Today’s Outrights: Marquez, Mather, Rizzotti, Misch
Several players cleared waivers and were removed from the 40-man roster today by way of an outright assignment. The latest:
- Jeff Marquez of the White Sox cleared waivers and is headed for Triple-A, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
- Braves utility player Joe Mather cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
- The Phillies removed Matt Rizzotti from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to the minor leagues, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
- Mets lefty Pat Misch was outrighted to Triple-A, tweets Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger. He's expected to accept the assignment. Misch, 29, posted a 3.82 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 1.0 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9, and 52.0% groundball rate in 37 2/3 innings for the Mets last year, tossing another 150 2/3 innings across 23 starts in Triple-A.
- Brewers outfielder Brandon Boggs was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Boggs, 28, hit .290/.406/.470 in 439 Triple-A plate appearances last year while playing all three outfield positions. He has until Wednesday to decide whether to accept the assignment or elect free agency, tweets Haudricourt.
- The Mariners outrighted southpaw Cesar Jimenez, tweets ESPN's Shannon Drayer. Jimenez, 26, missed most of the 2010 season recovering from labrum surgery.
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Blue Jays Acquire Jayson Nix
The Blue Jays acquired infielder Jayson Nix from the Indians for cash considerations, according to a tweet from the team. The Jays will have to find a spot for Nix on the 25-man roster or risk losing him to a waiver claim or free agency. They found a spot on the 40-man by placing Jesse Carlson on the 60-day DL.
Nix, 28, hit .224/.281/.396 with 14 home runs in 363 plate appearances for the White Sox and Indians last year, playing mostly second and third base. He was in the mix this spring for a backup infield job with the Tribe, but Adam Everett won that battle. It became clear yesterday that the Indians would try to trade him.
Rangers Made Offer To C.J. Wilson
The Rangers made lefty C.J. Wilson an offer this month, the pitcher revealed today on ESPN's Ben & Skin Show. Wilson indicated that the offer came too late in the offseason, as "a multiyear contract is a very complicated scenario."
Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine told ESPN's Richard Durrett he's open to further discussions with Wilson's agent Bob Garber during the season. The offseason talks were described as "amicable" a few days ago by Wilson, who at that time preferred to resume discussions after the season. Still, it seems possible Garber can negotiate midseason with the Rangers' front office without distracting Wilson.
Levine happened to sit next to Wilson on a flight to Dallas Monday afternoon. Wilson joked that he was surprised he didn't read about the meeting on MLBTradeRumors.com.
If Wilson does reach the free agent market at age 31, he'll be one of the best starters out there aside from perhaps C.C. Sabathia. MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith identified a few comparables in this March 18th article.
Mets Acquire Allan Dykstra For Eddie Kunz
The Mets acquired first baseman Allan Dykstra from the Padres for righty Eddie Kunz in a swap of former first-round picks, tweets Darren Smith of XX 1090.
Dykstra, 24 in May, hit .241/.372/.438 in 469 plate appearances at High-A last year. He was drafted 23rd overall by the Padres in '08. Two years ago, Baseball America ranked him eighth among Padres prospects, praising his "plus-plus raw power and plate discipline" while expressing concern about a hip ailment and his lack of athleticism. Dykstra did not crack BA's top 30 Padres prospects '10 or '11. He's one of Paul DePodesta's guys, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.
Kunz, 25 in April, posted a 5.34 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 111 1/3 Double-A innings last year, including 12 starts. Drafted 42nd overall in 2007 as a supplemental pick for the loss of Roberto Hernandez, Kunz last made the Mets' top 30 prospects one year ago at the #25 spot. According to BA, Kunz's stock plummeted as his fastball and slider regressed and he struggled with his command and conditioning.
Rays Acquire John Shelby
The Rays acquired outfielder John Shelby from the White Sox for future considerations, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
Shelby, 25, hit .249/.293/.412 in 440 plate appearances at Double-A last year, his second stint at the level. He plays center and left field. A year ago, Baseball America rated him 25th among White Sox prospects, noting his speed and versatility but wondering whether he has a future beyond that of a fourth outfielder.
Orioles Notes: Britton, Hendrickson, Andino
The latest on the Orioles, who start their season Friday evening in St. Petersburg…
- Top prospect Zach Britton was optioned to Triple-A, as expected. He's likely to be up by the end of April, as the Orioles look to ensure they control the Scott Boras client through 2017 instead of '16. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli discussed the situation with Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who's been through it. Said Longoria, "It's just understanding the politics of the game."
- The Orioles made the curious decision to cut veteran southpaw Mark Hendrickson yesterday, and the 36-year-old must decide by tomorrow whether to opt out or head to Triple-A. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun talked to Hendrickson, who would like to keep his family in Pennsylvania. The Phillies seem like a decent fit.
- Out of options shortstop Robert Andino made the team, notes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Mets Designate Manny Acosta For Assignment
The Mets designated reliever Manny Acosta for assignment, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. GM Sandy Alderson also told reporters that Blaine Boyer and Daniel Murphy made the team, Jason Isringhausen has yet to decide whether to report to extended Spring Training, and Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino could potentially land on the disabled list to start the season.
Acosta, 30 in May, posted a 2.95 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 41.7% groundball rate in 39 2/3 relief innings for the Mets last year. He posted similar peripheral stats in 36 1/3 Triple-A frames. The Mets claimed him off waivers from the Braves a year ago. With a strong strikeout rate and 94 mph fastball, Acosta should generate some interest.
Also, Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger tweets that first baseman/outfielder Nick Evans could clear waivers today, in which case he'd take Bay's spot if the veteran does hit the DL.
Marlins Position Battles
The latest on the Marlins as they firm up their roster in advance of Friday's opener against the Mets…
- Outfielder Dewayne Wise has been reassigned to minor league camp, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Wise is unsure whether he'll accept the assignment, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The 33-year-old hit .250/.304/.462 in 55 spring plate appearances. Wise had a better spring than Scott Cousins, but a mid-March toe injury hurt Wise's chances. Also, Spencer notes that Wise would require a 40-man roster spot, even though they'd be full if they add Donnie Murphy and Greg Dobbs and put Evan Reed on the 60-day DL.
- Rodriguez also notes that the Marlins released former first-round pick Brett Sinkbeil. The 26-year-old righty had been removed from the 40-man roster in November after posting a 5.71 ERA in 63 Triple-A relief innings.
- Spencer's article explains that eight relievers are battling for seven spots on the Marlins. Two of Burke Badenhop, Brian Sanches, and Edward Mujica are expected to make the team, wrote MLB.com's Joe Frisaro yesterday. Mujica and Sanches are out of options.
- Murphy appears to be the team's Opening Day third baseman; president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told Spencer the trade front is quiet. They'd only be looking for a "place-keeper" for Matt Dominguez, anyway.
Predicting Free Agent Destinations: Polishuk Wins
Back on November 10th, MLBTR writers Steve Adams, Mark Polishuk, Ben Nicholson-Smith, and Mike Axisa joined me in an attempt to predict destinations for my top 50 free agents. As expected, the best of us still batted under .300, even with gimmes like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter in the mix. On 18 of the 50 players, at least one of us guessed correctly, including impressive picks for Orlando Hudson, J.J. Putz, Derrek Lee, Joaquin Benoit, Kevin Correia, Yorvit Torrealba, Juan Uribe, and Andy Pettitte.
Our winner was Mark Polishuk, with 12 out of 50 – a .240 batting average. Mark's especially shrewd picks for Lee, Benoit, Correia, and Torrealba pushed him to the top. Here are the correct picks from each MLBTR writer.
- Mark Polishuk (12) – Victor Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Carl Pavano, Jake Westbrook, Aubrey Huff, Jim Thome, Magglio Ordonez, Derrek Lee, Joaquin Benoit, Kevin Correia, Yorvit Torrealba
- Steve Adams (11) – Victor Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Paul Konerko, Derek Jeter, Jake Westbrook, Aubrey Huff, Jim Thome, Magglio Ordonez, Orlando Hudson, J.J. Putz, Kerry Wood
- Tim Dierkes (10) – Victor Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Paul Konerko, Derek Jeter, Carl Pavano, Jake Westbrook, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Andy Pettitte, Kerry Wood
- Ben Nicholson-Smith (9) – Mariano Rivera, Paul Konerko, Derek Jeter, Carl Pavano, Jake Westbrook, Aubrey Huff, Jim Thome, Kevin Correia, Kerry Wood
- Mike Axisa (6) – Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jake Westbrook, Jim Thome, Magglio Ordonez, J.J. Putz
Of the top five free agents – Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Adrian Beltre, Jayson Werth, and Adam Dunn – none of us had a correct pick. It's safe to say this was an offseason full of surprising signings. Next time we'll try to get the entire writing team involved, and also give you a chance to make your picks.