Phillies Acquire Corey Dickerson

Corey Dickerson has been traded.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired the outfielder from the Pirates. Dickerson is a quality bat and will look to be a part of the outfield mix for them before hitting free agency this winter.

Dickerson has missed nearly two months of the season with a shoulder strain but has done well since coming off the injured list. In 141 plate appearances, he's slashed a line of .317/.376/.556. That was capped by a performance last night against the Reds where he hit two home runs and had five RBIs.

Dickerson was an All-Star back in 2017 and has the reputation for being a defensive liability, but surprised many with 16 Defensive Runs Saved last season and took home a Gold Glove for those efforts. He's earning $8.5MM this year and is still owed $2.79MM over the final two months of the season.

For the Phillies, it was an importance to get more outfield mix. They lost Andrew McCutchen to a torn ACL while center fielder Odubel Herrera has been suspended for the remainder of the season under the league's domestic violence policy. Those were two crucial bats that the Phillies needed to replenish and they got it in Dickerson. They tried to address those needs earlier in a June acquisition of Jay Bruce, but he has been injured since arriving there and is now out for a couple weeks with an oblique injury. It was clear the Phillies could not count on him either.

I don't know if acquiring Dickerson will solve their problems immediately but a quality outfielder was what they wanted and Corey Dickerson fits that mold. We'll see what happens in Philadelphia and if Dickerson's presence and offensive capabilities will propel this team into the Wild Card by season's end.

Trevor Bauer Goes To Reds In 3-Team Deal

The first major transaction of the MLB trade deadline happened last night and one pitcher who threw the ball over the Kansas City center field is on his way to a new team.

The Cleveland Indians have traded right-hander Trevor Bauer to the Cincinnati Reds, who sent back right fielder Yasiel Puig and pitching prospect Scott Moss. The San Diego Padres were also involved in the deal: they sent outfielder Franmil Reyes, left-hander Logan Allen, and rookie level infielder Victor Nova. The Padres also landed outfielder prospect Taylor Trammell from the Reds. What is even more stunning about this trade has to do with Puig. The finishing touch on his brief career with the Reds was his involvement in the dust-up with the Pittsburgh Pirates last night. That fight actually went down after the trade agreement was reached. Meanwhile, for Bauer, that throw back towards center field was his finishing touch as a member of the Indians.

The Cincinnati Reds are currently 49-55 and 6 1/2 games out of wild-card position, so that means Cincinnati's chances of earning a Wild Card spot appear dead. Despite that, both president of baseball operations Dick Williams and general manager Nick Frall are optimistic, believing they can make a more serious playoff push in 2020. Picking up Bauer may help with those aspirations and it could help Cincinnati have one of the best rotations come next season. Assuming any more trades happen with the Reds, it would also have Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Anthony DeSclafani, and Tyler Mahle in that rotation.

As for the Indians, they are still fighting to overtake the Twins in the AL Central, who have come back to Earth. Getting some power and some production in that lineup will really help them. Franmil Reyes has emerged as one of the game's biggest power bats since he debuted in San Diego a year ago.  He is batting .255/.314/.536 with 27 home runs and 354 PA. Another plus for the Indians is that he won't be eligible for arbitration until after the 2021 season so he could be in the Indians lineup for a while.

The Indians are also getting three less established players in this deal in Allen, Nova, and Moss. Logan Allen is only 22 and entered the season as a top-100 prospect but he has struggled this season in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League with El Paso. However, he is still considered one of the higher-end prospects and still has plenty of room for improvement.

Meanwhile, for the Padres, they may have surrendered a lot to get a young prospect and Number 1 in the Reds' farm system. Trammell is still unproven and could spend the rest of this year and part of next in either Double-A or Triple-A. With Reyes gone, the Padres outfield still has two starting corner-outfielder options in Hunter Renfroe and much-more expensive Wil Myers. They also have Josh Naylor, Travis Jankowski, and Franchy Cordero who could also be options, but they are either injured or in the minor leagues.

This is probably the biggest acquisition of the trade deadline so far, because the Indians look like they won the trade. They are the only ones still fighting for a spot and getting valuable pieces and hitters in Reyes and Puig still work. They could still fight for the Wild Card and getting some offensive power is definitely crucial so we'll see where that goes and if it will work. As for the Reds and Padres, they are clearly focused on the future and especially the 2020 season. Getting controllable assets for the next couple of years was on their mind entirely. To me, they are no longer competing even if they could potentially catch Wild Card spots. Now it seems they will focus on their prospects and their future and hope that 2020 will work out better than 2019.

Dodgers Trade Zac Rosscup

Zac Rosscup is officially done playing in the Dodgers organization.

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired the lefty from the Dodgers, according to a team announcement. He was recently designated for assignment by LA. In return, the Dodgers will receive cash considerations.

Rosscup's new tenure with the Cardinals will most likely begin on assignment in Triple-A.

This will be his fourth team this season, as before getting to LA, he had been with two other organizations. He owns a 5.16 ERA in 83 2/3 innings at the MLB level where he has 12.2 K/9 but his walk rate is an ugly 5.9 BB/9. At issue with him has been the free passes he has given other players, and it was clearly something the Dodgers didn't want as they make a push for the World Series again.

Rosscup being traded wasn't the only news of the day for the Dodgers. It actually comes on the heels of utilityman Kike Hernandez going on the 10-day IL with a sprained hand. The Dodgers also optioned right-hander Jaime Schultz and activated Kristopher Negron from Triple-A to take Hernandez's place on the roster. Also, righty reliever Josh Sborz was recalled to take Schultz's place.

Mets Shipping Out Jason Vargas to Phillies

The New York Mets acquired one starter yesterday from the Blue Jays in the form of Marcus Stroman. Today, they are shipping out another pitcher in Jason Vargas.

Andy Martino of SNY.tv is reporting that the Mets will indeed send the veteran lefty elsewhere and just a few minutes ago, Jeff Passan is reporting are the Phillies are the team that is landing him. The Mets are getting prospect Austin Bossart from the Phillies.

This move was clearly made to open up a roster spot for Stroman, whom the Mets acquired yesterday from the Blue Jays. It also opens up the question about whether or not the Mets will move out any of their other starters by the trade deadline. The biggest name has been Noah Syndergaard, who many have written will be headed to the Padres, including myself.

At the beginning of the season, Vargas, 36, had a poor start but since then has delivered solid results for a Mets team that is both in the Wild Card and out of the Wild Card. He currently carries a 4.01 ERA through 94 1/3 frames. His stats also include a 7.7 K/9 with a 3.7 BB/9. These are solid numbers for any competing team and while his ERA is not all that great, it is still low enough where he can be a solid mid-rotation starter.

As for the return, Bossart, a 26-year-old prospect, is in the middle of the rough season. This is his second season at the Double-A level. He's only hitting .195/.305/.335 with 236 plate appearances, which means he still has work to do if he wants to get promoted to the Triple-A level.

For the Mets, this trade is not about Bossart at all, because they can afford to wait on him while he develops and improves his slashing numbers. This was about clearing space for Marcus Stroman, a player that I still don't why the Mets are traded for him. We know that the Mets are 5.5 games out of the Wild Card, which means they can still ride the wave and get into the postseason or they can fall flat in August and be out of the Wild Card for good.

As for Vargas himself, he finally escapes the Big Apple. Many of you may know him as a quality pitcher who can be in the mid-rotation and get some guys out, but he's also remembered recently for being one of the two guys for the Mets who went after that reporter from Newsday, along with manager Mickey Callaway. Although that shouldn't define him or his career, in this day and era that we live in, it's clearly not a good look. Going to Philadelphia should be a change of scenery and puts him on a team that is in the thick of it in the Wild Card race. If he goes there and produces well and gets a couple of wins under his belt, then I believe the Phillies will get one of those spots.

Brewers Designate Marcos Diplan

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com just tweeted out that the Milwaukee Brewers have designated pitching prospect Marcos Diplan for assignment today in order to make room for recent acquisition Jordan Lyles.

For many, this comes as a surprise. Diplan was once considered a potential starter within their mid-rotation. Although he was never an elite prospect, he was given a chance long enough for the Brewers to believe that he was going to pitch at the MLB level at one point. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that will happen with the Brewers.

Diplan held a 40-man spot since the fall of 2017 but has yet to get past the Double-A level. This season currently, he is struggling with a 4.79 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 in 114 2/3 frames. Those numbers don't seem like improvement and a promotion to the Triple-A level.

For many, it does indicate that the Brewers could likely ship him out in a trade, either before the trade deadline passes or even in the offseason if he clears and gets sent back down to the minors. Another option is that he could be a waiver claim target for a team that has a long-term outlook. Right now, the Brewers are not thinking long-term, not when they came so close last year to the World Series.

I feel for Diplan because I felt he was going to be in the Brewers' plans for the future, but when you have numbers like I mentioned at the Double-A level, you're not going to get promoted anytime soon. Plus, the acquisition of Jordan Lyles from the Pirates meant that someone was not going to be on the roster soon after that trade. Turns out it was Diplan. I could see him ending up on another team, especially one that will have patience with him and let him develop and see if he can get that ERA lower so that he can be a part of a rotation long-term.

Brewers Acquire Jordan Lyles

The Pittsburgh Pirates have said good-bye to one of their right-handed pitchers.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Brewers have reached a deal to acquire the right-hander Jordan Lyles from the rival Pirates. Milwaukee will send back Double-A pitcher Cody Ponce.

This is the second straight season that the Brewers have acquired Lyles, as they have also picked him up in an August waiver deal a season ago. Down the stretch last season for Milwaukee, he tossed 16 1/3 innings of 3.31 ERA and helped them get to the NLCS last season. He hit free agency in an offseason and ended up signing a one-year, $2.05MM deal with the Pirates. He's still owed $705K between now and when the season ends.

For the first few months of the season, it seemed like the Pirates had a steal in Lyles after he went with a 3.09 ERA with a 61-to-19 K/BB ratio in 57 innings. That went through the end of May but suffered a hamstring injury last month that sidelined him for a few games and since early June has struggled with control issues. Much of that is the reason why the Pirates slid out of the Wild Card in the middle of July. In the past seven outings, he has allowed 30 runs on 46 hits and 14 walks. Despite that, he maintained his strikeout tendencies of whiffing 34 hitters. Now with the Pirates out of the Wild Card picture, it looks like they were finally ready to see him head to a contender, which is definitely what Milwaukee is.

The ERA is not what the Brewers are putting into when they made this deal. They need a arm to help stabilize the rotation. Brandon Woodruff is out until September with an oblique strain, and Jhoulys Chacin just went on the injured list with a lat strain. Jimmy Nelson, another starter, is also out with an elbow issue, which made this deadline all the more important for Milwaukee to get an arm into that rotation.

As for the return for the Pirates, Cody Bonce is also 25 and was the Brewers' second-round pick back in 2015 but unfortunately, is not among the Brewers' top tier prospects. He was having a strong season, though, with Double-A Biloxi, having pitched a 3.29 ERA with a 44-to-12 K/BB ratio and a 56.5 percent ground-ball rate in 38 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Within the Brewers organization, he was their No. 27 prospect, according to Baseball America. Because of that, it was why he was not highly regarded as a top tier prospect in their farm system. Now, he'll get a chance within the Pirates organization to see if he can get himself higher up in their prospect pool.

It was clear the Brewers need help and Jordan Lyles is a cheap option for them til they can get all of their starters back. Not only that, but he knows the Brewers system well and their coaches and I think he knows exactly what they need out of him in order to get further in the playoffs (the World Series). The Pirates were not going anywhere and based on the trade, it looked like they were just ready to give up on catching that Wild Card slot, so it made sense for him to go to a contender and prove that he can bring October magic to the Brewers once again.

Noah Syndergaard To the Padres?

Are the San Diego Padres in the market to get one of the Mets starting pitchers?

A recent scenario from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal suggests that the Padres are interested in Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard. What's more interesting is that Rosenthal suggests that if they get this deal done and get money in return, they may use some of that to try to acquire Toronto's Marcus Stroman. It is indeed a bizarre scenario, right?

It is suggested that Syndergaard getting traded may serve as a big blueprint for many teams, especially those who are either out of the playoff picture entirely or who believes they are going to get on a roll. Perhaps the Padres believe they will get on a roll at one point if they get pitching.

It's understandable why the Padres would want to go after some high quality pitching because I have seen that team first hand and they have no quality pitching. Eric Lauer is their best pitcher but even he is not dominant and his ERA is not what the Padres hoped it would be.

The bigger issue with the Padres is not so much getting Syndergaard but who they would have to give up. Two big names come up: Luis Patino and Luis Urias. Urias is the bigger name here and is rated the 9th overall prospect by Baseball Prospectus. Right now, though, he has struggled in his brief MLB stint so far, but that doesn't mean he's still a high quality player when given the opportunity and time. MacKenzie Gore may be another big name in the prospect world that the Padres would have to part with as well. Gore is currently splitting time between High-A Lake Ilsinore and Double-A Amarillo and holds a 2.51 ERA overall. It could be very enticing for the Mets.

I'm not sure if the Padres will pull this deal off but they are looking for starting pitching wherever they can find it. They clearly have the offense they need to make a serious run but if you don't get any quality pitching, then it's not going to matter because 7 GB in the Wild Card could be 10 or 11 when all is said and done. I think the Padres need to do whatever they can to get quality starting pitching right now or they will lose even more ground in the race and end up missing the playoffs again. They may miss it anyway, but at least with Syndergaard, you can get a quality starter that will give you a chance every time he pitches.

Athletics Acquire Jake Diekman From Royals

Jake Diekman is on the move.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Oakland Athletics have acquired the pitcher from the Kansas City Royals. As of right now, the return is unknown, though it's likely to be prospects.

The Athletics are pushing for a second consecutive playoff appearance and in doing so, they would need to acquire some quality pitching. Getting Diekman was crucial but many of his problems have had to do with walks. The lefty hasn't walked under four players per nine innings since 2013. Despite that, he is setting down hitters at a career-best rate. He has struck out 13.61 K/9 over two batters per a nine inning game. That's over his previous season best. Not just that, but his park-adjusted peripherals place him in the top 30 relievers in MLB right now. He'll join an Oakland bullpen that already has MLB's second-highest fWAR total. That's behind only the New York Yankees.

Diekman is owed approximately $700K over the rest of this season and has a $5.75MM option for 2020. That is most likely to be declined if Diekman continues his hot hand right now. Diekman is also joining a bullpen that includes Joakim Soria, Yusmeiro Petit, Liam Hendriks, Blake Treinen, and Lou Trevino. All of them are having fantastic seasons.

The Athletics look to be filling up their roster in a potential Wild Card game where pitching will mater. Frankie Montas is most likely not going to be in the plans this offseason, having been suspended for a PED violation earlier this season. Mike Fiers has played well, but his peripherals suggest he may flounder once they get to the playoffs. Brett Anderson is another who's managed to avoid major injury for a few times in his career.

Jake Diekman is going to a solid team where they have aspirations for the playoffs and even more than the Wild Card. Last season, if you recall, the Athletics did the stupid thing by allowing relievers to pitch them through the Wild Card game, in hopes to save their starters' arms for a Divisional Series. It didn't work, obviously, because the Yankees were the best team in that matchup and took apart the Athletics.

I can't trust the Athletics, because analytics always seem to hurt that team more than most when they get to the playoffs. However, getting Diekman is another crucial bullpen arm that they need going down the stretch and getting into the Wild Card game. We'll see if Diekman can handle the load in Oakland, but I think based on what we saw in Kansas City, he's going to be a big asset for the team's aspirations.

Ty Blach Designated For Assignment

Ty Blach's time with San Francisco may soon be coming to an end.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, the Giants have designated left-handed pitcher Ty Blach for assignment today. This move was necessary to make room for prospect Logan Webb's return from the Restricted List.

Blach was a great productive pitcher for the 2016-18 seasons with the Giants. His numbers were slightly up then because of the dimensions of Oracle Park, their home field. The lefty posted the league's lowest strikeout total since debuting in late 2016, but he threw a solid 3.84 FIP in 47 appearances (13 starts) for the Giants last season. Unfortunately, that performance wasn't enough to get any favor with the new Giants management that came in in the offseason.

Much of this season has been spent trying to survive in Triple-A. It hasn't gone well so far for Blach, posting a 5.93 ERA/5.26 FIP. While those numbers may seem respectable in the offensive climate that was the PCL, it unfortunately wasn't enough once it made it to the big league level.

Right now, Blach may end up on a new team or possibly back down in Triple-A, where he's hoping that he can improve on those numbers and get back up to a big league club. It may not be enough, though, as his performances have not improved since 2016 and this latest designation may be the last straw in the Giants organization.

Jose Pirela Traded to Phillies

Jose Pirela's time in San Diego is over.

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that they have acquired Pirela from the Padres in exchange for cash considerations.

Pirela was recently designated for assignment on Monday by San Diego. The former one-time Yankee was a major asset in the Padres lineup back in 2017 and 2018. However, that time yielded a terrible .249/.300/.345 line in 473 plate appearances for the Padres. Apart from those numbers, he spent time moving around the field save catcher, shortstop, and center field. What he has proven is that he's a reliable defender. This season playing in El Paso, he slashed a .353/.401/.674 with 18 homers. It was clear, however, there was no long-term plans for him in the lineup with all the outfielders they have on their roster.

Now, Pirela will look to be a secondary option in the Phillies lineup. So far, only Brad Miller has proven himself to be a reliable secondary player. Many others on the Phillies in the same role haven't stepped up. Their bench players have a combined -2.5fWAR and they'll need to boost that if they want to lock down one of the two NL Wild Card spots that's up for jobs.

To make room for Pirela on their roster, the Phillies moved right-hander Tommy Hunter to the 60-day DL.

While Pirela did not do much for San Diego in the last few years, it's actually further proof that he could be a reliable bench player. As far as it went, he was not going to have a long-term spot on the Padres roster, considering all the outfielders they have. They have already tried to lessen the numbers by trading Alex Dickerson to the Giants and with the sudden rise of Manuel Margot in one of those spots, it looked like Pirela's time there was going to be done sooner or later.

Right now, the Phillies need bench bats and Pirela can surely provide that. Right now, they almost look like they could miss out on the playoffs, the way that team has played. However, if Pirela can come in and improve their shaky fWAR, they'll have a great chance to lock down a Wild Card spot when all is said and done.

Wish Pirela the best in Philadelphia and I hope it works out there better than it did in San Diego.

Omri Casspi To Play In Israel

Omri Casspi's NBA career looks like it's over.

The veteran forward has reached an agreement with Maccabi Tel Aviv. This is according to Sportando's Emiliano Carchia. The contract is for three years and $3.4MM and it also gives Casspi a managing role in the organization when he does retire.

Casspi is 31 years old and likely saw his NBA career come to an end. The Memphis Grizzlies released him in February to make room for the trades that they did at the trade deadline. In his time with Memphis, he appeared in 36 games, averaging 6.3 PPG on 14 minutes per night.

Casspi was a first-round pick back in 2009 and spent most of his early part of the NBA with the Sacramento Kings. In his 10 years in the NBA, Casspi has spent time with a total of seven teams.

I wish Omri Casspi the best of luck in Israel and thank him for his wonderful time in the NBA.

LA Kings Sign Tobias Bjornfot to Entry-Level Deal

The Los Angeles Kings have gotten one of their draft picks under contract.

Today, the team announced that they have signed defenseman Tobias Bjornfot to a three-year entry-level deal. He was one of two first-round picks for the Kings in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. That pick came to the Kings by way of Jake Muzzin being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He was the 22nd pick in the draft, and the second player picked by the Kings behind Alex Turcotte, who was picked fifth. The Swedish player spent the year in the SuperElit league with Djurgardens J20 and played 39 games there, scoring 11 goals and racking up 22 points. He also played in the SHL, making seven appearances there but being held without a point in each appearance. At the U18 World Junior championships, he helped Sweden win a bronze medal.

What do the LA Kings find in him? He is considered an excellent skater who has a great two-way game. He has also shown himself to run a great power play game to go along with a heavy slapshot that can fight through traffic. Unfortunately, he isn't tall, which is a knock on him, but he's bulky at 205 pounds, which means he can take hits.

Bjornfot may have get a taste of NHL action right away, but if he does well at the AHL level with the Ontario Reign next season, he'll have a good opportunity to showcase himself with the Kings the season after the next one. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do at the AHL level.

Milos Teodosic Off To Play in Italy

Looks like Milos Teodosic's run in the NBA is over.

The former Clippers guard has signed on with the Italian club Virtus Bologna, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The team itself announced the new contract, which will cover three years.

Teodosic had played for the Clippers the last few years but was considered a disappointment after becoming a big star in Europe. Over two seasons, he played only 60 games, including 15 this year. He was eventually waived in February. He averaged 10 minutes a night this season and was frustrated with his playing time going all the way back to November.

In the EuroLeague before coming to LA, Teodosic was a six-time All-League selection and in 2010 was the league's MVP. He helped the Serbian team capture the silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, as well as capturing silvers in the 2009 EuroBasket tournament and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

To be fully honest, I was hoping for a better outing for Teodosic when he came to LA, just because of all the skills and accolades he accumulated while over in Europe. It became clear, though, that his time with the Clippers wouldn't have panned out as he would've liked. The Clippers never gave him an opportunity to prove himself and the acquisitions they made over the last few years clearly meant he was on his way out the door. Hopefully, he can find better success back over in Europe and especially in Italy.

Best of luck, Milos! Sorry that it didn't work out the way you would've liked it to.

Alex Iafallo Back With The Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are bringing back a familiar name.

John Hovan is reporting that the Kings are re-signing restricted free agent Alex Iafallo to a two-year, $4.85 MM deal. Iafallo recently filed for salary arbitration and was set to have a hearing on that matter on July 20th. Now, it looks like he'll play for an extra two seasons and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021.

A free agent signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth back in 2017, Iafallo quickly established himself as an important full-time player for the Kings, playing in 75 NHL games in his first pro season. He recorded 25 points in his first season and then improved on that the following year. The only reason for this production is that the Kings were desperate to bring in some youth and skill on their wing. Iafallo has worked very hard to become an important asset on this team and if he improves on any of these names, he could be cashing in on a big contract in two years time, whether it be with the Kings or elsewhere.

The Kings are looking to rebuild their core group in hopes to contend in the future and Iafallo could bring just that. However, if he doesn't prove himself and improve on his game year after year, the Kings could very well auction him off as perhaps a complementary piece for a contending team.

With Iafallo out of the way, the Kings have now several other restricted free agents they need to sign. One of those names is Adrian Kempe. His brother, Mario, was recently brought in by the organization. The Kings still have $9.4MM left in cap room to sign some restricted free agents or bring in new pieces. We'll see where they go and who they bring back and let go.

Red Sox Release Tyler Thornburg

Tyler Thornburg is no longer part of the Boston Red Sox going forward.

The team announced today that they have released the right-hander. It was not a surprise, considering that he declined an optional assignment. He will now hit the open market and hopes to have a few suitors who could look for some relief help.

Thornburg is guaranteed a $1.75 million salary from the Red Sox, regardless of where he ends up. Although his production numbers at the big league level are not impressive, he could still end up on a rivals team, most likely on a minors contract with a chance to prove himself and get back to the majors.

Thornburg was part of the trade that sent Travis Shaw to the Milwaukee Brewers. So far, the trade doesn't seem to be faring all that well for either side. While Shaw has had two quality seasons, he hasn't had quite the numbers the Brew Crew would've expected and they just called up another piece in that swap in infielder Mauricio Dubon. Dubon has handled it well at Triple-A and is viewed as a valuable prospect in the Brewers organization.

As for Thornburg, as I said before, he didn't look to be in the future of the Red Sox organization. Now, he'll have to get a chance to prove himself, most likely at the minor league level, if he ever wants to get back to the majors again. It has been a tough season for him and I feel bad that his time with Boston didn't fare the way he wanted it too. We'll see if he can catch fire elsewhere.

Mariners Get Matt Wisler

Matt Wisler is on the move this Fourth of July.

Today, the Mariners announced that they have acquired right-hander Matt Wisler from the Padres in exchange for cash considerations. With Seattle having an open 40-man roster spot on their team, it won't be necessary for them to make a corresponding DFA or 60-day IL placement. San Diego had recently designated Wisler for assignment last week.

Despite Wisler still being only 26, he has yet to find any footing at the MLB level, and he was a highly touted prospect when he first came into the league. Since then, he has shifted to a full-time relief role. His numbers aren't that great, though. He has a 5.28 ERA and has allowed five home runs in the last 29 innings of work. However, there is some reason for being optimistic about Wisler. He is striking out a career-best 26.4 percent of opponents, there is a 15.6 percent swinging-strike rate and a 35.1 percent opponents' chase rate, which is telling because when batters are not blasting his pitches out of the park, he's getting a very high strike rate on them.

The problem with Wisler's numbers is that opponents are batting .291/.344/.479 against him in 2019. So with those results, it may be time for a new environment and perhaps the Padres understood that more than most. However, it remains to be seen if that will be the case for Wisler.

As for the Mariners, at least they get another fresh arm in the bullpen. Wisler is out of minor league options with the Padres at this point, and the Mariners are looking to rebuild their team, so this move makes sense. Right now, though, he has to improve his arm at the major league level or he'll be designated for assignment and most likely sent back to Triple-A. That's not something that he would be in favor of, considering his potential and why he was such a premier prospect coming into the Major League levels.