Wily Peralta

Five Brewers Minor Leaguers Select Free Agency

By Mark Polishuk | October 6, 2017 at 11:30am CDT

Right-handers Wily Peralta, Rob Scahill, Michael Blazek, David Goforth, and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis have all elected to become free agents, as per the Brewers’ player development Twitter feed (tip of the hat to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy).

Peralta is the most notable name of the bunch, as it wasn’t long ago that the righty looked like a promising part of Milwaukee’s rotation. After posting solid numbers in 2013-14, however, Peralta’s form dipped the next two seasons and then cratered this year, as he managed only a 7.85 ERA over 57 1/3 IP, with 10 homers and 32 walks in that stretch. Peralta wasn’t helped by a month-long DL stint due to a calf strain, but his performance also fell off at the Triple-A level over the last two seasons.

His struggles got him designated for assignment and then outrighted off Milwaukee’s 40-man roster over the summer, which allowed Peralta to elect free agency even though he still had two remaining years of team control thanks to Super Two status. Peralta and the Brewers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.275MM deal last winter.

Blazek was twice DFA’ed and then outrighted off Milwaukee’s roster this season, so it perhaps isn’t surprising that he’s looking for a chance of scenery, especially given his displeasure at being demoted to the minors during Spring Training. Blazek only made five appearances (one of them a start) for the Brewers in 2017, posting an 8.31 ERA over 8 2/3 innings of work. The righty posted very effective numbers out of Milwaukee’s bullpen in 2015 but ran into some injury problems and struggled in 2016.

Scahill was also twice designated for assignment this season, plus once more back in February. The 30-year-old tossed 22 1/3 innings for the Brew Crew, posting a 4.43 ERA despite recording the same number of strikeouts (10) as walks, though four of those free passes were intentional. Never one to miss many bats over his six years in the bigs, Scahill nevertheless posted a solid 3.03 ERA over 65 1/3 innings for the Pirates and Brewers in 2015-16.

Nieuwenhuis agreed to a split contract last winter and spent much of the season at Triple-A, only appearing in 16 big league games. Nieuwenhuis received the most playing time of his six-year career in 2016 (125 games and 392 PA) but became an afterthought this year as the Crew had more outfield depth.

Goforth appeared in just one game for the Brewers in 2017, and has 36 1/3 Major League innings to his name after appearing in parts of the last three seasons. The right-hander has a 3.96 ERA over 533 2/3 career frames in the minors (all in the Milwaukee organization), though he has had increasing control issues and a lack of strikeouts over the last couple of years.

Brewers Outright Wily Peralta, Kirk Nieuwenhuis

By Steve Adams | August 3, 2017 at 1:51pm CDT

The Brewers announced today that right-hander Wily Peralta and outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis have both cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

The 28-year-old Peralta was designated for assignment on Saturday, and Milwaukee was apparently unable to find a taker for him in any trade talks that may have occurred. No team felt comfortable claiming the remaining $1.4MM on his $4.275MM salary, either, so Peralta will return to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.

While the fact that Peralta has more than three years of Major League service time allows him to refuse the outright assignment, the fact that he has fewer than five years of service also means that he would forfeit that remaining $1.4MM in order to hit the free-agent market. Peralta will earn that $1.4MM through season’s end whether he’s on the 40-man roster or not, but if he isn’t on the 40-man at the end of the year, he’ll have the right to elect free agency.

It’s been a tough year for Milwaukee’s former Opening Day starter. Peralta posted a 6.08 ERA with a 32-to-17 K/BB ratio through eight starts this season before losing his spot in the rotation and heading to the bullpen. While his strikeout rate and velocity ticked up working in relief, his walk rate also ballooned. Ultimately, Peralta surrendered 23 earned runs on 28 hits and 15 walks in just 17 1/3 frames out of the Brewer bullpen.

As for Nieuwenhuis, the veteran outfielder spent most of the 2016 campaign on the Brewers’ big league roster but has just 16 games and 31 plate appearances to his credit thus far in 2017. He’s hit just .115/.268/.269 in that time, though he’s a career .221/.311/.384 hitter in parts of six big league seasons. He’s in a similar situation to Peralta in that he agreed to a split deal this past winter that reportedly pays him $900K in the Majors and $257K in the minors (each pro-rated). He’d have forfeited the remainder of that contract had he gone the free-agent route.

Brewers Designate Wily Peralta For Assignment

By charliewilmoth | July 29, 2017 at 2:47pm CDT

The Brewers have announced that they’ve designated righty Wily Peralta for assignment. The move clears space on their active and 40-man rosters for outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, whose contract they’ve selected from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Peralta had been a longtime member of the Brewers’ rotation, making 120 starts since his MLB debut with the club in 2012. He typically pitched serviceably or downright well, as he did in 2014, when he produced a 3.54 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 over nearly 200 innings.

This year, however, has been disastrous for Peralta — he has a 7.85 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 over 57 1/3 frames, with many of those coming in relief. He also only recently returned after missing a month due to a calf issue. He’s making $4.275MM in his second year through the arbitration process as a Super Two player, so it’s highly unlikely he’ll be claimed on waivers.

Heyman’s Latest: Slow Starters, Dodgers, Braun, O’s, Tigers

By Steve Adams | April 20, 2017 at 8:38pm CDT

FanRag’s Jon Heyman tackles a number of slow-starting teams in the intro to his weekly notes columns, getting the opinions of rival scouts and executives on the slow starts from the Cardinals, Giants, Blue Jays and Rangers. Heyman spoke to Giants GM Bobby Evans on his club’s issues in left field, with Evans conceding, “We don’t have a true left fielder. We’re going to have to mix and match.” Heyman notes that veteran infielder Aaron Hill is expected to get some looks in left field. San Francisco elected to move on from Angel Pagan this offseason and entered the year with a platoon of Jarrett Parker and Chris Marrero in left field, but Parker will now miss significant time following a broken clavicle. And it appears to be too late to turn back to Pagan, who told El Vocero yesterday that he’s planning to sit out the 2017 season to spend time with his wife and children.

Here are some highlights from Heyman’s National League and American League roundups…

There’s “no evidence of any real trade talk” between the Brewers and Dodgers involving Ryan Braun, per Heyman. He notes that the Brewers may feel a slight sense of urgency due to the fact that Braun will achieve 10-and-5 rights on May 24 (thus allowing him full veto power over any trade). The improved production out of Yasiel Puig could make Braun a less appealing target, as Puig himself has the ability to be a dynamic weapon against lefties if he can return to form. Even if Braun does ultimately reach 1o-and-5 status, Heyman notes that the Dodgers are said to be his preferred destination in a trade, so he could very well approve the deal after that point.
Also of note to Dodgers fans, Los Angeles showed interest in right-hander Brad Ziegler this offseason and were willing to discuss something in the range of $12MM over two years. Ziegler, instead, signed with the Marlins for two years and a total of $16MM. To this point, he’s yielded just one run with a 6-to-1 K/BB ratio and a ridiculous 81 percent ground-ball rate through his first eight innings.
Multiple teams inquired with the Brewers about right-hander Wily Peralta this spring, but Milwaukee clearly didn’t find an offer to its liking. “We’re very comfortable having him as part of our rotation,” GM David Stearns tells Heyman. The 27-year-old Peralta has a 2.65 ERA through his first three starts, though his strong work dates back further than Opening Day. While Peralta’s 2016 numbers look pedestrian at best, he posted a 2.92 ERA through 61 1/3 innings after being recalled from a Triple-A demotion early last August. In his past 13 MLB starts, Peralta has a 2.86 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 51.2 percent ground-ball rate. He’s controllable for two seasons beyond the 2017 campaign, and it’s easy to envision him emerging as a trade candidate this summer if he continues to perform anywhere near that level.
J.J. Hardy’s lengthy injury history will make the Orioles unlikely to pick up his $14MM club option at season’s end. However, Heyman adds that even if the O’s do move on from Hardy, they’re not likely to displace Manny Machado from third base given his excellence (and, presumably, his comfort level) at the hot corner. Rather, the team figures to shop for a shortstop next offseason. The 2017-18 free agent crop at shortstop figures to be headlined by Zack Cozart, with alternative options including Eduardo Nunez, Alcides Escobar and Danny Espinosa. Baltimore could, of course, turn to the trade market for some shortstop help as well. Ryan Mountcastle is the team’s top-regarded minor league shortstop, but the 20-year-old former first-rounder opened the season in Class-A Advanced and many scouting reports question his ability to remain at short in the long run.
The Tigers are planning to be “extra cautious” with right fielder J.D. Martinez as he returns from a foot injury, Heyman writes. However, there’s little chance of the Tigers pursuing him as a free agent this offseason due to the fact that the team still intends to trim down its long-term payroll outlook. Re-signing Martinez, who ranked sixth on MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings earlier today, could require another sizable commitment of five or more years if Martinez has a typical season at the plate.

Notable Roster Decisions: Friday

By Steve Adams | March 31, 2017 at 9:45pm CDT

As Spring Training draws to a close, the final determinations about each team’s roster will be continue to come into focus. Here are some of the day’s more notable roster decisions…

Prized righty Tyler Glasnow will take the final spot in the Pirates rotation, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Twitter. He had been competing with Trevor Williams, who’ll head to the bullpen, Adam Berry of MLB.com adds on Twitter. With southpaw Wade LeBlanc also taking a job, that seems to set the stage for Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb to hit the waiver wire.
The Giants have nailed down their bench and rotation, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Aaron Hill and Chris Marrero will round out the bench. The veteran Hill figures to share the infield reserve duties with Conor Gillaspie, while Marrero will surprisingly open the season as a part of a left field platoon with the left-handed-hitting Jarrett Parker. Meanwhile, Matt Cain will keep a rotation spot, though Ty Blach will also make the club as a reliever — where he could often spell Cain in lengthier outings.
With injuries and young arms entering the picture, the Rockies’ pitching plans were interesting to watch this spring. As Nick Groke of the Denver Post tweets, the team will roll with lefty Kyle Freeland and righties Antonio Senzatela and German Marquez to fill out their starting staff. It seems likely that the former two will open the year in the rotation, with Marquez heading to the pen and staying on hand if a need arises.

Click to read earlier updates …

By optioning Ben Gamel and placing several relievers on the DL, the Mariners signaled their Opening Day Roster, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). Guillermo Heredia will serve as a reserve outfielder, while both Dillon Overton and James Pazos are slated to take up spots in the bullpen.
Righty Oliver Drake has been named as the final member of the Orioles bullpen, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. It had been suggested yesterday that Drake was placed on waivers, but it seems that was premature. Though he had a rough spring, Drake has shown an ability to induce lots of swings and misses with his deceptive pitch mix. The 30-year-old is out of options, so Baltimore had to carry him on the active roster to maintain control rights.
The Rangers made the surprising decision to option righty Keone Kela, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Indications are that the move was related to off-field issues rather than performance questions or a need for roster space. Indeed, Kela was — and, perhaps, still is — expected to fulfill an important role in the Rangers’ pen. Though he dealt with elbow issues and struggled in the earned-run department last year, the 23-year-old was dominant this spring and seemed a good bet to bounce back.
A groin injury will land Matt Garza on the 10-day disabled list to open the season, meaning that the Brewers’ rotation will now consist of right-handers Junior Guerra, Zach Davies, Wily Peralta, Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Left-hander Tommy Milone, who inked a one-year deal after being non-tendered by the Twins, had been in the mix for a rotation spot but will instead pitch out of the bullpen, Haudricourt adds. The 30-year-old Milone, who has made only 11 career relief appearances, will be the lone southpaw in Milwaukee’s bullpen (and on its entire pitching staff, for that matter).
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune reports that Trevor Cahill and Luis Perdomo have won spots in the Padres’ rotation, thereby pushing Jarred Cosart to the bullpen. Cahill and Perdomo will be joined by Jhoulys Chacin, Jered Weaver and Clayton Richard in a reconstructed San Diego rotation that was pieced together in cost-effective fashion but still carries myriad question marks. Manager Andy Green didn’t rule out a return to the rotation or an eventual late-inning role for Cosart, but for the time being it sounds as if he’s slotted for long relief. Given the uncertainty that permeates the San Diego starting corps, that role could lead to plenty of innings for the 26-year-old Cosart early in the year.
The Yankees announced last night that right-hander Chad Green has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 25-year-old Green had been in consideration for a rotation spot and turned in a strong 1.50 ERA in 12 spring innings, though that was accompanied by a less-encouraging 8-to-6 K/BB ratio. The Yankees aren’t planning to name a fifth starter before Opening Day and will utilize early off days to avoid needing a fifth starter for the early portion of April. Still, it’d be a surprise if Green didn’t at least enter the team’s rotation conversation at some point this season. For now, the team’s rotation will be comprised of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Luis Severino.
Jandel Gustave has won the Astros’ final bullpen spot, beating out fellow righty James Hoyt, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 24-year-old bounced to three different teams after being taken in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft before ultimately returning to the ’Stros. Gustave averaged 97.1 mph on his fastball in his brief MLB debut last season and turned in a 16-to-4 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings of work.
Right-hander Austin Pruitt has beat out Chase Whitley and Jaime Schultz to make the Rays’ roster, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Injuries to Shawn Tolleson and Brad Boxberger likely helped to pave the way for Pruitt, 27, to break camp with the team. The 2013 ninth-round pick turned in a solid 3.76 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9 in his first taste of Triple-A work last year. Manager Kevin Cash tells Topkin that delivering the news that Pruitt would make the Opening Day roster was “probably the best conversation all spring.” The manager also noted that a decision on the final bench slot may not come until Saturday (or even Sunday morning, Topkin adds via Twitter).

NL Central Notes: Peralta, Rangers, Arroyo, Bard

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2017 at 9:21pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the NL Central…

Some Rangers officials watched Brewers righty Wily Peralta start this weekend as Texas continues to look for rotation depth, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. It’s been a rough pair of seasons for Peralta, who was limited to 108 2/3 IP in 2015 due to an oblique injury and then posted a 6.68 ERA through his first 13 starts last season. After a demotion to the minors, however, Peralta returned in good form, posting a 2.92 ERA over his final 61 2/3 innings. Peralta will earn $4.275MM this season and isn’t eligible for free agency until after 2019, so Grant notes that he would fit the Rangers’ preference for a controllable pitcher. Milwaukee and Texas have already linked up on two trades since David Stearns took over as the Brewers’ GM, most notably last summer’s five-player swap that saw Jonathan Lucroy join the Rangers.
Barring anything unforeseen in the next week, it looks like Bronson Arroyo will make the Reds’ starting rotation, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. Arroyo is still scheduled for a minor league start on April 2 so he won’t officially break camp with the Reds, but the 40-year-old righty is on pace to return to the big leagues for the first time since June 15, 2014. Arroyo has pitched in just two minor league games since that date due to Tommy John surgery and a torn tendon his rotator cuff.
Daniel Bard hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013 due to injuries and a loss of control, though as Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes, the former Red Sox setup man is refusing to give up hope of a career revival. Bard signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals last summer, and Gammons notes that the contract was actually a two-year pact, as Bard was in need of a significant mechanics overhaul. Now throwing from a lower arm slot, Bard has seen his command improve. Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals’ director of player development, thinks Bard may start the season at the Double-A level.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

By Steve Adams | January 13, 2017 at 10:55pm CDT

Quite frankly, there were too many arbitration agreements today to reasonably stuff into one post. So here’s a rundown of the National League players that have avoided arbitration on smaller deals (American League deals here). You can see all of the arbitration “action” thus far in a sortable, filterable format by checking out MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. All projections referenced in this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

Wily Peralta and Carlos Torres have agreed to one-year deals, according to the team’s Twitter account. Peralta will earn $4.275MM (compared to $4.4MM projection), per Heyman. Torres was projected to make $2MM, but will get slightly more at $2.175MM, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter).
Reliever George Kontos gets $1.75MM from the Giants, Heyman tweets. He had projected at $1.7MM.
The Diamondbacks also reached agreement with lefty Patrick Corbin, righty Randall Delgado, and catcher Chris Herrmann, per Jack Magruder of Fan Rag (links to Twitter). Delgado gets $1.775MM and Herrmann receives $937,500. As for Corbin, he’ll take home $3.95MM, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), which falls a bit shy of his $4.2MM projection.
Infielder Eduardo Nunez will receive $4.2MM from the Giants, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). San Francisco has also reached agreement with lefty Will Smith, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). He’ll receive $2.5MM, just over his $2.3MM projection, Heyman tweets.
The Phillies settled at $4.2MM with righty Jeanmar Gomez, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). He falls just a big shy of his $4.6MM projection.
The Cardinals have announced arb deals with Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist. Rosenthal receives $6.4MM, per Heyman (via Twitter), which is just $100K over his projection. Siegrist projected at $1.9MM, but his salary has yet to be reported.
Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom have each avoided arbitration with the Mets. Harvey gets $5.125MM in his second arb year, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter). Meanwhile, deGrom will receive $4.05MM in his first trip through the arb process, per ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). New York has also agreed with lefty Josh Edgin, Rubin tweets, though terms remain unreported.

Earlier Updates

Gerrit Cole and the Pirates have settled at $3.75MM, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. After a disappointing 2016 season, the 26-year-old will make nearly $500K less than his $4.2MM projection. He’s under team control through 2019.
The Nationals and Anthony Rendon are in agreement on a one-year, $5.8MM deal (compared to $6.4MM projection), according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. The 26-year-old third baseman is under team control through 2019.
Chris Owings and the Diamondbacks have settled at $2.3MM (compared to $2.1MM projection), per Heyman. The 25-year-old, who posted a .731 OPS in 2016 while logging 466 plate appearances between shortstop, center field and second base, is under team control through 2019.
The Marlins have come to terms with all remaining arbitration-eligible players aside from David Phelps, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Tom Koehler will make $5.75MM (compared to $6.2MM projection), per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Adeiny Hechavarria has agreed to a $4.35MM deal (compared to $3.7MM projection) for 2017, according to Heyman. Meanwhile, Derek Dietrich gets $1.7MM ($1.8MM projection) and Marcell Ozuna receives $3.5MM ($4.5MM projection), per Spencer (via Twitter). The Marlins have also avoided arbitration with closer A.J. Ramos, who will earn $6.55MM, per Spencer (via Twitter).
The Braves have come to terms with Arodys Vizcaino ($1.6MM projection) and Ian Krol ($1MM projection), per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Terms have not yet been reported. The team has now agreed to deals with all six arbitration-eligible players.
Juan Nicasio and the Pirates have settled at $3.65MM, according to Matt Gajtka of DKPittsburghSports.com. That is nearly $1MM less than his $4.6MM projection after posting a 4.50 ERA with a career-high 10.5 K/9 in 118 innings. He can become a free agent next offseason.
The Dodgers agreed to one-year deals with their four remaining arbitration-eligible players, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. Yasmani Grandal will make $5.5MM (compared to $5.3MM projection) after a season in which he posted an .816 OPS with 27 homers. He’ll be eligible for arbitration one last time before he can become a free agent after the 2018 season. Luis Avilan ($1.5MM) and Alex Wood ($2.8MM) were eligible for the first time, while Josh Fields will earn $1.05MM in his second year of eligibility. That trio will remain under team control through 2019.
Brandon Maurer and the Padres have settled at $1.9MM (compared to $1.7MM projection), per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Maurer, who posted a 3.09 ERA with 13 saves after taking over as the team’s closer in early July, is under control through 2019.
The Reds and Billy Hamilton settled at $2.625MM for the upcoming season, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Hamilton had a breakout second half and finished the year with a .260/.321/.343 batting line, plus three homers and a whopping 58 steals (in 66 tries). He cleared his $2.3MM projection by a fair amount and is controllable through 2019 via arbitration.
Zack Cozart and Tony Cingrani agreed to one-year deals with the Reds, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter links), as did right-hander Blake Wood, tweets Heyman. Cozart, a free agent next winter, handily topped his $4.7MM projection after hitting .252/.308/.425 with 16 homers and premium defense at short. Cingrani gets $1.825MM, per Heyman, which is just a hair shy of his $1.9MM projection. Wood had a solid season out of the Cincinnati bullpen, with a 3.99 ERA in 76 2/3 innings after signing as a minor league free agent. He can be controlled through 2018.
Derek Norris and Tanner Roark both agreed to one-year deals with the Nationals, per Heyman (Twitter links). Norris will get $4.2MM (compared to a $4MM projection), while Roark earns $4.315MM (compared to what looks to have been an overly aggressive $6.1MM projection).
Hector Rondon and the Cubs avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.8MM, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). He clears his $5.7MM projection by a small margin of $100K on the heels of a season that saw him post a 3.53 ERA, 18 saves, 10.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 51 innings of relief. He’s controlled through 2018. Heyman tweets that the Cubs also dodged arb with Justin Grimm on a $1.825MM deal that is a near-mirror image of his $1.8MM projection. He’s a free agent after the 2019 season.
Jordy Mercer and the Pirates agreed to a one-year, $4.325MM deal, reports Matt Gajtka of DKPittsburghSports.com. He comes in $325K north of his $4MM projection on the heels of a season in which he batted .256/.328/.374 with 11 homers. Mercer has one more winter of arbitration eligibility and will be a free agent after the 2018 season.
The Mets and Travis d’Arnaud are in agreement on a one-year, $1.875MM deal, Heyman tweets. That’s $175K above the $1.7MM for the first-year arbitration catcher. Now 28 years old, d’Arnaud has yet to prove he can remain healthy and productive over the life of a full big league season. He’ll get another crack at doing so in 2017, it seems. He batted .247/.307/.323 with four homers in 276 PAs last year. The Mets also avoided arb with Addison Reed, Jeurys Familia and Lucas Duda, who are broken off into a separate post.
The Marlins and closer A.J. Ramos have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $6.55MM, tweets Heyman. The 30-year-old Ramos was Miami’s primary closer last season and turned in a 2.81 ERA (his third straight sub-3.00 mark) and 40 saves to go along with 10.3 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 in 64 innings. Ramos comes in $250K shy of his $6.8MM projection but still earns a very healthy raise over last year’s $3.4MM salary.

NL Notes: Fernandez, Albies, Peralta, Peraza

By Steve Adams | September 8, 2016 at 9:33pm CDT

The Marlins picked up a decisive win in last night’s game, but Miami has nonetheless dropped eight of its past 10 games to fall five games out of an NL Wild Card spot. With the team’s playoff hopes dwindling, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes that the Fish are prepared to shut down Jose Fernandez if they slip further out of contention. Miami has hoped to cap Fernandez’s innings around 180, though a postseason berth may have added some extra frames to that limit. Instead, with the young ace already at 160 1/3 innings, skipper Don Mattingly conceded that shutting Fernandez down is “absolutely” a consideration if the team’s losing continues. “We’ll look at that as it goes,” said Mattingly. “Obviously, we’ve been paying attention to his innings all along.”

Brewers Demote Wily Peralta To Minors

By Connor Byrne | June 12, 2016 at 11:27am CDT

11:27am: Garza will indeed take Peralta’s place, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

10:54am: The Brewers have optioned Opening Day starter Wily Peralta to Triple-A Colorado Springs, per a team announcement. There’s no official word on a replacement, though fellow veteran right-hander Matt Garza could be the choice on the heels of making his final rehab start earlier this week. Garza hasn’t yet pitched for the Brewers this year because of a back injury.

Peralta took the hill for the Brewers in their 7-4 win over the Mets on Saturday, striking out four batters and surrendering three earned runs on five hits and a walk in five innings. Given the way Peralta has performed in 2016, that so-so outing counts as one of his best of the year. The highlight of his day came as a hitter, believe it or not, as he clubbed a 429-foot home run off Mets starter Logan Verrett.

In 66 frames prior to today’s demotion, Peralta pitched to an unsightly 6.68 ERA – the worst mark among the majors’ qualified starters – with 42 strikeouts and 27 walks. His K/BB ratio sits at 1.56, which puts him ahead of just eight other starters.The wheels began falling off last year for Peralta, who struck out a meager 4.97 hitters per nine innings and recorded a 4.72 ERA in 108 2/3 frames. He was a more reliable option the previous two years, combining for a 3.93 ERA, 6.67 K/9 and 3.16 BB/9 across 64 starts and 382 innings. At his best, Peralta logged a 3.53 ERA, 6.98 K/9 and 2.76 BB/9 in 198 1/3 innings just two seasons ago.

Peralta, 27, is on a $2.8MM salary this year and is slated to make two more trips through arbitration, though it’s possible the Brewers will simply non-tender him at season’s end.

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