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Phillies Select Jeff Hoffman, Designate James McArthur

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The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Hoffman. To open a spot on the active roster, fellow right-hander Yunior Marté was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To create room on the 40-man roster, righty James McArthur was designated for assignment. The club also announced that righty Nick Nelson, who was on the injured list with a hamstring strain, was reinstated from the IL and optioned to Double-A Reading.

It was reported earlier today that Hoffman had an opt-out in his minor league deal, which he had triggered on Monday. The club then had 48 hours to add him to the big league roster or release. More than 48 hours have elapsed since then, but it seems the two sides worked something out to get Hoffman his roster spot today.

The 30-year-old Hoffman signed a minor league deal with the Twins in the offseason but he had opt-outs in that deal, the first of which was at the end of March. He didn’t make the club out of camp and was granted his release, signing another minor league contract, but this time with the Phillies. The latter deal came with a $1.3MM base salary and opt-outs on May 1 and July 1.

The righty reported to Lehigh Valley and made nine appearances. His ERA of 7.00 in that time certainly isn’t pretty, nor is his 17.9% walk rate. However, he struck out 41% of batters faced and also had an unfortunate strand rate of 37.7%, leading to a much more palatable FIP of 3.71. Matt Gelb of The Athletic had reported earlier that Hoffman has been touching 99 mph in that short stint.

In a sense, that mixed bag is a sort of microcosm of Hoffman’s career. He’s long tantalized clubs with his power arm, getting selected ninth overall by the Blue Jays back in 2014. He’s since bounced around to the Rockies and Reds, logging 348 1/3 innings with a 5.68 ERA while walking 11.1% of batters faced. Last year was a bit more encouraging as he pitched for the Reds exclusively as a reliever, apart from one outing as an opener. He finished the year with a 3.83 ERA in 44 2/3 innings, striking out 22.8% of batters faced but with a high walk rate of 11.7%.

The Phils will give him a shot to see if he can harness his stuff at the big league level this year. If he’s able to succeed and hang onto his roster spot, they would have the ability to retain him via arbitration for another season as well. Hoffman currently has four years and 105 days of service time, meaning he would be between five and six years if he stayed up the rest of the way. But if the Phils want to remove him from the roster at any point, Hoffman is out of options and would have to be designated for assignment.

In order to prevent Hoffman from returning to the open market, the Phils have removed McArthur from their roster. A 12th round pick of the Phils in 2018, he was added to the 40-man roster in November of 2021 to prevent him from being selected in that year’s Rule 5 draft. At that time, he had just finished a season in which he tossed 78 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A with a 4.25 ERA. Unfortunately, he’s hit a few speed bumps since then, making just 13 starts last year before suffering a stress reaction in his throwing elbow that prevented him from pitching after June. He reached Triple-A for the first time this year but has a 7.31 ERA through 16 innings.

The Phils will now have a week to trade McArthur or pass him through waivers. His rough showing this year notwithstanding, he’s a starter that can be optioned to the minors. Given that multiple clubs around the league are dealing with significant rotation injuries, it’s possible one of them could be interested in picking him up.

Phillies Select McKinley Moore, Designate Jhailyn Ortiz

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The Phillies announced that right-hander McKinley Moore has had his contract selected. To make room on the active roster, righty Yunior Marté was optioned following last night’s game. To open a spot on the 40-man, outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz was designated for assignment.

Moore, 24, has made a major league roster for the first time in his career and will be making his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. A 14th round selection of the White Sox in 2019, he came over to the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Adam Haseley just over a year ago. At the time of that deal, Moore was coming off a season where he racked up strikeouts but also walked a lot of hitters. Splitting his time between Class-A and Class-A Advanced, he tossed 40 2/3 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 32.6% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.

That profile seems to have followed Moore to his new organization. He tossed 49 2/3 Double-A innings last year with a 4.35 ERA, striking out 31.3% of batters faced and getting grounders at a healthy 48.3% clip, but he walked 11.5% of opponents he faced. He had a nice showing in spring last month, not allowing an unearned run over 9 1/3 innings with 11 Ks and just one walk, though he did walk two of the eight hitters he faced in Triple-A recently.

The Phillies probably weren’t expecting or hoping to make a move like this so early in the season but their pitching staff has been stretched by various factors. Ranger Suárez, Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sánchez and Nick Nelson all dealt with various injuries in spring, pushing Matt Strahm from the bullpen to the rotation. Then they were hit around in their first four games, allowing 37 runs while each of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Taijuan Walker failed to go five innings in their respective starts. Only Bailey Falter, who went 5 1/3, managed to get over that line. Strahm is starting tonight but only expected to throw around 65 pitches, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, given that he wasn’t fully stretched out in spring. With the bullpen already getting heavy work and Strahm’s limited capacity tonight, a fresh arm was needed. Michael Plassmeyer,  Erich Uelmen and Luis Ortiz are on the 40-man but were just optioned at the end of camp and can’t be recalled until 15 days have elapsed unless someone goes on the injured list.

All of those circumstances led to Moore’s selection and the designation of Ortiz, a 24-year-old outfielder. Once a high-profile international signing, the Phillies gave him a $4MM bonus when he was first signed in 2015. He’s been considered one of the club’s top prospects since then, with Baseball America ranking him on their top 30 in each season since 2016. As he’s moved up the minor league ladder, he’s continued to show the power that made him so intriguing as an amateur, but with mounting strikeout rates to go with. He was added to the club’s 40-man roster in November 2021 to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft, then spent all of last year in Double-A. He hit 17 home runs in 119 games but also was punched out in 32.7% of his plate appearances. His .237/.319/.415 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 101.

The Phillies will now have one week to trade Ortiz or pass him through waivers. It’s possible that one of the 29 other clubs is intrigued by his power and prospect pedigree. The strikeouts will obviously raise some concerns, but he still has a couple of option years and could be kept in the minors for the rest of this year and the next by any club willing to give him a 40-man roster spot.

Phillies, Giants Swap Yunior Marté For Erik Miller

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The Phillies and Giants made a trade today, according to announcements from both clubs. Right-hander Yunior Marté is heading to the Phillies with lefty Erik Miller going the other way.

Marté, 28 next month, he spent most of his career with the Royals but never cracked their roster and reached minor league free agency after 2020. The Giants then signed him to a minor league deal and saw him post a 3.49 ERA over 56 2/3 Triple-A innings in 2021. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, walked 9.1% of them and got grounders on 49.4% of balls in play. That was enough for the Giants to add him to the 40-man in November.

In 2022, Marté made his MLB debut with a 5.44 ERA in 48 innings for the Giants. That came with a 20.6% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate, with both of those numbers being a bit worse than league average. He did get grounders at a strong 48.6% rate and might have had some bad luck with a 63.2% strand rate. Statcast found a lot to like in his work, placing him in the 97th percentile in terms of barrel rate, 84th in terms of average exit velocity and 94th in terms of fastball velocity, averaging 97.8 mph. He also tossed 25 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.16 ERA and a huge 37.2% strikeout rate, though his 38.8% ground ball rate was lower down there.

Marté still has a couple of option years, so he’ll give the Phils an intriguing arm that they could potentially keep in the minors until needed. The bullpen has been an area of focus for the team this winter, as they’ve signed free agents Craig Kimbrel and Matt Strahm, in addition to swinging a trade for Gregory Soto this weekend and Marté today. For the Giants, it seems like Marté was nudged out of their plans when they signed Luke Jackson today, requiring them to open a roster spot with this trade. Though it was surely tough to part with a talented pitcher like Marté, they are at least getting something in return.

Miller, 25 next month, was a fourth round selection of the Phillies in 2019. He’s been considered one of the better prospects in the Philly system since then, with Baseball America having him in the club’s top 30 in each of the past three years. Between the canceled minor leagues in 2020 and an injury-marred 2021, he hadn’t pitched much coming into 2022. But he seemed to get into a groove at Double-A, tossing 36 1/3 innings with a 2.23 ERA. He struck out 30.1% of batters faced but also walked 11.6% of them. He was promoted to Triple-A but his control problems worsened. In 10 games at that level, he walked 21.5% of opponents, leading to a 7.50 ERA.

Miller got some attention here at MLBTR as the Rule 5 draft was approaching but he ultimately went unselected. That means the Giants have now swapped one intriguing arm for another, with Miller not occupying a roster spot. Baseball America highlights that his fastball can reach 98 mph, with a plus slider and changeup as well. However, they note that a lack of consistency has kept him from truly reaching his potential thus far.

Giants Designate Jake McGee, Reinstate Luis Gonzalez, Place Zack Littell On 15-Day IL

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The Giants announced a quartet of roster moves, including the news that veteran left-hander Jake McGee has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Zack Littell was also placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, while outfielder Luis Gonzalez was reinstated from the 10-day IL and righty Yunior Marte was called up from Triple-A.

McGee signed with San Francisco in the 2020-21 offseason, inking a two-year deal worth $5MM in guaranteed money — $2MM in 2021, $2.5MM this season, and a $500K buyout of a 2023 club option worth $4.5MM if exercised.  That contract paid immediate dividends for the Giants in 2021, as McGee posted a 2.72 ERA, 24.3% strikeout rate, and an elite 4.2% walk rate over 59 2/3 innings.  With 31 saves, McGee was the Giants’ primary closer, though Tyler Rogers and (later in the season when McGee was sidelined with an oblique injury) Camilo Doval also stepped in for some ninth-inning situations.

Unfortunately for McGee, his second season in the Bay Area hasn’t been nearly as smooth.  His strikeout rate has plummeted to a career-worst 11.5%, and he has a 7.17 ERA over 21 1/3 innings (also missing two weeks on the IL due to back tightness).  With Doval taking over as closer, McGee hasn’t been able to perform effectively in a set-up role, and right-handed batters have been crushing McGee’s offerings.

The Giants had clearly seen enough, and could now be on the hook for the remainder of McGee’s salary (roughly $1.12MM) if he isn’t claimed off the DFA wire or acquired in a trade.  If McGee clears waivers and is released, then another team would owe only the prorated minimum salary for his services, with the Giants responsible for the rest of his guaranteed salary.

Despite McGee’s struggles this year, his past track record could generate some interest on the trade front.  The left-hander has been a quality performer for the majority of his 13 MLB seasons, and after it seemed he was winding down after a couple of tough years with the Rockies in 2018-19, he rebounded in 2020 to contribute to the Dodgers’ world championship team.  McGee is still very effective against left-handed batters, so an interested team could try to use him in as much situational work as possible (given the three-batter rule), or perhaps a new club might feel a change of scenery in general will get McGee back on track.

Littell is another reliever who was excellent in 2021 (2.92 ERA over 61 2/3 IP) but has had some bumps in 2022, posting a 5.04 ERA over 30 1/3 frames.  A 3.32 SIERA indicates that Littell has been a little unfortunate this year, hurt in particular by a spike in his home run rate.  Littell also spent 10 days on the COVID-related injury list, and was optioned to Triple-A in late June before being recalled just two days ago.  That means the 26-year-old will at least bank Major League service time while on the IL, and depending on the severity of his strain, Littell could be in for a fairly lengthy absence.

Gonzalez has been out of action since June 23 due to a lower back strain, and he’ll now look to resume what has been a semi-breakout year.  The 26-year-old has hit .302/.361/.447 with three home runs over 180 plate appearances, getting regular work against right-handed pitchers even in a San Francisco lineup that is already heavy in left-handed hitting outfielders.

Giants Promote David Villar

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3:35PM: The Giants have officially selected Villar’s contract.  Right-hander Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, creating an open 26-man roster spot.

12:31PM: As first reported by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Giants prospect David Villar is in Phoenix and will be activated ahead of today’s game against the Diamondbacks. Villar, who’s primarily played third base in the minors but has some positional versatility, has logged a .284/.409/.633 triple-slash — and 21 home runs — in 281 trips to the plate for Triple-A Sacramento so far this year.

It isn’t yet clear what position Villar will play in his first taste of the majors, but with both Thairo Estrada and Brandon Crawford on the IL and Evan Longoria entrenched at third, he’ll most likely slot in at second for the time being. He’s played 98 innings at the position, all of them this year.

An unheralded 11th-round pick out of the University of South Florida in the 2018 amateur draft, Villar hasn’t drawn a lot of prospect fanfare but has hit his way onto the big-league radar. While his 2022 performance in Triple-A has taken him to new heights, he showed significant power last year as well, hitting 20 homers at Double-A Richmond en route to a .275/.374/.507 overall line.

Giants Place Alex Cobb On Injured List

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Between the two games of last night’s doubleheader, the Giants made a roster move, announcing that right-hander Alex Cobb had been placed on the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain. Fellow righty Yunior Marte was recalled to take his place on the roster.

Cobb had started the opening match of the doubleheader, but was pulled after throwing 60 pitches over 4 1/3 innings, escorted by the club’s trainer. Cobb himself didn’t seem especially worried about the injury, as relayed by Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic and Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. That suggests that Cobb could stay on the IL for the 10-day minimum or something close to it. Signed to a two-year, $20MM deal (plus a club option) just before the lockout, the 34-year-old has made two starts on the season thus far, logging 9 1/3 innings with a 4.82 ERA, 35% strikeout rate and 5% walk rate.

Even if he isn’t out for long, the timing of the injury is a bit awkward for the club. They are in the middle of a stretch where they play 14 games in 13 days, thanks to yesterday’s twin bill. They don’t have an off day until next Thursday, April 28th. Logan Webb started the second game yesterday and is lined up to throw on regular rest on the 24th. The next three days will see Carlos Rodon, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood take the hill, with a starter needed to pitch on the 23rd and likely one more start beyond that.

As for Marte, the 27-year-old made his MLB debut earlier this year and now has two scoreless innings on his big league résumé.

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