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Trevor Kelley

Mariners To Sign Brian Anderson, Trevor Kelley To Minor League Deals

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12:10pm: Anderson will make a salary of $2MM if he makes the team, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

10:30am: The Mariners have infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson and right-hander Trevor Kelley in camp and are signing them to minor league deals, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Anderson is repped by CAA Sports and Kelley by C.L. Rocks Corporation.

Anderson, 31 in May, was once a solid regular in the big leagues but is coming off three straight frustrating seasons, with injuries playing a role. He signed with the Brewers last year after being non-tendered by the Marlins. He got into 96 games for Milwaukee but hit just .226/.310/.368 for a wRC+ of 85. He also spent a few weeks on the injured list due to a lower back strain. The Brewers released him in October.

It was a fairly similar story when Anderson was with the Marlins in 2021 and 2022. He went on the IL due to oblique, shoulder and back issues and hit .233/.321/.359 for a 90 wRC+ over those two years, leading the Fish to cut him loose.

But he had a good three-year run prior to that. He got into 341 games for the Marlins over those three campaigns, one of which was shortened by the pandemic. He hit .266/.350/.436 in that time, drawing walks at a 9% clip while striking out at a reasonable rate of 21.8%. That production translated to a 115 wRC+, indicating he was 15% better than league average in that time. He also spent significant time at both third base and right field, in addition to brief looks at first and second base.

His defense has generally been graded well, as his work at the hot corner has produced two Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average. His right field work is more split as DRS has him at +8 and OAA at -10, but his arm strength is considered elite, with Statcast having him in 98th percentile of qualified players last year.

The M’s currently have some uncertainty at both third and the outfield corners. At the hot corner, they are set to have a platoon of Luis Urías and Josh Rojas, both of whom are coming off down years. In the outfield, they are set to have Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Haniger in two spots, with Luke Raley, Taylor Trammell, Cade Marlowe and Dominic Canzone in the mix for playing time as well.

Anderson will give them depth at both spots and perhaps a platoon role would be possible at first glance, though maybe not so much after digging deeper. He hits from the right side while each of Rojas, Raley, Trammell, Marlowe and Canzone are lefties. However, Anderson has reverse splits for his career, having hit .258/.344/.413 against righties for a 108 wRC+ but .231/.312/.375 against southpaws for a wRC+ of 89. Regardless of the eventual playing time fit, he bolsters the depth chart at two positions where Seattle has questions.

Kelley, 31, spent last year with the Rays but didn’t have much success. He posted a 5.87 earned run average in 15 1/3 innings at the big league level and a an ERA of 5.23 in Triple-A. He was outrighted off the roster in September. He’s now thrown 50 2/3 innings in the majors overall, also spending time with the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers, but with a career ERA of 6.75.

Though he struggled in the minors last year, he has impressed on the farm before. Even with last year’s poor results, his Triple-A is 2.38 in 197 innings spanning five different seasons. He has struck out 24.4% of batters faced at that level while walking only 8.5%.

The Mariners have a pretty strong bullpen at the moment but injuries are inevitable in a long season. Kelley will be jockeying for a role alongside other experienced NRIs like Heath Hembree, Ty Buttrey, Kirby Snead and others. If he’s added to the roster at any point, he’s out of options.

Trevor Kelley Accepts Outright Assignment From Rays

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Rays right-hander Trevor Kelley has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (X link).  Kelley will report to Triple-A Durham and remain in the organization, as he has chosen to pass on his right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency — Kelley has previously been outrighted in his career, giving him the right to turn down future outright assignments.

Back in January, Kelley exercised this right by entering the free agent market after the Brewers designated him for assignment and outrighted him off their 40-man.  The righty reliever signed a minor league deal with Tampa shortly thereafter, and Kelley has been up and down from Durham a few times this season, totaling 15 1/3 innings over 10 games at the Major League level before the Rays designated him for assignment last week.

This majors-to-minors shuttle has been a frequent element of Kelley’s career over his four MLB seasons, and may have contributed to his 6.75 ERA over 50 2/3 frames of work in the big leagues.  Debuting with the Red Sox in 2019, Kelley has also pitched with Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay in the majors, and he was a member of the Cubs and Braves organizations in 2021 without seeing any time on their active rosters.

Despite the lack of success in the majors, Kelley’s Triple-A numbers are the easy explanation as to why the 30-year-old keeps getting chances with multiple teams.  Kelley has a 2.38 ERA over 197 innings at Triple-A, as well as decent strikeout (24.42%) and walk (8.47%) rates.  However, Kelley didn’t perform as well with Durham this year, as he allowed seven homers over 32 2/3 innings en route to posting a 5.23 ERA.

Rays Place Luke Raley On Injured List, Designate Trevor Kelley For Assignment

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The Rays announced Friday that they’ve placed slugger Luke Raley on the 10-day injured list with a cervical strain and designated right-handed reliever Trevor Kelley for assignment. That pair of moves paves the way for top prospect Junior Caminero to be formally selected to the 40-man roster and called up for his Major League debut — a move first reported to be in the works last night. Caminero’s call to the big leagues is now official, and he should make his debut tonight.

Raley, 29, has just one plate appearance since Sept. 15 due to ongoing discomfort stemming from this injury. His placement on the IL is retroactive to Sept. 21, so he’ll be eligible to return on the final day of the regular season. The hope is surely that the additional downtime will allow him to heal up for the postseason.

A former Dodgers and Twins farmhand, Raley has had a late-blooming breakout during his age-29 campaign with the Rays. In 118 games and 406 plate appearances, the lefty-swinging outfielder/first baseman touts a .249/.333/.490 batting line with 19 home runs, 23 doubles, three triples and 14 steals. His 6.9% walk rate is below the league average, and his 31.4% strikeout rate is about eight percentage points above it. Raley has also been largely shielded from left-handed pitching, though he’s held his own in the 43 plate appearances he’s received.

Limited as the skill set may be, there’s no denying that Raley has been a huge contributor for Tampa Bay this season. A Rays club that entered the year looking quite right-handed was in need of just such a breakout, and he’s provided a sorely needed left-handed bat who’s emerged as a potent threat against opposing righties. In 363 plate appearances with the platoon advantage, Raley has turned in a .247/.337/.497 batting line with 17 of his 19 longballs. He’ll finish out the year with one-plus season of big league service under his belt, so the Rays can control him for another five years via arbitration if they choose — and he won’t even be arb-eligible until after the 2025 campaign.

Kelley, 31 next month, signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay over the winter but was added to the 40-man roster as soon as the Rays were eligible to create roster space via a 60-day IL placement for an injured player. He’s appeared in 10 games and pitched 15 1/3 innings this season but struggled to a 5.87 earned run average in that small sample. Kelley has pitched in the Majors in each of the past four seasons now, also spending time with the Red Sox, Brewers and Phillies. In 50 2/3 big league innings, he’s recorded a 6.75 ERA with a 19.1% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate.

Although his 2023 struggles extend to Triple-A — 5.23 ERA in 32 2/3 frames — Kelley entered the year with an outstanding track record at the top minor league level. From 2019-22, he turned in a 1.81 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate in 164 1/3 innings at the level. Even with this year’s shaky results in Durham, Kelley carries a lifetime 2.38 ERA in 197 innings of Triple-A work.

The Rays will have no recourse but to either place Kelley on outright waivers or unconditional release waivers. He’ll be out of minor league options in 2024, but a team in need of some controllable bullpen depth could place a claim if they’re willing to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Rays Activate Shawn Armstrong, Designate Joe La Sorsa

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The Rays have made some moves in between games of their double-header with the Red Sox today, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  Left-hander Joe La Sorsa was designated for assignment and righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A.  Taking their places in the bullpen are the newly-acquired Robert Stephenson, as well as another right-hander in Shawn Armstrong.  For Armstrong, he is set to make his 2023 debut after being activated from the 60-day injured list, as he has been sidelined due to a neck injury.

Armstrong’s neck problem surfaced in early March, so he missed quite a bit of Spring Training and thus needed a good amount of ramp-up time once he was healthy enough to pitch.  The veteran reliever made seven appearances with Triple-A Durham and performed well, with a 2.00 ERA over his even nine innings of work.

Tampa Bay’s bullpen has always been something of a revolving door due to the team’s penchant for shuttling fresh arms up and down from Triple-A, but injuries and an overall so-so performance from the relief corps (who rank 22nd in bullpen ERA) has led to a bit more shuffling than usual.  The Rays hope that Armstrong and Stephenson can help provide some stability, as the bullpen has been basically the only relative weak link on a team that otherwise looks like a World Series contender.

That said, injuries within the rotation are also a major concern, with Drew Rasmussen out until around August and Jeffrey Springs done for the season due to Tommy John surgery.  In addition to those sidelined pitchers, Josh Fleming is now also set to miss “at least several weeks,” Topkin writes, due to an elbow problem.  Fleming said he felt “discomfort on the outside of the elbow and near his triceps,” and is undergoing an MRI and CT scan today to determine the nature of the injury.

Fleming has a 4.62 ERA over 48 2/3 innings this season, starting three of his 11 games.  While the results have been inconsistent for the groundball specialist, Fleming’s ability to work as a swingman has been helpful to the Rays as they navigate these injuries, though now Fleming himself is looking at a lengthy absence.  Topkin suggests that Tampa might call up Yonny Chirinos to work as a regular starter, and of course Tampa Bay could conceivably turn to their past strategy of openers and bulk pitchers rather than a traditional starter.

La Sorsa’s contract was selected last week, and the southpaw’s brief stint in the big leagues resulted in his MLB debut — two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Cubs on May 29.  The 25-year-old La Sorsa also pitched at the Triple-A level for the first time in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings in Durham.  La Sorsa has some decent but not standout numbers over his four career minor league seasons, so it’s possible the Rays might be able to sneak him through the waiver wire before outrighting him back to Triple-A.

Rays Place Pete Fairbanks On 15-Day Injured List

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The Rays placed right-hander Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list prior to today’s game, with a retroactive placement date of May 28.  Fairbanks is dealing with left hip inflammation, which prevented his planned outing in yesterday’s game with the Dodgers.  Trevor Kelley was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, as while Kelley was only just optioned to Durham yesterday, he is able to make a quick return to the majors due to the injury situation.

Fairbanks was warming up in the bullpen yesterday when “his hip locked up,” as manager Kevin Cash described the situation to reporters.  Speaking to the media again today, Cash said Fairbanks will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.

Injuries have unfortunately been pretty common for Fairbanks throughout his pro career, two Tommy John surgeries before he even made his MLB debut in 2019.  He was limited to 71 appearances in 2021-22 due to shoulder problems and a lat strain, with the injuries cumulatively keeping on the IL for roughly five months.  Fairbanks also missed two weeks earlier this month due to a minor forearm strain, and his ongoing battle with Raynaud’s disease has sometimes caused him to miss a few games here and there due to numbness or a cold feeling in his fingers.

Despite this checkered health history, Tampa Bay still felt comfortable enough to sign Fairbanks to a three-year, $12MM contract extension this past winter because the righty has often looked like a frontline relief arm when healthy.  Over 105 innings since the start of the 2020 season, Fairbanks has a 2.57 ERA, 32.4% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate, as well as increasingly good soft-contact numbers.  A hard thrower who averaged 99mph on his fastball last season, Fairbanks’ velo was down a bit to 97.8mph this season, though his forearm problem might have had something to do with that minor drop.

Losing Fairbanks for at least 15 days won’t help a Tampa bullpen that has been pretty ordinary this season, despite the Rays’ overall success.  Injuries have somewhat thinned the Rays’ seemingly inexhaustible pitching depth at the Major and minor league levels, so Tampa Bay might be on the lookout for relief pitching heading into the trade deadline.

Rays Select Joe LaSorsa

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May 28: The Rays announced the selection of LaSorsa. They’ve designated Chris Muller for assignment and optioned Trevor Kelley to Triple-A.

May 27: The Rays will select the contract of left-hander Joe LaSorsa prior to Sunday’s game with the Dodgers, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links).  LaSorsa was scratched from his scheduled start tonight with Triple-A Durham and now looks to be on the verge of his MLB debut.

Since LaSorsa isn’t on the 40-man roster, the Rays will have to make at least one corresponding move to fit the southpaw onto the active 26-man roster.  Topkin speculates that Trevor Kelley might be optioned to Triple-A after throwing two innings in today’s game with Los Angeles, so LaSorsa would represent a fresh arm for Tampa’s bullpen.

An 18th-round pick for the Rays in the 2019 draft, LaSorsa has a 2.87 ERA over 203 2/3 career innings in the minors.  That includes a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings with Durham this season, with LaSorsa starting three of his nine games in his first taste of Triple-A ball.  His 8.4% walk rate and especially his low 13.7% strikeout rate don’t stand out, and neither Baseball America or MLB Pipeline rank the left-hander amongst Tampa Bay’s top 30 prospects.

That said, LaSorsa has better peripheral numbers in past minor league seasons, and his ability to eat multiple innings and dominate left-handed batters has clearly caught the Rays’ attention.  As Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen put it in a preseason look at Tampa Bay’s farm system, LaSorsa’s fastball “only sits 84-86 but [he] commands the hell out of a plus slider and is nice LOOGY depth.”

The Rays have been rolling this season despite a relatively underwhelming performance from their bullpen, which sits in the bottom half of the league in several major statistical categories.  While LaSorsa may not be the absolute answer to the Rays’ bullpen needs, the team’s enviable amount of minor league pitching depth gives them plenty of options as they shuffle arms and try to find the right reliever mix.

Rays’ Garrett Cleavinger Likely Done For Season With ACL Injury

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Earlier today, the Rays announced that they had placed left-hander Garrett Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list with a right knee sprain and recalled right-hander Trevor Kelley in a corresponding move. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times now reports that Cleavinger has an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament and is likely out for the season.

Cleavinger departed yesterday’s game against the Yankees after appearing to hurt himself while trying to tag out Aaron Hicks during a rundown (Twitter video courtesy of Bally Sports Sun: Rays). It seemed likely that the lefty would have to miss some time but he now seems to be facing a significant absence that is obviously a rough development for both him and the team.

The 29-year-old southpaw has bounced around the league in his career, having been drafted by the Orioles but getting flipped to the Phillies in the 2017 trade that sent Jeremy Hellickson to Baltimore. He made his major league debut with the Phils in 2020 but got into just one game and then was flipped to the Dodgers in the offseason. He spent the next couple of years as a frequently-optioned depth arm for the Dodgers but was traded to the Rays at the 2022 deadline, likely at least partially motivated by the fact that he would be out of options in 2023.

Amid all those transactions, he’s managed to get into 55 games over the past four seasons with a combined 3.52 ERA in that time. His 29.8% strikeout rate is quite strong but he’s also walked 11% of batters faced. He was posting similar results this year, with an ERA of 3.00 along with a 29.2% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. He’s already on the 15-day IL but will surely be transferred to the 60-day whenever the club needs his roster spot. He will continue to a major league salary and service time for the remainder of the schedule.

As for the Rays, they will now proceed without Cleavinger in the bullpen, leaving Colin Poche and Jalen Beeks as their left-handed relief options. Josh Fleming is also in the mix though he’s been working more as a bulk guy behind an opener as opposed to a more traditional reliever.

Rays Select Cooper Criswell

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The Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Cooper Criswell from Triple-A Durham, per a team announcement. In a pair of corresponding moves to accommodate his promotion, right-hander Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A while righty Shawn Armstrong was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. The Rays also announced that top prospect Taj Bradley is on today’s taxi squad. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that he’ll likely be added to the 26-man roster to start tomorrow’s game in Cincinnati.

Criswell, 26, made his big league debut with the Angels in 2021 but tossed just 1 1/3 innings, and he had a similarly brief run with the 2022 Rays, tossing 3 1/3 frames. He’s out to a fine start in Durham this year, with a 3.09 ERA and 10-to-1 K/BB ratio in 11 2/3 innings of work. The Rays are expected to use lefty Jalen Beeks as an opener in today’s contest, so Criswell will give Tampa Bay another fresh arm to help navigate the waters of this bullpen day. It could be a brief stay on the big league roster for Criswell, particularly if he throws multiple innings today, as the Rays will need to make another move to get Bradley on the roster for tomorrow’s contest.

Armstrong, 32, posted a 3.60 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate in 55 innings as a Ray in 2022. He’s missed the entire season so far due to a neck injury incurred in spring training. The shift to the 60-day injured list pushes his earliest possible return date back to May 29; it’s retroactive to his initial placement on the IL, not the move from the 15-day to the 60-day. Neil Solondz of Rays Radio tweets that Armstrong would’ve likely needed about that long to finish mending and build back up to game readiness anyhow, so the decision was likely a fairly straightforward one for the team.

Rays Select Trevor Kelley, Place Andrew Kittredge On 60-Day IL

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The Rays announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Trevor Kelley, who signed a minor league deal over the winter and has been in camp as a non-roster invitee. A spot on the 40-man roster has been opened by placing fellow right-hander Andrew Kittredge on the 60-day injured list.

Tampa Bay originally made this move earlier in camp, but the league stepped in and voided the deal, as non-roster invitees are technically not eligible to be selected to the 40-man roster until March 15. Now that the transaction is permissible under that technicality, it can be processed as originally planned.

The 30-year-old Kelley has seen big league time in parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers dating back to 2019. Most of that time in the big leagues has been a struggle, including the 2022 season, when he logged a career-high 23 2/3 innings for the Brewers but also served up a 6.08 ERA. Kelley posted a below-average 21.5% strikeout rate and a solid 8.4% walk rate with Milwaukee, but home runs were an issue last year. That’s been a recurring theme for Kelley, who has averaged a whopping 2.8 long balls per nine innings pitched (11 homers in 35 1/3 big league frames).

While Kelley’s big league numbers aren’t much to look at, that’s a relatively small sample and he’s thrived at the Triple-A level. In 164 1/3 innings there, he sports a 1.81 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He has a minor league option remaining as well, so the Rays don’t need to expose him to waivers if they wish to send him down at any point. That’ll give their bullpen some flexibility this season, and Kelley’s sidearm delivery can give opponents an additional look out of the bullpen.

Kelley surely felt some pressure after the original transaction was voided, as a spring injury or poor performance over the first few weeks of camp might have changed the team’s thinking. He’s given the Rays no reason to doubt their faith in him, however, pitching 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball with just three hits and two walks against six punchouts thus far.

Because he has a minor league option left, Kelley isn’t a lock to break camp in the big league bullpen, but even if he heads to Triple-A Durham to begin the season, his presence on the 40-man roster will make him one of the team’s top options should they need to dip into the minors. If he does establish himself in their bullpen, he’ll be a long-term option. Kelley is four days shy of a full year of MLB service time, meaning he’s still controllable for a full six seasons.

As for Kittredge, he was one of the Rays’ top relievers, pitching to a 2.17 ERA in 99 2/3 innings dating back to 2020. However, the 32-year-old was limited to just 20 innings this past season, as a June IL placement due to discomfort in his right elbow ultimately proved a precursor to Tommy John surgery. It’s possible he’ll make it back to the big leagues at some point in the season’s second half, but there’s no way Kittredge was going to be ready within the season’s first couple months, so moving him to the 60-day IL amounts to little more than a formality. If the Rays need another 40-man roster spot, they can do the same with right-hander Shane Baz, who’s also on the mend from Tommy John surgery.

Rays Void Prior Selection Of Trevor Kelley’s Contract

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Feb. 17: The Rays have voided yesterday’s transaction selecting Kelley to the 40-man roster and transferring Kittredge to the 60-day injured list, tweets Neil Solondz of Rays Radio. Voiding the transaction is largely a technicality; the league flagged the transaction, citing a rule that non-roster invitees are ineligible to be selected to the 40-man roster until March 15. The move can still formally be processed at that time. It’s surely discouraging for Kelley, however, as he’ll now be exposed to some injury or performance-based risk over the next month that wouldn’t have been the case had he been immediately added to the 40-man roster.

Feb. 16: The Rays announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Trevor Kelley, who’d been in camp on a minor league deal. Fellow righty Andrew Kittredge, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggested earlier that Kelley could be selected to the 40-man roster sooner than later.

Kelley, 30, has seen Major League time with the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers but has yet to find much big league success. He tallied a career-high 23 2/3 innings with Milwaukee last season but also was knocked around to the tune of a 6.08 ERA. The sidearmer posted a below-average 21.5% strikeout rate but a solid 8.4% walk rate. Home runs have been a major issue for Kelley, however, evidenced by a whopping 11 round-trippers surrendered in just 35 1/3 MLB frames (2.8 HR/9).

Those big league struggles notwithstanding, Kelley possesses an exceptional 1.81 ERA in a much larger sample of 164 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He’s also punched out 25.7% of his opponents there against an 8.7% walk rate. Kelley has a minor league option remaining as well, so he’ll give the Rays some flexibility with their bullpen. He’s not yet up to a year of MLB service, so if the Rays can coax some of that Triple-A performance out at the Major League level, the Rays can control him for as many as six seasons.

As for Kittredge, he was one of the Rays’ top relievers, pitching to a 2.17 ERA in 99 2/3 innings dating back to 2020. However, the 32-year-old Kittredge was limited to just 20 innings this past season, as a June IL placement due to discomfort in his right elbow ultimately proved a precursor to Tommy John surgery. It’s possible he’ll make it back to the big leagues at some point in the season’s second half, but there’s no way Kittredge was going to be ready within the season’s first couple months, so moving him to the 60-day IL amounts to little more than a formality. If the Rays need another 40-man roster spot, they can do the same with right-hander Shane Baz, who’s also on the mend from Tommy John surgery.

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