthy absence.  Josh Thole and Max McDowell are the other catching options within the 60-man player pool, as Chris Iannetta was placed on the restricted list yesterday and could be retiring.

It wasn’t long ago that Abreu was one of the most intriguing prospects in baseball, drawing top-100 attention prior to the 2017 season and even a placement in the 100th position on Baseball Prospectus minor league rankings before the 2018 season.  Coming from the Astros as part of the November 2016 trade that sent Brian McCann to Houston, Abreu has yet to truly distinguish himself over three seasons in New York’s farm system, with injuries also hampering his progress.  Abreu has a 3.77 ERA, 2.11 K/BB rate, and 9.1 K/9 over 439 minor league frames, though none above the Double-A level.

MLB.com’s scouting report says “all three of Abreu’s pitches can grade as well above average,” as his repertoire includes an upper-90s fastball, a “power slurve,” and an interesting changeup.  Depending on his health, Abreu’s future could be in the bullpen rather than in the starting rotation, and the Yankees are likely to use him as a reliever in his first taste of Major League action.  It also isn’t certain if Abreu could just be getting a cup of coffee due to the expanded doubleheader roster, or if the Yankees have an eye towards seeing if he can contribute in a larger role throughout the season.

Tropeano’s contract was only selected on Thursday, so his tenure with the Bronx Bombers could possibly end without ever appearing in an official game.  Tropeano signed a minor league deal back in January, coming to New York in the wake of a rough 2019 that saw him post a 9.88 over 13 2/3 IP with the Angels and also struggle significantly at Triple-A ball.

Yankees Select Nick Tropeano

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The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Nick Tropeano from their alternate training site. He’ll go onto the 40-man roster and into the big league bullpen. Right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who had Tommy John surgery earlier this week, was moved to the 45-day IL to clear a 40-man spot for Tropeano.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Tropeano, a Long Island native who grew up a Yankee fan. The 29-year-old (30 later this month) has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, working to a combined 4.51 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.57 HR/9. Tropeano was at one point a fairly well-regarded prospect in the Astros and Angels organizations, but his career has been derailed by persistent arm injuries. The righty had Tommy John surgery with the Angels back in 2016 and has since battled shoulder and elbow troubles that have limited him to a combined 182 innings (between the minors and big leagues) across the 2017-19 seasons.

Tropeano was hit hard in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League least year, posting a 5.87 ERA in 79 2/3 frames. That’s a notoriously hitter-friendly setting in the first place, though, and the same changes to the ball composition that led to a record level of home runs hit in the Majors also impacted Triple-A. Prior to the 2019 season, Tropeano carried a career 3.67 ERA in 223 Triple-A frames.

Yankees, Nick Tropeano Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees and right-hander Nick Tropeano have agreed to terms on a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Tropeano, who is represented by the Bledsoe Agency, will be invited to Major League Spring Training.

It’s something of a homecoming for the 29-year-old Tropeano — a Long Island native who has spent the past five seasons in the Angels organization. When healthy, the 2011 fifth-round pick has pitched to a reasonable level of effectiveness, but injuries have hampered the righty rather consistently. Shoulder troubles have dogged Tropeano since 2015, and he underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2016 season. At his best, Tropeano tossed 106 innings of 3.65 ERA ball with 9.0 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.4 HR/9 and a 36 percent ground-ball rate in 2015-16.

This past season was a particularly rough one for Tropeano, though, as he struggled to keep his ERA under 6.00 in the supercharged Triple-A offensive environment and also yielded 15 runs in 13 2/3 MLB frames.

With the Yankees, Tropeano can provide some depth in both the rotation and the bullpen, though he’s a long shot to make the Opening Day roster. New York currently projects to break camp with a rotation of Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ. The Yankees have endeavored to move the remainder of Happ’s contract, but even if they’re able to succeed, they can install left-hander Jordan Montgomery in the back of the rotation to begin the year. Tropeano could compete with the out-of-options Luis Cessa for a long relief spot, but it seems likelier that he’ll head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open the season (if he doesn’t land with another club following a spring release or opt-out).

Angels Outright Five Players

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The Angels announced today that they’ve outrighted five players from their 40-man roster, all of whom elected free agency rather than accepting an assignment to Triple-A. First baseman Justin Bour, righties Nick Tropeano and Luis Garcia, southpaw Miguel Del Pozo, and two-way player Kaleb Cowart are all now on the open market.

It isn’t terribly surprising to see this handful of players sent packing in advance of an offseason that could be laden with change. The three most experienced names bounced from the roster were all eligible for arbitration. MLBTR projected Bour to earn $2.9MM, Garcia to take home $2.3MM, and Tropeano to cost $1.1MM.

That trio fell shy of expectations in 2019, making the salaries untenable. Signed for lefty power, Bour hit just .172/.259/.364 in a Halos uniform. Garcia managed a 4.35 ERA in 62 innings, but carried a suboptimal combination of 8.3 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, and 1.9 HR/9. And Tropeano struggled both in brief MLB action and at Triple-A.

Del Pozo was acquired in August for a trial run, but surrendered 11 earned runs in his first 9 1/3 frames of MLB action. The 27-year-old had shown enhanced strikeout numbers this year at Triple-A, so could be an interesting target. It’s unclear what’s next for Cowart, who attempted to add pitching to his already versatile set of defensive positions. He walked nearly as many batters as he struck out in 17 appearances in the upper minors, working to a cumulative 10.19 ERA.

Angels Recall Nick Tropeano, Designate Adalberto Mejia

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The Angels announced that they have recalled righty Nick Tropeano from Triple-A to start tonight’s game. Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times first reported that decision on Twitter.

To create roster space, the club designated southpaw Adalberto Mejia for assignment. Mejia was recently claimed off waivers from the Twins.

The Halos will hope that Mejia clears waivers and can be stashed at Triple-A. He’d be a nice depth piece to have on hand, particularly for an organization that needs both rotation and bullpen options. Mejia had endured a brutal stretch in Minnesota to open the year but gave his new club four good outings (one earned run, 6:1 K/BB in 4 1/3 innings) to open his tenure.

As for Tropeano, this’ll be his latest attempt to reestablish himself in the majors. He was ambushed in two prior MLB starts this year. And things haven’t gone well at Triple-A, either. Through 49 1/3 frames, he’s carrying a 7.66 ERA on 64 base knocks with 10.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

Angels Place Zack Cozart On IL, Select Cesar Puello

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The Angels have placed infielder Zack Cozart on the 10-day injured list due to a left shoulder inflammation and selected the contract of outfielder Cesar Puello from Triple-A Salt Lake. Outfielder Michael Hermosillo is being transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported a few minutes prior that those moves would be happening (Twitter links). As Fletcher points out, it’s the same left shoulder on which Cozart had season-ending surgery just under one year ago.

Cozart, 33, is in the midst of a second consecutive disappointing season with the Halos, hitting just .124/.178/.144 through 107 plate appearances. He hit just .219/.296/.362 through 58 games with the Angels last season. That’s nowhere near the .297/.385/.548 line he posted in his final year with the Reds, which directly preceded the three-year, $38MM contract he inked with the Angels. No timeline on Cozart’s injury was provided by the Angels, and his placement on the IL is retroactive to yesterday.

Puello, 28, is enjoying a big season in Salt Lake, where he’s slashed .299/.434/.507 with seven long balls, seven doubles and a pair of steals through 166 plate appearances. The former Mets prospect has just 39 plate appearances in the Majors, which was split between the Angels and Rays back in 2017. Puello is a career .295/.394/.450 hitter in 1563 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

The Angels also announced that they’ve optioned right-hander Taylor Cole to Salt Lake in order to open a spot on the active roster for Nick Tropeano, who’ll make his season debut tonight when he follows opener Cam Bedrosian.

AL West Notes: Gallo, Halos Hurlers, M’s, Herrmann, McHugh

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There’s little doubt that Rangers slugger Joey Gallo has drastically increased his career earnings outlook with a massive start to the current season. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the state of affairs on the extension front for baseball’s reigning three-true-outcomes king. The organization is obviously impressed, with manager Chris Woodward tabbing Gallo the club’s “best player” and GM Jon Daniels saying that he’s “mentally in a great spot.” Gallo says he’s not thinking about contracts, but agent Scott Boras surely is. As Grant notes, Boras’s assessment of Gallo’s season to date — “we are seeing the evolution of a superstar player” — offers a hint as to the kind of contract it might take to lock him up.

More from the American League West:

  • Angels righty JC Ramirez is set to launch a rehab assignment later this week, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Ramirez underwent Tommy John surgery last April. With his 30-day rehab clock set to be triggered, Ramirez is now back on the map as a near-term roster piece for the Halos. The club owes him $1,901,000 this year, with two more arb campaigns remaining. Though he has had some struggles in his time in the majors, Ramirez has given the Halos 200 1/3 innings of 4.04 ERA ball and showed he could stick in the rotation in 2017.
  • As ever, there are other updates to the Angels rotation mix. Nick Tropeano will beat Ramirez back to the big leagues; as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets, Tropeano is coming up to pitch today’s ballgame. He was optioned after working back from a shoulder strain, and has been tagged in the run-happy PCL, but the innings are needed now. That’s due in no small part to the issues surrounding Matt Harvey, who just hit the injured list with a back strain after an awful stretch on the hill. Harvey didn’t have much of a timeline to offer reporters, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). With more to sort out than an injury, there’s no reason to think Harvey will be rushed back.
  • For the Mariners, there are a few incremental health updates of note, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (all links to Twitter). Rehabbing relievers Sam Tuivailala and Hunter Strickland are still a ways off. The former, who is working back from Achilles surgery, has come down with dead arm and may need to re-start his rehab rather than heading back to the majors. The latter is readying for his first mound work since leaving with a lat injury earlier this year. Starter Felix Hernandez, who’s on the IL with a shoulder strain, is also nearing mound work. The club is still taking it slow with corner infielder Ryon Healy, who has yet to resume baseball activity after recently hitting the shelf due to a balky lower back. That’s a less promising outlook than had been indicated when he was first sidelined, but the club no doubt hopes to avoid a lingering problem.
  • Athletics backstop Chris Herrmann is nearing a rehab assignment, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Herrmann inked a one-year, $1MM deal over the offseason but hasn’t yet debuted with his new organization owing to knee surgery. It remains to be seen how the Oakland club will manage its roster once Herrmann is ready; Josh Phegley has hit well all year and Nick Hundley has turned it on after a dreadful start. It’s possible the A’s could ultimately carry all three, at least for a stretch, as Herrmann does have experience playing in other parts of the field.
  • It still doesn’t seem the Astros have cause for alarm regarding righty Collin McHugh, but he’s not going to be ready to return within the minimum ten-day window. Manager A.J. Hinch tells reporters, including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), that McHugh is in need of “a little more down time” to let his elbow stop barking. “He’s played catch a couple days and has not seen any progress,” says Hinch. “He’s not any closer than he was a few days ago.” McHugh has been a bit homer-prone, which explains his rough 6.04 ERA on the year, but otherwise has impressive peripherals. That he has been moved out of the rotation and into a relief role is testament to the depth of the talent on hand in Houston.
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