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Simon Muzziotti

Phillies Release Simón Muzziotti

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The Phillies have released outfielder Simón Muzziotti, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer on X. The outfielder was outrighted off the Phillies’ roster in February, so this won’t impact the club’s 40-man count.

Muzziotti, now 25, was originally an international signing of the Red Sox out of Venezuela but then Boston was found to have violated international signing rules. As a punishment, the Sox were not allowed to make any international signings in the 2016-17 period and five players they had previously signed were declared free agents, one of whom was Muzziotti.

He then landed a new deal with the Phillies and worked his way up through their system. The Phils placed him on their 40-man roster in November of 2020 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft but he ended up missing most of 2021 due to visa issues.

In 2022, he was able to make his major league debut, getting into nine games. He hit just .143./.250/.143 in those, but in just nine plate appearances. He spent most of his time in the minors but that season was ended prematurely due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

Due to the pandemic canceling the minor leagues in 2020, Muzziotti’s visa issues in 2021 and injuries in 2022, he was able to play just 66 minor league games in that three-year stretch. Last year, he stayed healthy enough to get into 124 Triple-A games and hit .296/.358/.404 in those. That translated to a 93 wRC+, indicating he was 7% below league average, but that’s passable production for Muzziotti since he’s been considered a strong defender and a speedster on the bases.

Despite finally having a steady season, the Phillies designated him for assignment in February of this year and the 29 other clubs passed on the chance to grab him off waivers. He didn’t have the right to elect free agency so he stuck with the Phils in a non-roster capacity but his results have tapered off this year. He’s slashed .235/.297/.373 in his 61 Triple-A contests for a wRC+ of 70, prompting the Phils to move on and let him go.

Muzziotti and his representatives will now look for opportunities elsewhere. Though his results have been poor this year, he’s still quite young and provides a decent floor with his speed and defense. Coming into this year, Baseball America still ranked him as the #22 prospect in the Phillies’ system.

Phillies Claim Kaleb Ort, Designate Diego Castillo

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The Phillies announced today that they have claimed right-hander Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Marlins, with infielder Diego Castillo designated for assignment in a corresponding move. They also announced that right-hander David Buchanan has been signed to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Additionally, both right-hander Andrew Bellatti and outfielder Simón Muzziotti cleared waivers and will remain with the organization.

Ort, 32, has been bouncing around the league in recent months. He finished the regular season with the Red Sox but has since gone to the Mariners, Marlins and now the Phillies. The Fish designated him for assignment last week when they claimed righty Declan Cronin.

The righty has flashed some big velo, which has led to big strikeout numbers in the minors but not yet in the majors. He has thrown 51 2/3 innings in the majors over the past three years, averaging 96 miles per hour on his fastball but allowing 6.27 earned runs per nine innings. He only struck out 20.9% of batters faced while walking 10.2% of them.

His work in the minors has been more impressive. Over that same three-year span, he logged 97 2/3 Triple-A innings with just a 2.76 ERA. He struck out 31.1% of opponents while giving out walks at a 10.9% clip.

Those minor league numbers are clearly enticing to clubs around the league, based on how many transactions he’s been a part of this winter. He still has one minor league option remaining, which adds to the appeal. The Phils have a strong bullpen but can keep Ort in Triple-A until a need arises, if he holds onto his 40-man roster spot.

Castillo, 26, has also been roving around the league this offseason. He spent 2023 with the Diamondbacks but was designated for assignment in December. He has since gone to the Mets, Yankees and Phillies on waiver claims, but has been booted off a roster yet again.

He only played in one big league game last year, spending the vast majority of his time in Triple-A. He did a great job of getting on base but provided little power. In 556 plate appearances, he only hit three home runs but drew walks at a 17.4% clip. His .313/.431/.410 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 117.

In addition to that work at the plate, Castillo also has other attractive attributes. He can play all over the field, having lined up at all four infield spots in his career, as well as the outfield corners. There’s also enough speed for him to have stolen 13 bases last year. He still has an option remaining, allowing him to provide a club with some depth all around the diamond. The Phils will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.

Buchanan, 35 in May, pitched for the Phils in 2014 and 2015, throwing 192 1/3 innings with a 5.01 ERA. He was stuck in the minors in 2016 and has been overseas since then, going to Japan and then Korea. He pitched for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2017 to 2019, putting up a 4.07 ERA in 433 2/3 innings. He then joined the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization and has been with them for the past four years with a 3.02 ERA in 699 2/3 innings.

The Phillies are set in the rotation with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez set to be the front five. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently spoke about the club’s desire to add more starting depth and then went out and signed Spencer Turnbull. They also have Kolby Allard, Dylan Covey and Max Castillo on the 40-man but Buchanan will give them a bit of non-roster depth.

Bellatti, 32, seemed to be breaking out in 2022 when he posted a 3.31 ERA with a 33.9% strikeout rate. But he couldn’t maintain that in 2023, as his ERA shot up to 5.11 and his strikeout rate dropped to 22.1%. Now out of options, he got nudged off the roster when the Phils acquired Michael Rucker last week and it seems none of the other 29 clubs were willing to grab him. He has previous career outrights and could have elected free agency, but the Phils announced that he will be in camp as a non-roster invitee, so it seems he has decided to stay.

Muzziotti, 25, got to make his major league debut in 2022 but was given just nine plate appearances. He spent all of 2023 in Triple-A, keeping his strikeout rate down to 15.5% but hitting just seven home runs. The resulting .296/.358/.404 slash line amounted to a wRC+ of 93. He stole 26 bases and can play all three outfield spots but no club was willing to take a chance on him. This is his first career outright so he’ll have to stick with the club in a non-roster capacity.

Phillies Claim Max Castillo, Designate Simon Muzziotti

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The Phillies are set to claim right-hander Max Castillo off waivers from the Red Sox, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Outfielder Simon Muzziotti will be designated for assignment in order to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Castillo, 24, will provide the Phillies with some optionable rotation depth. He’s pitched in the majors in each of the past two seasons between the Blue Jays and Royals, combining for a 5.43 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 44.7% ground-ball rate in 59 2/3 innings. Castillo was one of two players the Royals received in the 2022 trade sending Whit Merrifield to Toronto, and Baseball America ranked him 18th among Kansas City farmhands heading into the 2023 season. He pitched a total of 136 1/3 innings between Triple-A (4.58 ERA) and the majors (4.43 ERA).

While he’s not a big-time power arm (93.2 mph average on his four-seamer), Castillo has above-average command and an above-average changeup that have generally helped him post solid minor league results. Scouting reports prior to his MLB debut pegged him as a potential fifth starter or swingman. In seven minor league seasons, Castillo has a 4.04 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate.

The Phillies’ rotation depth beyond their top five starters has been an area of focus since the team re-signed Aaron Nola. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke about the matter last month, noting that it’s been difficult to lure veterans on minor league deals, as the nature of the Philadelphia rotation doesn’t leave much opportunity for pitchers of that ilk to work their way into the mix. Zack Wheeler, Nola, Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker are all established veterans, and fifth starter Cristopher Sanchez posted a 3.44 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout rate and 4% walk rate in 99 1/3 innings last year.

Castillo joins left-hander Kolby Allard, who recently inked a split big league deal, as a newcomer to the 40-man roster who has can be optioned and thus provide some flexibility at the back of the rotation, should the need arise. As the season draws closer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Phils land a veteran starter or two on a minor league deal with an eye toward further supplementing their depth. The Phils lost top prospect Andrew Painter to Tommy John surgery last summer, and prospects like Mick Abel and Griff McGarry have barely pitched above the Double-A level.

In order to beef up their starting pitching depth, the Phils will potentially whittle away at an already thin group of outfielders. Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and Nick Castellanos appear likely to roam the outfield on most days, with DH Kyle Schwarber also available for occasional left field work (probably on days when Castellanos gets a breather at DH). Reserve option Cristian Pache, Jake Cave and Edmundo Sosa are all ticketed for bench jobs to begin the season, but Muzziotti was the only minor league outfielder on the team’s 40-man roster. Just as the Phillies might look for rotation veterans willing to take non-roster deals and come to spring training, outfielders of that ilk could also be a priority in the next few weeks.

Some of that hinges on whether Muzziotti, 25, remains with the team. He went 1-for-7 in a very brief MLB debut in 2023 but had a solid .293/.358/.404 showing in the upper minors. Muzziotti smacked seven homers, swiped 26 bases, walked at an 8.6% rate and struck out in just 15.5% of his plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He has experience in all three outfield spots (though Baseball America suggests he’s best suited for corner work), and Muzziotti also has a minor league option remaining. Another team looking for outfield depth could well place a claim on waivers or look to swing a small trade to bring him aboard. The Phillies will have a week to attempt to trade Muzziotti or pass him through outright waivers.

Phillies Activate Bryce Harper

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The Phillies have reinstated reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper from the 60-day injured list, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Infielder/outfielder Yairo Munoz was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open a spot on the active roster, while fellow outfielder Simon Muzziotti was recalled from Triple-A and placed directly on the 60-day injured list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Philadelphia also recalled southpaw Bailey Falter from Lehigh Valley to start tonight’s game.

Harper is hitting cleanup in today’s Phillies lineup and serving as their designated hitter — a role he figures to occupy down the stretch as he continues to nurse a ligament tear in his throwing elbow. That, of course, is not the injury that’s held Harper out for the past two months. Harper was playing through the elbow issue and serving as a highly productive DH before suffering a fractured thumb upon being hit by a pitch. He required surgery to address the issue and has been out of action since June.

The Phils weathered that absence extremely well, and they find themselves in strong playoff position as a result. Philadelphia heads into tonight’s game with a 70-55 record that places them firmly in possession of the National League’s second Wild Card spot. They’ll now welcome back Harper, owner of a massive .318/.385/.599 showing through 275 plate appearances, to the lineup for the season’s final five weeks. The aforementioned elbow ligament tear will keep Harper at DH, at least for the time being, but Philadelphia is no doubt thrilled to get his bat back in the lineup.

As for Muziotti, his 2022 season is over due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. The 23-year-old, one of the better outfield prospects in the organization, made his MLB debut this April and appeared in nine games. He spent the majority of the year with Double-A Reading, hitting .259/.339/.455 through 38 games. He’ll be paid at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for the rest of this season and collect around five weeks of big league service time while looking ahead to 2023.

Injury Notes: Gray, Treinen, Urias, Herrera

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The Rangers are placing starter Jon Gray back on the 10-day injured list, tweets Levi Weaver of the Athletic. The right-hander just returned after a minimal IL stint due to a blister on Tuesday, but he’s now suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. General manager Chris Young didn’t sound concerned, suggesting this next stint might also be a minimal absence and could cost Gray just one start. Texas announced that righty Glenn Otto is being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to make his first MLB start of the season this evening. Gray, signed to a four-year deal over the offseason, has made two starts in Arlington thus far, allowing seven runs in nine innings.

The latest on some other injury situations around the game:

  • The Dodgers announced this afternoon that reliever Blake Treinen has been placed on the 10-day IL due to right shoulder discomfort. Treinen hasn’t pitched in eight days after experiencing some soreness in his arm. The team didn’t announce a timetable for his return, though that they elected against placing him on the IL for over a week indicates they were initially of the belief he wouldn’t miss more than a few days. Treinen is among the top arms in the L.A. bullpen, coming off a stellar 2021 campaign in which he posted a 1.99 ERA with a 29.7% strikeout rate and a 52.6% grounder percentage. He has made three appearances this season, serving up a game-winning homer to the Rockies’ Connor Joe on April 9 but otherwise not allowing a baserunner and punching out five.
  • Brewers third baseman Luis Urías began the season on the injured list due to a left quad issue. He’s moving closer to a return, as Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets that the 24-year-old is set to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Biloxi over the weekend. Urías is coming off a solid 2021 season, hitting .249/.345/.445 with 23 homers and a strong 11.1% walk rate across 570 plate appearances. The righty-hitting infielder posted excellent minor league numbers during his days as one of the sport’s most promising prospects, so the Brewers can reasonably expect him to build off last year’s showing when he’s healthy. In the meantime, Milwaukee has relied on a Jace Peterson – Mike Brosseau platoon at the hot corner. That duo has combined to hit just .108/.233/.108 in 43 trips to the plate.
  • The Phillies announced they’ve reinstated center fielder Odúbel Herrera from the injured list. Fellow outfielder Simón Muzziotti was optioned to Double-A Reading in a corresponding move. Herrera, re-signed to a modest one-year deal after the club declined a pricer option, entered Spring Training as the presumptive favorite for the center field job. He suffered a right oblique strain in late March that wound up costing him a month, though. After also losing Mickey Moniak to injury before the start of the season, the Phils have turned to Matt Vierling and Muzziotti through the season’s first two weeks. That hasn’t gone well, as Phils’ center fielders are hitting .118/.205/.147 through 40 plate appearances.

Phillies Add 6 Players To 40-Man Roster

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The Phillies have added three left-handers – Kyle Dohy, Bailey Falter and Damon Jones – as well as infielder Nick Maton, righty Francisco Morales and outfielder Simon Muzziotti to their 40-man roster, the team announced. They now have 37 players on their roster.

Going by MLB.com’s rankings, the most promising player in this group is Morales, whom it places fourth overall in the Phillies’ farm system. The hard-throwing 21-year-old has a chance to morph into a workhorse at the major league level, per MLB.com. So far, Morales has topped out at Single-A ball, where he recorded a 3.82 ERA/3.51 FIP and 12.01 K/9 against 4.28 BB/9 in 96 2/3 innings in 2019.

Muzziotti (No. 11), Maton (13), Jones (15) and Dohy (27) are also among the Phillies’ top 30 prospects. All of those players are homegrown products.

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