PT Today

(*) PT TODAY (AL EDITION): Ray, Stripling boost TOR rotation

PT Today

BaseballHQ

Sep 1 2020 12:07am

(*) PT TODAY (AL EDITION): Ray, Stripling boost TOR rotation

BaseballHQ

Sep 1 2020

Team-by-team playing time allocation charts can be found in our Teamview pages.

American League \| National League

Blue Jays \| Toronto lands Robbie Ray
Arizona Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for an undisclosed return Monday, Aug. 31. Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan

BHQ take: Ray is one of three high profile pitchers obtained by Toronto in advance of the trading deadline. In 2017, 2018, and even 2019, he looked like a quality pitcher if not an ace. However, he’s struggled in 2020. Over seven starts, he has a 7.84 ERA (6.62 xERA) and a -12 BPV. His Dom of 12.5 is the highest of his career, but that has been accompanied by a simply awful 9.0 Ctl. For now, we’re continuing to project him as a starter, but there have been murmurs that Toronto might try him in the bullpen. That’s an eventuality that is more likely to happen if Ken Giles is not able to return. —Phil Hertz

Impact: High
Ray, Robbie	PT Loss: -1%



Mariners \| Seattle lands Taylor Trammell in huge deal
San Diego Padres OF Taylor Trammell, C Luis Torrens, INF Ty France and RHP Andrés Muñoz were traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for C Austin Nola, RHP Dan Altavilla and RHP Austin L. Adams on Sunday, Aug. 30. Source: ESPN - Jeff Passan

BHQ take: The big PT winner here for SEA appears to be UT Ty France, as GM Jerry Dipoto stated that France is likely to regular playing time around the infield and at DH; that will steal some time from several Mariners. France has been a solid contributor for SD, as his plate and power skills and hard-contact rate have each jumped a notch. France is unlikely to maintain the plus-.300 BA he put up with SD, as his overall contact is still a bit shaky, but the power is sufficient that his xBA is still at a solid .281. So far that power hasn't show up in the long ball, as France has put a lot of balls on the ground this year, but he's shown better in that department before. On the catching side, expect Torrens to get most of the time behind the plate, with rookies Joe Hudson and Joe Odom also filling in for now. Torrens hasn't played much at the MLB level, but did post a .270 MLE BA in 2019. (Note: We've summarized the SEA pitcher moves in a separate analysis.) —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Odom, Joseph	PT Gain: 5%
Long, Shed	PT Loss: -10%
France, Ty	PT Gain: 30%
Hudson, Joe	PT Gain: 5%
Marmolejos, Jose	PT Loss: -5%
Torrens, Luis	PT Gain: 30%
Gordon, Dee	PT Loss: -15%



Indians \| Six players to Cleveland
San Diego Padres RHP Cal Quantrill, LHP Joey Cantillo, C Austin Hedges, SS Gabriel Arias, SS Owen Miller and OF Josh Naylor were acquired by the Cleveland Indians in exchange for RHP Mike Clevinger, OF Greg Allen and a player to be named. Source: MLB Network

BHQ take: Mike Clevinger's departure in trade means RHP Zach Plesac will rejoin CLE's starting rotation while recently promoted RHP Triston McKenzie remains. Naylor seemingly will see regular PT at a corner OF slot with veteran RF Domingo Santana DFA. Hedges will figure prominently into CLE's catching mix while Quantrill deepens the CLE bullpen. Groundball hitter Naylor has struggled at the MLB level since his 2019 debut, posting a .719 OPS as a rookie, while flashing a .732 OPS in his 36 AB in 2020. He played sparingly in SD, but is likely to see considerable opportunity, particularly vs. RHP, for CLE. He would benefit from turning some of his groundballs into line drives, as his LD% has been subpar to date. —Tom Kephart

Impact: High
Plesac, Zach
Quantrill, Cal
Naylor, Josh	PT Gain: 75%
McKenzie, Triston	PT Gain: 7%
Santana, Domingo	PT Loss: -75%
Hedges, Austin



Rangers \| Texas trades Todd Frazier
Texas Rangers INF Todd Frazier was traded to the New York Mets Monday, Aug. 31, in exchange for a player to be named later. Source: MLB.com - John Blake

BHQ take: Lots of moving pieces here. TEX called up rookies Eli White and Anderson Tejeda, and the club also placed 2B Rougned Odor on the IL with an eye infection. Those getting the biggest boost from Frazier's departure and Odor's IL stint appear to be 1B Ronald Guzmán and, possibly, White. Guzmán may be getting his final shot to make an impression with the Rangers. As we wrote a few days ago, Guzmán has been getting good reviews from TEX coaches while he's been on the inactive list. Since his recall, he also has 4 hits in 7 AB entering play on 8/31. But big picture: this is a defense-first 1B who has a career OPS barely over .700 -- and he's gotten good reviews before. White, meanwhile, is expected to make his MLB debut soon. He shifted full time to the OF after playing SS earlier in his minor league career, and his defense has reportedly been impressive. And with Odor hitting the IL, current regular LF Nick Solak may shift back to 2B some, allowing White some extra PT in the shorter term. That said, White managed just a .221 MLE BA in 2019 at Triple-A. His calling card is speed, with a 153 MLE SX last year, but that manifested in only 14 SB in 499 PA. Even if he gets some regular AB, watch White safely from afar until he shows he can hit MLB pitching. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Tejeda, Anderson	PT Gain: 15%
Odor, Rougned	PT Loss: -25%
White, Eli	PT Gain: 50%
Dietrich, Derek	PT Gain: 5%
Kiner-Falefa, Isiah	PT Gain: 10%
Guzman, Ronald	PT Gain: 55%



Mariners \| Seattle trades away Taylor Williams
Seattle Mariners RHP Taylor Williams was acquired by the San Diego Padres in exchange for a player to be named later, according to sources. Source: MLB.com - AJ Cassavell

BHQ take: Williams had been the surprise save leader for SEA; coupled with the departure of Taijuan Walker, Dan Altavilla, and Austin Adams, both the M's rotation and late-inning relief corps had a sudden void. At this writing, SEA has not given details about their plans, and several relievers in particular could be in line for higher leverage usage. But for now, it appears the main gainers are likely new closer Yoshihisa Hirano, new setup man Yohan Ramirez, and fan favorite Ljay Newsome. Of the three, Ramirez is the only pitcher we haven't recently profiled. Ramirez, claimed off waivers from HOU in the off-season, has shown in his brief time with SEA this year what he is: a big arm who both fans and walks hitters in abundance. Entering play on 8/31, in 14 IP, Ramirez' gaudy 21 whiffs (14.5 Dom) are almost matched by his stunning 14 walks (9.7 Ctl). But those numbers are pretty much in line with his 2019 MLEs (10.7 Dom, 8.3 Ctl). It makes for an intriguing arm if Ramirez can ever harness those walks, but for now, he's hard to trust late. The 36-year-old Hirano, meanwhile, seems likely to get most SEA save chances after putting up marginally closer-worthy skills in his first two MLB seasons (MLB career 97 BPV) after earning over 150 saves in Japan. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Margevicius, Nick	PT Gain: 1%
Hirano, Yoshihisa	PT Gain: 1% SV Gain: 40%
Newsome, Ljay	PT Gain: 3%
Ramirez, Yohan	PT Gain: 4% SV Gain: 20%



Red Sox \| Boston ships Kevin Pillar to Colorado
Boston Red Sox OF Kevin Pillar was traded to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a player to be named later and an undisclosed amount of international slot money Monday, Aug. 31. Source: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand

BHQ take: Combined with the news that Benintendi may well miss the rest of the season, Pillar's departure leaves the Red Sox with a dearth of outfielders to play out the string in September. Verdugo and Bradley may find days off few and far between, though by promoting Munoz, a right-handed-hitting utility player, Boston does now have a player on the active roster who could give Bradley a break against tough left-handed pitching and have the platoon edge. Peraza may see the bulk of his time for the balance of the season in the outfield, opening up second base for some combination of Chavis, Arauz and Lin. Lin, too, has played some center field, so he may be in the lineup more often than his performance thus far might otherwise dictate. However, there may be a little bit more to evaluate with Munoz, so we will keep a close eye on how often he cracks the lineup once he arrives. If it looks like he may get an extended look, we will adjust accordingly. —Kris Olson

Impact: High
Chavis, Michael
Benintendi, Andrew	PT Loss: -35%
Verdugo, Alex	PT Gain: 15%
Peraza, Jose	PT Gain: 10%
Bradley, Jackie	PT Gain: 25%
Arauz, Jonathan	PT Gain: 15%
Dalbec, Bobby	PT Gain: 5%
Munoz, Yairo	PT Gain: 35%
Lin, Tzu-Wei	PT Gain: 20%



Rangers \| Texas lands two prospects in Mike Minor deal
Updating a previous report, Oakland Athletics OF Marcus Smith and 3B Dustin Harris were traded along with more than $100,000 in international slot compensation to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for LHP Mike Minor on Monday, Aug. 31. The Rangers are also expected to pay half of Minor's remaining salary. Source: The Athletic - Levi Weaver

BHQ take: TEX announced that rookie RHP Kyle Cody will move into Minor's rotation slot with minor league lefty John King -- who could also get a start or two -- to be added to the roster soon. The trade also seems to solidify (for now, at least) rotation spots for fringe starters Jordan Lyles and Kolby Allard. But Cody is the most interesting name here. We've written a couple of times about Cody recently; in short, he's a fastball/slider pitcher who's still developing a third pitch -- and his 4 IP for TEX in 2020 are his first since 2018 following elbow troubles. So he's no given to succeed, and even less so to stay in rotation. Still, given his raw talent and solid peripherals in the past (see his call-up profile), Cody could be a deep-league option for those hunting for a September SP long shot. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
King, John	PT Gain: 3%
Cody, Kyle	PT Gain: 4%
Allard, Kolby	PT Gain: 3%
Lyles, Jordan	PT Gain: 1%



Blue Jays \| Toronto adds Ross Stripling
Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays Monday, Aug. 31, in exchange for two players to be named later. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: With the Blue Jays also acquiring Robbie Ray and Taijuan Walker, it’s not clear how they will use Stripling. He has been struggling in 2020, as gopheritis has plagued him. He has a 5.45 xERA and a 62 BPV, and has yielded 12 homers in only 32.2 innings. For now we’re continuing to split his time between starting and relieving, but we’ll be watching his usage closely going forward. —Phil Hertz

Impact: Med
Stripling, Ross



Athletics \| Mike Minor trade terms complete
Updating a previous report, Texas Rangers LHP Mike Minor was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for OF Marcus Smith and 3B Dustin Harris on Monday, Aug. 31. The Rangers are also expected to pay half of Minor's remaining salary and more than $100,000 in international slot compensation, according to sources. Source: The Athletic - Levi Weaver

BHQ take: It's unclear at this point how OAK will arrange its rotation, but with several doubleheaders coming up related to COVID-19 postponements, the best bet is that they'll use six starters with Minor slotting in. So most of the OAK rotation will lose a little time, and current 6th SP Daniel Mengden's chances of returning to game action anytime soon have become very slim. (Note that a few other potential call-ups' PT were also reduced.) While it's too soon to know how the new TEX ballpark fares as a pitchers park, it's likely a change of scenery to OAK can't hurt Minor -- few home parks are better for pitchers than the A's, and of course Minor enters a pennant race and figures to grab more wins on a strong OAK club. We forecast Minor to take a step back in 2020 after putting up an ERA close to a run above expected last year. The capriciousness of luck has seen Minor's ERA actually jump nearly a run OVER his xERA this time around; his 4.78 xERA is only slightly worse than last year's 4.51. So signs point to some short-term improvement from Minor, although don't expect a repeat of his 2019 stats down the stretch. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Mengden, Daniel	PT Loss: -4%
Manaea, Sean	PT Loss: -1%
Montas, Frankie	PT Loss: -1%
Fiers, Mike	PT Loss: -1%
Minor, Mike	PT Loss: -1%



Rangers \| Texas trades Robinson Chirinos
Texas Rangers C Robinson Chirinos was traded to the New York Mets Monday, Aug. 31, in exchange for a player to be named later, according to a source. Source: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand

BHQ take: Expect TEX to give C José Trevino most of the starts in September, while veteran Jeff Mathis continues to fill in. Trevino has impressed in his limited 2020 AB; while his plate patience is nill, Trevino has made consistent hard contact (88% ct%, 121 HctX), fueling a surprising .314 xBA. With just a 2% walk rate, though, expect MLB hurlers to adjust and avoid giving Trevino as many good pitches to hit, so it remains to be seen how the backstop will adjust when that happens. Still, Trevino's progress in 2020 at age 27 is encouraging for his owners, and could be a September option for those shopping for catchers in a shallow pool. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Trevino, Jose	PT Gain: 25%
Mathis, Jeff	PT Gain: 10%



Angels \| Brian Goodwin traded by LAA
Los Angeles Angels OF Brian Goodwin was traded to the Cincinnati Reds Monday, Aug. 31, in exchange for LHP Packy Naughton and a player to be named later. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: Naughton will report to the Angels alternate site and doesn't seem to be much of a factor for the remainder of 2020, at least right now. But despite being one of LAA's few productive left-handed bats remaining, Goodwin was deemed expendable as the Angels allow Jo Adell learn on the job -- and Justin Upton time to work out of his long funk. Both of these names should be in the Angels lineup on most nights until further notice. Goodwin's departure could also mean that prospect Brandon Marsh makes his MLB debut at some point in September. Stay tuned. —Jock Thompson

Impact: High
Naughton, Packy
Marsh, Brandon	PT Gain: 10%
Adell, Jo	PT Gain: 25%
Upton, Justin	PT Gain: 25%



White Sox \| Yolmer Sánchez joins active roster
Chicago White Sox INF Yolmer Sánchez was recalled from the team's alternate training site Monday, Aug. 31. The team also designated INF Ryan Goins for assignment. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: Not too much to see here. Sanchez will be used as a pinch-hitting option for the Sox while Goins gets the DFA tag. Sánchez is a career .244 hitter with 31 homers, 214 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 2,223 AB. —Rick Green

Impact: Low
Goins, Ryan	PT Loss: -15%
Sanchez, Yolmer	PT Gain: 15%



Orioles \| Baltimore trades Miguel Castro
Baltimore Orioles RHP Miguel Castro was traded to the New York Mets Monday, Aug. 31, in exchange for LHP Kevin P. Smith, according to a source. The Orioles will also receive a player to be named later or cash considerations. Source: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand

BHQ take: Castro had been on the shortlist of Oriole relievers who would succeed Cole Sulser as the Oriole closer after the Orioles announced Sulser had lost the job. Now with Castro gone, speculation increases that Hunter Harvey will be at the head of the Baltimore closer committee. Stay tuned. Harvey is Baltimore’s #7 prospect, and Smith was New York’s #8 prospect entering 2020. Smith has only pitched 31 innings above High-A and does not figure to contribute to the Orioles in 2020. —Phil Hertz

Impact: Med
Harvey, Hunter	SV Gain: 10%



White Sox \| Gio González lands on the IL
Chicago White Sox LHP Gio González (groin) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain Sunday, Aug. 30. The move is retroactive to Aug. 27. The club also recalled RHP Dane Dunning from the team's alternate training site. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: No immediate word on González's injury, so a slight decrease in PT until more details are known. Dunning, the No. 6 prospect for CHW, has two starts under his belt a PQS-2 (4.1 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) and a PQS-4 (5 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K). He was profiled in Daily Call-Ups on Aug. 19. —Rick Green

Impact: Low
Dunning, Dane	PT Gain: 1%
Gonzalez, Gio	PT Loss: -1%



Angels \| Jahmai Jones added to roster
Los Angeles Angels OF Jahmai Jones was recalled from the team's alternate training site Monday, Aug. 31. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: A one-time prospect who still has time to establish himself, Jones makes his MLB debut as roster depth in the wake of David Fletcher's sprained ankle -- but we don't expect him to get much 2B time behind Fletcher, Luis Rengifo or new Angel Franklin Barreto (currently on the IL). You can learn more about Jones' skill set in our Callups space. —Jock Thompson

Impact: Low
Jones, Jahmai	PT Gain: 5%

News feed provided by: Fantasy.USATODAY.com

Playing Time Key

The playing time percentage changes at the bottom of most news items correspond to BaseballHQ.com's Teamview pages. The percentages approximate changes in AB, IP and Saves in the following manner:

For batters, each 5% of PT% ~ 31 AB (100% total for each position = 618 AB)
For pitchers, each 3% of PT% ~ 44 IP (100% total for a team's entire pitching staff)
For relievers, each 5% of Svs ~ 2 saves (100% of a team's total = about40 saves)

A complete explanation of BaseballHQ.com's playing time allocations can be found in the article "How the Projections are Created."