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Archives for April 2013

East Links: Grilli, Cano, Webster, Rendon

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A pair of top prospects made their big league debuts yesterday, as Allen Webster started the second game of a double-header for the Red Sox and Anthony Rendon made his debut at third base for the Nationals with Ryan Zimmerman on the DL. Here's more on each, as well as some other news from baseball's Eastern divisions…

  • Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer chronicles Jason Grilli's ascension from the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate to Pirates closer. In 2011, the Phils called up six relievers instead of Grilli, despite his dominant numbers. Grilli had a clause in his contract stating that if another MLB team wanted him on their 25-man roster, the Phillies had to either call him up or release him. Pittsburgh scouts took notice of Grilli, called the Phillies, and Philadelphia elected to release him so he could sign with the Buccos.
  • Sonia Cruz, the spokeswoman for Robinson Cano's foundation, appeared in the latest round of Biogenesis documents, according to TJ Quinn and Mike Fish of ESPN. Cruz's name was only connected to a pair of $300 payments, which she said were for her own weight loss interests. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that MLB sources told him there was no link between Cano and Biogenesis. When he heard about the latest report, a surprised Cano told reporters, including Feinsand, "It's got nothing to do with me."
  • Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal examines the number of starting pitchers needed by the Red Sox in each season over the past decade and notes that the evidence suggests Webster will be back this season. MacPherson also adds that preliminary research indicates this is the earliest the Red Sox have ever turned to seven different starting pitchers in any season.
  • The timing of Rendon's call-up suggests that the Nationals may be more willing to let him remain with the club all season than they've let on, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Kilgore points out that Rendon has spent 20 days in the minor leagues, meaning his free agency has been delayed by a full year now.
  • Jake Arrieta is at a crossroads with the Orioles, in the mind of the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly. At 27 years of age, Arrieta has passed the "prospect" stage but has yet to find the consistency to convert his above-average repertoire of pitches into consistent success. Connolly notes that it's not wise to trade someone with Arrieta's talent while his value is so low, but moving him to the bullpen hardly maximizes his value.
  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Jay-Z's cerficiation process won't be complete anytime soon (Twitter link). As expected, CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen will handle Robinson Cano's extension talks.

Rays Receive Cash To Complete Vogt, Chirinos Trades

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The Rays have received undisclosed amounts of cash, rather than players to be named later, to complete the Stephen Vogt and Robinson Chirinos trades, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

The Rays traded Vogt to Oakland back on April 5. The 28-year-old catcher made his MLB debut for the Rays last season but went hitless in 25 at-bats. He's had considerably better fortune at the Triple-A level, where he owns a .302/.363/.503 batting line — thanks in large part to the video game numbers he's put up for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate so far (though those numbers do come with the PCL caveat).

Chirinos was traded to the Rangers on April 8 after being designated for assignment at the end of Spring Training. The 28-year-old was part of the Matt Garza trade between the Rays and Cubs. He has a career .281/.362/.422 batting line at Triple-A. Chirinos is a rare catcher who has extensive experience at both shortstop and second base, though he's worked almost exclusively as a catcher in recent years.

Quick Hits: Choo, Miggy, Braden, Mariners

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Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo has been hit by an incredible nine pitches already, which, combined with a very discerning eye at the plate, has lead to an MLB-best .523 OBP. SB Nation's Rob Neyer opines that the Reds correctly assessed that the gap between Choo's offense and Drew Stubbs' offense would outweigh the defensive downgrade. While Choo won't keep this pace up, Neyer points out that Reds leadoff men combined for a .254 OBP last season, making the addition of Choo a worthwhile move.

Choo currently ranks third on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, and a career-year in terms of OBP would certainly help keep him near the top of that list. Here's more from around the league…

  • MLB.com's Lyle Spencer writes that Miguel Cabrera was nearly traded to the Angels prior to the 2007 trade that sent him to the Tigers. Cabrera himself told Spencer that he thought he was being traded to Anaheim. The Angels and Marlins discussed Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders in the deal as well as young infielders Howie Kendrick and Brandon Wood. Ultimately, Cabrera said that he thinks he wound up in Detroit because the Tigers were more willing to take on Dontrelle Willis and his $7MM salary.
  • Former Athletics left-hander Dallas Braden implied via Twitter that he could be entertaining a comeback attempt. Braden, now 29 years old, made just three starts in the 2011 season and hasn't pitched since thanks to a pair of shoulder surgeries. Braden famously threw a perfect game against the Rays on May 9, 2010 with his grandmother in attendance.
  • The Mariners' offensive woes present the "biggest crisis of the Jack Zduriencik era," writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. While he concedes that it's a small sample, Zduriencik made several moves to bolster the lineup this offseason but the Mariners find themselves in 29th place in nearly every offensive category. The collapse of Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley and Jesus Montero — who were supposed to be the team's young core — is a major setback in Zduriencik's blueprint.

Minor Moves: D.J. Mitchell, Anthony Ortega

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Your daily rundown of minor transactions from around the league…

  • The Mets have signed right-hander D.J. Mitchell, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Mitchell was designated for assignment by the Mariners earlier in the month and elected free agency after clearing waivers. The 25-year-old has a 3.72 ERA in 317 1/3 Triple-A innings and was one of the pitchers Seattle received from the Yankees in last year's Ichiro Suzuki trade.
  • The Dodgers signed right-hander Anthony Ortega to a minor league contract to fill Stephen Fife's spot in Triple-A, tweets MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. The 27-year-old Venezuelan was originally signed by the Angels and made three rough starts for the Halos in 2009. He has a 4.41 career ERA in six minor league seasons to go along with a 6.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Athletics Acquire Casper Wells

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The Blue Jays have traded outfielder Casper Wells to the Athletics in exchange for cash considerations, according to a team press release. The A's transferred Scott Sizemore to the 60-day disabled list in order to create room on the 40-man roster. Wells is out of options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues, so an additional 25-man roster move will have to be made by the A's.

The Blue Jays claimed Wells, 28, off waivers from the Mariners after he was designated for assignment at the end of Spring Training. Wells didn't appear in a single game at any level for the Jays, however, as he was DFA'ed by Toronto just five days after being claimed.

Wells is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has posted a strong .264/.349/.489 batting line versus left-handed pitching in his career. Last night, MLBTR's Charlie Wilmoth highlighted Wells as an example of players being left in limbo by the waiver process as he wondered whether or not the waiver system needs to be updated.

Indians Designate Fernando Nieve For Assignment

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The Indians announced that they have designated right-hander Fernando Nieve for assignment in order to clear roster space for Matt Albers (Twitter link).

Nieve, 30, was signed to a minor league deal this past November. Nieve was called up after Albers was placed on the restricted list (which does not count against a team's 40-man roster) to tend to a family emergency. He did not appear in a game for the Tribe in his brief time at the MLB level.

Nieve has a career 4.61 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 185 2/3 innings for the Astros and Mets. He has not appeared in a Major League game since the 2010 season.

MLBTR Seeks Part-Time Writing Help

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We’re looking to add to the MLB Trade Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis.  Unlike some of our previous openings, this is specifically for the regular Saturday night shift, which runs from 5pm til 11pm or midnight central time every week.  The criteria:

  • Exceptional knowledge of all 30 MLB teams, no discernible bias. Knowledge of hot stove concepts such as arbitration and free agent compensation.
  • Availability to regularly work Saturday nights from 5pm til 11pm or midnight central time.  This availability is required every week.
  • Writing experience is necessary and online writing experience is preferred. 
  • Journalistic experience writing and reporting is also a plus.
  • Attention to detail and ability to follow the MLBTR style and tone.  
  • Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news concisely. 
  • Ability to accept and learn from constructive criticism. In general, a team player.
  • Ability to use Twitter and an RSS feed reader. You must be able to multi-task.
  • If you're interested, email mlbtrhelp@gmail.com and explain how you stand out in a couple of short paragraphs. Hundreds may apply, so we will not be able to respond to most applications.

Quick Hits: Cubs, Hudson, Hamilton

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Cubs manager Dale Sveum is upset with his team's recent play and says that players who don't perform won't have big-league jobs, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times reports. That goes for top young players Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo. "I don’t think [anyone’s] invincible if you’re not performing," Sveum says regarding Castro and Rizzo. "It’s not about what we think can happen three or four years from now. It’s time to perform on a consistent basis."

Wittenmyer writes that Sveum's harsh words for Castro and Rizzo "threw a sudden dose of skepticism and doubt into the widespread assumptions about the Cubs’ core," but acknowledges that, in reality, Castro and Rizzo will be with the Cubs for the foreseeable future. Sveum is suggesting they might be demoted, but that seems extremely unlikely, and it's even less likely that either of them would be traded. The Cubs signed Castro to a seven-year, $60MM contract last August. Rizzo is not signed to a long-term deal. Both players have hit well this season despite occasional mistakes in the field. Here are more notes from around the majors.

  • John Poloni — also known as the "fat scout" in Michael Lewis' Moneyball — lobbied for the Athletics to draft Tim Hudson in 1997, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Hudson wasn't regarded as a top draft prospect due to his size, but Poloni told the A's that Hudson had "the best sinker he'd ever seen." 16 years later, Hudson is nearing his 200th win in the big leagues. That doesn't mean Poloni is rushing to take credit, however. "He exceeded my expectations, too," Poloni says. "A lot of times, it's pure luck."
  • Last offseason's big-ticket free agents haven't performed well so far, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Rick Hummel. One of the highest-profile disappointments thus far has probably been Josh Hamilton of the Angels, although it's still early enough in the season that one big series could make any player's statistics look considerably better.

Poll: Should Rangers Trade Profar For Taveras?

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The Rangers and Cardinals have not discussed the possibility of trading top shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar for top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. A trade of the two teams' No. 1 prospects would make a great deal of sense in terms of those teams' needs, but it would be tough to pull off. "The Cardinals need a shortstop. The Rangers need an outfielder. The answer is there for both for years to come," one American League official tells Goold. "You just can’t do it. You can’t be the guy who is wrong if one works out and becomes a star as expected and the other doesn’t. Then you’re the new Brock-for-Broglio guy."

Nonetheless, it's a tantalizing trade idea. Deals centered around two highly-touted youngsters happen very rarely, but they're exciting when they do. The Rays' trade of Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie to Minnesota for Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and Eduardo Morlan is one of the few recent examples. In any case, it doesn't sound like the Profar-for-Taveras deal is in the offing. "[T]he reality is we have just gotten to the point we wanted with our farm system — with more elite talent back and set to contribute to the major-league club," says Cardinals GM John Mozeliak. "I’m not in the mood to start breaking it up."

Should this deal happen, though? In Profar, the Cardinals would get a long-term answer at shortstop, where they're currently starting Pete Kozma. Meanwhile, the Rangers would acquire a premium hitting prospect at a position that isn't shortstop, where they have Elvis Andrus signed to a long-term deal.

Profar and Taveras are too valuable for positional need to be the most important variable when considering a trade. After all, an injury easily could clear a spot for either player in his current organization, and positional logjams tend to resolve themselves over time. The Cardinals could deal an outfielder, or lose one to injury. The Rangers could eventually move Ian Kinsler to first. Before trading Profar or Taveras, you would need to be confident the other was the better player. Taveras has had the better hitting numbers, but Profar is younger and plays the tougher defensive position. Scouts love both of them, comparing Profar to Barry Larkin and Taveras to Vladimir Guerrero.

Let's consider the deal from the Rangers' perspective. If you were Rangers GM Jon Daniels, would you trade Profar for Oscar Taveras?

Should the Rangers trade Jurickson Profar for Oscar Taveras?
Yes 51.84% (8,263 votes)
No 48.16% (7,676 votes)
Total Votes: 15,939

Should MLB Change Its Waiver Claims Rules?

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If you follow transactions closely, you may have noticed that the Toronto Blue Jays are among MLB's most active teams, particularly with regard to waiver claims. This is a curiosity, and it's amusing to watch for transactions enthusiasts, but it's also becoming a small problem. To see why, here's a list of selected transactions involving the Blue Jays from mid-March to mid-April.

  • March 16: Jays claim Guillermo Moscoso from the Royals.
  • March 22: Jays claim Todd Redmond from the Orioles.
  • March 27: Cubs claim Moscoso from the Jays.
  • March 29: Jays claim Alex Burnett from the Twins and Clint Robinson from the Pirates.
  • April 6: Jays promote Dave Bush and designate Jeremy Jeffress for assignment.
  • April 7: Jays claim Edgar Gonzalez off waivers from the Astros.
  • April 8: Jays claim Mauro Gomez off waivers from the Red Sox and designate Bush for assignment.
  • April 9: Jays outright Bush to Triple-A Buffalo.
  • April 10: Jays claim Casper Wells from the Mariners and designate Burnett for assignment.
  • April 12: Orioles claim Burnett. The Jays announce that Gonzalez has cleared waivers, and is outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo.
  • April 15: Jays designate Wells for assignment.
  • April 16: Jays outright Jeffress to the minors.

Ideally, waiver claims should allow a player who doesn't have a spot on one team's 40-man roster to find a spot on another team's 40-man roster. The Blue Jays, however, are using the process not (or at least not primarily) to improve their 40-man roster, but to improve their minor-league depth by claiming players from other teams and trying to sneak those players through waivers later.

From mid-March to mid-April, the Jays claimed Moscoso, Burnett, Gonzalez and Wells, and then removed them from their roster almost immediately. They were successful in getting Gonzalez through waivers, and he's now pitching at Triple-A Buffalo.

None of this qualifies as a tragedy, but it's still an issue that should be corrected. For one thing, players are subjected to unnecessary periods of waiver limbo, in which they aren't playing and aren't sure where they'll be headed next. Of course, these periods of time are part of being a ballplayer, but they should be limited whenever possible.

Take the case of Casper Wells. Wells isn't a great player, but he posted 1.2 wins above replacement in 2012. He should be a Major Leaguer. But thanks to the waiver claims process, he has yet to appear in a professional game this season. The Mariners designated him for assignment March 31, and the Jays' claim didn't come through until ten days later. Then, five days after that, the Jays dropped Wells from their roster without him having appeared in a game for them, and he hasn't yet resurfaced. The waiver wire has effectively kept Wells out of professional baseball for the better part of a month.

Also, the Jays' use of waiver claims enables them to beef up their minor-league depth at virtually no cost. And the only way other teams have to defend themselves against the Jays' strategy is to do exactly what the Jays are doing, which would lead to more waiver claims, and more periods of waiver limbo. The Astros signed Edgar Gonzalez as a free agent last year; if he's going to be pitching in the minor leagues so soon after being designated for assignment, it should be in Houston's system, not Toronto's.

Of course, what the Jays are doing is currently within the rules. It even makes sense, to a degree, even though it mostly amounts to wheel-spinning. And maybe the Jays feel they have greater flexibility at the back end of their roster than other teams feel they have.

Also, the Jays aren't the only teams subverting the waiver claims process. Sometimes teams even do it together:

  • November 18, 2011: Pirates claim Brian Jeroloman from the Blue Jays.
  • November 21, 2011: Pirates designate Brian Jeroloman for assignment.
  • November 23, 2011: Blue Jays claim Brian Jeroloman from the Pirates.
  • December 11, 2011: Blue Jays designate Brian Jeroloman for assignment.

From the outside, this seems harmless, but it couldn't have been easy on Brian Jeroloman.

Major League rosters need to be flexible. A key injury, or a series of injuries, could occur at any time, and a team in a tough spot needs to be able to react. But the Blue Jays' use of the waiver claim system is frivolous and unsustainable (in that a class of players would be trapped in waiver loops indefinitely if other teams imitated the Jays), and it's unfortunate for the players involved.

For now, this is a minor problem. But it's still a problem, and it would be an easy one to fix. If a team claims a player, it ought to be required to keep that player on its 40-man roster for 30 days. That way, a waiver claim carries a small but real cost. Such a rule would have little effect on waiver claims by weaker teams like the Astros, since there would be little harm in a team in the Astros' situation committing to keeping a player on its roster for 30 days. And it would prevent already-strong teams like the Jays from trying to use the waiver claims process to supplement their minor-league systems, rather than to improve their Major League rosters.

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