Nelson Figueroa Rumors
Minor Moves: Figueroa, Antonelli
Here's a look at today's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy..
- The Diamondbacks released right-hander Nelson Figueroa. The 38-year-old spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox's Triple-A affiliates before hooking on with Arizona in December on a minor league deal. The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances last season but has allowed 26 earned runs through four starts this year.
- The Indians released second baseman Matt Antonelli. The former first round pick spent time with the Yankees and Orioles Triple-A affiliates last season. This year, the 28-year-old saw times in just three Triple-A games for Cleveland before being cut loose.
Minor Moves: Figueroa, McPherson, Bocock, Bush
Tonight's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy (all links go to Twitter)..
- The Diamondbacks signed right-handers Nelson Figueroa, Alexis Lara, and Warner Madrigal, Eddy tweets. Figueroa, 38, spent 2012 with the Yankees and Red Sox's Triple-A affiliates. The veteran posted a 3.89 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 15 starts and ten relief appearances.
- The Dodgers signed journeyman third baseman Dallas McPherson, according to Eddy. The 32-year-old infielder has hit 144 HR at the Triple-A level for Pirates, White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, and Angels with a .276/.349/.572 batting line.
- The Nationals signed defensive-minded shortstop Brian Bocock to a minor league deal, Eddy tweets. Bocock spent last year with the Blue Jays in the minors.
- Right-hander Dave Bush will return from pitching in Korea to sign with the Blue Jays, Eddy reports. Toronto originally drafted him in the second-round in 2002.
- The Reds inked 7'1" right-hander Loek Van Mil, whose is better than his numbers would indicate, in Eddy's opinion.
- The White Sox signed utility man Andy Gonzalez, and right-hander Jeff Gray while re-signing catcher Damaso Espino and right-hander Matt Zaleski.
- The Cubs signed right-handers Andrew Carpenter and Cory Wade plus first baseman Brad Nelson to minor league deals. Wade elected free agency from the Blue Jays in late November.
- The Giants signed outfielder Cole Gillespie, a 28-year-old right-handed hitter with a career .390 OBP in Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and Brewers.
Yankees Notes: Ankiel, Pierre, Wandy, Figueroa
It was on this day in 1961 that commissioner Ford Frick suggested that "a distinctive mark" would be placed on a new home run record if a player eclipsed Babe Ruth's then-record of 60 homers in more than 154 games (the length of Ruth's season in 1927). Though no such notation ever used in any sort of official record, it was still popularly believed that Frick and Major League Baseball had asterisked Roger Maris' 61-homer season.
Here's the latest from Yankee Stadium...
- The Yankees don't have interest in Juan Pierre or Rick Ankiel, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter links). The Bombers' search for outfield help will intensify with the news that Brett Gardner will undergo arthroscopic elbow surgery, though Gardner's agent Joe Bick says Gardner still hopes to return this season, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
- Wandy Rodriguez is "not even on [the Yankees'] radar," a source tells Marc Carig (Twitter link). The Yankees reportedly had scouts on hand to watch Rodriguez pitch on Wednesday.
- The Yankees have released right-hander Nelson Figueroa, according to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune (passed on by Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog). Figueroa, 38, signed a minor league deal with New York in April and had a 3.96 ERA in 17 Triple-A games, nine of them starts.
- Darnell McDonald has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, reports Collins. The Yankees designated McDonald for assignment on Tuesday to create roster space for C.C. Sabathia's return from the disabled list.
Yankees Sign Nelson Figueroa
The Yankees have signed right-hander Nelson Figueroa to a minor league deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Mike Silva first reported that the Yankees had a deal with ACES client.
The Blue Jays signed the 37-year-old to a minor league deal in January, but appear to have released him since. Figueroa started the 2011 season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros released him in August after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.05 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 2/3 innings.
Blue Jays To Sign Nelson Figueroa
The Blue Jays agreed to sign 37-year-old right-hander Nelson Figueroa to a minor league contract, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes tweets. The ACES client would earn $650K on the big league roster.
Figueroa started the 2011 season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros released him in August after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.05 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 2/3 innings. The Pirates picked him up in August, only to grant him free agency after the season. This is clearly a depth move for the Blue Jays.
Pirates Sign Nelson Figueroa
The Pirates signed right-hander Nelson Figueroa and assigned him to Triple-A, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). The Astros had released Figueroa Friday, soon after he returned from the disabled list.
Figueroa started the season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros designated him for assignment in May after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. The 37-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.50 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings.
Astros Release Nelson Figueroa
The Astros have released right-hander Nelson Figueroa, according to Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Figueroa had been on the disabled list before getting released.
Figueroa started the season in Houston's rotation, but the Astros designated him for assignment in May after he posted an 8.69 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 29 innings. The 37-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 6.50 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 81 2/3 innings.
Texas Notes: Figueroa, Inglett, Ryan
The latest on the Astros, as they shuffle their roster, plus an update on Nolan Ryan's responsibilities...
- The Astros announced that Nelson Figueroa and Joe Inglett cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A. Inglett accepted his minor league assignment last week, according to MLB.com, while Figueroa accepted his assignment today, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- The Astros are scheduled to activate Jason Michaels from the 15-day DL before tonight's game in Houston.
- MLB appointed team president Nolan Ryan as the 'control' person of Rangers, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Baseball’s owners approved the move, which makes Ryan accountable to MLB for operating the Rangers and following rules.
Astros Designate Nelson Figueroa For Assignment
The Astros designated Nelson Figueroa for assignment according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (on Twitter). Houston called up Sergio Escalona in a corresponding move.
Figueroa made the Astros' rotation out of Spring Training, but has since been demoted to the bullpen. After a two-inning outing tonight in which he allowed a run and five baserunners, Figueroa has a season ERA of 8.69 with 16 walks, 45 hits allowed and 17 strikeouts. Last year he posted a 3.22 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 67 innings as a swingman.
If the 36-year-old right-hander gets picked up off of waivers, it will the fourth time he has been claimed in his nine-year career. Just last year, the Phillies selected Figueroa off of waivers from the Mets and the Astros nabbed him from the Phillies.
Astros Notes: Pence, Rodriguez, Figueroa
Wandy Rodriguez's contract extension is the big news out of Houston today, but here are some other Astros-related items of note...
- The Astros set a 5pm deadline today to reach agreements with any remaining arbitration-eligible players, according to a team press release. The club beat the deadline with Rodriguez, but not with Hunter Pence, so the Astros and the 27-year-old outfielder will go to an arbitration hearing. As MLBTR's ArbTracker shows, Pence is Houston's last unsigned arb-eligible player. The club offered $5.15MM, while Pence is asking for $6.9MM in his second arbitration year. Pence is a Super Two player, so he still has two more arb years left after this one.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the breakdown of Rodriguez's contract (Twitter link). The southpaw will earn $7MM next season, $10MM in 2012 and $13MM in 2013. There is a vesting option worth $13MM in 2014 that has a $2.5MM buyout. Rodriguez also receives a $1.5MM signing bonus.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart notes that Houston now has its top four starters (Rodriguez, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ and Bud Norris) all under team control through at least 2012.
- Nelson Figueroa talks to Astros senior director of social media Alyson Footer about how relieved he is to be on a guaranteed contract for the first time in his eight-year Major League career.
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