Mega Thread MLB season 2024

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There's a possibility that 44 year old Rich Hill will suit up again for his 20th season of MLB baseball. Currently a free agent, Hill is reportedly drawing interest from the Yankees and the Dodgers. Hill has previously made it clear to teams that he would prefer only to pitch in the second half of a season, in order to reduce the impact of pitching on his body and to enable him to spend more time with his family. This did not come to fruition in 2023, as he signed a one-year, $8 million deal to pitch for the Pirates in December 2022, and was traded by Pittsburgh to the Padres at the 2023 trade deadline.

The 6'5" soft-tossing lefty is a terrific answer for those that like to play Immaculate Grid, as he has pitched for 13 different teams in his major league career. Hill was drafted by the Reds in the 36th round of the 1999 MLB draft from Milton High School in Massachusetts, but did not sign with the Reds. He went to college in Michigan and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 draft by the Angels, but did not sign with the Angels, preferring to return to college for one more year. He was drafted by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2002 draft and made his debut with Chicago in 2005.

 
The Marlins have reportedly traded LHP A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for two prospects, infield prospect Deyvison De Los Santos and outfielder Andrew Pintar. The Diamondbacks will designate Joe Jacques for assignment to create a roster spot for the former Oakland first round draft pick.









Puk was drafted to be a starter for Oakland but struggled in that role and was converted into a reliever by the Athletics. He was traded to Miami in the 2022-2023 offseason in exchange for outfielder JJ Bleday. Puk pitched 56 2/3 innings in 2023 for a 3.97 ERA in his first season with Miami as the Marlins reached the playoffs. He was at one stage the Marlins' closer, picking up 15 saves and finishing 31 games altogether.

The Marlins sought to turn Puk back into a starter in the 2023-2024 offseason and after a promising stint as a starter in the Spring Training, he approached his new role with some confidence. It turned out that confidence was misplaced, as Puk failed to perform as a starter for Miami. He gave up 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings as a starter for Miami, walking 17, hitting a batter and recording just 12 strikeouts. He was put on the IL on 20 April with shoulder fatigue and once he was reinstated, he was back in the bullpen for the Marlins.

The move reinvigorated Puk, as he put together 30 1/3 innings of relief with a 2.08 ERA, including 33 strikeouts and just six walks. Opponents were hitting .159/.204/.252 during that span.

The Diamondbacks needed to add a left handed pitcher out of their bullpen, with only Joe Mantiply being such a pitcher in the Diamondbacks bullpen. Mantiply has a 3.99 ERA behind a 48.2% groundball rate but is not a flamethrower (unlike Puk, who averages in excess of 95mph on his fastball and pairs it with a vicious slider).

Puk is in his first season of arbitration and was being paid $1.8 million by the Marlins for the season. The Diamondbacks will cover slightly less than $700,000 for the remainder of the season. He has two runs remaining through arbitration before he is eligible for free agency.

The Marlins receive two mid-tier prospects from Arizona in exchange for Puk. De Los Santos is the more highly rated of the two, being a right-handed hitting infielder who has hit well in the upper minors this year. He boasts power but has struggled to put the ball in play in the low minors. However, as he advanced, he is suddenly making contact with more frequency and has a slashline of .289/.338/.588 in Triple-A this year. There is a possibility that De Los Santos could be in the majors sooner rather than later, especially if the Marlins are able to trade Josh Bell before the deadline.
 
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The Seattle Mariners are reportedly acquiring OF Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for prospects and a player to be named later.





The Rays receive OF Aidan Smith and RHP Brody Hopkins.

 
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Teams have been busy executing trades over the last few days.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Jason Adam to San Diego Padres in exchange for RHP Dylan Lesko, OF Homer Bush Jr and catcher J.D. Gonzalez.

The Padres designated RHP Glenn Otto for assignment to create a roster spot for Adam, while the Rays reinstated RHP Jeffrey Springs from the 60-day IL to take Adam's spot on their roster.

Adam was drafted by the Royals back in 2010 and spent time with the Padres, the Twins, Blue Jays and Cubs. Chicago non-tendered Adam after the 2021 season and was signed by the Rays ahead of the 2022 season. He made 170 appearances for Tampa Bay since the start of the 2022 season, turning in an ERA of 2.30, with a 30.4% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and a 44.7% ground ball rate.

Adam's long route to the majors means that he is eligible for two more arbitration seasons before hitting free agency after 2026, despite being 33 years old next month.

In exchange for Adam, the Rays receive some prospects from the Padres. Lesko is viewed as the centrepiece of the deal, being drafted by the Padres with the 15th overall draft in 2022. He has thrown 69 2/3 innings over 16 starts at High-A in 2024, with a 6.46 ERA and a 25% strikeout rate.

FanGraphs rates Lesko the 88th overall prospect, while MLB Pipeline are higher on Lesko, rating him 76th overall.

Bush is the son of a former MLB player, Homer Bush. He was a fourth-round pick of the Padres in 2023. In 130 games at the minor league level, he has seven homeruns, a 9.5% walk rate and a 15.7% strikeout rate, with a slash line of .290/.383/.379.

Gonzalez was a third round pick of the Padres in 2023, and he is hitting just .205/.322/.230 in Single-A in 2024.







 
The St Louis Cardinals have announced that they have designated RHP Giovanny Gallegos for assignment, calling up RHP Kyle Leahy to take his place. Gallegos has a 6.53 ERA in 21 appearances and 20 2/3 innings, as he has allowed six homeruns so far this year, while his strikeout rate (22.3%) and walk rate (10.6%) are the worst of his career.
 
It's being reported that at least two teams are interested in acquiring LHP Blake Snell from the Giants, with the New York Post suggesting that the Yankees and Padres are both interested in him. It is not clear whether the Giants are ready to trade Snell, given that they are 4.5 games outside of a wild card spot, and Snell's return to form recently is a factor in their rejuvenation. Since returning from the IL, Snell has a 0.75 ERA and a 35.7% strikeout rate, including his most recent start against the Rockies where he struck out 15 batters.

Snell signed with the Giants just before the season began, missing all of Spring Training, and his results suffered in the first part of the season, putting up a 9.51 ERA in his first six starts as a Giant. He also has the right to opt-out of the second year of his contract, which is worth $30 million. While his upturn in form suggests that Snell might bet on himself again in free agency after the season, if he suffers an injury in the second half of the season, he would almost certainly exercise that player option.



 
The Milwaukee Brewers have a familiar face back in their bullpen, reinstating RHP Devin Williams from the 60-day IL and he is set to make his season debut. The Brewers designated RHP Janson Junk for assignment to create room on the active roster.

Williams suffered two stress fractures in his back that were discovered during spring training.
 
The Chicago Cubs have acquired 3B Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays, in exchange for shortstop Christopher Morel and RHPs Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson.

Paredes rejoins his first team after he signed as an international free agent with the Cubs in 2015. The Cubs traded Paredes and Jeimer Candelario to the Detroit Tigers at the 2017 deadline, and Paredes made his MLB debut with Detroit in 2020. The Rays acquired Paredes in 2022 and he put up a 129 wRC+ in 1377 plate appearances in Tampa Bay, including 31 homeruns in 2023 and an All-Star appearance in 2024.

Paredes will take over from Morel at third base for the Cubs. Chicago had attempted to convert Morel into a third baseman but he struggled with the demands of the position. Paredes can also play first base, and could be platooned with Michael Busch, depending on match-ups.

The Rays are likely to call up Junior Caminero to replace Paredes, while they find a suitable spot for Morel. Long known as a slugger, Morel has struggled with the bat this year with Chicago while also struggling to deal with the demands of third base. Morel has hit .199/.302/.374 with 18 homeruns in 420 plate appearances, equating to a 93 wRC+, and a -0.1 fWAR.

Bigge was selected by the Cubs in the 2019 draft in the 12th round and made his MLB debut for Chicago this month, pitching 3 1/3 innings of relief in four games. Bigge is a reliever, having pitched 159 innings in the minors as a reliever.

Johnson was a 15th-round draft selection of the Cubs in 2023, and he has a 3.54 ERA in 61 total innings in 2024 between A-ball and high-A. He has started 10 of his 18 games so far in his professional career.





 

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The Boston Red Sox have acquired catcher Danny Jansen from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a trio of prospects - infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino, as well as pitcher Gilberto Batista. The Red Sox designated reliever Alex Speas for assignment to create roster space on the 40-man roster for Jansen.

The Blue Jays agreed to a $5.2 million salary with Jansen for his final year of arbitration, which means that the Red Sox assume $1.8 million of his remaining salary. In acquiring Jansen, the Red Sox give up several prospects. Coffey is a right-handed hitting infielder, and was drafted by the Red Sox out of high school in the 2022 draft. He has spent 2024 in High-A, hitting .238/.321/.463, including 14 homeruns and 12 doubles in 61 games. He has played mostly third base, but also has seen time at shortstop and at second base. Paulino comes from the Dominican Republic, and is hitting .263/.349/.391 in 69 games at Double-A Portland. He only has three homeruns to his credit, but has drawn walks at about 10.4% clip and only struck out 21.6% of the time. Paulino spent most of the season at third base, but also has experience at shortstop and second base. He is eligible for the Rule 5 draft next offseason. Batista is a 19 year old rookie ball pitcher signed by the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic during the 2022-2023 signing period.







The Red Sox have significantly re-shaped their roster after acquiring LHP James Paxton from the Dodgers and Jansen. The Red Sox designated RHP Chase Anderson and catcher Reese McGuire for assignment, and the Red Sox have also claimed RHP Yohan Ramirez off waivers from the Dodgers.

McGuire has been with the Red Sox since 2022, generally playing as the backup catcher given his ineffectiveness with the bat but strong defensive grades behind the dish. McGuire has seven Defensive Runs Saved in his career, but has a career slash line of .252/.300/.364, which translates to a wRC+ of 79. He has been worse this year, with a .209/.280/.295 batting line for a wRC+ of 59.

Anderson is a veteran pitcher who signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Red Sox this year. He has been in a long relief role for the Red Sox, pitching 52 innings in 27 appearances. He has an ERA of 4.85, with a 8.5% walk rate and a 15.6% strikeout rate.
 
On Saturday morning (Australian time), the Orioles announced that they had traded OF Austin Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for RHP Seranthony Dominguez and OF Cristian Pache. Baltimore designated LHP Levi Stoudt for assignment to create a roster spot on the 40-man roster. The Phillies filled their roster spot by reinstating RHP Michael Rucker from the 60-day IL.

Hays will give the Phillies some thump in the outfield than Cristian Pache, who was a defensive specialist. Hays is not having his best season but has hit well against left-handed pitching in 2024 and through his career. In exchange, the Orioles are hoping they are buying low on Dominguez, who is not having his best season in Philadelphia, but has experience in high leverage situations and at times acted as the Phillies closer. It is likely that the Phillies will platoon Austin Hays in left field with Brandon Marsh. Hays has hit .328/.394/.500 in 72 plate appearances against left handed pitching this season.

Dominguez has a 4.75 ERA in 36 innings pitched this year, but had a 3.31 ERA in his career prior to this season. Dominguez has been uncharacteristically homer prone this year and has struggled to strand runners, but his velocity, strikeout rate and walk rate are all strong.

Pache will profile as a bench option for the Orioles who will come into the game when defence is required. He is hitting .202/.288/.269 in 118 plate appearances for the year, compared to a career batting line of .179/.243/.272 in parts of five MLB seasons. However, he is credited with 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 16 Outs Above Average in just 1,334 career innings in the outfield.
 
The Baltimore Orioles also have improved their starting rotation, acquiring RHP Zach Eflin and cash considerations from the Rays in exchange for three prospects. Traded to Tampa Bay are outfielder Matthew Etzel, RHP Jackson Baumeister and utility player Mac Horvath. The Orioles designated RHP Vinny Nittoli for assignment to create roster space for Eflin.

Eflin has a 4.01 ERA since the start of 2018 with the Phillies and the Rays, and a 4.09 ERA in 2024. Eflin slots in as the third starter for the Orioles behind Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez, and represents an upgrade on Albert Suarez, Cole Irvin, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott.
 
The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Jesse Winker from the Washington Nationals in return for RHP Tyler Stuart. The Mets drafted Stuart in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, and he had a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Binghamton. Measuring at 6'9", Stuart was a reliever at Southern Miss but has been turned into a starter once he was drafted by the Mets.





 
As noted already, the Yankees have acquired 2B/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr from the Marlins and he played in his first game for the Yankees earlier today when the Yankees defeated the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball. The Yankees traded catcher Agustin Ramirez, and infielders Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez to Miami in exchange for Chisholm.

The Marlins acquired Chisholm in a trade several years ago when they sent RHP Zac Gallen to the Diamondbacks. Chisholm split his rookie season in 2021 between shortstop and second base with roughly league average offence. The Marlins committed Chisholm to second base full-time in 2022, and he responded with a tremendous season offensively, hitting .254/.325/.535 (136 wRC+) for the year, but he only played in 60 games after he suffered a stress fracture in his back.

The Marlins shifted Chisholm to centre field for 2023, and he played just 97 games for the season after suffering turf toe. His batting took a downturn and he had a 103 wRC+ for the season. In 2024, he was hitting .249/.323/.407 (104 wRC+) for the year, but he had improved his defence in centre field to roughly league average. He also regained his health, playing in 101 of Miami's 104 games before being traded.

It is not yet clear whether the Yankees will have Chisholm play in centre field on a long-term basis (he played there in his debut game for the Yankees today) or whether they will shift him back to the infield. There is some appeal in playing Chisholm in centre field, as left fielder Alex Verdugo has gone cold with the bat since the start of June, and it would also alleviate some of the load on Aaron Judge. However, the Yankees are not seeing much results from Gleyber Torres as their regular second baseman and third base has been a disaster for the Yankees all year (though neither Torres nor Chisholm have experience at that position in the majors).

It is possible that Chisholm will play in the outfield against left handed starters (with Verdugo benched) and then in the infield when playing against right handed starters, in order to allow more effective matchups.
 
Over the weekend, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired RHP Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, giving up pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri in return. The Angels signed Estevez on a two-year deal before the 2023 season on the heels of a breakout season with the Rockies in 2022, where he posted a 3.47 ERA. He was an All-Star in 2023 on the back of a 1.80 ERA in the first half of 2023, but his form dipped after the break, as he put up a 6.59 ERA with a 4.46 FIP in 27 1/3 innings in the second half of the season. His form returned for the Angels in 2024, as he put up an ERA of 2.38 in 34 innings of work, having cut his walk rate from 11% of batters in 2023 to 4% of opponents in 2024.
 
The Atlanta Braves have acquired DH/OF Jorge Soler from the San Francisco Giants, together with RHP Luke Jackson as the Giants start clearing salary off their books. The Giants acquired minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos and take on the salary for injured LHP reliever Tyler Matzek. The Braves designated RHP Darius Vines for assignment to open roster space.

Soler is likely to become the Braves' new right fielder. Adam Duvall has played predominantly right field since Ronald Acuna Jr tore his ACL and his results have not been pretty, as Duvall has hit just .188/.251/.336 over 295 plate appearances. Duvall was signed by the Braves to work as a short side platoon bat alongside Jarred Kelenic in left field. Duvall has had good success against left handed pitching this year (.261/.361/.533 in 108 plate appearances) but has been overmatched against right handed pitching, hitting .153/.190/.239 with a 33% strikeout rate against righties.

The Giants signed Soler to a three-year, $42 million contract in the off-season (just before Spring Training) and Soler hit poorly in the first two months of the season. However, as the weather started to warm, so did Soler, hitting .280/.374/.486 over his most recent 204 plate appearances. He has 12 homeruns so far this season, in 392 plate appearances in total.

The Braves are hoping that Soler can kickstart their anemic offence, as the Braves hit just .227/.281/.417 collectively in July and are clinging on to a wild card spot in the playoff race, being just 1.5 games clear of the Diamondbacks, who are outside the wild card race looking in.

Soler was a full-time DH for the Giants but he will have to play defence for the Braves, as Marcell Ozuna owns the DH spot for the Braves.

Luke Jackson also returns to the Braves for his second stint with Atlanta. He won a ring with the Braves (as did Soler) in 2021, but had to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2022, ruling him out for the season. He signed a contract with the Giants in the 2022-2023 off-season and returned to pitching half-way through the 2023 season, throwing 33 1/3 innings in 2023, putting up an ERA of 2.97. He suffered a lower back strain and has not been the same since returning to the mound from April 2024, with a 5.40 ERA over 35 innings in 2024.

To offset the salaries being absorbed by Atlanta, they have traded LHP Tyler Matzek to the Giants. He is in the second season of a two-year, $3.1 million contract that has been plagued by elbow issues. Matzek missed the entirety of 2023 after Tommy John surgery. He has pitched 10 innings in 2024, giving up 11 earned runs, and went back on the 60-day IL with elbow inflammation and he is out indefinitely. His deal contains a $5.5 million club option for 2025 that the Giants will surely decline.



 
The Houston Astros have acquired LHP (and former ABL star) Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays in order to strengthen their starting rotation that has been decimated by injury this season. Kikuchi has been a workhorse for the Blue Jays, pitching 115 2/3 innings for Toronto so far this season, for a 4.75 ERA.

In exchange for Kikuchi, the Blue Jays have received RHP Jake Bloss, OF/1B Joey Loperfido and minor league infielder Will Wagner (son of former Astro Billy Wagner).





www.nytimes.com

Astros send three players to Blue Jays to add Yusei Kikuchi to banged-up rotation

By Chandler Rome, Ken Rosenthal, Kaitlyn McGrath HOUSTON — To supplement their injury-ravaged starting rotation, the Houston Astros may have authored one of the trade deadline’s biggest overpays. Houston acquired left-hander Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday evening, providing...
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

 

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Mega Thread MLB season 2024

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