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Brad Hawpe

Angels Request Release Waivers On Brad Hawpe

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AUGUST 4: The Angels tweeted they have requested unconditional release waivers on Hawpe for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.

JULY 29: The Angels designated DH/right fielder/first baseman Brad Hawpe for assignment to make room for reliever Daniel Stange, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

Hawpe signed a minor league deal with the Angels in April, and returned to the Majors in parts of June and July for the first time in two years.  In 153 Triple-A plate appearances this year, the 34-year-old hit .305/.405/.504.  Hawpe was an 11th round pick of the Rockies in 2000, and hit 99 home runs for them from 2006-09, made an All-Star team, and even received a few MVP votes.

Stange, 27, has four big league appearances to his name, coming in 2010 with Arizona.

Quick Hits: Myers, Hamilton, Span, Hawpe

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The Rays are likely to promote Wil Myers in the next ten days, says ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter). Myers has not yet appeared in the Majors. Myers, 22, is currently hitting .279/.354/.486 for Triple-A Durham. He is rated as the No. 4 prospect in baseball by Baseball America, Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo. The cutoff point for Super Two eligibility is not entirely clear, but we're now at a point in the season where it's unlikely Myers would be eligible for Super Two status if he were to earn a callup and stick. Regardless, the Rays would maintain his rights through 2019. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

  • David Ortiz thought the Red Sox would sign Josh Hamilton this offseason, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. "I thought it was going to happen," says Ortiz. "It didn’t happen, but I thought it was going to happen. We let some guys go that was like $300 million, so I thought there was a chance." Bradford cites a source who says Hamilton and the Red Sox never came close to an agreement. Hamilton later signed with the Angels for five years and $125MM.
  • Denard Span was surprised when the Twins traded him to the Nationals for Alex Meyer last offseason, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports (via Twitter). "I thought I was one of the cornerstones of the team. When I signed my contract, I thought I’d be there for five years," says Span, who's hitting .267/.318/.360 for the Nats this season.
  • Brad Hawpe of the Angels is back in the big leagues after nearly two years away, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez notes. The Angels promoted Hawpe from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday after he hit .305/.405/.504 in 131 at bats there. His last appearance in a big-league game was June 18, 2011 with the Padres. Hawpe says he had resigned himself to the idea that he might not play in the Majors again. "I was OK with it," he says. "I've had a bunch of good memories in this game. I've been very fortunate and blessed. It doesn't mean I wouldn't like to make some more memories, but I've been very blessed, and if that was the end of it, I was OK with it."

Angels Sign Brad Hawpe

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The Angels have signed Brad Hawpe to a minor league deal, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (on Twitter). Hawpe, who is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, will report to extended Spring Training.

The 33-year-old Hawpe didn't appear in the Majors last season after joining the Rangers on a pair of minor league deals. His last big league action came with the Padres in 2011 when he batted .231/.301/.344 in 216 plate appearances before undergoing Tommy John surgery. From 2006-09, Hawpe was a middle-of-the-order threat for the Rockies, hitting .288/.384/.514 (124 OPS+) and averaging 25 homers per season.

Hawpe had signed a minor league deal with the Pirates this offseason but was released on March 23 after hitting .139/.225/.222 in 16 games (36 at-bats).

Pirates Release Brad Hawpe

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The Pirates have granted outfielder Brad Hawpe his unconditional release, report Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) and Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (also on Twitter). While it is unclear whether Hawpe will look to continue his attempt at a career revival with another club, he acknowledged that "the game has gotten faster and I didn't catch up," according to another Biertempfel tweet.

The left-handed-swinging Hawpe had not seen big league action since 2011. A former All-Star in Colorado, Hawpe averaged a slash line of better than .280/.380/.500 with over 20 home runs a season between 2006-2009, but never regained that form in the years that followed. Hawpe was struggling at the plate this spring, putting up just a .139/.225/.222 line over 40 plate appearances.

As MLB.com's Tom Singer reported in February, Hawpe's contract with Pittsburgh permitted him to request his release on March 26 if he had yet to be placed on the club's major league roster. 

Pirates Notes: Weiner, Karstens, Hawpe

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Pirates pitchers combined to allow 15 walks during the Bucs' 16-6 loss to the Red Sox today in Grapefruit League action but Jameson Taillon was only responsible for one of those free passes.  The right-hander started the game and allowed just the lone walk and one hit over two innings of work, recording three strikeouts.  Taillon, the second overall pick of the 2010 draft, has an outside shot at a late-season callup if he continues to pitch well in the minors but probably won't see big league action until 2014 at the earliest.  The 21-year-old will get a step up in competition, however, while pitching for Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Here's the latest from the Steel City…

  • MLBPA head Michael Weiner tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he and the union are satisfied that the Pirates are doing all they can to compete.  “There were some concerns, and we expressed them. We had some meetings with (president) Frank Coonelly and others from the administration," Weiner said. "I think over the course of the last couple years, the Pirates have made a sincere effort to compete. Their payroll has increased and it projects to continue to increase."
  • Francisco Liriano's right arm injury paved the way for Jeff Karstens' return to the Pirates, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Liriano agreed to a contract with the Bucs in December but the deal wasn't finalized until February due to Liriano hurting his non-throwing arm.  Amidst this uncertainty over Liriano's health, the Pirates reached out to Karstens (who they non-tendered earlier this offseason) and signed him to a one-year deal.
  • Brad Hawpe talks to MLB.com's Tom Singer about trying to revive his career in Pittsburgh.  Singer reports that Hawpe can ask to be released from his minor league deal with the club on March 26 if he hasn't been added to the Pirates' Major League roster.

Pirates Sign Brad Hawpe, Lucas May

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The Pirates announced that they signed outfielder Brad Hawpe and catcher Lucas May to minor league deals. Both players receive invitations to MLB Spring Training.

Hawpe, a former All-Star with eight years of MLB experience, last appeared in the big leagues with the 2011 Padres. He spent the 2012 season with Texas' Double-A affiliate, posting a .260/.382/.382 batting line in 152 plate appearances. The 33-year-old left-handed hitter reached the 20-homer plateau four consecutive times with the Rockies from 2006-09.

May, who appeared in 12 games with the 2010 Royals, spent this past season with the Mets' top affiliate. The 28-year-old posted a .215/.245/.348 batting line in 269 plate appearances at Triple-A Buffalo.

Rangers Release Brad Hawpe

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The Rangers have released Brad Hawpe from Double-A Frisco at the veteran's request, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (via Twitter).  Hawpe signed a minor league deal with Texas in the offseason, was released by the team in late March and then re-signed a week later to another minor league contract.  According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), Hawpe told the Rangers "he's not close to being able to help big-league team."

Hawpe underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing shoulder last June after posting a .231/.301/.344 line in 216 plate appearances for the Padres.  He has played in 16 games in the outfield for Frisco (plus 19 as a DH), and has a .260/.382/.382 line in 152 PAs with the Double-A affiliate.  Hawpe's health and his comments about his current ability level are a red flag but he will still likely get some looks from teams in need of a left-handed bat.

Rangers Re-Sign Brad Hawpe

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The Rangers re-signed Brad Hawpe to a minor league contract, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com reports (Twitter link). Hawpe, who was released by the Rangers last week, will open the season with Double-A Frisco.

Hawpe posted a .231/.301/.344 line in 216 plate appearances with the Padres in 2011, playing first base and right field. The 32-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow last June. He owns a .284/.380/.493 line in 2,678 career plate appearances against right-handed pitching, so he's a possible weapon against righties.

Rangers Release Brad Hawpe

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The Rangers have released veteran outfielder Brad Hawpe, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).  Hawpe signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in January that would've paid him $1MM had he made the roster.  By releasing Hawpe now, Texas avoids paying him a $100K bonus as a six-year veteran.

Hawpe's chances of making the Texas roster were slim given that the Rangers are in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder and Hawpe is both a lefty bat and hasn't been able to throw from the outfield due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery.  Still, Hawpe hit well in limited action during the spring (a .849 OPS in 23 at-bats) and has a decent chance of catching on with another team if he can prove he's healthy.  MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports the Rangers have invited Hawpe to return if he can't find a Major League job elsewhere.

Rangers Notes: Jackson, Hawpe, Wilson

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Here's the latest out of Arlington…

  • The Rangers are looking for a right-handed hitting bench bat who can play in the outfield, manager Ron Washington told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).  The club just released a player who fits that description in Conor Jackson, and the Rangers could be interested in bringing him back on another minor league deal.  If Texas does re-sign him, it would be after March 30, as then the team wouldn't have to pay Jackson a $100K bonus as a six-year veteran.
  • Jackson, for his part, says he's willing to play in the minors for Texas if he can't find another job elsewhere.  "I do enjoy this organization," Jackson said.  "I'll consider all my options, including going to Triple-A and trying to be their right-handed option."
  • Another veteran in the Rangers camp, Brad Hawpe, is not open to going to the minors, reports Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).  Hawpe wants to remain at the Major League level and feels he is still capable of performing in the big leagues.  Hawpe is another potential release candidate given that he is also in line for a $100K bonus, he has been unable to throw from the outfield due to his shoulder problems and the Rangers seem set for left-handed hitters.
  • C.J. Wilson tells Gil Lebreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Rangers approached him about a three-year extension during last year's Spring Training but that was the only formal offer the team made to retain him.  While Wilson was disappointed the Rangers didn't make much of an effort to re-sign him last winter, he understands why the team decided to move on to signing Yu Darvish and extending Derek Holland.
  • MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan doesn't think the Rangers will sign Josh Hamilton, Colby Lewis or Mike Napoli to contract extensions before Opening Day.  All three players are entering the last year of their contracts with the team.
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