Here are some minor moves from around the league…
- The Angels have signed righty Joe Martinez to a minor league pact, per the club's official transactions page. The 31-year-old Martinez made a pair of appearances for the Indians last season, allowing one run in five innings. He has a 5.82 ERA in 55 2/3 career innings between the Giants, D'Backs, Pirates and Indians and a 4.75 ERA in 548 Triple-A innings.
- Right-hander Brandon Erbe has signed a minor league deal with the Rockies, according to the team's transactions page. Erbe, 26, ranked as the game's No. 27 prospect heading into the 2007 season, per Baseball Prospectus, but 2010 shoulder surgery has stalled his once-promising career. The former third-round pick has thrown just 45 minor league innings over the past three seasons as he's battled back from a torn labrum.
- The Blue Jays signed right-hander Radhames Liz to a minor league contract, Baseball America's Matt Eddy tweeted this weekend. The 30-year-old was once among the game's Top 100 prospects, per BA, but hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2009. Liz has spent the past three seasons pitching for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization and led the league in strikeouts last season with 188. However, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported (via Twitter) that he'll begin the season rehabbing a knee injury. Liz had a 7.50 ERA in 110 1/3 Major League innings with the Orioles from 2007-09.
- Brewers senior director of media relations Mike Vassallo tweets that the club has released right-hander Michael Olmsted. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spoke with manager Ron Roenicke about the decision to release the 6'6", 282-pound right-hander. Roenicke said they simply wanted to give Olmsted a chance to get an opportunity elsewhere rather than releasing him later in the spring. Olmsted posted a 5.88 ERA in 59 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A for the Brew Crew last season, but the 26-year-old has an excellent 3.02 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in his minor league career.
I’m sure this applies to every team, but gosh it is upsetting how many pitching prospects the Os have had fail in the last 5 years.
Just shows the reality of relying (perhaps) a bit too much on their youth.
Makes me think that you’re better off using these prospects as currency when they are valued so high and trade for legit starters rather than try and develop them…
Id applaud the Angels MiLB depth signing but they need MLB depth
That’s the whole point. Most of their minor league signings have been players with major league experience, and in doing so they’re trying to create MLB depth. There seems to be this misconception that if you have a weak farm system then you don’t or won’t have depth. That’s not always the case. With the amount of minor league signings the Angels have made, they have put themselves in a position to where they can create a very deep bench, as well as create a much deeper bullpen that last season. Then, there’s the starting rotation. The Angels still have Wade LeBlanc on a minor league deal. He can be an emergency swing man and/or starter at AAA. Chris Volstad was also signed for that role, but he left for Korea. And Mark Mulder’s signing need not be rehashed. Matt Shoemaker is decent enough. The Angels will have a couple of pitchers in AAA to tap into in an emergency. And they’re no better or worse than most pitchers teams have on stand by at AAA. Just about every team but the A’s has these issues. The Tigers have Verlander, Scherzer, Sanchez, and… Smyly and Porcello… Whoopee. They should’ve kept Fister. So while I do agree that the Angels need MLB depth, all these minor league signings are for the purpose of creating that depth.
By signing all of these minor league deals, they’re not only filling holes in the minors, but also attempting to create that depth. Players like Pena, Tracy, LeBlanc, Stewart, Boesch, McDonald, etc., etc. allows them to possibly bypass having a weak farm system, at least for 2014.
The question then becomes whether or not these players accept their minor league assignments and/or opt out.
Not too long ago, a buddy of mine pointed out that sometimes the deepest teams are not just those with strong farm systems, but also teams that get lucky and don’t have their veteran non-roster invitees leave.
I had a few minor questions/contradictions for that. But I still found that to be an interesting thought.
Angels also signed LHP Shakiro Pina.
Thats good, not sure who our LOOGY will be with Burnett out to start the season.
Boshers and/or Maronde. Wade LeBlanc is also still in camp and is not doing too bad at all. I think fans forgot about him, and the fact that he could be a decent emergency swing man/starter on stand by at AAA. Or he can make the big club in place of Blanton.