Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports that the Blue Jays have made Kevin Gregg “available” for a possible trade, which is noteworthy mostly because he ranks fourth in the league with 20 saves.
However, if you look beyond the closer label Gregg is basically just a run-of-the-mill middle reliever and it seems unlikely that any contending team would acquire him to pitch the ninth inning anyway.
Gregg has a 3.67 ERA in 34.1 innings this season after posting a 4.72 ERA in 68.2 innings for the Cubs last year, and he’s 19-28 with a 4.00 ERA in 468 career innings as a reliever. Gregg throws hard and racks up plenty of strikeouts, but his control is spotty and he has a tendency to serve up homers in key spots, averaging one long ball per 10 innings.
Plus, he drew such little interest as a free agent this offseason that the Blue Jays were able to sign him to a one-year, $2.75 million contract and nothing has really changed since then. If the Blue Jays can get a mid-level prospect for him, they’d be smart to unload Gregg and be thankful not everyone has stopped overvaluing saves.
Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal
Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.
The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.
Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.
Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.
“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.
Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.