Mega Thread MLB season 2025

[Dixie Flatline]

The Washington Nationals have signed RHP Luis Garcia to a major league contract, making it the second Luis Garcia on the Nationals roster, joining their second baseman, Luis Victoriano Garcia Jr.

Garcia previously pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, but was released by the Dodgers last Friday after he put up a 5.27 ERA and a 12.7% walk rate over 27 1/3 innings. Garcia has 13 MLB years under his belt, and enjoyed success as recently as 2021-2023 with the Cardinals and Padres, where he managed a 3.62 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate and a 7.4% walk rate across 154 combined innings. Garcia turned that performance into a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2023 season, and pitched reasonably well before being traded to the Red Sox last trade deadline.

Once the Nationals' interim manager Miguel Cairo puts Garcia in a game, it will be the eighth different major league club for which Garcia has pitched.



To make room for Garcia on the 40-man and active rosters, the Nationals optioned RHP Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester and put RHP Trevor Williams on the 60-day IL. Williams had been placed on the 15-day IL a few days ago due to an elbow sprain.

The Nationals also recalled catcher Drew Millas and put catcher Keibert Ruiz on the seven-day concussion-related IL.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The New York Yankees will be down a reliever after they announced they put RHP Mark Leiter Jr on the 15-day IL due to a left fibular head stress fracture. To replace him in the bullpen, the Yankees recalled RHP Clayton Beeter.

Leiter told reporters that he suffered the injury while covering first base in a game against the Cincinnati Reds last month. Leiter was racing Elly De La Cruz to the first base bag and landed a bit awkwardly around the bag. He stayed in the game and actually made four subsequent appearances carrying the fracture, though it is not surprising that his work has suffered, as he allowed five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings since suffering the injury, compared to a 3.48 ERA across 31 innings prior to the incident.

Leiter is the eighth Yankee pitcher on the IL at the moment, with Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Yarbrough Yankee starters unavailable, while the bullpen is missing Leiter, Jake Cousins, Fernando Cruz and Yerry De los Santos.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

It's raining homeruns at Sutter Health Park as the Athletics have taken an early 9-0 lead over the Braves, courtesy of four homeruns to the home team. This includes an inside the park homerun to lead-off hitter, Lawrence Butler, on the first pitch in the bottom of the first.

 

[Jatz]

Love watching the Braves get smacked.

Particularly after we came back from 4 runs down in the top of the 8th to win!

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The San Francisco Giants' catcher, Patrick Bailey, one-ups the Athletics' Lawrence Butler by scoring an inside-the-park homerun to walk off the Phillies, courtesy of a crazy bounce off the McCovey Cove wall at Oracle Park.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Dodgers now looking to corner the talent in Africa. They signed Joseph Deng out of South Sudan and he made his pro-baseball debut by pitching a scoreless inning for the Dodgers Dominican Summer League team.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Cleveland Guardians announced that they have re-signed LHP Kolby Allard to a minor league deal and selected him to the active roster after Allard elected free agency yesterday. The Guardians optioned LHP Tim Herrin to Triple-A Columbus to create space on the active roster. The Guardians had space on their 40-man roster.

Allard spent a few months working as a long reliever with the Guardians, pitching 35 1/3 innings in 16 appearances and an unsustainable 2.55 ERA, mostly due to a 10.5% strikeout rate (the lowest in the majors from any pitcher with at least 30 innings). His 5.07 SIERA and 5.59 ERA suggested that he would regress.

The Guardians designated Allard for assignment last week. He cleared waivers and elected free agency, but with the Guardians bullpen being taxed over the last few days, there was a need to bring back Allard.

Herrin managed 93 1/3 innings for Cleveland with a 2.99 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate between 2023-2024, with 17 holds. However, Herrin has seen a decline in his results this year, with his strikeout rate falling to 21.2% and his groundball rate falling to 40.3%, while his walk rate increased to 16.7%.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have selected the contract of RHP Carson Fulmer. To create an active roster spot, the Angels sent LHP Sam Aldegheri to Double-A Rocket City (the home of the Trash Pandas), while RHP Hunter Strickland has been put on the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Fulmer.

It will be Fulmer's season debut when he pitches for the Angels, having previously pitched for Los Angeles in 2023-2024. He has thrown 96 2/3 innings for the Angels since 2023, with a 4.00 ERA. He has a 20.8% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and a 42.3% groundball rate.

Fulmer was let go by the Angels at the end of the 2024 season and signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He put up a 5.34 ERA in six starts at Triple-A and was shifted into the bullpen, which improved his results (3.21 ERA in 14 innings). The Pirates released Fulmer and he signed with the Angels last month. Since coming back to Los Angeles Angels, he's thrown 11 2/3 innings at Triple-A, with a 1.54 ERA.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The New York Yankees have designated infielder D.J. LeMahieu for assignment and have confirmed that infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr will move back to his natural position at second base. The Yankees recalled infielder Jorbit Vivas as the corresponding move.

LeMahieu is a two-time batting champion, but his results at the plate have significantly deteriorated. LeMahieu has been playing second base for the Yankees, and has previously played third base, but manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the physical challenges of playing third base would be an issue for LeMahieu physically.

LeMahieu first burst into prominence with the Colorado Rockies before signing a two-year contract with the Yankees after the 2018 season, with a $24 million guarantee. He more than repaid that contract, hitting a combined .336/.386/.536 over 195 games in 2019-2020, for a 146 wRC+, while playing first, second and third base.

The Yankees re-signed LeMahieu after the expiration of that contract, giving him $90 million guaranteed over six years, and LeMahieu did not live up to that contract. In 2021, he hit .268/.349/.362 (101 wRC+) then .261/.357/.377 (115 wRC+) in 2022, but was a league average hitter in 2023. In 2024, he only hit .204/.26/.259 (53 wRC+) and only played 67 games for the Yankees with injuries limiting his availability.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Boston Red Sox announced that they have reinstated OF/DH Masataka Yoshida from the 60-day IL. The Red Sox optioned utility player Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox put RHP Nick Burdi on the 60-day IL to create space on the 40-man roster.

Yoshida will make his season debut in today's game, named as the DH and batting sixth in the lineup. He underwent shoulder surgery in October 2024 and has been on the IL until today. His ability to throw at full strength held him back from being reinstated off the IL, which meant that he could only play as a designated hitter. Given that the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third base, pushing Rafael Devers to an every-day DH role, there was no space on the active roster for Yoshida.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

A number of players named to the All-Star Game have withdrawn with injury, and the MLB has been busy naming their replacements.

Replacement player	Withdrawing player
Zach McKinstry (Detroit Tigers)	Jeremy Pena (Houston Astros)
Trevor Megill (Milwaukee Brewers)	Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee Brewers)
Joe Ryan (Minnesota Twins)	Hunter Brown (Houston Astros)
Isaac Paredes (Houston Astros)	Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians)

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero has also confirmed that he will participate in the 2025 Home Run Derby.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Washington Nationals RHP Trevor Williams informed the media overnight (Australian time) that he has a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and will need surgery to repair the tear. He expects that it will be internal brace surgery, though a full Tommy John procedure is still a possibility. He therefore will miss the remainder of the season and possibly all of 2026. Williams is already on the 60-day IL.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded OF Steward Berroa to the Milwaukee Brewers after the Dodgers designated Berroa for assignment recently. The Brewers have put Berroa on the minor league IL due to right shoulder bursitis. The Brewers have designated RHP Elvin Rodriguez for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Berroa.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Kansas City Royals announced that they have signed LHP Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract. Keuchel will earn a prorated $2.2 million salary for any time he spends on the Royals' major league roster.

Keuchel has pitched in 13 major league seasons and won a Cy Young with the Astros in 2015 and a World Series in 2017. However, his results slipped during the final two years of his three contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2021-2022 and was released by Chicago at the end of his contract. Since then, Keuchel has bounced around a number of different teams, including the Rangers, Diamondbacks, Twins and Brewers, and he also pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Keuchel last pitched in the majors with Milwaukee in 2024, putting up a 5.40 ERA with 11 strikeouts against eight walks in 16 2/3 innings.

The Royals are stretched for starting pitching depth at the moment, with LHP Cole Ragans and RHP Alec Marsh currently on the IL. The Royals can count on Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzon, but Cameron (a rookie) has shown signs of fatigue, with a 4.26 ERA in his last 31 2/3 innings compared to an unsustainable 0.85 ERA in his first 31 2/3 innings.

Keuchel joins fellow veteran lefty Rich Hill at Omaha.

 

[RPCB]

Two home run day for PCA and he’s the first NL player to reach 5 fWAR this year. Shodhei is the next bestNL player, with 4.2 fWAR.

25 home runs and 27 SB before the AS break. Can only hope that if he stays the course the rest of the year, the MVP voters at least acknowledge his year.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The field has been set for the 2025 Home Run Derby, presented by T-Mobile, with the last few contestants announced earlier today (Australia time).

The field will comprise:

• Ronald Acuna Jr, Atlanta Braves
• Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
• Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
• Jazz Chisholm Jr, New York Yankees
• Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
• Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
• Brent Rooker, Athletics
• James Wood, Washington Nationals

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Bad news for the New York Yankees, with RHP Clarke Schmidt set to undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow. Schmidt is already on the 15-day IL, but will be moved to the 60-day IL when the Yankees need his 40-man roster spot. Schmidt had been recommended for the surgery a few days ago, and presumably, he and the Yankees sought a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis in the meantime.

Schmidt therefore will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and, most likely, all of the 2026 season, given the typical timeframe for the return to the pitching mound after TJS is 14-18 months from the date of surgery.

Schmidt joins RHP Gerrit Cole as the second Yankee pitcher this year to require TJS (Cole had his before spring training), while the Yankees are also without RHP Luis Gil thanks to a lat strain, and RHP Marcus Stroman has suffered left knee inflammation that has curtailed his involvement this year.

The Yankees so far have relied on LHP Max Fried and LHP Carlos Rodon to lead their pitching staff, supported by Schmidt, LHP Ryan Yarbrough and RHP Will Warren. However, Yarbrough is currently dealing with an oblique strain that has kept him out of action and Schmidt will now no longer be involved.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The recent victim of an inside-the-park-walk-off-homerun, the Phillies are reportedly looking to acquire bullpen reinforcements by the trade deadline. However, unlike previous trade deadlines, the Phillies are reportedly targeting relievers they can control for a number of seasons, as opposed to impending free agents. According to one such report, the Phillies are looking at relievers such as RHP Jhoan Duran and RHP Griffin Jax (both with the Minnesota Twins). However, the Twins are not yet confirmed deadline sellers at this stage. At 45-47, the Twins are only three games out of a playoff spot, but their owners are looking at selling the team, so their focus may be elsewhere for the rest of this season.

It is speculated that the cost to the Phillies for acquiring controllable bullpen arms could be steep, with only RHP Andrew Painter off-limits in a trade.

What we’re hearing about the Phillies’ trade deadline plans: Will they take a bigger swing?

The Phillies sound more willing to trade bigger prospect chips for controllable big leaguers, according to officials from rival clubs.

www.nytimes.com

 

[RPCB]

Must be said that it’s pretty good to see Javier Baez, Aroldis Chapman and Kyle Schwarber are All-Stars in 2025. All important members of our World Series winning squad 9 years ago. Gleyber Torres is also an AS and he was traded to get Chapman over for the final three months of 2016.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Baltimore Orioles have executed an intra-division trade, sending RHP Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for a 2025 Competitive Balance (Round A) draft selection (pick 37 overall). Both teams have announced the trade.

Baker, 30 years old, has pitched 38 1/3 innings for the Orioles in 2025 with a 3.52 ERA supported by a 32.5% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. Baker averages almost 97 mph on his four-seam fastball, and has a 13.1% swing and miss rate on his season so far, thanks in part to a highly regarded changeup.

Just before he was traded, Baker was lit up by the Mets for four earned runs without an out that lifted his season ERA from 2.58 to 3.52.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of catcher David Banuelos from Triple-A Norfolk. Banuelos was already on the taxi squad. The Orioles also promoted LHP Grant Wolfram as the 27th man for the double-header to be played today by Baltimore, in order to replace the traded Baker in their bullpen.

Banuelos appeared in one major league game for the Orioles in 2024, flying out in his only plate appearance (which is also his only plate appearance of his career). Banuelos will serve as the third catcher alongside Jacob Stallings and Alex Jackson on an Orioles roster that is missing a number of players through injury.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

After designating him for assignment yesterday, the Yankees announced that they have released infielder DJ LeMahieu. He is now a free agent and able to sign with any team for the pro-rated veteran minimum, with the Yankees remaining on the hook for the remainder of his salary.

 

[Big Unit 30]

The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have selected the contract of RHP Carson Fulmer. To create an active roster spot, the Angels sent LHP Sam Aldegheri to Double-A Rocket City (the home of the Trash Pandas), while RHP Hunter Strickland has been put on the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Fulmer.

It will be Fulmer's season debut when he pitches for the Angels, having previously pitched for Los Angeles in 2023-2024. He has thrown 96 2/3 innings for the Angels since 2023, with a 4.00 ERA. He has a 20.8% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and a 42.3% groundball rate.

Fulmer was let go by the Angels at the end of the 2024 season and signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He put up a 5.34 ERA in six starts at Triple-A and was shifted into the bullpen, which improved his results (3.21 ERA in 14 innings). The Pirates released Fulmer and he signed with the Angels last month. Since coming back to Los Angeles Angels, he's thrown 11 2/3 innings at Triple-A, with a 1.54 ERA.

Trash Pandas

This is elite

 

[Big Unit 30]

Must be said that it’s pretty good to see Javier Baez, Aroldis Chapman and Kyle Schwarber are All-Stars in 2025. All important members of our World Series winning squad 9 years ago. Gleyber Torres is also an AS and he was traded to get Chapman over for the final three months of 2016.

3 of those 4 where from our own organization, and 3 of our representatives in this years ASG currently all selected initially by other organizations.
Shows the transient nature of baseball.

 

[RPCB]

Here I was concerned about Aaron Judge. And instead Cody ****ing Bellinger homers 3 times.

Another one to file under “Baseball is dumb.”