Indians Claim Fabio Martinez
The Indians announced that they have claimed right-hander Fabio Martinez off of waivers from the Angels. The Indians optioned Martinez to Class A Carolina, where they plan to convert him to a reliever.
Martinez had been pitching at Class A Inland Empire this season, his sixth as a professional. The 22-year-old posted a 10.72 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 12.7 BB/9 in 22 2/3 innings, all as a starter. He has a 3.90 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 in his minor league career. Martinez has two options remaining after this year, according to the Indians.
Non-Tender Candidate: Chris Volstad
Chris Volstad’s most recent start provided a reminder of two things: that Volstad can pitch effectively against MLB offenses, and that it’s been a long time since he did so with much regularity. The 6’8” right-hander faced a Dodgers lineup including Shane Victorino, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez over the weekend and limited Los Angeles to two runs on six hits in seven innings. Yet Saturday's start was Volstad's first seven-inning outing of the season, and the first game in which he allowed fewer than three earned runs.
It’s been a disappointing season for Volstad to this point, and he will be a non-tender candidate this coming offseason. When the Cubs acquired Volstad from Miami for Carlos Zambrano, he seemed capable of providing value at the back of Chicago's rotation by making his starts, limiting walks and inducing ground balls. He had averaged 29 starts per season in the three years preceding the trade while posting a 4.88 ERA, accumulating twice as many strikeouts as walks, and generating more than his share of ground balls.
However, the results have been disappointing so far in 2012. Volstad opened the season in Dale Sveum's rotation, then got demoted after posting a 7.46 ERA through eight starts. He joined the rotation at Triple-A Iowa, posting an unremarkable 5.17 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 12 starts in the Pacific Coast League. The Cubs recalled him from Iowa last week, so he has the chance to prove he belongs at the MLB level — now and in 2013.
Volstad earns $2.66MM this year and he’ll get a raise through the arbitration process if the Cubs tender him a contract next winter. He has pitched enough innings at the MLB level this year that he projects to obtain a $3.1MM salary in 2013, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Yes, he’s on track for a $450K raise despite a career-high 7.22 ERA, a diminished strikeout rate and an unsightly 0-8 record. The Cubs must decide between now and the middle of December whether another season of Volstad is worth $3MM-plus.
Though his stat line isn’t pretty, bad luck may be a contributing factor to Volstad’s season — to an extent. Opponents are hitting .319 on balls in play against Volstad, a career high. It's an indication that he isn't getting much help from luck or Chicago’s defenders. No MLB pitcher has a lower strand rate than Volstad, who allows nearly half of baserunners to score (min. 50 IP). Though he's probably due for some regression, it's not uncommon for pitchers who have trouble generating swings and misses to allow a relatively high percentage of baserunners to score. And if any MLB pitcher has trouble inducing swings and misses, it’s Volstad. He generates the lowest percentage of swinging strikes among the 192 MLB pitchers with at least 50 innings in 2012 (4.6%, tied with Bartolo Colon and Henderson Alvarez). In other words, it’d be overly optimistic to say Volstad's numbers are simply a product of bad luck.
Volstad’s in the rotation for now, which means he has the chance to string together some more strong starts before the season ends. But if he fails to impress, the Cubs may choose to non-tender Volstad this winter and look elsewhere to strengthen the back of their rotation.
Dodgers Designate Tony Gwynn Jr. For Assignment
The Dodgers announced that they designated outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. for assignment. Los Angeles recalled outfielder/first baseman Jerry Sands from Triple-A in a related move.
Gwynn, 29, hit .232/.276/.293 in 277 plate appearances this season while missing some time with a shoulder contusion. He saw lots of action in center field while Matt Kemp was on the DL and is considered to be a strong defender in all three outfield spots by the various advanced metrics. Gwynn is in the first year of a two-year, $2MM contract.
Blue Jays Designate Jesse Chavez For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated right-hander Jesse Chavez for assignment, according to the team's website. Toronto recalled Chavez from Triple-A Las Vegas over the weekend and he pitched one scoreless inning in the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Athletics on Saturday.
Chavez, 28, has an 8.44 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays this year. He has spent most of the season starting games at Triple-A, where he has a 3.72 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings. The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks made the Blue Jays an offer for Chavez earlier this year, but Toronto declined.
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Non-Tender Candidate: Geovany Soto
The Rangers wanted Geovany Soto enough to trade minor league pitcher Jake Brigham for him. Do they like him enough to earmark $4MM-plus and a roster spot for him in 2013? Soto doesn’t have any guarantee that his Rangers career will last more than a few months.
Soto has emerged as a 2012 non-tender candidate, since his offense has diminished to uncomfortably low levels. He’s on track for career-lows in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage this year, and after 206 total plate appearances he has a batting line of .201/.286/.348.
Those offensive numbers would be disappointing for just about any player, but they’re especially troubling for a former Rookie of the Year known for his bat. Soto was an above-average offensive player in 2008 and 2010, and his offense remained passable in 2009 and 2011. His batting average on balls in play is presently 74 points below his career average, an indication that bad luck has contributed to his poor season. Soto’s still just 29 years old and he has a history of hitting left-handed pitching (career .904 OPS vs. southpaws), so there’s some reason for optimism going forward.
Soto does an average job at limiting the running game. He has prevented 27% of stolen base attempts both this year (league average is 26%) and for his career. The Fielding Bible Volume III suggested before the season that Soto was a capable but unremarkable defensive catcher.
Soto now earns $4.3MM and is on track to go to arbitration for the third and final time this offseason. The Wasserman Media Group client projects to earn $4.6MM in 2013, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. If the Rangers view Soto as a platoon or backup catcher, they probably won’t be inclined to pay him starter money. And if they are willing to spend $4.5MM on a catcher, they’ll have plenty of choices other than Soto (only one free agent catcher obtained more than $4MM in guaranteed money last offseason).
Soto provides the Rangers with insurance in case Mike Napoli leaves as a free agent after the season. If Napoli signs with another team before the mid-December deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players, Texas might be more inclined to retain Soto and hope for a return to his career norms in 2013.
It’s possible for players to restore their value and avoid non-tenders with a strong showing down the stretch. Delmon Young seemed likely to be non-tendered a year ago this time, but he hit eight home runs in 40 regular season games with the Tigers before adding five more homers in the postseason. If Soto shows flashes of being the same hitter he was in 2008 and 2010, the Rangers may determine he’s worth retaining for 2013. If not, expect him to hit free agency in December as a 2012 non-tender.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Diamondbacks Release Lyle Overbay
The Diamondbacks released first baseman Lyle Overbay, the team announced on its website. Arizona had designated Overbay for assignment last week, and he drew some interest from the Reds and Orioles.
Overbay, who's signed to a one-year, $1MM contract, has a .271/.354/.439 batting line in 12 MLB seasons. He can now be signed for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary.
The 35-year-old posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances with Arizona this year. Manager Kirk Gibson made sure to limit Overbay's exposure to left-handed pitching (95 plate appearances vs. RHP, 15 plate appearances vs. LHP), using him as a part-time complement to Paul Goldschmidt.
Minor Moves: Jake Fox, Scott Patterson
Today's minor moves..
- The Phillies have signed catcher/outfielder Jake Fox to a minor league contract, according to Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Press Media (via Twitter). Fox, 30, will report to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate after posting strong numbers for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
- The Mets announced that they have signed right-hander Scott Patterson to a Triple-A deal. The 33-year-old was previously with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate and last appeared in the majors in 2008 with the Padres.
Poll: Player Most Likely To Be Traded In August
The non-waiver trade deadline saw countless teams wheel and deal with hopes that acquiring the right piece or two would be enough to make a legitimate run during the playoffs this October. There's still an opportunity for a contender to make a move as teams have until the August 31 waiver trade deadline to make up for a just-missed transaction from last week. While some of the players passed through waivers over the course of August are capable of contributing to a winning team, many come with a bloated contract and statistics unworthy of those dollars.
Which player do you see as the most likely to change uniforms via trade this month?
Which Player Is Most Likely To Be Traded In August?
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Alfonso Soriano 40% (7,996)
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Heath Bell 12% (2,314)
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Scott Hairston 11% (2,279)
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Justin Morneau 10% (2,083)
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Josh Beckett 9% (1,738)
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Other 7% (1,456)
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Vernon Wells 6% (1,152)
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Carl Crawford 4% (885)
Total votes: 19,903
Week In Review: 7/29/12 – 8/4/12
With the trade deadline but a distant memory, let's catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…
- The Giants acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph.
- The Rangers acquired Ryan Dempster from the Cubs for minor league third baseman Christian Villanueva and minor league right-hander Kyle Hendricks.
- Shane Victorino has taken his talents to Chavez Ravine as the Dodgers acquired the outfielder from the Phillies for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom.
- The Dodgers claimed Cliff Lee off of waivers from the Phillies, who didn't appear to be interested in letting the left-hander go for salary relief alone.
- The Padres agreed to sign Huston Street to a two-year extension that includes a club option for 2015. The contract between the Padres and the Hendricks Sports client will be worth $14MM and the '15 option will be valued at $7MM.
- Brandon League switched leagues this week as the Mariners traded the reliever to the Dodgers for prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom.
- The Reds added a late-inning reliever by acquiring Jonathan Broxton from the Royals in exchange for Triple-A lefty Donnie Joseph and Double-A righty J.C. Sulbaran.
- The Dodgers acquired Joe Blanton from the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations after claiming the right-hander on waivers.
- Left-hander Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson find themselves atop the National League Wild Card standings as the Cubs traded the duo along with cash considerations to the Braves in exchange for right-handers Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino.
- The Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Chris Johnson from the Astros for minor league outfielders Marc Krauss and Bobby Borchering.
- The Pirates acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez and right-handed reliever Kyle Kaminska from the Marlins for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and a competitive balance pick.
- Reliever Craig Breslow finds himself in the American League East as the Red Sox acquired the reliever from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik.
- The Cardinals acquired reliever Edward Mujica from the Marlins for third baseman Zack Cox.
- The Indians designated Jeremy Accardo for assignment after the right-hander posted a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 26 appearances this season with Cleveland.
- Xavier Nady's getting another chance as the Giants agreed to a minor league contract with the veteran outfielder. The Nationals designated Nady for assignment in late July before granting him his unconditional release last Sunday.
- The Blue Jays signed Jack Cust to a minor league deal after being cut loose by the Yankees on Wednesday.
- The Orioles designated Endy Chavez for assignment after the outfielder posted a .190/.222/.281 batting line in 47 games for the Baltimore this year.
- Catcher Wil Nieves cleared waivers and rejected an assignment to the minors to become a free agent after the Rockies designated nine-year veteran for assignment.
- The Blue Jays designated Andrew Carpenter for assignment. The right-hander threw nine innings over six appearances with Toronto.
- The A's acquired right-hander Pat Neshek from the Orioles in exchange for cash.
- Right-hander Kip Wells recorded more walks (20) than strikeouts (19) this season, which may have led to the Padres' decision to designate the veteran for assignment.
- The White Sox sent minor league right-hander Chris Devenski to the Astros to complete the trade that sent Brett Myers to Chicago.
- The Nationals designated catcher Carlos Maldonado for assignment to make room for newly-acquired Kurt Suzuki.
- Johnny Damon may be in search of a new team as the Indians designated the veteran outfielder for assignment.
- The Tigers designated utility player Don Kelly for assignment despite his versatility around the diamond.
- The Yankees designated Ramiro Pena for assignment to clear roster space for Casey McGehee, who was acquired from the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Chad Qualls.
- Right-hander Derek Lowe may be able to make a return to pitching-starved Boston as the Indians designated the veteran for assignment.
- The Reds designated Mike Costanzo for assignment as the infielder struggled at the plate during his limited tenure in Cincinnati.
- The Rays released Hideki Matsui after the team had designated the outfielder for assignment last week.
- Infielder Mike Fontenot's in search of work after being designated for assignment and later released by the Phillies. The veteran should attract attention from other teams given his solid hitting ability.
- The Dodgers designated Bobby Abreu for assignment. Abreu joined the Dodgers after being released by the Angels earlier in the season.
- The Indians acquired first baseman/left fielder Lars Anderson from the Red Sox for Double-A starter Steven Wright.
- Catcher Yorvit Torrealba may be in search of a new home as the Rangers designated the veteran for assignment after Texas acquired Geovany Soto from the Cubs.
- The Diamondbacks designated first baseman Lyle Overbay for assignment. Overbay, 35, posted a .292/.367/.448 batting line in 110 plate appearances this year.
- The Mariners acquired outfielder Eric Thames from the Blue Jays for reliever Steve Delabar.
- The Blue Jays and Pirates swapped outfielder Travis Snider for right-hander Brad Lincoln.