A’s Outright Reymin Guduan
The Athletics have assigned lefty Reymin Guduan to Triple-A Las Vegas after he cleared outright waivers, per the team’s transactions log. Oakland had designated Guduan for assignment earlier in the week upon activating him from the injured list.
Guduan, 29, missed several weeks due to a groin strain and struggled in 14 1/3 innings on the mound prior to that injury, pitching to a 6.28 ERA with as many walks as strikeouts (five). His stint with the A’s bumped his career innings total up to 39, but the southpaw carries an unsightly 7.38 ERA in that span. He’s been better in parts of six Triple-A campaigns — most spent with the Astros — having pitched to a 4.45 ERA with a solid 26.1 percent strikeout rate but a bloated 12.7 percent walk rate.
This is the first time Guduan has been passed through waivers, so he doesn’t have the option to reject the outright assignment. He’ll stick with the A’s for now as a depth piece in Las Vegas and hope to work his way back to the Majors as a third left-hander to complement Jake Diekman and Jesus Luzardo — the latter of whom could eventually move back into the rotation.
A’s Select Jed Lowrie, Place Trevor Rosenthal On IL, Designate Skye Bolt
7:20pm: Rosenthal is dealing with “fatigue” in his shoulder, according to manager Bob Melvin, who said he’s “not really sure” how much time the reliever will miss (per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle).
11:10am: The Athletics announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contracts of infielder Jed Lowrie and lefty Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Las Vegas. Oakland also optioned righty Daulton Jeffries and lefty A.J. Puk to the alternate training site, placed righties Mike Fiers (hip inflammation) and Trevor Rosenthal (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list and designated outfielder Skye Bolt for assignment.
Lowrie, 37 in April, returned for a third go-around with the A’s over the winter when he inked a minor league deal. His two-year stint with the Mets proved to be an abject disaster, as he tallied just eight plate appearances over the life of a two-year, $20MM contract. That Lowrie was injured for the bulk of his tenure in Queens was frustrating enough for Mets fans, but the team’s bizarre and cryptic series of non-updates on the veteran infielder’s knee troubles proved extra perplexing. Eventually, the Mets termed Lowrie’s injury as “PCL laxity” in his left knee, but little additional detail was ever provided.
It appears as though Lowrie is healthy now, however, as he not only made the roster but did so on the heels of a respectable Cactus League showing. The switch-hitter tallied 37 plate appearances over the course of 13 games, hitting .265/.297/.559 with a pair of homers and four doubles. The A’s surely would like to see that OBP tick up a bit, which seems quite likely given Lowrie’s career 9.8 percent walk rate. He should factor prominently into the mix for playing time at second base, where the A’s will be missing Tommy La Stella, who signed across the Bay with the Giants on a three-year deal as a free agent.
The shoulder troubles for Rosenthal, meanwhile, are a concerning development. The righty was slowed by a groin strain late in Spring Training, but a shoulder issue is of greater concern. There’s no indication that the injury is especially serious at the moment, but arm troubles of any kind for a pitcher who has a somewhat recent Tommy John surgery in his history (2018) raise a red flag.
The A’s surprised the baseball world by swooping in and signing Rosenthal to a one-year, $11MM contract late in the offseason after he wasn’t able to find a multi-year deal to his liking. The former Cardinals closer returned to prominence with the Royals and Padres last year in overpowering fashion. Rosenthal was a true juggernaut at the back of both teams’ bullpens during the regular season, posting a combined 1.90 ERA with a 41.8 percent strikeout rate. A similar powerhouse showing in 2021 would surely position him nicely for that lucrative multi-year pact he covets, but he’s off to an inauspicious start.
Bolt, meanwhile, will now be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next week. He has just 11 big league plate appearances under his belt but is capable of playing all three outfield spots and carries a .269/.350/.459 batting line in 347 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He does have a minor league option remaining.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/4/20
Baseball America has posted its traditional roundup of minor moves dating to the start of the offseason. We’ve already covered quite a few of the transactions over the past several weeks, but there are several additions on minor-league pacts that have to this point eluded detection …
- The Braves have signed left-handed pitcher Chris Nunn to a minor-league deal that includes an invite to spring training, according to Robert Murray. Nunn, originally a 2012 draftee of the Padres, has yet to see Major League action since his professional debut, making stops in Independent leagues along the way. Now 28 years old, he’s played in the upper minors with the Astros and Dodgers organizations in the last two years. Last year, in 50 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, Nunn struck out 66 batters while walking 24. After posting a 1.33 ERA in Double-A, his numbers ballooned at the next level, though he largely maintained his bat-missing prowess.
- The Padres signed outfielder Abraham Almonte. The 30-year-old switch-hitter saw action in 17 MLB games for the division-rival Diamonbacks in 2019. He was quite productive with the Snakes’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno last season, slashing .270/.382/.558. That dwarfs his prior MLB performance, though. In 1,138 plate appearances over the past six seasons, the center field-capable Almonte has compiled a .239/.298/.373 line (81 wRC+).
- The Reds re-signed infielder Christian Colón and added catcher Francisco Peña to the organization. Colón, most known for his top five draft status and World Series heroics with the Royals, logged eight MLB plate appearances in Cincinnati last season. That rewarded a solid .300/.372/.443 line in extended action with Triple-A Louisville, although Colón was unsurprisingly bumped from the 40-man roster at season’s end. Peña tallied 202 uninspiring MLB plate appearances with the Royals, Orioles and Cardinals from 2014-18. He’s shown decent pop for a catcher at Triple-A, though; in parts of six seasons at the minors’ highest level, he has compiled a .259/.301/.469 line.
- The Dodgers re-signed right-hander Justin De Fratus. The former Phillie has spent the last two seasons in the L.A. organization, but he hasn’t seen the majors since 2015. While all 191 of De Fratus’ MLB appearances have come out of the bullpen, he’s primarily been a starting pitcher in the minors in recent years, albeit with uninspiring results. The Dodgers also added hard-throwing lefty reliever Reymin Guduan. Guduan is still just 27 and had little trouble racking up strikeouts in the Astros’ organization, both in the high minors and at the MLB level. He’s always issued a few too many walks, though. Perhaps more concerning, Houston released Guduan in September after a team-imposed suspension for an undisclosed disciplinary issue.
- The Rockies re-signed righty reliever Wes Parsons. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers midseason from the Braves, but a dreadful MLB showing cost him his 40-man roster spot. Parsons logged a cumulative 5.45 ERA with more walks (29) than strikeouts (26) in 34.2 innings. Colorado also signed outfielder Michael Choice. The former top prospect, now 30, hasn’t logged significant MLB action since 2014. He’s spent the past two seasons in the Mexican League, but a strong 2019 effort there earned him another look in affiliated ball.
- The Braves signed veteran infielder Pete Kozma. The longtime Cardinal has just a .215/.278/.291 career line (54 wRC+) in parts of seven MLB seasons. He hasn’t done much at the dish in the minors, either, but he’s a well-regarded defender around the infield.
- The Angels signed former Cubs’ prospect Arismendy Alcántara. Alcántara hasn’t played at the highest level since 2017, and his career .189/.235/.315 line (49 wRC+) reflects the plate discipline woes that have done him in. He’s still just 28 years old, though, and his 2019 return to affiliated ball following a year in the Mexican League went well. The utilityman was productive across two minor-league levels in the Mets’ organization last season and showed better discipline than he has in his MLB career.
- The Mets added former White Sox outfielder Ryan Cordell. Twice traded as a prospect, the 27-year-old fell flat in his first extended MLB look in 2019, with just a .221/.290/.355 line (73 wRC+). He’s capable of logging some time in center field, though, and he put together a decent minor-league resume between myriad injuries.
- Finally, the Yankees brought aboard utilityman Rosell Herrera. Herrera logged fair MLB time with the Reds, Royals and Marlins the past two seasons. His resultant .225/.286/.316 slash (63 wRC+) won’t turn any heads, but Herrera has an 82nd percentile sprint speed, per Statcast, and has logged time at six different positions (short, second, third, and all three outfield spots) as a big leaguer.
Astros To Release Reymin Guduan
Sept. 7: Guduan has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent.
Sept. 5: Guduan has been placed on release waivers, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. He’ll become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.
Sept. 3: The Astros have designated lefty Reymin Guduan for assignment. He had been on the restricted list owing to a team-issued suspension.
Details of the Guduan disciplinary situation aren’t known, but it’s obvious the relationship between him and the team has soured. The 27-year-old was suspended for the remainder of the minor-league season, which just ended, but the team decided to drop him from the 40-man rather than reinstating him and perhaps adding him back to the active roster.
Beyond those off-field issues, the results haven’t been there to this point of Guduan’s career. Despite big velocity and some swing-and-miss potential, he’s allowing nearly an earned run per inning over his 24 2/3 MLB frames. Guduan has had wavering command issues at times in the minors, with outcomes varying quite a bit from season to season. Still, there’s obviously talent there; it wouldn’t be especially surprising to see another organization place a claim.
Astros Notes: Bullpen, Tucker, Guduan
Though the Astros‘ lack of a left-handed reliever may appear to be a troubling dilemma at face value, general manager Jeff Luhnow and company are not treating it as such, and appear poised to move into the postseason with a bullpen consisting entirely of righties, writes Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Of the four lefties on the 40-man roster, Framber Valdez is the only reliever with significant Major League experience—experience that hasn’t yielded the most promising results. However, the Stros’ righties have done nothing to suggest a southpaw is needed: left-handed hitters have managed a dreadful .263 wOBA versus the Houston bullpen, the lowest mark in the Majors. Luhnow points to Chris Devenski and Will Harris as two veterans who have been instrumental in that success and could be deployed in October as pseudo-lefties. Of course, Roberto Osuna and Ryan Pressly have likewise dominated lefty hitters, but that duo will likely be used as matchup-proof late-inning options.
Here’s more of the latest news out of Houston…
- Kyle Tucker has been receiving continued reps as a first baseman with the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate and will receive heavier exposure at the position in the offseason, writes Rome. He and fellow rookie Yordan Alvarez are being groomed into first baseman with an eye on next year’s version of the Astros. Having Tucker and Alvarez available at first could offer added flexibility in the club’s roster construction, as well as providing a clearer path to Major League at-bats for Tucker, who has accumulated more than 900 Triple-A plate appearances in part because of the Astros strong corner outfield rotation. Rome notes that if and when Tucker returns to the Majors as part of expanded rosters, he would only line up at first base in a relatively inconsequential game.
- Rome provides further details (via Twitter)on the suspension that Astros management handed down to Reymin Guduan last week, clarifying that the suspension only spans the entirely of the minor-league season. As a consequence, Guduan will be eligible to pitch for the Astros in September, though there’s no indication that the 27-year-old will see any more Major League action this season. Guduan, a southpaw, does offer depth in an organization that is thin on lefties, but his performance in limited big league exposure has not been encouraging.
Astros Suspend Reymin Guduan
The Astros have suspended left-hander Reymin Guduan for what GM Jeff Luhnow described as a “disciplinary issue” at Triple-A, the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome writes. Guduan will be suspended for the rest of the season. Specifics aren’t known about what caused the punishment, as Luhnow only said that Guduan “broke our team rules and is being disciplined because of it.”
Guduan has appeared in 32 games for the Astros over the last three seasons, with just 24 2/3 innings amassed over that limited big league action. The hard-throwing southpaw has an 8.03 ERA as a Major Leaguer, including an 11.81 mark in only 5 1/3 frames this season. Even in the minors, Guduan hasn’t exhibited much consistency — a 4.64 ERA over 382 career innings in Houston’s farm system, with an 11.1 K/9 that has been undermined by a 6.2 BB/9. Between this lack of a track record and now a lengthy suspension, it’s fair to wonder if this could mark the end of Guduan’s time with the Astros organization.
Though Guduan wasn’t likely to be much of a factor for the Astros down the stretch this season, though his absence does remove some depth in an area that was already something of a thin area for the team. As Rome notes, Wade Miley, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez are the only left-handers on Houston’s entire 40-man roster. Of that trio, Miley is a starter, Valdez and Perez are in the minors, and Perez is additionally on the injured list. While the Astros haven’t much sweated their lack of left-handed relievers over the last couple of years, the lack of an August waiver trade period this season would make it all the more difficult for the team to acquire another pitcher if it felt another lefty arm was needed.